All articles
The mental side of the long run: how not to quit at kilometre twelve
Every long run has a stretch where stopping seems reasonable. Here are the mental strategies that actually work — and why "just push through" is not one of them.
How to run through winter without hating it
Dress for ten minutes in, not for the doorstep. Layering, traction, visibility and why your winter paces are supposed to be slower.
Hydration for runners: how much you actually need
Most hydration advice is written by people selling electrolytes. Here is the short version: drink to thirst, and understand why drinking too much is the more dangerous error.
How to build a running habit that survives a bad week
Every habit meets a bad week eventually. What separates people who keep running from people who stop is not willpower — it is what they decided in advance.
Chafing, black toenails and the things nobody warns you about
Nobody puts this in the beginner guides. Where chafing happens, why toenails turn black, what to do about blisters, and the fixes that genuinely work.
RED-S and underfuelling: when discipline becomes a problem
Not eating enough for your training load has a name and consequences that reach well beyond performance. The signs worth taking seriously, and why a missing period is one of them.
Your first 10K: turning 5K fitness into double the distance
One long run a week, everything else easy, and eight weeks. How to turn a comfortable 5K into a first 10K without the mileage jump that gets people hurt.
Runner's knee: what it is and the exercises that help
A vague ache around or behind the kneecap, worse on stairs and after sitting. What causes patellofemoral pain, what actually helps, and why you probably do not have to stop running.
Strength training for runners: 20 minutes, twice a week
You do not need an hour in a gym. Six movements, twice a week, twenty minutes. Here is the minimum that actually reduces injury risk and makes running feel easier.
Iron and ferritin for female runners: the test nobody orders
Low iron feels exactly like being unfit — heavy legs, high heart rate, no top end. It is common in female runners, it is a simple blood test, and it is routinely missed.
How to start running again after a long break
The trap when coming back is that your lungs recover faster than your legs. Here is how far back to start, and a four-week plan to get moving again without a fortnight off in week three.
Shin splints: why they happen and how to come back
Shin splints are almost always a load problem wearing a shoe problem costume. What causes them, what actually helps, and how to come back without going straight round the loop again.
Easy pace: why most of your running should feel too slow
If every run feels moderately hard, you are training in the least useful place there is. Here is what easy pace means and how to find yours without a lab.
One year of running: what actually changes
Fitness at three weeks, legs at three months, identity somewhere around month eight. An honest account of what a first year of running changes, and what it does not.
How to plan your race calendar for the year
Two goal races a year, the rest as training. How to space events so you actually arrive at them fit, and why signing up for everything is the fastest route to a flat season.
Setting running goals that survive February
Most running goals are set in January and abandoned by February — not from weak will, but because they were the wrong shape. Here is how to set ones that hold.
Running alone safely: a checklist that is not just be careful
Telling women to "be careful" is not advice. Here is the concrete version: route rules, visibility that works, phone settings worth turning on, and what to do if something feels off.
Running and your menstrual cycle: what changes and what does not
Cycle-syncing plans promise more than the evidence supports — but that does not mean nothing changes. What is actually worth adjusting, and what is noise.
What to eat before, during and after a run
Under an hour you probably need nothing. Over 90 minutes the rules change. Here is what to eat before, during and after, and how to work out which category your run is in.
Sports bra fitting for runners: how to stop the bounce
The band does the work, not the straps. How to measure yourself properly, what to look for in a running bra, and how to deal with chafing on long runs.
How to buy running shoes when you're a woman
Half a size up, a thumbnail of room at the front, and a healthy scepticism about pronation analysis. What matters when buying running shoes, and what shops get wrong.
Couch to 5K for women: an 8-week plan that fits a real week
Three runs a week, walk breaks you are supposed to take, and a plan that survives the week you miss two sessions. Here is the eight-week version, plus what to do when life gets in the way.