VOGUM 2022 Race Recap

The VOGUM is a 40 mile (64 km) ultra marathon taking place in the Vale of Glamorgan. The route hugs the South Wales coastal path, running from Porthcawl to Penarth, just below Cardiff. Having moved to West Wales toward the end of last year, earlier this year I found myself seeking out marathon and ultra … Read more

Running the Blacks to the Beacons 50 mile ultra marathon

blacks to beacons 50 mile ultra, near the top of Pen y Fan

Last Saturday I ran the 2022 Blacks to the Beacons 50 mile ultra marathon. The race was 52 miles over the Black Mountains and Brecon Beacons in Wales, with an elevation of about 11,000 ft (3300 meters). I finished with a chip time of 14:30:56, placing 29th (21st in my age category). It was a … Read more

Garmin fenix 7 Review

garmin fenix 7 47mm

Recently I upgraded from a Garmin forerunner 245 to the new Garmin fenix 7. Or is that written fēnix? While the forerunner was a perfectly fine GPS multisport watch (with music capability too), lately I’ve found myself wanting for more. With the warmer weather on it’s way, so too is prime running season, and the … Read more

Global Warming – Doing Your Part

climate change leading to melting ice

Global warming is a real issue affecting us now and more so in the coming years. We see the effects to some degree already. From abnormal weather patterns, exceptionally freezing Winters, to flash flooding and prolongued droughts. Global warming is nothing new. In fact scientists from Exxon mobile knew about it 40+ years ago. Yet … Read more

Strumble Head Circular Coastal Path, Pembrokeshire

light house

On a cold and rainy December late afternoon, I ran a small section of the Strumble Head Circular coastal trail. I’m always on a mission to explore and catalog various trail running locations that are within close proximity to where I live. To find and decide on Strumble Head, I loaded up my Alltrails app, … Read more

Distance Carbon Z Trekking Poles Review (Black Diamond)

distance carbon z trekking poles

Earlier this year I purchased a pair of Distance Carbon Z Trekking poles to aid me on runs out on the trail that I categorise as ultra distance. Specifically I made a spur-of-the-moment decision to run a self-supported 50 mile ultra along the serpent trail. I was thankful to have made this purchase as this … Read more