The Milestone Pursuit

Hello - in this episode we have another recovery ramble, where I run easy and talk about something that is on my mind. This time, being a balanceatarian within an increasingly chaotic and at conflict world, it's balance that's on my mind so this one is a simple 35 minute jog where I explore balanced and broad perspectives and how to think about and strike balance using a seesaw as a metaphor! It c...

Hi - In this episode you have a workout preceded by some chat about Storm Eunice, Jet TV, Twitter and an update on British Marathon running following the Seville marathon yesterday. The workout is a 30 minute progression run, working to mindfulness cues as we go. We talk a little about the purpose and benefit of progression runs, how to run them (which sounds obvious but isn't always), and then ge...

Hello - In this episode we have a conversation with Natasha Cockram who is a beneficiary of our scheme to invest in underfunded British elite marathoners. Natasha is a brave person and athlete so is a good person to talk to about Courage, a value or a character trait that makes us good at running but that we simultaneously develop through running. We explore that idea through a step by step journe...

Hello - in this episode we have a recovery ramble, where I run easy and talk about something that is on my mind. This time, inspired by previous episodes on setting sustainable goals (episode 90) and consistency (episode 91) AND my experiences of executive coaching over the past month, I talk about how to create habits, and specifically how to create the habit of reviewing your progress again...

Hi This week we have a WORKOUT, heading to the track. it's full on too as it is 12 x 400m or 90s whichever comes first, with 60s rest in between each rep and you can run along with me as if I am there with you. In the previous episode where we chatted about consistency with Josh Griffiths, we talked about how making sure every run and every session has a purpose creates the conditions for consiste...

Hi, This week's podcast is a chat about consistency with Josh Griffiths, who personifies consistency in British Marathon running. This follows nicely from the last podcast in which we covered setting sustainable goals and I suggested that it's not as simple as setting a goal, believing it can be done and cracking on/hoping for the best. In this one, we go into depth about what the benefits of cons...

Welcome to 2022 and a new Recovery Ramble based on Goal Setting, but with a slight twist. Clearly, this time of year presents the opportunity to look forward, and set some new goals, but how do we make sure they are sustainable, how do we stop our energy for New Years Resolutions fading as the days, weeks, months pass? So, in this 35 minute ish easy run around a mild and sludgy Epping Forest, I co...

Hello - This week we are returning to a workout that is particularly good for the Christmas period - some hills (which was actually recorded a few months ago, back when the birds were singing). In the more contemporary intro, I talk about the benefits of running up hills (3 physical ones, 2 psychological ones) but also talk about the importance of reflection as Christmas comes, the year ends, and...

It is time for a Recovery Ramble, where I jog around Epping Forest talking about something that is on my mind. This one is about Leadership, and is actually inspired by what we have seen in the leadership in British Athletics in recent months. It also touches on the recent leadership matters in the UK Government. It is all based on my experiences and my observations, you obviously dont have to agr...

Hi - We are back from an enforced podcast hiatus caused by an outbreak of Covid in my house....listen in to hear all about my recent woes (woe was me). And with the threat of Omicron among other reasons to feel anxious, or down, it feels like this is a good time to do a mindfulness session. This is where we consciously connect our body to our brain and switch off from the world. It also gives us t...

In this edition, we have something slightly different. We have a normal intro and outro where I jog around Epping Forest but the main body of this podcast is a zoom chat with Charlotte Purdue, fresh(ish) from running 2.23 at the recent London Marathon, the fastest time by any British woman in 12 years. The media aficionados among you may find the continuity link from jogging to zoom to jogging aga...

In this week's podcast, we are back with a mini session and before that some further marathon reflections. The session is simply 12 x 60s at progressively fast pace off 60s recovery, a good one if you are recovering from a marathon and want to start easing back in, but also good if you haven't done a marathon and want a good, honest, fast session, it is ALSO good if you a returning from injury! It...

Hello For the first time in 2.5 years, The London Marathon has been and it has gone. It is a special event, and so in this very slow plod around the forest, I spend a bit of time processing my experience of it both as an athlete (or rather, a lumbering old cricketer), as a coach and I guess as a plain old human being inspired by the performance of others. Hope you enjoy it, sorry if you don't. Ste...

