Manchester Marathon This weekend saw the return of the Manchester Marathon after an absence of a decade.  I am in the progress of writing a blog on the race itself but will concentrate on the race, or for me, the run out that I had yesterday. Late Saturday afternoon I got thinking about how g .. Read More

So, the day finally came.  After training for the VLM 2012 from 1st January it was time for the gun to go and the race to start. Whatever was to happen over the next few hours I knew I was in great shape and ready for the challenge ahead.Training had gone really well and my coach and I have .. Read More

National Road Relays Team had took a hit since the Northern with four runners missing from the A team which won silver at Liverpool a fortnight ago.  But these things happen and we don't seem to have been the only team to be hit by losing a few runners.  We still got on with it and had a .. Read More

After wrecking my head all afternoon about where last year's 12 stage was I decided I had to check.  It was a Catterick Garrison and I didn't run it.  Not sure why, but it might have been when I pulled something in my ribs, but I was thinking this was the year before.  Our team at .. Read More

Trafford 10k I like racing, but don't seem to have done much of it recently which is very different for me. I started to get in to my running through entering races so think my love for racing stems from this.  So when my coach and I decided to do the Trafford 10k and to ease down for it I was .. Read More

Parkrun- Did the parkrun in Heaton Park as part of my session.  3 mile warm up, parkrun 15.22 (1st place) 4 x 800m loop, 3 mile warm down.    Was a good session.  Weather was shocking, windy and very wet.  Felt very cold by the time parkrun kicked off.Garmin of parkrun .. Read More

This was the race I was really looking forward to.  With being ill over Christmas, not being able to shake a cold off I missed a few races.  I have raced once this year which was the Greater Manchester XC Champs and was well looking forward to the Northern XC.  Having won it twice bef .. Read More

Another January and my racing year starts with the Greater Manchester Cross Country Championships.  The race was staged once again at Woodbank Park, Stockport.  Two parts of this park, the top fields and the bottom fields.  Joined together by a big steep downhill and a big steep uphil .. Read More

Interesting little trail race in a little place called Hurst Green.  Not a million miles away from the Ribble Valley 10k so you can imagine the kind of area.  Donna calls it the worst race ever, but for those a little tougher it was on the edge of a tough trail race and a small fell race.& .. Read More

This is a race that has been running for 30 years this year. So for me to have done every singleone of them I would need to have done them since the age of 3! I decided quite late in the dayyesterday to run this event as I wasn't really looking for a race this weekend. My session went wellyesterday .. Read More

The Derwentwater 10 mile race is a race I have done several times now.  Not because I like racing 10 miles because if so I would fine a flatter course, but because it starts and finishes in the best town I have been to.  Keswick!  I like going to the Lake District and it's not a m .. Read More

1st place in 1.19.04.  Great race, wrote a report last night but it disappeared.  Maybe due to it being halloween.  Will write a little more when I have time. .. Read More

This is a mounatin relay race in Morbegno, Iatly.  The team I was running on was selected from the Snowdon Race in July of this year.  Llanberis, where Snowdon is, is twinned with the town of Morbegno and as part of their twinning Llanberis invite a team to run the Snowdon Mountain Race an .. Read More

Not a race I was looking forward to, but I enjoy the team races and was adiment I was going to be running.  Sean Cordell is our team manager now and has been for the last year since I stepped down.  Therefore he calls the shots and he decides leg order.  This I fully respect and would .. Read More

Cracking local race and well organised.  Donna was moaning she had no one to run with on Sundays so she decided to do this very local race.  I therefore opted for it as I was down for an hour run anyway.  The race was a clockwise run round four of the five reservoirs that run along th .. Read More

The long awaited day had come, Sunday 25th September.  The BMW Berlin Marathon.  After the disappointment of the European and Commonwealth Marathon Champs last year I was looking forward to running the Berlin Marathon to put the demons behind me and to move on.  My training had gone v .. Read More

The North West Road Relays is often referred to as the warm up for the Northerns the week after.  For me it landed perfect for a nice blast out before the Berlin Marathon.  I was running on leg 2.  Joe Bailey was doing leg 1 for us, well he is faster than me and I suppose these youngs .. Read More

A win for me and the wife.  I decided to do this race because it meant a- I could support the race put on by Duncan of www.athletematters.com b- It helped break up my two hour run and c- we could win some money and Donna can go clothes shopping!!!  (Donnas just said the c should be the a!! .. Read More

Well what can I take from this race?  8.48 and there was me telling Matt Shaw I would get a SB!!  No where near, but hey ho life goes on!!!  No excuses, I did feel tired but thats to be expected from the mileage.  Oh and it was windy!!!  But it just wasn't to be.  Not t .. Read More

World Mountain Running Trial Race. Witton Park I hear you say.  Blackburn, do they have mountains?  Well it goes to show you don't need to have a mountain to stage a selection race for the World Mountain Running Championships!  Witton Park is well known by northern runners for staging .. Read More

