Chicago Marathon

 

Yesterday I completed my fourth Abbott World Marathon Major in Chicago. It was a lot harder than I expected: it was hot and the sun was very strong, and it definitely felt more like summer than autumn. It wasn't too bad in the city, but out in the suburbs, it felt scorching hot.

It is fair to say that I really enjoyed the run—there was lots of support all throughout the course, with music, people cheering, and even free beer!

Looking back, it reminded me a lot of Berlin, in that the most interesting views were in the city section. The neighbourhoods, which made up most of the run, were fun but not as special as the city skyline. I like that the course took different angles of the city so you got to see a lot.

One thing that did suck though, was the start. There were too few toilets, so I was busting and had to stop on the run, which is never pleasant experience. I also found it difficult to locate my starting pen. For some reason, they label them alphabetically, but a couple are not in order, which wasn’t obvious. I had to ask two marshals where to go.

Overall, it was a good experience. If I did it again, I'd arrive in America sooner so as not to be so jet-lagged. I'd also plan my meals better. The race and the city were great; I would come back here again. Special thanks to Kath and Thom for being my best supporters throughout. Now that I said I would never do this again, I am secretly dreaming of Boston, Tokyo and Sydney, the remaining of the 7 Marathon Majors.

Great North Run

This weekend we headed to Newcastle so that I could do the Great North Run. Driving up after school pickup on Friday we arrived relatively late in the evening. Kath had booked us into the Sandman Newcastle Hotel next to St James Park well placed for exploring the city centre and in good proximity to the start of the run.

On Saturday we headed into the city to explore a little, spending the afternoon at the Great North Museum Hancock. There were a variety of displays from the natural world to Egyptians including artefacts on loan from the British museum. There was also a large Hadrians wall section. Thom had a great time there and I would definitely recommend it for some quality family time. The admission is free (optional donation), we paid only for a guidebook and to see one of the shows at the planetarium.

Sunday was the day of the race. It is the largest half marathon in the world, and you can tell! There were 60 thousand runners and a lot of spectators, so the city was extremely busy. I was in one of the later waves the walk to the back of the start line was very long I had done nearly 10,000 steps before I even started the race.

The race itself was very good. The route was nice and varied. There were flyovers by the Red Arrows, which indecently is the first time I had seen them for years. They were a regular fixture of the Woodford airshow when I was younger but it's been decades since that ended!

There was a lot of crowd support all the way along the course, and every time you went under a bridge somebody would start a chant "oggy oggy oggy, oi, oi, oi". Unlike most races I have done the start was in the city the end point at the sea in South Shields which was nice to see the contrast. It did mean getting back to the city was a bit tricky however they organised it really well having a shuttle bus service which must have transported many thousands of people efficiently to and from South Shields. 

I enjoyed most of the run though a bit like London marathon at it is so busy at times I felt like I was having to dodge and jig to get past people. I would definitely recommend though really felt like you were part of a huge event. 

It was my first time in Newcastle apart from a very quick visit for work once where I saw only a small industrial park data centre not far from the Angel of the North. I enjoyed the weekend, it had a certain charm and the people were very friendly. 

The Mental Marathon: Building Resilience When You're Not 100%

Today was my long run day, a staple in any training plan. But this one felt a little different. Last week, I was under the weather and had to miss a training session – one of the hardest things for a runner to do! The immediate instinct is to try and catch up, to push harder to make up for lost time. However, experience (and a bit of self-preservation) tells you that's rarely the right approach.

Adding to the challenge, the weather was surprisingly warm today for late June in Wilmslow. Usually, I'd relish a bit of sun, but when you're trying to put in serious mileage, heat can quickly turn a good run into a struggle. This meant consciously slowing my pace, taking on extra water, and really listening to what my body was telling me.

The Art of Showing Up (Even When You're Not 100%)

This is where the real trick comes in: recognizing that some runs, you just aren't going to be 100%. Whether it's post-illness fatigue, unexpected heat, or just a general "off" day, the key isn't to hit arbitrary targets, but to keep going. It's in moments like these that running truly becomes a mental marathon. The little voice in your head tries to convince you to speed up, to hit those splits you had planned, or even just to cut the run short. But then another, more resolute voice kicks in – the one that reminds you why you lace up your shoes in the first place.

