RUN 116 - Three Brooks & Patchway Common

I'm still getting used to running in English streets and countryside, the countryside is a little easier, find a bridal way and you can keep going for miles across public paths. The country roads can be tricky, often narrow with no pavement and sometimes thick bushes lining each side of the road, there can be few places to take cover when a car eventually comes along. Running the streets is simpler, but without the grid system of Chicago that i'm used to and the expanse of space, i'm constantly navigating changing direction and figuring out where to turn next, all while keeping an eye on the overall distance to ensure i end up back at the start and complete the right training distance. It's a skill i'm learning, sometimes i'll not plan a route at all and simply run wherever my feet take me, this run today was a half mile of schedule, which is pretty good. It's important to me to keep the running environment stimulating, a big part of my running has become in part an opportunity to explore new places, especially where the landscape is less dramatic than that of Lake Michigan in Chicago. [4.5m - 34:31 - 07:40/m]

[One of the Three Brooks; obligatory shopping cart, check]

RUN 115 - Forest of Avon & Compton Greenfield

Fell running in Great Britain dates back to the 11th century, a product of the environment, cross country running too is much more accessible to runners that the often busy, small roads of the cities and even countryside, where there is often barely room for cars to pass each other let alone runners on the road too. That's ok with me, discovering a new public footpath across the countryside, following the trail or the kindly direction of locals out walking their dogs takes me through places and terrain i could not have planned and to see things i would never have expected; fields of mud, hairy cattle with big horns, beautiful church gates, hills and views.[10.65m - 01:38:03 - 09:12/m]

[Beautifully powerful and silent, cattle]

RUN 114 - Wintry Christmas eve

Having lived in Chicago for the last 6 years, snow and ice is not as exciting for me as my fellow countrymen and women, but i am pleased to be able to run and train in a variety of surfaces, so my Christmas eve run was really enjoyable today. This town doesn't have quite the drama of Chicago's Lake Michigan, but add a blanket of snow and its really quite beautiful. Ive always enjoyed varying weather conditions, they do so much to make every run interesting and varied. Not only the scenery but the terrain and challenges to a runner, especially cross country. My next marathon is on the island of Portland on the South coast of England, at the end of January its possible the weather could still be quite wintry so being able to prepare for all conditions is really important to me. [3.4m - 30:35 - 08:59/m]

[English Countryside, north Bristol]

RUN 113 - Brockwell Park, London

One of the great things about being a runner in London is the number of parks, (todays run was around and across Brockwell Park, which is well over 200 years old) probably a hundred who knows? They all have something different to offer, and are great to run randomly across to meet any distance. One of the things I love about running is the sense of being part of a larger community of runners, but recently I've encountered a lot of grumpy runners unwilling to simply say hello, so if you see me running and I bid my head or raise my hand in a friendly gesture, say hello back, it won't kill you. [5.92m - 52:45 - 08:55/m]

[Brockwell Park, London Beyond]

RUN 112 - Bayswater & Hyde Park

I took the tube over to Bayswater, I've been trying to find a particular item for a stocking stuffer and I knew the chances were good I'd find it there, which I did! I also knew where I could cleanup and change after running, there's a lot to think about when you're a runner! Hyde Park is beautiful & much bigger and more varied in terrain than you'd imagine, if you stray off the footpaths. I'm still in the recovery stage from This months marathon, so an easy 3m run around the Serpentine and back to Bayswater was perfect. [about 3m - about 30mins]

[126 steps to the tube, perfect thigh warm up]

RUN 111 - Embankment, London

Running can be a solitary pensive time, even when running with a partner, which i haven't done in a while, i'm not much of a talker and just enjoy the company of someone who shares my passion. It occurs to me that your environment can be like a partner too, especially a lake like lake Michigan, and a river like the Thames. Running with the river, like the lake before, is a guiding comforting experience, a constant that stays with me on the journey, constantly changing, but always there. Sometimes my love of photographing the places I run can be a little consuming, and you never know what to expect ... today, i noticed a lady on the South Bank that i recognised from a TV documentary i'd recently seen... the Worlds most pierced woman! [about 5m - about 45mins]

[Skateboard Paradise on the South Bank]

