This past weekend I ran the Bromo Marathon in East Java, Indonesia. I was heading east anyway, “working” in Koh Samui next week so what’s an extra four hour flight, I figured. Besides, seeing as my little sister lives just 100k or so from the race venue, it seemed crazy not to include it in […]
July 9, 2013
Apologies in advance … a long post! Every runner would agree that you learn most from the events that were the most challenging. Our takeaways are greatest when we’re tested … and I guess this refers as much to our running as it does our lives in general. And so it was, this past weekend, […]
March 9, 2013
I had planned to be in Nepal this weekend, my intention to run a race in Annapurna … but various obstacles got in the way, for the most part, the fast approach of one too many deadlines. As anyone who knows me will testify, nothing comes between me and my mac when it comes to my work! […]
January 16, 2013
Signing up for a race in the French Alps this summer, I noticed a very cool question at the end of the registration form. It was: ‘What food would you like to see at the aid stations?’ Brilliant! Now needless to say, I suspect they don’t intend to cater for the diverse needs of a […]
December 15, 2012
I’m sorry if this title drew you in with promises of slide-off-your-seat eroticism … that I shall leave to the brilliant and beautiful mind of EL James. Rather this post is about the ever-increasing blurred lines that exist between hiking and fast-packing, running and exploring, expeditions and adventures. I’ve thought about this often and I […]
November 7, 2012
Click here for Part 1 of my Manaslu adventures. Day 2/4 0330 and the alarm rang … a painful start to the day. Far too early and my legs felt stiff as bricks but once we got going, they started to loosen up. I expected the day to be tough … 43k with mammoth ascents, […]
November 6, 2012
Day 0/4 This was my third race with Action Asia. Last November, in the Langtang region of Nepal and then in May this year in Lijiang, China. Anyone who has followed my adventures for a while, will know that these events give whole new meaning to the very word adventure … and this one, I’m […]
October 24, 2012
I listened yesterday to an interview on TRN with a super cool chick called Jamie Walker. She’s a US-based ultra runner, coach and all-round rock star who recently attempted her first 100 miler. My biggest takeaway was this: a big race is only partly about the running. There are so many other things to consider […]
September 16, 2012
The last time I was on Mount Kinabalu in Sabah, Borneo was when I was 11. I won’t tell you how long ago that was but long enough! Scaling South Asia’s highest peak at 13,435 ft / 4,095m was a grand adventure embarked on with my dad whilst my mum and little sister, Alex, chilled […]
August 22, 2012
Everyone in our lives plays some sort of role be that the friends and family who dish us hugs when the chips are low, those to party with when they (and we!) are high, those who mentor us with career advice, those who are just the ticket for shopping and movies and it goes on […]
July 11, 2012
“Champions do not become champions when they win the event, but in the hours, weeks, months and years they spend preparing for it. The victorious performance itself is merely the demonstration of their championship character.” ― Alan Armstrong I’ve written many times before about the importance of preparation and whilst post Nepal and a week of […]
June 25, 2012
One of my reasons for loving Nepal is the stark reminder of how little we need and how very fortunate we all are. This trip has so far proved no different. Look around here and you see an extremely poor nation yet an extremely happy one … an acute contrast to the West where so […]
June 20, 2012
Tomorrow I return to Nepal. My love for the place never seems to weaken and I’ve spent this week beside myself with excitement. I’m not running in a race this time but meeting my brother Roy for some volunteering at an eco village in the Kathmandu Valley. It sounds pretty awesome and more to come […]
May 31, 2012
Today a post with zero relevance to sport, fitness, health, wellness or running … instead it’s a BIG shout out to all of us who live in a very material world and might be able to give up some of those materials. Mid-June, I head to my second home … Nepal … this time not to […]
May 5, 2012
Today’s post is dedicated to the very funny, sweet and kind Phillip Wallace aka Fanta Pants thanks to his strawberry blond (wink wink) hair! Phillip I met in Nepal last year and last weekend we ran together in Lijiang. Within moments of seeing him again, he said, ‘Tori, the thing about your blog is, it’s […]
May 2, 2012
I remember my last Action Asia event in Nepal last November, when I wrote a post about the trials and tales just to get to the start line. Action Asia Lijiang was no different! Another race, another country, another set of trails but the challenge to reach these incredible unspoilt corners of the world remain […]
January 8, 2012