Hi - It is time for a good solid laddery speed session. I recorded this one some weeks ago, shortly after England lost to Italy (or did they really lose) in the European Football Championships final, and in the intervals in between your speed workout I talk/rant about the treatment of the men that missed their penalties. This sits nicely, in London Marathon week as it is all about the dangers of a...

Hello - welcome to episode 82 of The Milestone Pursuit Podcast. In this one, we briefly examine the role of this podcast but mainly get into a ramble through the trails of Epping Forest with a focus on the post pandemic London Marathon, on Emma Raducanu, and then what we can learn from her as we prepare for London (or any other marathon that you might be doing soon!). You might not agree with ever...

RECORDED BEFORE THE FINAL****** I was passing some time today, waiting for the once in 55 years event of England competing in a final of major international football tournament, and recorded some thoughts as a fan and as a coach about what we are seeing with this England squad and its leadership (Be More Gareth). There is obviously loads of content out there about how they are being successful, wh...

Hi - with world records being broken, people not being sure how to react to stuff, it is time for a bit of a rant and some observations about life in June 2021. Oh, and with this hot weather, it is also a great time to do a nice speed session complete with some chats with the groundsman - lovely bloke. The session is 3 x 2k off 4 mins rest, and in each 2k we alternate between 400m at 5k pace, and...

HELLO! As we get more and more back to normal, there are things to get excited about and also things that we might get anxious about, and at the same time we are processing what we have been through individually and collectively in the last 12+ months so now feels like a good time to do a nice mindfulness session, where we connect our body to our mind as we run. This one has a twist though, and th...

Hi - Time for a Recovery Ramble, prompted by my first dose of the vaccine (and a haircut), this one is reflecting on the last 12-13 months of pandemic life as we look to come out of, and hopefully, stay out of lockdown. The main idea is that the pandemic has served to accelerate a whole host of things that were happening anyway from my own ageing to the process of reflecting on what we want to do...

Hi - This is a special edition of The Milestone Pursuit podcast in which we introduce Marathon Milestones, a brand new podcast led coaching programme for the Marathon. Designed mainly for first/second time marathoners (but still open to anyone who wants to get more out of their experience) it is a bit like couch to 5k but for the marathon, delivered by experts (I would say that!) with added benefi...

Hello - This episode is another mixed bag - a ranty pre-amble about transparency in light of an interesting week at the elite end of sport and then a speed session on the grass track at Roding Valley Rec, where we meet our old friend the groundsman again who gets himself into less trouble this time. In the intervals I talk about what happens to us, as runners, as we get older, a subject close to m...

This episode is a mixed bag - some nice pre-amble chat about the Olympic Marathon trials scheduled for Friday 26th at 8am, a rant about the same Olympic Marathon Trials, and then a speed session! The nice chat focuses on what the athletes need to do the get on the Olympic plane The rant talks about the opportunity that is missed (for an event to be EVEN more aspirational) The session is focused on...

After going missing for a bit amid home schooling horrors, the podcast, and specifically the speed workout is back. Today's session is actually about speed AND technique. After a bit of a pre-amble covering all manner of things from the Olympics, Piers Morgan, life reflections and the power of running, we have a proper warm-up and then an old favourite of 6 sets of 2 minutes of hard running, 60s r...

Inspired by my recent home schooling experiences, we're back with another recovery ramble. This time on a cold and icy easy run around Epping Forest, I talk about the value of human connections at a time when those connections are compromised by the pandemic, lockdown and the increasingly rapid digitalisation of the world! It was fun to record and fun to consolidate some thinking....I hope you enj...

Hi - After our last recovery ramble, when we spoke about the need to have a bit of purpose to get though these tough times, which helps resilience and so this one now expands on resilience. Resilience is required perhaps than more than ever for so many of us right now. This 45 minute jog around Epping Forest talks about what resilience is (and isn't), how it compares to Grit, and how to use your g...