training
Your Rohans or your life!
August 6, 2018
Sometimes you have to take tough decisions. You have to sacrifice something you love for the greater good. I found myself facing just that conundrum atop a high peak in the mighty Atlas Mountains. My Rohan Explorers are dear to my heart but it was a life or death situation.
How to be brave
April 2, 2018
Hiking in the desert mountains can be quite a challenge. I didn't set out to scare myself when I set out from Tighmert near Guelmim to walk the ridge, but I managed it nonetheless and in doing so learnt some lessons about how to be brave.
Goat’s milk and boiled butter
March 10, 2018
An adventurer needs adventures, so with that in mind, I packed up the cats, my bike and my hiking and running kit and moved to a tiny oasis in the south of Morocco called Tighmert for a couple of months. I want to see what living in an oasis is like, explore the desert area and mountains around Guelmim and get to know the Sahara people. My first adventure was a hike from the oasis, across the desert plain to the mountains.
An adventure run to Essaouira
February 13, 2018
16km of pristine, virgin Atlantic beach stretching out ahead of us as we started our adventure run from Moulay Bouzektoun back to Essaouira on Morocco's coast. Winter sun beating down and lots of golden sand to cross.
Running tales: A thief and a knight
February 4, 2017
Running in Morocco is always an adventure. Sometimes the trails are long and sometimes they are short, and this morning's run in Essaouira had its fair share of surprises.
Why I love running in Morocco
March 7, 2016
Even when I fall out of love completely with the pain of running and the slog of training, there is always something that lures me back in and here in Morocco that is doubly true. The smell of orange blossom, the quiet of the desert, the offer of a cup of mint tea....
DNA Diet and Fitness
February 13, 2016
I don't think I am alone in struggling with my diet and fitness and wondering whether I keep failing purely because I am weak and the lure of cake and a box set of The Walking Dead is strong. I am also disillusioned with all the fads and fashions in the food industry - eggs are bad/eggs are good, coconut oil will save your life, gluten is the devil. So, when I was offered the chance to try out a food and exercise programme, based on my genetic predispositions I was all in. This is how it works.
A million miles from ISIS
January 21, 2016
Macro and micro - two perspectives separated by just one tiny vowel. Living in a country which is not your own is a privilege. It gives you the chance to look at things differently. Every time I go for a run or a walk in the Atlas Mountains of Morocco, I get to see Islam at the micro level. The level lived by so many million muslims around the world. This story is about that community of spirit.
Running training plan
January 14, 2016
January is the month of resolutions. Back on the training treadmill, I want to do it right this time. I hate being too constrained but I am hoping that a bit of discipline and structure will set me free. Here are my running training plans for 2016.
Ten things I love about running
January 7, 2016
Running may be glorious but it is also very, very hard. I am in no way a natural runner and so just getting myself out there can be a trauma. Worse, I have taken a long break, and now it is time to knuckle down. I have really written this as my New Year's Motivation to GET running again. My own personal ten top running tips!