You can find all of my blog posts right here, from race recaps to end of year musings to general ramblings about the world of running.

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Race recap: Berlin Marathon 2024

At the end of September I dragged my husband off on a running ‘themed’ long weekend away (everyone’s favourite, no?) to Germany. Ok ok, I say themed as though running didn’t take over the whole trip and as though it was for the both of us, but let’s be real it absolutely did take over…

New to running? 5 tips for beginners

“I’m not a runner”, “I’m not built for running”, “running hurts my knees”, “I could never run like you do” – any of those sound familiar? You’ve probably had them said to you if you’re a runner, or you’ve probably said them to others if you’re new to this!  I’ve definitely been on both sides…

How I got back running after rupturing my ACL ligament WITHOUT surgery

In January this year I came home from my skiing holiday with a little more than I bargained for – a knee injury, a big old knee brace and a lot of pain and discomfort. A dodgy skiing fall led to me fully rupturing my ACL ligament in my knee and spraining my MCL ligament.…

The Brownlee brothers triathlon story – is it all worth it? A book review

The Brownlee brothers are synonymous with triathlon, success and talent. But what does becoming Olympic and World champions really mean? If two lads from Yorkshire can do it, can anyone? And, is it all worth it? This book tells the tale, in Alistair and Jonny’s words, of their childhood, their passion for triathlon and how…

Why it’s totally ok to walk on your runs

I am a HUGE advocate of the run/walk method of running. Yes, that’s right – method of running. I will always stand by the fact that if you’ve gone out for a run and run for even just a part of it, you’ve gone for a run. It’s really quite simple.  Some people seem to…

5 top tips for your long marathon training runs

If you are training for anything long distance (or longer distance to what YOU are used to, whatever that may be) then the staple of your training is your long runs, which gradually increase in distance and build up your endurance. It’s quite fascinating to me because there’s a real mental game at play here,…

5 of the best podcasts to listen to whilst running

The world of podcasts has exploded in the last few years and rightly so! Podcasts are amazing. I love them. There is something about listening to a podcast that feels comfortable and relaxing. I think it’s mostly that listening in to a couple of people talking on a podcast feels relatable and so easy to…

5 of the best South West London running routes

Running in London isn’t all pavements and busy roads. I promise! I have always loved London and it remains my favourite city in the world. I adore living here and running here over the past few years, particularly over the 2020 lockdown, gave me a new appreciation for the city itself, but also the part…

Less is more: what running in 2022 taught me

I’m a little late to the end of year recap posts, but I like using my blog to have things to look back on so it was important of me to still pen down some thoughts….lest I forget things!! 2022 was a lovely year for plenty of reasons. For the first time since I started…

Real runners race review: Royal Parks Half Marathon 2022

#runwithus was the official social media hashtag for this years Royal Parks Half Marathon, a sentiment which really echoes why lots of runners love entering races. Sure, many of us have a competitive angle, but actually the comradery, the community and the fact that there are simply other people out running with you is what…

5 moments that changed the world of women’s running forever

Earlier this year I was inspired by the influx of positive and glowing posts on social media for International Women’s Day. I also enjoyed the many people who pointed the men who needed some validation that there was, in fact, an International Men’s Day in November too…. It got me thinking that women have, unsurprisingly,…

How we all became better runners in 2021 – my end of year musings

I suspect that many of us entered 2021 exhausted from the year that was 2020. If, like me, you’re still coming to terms with the fact that despite having never really got 2020 off to a decent start we’re somehow now approaching 2022, you’ve probably landed on some of the same end of year revelations…

The day that finally was – Virgin Money London Marathon 2021: Race review

They say good things come to those who wait. And wait, we did…..18 months to be precise. But boy, was it a good thing. Last week I finally ran the London Marathon, after getting my charity place back in 2019. The whole day was inspiring, challenging and joyous.  Here is my race recap – I…

26.2 things they don’t tell you about training for a marathon

The running world can be as simple as ‘all you need is a pair of trainers’, but when it comes to long distance training, things take a bit of a step up. Which is fair enough. Marathon training is hard and it’s a commendable thing to sign up to (if I do say so myself…;)…

