16^th December 2016 – a time so long ago that Covid didn’t exist and Donald Trump was yet to become a terrible President.

It was also a time, that will surely be written about for years to come, when blogs were a thing and people wrote words about what they were doing, posted them on a global notice board, and hoped that people read them without being mean or gave them free stuff.

I, was one such person.

SamStaggersOn.com and all of its still hypothetical merchandising rights were spawned by the idea to run from London to Brighton and document the literal and physical journey.

Fast forward five years and I’ve completed two 100 mile races, one in under 23 hours. That was it, that was my goal since I started running properly. So now what? Now I’m going back to the future, and entering the race that started it all, this time with my brother, one of my friends who is basically my third brother, and my cousin’s husband who is looking to push his limits and find out new things about himself through running.

I’m like a giddy schoolteacher finding the one kid in class that is interested in what I’m trying to teach. Finally, someone who wants to listen to my stories about midnight snacks, hallucinations and the best portaloos on course.

About a month ago I got my annual reminder from WordPress that my site was going to renew and considering how I haven’t posted for a year it seems a waste of £14.

But as we start to come out of this super weird period, maybe hastily written blogs about average running exploits and quasi-existential ponderings are just what the world needs. If not the world, then certainly I need them back in my life.

Come along for the ride and I can promise pretty pictures, sometimes funny words and a whole load of stuff and nonsense about running, food, friends, travel, and why they all matter so much to me now more than ever.