Author:
floydtech
Maintaining an active lifestyle outside of work is essential for achieving balance and supporting well-being. Sport provides a space to grow, develop new skills, meet people, and push beyond your comfort zone. Life can’t be all work and no play, right?
Over the past two-and-a-half years, running has become that space for me. The journey has been challenging, demanding, and at times emotional — but equally rewarding. I would not change a single step.
In 2023, I joined Cambridge Harriers AC. What began as a practical decision, by making use of the adult track session while my daughter was training, quickly became a turning point in my running.
Joining a “proper” athletics club felt daunting. However, I soon discovered that the Tuesday evening interval sessions brought together a wide range of abilities, which gave me the confidence to continue.
Although I had some running experience, regular 10 km runs and two half marathons, my approach lacked structure. Training once a week at the same pace offered little progression. I was not running in a way that improved performance.
That changed with my first interval session on 25 April 2023: six sets of 1,200 metres with 200 metres recoveries. I spent the session at the back of the group but persevered. Within weeks I began to set new personal bests at 5 km and 10 km, including a 10 km PB in only my second week of training. It was proof that running smarter, not just harder, makes all the difference.
By September, I had run The Big Half in 01:45:41, a 13-minute improvement on my previous best.
That autumn, I entered my first cross-country season with Cambridge Harriers. I completed every Kent League race, winning the 130-year-old Cottrell Cup for most cross-country races completed compared to the previous year. I also won the Joyden’s Wood Trophy for the combined fastest Harrier across the three Joyden’s Wood distances (5 miles, 7.5 miles, and 10 miles).
What stood out was that these successes were not built on speed alone, but on commitment, consistency, and perseverance. Simply showing up for each and every race made the difference. It was a pleasure to take part in the 2025 National Cross Country Championships alongside thousands of other runners, all shin deep in mud.
In 2024, I discovered fell running. I have always enjoyed trail, hills and endurance challenges, so it felt like a natural progression. My first race was the Cader Idris Mountain Race, a 16 km event with 900 metres of ascent, which proved both gruelling and exhilarating. From that point on, I was hooked. I have completed the majority of races in and around Wales or the South of England.
Fell, or mountain running, isn’t just about covering distance. Some races require navigating yourself across whatever the UK landscape throws at you, in all weathers, and with the certainty of tackling a serious climb—be it a steep hill or a full mountain. It’s not for the faint-hearted; it tests you physically, mentally, and sometimes edges into the downright dangerous.
During races I often question why I am putting myself through it. Yet the sense of achievement at the finish line always outweighs the doubts. That year, persistence earned me second place in the Cambridge Harriers Fell Grand Prix.
By 2025, I was into my second fell season and had begun documenting my runs on YouTube, providing overviews of routes and terrain to support other runners. Highlights of the year included Cader Idris, the Snowdon International Fell Race, Fan y Big y Pen y Fan y Big in the Brecon Beacons, and Borrowdale in the Lake District. Borrowdale is the toughest race I have attempted so far: 27 km with 2,000 metres of ascent. The terrain was like nothing I had experienced. The 2025 season is not yet finished, with the Isle of Wight Fell Weekend in a few days. I should have done enough to secure at least a top-three finish in the club standings.
Although my focus has firmly shifted away from road racing, in 2025 I returned for two races: the Saucony London 10 km in July, for which I raised over £300 for local charity Welcare, and The Big Half 21 km in September.
At the 10 km, I was very pleased to achieve a time of 00:43:13. At The Big Half I set a goal of 1:38:00 based on a 4:40 min/km pace. Despite limited road-specific training, that is flat and with a consistent pace, I ran with discipline, finishing in 01:36:26, a personal best by more than nine minutes. I actually enjoyed both races and will make sure I have a few road races in the 2026 schedule.
My immediate focus is the Isle of Wight Fell Weekend, which consists of three races over two days. In 2024, I was part of the third-place men’s team, an unexpected but very welcome achievement. This year, we will field a stronger team and aim to be as competitive.
Looking further ahead, fell running will remain my priority. I plan to return to the Lake District for more experience on its challenging terrain and am targeting a very special endurance race in 2026, located outside the UK, which will push me to my limit. I also intend to take on my first marathon, which is overdue, but I still need to decide where.
Running has given me far more than faster times. It has been a journey of perseverance, discipline, and self-discovery. The future promises even greater challenges, and I look forward to every step.
