COPA

COPA Here to take people on running trips up into the hills, and other mini adventures

02/08/2026

Turning life off for a week, living a simple life no TV’s no internet no distractions helps open up your eyes and listen, see and be in the nature.

Family week on a special island, fun activities every day, stories and songs about the island, treasure hunting and special Bird ringing.

It’s always a special week over on the island spending with the family, this time was even more special spending it with other families that had connections with the island.

So I have a watch that tells me where to go ! The ability to put maps on it, tells me when I’m on course off course, I’v...
05/07/2026

So I have a watch that tells me where to go ! The ability to put maps on it, tells me when I’m on course off course, I’ve tried racing big races with it, I’ve tried practicing with it, I JUST can’t get on with it 🤷‍♂️ the best way to Navigate use the Map.

Not everything needs a technological solution to things we’ve been doing for years

27/06/2026

Happy birthday you crazy kid, I need to stay fit just to keep up with her now, every year she gets stronger faster & fitter than me.

21/06/2026

Brecon Beacons fell race, WFRA and WA champs race. Me and Ows fancied a weekend racing different Welsh hills so we headed south.

Wasn’t feeling it last week until Ows suggested BBQ and Beers after the race, then I thought this will be a laugh no matter the race outcome.

Weather was hot and humid with the horseflies hungry for Northern blood, we both set off strong but I faded quickly the lack of training and running showed immediately, I dropped from front pack in the first mile then sat comfortably top 10 until mile 8/9 and the wheels really did fall off then 😱 lots of swearing cramping almost vomiting dizzy spells but I still managed to read the map and move forward, enjoyably hard and sadistically fun is what I would describe my day.
After loosing pace and dropping back i eventually finished 4hours 30min and 20th I’ll take that for my second race of the year carrying injury and no fitness BUT it’s really made me think of where I go from here for the rest of the year 🤔

12/06/2026

They’re extremely light and feels like running with nothing on your feet I love them but obviously they didn’t sell very well otherwise they wouldn’t be discontinued, this pair I’ve owned for 2years and they’ve sat in my Gym until I decided to send them off to https://www.cheshireshoe.co.uk/ for a more aggressive sole, why have i not done this with the last 7pairs I’ve had it would have made way more sense in the terrain I usually run in at home, these have had a test run

07/06/2026

So what have I been up too 🤷‍♂️ Injury… Dragons back disappointment… no racing… Dragons Back excitement back on… still injured… So chasing this lunatic around has been a welcome distraction, being around running whilst injured is difficult for me but this has been a joy ❤️ She loves it so much, and having her involved with so many amazing people is fantastic influence on her, I’ve not pushed or encouraged her, she’s been desperate to join in with what I do.

21/10/2025

My A race for the year
A return to see if I could better how I did last year ?
Well that didn’t go as well as I had hoped 🤷‍♂️
Quick recap

Day 1
Started well was running with the front 5 for the first 4/5miles until my chest tightened, no problem I thought as the Dr had prescribed me an asthma pump, I set off again chasing after dropping down to 10th
No joy the run was getting harder chest getting tighter legs heavy without the oxygen they needed, slowly my race slipped and the mind went ! I finished 20th and not in a good way, worried about the next 2 days I thought I’ll just have to take it easy and enjoy the scenery my race was over on day 1 !!

Day 2
Easy start climbing up to 2850m again I was struggling with my chest tightness I was 33rd place on the top and not worried as I was enjoying some time with a friend I’d met last year, as we moved along the tops I felt good and Richard suggested I push on, I passed 17 runners on the almost 12 mile technical decent and finished 16th, I was surprised to say the least but Day 2 definitely played to my strengths the most.

Day 3
Well !!!! After a 3 hour sleep most the night sat on the 🚽 and 🤮 I didn’t think the day would go well 🤦🏻‍♂️ long day out in the hills I thought to myself!!
No breakfast no coffee and one last sit down 🚽 before race start I listened to the 10second count down from the toilet in the sports hall and rushed to the starting pen, I was the last through the gate smashed a 90gram gel and pushed! The day got better and better I got stronger passed 106 runners along the route, not my sort of race terrain, way to much running and hight gain but something inside me turned up 🤷‍♂️ last year this day was my worst day this year it was my strongest 💪 finished 14th

Overall lessons learnt, altitude is tough
Start slower, keep my head!!

Body is doing great, bonus no injuries
Overall 15th place same as last year but this year there were 30 more starters so it’s a win in my mind

Sorry for the Spam
Good to get it out so I can process 🙌

Bring on the next challenge 💪

So Part of my journey has started, to embrace and learn every part of this race I needed to live it from the other side ...
07/09/2025

So Part of my journey has started, to embrace and learn every part of this race I needed to live it from the other side first.
I’ve had a wonderful week through rain and a little sunshine chasing runners putting signs out, marshalling road crossings, putting out radio repeaters (forgetting the aerial 🤦🏻‍♂️) helping out around camp wherever needed.
That’s just the fun bits!

I managed a little bit of reccing the course, seeing the different terrain through Wales, seeing how much work i need to put in for training, figured how the camp site works where everything is what food there will be 💪

Another big plus this week has been following the progress and unfortunate DNF’s of friends on the race, and being able to be a friendly face for them on the course and at camp well done to everyone that started on Monday morning it was such a tough week 279 runners started and only 90 finished the full race.

Darren Owen, Tom Chandy, Chris Williams, Mared Llywelyn Neil McLure & Siwan Glyn for finishing the half days & a very big congratulations to Ieuan Belshaw for completing on his 3rd try and finishing 3rd 🥉 Male 💪

Thank you for taking me in as one of the family for the week thanks for a fantastic experience volunteering your an awesome Team 🙌

Let’s see if I can get myself into shape and keep the body together for finishing next year 🤞



Night out in the van and a day riding in bike park wales, love spending time with this growing boy and now we’ve found s...
21/08/2025

Night out in the van and a day riding in bike park wales, love spending time with this growing boy and now we’ve found something awesome we can do together 🙌 ❤️

Trip to Ireland for the night with these beauties ❤️
01/08/2025

Trip to Ireland for the night with these beauties ❤️

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