Hello! Welcome to my Cyprus International 4-day Challenge blog. The Challenge is a stage race held in the Akamas peninsula of Cyprus, taking in four very different races - and I'll be blogging throughout.My runningI've been running for about four

that by the time the UK was waking up I'd have a medal round my neck, a grin on my face and a free beer in my hand (see right!).In the 2009 Challenge I found the 10K race seriously tough. My legs just wouldn't move fast enough, every step I took was painful and I

race out of the way and my legs still mercifully free of the achey hobble that marks out Challenge runners in the hotel, I sould have had a relaxing evening but I couldn't stop fretting about the 11K hill run. It had been by far my least favourite race

cruel.Last time I ran the Challenge, the 11K was by far my least favourite of the four, so I was dreading it this week in my unfit state. In 2009 I had simply never ran a race like it - it was a total culture shock. I went about it all the wrong way

cross-trainer which mimics the motion of running without the impact. He says, "Every single step you run thuds through your body, so if you've got the opportunity to cross-train, do it." What other challenges are out there? The 100 Marathon Club have

-lap course takes you on a winding tour of tranquil woodland and is packed with variety. Look out for some challenging climbs, devilish descents, twisting trails, muddy puddles and open fields, not forgetting the race's trademark blanket of bluebells of course

Closing Soon...Blackburn Winter Warmer 10K (Lancashire, February 8) Be sure to enjoy the views once you've scaled the climb that opens this challenging road race - you might not get a PB, but you'll have surely earned your banana at the finish

scenery, this is a well-timed return to off-road running as the summer road season draws to a close. The three-lap course is also pleasingly traffic-free - but not without its challenges. The route is studded with enough hills to keep you on your toes

Year with the invigorating cross-country challenge of the Box Hill Knacker Cracker 10K - four serious hills in the stunning setting of the North Downs. Alternatively, chase a half-marathon PB before the spring season kicks in at the flatter

(Buckinghamshire, November 15) Head off-road and rise to the challenge of this tough, multi-terrain course through the picturesque Chilterns.The hills come thick and fast, with the first climb after just two kilometres and more following swiftly behind. Don