Family Life

I live in the Cotswolds with my partner Fiona and my two sons, Monty and Raffy.

Running Journey

I've been a runner since my Dad introduced me to the sport as a boy. Growing up in Scarborough near Oliver's Mount, he'd take me on weekly runs up and down the hill every Saturday. It turns out my Dad was quite the runner in his day - I recently discovered his name on the records page for Blackheath Harriers, his old club, where he ran a 2:17 marathon!

I ran for Scarborough Athletic Club and competed in county and school championships, but never quite made it to the next level. Looking back, I realise I didn't train smart enough or put in the necessary effort. Despite having my Dad as my coach, I clearly didn't take full advantage of his expertise. While I posted some decent times in local races, nothing really stood out. Now at 40, I'm probably running faster on an age-adjusted basis than I did at 18. The difference? I've learned how to train properly and dedicate significant time to understanding the sport. There's a fair amount of nuance to putting one foot in front of the other!

Current Running Status

These days I'm a decent enough runner although I don't get time to do much racing. I'm probably in 17:30 5km shape at the moment but want to start getting enough miles in to run a decent marathon next year. Sadly, I'm lucky to get enough time for 50km a week but hopefully now the kids are getting older I'll have more time.

Professional Background

I studied computer science and artificial intelligence at university - though this was 20 years ago, long before the era of large language models!

Professionally, I started at EY in banking audit and nearly11I passed all my exams first time but never submitted my log book, which was necessary for qualification. At the time, I was burnt out from the EY grind and moving into a Bitcoin startup, so I figured I wouldn't need the accounting qualification. While I was right about that, I still should have submitted the log book!I passed all my exams first time but never submitted my log book, which was necessary for qualification. At the time, I was burnt out from the EY grind and moving into a Bitcoin startup, so I figured I wouldn't need the accounting qualification. While I was right about that, I still should have submitted the log book! became a chartered accountant. After three years auditing banks, I moved into data analytics. Around 2014, I got involved with Bitcoin through a friend who was an early developer. I joined a custody company and helped pivot it into an analytics platform. The next few years saw me working on various startup ventures, both solo and with others, before joining R3, an enterprise blockchain company. I spent five years at R3 across developer relations, engineering, and the CTO office, before leaving after our first son was born - burnt out and tired of the daily grind. Since then, I've worked with several blockchain startups in product and engineering roles. Currently, I'm at IOG, the company behind Cardano.

I've long wanted to start a blog and build running tools, but never found the right combination of motivation and time. Now, finally, everything has aligned.

While I don't have formal credentials as an exercise physiologist, running coach, or data scientist, I bring a strong analytical mindset and rapid learning ability to this project. These qualities, combined with my technical background, provide a solid foundation for exploring running science and data analysis. I'm committed to developing my expertise in data science, statistics, and exercise physiology research to deliver valuable insights through this blog and hopefully any tools I build along the way.