The last few months have been so busy, both on and off the trails.

As I mentioned last month, I wasn't able to train much over the summer because of a few niggles (and the small matter of welcoming our new baby boy at the end of August!). However, the 2:32 I pulled off at the Dorney Lake Marathon in September was encouraging and I headed into the pre-Autumn 100 training block with determination.

Fast forward to mid-October and I was ready to race this fast 100-miler giving it my all.  The race started well: Hugh Tibbs and I ran together early on, keeping the pace steady and the conversation flowing as we ticked off the miles.

Unfortunately, around mile 15 I rolled my ankle on a hard, rutted grassy section. It felt manageable at first, and I carried on, but by mile 50, it had swollen to the size of a balloon and that was the end of my race. Disappointing, as things had been going smoothly and we were on for a strong time, but that’s the nature of trail running. Hugh went on to absolutely smash it, finishing in just over 13 hours and breaking the British 100-mile trail record.

Thankfully, my injury turned out to be soft tissue only, and after a few days off I was able to go back to training again.

Next up is the Arc of Attrition 50 in January, followed by the Lakeland 100 next summer, with a few other races in between, first on the list being the Winter Wanderlust Trail 50km on 21 December. Training is picking up again now that things are settling down a bit at home with the little one. Let's see what the winter brings!