The Bupa London 10,000, or as I affectionately refer to it as the Bupa 10k, has a very special place in my running calendar. Not only was it the first 10k race I ever ran, but it was also the first race I ever ran, too! Back in 2012 as a reasonably fit lad (being quite modest here), I thought that running a 10k wouldn’t require more than an already established level of fitness. How wrong was I! It was a hot day, and having done no training, I crawled home in 57 minutes. A wake-up call that running a 10k was no easy feat! I returned in 2013, having casually done a little more training, and finished in 48 minutes. Not bad, I thought. But I was still not running regularly. Then in 2014, I began to take my running training more seriously, and once again tested myself at the Bupa 10k, running it in 43 minutes. This was a turning point for me in my running, and I vowed to return in 2015 and further better my time.

Continue reading →