It's about building resilience, about overcoming those internal doubts, and simply putting one foot in front of the other. Today's run wasn't about smashing personal bests or hitting ambitious targets. It was about showing up, being patient with myself after a week off, and adapting to the conditions. And honestly, those are often the runs that teach you the most. They build not just physical endurance, but the mental fortitude that carries you through every aspect of life.

Did you have a run recently where you had to dig deep and keep going, even when you weren't 100%? Share your experiences in the comments below!

Week 1, Run 1: The Journey to Chicago Begins!

After taking a week off following Manchester 10km, today marked the first official training run on my road to the Chicago Marathon 2025. After successfully completing the London Marathon last year, I'm excited (and maybe a little nervous!) to tackle the Windy City. My goal is to cross that finish line in 4:45, a time I'm determined to achieve with consistent training and the right mental attitude..

My training plan officially kicked off today, and you can see the details of my first run on Strava. 

It was a short interval session, with 6 x 1 minute intervals at a hard pace. It felt like a good way to get started, the weather was overcast but not bad for running.

I'm following a Coopah training plan, which I'm confident will help me stay on track. The plan has a mixture of long runs, easy runs, tempo and intervals sessions. The journey to a marathon is never easy, but I'm ready to embrace the challenge and share my progress along the way. Stay tuned for more updates!

If you want to try out Coopah please us the following link for a free trial 

Great Manchester Run 10k

What a Sunday it was! The Great Manchester Run 10k always delivers an incredible atmosphere, and this year, on May 18th, it certainly lived up to expectations. There's nothing quite like pounding the streets of Manchester alongside thousands of fellow runners, cheered on by an enthusiastic crowd. They even played The Stone Roses just as we took our place on the starting line – it felt electric! This year was particularly special for me as I got to share the experience with my wonderful wife, Katarzyna.

The race itself proved to be a bit more challenging than anticipated due to the unseasonably warm weather. It definitely added an extra layer of difficulty to the 10k distance, but we powered through, navigating through the city centre and out towards Old Trafford before looping back to finish on Deansgate. There was an excellent crowd; every high-five from a spectator, every shout of encouragement, makes a real difference.

As for my own performance, I crossed the finish line in 57 minutes and 24 seconds. While not a personal best, I'm happy with that time, especially considering the conditions. It was a solid effort given the sun, and I'm pleased with how the run went. It's a testament to consistent training (I use Coopah training – feel free to check them out with my code!) and, of course, the fantastic support from Katarzyna both on and off the course.

Watching Katarzyna cross the finish line too, knowing we'd both pushed ourselves and achieved something great together, was a fantastic feeling. These shared experiences are what make events like the Great Manchester Run so memorable.

A huge thank you to everyone who organised the event, the volunteers, and of course, the incredible Manchester crowd for making it such an unforgettable day. The medals are proudly displayed, and the memories will last a lifetime.

Now, time to recover, reflect, and perhaps start thinking about the next challenge: Chicago in October!

TCS London marathon 2024 Medal Engraving

My watch warning me I was tired!

This morning I felt very sore but manage to drag myself out of bed early so that I could go and get my medal engraved at the New Balance store on Oxford road. The escalator at St Pauls didn't work going down so I had to make a painful and slow decent my quads were really hell! I made it to join the queue just after 9. I met a couple of ladies from Chicago in the queue. They were telling me that London was better than Chicago marathon in terms of the support. We were all handed a free New Balance branded water bottle while we queued, it took around an hour but the actual engraving was super quick.

Thom and Kath checked out after me and we met up at a coffee shop afterwards (they even brought me a coffee while I was waiting in line). Then it was off back home on the train.

 

TCS London Marathon 2024

Today was the day after a heck of a lot of training including around 900 miles of running, today was the London Marathon.

I headed out the apartment this morning to catch the DLR from Bank to Greenwich park. My wave was RED 11 so quite near to the end of the runners, I needed to get to the start around 10 for an 11 am start.

The DLR was super busy, there were huge queues as Canary Wharf I was glad to have gotten on earlier. Arriving at Greenwich there was a walk to the park then get to the pens in time for the start of the race.

I was talking to an American lady in the pen. She was just completing her abbot six stars, very exciting.

I started the race around 11:08, following the 4:30 pacer up until about half way then dropping back to the 4:45 pacer unto around mile 20. Going over tower bridge just before the halfway point was incredible, such an iconic scene and so many people. The race carried. won snacking around the docklands. My legs were feeling really tired by this point and my pace dropped. By mile 24 I was feeling very tired but the crowd was still huge. Kath and Thom saw me but I missed them.