RUN 110 - Streatham, London

I'm in London again this week, i forgot to bring my Garmin & Road ID with me, i don't know how far or fast i'm going and if i get hit by a car no-one will know who i am!... more likely i'll be mauled by a dog though. I like dogs, they like me too, they especially like to chase me. My next Trail Marathon in Portland, England is in 6 weeks, i've planned out my training and am excited to see how i'll do at this next event, now that i have a time from my previous race to work towards. I need more extreme cross country training, but its not really possible where im living and travelling to. More repeats will help, i'd love to do another stair climb but i haven't found any in the UK. Unless i move to Wales Cornwall or Yorkshire im not going to be able to train over similar terrain, although i could plan some days out to the Breacon Beacons perhaps, take my wife and i'll go run for a few hours, then have lunch together when im done... otherwise i'll keep running. [about 3m - about 28mins]

[Streatham, Tooting Bec Common]

RUN 109 - Brook Way, Bradley Stoke

It's been a week since my first trail marathon, while the race itself was amazingly difficult my recovery has been really good. I've had no aches pains or stiffness and after a day or so felt completely recovered, I took the week off running just to be sure and today I felt great, I need to figure out a training schedule for the next Marathon in only 6 weeks, my cardio and endurance levels were quite good, I need to build muscle in my quads and calves to cope better with the hills and climbing. [2.05m - 17:46 - 8:47/m]

RUN 108 - The Gower, CTS Stage 2

Today is the proudest and most painful day of my running endeavours since it all began 3 years ago. I completed the Endurancelife Coastal Trail Series Stage 2 in The Gower, a designated area of "Outstanding Natural Beauty" I don't care about the time, I wasn't last and I finished without injury which is brilliant! I've never run in such constantly demanding challenging conditions or terrain, but being able to rely on the never ending support of my wife family, and fellow runners is a constant to running events worldwide. Whether it's telling me at mile 17 that I look great and that they believe in me (even if I've just run 2 miles across sand into a biting cold headwind and feel like death, and probably look awful) or a kind runner giving me a pain killer for the agonizing inner quad pain that's been crippling me from miles 18 to 22. Runners are awesome people! And so is my wife and family! Pushing through stomach cramps from miles 23 to 26 I started to get my legs back and feel some energy, which I needed to ascend, traverse and descend the annoyingly located 800ft high Rossilli hill right at the 27 mile mark through to the finish. The resent and sprint for the line were exhilarating, conditions underfoot worse than ever, surface water, mud to my shins, 5 kinds of animal poo not to mention more rocks! Sprinting to the finish to my ever patient wife and parents, I'd made it across beaches, rivers, pebbles, rocks, thick mud, forests, sand dunes, constant undulation and brutal hills. The event was perfectly organised and flawless! and I met a bunch of brilliant people crazier than me! Can't wait for the next one at the end if January! [28m - 06:01:46 - 12:55.2/m]

RUN 107 - Tooting Bec Common, London

Only 5 days before my first Coastal Trail Marathon in The Gower, South Wales, I've been tapering off my training, missed this weekends last 'long run' but I'm not too worried about that, i've cut back my mileage in this way before and am always amazed how much benefit there is to be found in not running! The hard work has been done, my 21+ mile long run before the taper went great, simulating underfoot conditions as much as possible using the equipment ill be running with, i just need to take my time in the race and find my own pace, finishing in 4 hours would be nice, but I'm not sure what to expect of the terrain, so I'll be happy to complete this first race and then look towards the next one. Since moving back to the UK from Chicago my wife and i have done a lot of cross country traveling, away from our 'home base' which makes working in my running quite difficult, but gives me opportunities to explore many different parts of the country. Having a place to record these runs in this blog as they progress is really enjoyable. [4.93m - 39:42 - 08:03/m]

[Tooting Bec Common]

RUN 106 - Lion Gorge, Chafford Gorge nature reserve

I'm into my usual 2 week taper before the race on Saturday December 5th, its a strange time for me as a runner, i take a lot of confidence from the training which has come before, but its also frustrating to cut back the mileage, and change my daily/weekly routine so much. However it is nice to rest and focus on saving energy for the race. I discovered a small nature reserve today, although i made a 'wrong' turn and only ran through the small half, which is ok, i can save that portion for another run. [6.05m 48:43 - 08:04/m]

[Lion Gorge, Thurrock]