St Albans Half Marathon – Race review and a runner’s reality

28 degrees. Not a cloud in the sky. Country lanes and undulating hills. Sounds like an ideal day for a relaxed walk, a swim, or perhaps a snooze in your garden, right? Probably not ideal conditions for a self-described ‘challenging’ half marathon? Lo and behold, the show must go on and so that’s exactly what…

Think you’re not built to run? Think again….why people run at different speeds

I don’t know about you, but I’m all too familiar with those ‘I’m just not built to run that fast’ thoughts – do you know the ones? Another common one being ‘look at them, they’re just made for it’ as someone runs past you like a duck through water. If you’ve never had those thoughts…

My experience of hernia repair surgery and the journey back to running

February 2021 saw me head into hospital for an operation, followed by some time off running. This was the first time I’d ever had to go into hospital so naturally thought it warranted a blog post as a Significant Life Event…. Here is my tale of before, during and after the procedure and to recap…

A marathon year with Neuroblastoma UK – fundraising charity tips and tales

As we crack on with a new year, I wanted to write a post about the wonderful charity I collaborated with in 2020 on my marathon fundraising efforts – Neuroblastoma UK. Without them I wouldn’t have been given the opportunity to run the 2020 London Marathon and as a result of that, I may never…

Guest post: Bouncing back to running from a fractured leg injury

As part of a series of guest posts, I am delighted the first one is from my friend and colleague Ollie Smith. Ollie sadly got injured right at the start of lockdown 1.0 and in this post he tells the tale of getting back on his feet, quite literally…! It’s a long post, but a…

Well, it wasn’t all bad: 20 positives from a lockdown 2020

It’s a year we’ll never forget, for many of the wrong reasons. At the start of the year, we had no idea we were about to head into a global pandemic, national lockdowns, being told to stay at home. Our whole lives got flipped on their heads, from the way we work, socialise and the…

An adventure on two feet: Book review – Born to Run by Christopher McDougall

This books reputation pretty much precedes itself, a New York Times Bestseller having been described as ‘the best book you’ll ever read about running’, ‘exhilarating’ and ‘sheer endorphinous pleasure’ (the latter I think being one of my personal favourite descriptive phrases of all time!). It’s likely you’ve heard of this book, whether you’re a runner…

Celebrate You: The virtual Vitality London 10,000 2020

After being VERY excited to receive my London Marathon finishers medal and t-shirt in the post, back in October, I fairly promptly entered the Vitality London virtual 10,000 race – what is Vitality’s annual 10k run in central London had, of course, turned virtual for this year. Virtual events are a bit weird, if we’re…

2020 mileage aim: getting to 1500km!

So the numbers nerd in me did some calculating and worked out that so far my running mileage for the year is at 1,355km. Great! Who knew I’d ever be running more than 100km in a year, never mind over 1000km. Very happy with that. 2020 really has been a strange year…! But, in a…

Virtual London Marathon 2020: My review and experience

So, on 4th October 2020 I ran my first marathon. WHAT. Still baffles me, to be honest. It was bleak, incredibly painful and so long. But also one of the most amazing things and something I’m immensely proud of doing. After the London Marathon was turned virtual for 2020, we runners (I had a charity…

2020: The year that threw a spanner in all the works

So, let’s get you up to speed. Many of my close friends and family are probably bored to their core of hearing me talk about running, training, recovery and general marathon chat this year. What would usually be a few months has turned into about ten months. It really has been a bizarre year and…

Hello!

I’m Ele and welcome to my blog, Chasing Ele. I’m using this to track my running journey post my first marathon, to keep myself accountable and to share my ramblings and thoughts too! I’m looking forward to chatting with the running community and having a record of what I’ve been up to. I will be…

About Me

Hi, I’m Ele – runner, foodie and reader. This is my space of the internet covering running, training and general love of the outside. Occasional book reviews and guest posts from people too! You can find me on Instagram @chasingele as well.

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