Posts by Alex
3 tips for dealing with post-lockdown anxiety
Feeling anxious about life after lockdown? Most of us probably can’t wait, but others will have got comfortable with the routine of working from home and less obligations. Personally I’ve loved the simplicity and solitude, but miss the freedom to travel and visiting family. The first thing is acceptance. It’s going to change whether we…
Read MoreThis Too Shall Pass – How to keep going when you can’t see the top
It feels like lockdown has gone on forever. One false summit another. Are we there yet? Even with the vaccine rapidly underway, there’s only so many times you can buy the old adage of ‘this too shall pass’ before trust begins to wear thin. So, how do we keep going when we can’t see the…
Read MoreWhat advice would you give yourself in 2020?
Well… where do we start? Any of us could be forgiven for wanting to toss 2020 into a heap; banished like those hideous school photos we’d rather never saw the light of day again. But that would be a waste of everything it’s given us – whether we wanted it or not – and the…
Read MorePeaks and Troughs: dealing with the post-challenge blues
‘Flattening the curve’ has been of national interest this year. Peaks and troughs is one way to describe the emotional rollercoaster that we never volunteered to board. This emotional cycle is perfectly natural, and we can’t have one without the other. But just because these emotional shifts are expected doesn’t make them easy to deal…
Read MoreThe Power of Human Connection
World Mental Health Day seemed the perfect opportunity to talk about isolation. The outdoors can be a lonely place. Maybe that’s part of the magic. I’ve mostly ran, walked and cycled on my own, partially for preference, and partially because I’ve found few people willing to run up hills at ungodly hours in the cold.…
Read MoreRelentless Forward Motion
Life’s pretty simple when you just have to run, eat, sleep, ice, elevate, and repeat. The 9 1/2 days spent running/hobbling the National Three Peaks feels like a blur now, but the inflamed tendons and lingering fatigue remind me it wasn’t just a dream (or nightmare). Sharing the stories always helps with the post-challenge blues.…
Read More3 Peaks Run Challenge: the Kit List
After conveniently spraining my ankle a couple of weeks ago and having to delay the start of my 3 Peaks Run, fine-tuning my kit list and preparation was one way to prevent going stir crazy. And even that only offered mild relief. Originally I had planned an entirely self-supported attempt, but given the injury and…
Read MoreRunning out of Lockdown: Challenges come in Threes
You couldn’t imagine the irony. I’d just climbed Scafell Pike on the Stairmaster machine of my local gym whilst the fells beckoned in the sunshine outside. A foot tendon injury was the latest setback after spraining my ankle on week two of the training plan. I was due to start my attempt to run the…
Read MoreUpdate: National Three Peaks Run Challenge
Hi folks, I hope you’re keeping well, which has albeit taken on a very real meaning recently. In 3 weeks I was due to begin my attempt to run the National Three Peaks Challenge. This involves climbing Ben Nevis, Scafell Pike, and Snowdon, and running the entire 450-mile distance between them, self-supported, in the fastest…
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