A friend of mine at my local gym – Eisey’s Community Gym – suggested I enter the Fan Dance, a gruelling 24km SAS Selection Test march, carrying 20kg and staged over Pen y Fan, the highest mountain in the Brecon Beacons. I felt the event would be tough but was in me. My running mileage […]

This is the first year I can remember without an ultra in my calendar. In the past, having a string of events booked and building towards a big goal has generally kept me focused and motivated to train hard and consistently. This year, however, I have enjoyed the headspace to simply be in the moment […]

Every so often, I do a three-day fast to trigger autophagy – a natural process where the body breaks down and recycles dead or damaged cells. During the fast, I drink water, black tea or black coffee and continue taking water-soluble supplements, but that’s it. This works for me but it’s not for everyone – […]

After watching Chris Hemsworth’s series Limitless early last summer, I started to seriously consider cold water swimming. Episode 2 “Shock” looked at evidence demonstrating how exposure to cold temperatures could boost our immune systems and (amongst other benefits) reduce inflammation in the muscles, leading to faster recovery. That was music to my ears: I am […]

Some friends recently thanked me for writing this blog, saying they had shared Life is a Sine Curve with friends and colleagues who were going through a hard time – their Winter. By all accounts the blog was well-received, for which I feel both happy and humbled. Humbled that some of you get value from […]

Two weeks ago, I completed the Butcombe Trail Ultra 50 which covers a beautiful and hilly route through the Mendip Hills in Somerset, England. The event was superbly organised by Bristol’s Town and Country Harriers (TACH) with a friendly and relaxed atmosphere, great check-point crews full of energy and encouragement, and the food was excellent […]