Useful Running Stuff – Blogs, websites, race organisers, videos, running clubs

I thought I would put together a list of all the stuff that I have found useful over the years. Hope you like it and enjoy it. I will add to it over time.

Watching and listening to stuff about running

Podcast – Bad Boy Running podcast. Just go find it and listen. There are loads of episodes and I wonder whether they will ever make it to 100 episodes (they are at 71 at time of writing)! They have guests on sometimes (think Sean Conway, Lowri Morgan, and other runners). They are ideal for long training runs – this gives you something else to get bored by 🙂
TV – What better way than to annoy everyone else in your home than to get up at the crack of the sparrows arse and watch trail running, mountain running and ultras. They also have triathlon on – but you can always fast forward to the end like I do by watching it on catch up on 4OD.
Youtube – lots of great channels out there including
- filmmyrun – Stephen Cousins who runs and films many races of all distances. He shares some good tips too.
- Trail and Ultrarunning (OMFG – watch this short hilarious 5 min video “How to be an ultrarunner” – https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VytCTHrnShc)
- Guillaume Arthus who runs amazing trails in amazing places and films them at the same time. And a great guy into the bargain with wicked french sense of humour.
- Billy Yang – lots of ultrarunning and amazing film footage.

Books I have enjoyed

Running and stuff – James Adams
Eat and Run – Scott Jurek
80 / 20 Running – Matt Fitzgerald
Ultimate Navigation Guide – Lyle Brotherton
Training Essentials for Ultrarunning – Jason Koops
Running with the Kenyans – Adharanand Finn
Never Wipe Your Ass with A squirrel – Jason Robbilard
Field Guide to Ultrarunning – Hal Koerner
Beyond Impossible – Mimi Anderson
Wild Running – Jen Benson
A year on the run – Damian Hall

Also https://www.ultraevolution.com/ – Ultra magazine – super high quality content and they also organise the odd race and event (like Ultra Fest).

Buy some stuff! Shops that I use online and the highstreet.

Run & Become shop in London (they are in wales and scotland too). They are independent and they, unusually for a central london running store, have a few racevests from UD, salomon etc. They also organise free events and runs too.
Decathlon is great for compression shorts, inexpensive shoes, and lots of other stuff.
Centurion Running Store – Great delivery and good selection of everything you need to race an ultra (well….. kit wise anyway!)
Ultramarathonrunningstore – Great shop – have bought race vests and other gear from here before. Delivery is sharpish too!
Sportspursuit – for lots of everything! Including stuff you didn’t even realise you NEEEDED! 🙂 I get lots of merino tops from here – look for Isobaa and SuperNatural.
Cotswold Outdoor – Great shop – particularly good for GPS watches, navigation stuff, headtorches and maps. That’s what I have mostly bought there – I have bought most of my GPS watches here and you get a discount if you are a member of YHA, some running clubs etc
Wiggle – Great for all kinds of running gear (plus cycling obvs) – good for all kinds of stuff.
Art of Your Success – Sarah runs and cycles and is also pretty talented when it comes to designing stuff! Cards, gifts for runners etc. I bought my wife Susie a lovely bespoke designed cushion (see pic!) from Sarah – including a birthday card. Good for training journals too. Plus the occasional training tip.

Steigen Socks – tried and tested socks on everything up to 100 milers so far. No blisters 🙂
Rockstar – Perform – new on the block – great running t-shirts and other stuff. I’m an ambassador and I love their stuff – especially their Metal T – it has a bloody skull on it! which I bought as a treat for myself because I just had to have it!

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Likeys – all the gear, online and in Brecon. Mountain, trails, multi-day – everything you need here. Independent store too. Drop in if you are in the area. They do so much for the running community.
Horus Sport – Friends of mine from Poland have been making some great woolly hats – including alpaca ones 🙂 Me and Susie were lucky to get a lovely gift just before christmas of a couple of beautiful bobble hats in our running club colours. They’re lush and very very warm!

