My need to vomit is strong and immediate. It rose the instant I crossed the finish line. I slow to a walk, hips and legs already seizing. Runners all around me, jostling, stumbling, bumping. Behind me runners flood across the finish line. It’s November 2015. I’ve just completed my first marathon. Within seconds the elation […]
Runified Podcast
This week I had great fun speaking with Matt Sorenson of the Runified. As it went live I was way outside of my comfort zone listening to myself. Does anyone actually like hearing themselves? But I am embracing that discomfort in the interest of learning and self development. If you haven’t found the Runified podcasts yet […]
How to survive the post-marathon blues
You just completed your first marathon! An incredible achievement that you never thought possible! You are amazing! For four months you worked so hard to be ready for those 26.2 miles. Take a moment to reflect on all you’ve been through; the sacrifices of family time, countless training runs, aches, pains, chafing, hobbling, sweating, freezing […]
Berlin week 8 training summary
Weekly distance: 62.3 miles (100.2 km) It’s back to a volume week. Knowing this is the first of 3 volume weeks has me feeling a little apprehensive. Week 6 taught me I can hit 100 km in a week and that was followed by a low mileage recovery week. This time I have 105 km, […]
5 Lessons I learnt the hard way training for my first marathon
My name is Duncan and I’m an accidental serial marathon runner. In three years I have 5 marathon finishes, one DNS, and too many hospital trips to my name. Those experiences form a collection of experiments. Trial and error. Lots of error in fact!
Injury, setbacks and the ego
I’m struggling with a few things right now – injury, setbacks and the ego. Usually I respond by withdrawing. I internalise and overthink everything, which invariably gets me stuck deeper. This time I’m doing it differently and putting it in black and white. It feels risky to be honest, but I’m telling myself these things […]
How many people do you need to run a marathon?
How many people do you need to run a marathon? That’s a seemingly odd question, like how long did it take to run your fastest marathon? But if you change the wording to instead make it how many people helped you run your marathon?, then you see where I’m going with this. The role of […]
Ugly truths no one tells you about distance running
For the record, or perhaps just for therapy, I need to name some of the ugly truths no one tells you about distance running. I remember vividly the moment I committed to running my first marathon. It was all about the challenge, the big experiment and the excitement of having a huge goal. I knew […]
Marathon fundraising tips
Fundraising can be tough. It generates a range of emotions, just like the race itself and the four months of training it takes to get there. Today I share some marathon fundraising tips that have helped me.
Looking back on 2017
The close of 2017 marks my third year of running and it’s been truly eye opening. I took great pleasure and a huge sense of achievement from learning, training, racing, and travelling to beautiful places, with the people I hold most dear.