Have you ever asked yourself the question: “who is the greatest long distance runner of all time?” Every generation has it’s great athletes, and from time to time a runner will come along who raises the existing standard to new levels, and appears to be unbeatable. Very occasionally such an athlete stands head and shouldersContinueContinue reading “…..Emil Zatopek – g.o.a.t?”
Tag Archives: fitness
…..diary of an also ran -1986
The first week or so of the new year was lost to a heavy cold , but it was then straight back into the normal routine of pretty high mileage, regular quality sessions and racing, which seemed to be serving me well. My plans for the year would be determined by the changes that wouldContinueContinue reading “…..diary of an also ran -1986”
British male winners of the London marathon
There were remarkable performances witnessed at this year’s London, with Sabastian Sawe running 1hr 59’30” and Yomif Kejelcha at 1hr 59’41” both smashing through the “holy grail” 2 hour mark. The standard has improved so much in recent years that although there were strong runs from British men this year, they were still 6 minutesContinueContinue reading “British male winners of the London marathon”
…..diary of an also ran part 9
I arrived at the start line feeling fresh and well ready for it. The rough plan was to set off at 6’15” pace and finish as close to 2hrs 45’ as possible, however with a hilly course to contend with, the very hot weather on the day made a good time less likely. Adrenalin gotContinueContinue reading “…..diary of an also ran part 9”
…..diary of an also ran – part 8
Once recovered from my treadmill incident, the better quality training showed itself to be paying dividends when I recorded a new p.b. for 10 miles, knocking nearly 2 ½ minutes off my previous mark with a 57’03”. The next 3 weeks included a race each weekend, with a 3rd place finish in the low keyContinueContinue reading “…..diary of an also ran – part 8”
o.t.s.o…..3 castles report
If you are harbouring any thoughts of having a go at an Ultra distance run, the 3 castles race would be a very good way to start. At 50 km it is at the shortest end of the ultra distance spectrum and is just a modest step up from the marathon – but that’s notContinueContinue reading “o.t.s.o…..3 castles report”
o.t.s.o…..the 3 castles ultra
Back in 1996 I discovered that an end to end footpath had recently been established along the river Medway, from Rochester to Tonbridge. Of course, in my mind that immediately became a route that needed to be run ! My diary notes from the time show that with characteristic lack of planning and preparation, justContinueContinue reading “o.t.s.o…..the 3 castles ultra”
…..diary of an also ran 7
Sunday 19th June 1983 was a hot and fairly windy day, but this time I stuck rigidly to my pre-race plan of aiming to run 6’30”s for 20 miles and then hang on to the finish to get a PB. As I went through 20 miles in 2hrs 10’40”, I was very nearly spot on,ContinueContinue reading “…..diary of an also ran 7”
…..diary of an also ran 5
I started off 1982 with a significant jump in mileage, putting in 5 successive weeks of 35, 39, 50, 47 & 50. This produced some faster times in regular training routes, but also resulted by the 5th week in shin pains and a loss of enjoyment as for the first time, I was chasing mileageContinueContinue reading “…..diary of an also ran 5”
…..diary of an also ran 4
London/Manchester/Harlow My second race ( and second marathon ) could hardly have been more different in scale and character from the first. From the thousands of runners and spectators and the high profile media razzamatazz that accompanied the London Marathon, my second foray into marathon running had an altogether lower key feel about it. TheContinueContinue reading “…..diary of an also ran 4”
On the subject of running..... 