Running on Full

Random thoughts, used to be about running

reviews

running faster

The Art of Running Faster by Julian Goater and Don Melvin

Sophie–Books, Running–

Review of The Art of Running Faster: Improve technique, training, and performance by Julian Goater and Don Melvin  (2012)   ‘Don’t practice plodding,’ the key takeaway from The Art of Running Faster. And running is an art – just watch Paula Radcliffe or Mo Farah at their best if you haven’t already. Now I’ve been a plodder pretty much since I started running 5 years ago. It’s seen me through two marathons and my first ultra a few weeks ago. This is great and there is some real benefit to plodding. But, to be perfectly honest, I’m getting a little […]

Cover of book with sprinter

How bad do you want it? by Matt Fitzgerald

Sophie–Books, Running–

Review of How bad do you want it? Mastering the psychology of mind over muscle. (2015)   How bad do you want it? This is the question asked by Matt Fitzgerald, author, coach and nutritionist. The inquiry begins from trying to understand how elite athletes are able to move beyond discomfort to maximise performance. Of course they work their arses off and work on all those other factors that effect performance (i.e. nutrition, rest etc) and there may well be some element of ‘natural’ talent, but what is it that moves a good athlete to a great one? And what […]

Karkoa Sports Bag Review

Karkoa Sports Bag Review

Sophie–Products, Running–

Karkoa sports bag review – When the folks from Karkoa got in touch asking me to review a bag of my choosing, I jumped onto their website to have a look. In having a good look through, what struck me is how well thought out and attractive these bags are. I said YES – what’s a runner to do? When putting this to the test, my key questions were: Is the bag attractive i.e. could I take it along to conferences and meetings and still look professional? Is it functional i.e. could it fit everything I needed for running including […]

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 […]

Race Review: The Cabbage Patch 10

Sophie–Race Day, Running–

Short version – This is my third time running the Cabbage Patch 10. I’ll be coming back for more. Long version – The Cabbage Patch 10 is almost as old as the London Marathon. It’s one of the flattest 10 mile races in the country along roads and towpaths. And it’s attracted some big names, sometimes before they were big names like Mo Farah who won it in 2005. There’s also something to be said for races that donate money to local charities as this one does. In addition to cash prizes, the winners receive a cabbage. In addition to […]

Science in sport caffeine shots

Science in Sport (SiS) nutrition

Sophie–Products, Running, Thoughts on Running–

At the beginning of the year I was a newbie in sports nutrition products, including SiS nutrition. I remember on a long run last year, a friend giving me a gel to try. After taking the smallest of slurps, I came very close to spitting it out. Then before the London Marathon I was invited to a Science in Sport (SiS) afternoon on nutrition and fueling for marathon day. I came home with some pointers and a great batch of goodies that I incorporated into my marathon training. You can read about what I learned here, and then what I put […]

Footnotes

Footnotes: How Running Makes Us Human by Vybarr Cregan-Reid

Sophie–Books, Running–

Review of Footnotes: How running makes us human by Vybarr Cregan-Reid (2016)   Have you ever looked at a landscape painting or photo and wondered what it would be like to run through it? The crunch of leaves and gravel underfoot, the smell, the birdsong, the feel of the air on your skin? For Cregan-Reid Running has change me so completely that, now, even the sights of a landscape painting instils in me a deep desire to step into the frame, and beyond it. (xviii) I get this. I wonder what it would be like to run and experience landscapes […]

On why we run

On why we run

Sophie–Books, Running–

Running with the pack: thoughts from the road on meaning and mortality by Mark Rowlands (2013) – on why we run Mark Rowlands has been a runner for most of his life and is a professional philosopher. For him, the two – running and philosophy – are intimately linked. At the heart of Running with the Pack, he is seeking to answer the question: why do we run? Do we run to stave off middle age, for the company, to relieve stress, to exercise our dogs, for self-improvement? Or do we run for its own sake? Is running a form […]

Running free

Running Free: A runner’s journey back to nature

Sophie–Books, Running–

Review of Running Free: A runner’s journey back to nature by Richard Askwith (2015 edition)   You know you’re a runner when you wonder what non-runners dream about. Running Free is about freedom and liberation from the commercialisation of the sport we love so much. Askwith’s writing is a thing of beauty, his passion for the sport evident from the first page. This book is for you if you’ve fallen out of love with running. It’s for you if you’re feeling ‘mergh’ about running. This book if for you if you love running, with some handy hints on surviving running […]

sub 2 possible

Is a sub 2:00:00 marathon possible?

Sophie–Books–

Two Hours: The quest to run the impossible marathon by Ed Caesar (2015) I watched the men’s and women’s marathons at the 2012 London Olympics. I was standing in St James Park within spitting distance of the runners as they flew past. It was extraordinary to watch. It was more than just the pace – it was running form, tactics, drama and facial expressions – each runner pushing themselves to the absolute limit. The world record for the marathon stands at 2:02:57. It was set in Berlin in 2014 by Kenyan runner, Dennis Kimetto, and it was the first time […]

Review of Running Like a Girl

Running like a girl

Sophie–Books, Running–

Review of Running like a girl by Alexandra Heminsley (2014)   If you’re interested in the journey from wanting the perfect arse to running marathons and everything in between, then this is a book for you. It’s about finding freedom and confidence by pounding the road, mile after mile. Alexandra Heminsley writes about all of this with honesty and generosity. For the uninitiated, running can be a bit of a mystery, all that lycra and those sports stores. Why would anyone want to run a marathon, or even a 5k? As the author points out, running can really suck. It’s […]