Diary of a Rubbish Marathon Runner

After about 450 miles on Kerry’s tarmac roads, I have finally found a running option with soft surface: Rossbeigh beach, over 2.5 straight m...

My shin splints are hurting again, and I haven't done any running since Tuesday. Bugger.

I did my first “proper” VO2max session yesterday. The aim is to increase your maximum oxygen intake, and to do that you run intervals at up ...

I stopped running for about 10 days, and started again a few days ago. I did 6.7 miles on Wednesday, at an insane speed of 6:24 per mile, an...

I suppose it all went too well and it was only a matter of time until my first serious setback: I’ve got shin splints, a moderately painful ...

Bank Holiday Weekends are there to relax, put your feet up and enjoy a few days of peace and quiet – unless you’re training for a marathon t...

Whoever designed my training schedule must have had a sadistic streak. Only three days after the 20 miles run it called for a mid-week 14 mi...

20 miles sounded like a very long run, especially after the torturous 18 miles run two weeks ago. I woke up a couple of times the night befo...

This week the mileage is seriously cranking up. 12 miles on Wednesday, 11 today (including 6 miles at LT speed), and the longest run is yet ...

I think it’s fair to say that if I lived in Dublin, I would not have taken up running as a hobby. Most of the pathways are concrete, which i...

The 18 miles run just 14 hours after the Killarney 5km fun run was pure torture. It didn’t help that the sun came out after 4 miles and was ...

Don't eat a dinner just an hour before the run DOH! Don’t wait behind some, well, heavier runner at the starting line. They are bound t...

The Good Lady Wife has informed me rather late that she made an executive decision that the whole family are going to spend next week in Dub...

A run of 17 miles sounded very daunting, and I was somehow dreading it all Saturday, but when I got going, it wasn’t nearly as bad as I fear...

I managed to get through the two hard days without too much troubles, but I am quite tired now. Walking up the staircase into the office was...

A few weeks ago I stupidly decided to give the wife a special surprise and got her 2 tickets for a concert of some aging overrated rock-grou...

I’m really losing it. I set my alarm in time for my 10 miles run today, and set it for 5:20 instead of 5:40. I didn’t even notice at first, ...

Actually, I love dogs. I used to have one when I was a child, until it died of old age when I was 16 or 17. But when I’m out running, things...

I’ve noticed that I mentioned my heart rate in four of the last five entries, so I’ll leave it out for a while, or I might sound obsessed wi...

I must be completely bonkers, because I got up at 5:40 in the morning for my 10 miles run, despite hearing the wind and rain outside. Gettin...