The end of the marathon takes you down the mall towards Buckingham Palace, finishing just afterwards. I was exhausted but I made it in just a smidge under 5 hours, 4:57:37. 

The Land is inhospitable and so are we

Today Kath Thom and I headed to London on the train so that I could pick my number up for the London Marathon tomorrow. Kate P's brother was also running and as luck would have it our trains arrived at Euston at almost the same time so we have a quick chance to meet up and wish each other luck. Then we headed from Euston to the marathon show in the ExCel centre. It was very busy with lots of runner collecting their numbers and there was a big property investment show in the hall next door. People in suits meeting people in running gear.

The number collection was actually very well organised I only had to queue for a few minutes before getting my number and a bag for the drop off.

We had a wonder around the stalls, Thom loved the music and lights at the main sponsor new Balance. I bought myself a new hoody there. I managed to find my name on the marathon wall and we cruised around signing up for various promotions. I also collected my free T-Shirt.

Feeling a bit tired we headed to the apartment we rented at the Kings Wardrobe near to St Pauls cathedral. The apartment had two rooms a small kitchen and a living area it was actually really lovely and we were all pleased. Settling in for an evening of carb loading via Pizza Express.

 

Everything's electric

Pre Race

Last Sunday was the Great Manchester Run. I had entered the 10KM so we headed out to Manchester on the train in the morning. I was in the White Wave starting 11:47 so had plenty of time. The trains were packed with runners and with city fans heading into town early to soak up the atmosphere pre game.

I had done the Great run a few times before, its a great event with loads of support on the course. The event started as part of the Manchester commonwealth games. I read that it's the third biggest participation event in the UK beaten in numbers only by the London Marathon and Great North Run.

While I was running Kath took Thom to relax in the peace garden. These are now part of the recently redeveloped Lincoln Square. At the moment its a slightly weird space with lots of new butemupty shop units. However the Lincoln statue now has more space to and the Peace gardens are back after being moved from St Peters square to make room for the second city crossing.

Waiting to start

I always found it slightly weird that there is a statue of Lincoln here, seems slightly incongruous to have an American president in a British city, Manchester supported the Yankee states and their desire to end slavery even though the blockade on the confederate states hurt the economy of Manchester.

I must admit that I had not done a huge amount of training for the run so I was pleased to come in just under the 1 hour mark. Far from my personal best it was still a great effort and I really enjoyed the run.

After meeting with Kath we headed for some much needed food then hopped on the train back home. Fortunately the train home was much quieter.

Post race in Lincoln Square

If you fancy doing the Great Run Manchester use this link to get £10 off your entry.

New York Marathon

Posing with my medal

I made it, the New York marathon is completed. That is my 3rd marathon after Berlin 2017 and Manchester 2016.

The day started very early as al runners have to get to Staten Island before the start of the race. This meant I got the bus there at 6am. This was a bit unfortunate for me as I was in the final wave I had a long wait there before the start.

After a lot of waiting and long line for the lavatory I finally got to start. It is hard to pace yourself as you head over the bridge into Brooklyn. Annoyingly one of the magnetic holders of my number came off and I was so scared I might lose my number that I stopped at an aid station for a safety pin. Losing about 10 minutes in the process.

Brooklyn was my favourite part of the course so many diverse people wishing you on or playing loud music. 

After a long time in Brooklyn we headed up through Queens then across the Queensborough bridge emerging into Manhattan. The difference between the quiet and calm inside the enclosed bridge to the crowd outside in 1st Avenue was incredible. It was the closest I have ever felt to being a professional athlete being cheered on by a tremendous crowd.

Up 5th Avenue al the way to the Bronx for a brief visit before turning back through Harlem to the finish in Central Park. 5th Avenue was packed with people cheering and enjoying themselves. Unfortunately by the time I got to the park I was walling, the up and down going over the bridges had really taken it out of me.

I finished in 4:56:12 which was slower than I hoped for but I was happy about. It was going dark and getting cooler as I was leaving, getting out of the marathon area is a task in itself with so many runners packed around. I was glad of the robes they were giving out. I walked back to meet up with Kath a few blocks away and was glad that our hotel wasn't too far away.   