RUN 105 - Thornbury, England

Today was a difficult run, i just didn't feel strong and my stomach was causing some discomfort. While i always run light, careful to maintain a freeflowing natural form, the simple act of placing one foot in front of another over and over; for 16 miles in this case, churns you up inside sometimes. The terrain, destination and the knowledge that i will eventually make it with patience is always enough to keep me going. I headed towards Thornbury, England today, along the A38 road to Gloucester. Thornbury is a small village over a 1000 years old, with a Castle to prove it (which is now a Hotel) My pace was slower than usual, but im less concerned with pace and more endurance and stamina, which i think will serve me better in the upcomming Coastal Marathons around Great Britian. [16.12m - 02:25:04 - 09:00/m]

[Sunrise over an English farm yard]

RUN 104 - Three Brooks nature reserve

There is a small nature reserve nearby called The Three Brooks Nature Reserve, which I've run through a few times already, but today i decided to explore a little more. The reserve centers around the Bradley, Patchway and Stoke brooks. I had an 8 mile run scheduled which would need me to cover the nature reserve several times, which was ideal to run without thinking, turning randomly through the forests, trails, up hill, over rivers and bridges. The terrain was perfect, and while i didn't feel particularly strong as the start, i felt really energised by the end, its amazing how some days the same distance can feel short and others long. I'm feeling strong and i know I'm running faster then more efficiently than i have before, my race in a little over two weeks is still a big challenge, especially as the next race is only about 6 weeks later. My trail training pace has been quite consistent, especially over my recent 21miler, but i still don't know exactly how the race will go, ill be happy to finish, and then think about improving in the next race. [8.18m - 01:11:09 - 08:41/mi]

[Three Brooks nature preserve]

RUN 103 - Almondsbury Recovery Run

Sometimes the recovery runs are the best, all the hard work is done already, there is no pressure, the distance and pace are easy. England has many roads of varying sizes, widths, with pavements, without, grassy verges, gravel tracks, muddy footpaths, hedge lined... being able to turn any given direction and be faced with an entirely new running environment is really interesting and challenging. It varies the nature of the training and presents a surprising view around every corner. [4.77m - 39:10 - 08:12/m]

[A public driveway to a few small houses]

RUN 102 - Severn Way; [Severn beach to Oldbury via Wales]

Choosing to postpone yesterdays long run to today turned out to be an excellent decision, 21 miles along the River Severn following the 'Severn Way' was simply beautiful! beautiful & muddy!. I planned the route to include crossing over the 1 mile river Severn suspension bridge to neighbouring Wales, back across again and then continuing north along the public bridal way to Oldbury on Severn. Saturday brought the first big storm of the autumn/winter with heavy rain and winds gusting to 75mph, not ideal conditions for a 20+ mile and i really wanted to include the crossing over the River Severn, which wouldn't have been possible in those winds. Sunday was perfect though, sunny to start with, the wind behind my back and a really varied interesting terrain which changed constantly, keeping me focused on each step forward. The mud was thick and deep in parts which made keeping a planned 9min/mile pace difficult, plus i had to navigate a little too and contend with fences and sty's along the bridal way, but thanks to the detailed maps South Gloucester provide on their website; and a kind old fella who showed me the way to the Severn Bridge pedestrian crossing, I was able to plan the Severn Way route quite easily and didn't make a mistake. My first coastal series marathon of the winter/spring season is coming up on December 5th, and this was an important training run to do my best to simulate conditions and see how I'm able to translate my road running experience. I ran a little long and finished 20.97m in 3:03:13 for a 8:44min/mile pace which was tough towards the end including a 400ft assent, a headwind and a boggy field I'm pretty happy with that result, its a massive confidence boost before the race, which I've said before is key to success, maintaining confidence is everything. My wife and parents were kind enough to endure the windy weather and met me at several points along todays route, having that support and seeing my wifes pride especially means the world to me, she's been there for me in every major race so far, and on the long runs its the thought of her patiently waiting which drives me to keep putting one foot in front of the other. [20.97m - 03:03:13 - 08:44/m]

[Severn Beach, the river & the Bridge, mile 3]

[Severn Bridge, miles 5-8]

[Severn Way, Oldbury in the distance, mile 10 & 17]

[The Severn Way; muddy from heavy rains the day before]

