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05/10/2026

What a weekend… 🌊

Such a great weekend spent with the Cold Club swimmers.

It’s been just over a year since I started going for sea dips, and I have to say, I’ve been on a pretty big journey of getting to know myself along the way.

Sounds a bit deep 😂 but I don’t think we even know half ourselves .How we tick, why we do certain things, what actually makes us happy and sad and what really matters to us.

Anyway… the weekend had a bit of everything.

Seafood from Rye fishmongers 🦐

A walk over to the pub 🍻

A few sea dips 🌊

Lots of cuddles with Reg. Such a lovely dog 🐶

And sorry, but obviously I had to show off my pumpkins 🎃😂
I’ve basically been getting my steps in watering these things all year, so they deserve their moment.

Then there were the stars ✨

There’s something pretty mad about looking up at them and thinking about everything that’s out there and all the mysteries we still know absolutely nothing about.

I cooked a chilli con carne for the gang with chocolate, of course. 🌶️🍫 if you know you know 😜

And because apparently no weekend of mine can be completely normal, a mouse ate my mince pies. 🐭🥧

Still deeply upset about that.

But probably one of my favourite parts of the weekend was just sitting around having some really good conversations.

One of them somehow ended up being about the purpose of life.

Everyone had a different take on it. Different beliefs, different experiences and completely different ideas about what makes a life meaningful.

And I bloody love conversations like that.

You don’t have to agree. You don’t have to come away with an answer. Sometimes it’s just good to listen to how someone else sees the world and maybe question a few of your own ideas along the way.

Sea swims, good food, a few drinks, dogs, pumpkins, stars, deep conversations and one thieving mouse.

Bram had his Bestie round and it was lovely seeing them play so nicely. Had such a good time he was zonked and took himself to bed early and feel asleep. 😴 That however was dangerous with the 4am wake up 😮‍💨

But all in all a Pretty decent weekend if you ask me. ❤️

01/10/2026

🍉 BIG MELONS.
🍈 SMALL MELONS.
Or satsumas 🍊

They all have one thing in common…

They need SUPPORT when you run. 😂

Because there’s nothing worse than setting off for a nice, easy 5K, only for your melons to decide they’re doing their own interval session.

That bouncing can lead to back pain, neck pain, rubbing and discomfort and that’s just the start of the chain reaction.

⬆️⬇️⬆️⬇️⬆️⬇️

A decent sports bra isn’t just about comfort.

The right support means less movement, less rubbing, less discomfort and one less thing to think about when you’re trying to run because there’s already enough to think about, right?

So whether you’re carrying watermelons 🍉 or a couple of satsumas 🍊…

It’s time to support the girls.

Then go smash your run. 🏃‍♀️💨

A few recommendations I’ve received are Curvy Kate and Sweaty Betty.

28/09/2026

A ridiculously busy week last week 😮‍💨😂

We went to celebrate Jeremy and Rhi’s wedding 🎉

On the way, Anna suddenly realised she’d forgotten my shirt 🤦‍♂️

So we dropped Bram off with his uncle and aunties, took a little detour and eventually got me a shirt AND trousers.

Turns out finding a short sleeve shirt at this time of year is harder than you’d think 😂

We then went to check into the pub we were staying at…

“We can’t find your reservation.”

After a bit of confusion, we realised why.

We were at the wrong bloody place 😆😂

I also finally got to use my belated Christmas present and went to Brands Hatch to drive a few cars 🏎️

Ferrari ✅
Lamborghini ✅
Nissan GT-R ✅
High-speed passenger lap ✅

Absolutely epic.

Then, because apparently I don’t have enough already, I went to a cactus auction 🌵😁 You can never have too many, right?

My Lithops (living stones) and Conophytum also decided to flower, which made me ridiculously happy 🌸🌵

And to finish the week off, I got pretty drunk at the wedding and tried my hand or feet at some kinda dancing 🕺🍻

Was it good? Absolutely not.

Did I enjoy myself? Absolutely 😂

I’m at the point nowadays where I really don’t care how bad I look dancing. If I’m having a good time, that’s all that matters.

24/09/2026

Vickie just completed the Great North Run AND came away with a PB! 🏅🔥

But the journey to the start line wasn’t completely straightforward.

In the lead up to the race, Vickie started experiencing some Achilles pain.

Rather than ignoring it and hoping for the best, we adjusted her training load and introduced some targeted strength work to help manage it.