My week started off in the best possible way … because in addition to a gorgeous run first thing this morning, it was adidas order day. My time to review the fall winter 2012 collection then wait very patiently for what will seem like an age until I can wear it all. As always, it […]
January 5, 2012
I first met Suzanne Al Houby some time ago and wrote about her in my post Mountain mother. Her formidable summit of Everest aside, I am inspired and motivated by her all round quiet determination and dedicated passion as a climber, a mother, a friend and a business women. Her company Rahhalah was borne […]
January 4, 2012
So … the Annapurna 100, 70 and 50. Trail running in Nepal is finally starting to achieve the attention and coverage it deserves but too many of the current races are organised by fancy foreign outfits, catering for rich lycra-clad bankers in the midst of a mid-life crisis and charging registration fees that rival the […]
January 3, 2012
I’ve written before about expecting the unexpected and here in Nepal, it seems these words ring true as the rule rather than the exception. I expect that it’s this that brings me back time and time again … life in Dubai is sometimes just too predictable, too easy. I thrive on a little drama and […]
December 30, 2011
How do you plan to spend the 1st of January 2012? Whatever you do, where ever you are, catch some time alone to reflect a little on the year that’s past and the one that’s starting. I for one, shall be running for 12 hours or so, in the majestic mountains of Annapurna. I know […]
December 3, 2011
This is my final post on RTP but I feel I get asked so much about my training that it’s worthwhile putting my ‘plan’ down on paper. A week doesn’t go by here in the sandpit, when I don’t get emails from people asking for advice about doing multi-day mountainous events and how best to […]
November 30, 2011
I’ve spent the last couple of days being utterly pampered at The Courtyard Hotel … think chick flicks and gossip mags in my princess bed, warm glasses of red wine, juicy steaks on the BBQ and the wonderful company that comes as standard from Michelle, Pujan and various others … I’ve also, whilst all remains […]
November 27, 2011
People say that the Racing the Planet series are some of the hardest events in the world … the annual roving event, in particular, designed to introduce extra challenge. And having just completed RTP Nepal, the 2011 roving event, I can’t agree more … not however, because it was beyond my physical capability … I […]
November 10, 2011
This week I have felt ever so pleased with myself … well, my performance anyway … on the BOSU no less! I wrote about the marvellous BOSU not long ago and ever since, I can safely say I’ve become quite hooked. Day in day out, I’ve been popping into Fitness First and taking place in […]
November 4, 2011
I have never made a secret of the fact that I am the world’s worst packer and now, as I start on sorting my gear for Racing the Planet, I feel just preparing my pack might be one of my greatest challenges to date. At least in the past, despite going on course for much […]
October 19, 2011
A run earlier this week started off in very different spirits than it ended. From 6-9am, I was all smiles but by the final stretch, my vision was skewed by sweat induced tears welling up beyond my control. I had been out for a few hours, running strong, feeling strong and loving the cooler air […]
October 11, 2011
This morning I ran Emirates Golf Course listening to an interview with Thom Gilligan from Marathon Tours, a huge US-based travel company catering for runners and adventurers from all four corners. It was fascinating and thought-provoking, not because he broke any new ground but because the discussion pointed out the absolute obvious. Fact: the beach […]
October 9, 2011
When back in the UK running The Toad Challenge recently, a 150km stage race from Oxford to London, I noticed loads of other runners wearing Trion:Z bracelets and necklaces … so much so that I felt a bit left out and made a mental note to check them out as soon as I was back […]
October 5, 2011
Day 1 / 3 Dhunche – Shyaphru Eight hours I was out for, taking in some mammoth mountains, rapid river crossings, views to die for and switchback central en route. The sun was shining, the trail was tough but terrific and some mammoth ascents and equal descents hammered the legs in style. A fabulous day […]
October 4, 2011
My baggage finally arrived late last Thursday so Friday, pre-race day eve, could begin as planned with an eight hour bus journey to the race start. An early breakfast was followed by some serious eyeing up of which of the four of the buses looked least likely to end with a disastrous journey. How little […]
September 29, 2011
The definition of an adventure is an event or series of, with an unknown outcome. For me, the lure of events in wild and unpredictable places is what attracts me in the first place. A little chaos thrown into the mix is what makes it all the more exciting. It’s what transforms a race into […]
September 3, 2013
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