Its been a good few years since I had raced the Sale 10.  You don't get many ten mile races so I was looking forward to this race and felt I could run a low 49 as my training had been going well.  As it turned out I didn't break 50 (50,03) and only finished third because Matt Proctor pulle .. Read More

The International Snowdon race has to be one of my favourite races of the year.  It's the race where I know after it I will hurt.  The race is from the foot of Mount Snowdon to the summit and back down.  For those who have ever ventured up Snowdon you will know its not easy, its steep .. Read More

The European Mountain Running Champinships this year headed to Bursa in Turkey.  The trial race was held in Keswick and ran up Skiddaw, the race out in Turkey ran up Mount Uludag and even though Skiddaw is steep, mount Uludag was much steeper.  It was also much hotter and towards the top r .. Read More

This is a race that I was looking forward to.  Having discussed with my coach that I wanted to put in a strong performance we changed a few things in training as the week when on and made sure I didn't hit a long run on Thursday evening like I did before the inter counties.   I still .. Read More

Donna decided to run the Sale 5 last night as a tempo run so I opted to have a run out and by the time I had warmed up, raced and warmed down it would be my ten mile run done for the day and I would be able to stay in during the evening and watch Britains Got Talent!I did the race last year in 24.34 .. Read More

This years Inter Counties Fell Champs was just a little less North than the north pole. Ok, well is wasn't quite that far North but felt a long way when having to drive there.  It was in Briggar which is about 20 miles south of Edinburgh.  (I think)  Anyway it took ages to get there a .. Read More

The Great Manchester 10k is a great race in a great city.  Ok I would say that being from the area and Manchester being my local city.  The race has grown to a massive size now and the front end of this Gold Label 10k is outstanding.  The field assembled by the orgainsing team is exce .. Read More

This is a relay race of six stages where you have to run in pairs.  It's usually held the first sunday of December but was cancelled due to bad snow.  They did a great job at rearranging it and I really enjoy the event.  The race Halifax Harriers put on is excellent.This year I was ru .. Read More

Yes, thats right, a track race.  Took some getting used to, running round and round in cicles but I made the finish line. (Just!)All part of the training.  They kill me but are good for me, or so the coach tells me.I hadn't raced on the track for some time so wasn't sure how it was going t .. Read More

The Rivington Pike Fell race takes place in Horwich each Easter Saturday.  I have ran this race once before in 2004 when I won the event.  I haven't since then had the opportunity to run the race as it more often than not lands just before the London Marathon and wouldn't be the ideal thin .. Read More

The salford 10k is my running clubs big 10k race of the year.  The race attracts a big field and the quality of the field can vary year on year, even though recently the quality of the field is on the up.  The race is a two lap 10k and can only be described as flat.  If anyone disagre .. Read More

This was a solid run for me and I was pleased with the outcome.  I ran 26.52 on first leg and finished in 10th place.  It was a little slower than last years run but I knew I wasn't in the same zippy shape I was this time last year.  I feel like I am full of stamina but lacking the sp .. Read More

Today Donna and I decided to run the Hyde Foolish Trail Race.  This is a new race organised by Kiwi Classic Events.  The event was well set up and well organised.  The route was testing after the first 1.5miles.  The race then went up to Werneth Low which to get to you run up a m .. Read More

12th place- 67.22Not a great day on the roads for me.  Set off well in the race and was running ok through to 10k.  As I got to miles 7 and 8 I started to slow a lot and felt like I was lacking something.  Gave me lots of time to think.  I nearly ran 3 minutes quicker last year a .. Read More

This was the first time I had run the Trafford 10k since they have changed the course.  Knowing the area I knew the race would be pancake flat but wasn't expecting the narrow start and the pushing!  But it's all good fun.Going in to the race I wasn't too sure what I would do but would have .. Read More

Adidas Silverstone Half Marathon.Ran the race as part of my Sunday training.  Couple of mile warm up, the race and 5 mile afterwards totalling 20 miles.Race went as planned.  Just did what I needed to in order to finish first.  Course was BORING!!!  The fun of running round a rac .. Read More

Heaton Park Parkrun.2nd place in 15.28.  A little slower than the previous one I did but I have been hitting the mileage.Lewis Moses won the race. .. Read More

First ever Parkrun for me.  1st place in 15.20.  Not fast but tough little course.Followed it up with 6 x 800m efforts in the park. .. Read More

The Northern Cross Country Championships is one event that I look forward to each year and try and compete in if possible.  I like the atmosphere of this race, the great competiton it provides and this year even the music they played!!!!I spoke with Trevor Baxter on the Wednesday before the rac .. Read More

First race of 2011 came with a win.  I was racing in the Greater Manchester Cross Country Championships.  I suppose with last years event being cancelled due to snow and me winning in 2009, that makes me reigning champion.  So I wanted to win the race and was looking for a good run ou .. Read More

Last fell race of the year, well it had to be really.  Would be hard pressed to get another in seeing that this one starts at 11.30am on New Years Eve.  Race was tough.  Jonny Brownlee and I hit the front from early on and went away from the rest of the field.  I lead the race ou .. Read More

