With a Marathon PB of 2hr 05’11”, how could Mo Farah run 2hrs 39’ 48” and it be regarded as an  improvement ? Age grading – that’s how!!!   All Sir Mo has to do to regard running a 2hrs 39’48” marathon as an improvement, is to achieve it when he’s 65 years old. Unless you’veContinue reading "on the subject of…..age grading"

Even though my legs were still screaming from yesterday’s efforts, it felt a lot easier getting out of bed to run again today knowing that it would be the final stretch of the run. Even better that it was just 12 miles to the finish, and with four secluded downland hamlets to pass during theContinue reading "WealdWay 2021 – final day"

After 50 miles in two days, my quadriceps (and a few other muscles) made their displeasure known during yesterday evening, and even walking was a challenge when I got up this morning. But applying Voltarol gel to almost every moving part seemed to help a bit, and I drove back to Five Ash Down toContinue reading "WealdWay 2021 – day 3"

Feeling naturally a bit achey and weary this morning, but once I hit the trail again at about 09.00 from Tonbridge, I was relieved that the ankle problem that had dogged me yesterday didn’t feel too bad at all. Already in glorious warm sunshine under a crystal clear blue sky, as I made the steepContinue reading "WealdWay 2021 – Day 2"

Because my preparations for a 3 day schedule had been so disappointing, at short notice I came up with a “plan B” which would allow for a fourth day, by taking a bit of the heat out of day’s one and two. A bit of last minute rearranging of transport times and pick-up locations meantContinue reading "WealdWay 2021 – Day one"

It has always seemed to me that for a small town with a modest catchment area, Tonbridge and district has punched well above its weight when it comes to producing very top quality athletes. The credit for much of that must be due to the formation in 1947, and continued flourishing of Tonbridge AC. FromContinue reading "on the subject of…..local heroes"

Well, it’s almost time to get on with it! Since my last update in late February, I’ve managed Sunday runs of 18, 20, 21, 20 which have been OK, but not very encouraging. I had hoped to get up to about 25 miles, but I just haven’t managed it. At the end of each ofContinue reading "Wealdway diary notes #3"

I’ve posted previously on the general subject of racing, but there is something special about racing cross country which I think makes it sufficiently different to warrant its own piece. If you are on a track or in a road race, everyone is facing pretty much identical conditions and there’s really no variation in theContinue reading "on the subject of…..cross country racing"

While the second attempt had been much more successful than the first, I still felt that with the right preparation, determination and fair share of luck, I could do it quicker. Putting such thoughts to the back of my mind for a couple of years, until in 2018 I suggested the idea of a thirdContinue reading "on the subject of…..the 3 peaks (part 3)"

After the complete hash we made of our first attempt at the 3 peaks in 2005, Andrew regarded it as a nightmare to which he'd never return. I regarded it as failure and unfinished business, to which I had to return.  But it was 10 years before I actually got round to it. In 2015Continue reading "on the subject of…..the 3 peaks (part 2)"