Tom Hollis Health

RED-S and underfuelling

February 15, 2024 No Comments

It’s not uncommon to start a ‘running journey’ with the intention of losing weight, and as anyone who has discovered a passion for running will know, it really can be the start of a chain of positive health changes that might include weight management. However, as training load increases, our nutrition needs to adjust too, to match the new demands placed on the body, and this applies particularly to intake of carbohydrates (the body’s preferred fuel for most exercise) and overall calories (energy). Unfortunately, whether consciously driven by a desire for greater weight loss or not, this upregulation of fuelling […]

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Valencia Marathon 2023: 2:30:10 (PB)

December 8, 2023 No Comments

As I write this, we’ve just taken off from Valencia, on our way back to London Heathrow. Even if it weren’t for the pink bracelets on every arm and ‘easy run’ shoes on every foot, it’s unmistakably a plane full of tired, creaky, happy marathon runners. It’s time for my reflections on Valencia Marathon 2023. Planning and prep In some respects, planning for Valencia started several years ago, when I first became aware of it as such a rapid course. I very nearly took the plunge in one of the covid years but remember thinking that the cancellation policy looked […]

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London Marathon 2023: 2h34 PB

May 1, 2023 No Comments

Public Health, Running

Running as a new dad – five things I’ve learned

January 22, 2023 No Comments

Between the nappy changes, sleepless nights, gurgles and cryng fits (there are some good bits, I promise), it is hard to look after yourself during early fatherhood. Three months in, I thought I’d come up for air to share five thoughts on trying to remain a runner during this crazy period. Some of it might be relatable or useful for other new dads (and mums), but as with all things related to babies, some of it will no doubt be entirely individual too… Perspective Evidently, I love running. More than that though, I love the satisfaction and graft that comes […]

Carbohydrates, Events, Fibre, London, Running, Sport

11 things I learned from London Marathon 2022

October 4, 2022 No Comments

Let’s start with the headlines: a first London Championship start, a 2:38:12 finish, a PB of nearly two minutes, and a negative split (1:19:21 / 1:18:51). I am genuinely over the moon with this, but as ever with the marathon, this is just the start of the story, and I learned so much more along the way. I like writing these blogs after big races in case others find them in any way helpful, and because my brain just does not retain this sort of detail, so I find them useful to look back on too. Training block issues I’ve written […]

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Hydration hydration hydration: everything you need to know about hydration in endurance running

June 9, 2022 No Comments

I was given a last minute place at Hackney Half a couple of weeks ago which meant (full disclosure here) that I ran under someone else’s name, thereby committing one of running’s seven deadly sins. I haven’t yet come up with a list of the other six, but perhaps that’s a blog for another day… I did it as a progressive tempo training run, aiming to finish in something like half my target marathon time for London in October. Naturally, I got slightly overexcited towards the end (big crowds, banging tunes etc.) and sped up a bit, finishing about a […]

Carbohydrates, Events, Running, Sport

Manchester Marathon 2021

October 11, 2021 No Comments

It’s that time again. My precious day off after the marathon, where I spend the day eating, drinking, and reminiscing on the sofa, overflowing with pain and pride. When you’re a recreational runner, these moments are so monumental and unforgettable that they inevitably punctuate and, to some extent, define the whole year. Looking back on my last one of these pieces, reflecting on London 2019, I mentioned that the next aim had to be to have a go at going sub 2:45 and achieving a London Championship place. Sadly for me, that 2:45 cut-off had become 2:40 the time I […]

Carbohydrates, Events, Hydration, Micronutrients, Running, Sport

Race week booster

August 7, 2021 No Comments

Good nutrition goes hand in hand with good training, and should start long before race week. However, a smart fuelling strategy in race week (not least race day) can be transformative to performance, and it is understandably an area that many clients want to focus on. With this in mind, and with race season fast approaching, I’m offering a new race week only service, for those of you that are short on time but want to know how to give your body what it needs to boost your performance on the big day. I’d love to help as many of you […]

Carbohydrates, Dairy, Diets, Micronutrients, Plant based, Protein, Public Health, Running, Sport, Sugar, Veganism

Plant-based milks: 6 top tips

May 31, 2021 No Comments

There is one section of every supermarket and corner shop that is unrecognisable from ten years ago: plant-based milks. Or ‘mylks’, ‘m*lks’, or sometimes, confusingly, just ‘drinks’. I’m going with ‘milks’, partly for simplicity and partly because it amuses me that this offends some people. Terminology aside, one thing not in question is their unstoppable rise in popularity. Ethical and environmental concerns, dairy allergies and intolerances, and health considerations are all contributing factors here. Anecdotally, I’ve also noticed that friends and family find plant-based milks an appealing option even if they have no intention of going vegan or vegetarian. The […]

Events, London, Running, Sport

Marathon memory lane part 2

May 9, 2021 No Comments

3. London, April 2016 Time: 2:51:29 Halfway: 1:26:57 With: John Conditions: Freakishly perfect. Sunny and cold again Fresh from breaking 3 in Rotterdam, I waited eagerly for the London Marathon Good for Age entries to open in August 2015, and secured my place for 2016. I’d been living in London for 8 or 9 years by that point, had been in the marathon crowd most years, and half-heartedly applied (unsuccessfully) for a ballot place a couple of times too. So, this definitely felt like my home race, and a big moment. I was working in central London by this point […]