RUN 101 - Almondsbury Right of Way & Bridalways

I'm beginning to figure out how to plan my running routes in the rural parts of the English countryside surrounding the area im living in currently in Sout Gloucester. The countryside is covered in a network of footpaths and bridalways, most of which are hundreds of years old. The Countryside and Rights of Way Act allows people to travel on foot in all cases across private property where these rights of way exist, the local authorities are required to maintain records of these rights of way, which are published in Ordanance Survey maps, and on their websites. Using these maps i can plot new running routes across country, through fields, over hills, down lanes, giving me access to some very challenging runs in some beautiful parts of the world. We had some quite heavy rain today too, which i was excited to get out and run in to try out my clothing options for the Coastal Trail Series coming up next month! [5.14m - 41:55 - 09:09/m]

[Public footpath through Almondsbury, England]

RUN 100 - Almondsbury, England

Being back in England and running i have many many places in my mental list to run. The little village of Almondsbury was one of them. he best part about it is the chance to finally do some serious hill training! From the A38 into Almondsbury there are a number of routes, on roads, pavements and through a wood on a gravelly track. I incorporated all of these into today's run and repeated and weaved my way through the village and up and down hills for about an hour. I forgot to change my Garmin, so i was running based on time alone, including the hills probably between 6 & 8 miles today, building up for Saturdays 20+ miler which I'm hoping to run across the Severn bridge and into Wales. With a church from 1140AD and a pub which became licensed in 1550, Almondsbury is certainly a typically quaint little English Village.

[St Mary the Virgin, built by Monks 1140AD]

RUN 99 - Grays Morning

Getting out to run each and every day i've scheduled myself to run is really important to my mental preparations. Especially days like today which I knew i'd be spending the entire day on my feet walking around London, my schedule calls for a 8 mile run, which i cut to a 2 mile jog to save time and leave me the energy to do everything else i needed to do today. Recofnising that run/life balance and how to adjust the give and take is really important to me, and to the success of both sides of my life. Other runners my deal with that in other ways, make more or less of a sacrifice, this attitude so far is working well for me. [1.63m - 14:05 - 08:39/m]

RUN 98 - River Thames, Essex

Sometimes not knowing where you're running makes for the most interesting and rewarding experiences. I've run in this area of Essex before, but not near the river; i know enough landmarks and pubs to get me back towards where i came from, which gives me enough confidence to just blindly run without thinking about a route. I started by following the river Thames for a mile or so which brought me to the Wharf pictured below, an easy interesting run past fishermen, dog walkers, through the riverside residential apartment buildings centered around the Wharf. Then I essentially ran north east uphill until reaching half distance, running back to the start again; out and back, is almost fool proof, today i got a little confused in the one way system, which added an additional half mile to my overall distance. Making it back to a familiar gives a small feeling like the end of a race when you know the finish line is approaching, you might not be able to see it yet, but you know its there and you've almost completed another successful run. [6.06m - 49:08 - 08:06/m]

[Grays Wharf, flood gates]

RUN 97 - Duchess Estate & Purdown

I planned today's run out quite carefully, from home south and west through two villages towards the river Frome valley. We used to play and explore along the river all the time when my sister and I were kids; over the fields from my nans house and into Snuff Mills. That's where I planned to connect with and run along the river bank. It almost worked, not quite, I made it to the river 5 miles into the run, and followed it through mud trees rocks and thorns until I met a wall which I climbed over and tried to push through without luck, doubling back I weaved my way through over fields avoiding cows, cow pats and electric fences, again without luck. Eventually I connected with a road I knew and made it to the duchess estate which was my second goal to run some challenging terrain, which I definitely found. I made up a new route home and just came shirt of the 16m goal distance, although with all the navigation I needed to do there was an extra 1.5m which my Garmin recorded as rest time. This was a really challenging run, the like of which I haven't had a chance to run before in Chicago, I'm feeling like I'm really starting to prepare for the Coastal Series now. Leaving this morning was hard, I wanted to spend time with my wife who I hadn't seen for a couple of days, but she knows me well enough to tell me to go run, that's why I love her, having her there at the end to give her a sweaty kiss is always a strong motivator. [15.38m - 2:09:56 - 08:26/m]

[The Duchess Estate & Dower House beyond]

