A couple of weeks ago my Singapore-dwelling cousin, whom I've only seen once in about 10 years got married in Lesaka, Spain. I've met the fella even less - once in fact - during a flying visit en route to Australia, but he plied me with so much beer to counter the stifling humidity that it feels like a lot more somehow. My aunt's from Lesaka and my uncle wasn't about to let his only daughter get w…

I fly out to Lavaredo 3 weeks yesterday - so close now it could easily be 2 weeks yesterday - for probaby the hardest race of my 'career' to date. The 100-miler may pip it but I'm not at all sure about that.I've been trying to fit some sort of training in around managing these Baker's cysts because some training seems kind of essential but it's been slow progress. Having had the ultrasound scan th…

First off I know what you're thinking.  'What the hell is that cover photo about?'  Well I tried being clever and searched my Stock Image library for a good mug shot of Tom Baker, complete with scarf. They didn't have one. But this came up instead.  So I went with it.But this post isn't about forcing pets to do your cooking for you, it's about Baker's Cysts. I really wouldn't eat that. Would yo…

I caught up with an old friend of mine, Gareth, in Costa today by chance and we talked about - would you believe it? - running! The conversation at one point was about marathons and did I still fancy having a go at a fast one. It's 8 years since the PB in Amsterdam - I spent a few since trying to break it but frustratingly without success despite being in form. But that's the marathon for you. Any…

I travelled to South Africa and the Two Oceans race in March via Johannesburg where the EduFun charity is based, supporting underpriviledged kids and young adults in the Diepsloot township.I visited the township last time I was out there for Comrades and it was an experience that will stay with me a long time.I took a couple of laptops out with me this time, generously donated by Dave of Demo3d.co…

Way back when my race bucket list was more of a quick scrawl on the back of a fag packet, I'd only heard of two races in South Africa - Comrades and Two Oceans and down they duly went. There are plenty more classics than that I've since discovered and I will be having a crack at the Otter Trail and the Ultra Trail Cape Town 100km in due course. Not so sure about the Washie 100 but who knows? Maybe…

When last out in Johannesburg, I was priviledged to spend a day 'teaching' (I have very few teaching skills!) English at the school in Diepsloot township. Helen, my ex-pat friend who put me up in Dainfern - 3 miles away geographically but light years apart in standard of living - volunteers there and as part of Edufun a charity that provides English language teaching to grade 3 and 4 kids from the…

This has been my year-ender for 5 years now. It's an absolute belter and well worth the long trip up from Windsor to Haworth. I've taken to staying a night or two beforehand at the excellent Fleece Inn in the High Street to save crazy early travelling and, more to the point, justify a pint of Boltmaker the night before.Haworth had been hit by the floods - the refurbished-at-a-cost-of-£250K pub at…

I like to think I'm half decent at road running but in the last few years I've gravitated to the trails and, more recently, the mountains where what road 'skills' I have vanish like Pringles.  Every recent race has been an education.I used to be obsessed with times and searching for the flattest half marathon or marathon course, but such ephemera have pretty much gone (I'm still planning on one l…

The other day I got copied in on a tweet which included a link to an article - this article in fact - which, though absolutely positive in its content (it's about an 80+ year-old striving to break his age group records and, would you believe it, succeeding) includes that tired old mantra that running 'takes people who are a little bit crazy'.As Peter Griffin famously said in Season 4, Episode 28 -…