Sticking to the plan when you don't feel the love

I was just over two miles in to a planned 18-mile long run, when I started to walk up a slight hill which I normally run. I was in the woods, Clevedon Court was to my right, my head torch was on and it was getting light. This is one of my favourite parts of […]

The 7 Biggest Life Lessons I've Learnt from Ultra-running

I was first inspired to take up ultramarathon running while watching the Marathon des Sables (MdS) on French TV. Each night, I watched the day’s action, admiring how the competitors talked about their highs and lows, and seeing the sheer buzz they were experiencing as well as the pain they were in. That was almost […]

Dunes and Endurance: How I found self-belief in the Sahara

In 2011, I competed in the Marathon des Sables (MdS) and, after marrying my wonderful (and patient!) wife, and having two marvellous children, I think the whole journey to finishing the MdS has been the most rewarding experience of my life. I am writing this almost seven years later and the memories are vivid and […]

Winter to spring: how I'm returning from injury

At mile 27 during the 2017 South Downs Way 100, I started to suffer cramp in my legs. This was bizarre as I was well hydrated, I thought my salt intake was OK, I was eating well, and cramp was not something I normally suffered with. To make matters worse, I had a guaranteed place […]

New Year's resolutions gone out the window? Here's how to get back on track

Was it a case of new year, new you? Over 80% of resolutions fail by February, so if you’re struggling with yours, you’re definitely not alone. Remember how focused you were at the beginning of January when you decided to make big changes. I bet you felt a buzz and sense of purpose having such […]

5 Fundamentals to Franchise Your Business

So, you have a great brand and successful business, and now want to expand? Setting up additional branches can require a significant cash investment and drain your available management time. The right locations need to be found, premises and services established, and good people recruited and trained, and you will need to adopt a […]

Finding your place

Your sine curve is your journey – any journey that you’re on. The Oxford Dictionary defines a journey as an act of traveling from one place to another. You will have a much stronger sense of purpose in your life if you know where you want to go: a plan, goal or vision. Wondering […]

Why you should ‘systems check’ your sales strategy

Like many ultramarathon runners, I will frequently carry out a systems check, which is a great technique in any endurance event and one which is also used in meditation. You start at the top of your head and mentally scan from head to toe, focusing in turn on each part of your body – each […]

Why run an ultramarathon?

Imagine devoting some of your personal time to an activity which keeps you physically fit, develops your mental strength and also provides some serious thinking time to help you explore, develop and achieve some really big goals in your life. For ultra athlete Andy Stewart, these are some of the benefits from running ultramarathons. Here he tells […]

Life is a Sine Curve – so what happens when you are catapulted into Winter?

Winter would not seem so dark, deep and tough if you knew that Spring would follow on a particular date and that the outcomes for your goals and dreams – your Summer success – would be certain… It is often the uncertainty, the what-ifs? and the yes-buts in our lives which cause the problems. By […]