RUN 96 - Severn Beach, England

I took a short drive before todays run to continue varying the terrain of each run. The river Severn separates England from Wales and is crossed by two bridges, the Severn has the second highest tidal range in the world; something like 20 feet I think. The river is lined by some small old and new villages, the tidal wall for which provides an ideal running track. Varied in terrain from concrete to gravel to grass and mud, it's flat but very exposed to the coastal winds, which is just the kind of environment I like to train in. The more challenging the training runs, the easier it is to face up to the challenge if racing. [4.01m - 32:12 - 08:17/m]

[River Severn, Bridge crossing & Wales beyond]

RUN 95 - Grays, Essex

Staying away from home, or from the places you're used to is a wonderful opportunity to explore the world. Running gives me an excuse to explore and soak in the places around me. Today I'm in Grays in Essex just outside London. I took my morning run around this small town as its residents were going about their normal routines, commuting to work, walking to the train, most of them heading into central London. Being in an unfamiliar place does require a little navigation so you have to be patient with the run, i deviated a little today, but it wasn't an issue. My iphone is invaluable not only for these photos but also navigation. Hopefully i won't need that part of it on my first coastal trail marathon next month! [5.26m - 42:16 - 08:02/m]

[Grays, Essex, Just outside London]

RUN 96 - A38 & Rolls Royce

I had planned another rural country route for today's run, but i decided to just pick a road I knew i could run straight through for half the distance out and back. Its strange that Bristol, England is a more rural smaller city than Chicago, but living by Lake Michigan afforded me many quiet road free runs without any effort. Here where I'm living in Bristol currently the English Countryside is quite close but planning the routes needs a little more effort. Today i ran along a road called the A38, its a straight long road that runs entirely across the city, but the portion near me is dual carriageway for 3-4 miles, perfect for a 7 mile run! which i ran out and back. The route took me past Filton Airfield, and the old Rolls Royce factories which have recently been demolished and a new facility built. Long straight runs are an important part of my training, they give me an opportunity to really get my head down and run, without having to think about directions, i can focus entirely on my pace rhythm and form. [7:15m - 57:23 - 08:01/m]

[The site of what was the Rolls Royce factory]

RUN 94 - English Countryside

I set off today with map in hand to navigate through the South Gloucester countryside on an 11/12m run which i planned out on mapmyrun.com and checked out on Google Earth. A mix of pavements, roads, grassy verges, fields and muddy lanes... i decided on wearing the road shoes; should have gone with the trail shoes, but it was a pretty even split. I'm finding it very important to constantly check my footing when off road, something i haven't had to think about in my training and racing before. One wrong placement could easily twist an ankle and that would be it. It isn't affecting my pace though which I'm pleased with, although i can feel a greater level of effort required for the same distance. Today's run was beautiful, weather was perfect, the roads were a little busy, but i was amazed how polite and courteous driver were, I'd forgotten that. The rhythm is different too, heavier shoes, carrying a camelbak or more water than I'm used to, and a greater degree of elevation change, i can feel more muscle groups being worked and i feel like I'm working harder, but I'm enjoying the effort, and feel capable and confident. I need more off road experience ideally so i need to work on planning running routes more carefully than I'm used to. [10.79m - 1:28:29 - 08:36/m]

[Wales & old Severn Bridge]

RUN 93 - Hello England!

Safely back in our other home with my family after 6 years of living, working and marrying(!) in Chicago, my wife and I are staying with my family for a while until we get settled in London. Jet lag seems to have escaped me somehow, so after arriving yesterday and waking up this morning at the reasonable hour of 8am, i pulled on my trail shoes, my mum got her bike out and she showed me around the local lanes and fields. An easy 4 miler has me back on training schedule and i feel ready to plan out tomorrows long run! [4.01m - 32:35 - 08:07/m]

[Open space at the top of a small hill, Bradley Stoke, Bristol]

RUN 92 - Cheerio Chicago

So this is my last Chicago run for a little while, my wife and I are moving to England today. Chicago is a runners dream city, miles of uninterrupted track along lake shore drive, every season as much as every day offers a new challenge. We have many family and friends in Chicago, runners and non-runners, well be back many more times to run many more miles in this beautiful city. For now, a new page is turning in our lives, were excited to move to London, another great city to be close to long missed friends and family, and to run the streets of London, it's royal parks, and the great English coast and countryside, to face up to many new challenges and to enrich our lives... I hope you'll follow us there...