Apps and websites

Strava.com – I will never forgive them for messing up the chronological feed – but it is a great website / app for keeping in touch with running friends.
Training Peaks – This is a great option for those of you who want to take data geekery to a higher level. this has ALL OF THE STATS! and great for scheduling and planning and analysing to death your training. 🙂
OS maps online – Perfect for finding local trails that you never knew were there!
For reviews of mostly electronic running, cycling gadgets including watches – go to DCrainmaker.com, the5kRunner, fellrnr which are all great for looking up reviews of tech gear. (none of which will help your running – but is there if you are a lover of gadgets – GUILTY!)
Pacing / training – run a 5km flat out and then type in the time to the Alpfitness website. It will give you zone 1 for easy effort (most of your running). Zone 2 (equivalent to your marathon pace) – but don’t train at this zone. Zone 3 (HM pace – also avoid – it is mushy middle). Zone 4 – tempo, and Zone 5 threshold (e.g. fast 5km). Other zones are for fast interval training.

Great blogs

Running and Stuff – lots of experience here and advice given in James’ particular style. Great blog – and he has a book out. Who knew?! 🙂 He has run quite a bit including across the US, Spartathlon, GUCR etc
Dawn Gardner – brilliant ultrarunner and great write ups of races. Love the honesty and the fun – and the tantrums!
shetravelssheruns- Sarah Sawyer’s blog – lots of wins and podium positions and a great honest style and great tips on training too. Amazing photos of amazing places to run too. She’s been quite the mountain goat this year completing CCC.
UltraMari- Mari Mauland’s blog – podium positions abound and she recently completed the Centurion 4 x 100mile Grandslam 2017 (currently the second fastest woman to have completed the slam, ever!) as well as putting in amazing performances in other races. She writes in Norwegian and English. Super fun and super friendly on the trails.
Gen Huss – another running friend of mine based in London. Regularly runs 70 – 90 mile weeks. Fast, and her blog is always super honest.
Trotting in London– Coralie Frost – great blog about running and recovering from eating disorders. Great runner and trains hard.
Ultra Running Lou- Lou Fraser who is Great supporter in the running community and also taking on some great challenges in the next year including some ultras.
Aleks Kashefi – think super stupid amazing adventures – running, swimming and all kinds of other hi-jinks.
Running on Full – Runner in London – who also has a great recipe for Gin and Lemon cake!
Dan Park – Lots of good advice here and some good race reviews from previous ultras. Well worth a look.
Running further than is sensible – Dave Stuart – fellow grandslammer – with a love of data – race reviews and all kinds of data geekery here.
Constant Forward Motion – lots of ultrarunning here. Also data geek! Super duper. What more do you need!
UltraBoyRuns – A guy who quite likes mountain trails and also reviews various bits of kit – and blogs about his race experiences.
Dreaming of Footpaths – Sarah Booker – a nutter who runs and cycles alot. Also snorts cake. And eats ALL. OF. THE. SNACKS. I can’t adequately describe her writing style – but you’ll be snorting out loud at her race reviews and kit reviews.

Also Serpentimes – the online only running magazine from my running club. I’ve contributed a few articles in the past.

Running clubs

I am a member of Serpentine – which is basically the largest club in the UK. Proud to be a member because of all the lovely people I have met there, the Legend who is Sid Wills who makes it so welcoming to new starters, and all the amazing runners who are members and give so much to the club. They also have the best kit! Red with gold hoops – and have lots and lots of training sessions and runs organised throughout the week. Their website also has a tonne of routes in london, plus training tips etc.
I have also been a member of Maidstone Harriers – when their main training sessions fitted with my commute to and from London. If you are in Kent in their area then look them up. They also organise some local races – including Turkey Run in December – and the maidstone marathon.
I am also a member of a local village club – Egerton Running Club – who I often join for sunday runs if they fit with my schedule. Great little club and very sociable.

Ultra race organisers

Centurion Running – 100 milers and 50 milers – mostly on long distance trails like South Downs, Thames Path, North Downs, Ridgeway etc. And they organise the 100 and 50 mile Grandslams 🙂
Beyond Marathon – amazing races – with quirks and suffering 🙂 Also an ultra race calendar on their site.
Canalrace CIC – home of the GUCR, KACR, LLCR if you like your ultras plus sized!
Saxon Viking Norman – if you live in Kent and don’t mind doing laps then not much travelling involved.
Challenge running – Based in Essex & Herts – hope to do some of their races one day!
Stour Valley path 100k – race organised by a fellow serpie.