Fat lad at the back

Kath enjoying the Carrs park home of Wilmslow parkrun

Fat lad at the back is a brand which set out to normalise the increasing trend for middle age men to start out cycling, the most rotund mamil at the back to the peloton. Cycling isn't my passion, I only have the odd jaunt out and sometimes venture to work. For the last couple of years my passion has been running.

Well I say running, despite taking part in numerous events from 5km to 42.2km I'm only a middling runner, almost the equivalent of the fat lad at the parkrun. For me its all about the freedom to clear my mind and enjoy myself. The last month has been tough I got a virus after Berlin and to be honest it made me lose my love running. In the lsat few weeks its been more of a chore. This morning is Saturday, parkrun day. I woke up early morning with Kasia, she had to get to work for a long shift. It was raining and I felt tired. Somehow in between 6am and 8.30am the rain left and I decided to get myself out of bed. I haven't made it to parkrun for a while due to illness and other things (like lazyness!). Until the run actually started I regretted the decision then suddenly trudging along, I realised I was enjoying it. The path was damp and muddy but the winter sun illuminated the park bringing out the colours of the fallen leaves.

I made it round in about the parkrun average time of 27 minutes give or take, slow for me quick for some. I enjoyed myself though, I wasn't pushing for a pb so I was able to relax and enjoy myself. I hope I can scrap myself out of bed more often.

Ich bin ein Berliner

Race number at the ready

This weekend Kath and I headed to Berlin Germany so that I could take part in the 44th Berlin marathon.

We flew out on Thursday night after I finished work, taking an EasyJet flight to Berlin Schönefeld airport. From there we bought a train ticket and took the S-bahn then U-bahn trains to our hotel the Berlin Mitte located two U-Bahn stops from Potsdamer Platz.

The Marathon Expo was being held just opposite the hotel at Station Berlin so it made picking up my number really easy. The Expo was full of clothing, displays of different marathons all over the world and some assorted oddities. Main sponsor BMW had plenty of cars to show off, they were big on electric and hybrid vehicles, including a rather tasty i8 safety car for the marathon.

While in Berlin we had the opportunity to meet up with Anya and Sylvio again. They took us on a walking and even a boat tour so that we could experience all the aspects of Berlin. Berlin is a pretty marvellous city with plenty of fantastic buildings and hip and trendy eateries. Its also very easy to navigate with a comprehensive tube and rail network criss crossing the city

Post marathon

The Marathon was on Sunday, I was pretty apprehensive about it as with the house move and general life which seemed extremely on the go over last 6 months, meant that I trained less than for the previous marathon in Manchester. So much so that I was worried that I would have to walk for significant portions. Fortunately with the crowd and some help from the multipower and sugar high drinks handed out every few miles I managed a reasonable 4:42:34. It is 12 minutes slower than Manchester but still I think respectable. The last 10km were at times the toughest I have done with my whole body feeling tired, I just about managed to keep going by doing a fartlek. The last 500 meters took me under the Brandeburg Tor to the finish line was simply a blur! At the end I got my medal and downed a Erdhinger alcohol free beer (erm I mean isotonic drink). There had been a place about 1km from the end of the race handing out shots of Jagermeister but I didn't partake, not sure that I would have made it to the end.

Post marathon celebration

Kath, Anya and Sylvio were waiting for me at the end, it was great to see them but I was s exhausted I could hardly speak. Anya provided delicious high protein sandwiches which definitely made the recovery easier. After a quick trip back to the hotel for a shower we headed out for dinner. They took us to a traditional beer halle where the staff wore Bavarian outfits. It is just before Oktoberfest so we celebrated with 1 litre steins of beer and I had some currywurst.

The day after the marathon I was feeling very delicate, my legs turned to jelly, descending stairs proving especially difficult! Kath and I headed into city centre a final time to get a band engraved with my time at the Adidas store then a final meal before heading back home to Manchester.

Don't look back in anger

Start of the Great Manchester Run

Yesterday I took part in the Great Manchester Run 2017. The first time they ran a half marathon. After the bombing at the Manchester Arena earlier in the week I wasn't sure what the atmosphere would be like.

I need not have worried, what an amazing community we live in. The half marathon started at 9am, there were already people lining the route to cheer the runners on. Before setting of we had a minutes silence followed by them playing Oasis dont look back in anger. It was a poignant moment. The run itself took us past both the City of Manchester and Old Trafford Stadiums. It was quite strange to run over the Mancunian way.