[Lake Michigan, Chicago @ Granville]

RUN 91 - Run/Life balance

Life challenges and decisions ca make scheduling everything you want to accomplish into 24hrs or 7 days extremely difficult, either you compromise, prioritise or sacrifice. i lean towards the last two generally and push myself to make time for the things in life which i know will make me happy. If you read this blog, you know that's running, but while organising our life and packing to move to another country, the demands can be great, and I've had to adjust running's priority this last week. It also means elevating the priority of taking a phone call from an important friend during a run. Being content with these decisions is key to remaining content and happy. [2.14m-16:40-07:47/m]

[A favorite stretch of South Lake Shore Drive, Chicago]

RUN 90 - New Challenges

I've started to mix serious off road trail runs with trail shoes and a camelbak into my schedule, there are limited places in the city to train but there are, beaches, gravel, grass and hills (well grassy mounds) to run around rocks to climb over and the challenge of the transition from regular marathoning is exhilarating! I feel like I'm learning and growing with each run the success of which is a massive motivator. My wife and I are moving back to England this month where i'll be able to take my training to a whole new terrain, which im really excited about. [5.01m-40:40-08:07/m]

[Autumn colors in Chicago]

RUN 88 - Priority & Patience

Long runs can't be rushed they need to be paced without pressure of time, you have to prioritise the time spent running to allow yourself to fall into a natural rhythm. Which is just what i was able to do today on my longest training run since my St Louis Marathon of last year. Chicago gave me a beautifully perfect calm autumn day, and i had my entire morning open to pace myself. With only the thought of each 8 minutes passing, and the weather on my side, the miles tick by almost effortlessly, controlling patience is an important skill. [18.0m-2:28:38-08:15/m]

[Chicago Skyline across the Outer Harbor]

RUN 87 - Making time

Finding time even in bad weather makes the commitment to running a real challenge, the time demands of training are huge, but i know the pay off is just as large. Running when it seems like the least likely of occasions can be the most rewarding if you can push through the challenges. Today wind and driving rain presented that challenge. Its one that i enjoy facing up to, testing myself and training in poor conditions to build on experience in preparation for racing. [7.04m-58:48-08:20/m]

[Lake Shore Drive run after dark]

RUN 86 - Trail Running

I took my running off road today with new trail running shoes and a 10lb Camelbak in preparation for the coastal trail series beginning in December. I always run with my Garmin Forerunner 301, tracking my pace and heart rate, but i know myself well enough now that i can pace myself without it, from 6:15/m to 7:15/m to 8:15/m... Trail running is going to be different, the rhythm and challenges aren't the same, especially carrying a Camelbak. I need to find my pace, but it felt great to have the right shoes and equipment to be completely free to run wherever i wanted to, I'm really looking forward to this series. Check my 2009/2010 schedule for races and links to the respective Endurancelife websites. [4.82m-45:31-09:26/m]

[Trail running on Lake Shore Drive]

RUN 85 - Runners rule OK!

I was fortunate enough today to run a small portion of the Chicago Marathon with a friend and her fellow running partners, who all ran supporting AIDS Foundation. Their team spirit, camaraderie and dedication was inspiring! These amazing women worked together and enjoyed every mile as much as possible even through the pain, I left them at mile 17 looking slightly weary but strong! I'm jealous of the awesome feeling of accomplishment they will shortly feel; as every runner knows, when they cross that finish line!

[Mile 16, 2009 Bank of America, Chicago Marathon]

RUN 84 - Free Thinking

There are times running, especially on long runs at night, where i might encounter only a handful of other people, which is amazing in a city of 3+ million people. Spending hours moving along alone you can get a lot of thinking done, or sometimes I'll allow my mind to wander freely trying not to let my conscious mind debate or analyse any issue topic or idea that comes to mind; letting it flow in and out at its own pace sometimes allows me to honestly connect with those thoughts and dreams. [14.22m-02:05:41-08:51/m]

[Chicago Harbor, Chicago USA]

