At 12 I watched my dad run the Southampton Half. In 2015, years after losing him, I ran it for him. What that race taught me about making peace with the past.
Neil Martin · Beats, Business & Life
Running
I forgot my headphones, so Public Enemy ran with me
My first parkrun of the year, no headphones, and a stranger’s hoodie that put the beats in my head. A short one about consistency.
Can’t Hurt Me made me watch what I say to myself
How David Goggins can help you notice the voice in your head, plus the simple cookie jar idea I use when I doubt myself.
Born to Run is one of the books I blame for 107 miles
How a book about a hidden tribe of runners helped a non-runner reach 107 miles, and what it might show you about your body.
How Finding Ultra changed the way I see my limits
What Rich Roll’s story can show you about where your limits really are, from a former non-runner still eyeing an Ironman.
What a baseball cap taught me on my first ultra
On my first ultra, over 100 miles across four days, my best friend turned out to be a baseball cap. Here’s why, and what aid stations taught me.
How not running made me a better runner
Seven weeks without a proper run, a half marathon next month and a 5km test with a weighted backpack. What happened when I stopped running.
100 kilometres in a day: running Race to the Stones
A 4.30am alarm, a backpack full of beetroot juice and 100km of trail ahead. What my first non-stop ultra taught me about the dark bits.
100 miles in torrential rain for Maggie’s
A week after running 100 miles on muddy, hilly trails in torrential rain, I was close to £2,000 raised for Maggie’s. Here’s why asking mattered.
What marathon training taught me about big goals
A dark winter morning, a three-hour training run, and a plan stuck on the kitchen wall. What getting ready for my first marathon taught me about chasing anything big.
Every week
Get The Mix
One short email a week. One track, one idea, one thing worth your time.
Two minutes to read. Unsubscribe in one click.
Free stuff
Free downloads
Planners and one-page guides to print and scribble on. No email needed.

About
Hi, I’m Neil
DJing since 1987, three decades in business, and the author of Done Beats Perfect. This is where I write it all down.













