Running on Full

Random thoughts, used to be about running

running

Watford Half medal

Watford Half Review: Chilly and Hilly!

Sophie–Race Day, Running–

Watford Half Review – A hilly and chilly race half marathon and my second race of the year in my aim to get PBs in everything from 5 to 50k. But I wasn’t planning a PB for this race, rather, just a check of my fitness level. I wasn’t sure what to expect for this one. Most of the half marathons I’ve done have been pretty flat. I’d looked at the race profile a few days before and did a little swearing under my breath – this wasn’t going to be an easy one.   The route This is how […]

With finisher's medal

Tadworth 10 – Mud Trails and Great Company*

Sophie–Race Day, Running–

Short version: It’s the second time I’ve run Tadworth 10, and I’d do it again in a heartbeat! Long version: On the first non-bank holiday Sunday of the year, the Tadworth Athletic Club put on Tadworth 10. This is a 10 mile race across Epsom race course and through the Epsom Downs. There are hills, there is mud, there are some good road sections – what more could you want to start the year with! This year, add in some cold and some wind. They also had some fab help from the Sunnybank Trust, supporting adults and young people with […]

Picture of me at work, and me at the end of the Chiltern Challenge

What Running Has Taught Me: On Being Self-Employed

Sophie–Running, Thoughts on Running–

Have you ever had one of those moments? You know the ones that slap you in the face and you realise there’s a choice to be made. This was me in terms of my job last year. So, here are some thoughts on what running has taught me. It had been brewing for a while. I was walking down a nondescript corridor in Whitehall and the thought entered my head ‘I can’t do this anymore, something’s got to change’. And the thought stuck. I was lucky. This happened in the early stages of a radical restructure where my Department was […]

Buffy - I have the best plan ever

2018 – From 5k to 50

Sophie–Running, Thoughts on Running–

Here we go again… another New Year, another set of running plans, a few goals. From 5k to 50 will be part of the story for the year for me. A bit of a repeat but not too much of one. These aren’t resolutions as such. I kind of think resolutions suck and give me something else to beat myself up about. So I’m thinking of this as more of a plan. A plan to get stronger and faster and kick butt (my own that is). The aim this year is PBs from 5k to 50. Maybe longer? Who knows…will […]

The people I've met

2017 Running Review

Sophie–Race Day, Running, Thoughts on Running, Training Updates–

The 2017 running review – and what a year it’s been. I was going to do a ‘best of…’ and then realised it was impossible – too many moments, meetings, and races, to choose from – each unique and memorable in their own way. So here are some of the highlights…   Panic training Those moments. You know those moments where you realise what you’ve signed up for? The first – When I realised I had the London Marathon to train for. It wasn’t that I didn’t have a plan. It was the fact that life had gotten in the […]

tips on training plan

6 Tips on Putting Together a Training Plan

Sophie–Running, Thoughts on Running–

I’ve been running on and off for five years now. It’s only this year I’ve really worked on putting together a training plan that works for me. There are some key elements I’ve included which might be helpful if you’re struggling to develop a plan you can generally stick with. For me, the real benefit of spending time on this is it means for weeks at a time, I don’t have to think about what run I’m doing that day. As I mentioned in Why Motivation Sucks (and how to get your arse out the door), it means I don’t […]

I'm not lazy

When does running get easier?

Sophie–Running, Thoughts on Running–

A big question for me last year and one I continue to ask myself as I train for my first 50k in July: when does running get easier? Last year it went a little like this… It happens to the best of us – when running takes a dip, you mainline Netflix and your favourite pair of running shoes gravitate to the back of the wardrobe. You look on your scales – perhaps the numbers haven’t changed much but your clothes are a little tighter and you start feeling soggier around the edges. 

Fat Girls Guide to marathon running

The Fat Girls’ Guide to Marathon Running By Julie Creffield

Sophie–Books, Running–

Ah, the excitement of marathons. It’s hard not to get caught up. If you’ve ever had that crazy thought ‘I want to run a marathon’ but feel too fat, too old, too unfit, or indeed have naysayers in your life laughing at you for the mere mention of it, the Fat Girls’ Guide to Marathon Running is for you. Or indeed, if you’ve had someone say, ‘You’ll never run a marathon’*, this book is for you. Julie’s book is dedicated to ‘anyone who ever dreamed of running a marathon, and everyone stupid enough to actually do it.’ Yep, it’s hard […]

7 marathons in 7 days

Kasim: 7 Marathons in 7 Days for Grenfell

Sophie–Running, Thoughts on Running–

What do you say to someone who tells you they’re about to run 7 marathons in 7 days to raise funds for Grenfell? To run from Manchester to London? Added to this was the line, ‘I’m not really a runner.’ My thoughts came in rapid fire, from that’s insane yet really amazing to ooh, that’s going to be tough. What I said? ‘That’s amazing,’ and then of course I asked lots of questions, the first of course being why. Why would someone who’s ‘not really a runner’ embark on such an epic journey? I don’t normally write about others writing […]

Review: Trick or Treat Run

Sophie–Running–

It’s that time of the year my friends – Halloween. And the Trick or Treat Run was a great way to celebrate all things scary and a little creepy. And the charity of choice for this run – Breast Cancer Care – great stuff. I didn’t know what to expect turning up to this. Human Race Events had given me a place – a big THANK YOU! I registered for the evening run starting at 5.30 pm. And it was in in Southwark Park so not too far for me to travel. My idea going in to this was to […]

2018 Running Awards - Favourite blog

Running on Full Nominated for The Running Awards

Sophie–Running, Thoughts on Running–

I emitted a squeal of excitement when I got the email saying I’d been nominated for Favourite Blog in the Running Awards 2018. Sorry to the person next to me on the bus, you probably thought I was a little insane! This is London… I’m honoured and excited at the same time. So if you’ve liked what you’ve read here, and shameless I know, vote for me. Go check out the other blogs as well.   The Running Awards 2018 The Running Awards are an annual event held a few days before the London Marathon and it’s are a very big […]

grumpy runner

The Grumpy Runner: When Autumn Hits

Sophie–Running, Thoughts on Running–

I am the grumpy runner. This came to the fore on Sunday. It was one of those runs where each step is like wading through treacle. I got out the front door late. I’d procrastinated – cleaning, a few tweets, another coffee. The weather was mild albeit a little grim. My plan was to do about 6 miles with some hills thrown in for good measure. Mile 1 – sucked. This is fine. It takes a little while for my breathing to sort itself out and my legs to work out what the hell is going on. Mile 2 – […]