The Stoop Fell Race is oragnised by one of Yorkshires, if not the countries maddest people!  Dave Woodhead and his lovely wife (and I can not never work out how she copes with him) orgainse a few races each year and todays race is part of his work!  His website is www.woodentops.org.uk if .. Read More

This race was part of the Manchester League XC series.  I haven't raced one for ages but really enjoy the league races.Race was held in snowy conditions and I wasn't even aware I was doing it until Friday afternoon when my coach said to do the race instead of trying to do a session in the snow .. Read More

Well what can I write that hasn't already been said?Dropped out of the race at 30k with a very tight right hamstring which was preventing me from running freely.Very disappointedbut not over yet. .. Read More

This race was going to go one or two ways.  I was either going to run ok or not ok.  As it happened I wasn't to disappointed.  Breaking 17 minutes should have been easy but I was still knocking the miles out in preparatiuon for the marathon.  Team finished 4th which is the one pl .. Read More

The Great North Run is a great race.  The biggest race of the year in terms of runners that I participate in.  Everyone you speak to seems to know someone in the race.I was looking forward to the race and getting in the mix in a top field.  maybe not as hot at the very front but some .. Read More

This race came just a little too early from getting back from holiday.  I was hoping to be able to run a similar time to last year where I ran 30.00, but it wasn't to be.  I finished in 12th place in a time of 31.06.  Ok, so some will be asking what the eck happened,  but nothing .. Read More

The Saddleworth 6 is probably my cloest road race with it being down the road.  I could have run there as a warm up but Donna decided to run there as her run so I took the car with Kadi and the running clothes in.  I wasn't sure how the race would go.  I have had a niggling pain .. Read More

Did the Meerbrook 15k road race because the chap who organises it is real nice and always gets good photos of me in races (Mick Hall) and its in a lovely area not too far a drive away.  Some might say it wasn't the right thing to do after the problems I encounter at the European Marathon Champi .. Read More

First proper race since the VLM.  Wasn't too sure about how the race would go so eased down from the mileage in the second half of the week ready for the race.  Heard on the old rumour mill that Webb and Hudspith were coming to do the race.  Knew there would be one or two Africans in .. Read More

It wasn't until about 8.50am that I decided to head on down to the Sale 5 mile race.  It was the eagerly awaited night out on Sunday 30th May that Dave Norman had been planning since before the Virgin London Marathon.  It was, as you would expect, a messy night out because Dave + Booze x r .. Read More

10th Place 2.16.38 .. Read More

What more would you expect for the middle of May, other than shocking winter weather on Wales' highest peak.  Today I ran up and down Snowdon with Matt Jones who is raising funds this year for charities supported by his late friend Gary Speed.  The weather was cracking, four seasons in .. Read More

Britain really does have talent! So a dog (and its owner) wins Britain's Got Talent.  Does that mean the good people of this country have no talent, or that the dog, Pudsey is just brilliant?  I like BGT, not only for David Walliams constantly taking the mick out of Simon Cowell but for s .. Read More

It's not very often you get a race the size of the Manchester Marathon on your door step.  I hadn't paid much attention to the race build up as I thought I wouldn't be doing it.  I had hoped to get down and watch it but it was looking like I wouldn't as the weekend approached.    .. Read More

I bet everyone has one of these.  A box, tucked away somewhere, mine is under the bed, which is full of medals.  Medals that you get given at the end of a race, medals you get given for finishing top three or top three teams.  All put together in a safe place but not really sure w .. Read More

Only one more run, where or what would it be? I posed the question on Monday evening after my ten mile run on the moors behind my house, if you could only do one more run ever, where or what would it be?  It might be a run you have often done, a race you have done many times or an event you wo .. Read More

    I was thinking, what if today's run was the last run I could ever do?  Where would I do it or would I save my run so I could use my last ever run to participate in a race.  I thought about this for a few minutes as I sat in my classroom looking out of the window thinkin .. Read More

I am going to start my blog by sharing my musical interest with you in East 17!  Driving home from the track on Tuesday evening all alone I had a rummage in the glove box to look for a different CD.  It was a toss-up between the aforementioned East 17 and Britney Spears.  East 17 won. .. Read More

Am I finally starting to learn?  It might have taken a good many years, but this week I think I have started to put in to practice what I probably already knew, but never wanted to do.  As I made reference to in my training log, I didn't have a care in the world when I was doing my usual M .. Read More

How time consuming is training?  Going for an hour run doesn't take an hour.  The running part does, but by the time you get ready, maybe stretch, do the run, stretch again and then get cleaned up and fed, an hour run takes much longer than an hour.  It can take even longer if you are .. Read More

This week has been great, apart from Thursday when I had to paint the front room, but apart from that it was rather like being a full time athlete.  Lots of sleep, even afternoon naps some days which I can really feel helped with my evening run or session.  But it's back to work in the mor .. Read More