Petite Feet Runaway

The blame for my Cateran entry this year lies with Sandra and Ian Beattie. After mustering up the courage to take off my coat at their wedding (who knew I would gain so much weight and not be able to fit a dress I had worn six weeks prior?), I began consuming a few beverages and busting some moves on the d-floor. A conversation took place with Karen and George whereby we all confessed love for one another and the Cateran trail in general. By the end of the night Scott had agreed to do the 55-miler and I was set up to enter the 110. What was I thinking? Two serious concerns; 1 - I am a huge unfit piece of lard unable to run 110 miles, and 2 - there is no way I could get the Friday off work to start the double. Fortunately in the morning we came to our senses. Scott would marshal and I would do the 55.  I figure 55 miles is ploddable without training and the undulations in the route made it more forgiving on us unfit. A solid story which boosted my confidence. I like to run Donald-...

Port Seton to Dunbar. Appears straightforward for a runner hoping to use public transport. So a week before our holiday to Sri Lanka, I booked myself an entry in a 50km ultra along the John Muir Way. I then promptly forgot until I read the race instructions a few days prior to the race. Good news - We were in possession of a car hire for the morning so I could be driven to the start. I also obtained my British Citizenship this week which isn't too relevant for the race but just good news in general. Who knows, maybe dual citizens get dual stamina?  Bad news - Race registration closed an hour before the start and was actually taking place at the finish line. We were coming from Angus. That meant leaving the accommodation by 5:30am. Not quite the 'slide out of bed the back of 8am and arrive at the start line with a decent ten minutes to spare' plan that I had originally thought of. Foxlake's setup is great and I look forward to going for a sw...

We are now five months post Spartathlon so I thought I should probably post this before a full year goes past! Also, my older sister just updated her blog and I do not like to be outdone. After three months not running a step I am slowing building the fitness up. Very slowly. In the meantime I have developed a love for red velvet cakes, took a last minute week-long trip to New Zealand (via China) and applied for British Citizenship . Plantar fasciitis is still having a wee snigger at me but I think I will have the better of him this year. And mostly, I am just keeping life in perspective. Many non-professional distance runners would benefit from doing the same. If you need some help, read my sisters blog here: KIWI OE WITH LYMPHOMA       An Event History There was some fighting happening in Athens and they needed some help. A dude ran to Sparta to ask some other fighting guys to give them a hand. He was not a bad runner and...

  The thunder run is a bit of a party. Last year I got an entry a few weeks before and it was a good excuse to see my sister and in-laws. A few months ago we all penciled it in again as a good excuse to catch up. I waited until after the Great Glen double until getting a confirmed entry as I wanted to see whether my legs would recover enough for the full 24 hours or whether I should convince someone else to do the 12 hour with me. Ten days prior to the race, my older sister had just come out of hospital and was not going to be well enough to crew. Should I bother trying to get an entry? Yes no, yes no. Aye. With a week to go, I got an entry confirmation. Then wham, four days before the race, even worse news about my sister. After some frantic early morning packing and some emergency flights to Brighton booked, my giant Nathan pack was left in Edinburgh full of running gear with a huge 'MAYBE' sign plastered on it. I did not know what the right decision was. I did ...

Insanity is a relative term. Ultra runners often get called insane because people confuse it with dedication, hard work and sacrifice. Sometimes ideas are insane to us at one point in our lives and then become less insane later. Deciding to run the Great Glen Way twice was a bit like that; insane at first because there was nothing to prove I could do it. There was no special training, just excitement for an idea. In the lead up it became normal as it was just something I was going to be doing. I'll confess that after about 100 miles it started to feel a bit crazy again. It would be both the longest I had run for and the furthest I had run. I kept it pretty quiet; no point getting any congratulations until it was completed. The Great Glen Way has some stunning views so surely it would be a pleasure seeing them twice right?! Every wee adventure should be preceded by an event which tests your patience, mood and relationship. This is to build resilience and serve as a good story to t...