The result?
She got to the start line, completed the race and came away with a PB!

Even with all the stopping and starting caused by the sheer number of runners. 👏
And this is where having a structured plan makes a difference.
Too many runners ignore those little niggles, push through their training and hope they’ll be fine on race day.
They might get around the course, but then find themselves unable to run for weeks afterwards.
The goal isn’t just to get you to the finish line. It’s to keep you running long after it.
Vickie’s already signed up for her next challenge: the Great South Run 10 miler! 🏃‍♀️
We’re now focusing on her running form, particularly reducing overstriding and improving how her feet land underneath her body.
Alongside her strength work, we’re building towards her next race with the aim of running stronger, more efficiently and with confidence.
Because getting a PB is brilliant.
But being able to keep doing what you love afterwards? That’s what we’re working towards. Always looking a few steps ahead 💪

22/09/2026

A reminder to get outside more

Fresh air, no screens, no music 🎶

Just me and whatever the hell is behind me.

Anyone know what exactly it is?

21/09/2026

Majority of my time has been spent in the garden lately 🪏🌱
My happy place. Phone left inside, away from all the unnecessary distractions. Just enjoying being outside.
Bram and I made a royal mess getting the seeds out of the sunflower 🌻😂
Turns out I’m a grower… of weird potatoes 🥔😜
I asked Bram if he wanted to help me dig up the potatoes. His response?
“We don’t have a combine harvester though, Daddy!” 🥹😂
Too bloody cute!
Also attempted to remove the old bay tree, but my god, that thing is hard work! 😓 Still a long way to go with that one.
The cacti are flowering in the greenhouse 🙌🌵
Managed a few beers with friends at Gun Brewery 🍻
And even squeezed in a cheeky run, although I’m still feeling the effects of that damn cold 🤧🏃‍♂️
Nothing particularly exciting, but sometimes these are the best kind of weekends. ❤

14/09/2026

Sydney Sweeney’s photoshoot got me thinking 🤔

We all look into the mirror before we look at how we move and feel.

How about when we’re looking, we look at how we perform as well.

The body we’ve created to do the things we enjoy.

To me, that’s far more impressive.

Being strong enough to run further.
Being able to lift more.
Moving without pain.
Doing the things you love for longer.

Not just creating a body that looks good in a photo.

Create a body that can do some fu***ng cool stuff. 💪🏃

10/09/2026

It’s World Su***de Prevention Day.

I’ve struggled a lot over the last few years with my mental health.

I’m certainly no expert, but here’s a few things I’ve learnt along the way.

You can’t smile and be happy every day.

I always thought a run would fix everything. That I just needed to run more.

Sometimes it helps. Sometimes it doesn’t.

Taking antidepressants if you need them isn’t a sign of weakness.

Being open about how you’re feeling can help more people than you realise.

I’m a massive overthinker, and chasing something to quieten the noise doesn’t always help.

Getting outside when I’m feeling overwhelmed helps massively.

Go for a walk. Get some fresh air. Get as much time outside as you can.

Don’t try to be someone you’re not.

The more you understand yourself, the more accepting you can become of who you are.

I’ve also found being part of a group of men who sea dip has massively helped me. Having people around you, talking s**t, laughing, getting in the sea… it all counts.

Something really simple I’ve found helpful when my head is going 100mph is walking and saying out loud what I can see.

Yellow car.

Green grass.

Blue sky.

It sounds stupid, but it brings me back into the moment.

And finally…

Let yourself cry.

Crying is good.

You don’t always need to fix everything.

Sometimes you just need to let it out.

If you’re struggling, talk to someone.

You don’t have to deal with it all on your own. ❤️

***dePreventionDay

09/09/2026

Distance makes me compete🫣
Time lets me run. 🏃

Anyone else notice this?

Put a distance on the watch and suddenly I’m racing it😂

“Right, can I get under 5k in 22 minutes?”

Then tell me to run for 30 minutes and suddenly I’m just… runnings and taking everything in.

No pressure. No chasing the clock. Just moving.

I think sometimes we make running harder than it needs to be.

Not every run needs a target pace
Not every run needs to be faster
Not every run needs to prove something
Not every run has to look good on Strava

Sometimes the best run is just getting out and enjoying it.

Tell me I’m not the only one? 🏃‍♂️

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Bannatyne Health Club
Eastbourne
BN238AS

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