After the run I headed to St Anne's square to pay my respects and look at the tributes laid there. It was simply incredible, a sea of flowers, balloons messages, its was humbling to see.

My final time was 1:58:38 which was a little slower than I hoped for, my legs got really tired around the 12 mile mark. That didn't detract from what was an amazing day.

In the evening we had a visit from Esther and Kimberly, they had come to Manchester for a spot of shopping. Kimberly is planning to buy a house in south shields, it looks like a good buy we hope that she get it.

Decathlon Sport Series

Seems like they used a picture of me running in last years Decathlon sports series on the advertising for this year!I am famous, if anybody wants my autograph I'll be at the next Decathlon sport series at Woodbank in Stockport :)

Manchester Marathon

In spite of the knee problems I've been suffering in the past few weeks, I managed to run the

Kath and I pre race

Manchester Marathon in 4:29:32.

Its a weird feeling the culmination of 5 months of training.

The day started off cold, we had to scrape ice off the car, and at Parrs Wood metrolink station I had to wipe ice off the metrolink map in order to be able to count the stops.

Arriving at Old Trafford Cricket club we were greeted with hoards of people milling around in chaotic fashion. There large queues of people as there weren't enough loos. The queue for the baggage drop was so stupid that we decided Kath would take my stuff.

I was slightly late for the start but that didn't matter as unlike the Great Manchester run the start was simply a rolling one the waves meaningless. Undaunted I started off, at first it was hard to run as the crowds were so thick, but as the miles went by it all opened up. I overtook the 4:30 pacer and the 4:15 pace team, and was pretty happy about everything.

Post race with Erdinger

I was running really well round and out of Manchester towards Sale than Altrincham, I even passed by my office. The sun came out and by 2 hours a in the cold had been replaces by glorious sunshine. Unfortunately I started to overheat a little. The long sleeve top I had felt cold in only an hour before was now too hot. I carried on looping back past the 16 mile point. At 18 miles though I started to feel very tired my pace dropped and I was overtaken by the 4:15 pacer. I was hot and tired but determined to finish, I ran / jogged to the end, the last 3 miles felt longer than the proceeding 23. When I spotted the finish line it was just under a mile to go, I tried to keep running, but finished at a jog just under the 4:30 mark.

At the finish line I grabbed my Erdinger alkoholfrei, medal and goody bag then met Kath, Jo, Holly and Autumn. Jo's sister Lauren was also running, she was three minutes faster than me!

I felt great in mind but my body felt wreaked, my knee pain was back with vengeance, so after a brief chat with fellow runner Aleksandra and her partner Graeme, Kath and I headed home. Though we did stop at McDonalds to refuel!

After a few hours rest Kath and I headed back into Manchester to have dinner with  Aleksandra and Graeme. We ate at Bills restaurant on Deansgate a lovely and eclectic diner with very friendly staff. They gave us our dessert complimentary after we told the waitress we had run the marathon. The puddings were delicious, I had treacle tart and it was excellent.

A run in the park

This morning I did my twelve parkrun, at Woodbank in Stockport. parkrun is a great concept, every week at 9am on a Saturday there are free timed 5KM runs in parks all over England. Everything is done by volunteers using free public spaces. Since I started I have visited several in the local area including Bramhall, Wilmslow, and Wythenshaw. We even managed a leisurely jog in Edinburgh. Any ability level can take part in a parkrun even, from a super fast 16 minutes to simply walking the course in 50 minutes.

My first parkrun was Cheadle Hulme back in September 2014. I managed 5km in just under 30 minutes, 29:43. Todays effort my second best parkrun to date was 25:37. I suppose 4 minutes isn't a bad improvement in just under a year.

I got Kath into it too she has run 11, catching me up by one when I volunteered as a Marshal at Wilmslow.

Since starting parkrun I have done several other runs including the excellent Great Manchester Run. With an excellent atmosphere I and 39,999 other runners took to the streets of Manchester for  a 10km race. My time was 54.58 which for a 35 year old who spends most of his life sat behind a screen isn't too bad at all. Hopefully with a bit a of practise I can improve next year. I certainly find that I run faster in a group of people than when I am on my own. I guess I just havent learned to pace myself nor push myself hard enough.