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The 2024 Manchester Marathon TrainingI made the decision to bypass my second run in Boston for a more local event at the 2024 Manchester Marathon. A third trip to Boston in one year seemed too much of an expense so that was the logic behind that decision. I ran Manchester back in 2022 and…
The 2023 Valencia Marathon I heard a lot of good things about the 2023 Valencia Marathon in the months leading up to it, and boy, did it deliver. This one will go down as one of my top 5 most enjoyable marathons. What wasn't to like? The expo, the organisation, the course, the crowds,…
Valencia Marathon Lowered ExpectationsMy training for the Valencia Marathon did not go as planned and I've lowered my expectations. Why, well I have a thousand excuses. I moved to a new country. I'm living out of a camper van. I caught Covid early in the training cycle and it stuck with me for 9…
What is happiness? This is a genuine question and I'd appreciate if you would give me your honest opinion. How do you define happiness? I have my thoughts on it, but in order to come up with a robust definition, I want to know what you think. Please take a few minutes to think about…
Camper Van Life We are writing the next chapter and it's called the Camper Van Life. So far, the Spanish life has agreed with me and my body temperature 😊 . We've now invested in a camper van as a way to scout out different areas of Spain as we search for our permanent…
Dog Friendly Spain Is Spain dog friendly? Before we brought Chief over to Spain with us, we were asked many questions about the state of affairs for dogs in Spain. So many people also asked how would he deal with the heat? Well, the one thing I would say is that it seems like…
Moving to Spain Why would I be moving to Spain you may ask? Well, after 22 years living in Co. Fermanagh and enjoying life in the quiet Irish countryside I was ready to enjoy some sunshine. If you've read the book, A Heart for Running, then you will already know this. The medication I…
Post Marathon 5k RaceIs there anything better than a post marathon 5k race? Three to four weeks after completing a marathon, training hard for 16 weeks, is perfect for a 5k race. My body has gone through the recovery phase and is nearly back in peak form. The physical aspect aside, a 5k or…
The Lead Up to the London Marathon 2023The 16 week block of training for the 2023 London Marathon began on January 2nd. Following on from two months' rest after the Dublin Marathon, where I ran a relatively comfortable 3:01, my fitness was lacking. My lower back had been bothering me when running since I…
Previous WeeksJust a couple of things to start with. Before reading about my week 16 training for the London Marathon, you should start at the beginning. To read the opening story about my training for the London Marathon please start here or click on the links for the previous week's training updates. Secondly, I'd love…