RUN 83 - Nature's power motivates

The power of the weather is an awe inspiring motivator, so much so that it's sometimes hard to not stop for too long taking it all in. The power in the wind and the waves is amazing, and although makes you feel insignificant by comparrison, its uncompromising limitless strength also stirs a sense of possibility in my running. [3.2m-26:22-08:15/m]

[Promontary Point, Hyde Park, Chicago]

RUN 82 - Running Mad

Sometimes i just have to run; just as sometimes i might say i 'need' a drink... or perhaps a smoker 'needs' a cigarette. I'm not talking about addiction, I'm talking about the confidence you have in the outcome of a particular action or activity. The knowledge that completing a run will channel built up negative energy, tension or stress is a powerful support system to deal with life. [6.38m-52:18-08:12/m]

[43rd Street Bridge @ Lake shore Drive]

RUN 81 - mental strength

I've found that just as the mind plays tricks on me to make me stop running, i can do the same to build mental strength... organising a run from point A-B so that there is no choice but to complete the run home, simulating the scenario of a race to stimulate the same strength and resilience you find when racing. It's interesting to experience the different mental challenges, which vary greatly depending on the type of run route, A-B, A-A etc. [4.55m-36:36-08:02/m]

[Storm clouds brewing over Chicago]

RUN 80 - learning to run

How can you ever discover what you're truly capable of unless you try? Running is like studying, you have to teach your body and mind the skills necessary to compete or complete a goal. Just as you would never try and take an examination without studying, running a marathon or any race without training would be futile, the training is where all the hard work is done, if you've trained hard and long enough the racing will come naturally. [4.0m-42:04-08:43/m]

[Sunrise over Lake Michigan]

RUN 79 - Confidence & Support

So much of running is about confidence, confidence in your ability, reassured by your training and reassured by the people in your life. Their attitude towards your passion for running (if you truly care what they think) can have an important affect, boosting or diminishing your confidence. At some point in every challenging run your mind is tested just as the body is, to succeed you need the honest and sincere encouragement of those you care for. [6.0m-46:26-07:44/m]

[East Lagoon Brideg Street Light, Chicago USA]

RUN 78 - Peace & Solitude

Even in a city of millions you can find peace and solitude, running south today from the heart of the city along the shores of Lake Michigan; encountering literally no more than a handful of other people, the contrast is obvious leaving the hustle and bustle of the Loop, all the while the calming constant mirror like surface of the lake stays with me, its gentleness setting a pensive powerful mood as i push through a run made difficult by less than ideal preparation. [7.90m–01:06:48–08:27/m]

[Lake Michigan, Chicago USA]

RUN 77 - Identity

Running alone on a chilly windy trail is probably good practise for what's to come over the next six months. I'll be moving from a global city of dedicated runners to a country of equal dedication; but in a region of relative running seclusion, while I expect the sense of community will diminish, the opportunity to reconnect with my own identity as a runner will flourish. [4.0m-30:23–07:36/m]

[Autumn, Chicago, USA]

RUN 76 - channelling emotion

Just as running has the power to raise the spirit and improve your mood, the reverse is true too; the acuteness of your mood (positive or negative) can fuel the running effort, channelling that energy into a run serves to heighten the training and neutralize the emotional energy brought to that run. [8.24m-01:04:23-07:48/m]

[Chicago Night Sky]

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RUN 75 - anything is possible

I've had several opportunities in my life so far to stand by my belief that anything is possible - should you truly want it & if you commit 100% of yourself; now my wife and I continue to challenge ourselves and live by this mantra. With these last few runs I've officially begun my training program for my upcoming coastal marathons in December, January, April & May. It's going to be a huge challenge especially in conditions I'm not yet used to, but that challenge is what drives me and feeds my confidence; just as it does in my personal life, and just as it does tonight running in a 40-50mph windstorm. Be open to the idea that anything is possible and you might just surprise yourself. [5m-41:20-07:58/m]

[East Lagoon Harbor, Chicago, USA]

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RUN 74

I believe just as we eat and breathe, we need to be able to free our minds; to wander unguided, in and out of unconstrained ideas and dreams. Running gives me that opportunity, normal time constraints fall away, the minutes and miles tick by as each step becomes part of the space around you and your form flows free from tension, as does your mind. [10.45m-01:26:58-08:19/m]

[Nature Preserve, Lake Shore, Chicago, USA]

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