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What are your personal bests?
5k: 15:53
10k: 32:24
Half: 71:57
Marathon: 2:31:13
100k: 6:51:49
What have you been doing during lockdown?
I've been very lucky to have been able to work from home for the entire duration and work has been super busy. I did want to have the time to pick up a new skill or hobby but with a young family, home schooling and the restrictions that were in place, it was just not going to happen. I did buy a treadmill at the very outset of the Pandemic so that I could continue to train while staying within the rules.
Did COVID-19 affect many events / training?
I was lucky to get to race TransGranCanaria at the very beginning of March, very soon afterwards we went into lockdown. The only other event I had planned for the first 6 months of the year was the West Highland Way race, which was cancelled. I was also hoping to make the GB 100km team again as there was a World Championships scheduled for September but that was also been cancelled. Training was affected when we could only go out once a day and so the treadmill really did help as I would use that time to get outside with the kids. I still managed to get those long runs in and training wasn't really affected that much. The training intensity hasn't been the same as usual, my coach, Paul Giblin, has focused on endurance and strength endurance without tiring me out during the lockdown phase.
How did you cope with training during Lockdown?
I missed the gym at my work. I would be in the office 3-4 times a week and each lunchtime I would go to the gym for a S&C or mobility sessions and I really missed those. It felt like I had less time for those types of additional sessions working from home. I always made sure that I got my run sessions in, either outside or on the treadmill, that was really important to me. We all need some time to ourselves and being indoors, 24 hours a day, with the same people (as much as I love my family) can be a challenge and that hour or so of running was my time to clear my head and zone out, even if it was on the treadmill.
How have you found being an ambassador for XMiles?
It has been fun, I know Anthony personally, we've had a few battles at the British 100km championships over the last few years and we were both part of the 2018 GB 100km team. I was thrilled to be part of the XMiles ambassador's team, Anthony has a passion for what he does, and I love the products that are sold at XMiles. I hope I've sent some business to XMiles over the last few years and our relationship continues.
What do you have planned for the future?
Many ultra-runners have set personal challenges during lockdown, particularly now that travel restrictions are all but gone and I have a small personal challenge coming up soon that will see me run from my current Home town on the East coast of Scotland to my first home that I remember as a child. It's not a big distance, less than 50 miles, but I am attempting to join many paths and old drove and trade roads to form a route that is mostly off road. It will take in some of the trails I run around my current home, cross the Pentalnd Hills, and then take in some of the trails and old roads around my childhood home. It's just something for me and I haven't been promoting it at all, my drive is purely internal.
