Re-evaluating doesn't mean failing

 

We’re what feels like 18 weeks in to a 50-week January – when in reality it’s two weeks since I wrote my blog post outlining my exciting, challenging and ambitious goals and targets for the year.

Have I kept on track for them all?

No

Am I any less excited and motivated for the year?

Also no.

Let me explain why.

I could be in a few different headspaces after the first couple of weeks of the year. I’ve spent a bit of time down with a chest infection that I’d been fighting off for weeks for one thing, and for another, it took me just 12 days to change my mind about holding off the alcohol for an extended period.

As a result, it would be really easy, and quite understandable, for me to be beating myself up, full of self-pity and regret. But that mindset really wouldn’t be helpful, for so many reasons.

Instead, I’m focusing on the positives and everything that’s gone well so far.

Running

The chest infection and resulting days of rest really wasn’t ideal. I haven’t been fully well since the start of December with a nasty cough lingering on all over the Christmas period. But it had been manageable – until last weekend. I set about what was supposed to be a long-ish Sunday run and had to abandon it just before one mile in because I really didn’t feel well and thought I was going more harm than good. Despite a trip to the Doctor the next day and his prescription for rest and anti-biotics for the rest of the week, I couldn’t help feel a mixture of worry and also FOMO at not running for the next few days when Des and my friends and fellow marathon trainees stacked up their weekly milage.

By Thursday, feeling loads better I decided I’ve had one last rest day to be on the safe side, then go big on Friday to bank some miles. I set off before 7am and worked my way through 10 miles with an excellent Spotify playlist for company, finishing up in a respectable time and giving myself a well-needed confidence boost and much needed endorphin top-up.

Drinking

Then there’s the drinking side of it – my train of thought on Saturday, and what lead me deciding to enjoy a drink with my friends. We were on the annual DOrunning winter away day, which is always quite a boozy affair, so I knew it was going to be a challenge. Normally, we do parkrun then head to the nearest pub for breakfast and a pint before setting about bar-hopping around London for the rest of the day. This year was no different on the face of it, apart from the fact my breakfast came with a pint of diet coke and for a good chunk of the day I enjoyed soft drinks while Des and some of my friends opted for their alcoholic drinks of choice.

And to be honest, it didn’t bother me as much as I thought it would do. I thought every order would be a battle of wills in my head, but it really felt pretty simple. Then, a good few hours into the day, I started to weigh things up a little bit. On similar days in the past, by this point I’d have been a good five-or-so pints in. But this time, the thought came to me that I could enjoy a couple of drinks at this point without tipping the balance and taking it too far.

So I did just that! I savoured a few pints in the last couple of bars we went to, then got some wine for the train which I enjoyed during the journey without feeling the need to finish the bottle ‘because I’d started it’. Regardless, I still got up on Sunday morning, took Stanny on his morning walk before joining some fellow DOrunners for a nice 10km run, so no real impact on what I’d have done had I not had a drink on Saturday.

Onwards

If working in marketing has taught me anything over the years, it’s that targets and priorities are made to be revisited and tweaked, and I’m going to tweak that big drinking goal I set myself. I’m not seeing it as a failure but I’m just changing the goalposts a bit without letting it impact what I’m ultimately trying to achieve. So instead of not drinking at all, I’ve got a couple of days lined up that I’ll be having a couple of drinks – and enjoying them without guilt!

As for the running, I’m a little bit behind my target, but the hard work I’ve put on the days I have been well enough to do so means that I’ve not got too much work to do in the second half of the month. I should still fairly easily hit the 80 mile mark and be on-track (hopefully even get ahead) for the rest of the year.

It’s all a little bit more topical because I write this today on “Blue Monday”, supposedly the most miserable day of the year. And while I know it’s not so simple for everyone, I find keeping your mindset as positive as possible is one of the best ways to banish those January blues!

A lovely day!

Out with 2023 and in with 2024

Another new year has ticked over, so it's time to reflect on the previous 12 months and think about what I want to make happen during the year ahead.

After a few exciting years in 2021 and 2022, filled with achievements and milestones, 2023 has felt like a bit of an anti-climax I guess. It wasn't a particularly bad year, but there was nothing exceptional about it. That's not to say there weren't some really lovely times, and plenty of stuff has happened that I'm really proud of. But I want more from 2024.

As part of the DOdaily coaching I've taken part in for the last three years, we set targets each month. Without a doubt, my best, most successful months are where I'm clear on what my targets are, they're challenging but achievable, and I check in on my progress regularly to make myself accountable. So I'm applying that method to the whole of 2024 to give myself the best chance for success.

What do I want?

My plans broadly fit into two categories: running and non-running. Some of them aren't completely mutually exclusive, but for the sake of simplicity, we'll stick with those two camps.

So, my running targets: 

1. Sub five hour time at the Brighton Marathon 

2. 1,000 miles in total during the year

3. Sub two hour half marathon

4. Complete five 10km laps at ThunderRun

5. Complete at least 33 parkruns  

Targets one and two are both something I've achieved before, and I felt at my fittest and strongest when I did, so why wouldn't I chase that feeling again?  

I'd desperately love to do a half marathon in less than two hours, and the other targets should all contribute to helping me get there by practicing distance and consistency. The closest I've managed was around 2:04 a couple of years ago. If I put the work in, I think I can make this a reality during the 2024 autumn half marathon season. 

Four and five both build on previous achievements. My most 10kms ran in 24 hours before is three, and this year I want to build on the distance training I'll have done for the Brighton Marathon and work towards doing five laps in total. Finally, I want to beat the record for most parkruns completed in a year, because my weekends are always off to a great start when I get up and do them! 

They're all pretty straight forward on the face of it, but they'll take huge amounts of commitment and hard work to get there. But I feel ready for the challenge and excited to see just how far I can push myself. 

The non-running targets

1. Not to drink alcohol for an indefinite amount of time, starting with the milestone of the Brighton Marathon 

2. Spend more quality time with my family

3. Visit at least five new cities 

4. Hit a career milestone

5. Decorate the downstairs of our house 

OK, yes, they're quite a mixed bag. A lot of them are based on reflections from when I've been at my happiest this year, or stuff I'd like to do to just make life a bit nicer. 

The no-drinking kind of over-arches all of them, and will definitely help me to achieve my running targets too. During 2023, I had a couple of extended breaks from alcohol – a month here, a couple of weeks there, etc. And the resounding outcome was that nothing bad comes from not drinking, and it makes a lot of things much better. My running gets better, my skin looks brighter, my work is better, I save money...I could probably add loads to the list and start to get boring. So based on this, why would I want to drink?! 

Of course, it's nowhere near as simple as that. But more and more, I'm thinking that the perks of giving it up outweigh the thinks I enjoy about having a glass of wine or a pint of cider. And ultimately, I think it's not actually the having a drink part I love, it's the spending time with the people I'm drinking with. I know it's going to be a huge challenge, especially as I can be a bit socially awkward before I've had a couple of drinks, but it's something I really want to do. So I'll be as stubborn and determined as I know I can be, and keep reminding myself of why I'm doing it. 

Target two doesn't take much explanation. I'm fortunate to have a large, close-knit family and I want to make a point of spending more time with everyone rather than attacking Netflix or napping my way through the weekends. It's so easy to take these people for granted, and sitting down to really reflect on what makes me happy has really made me think about how I spend my time, which leads me to the next target! 

Me and Des love a trip away, and some of my favourite times last year were when we went off exploring new places. So I want to do more of the same this year, starting with a trip to Belfast in a few weeks. The not-drinking will put a great spin on this one too. We loved our time in Wales last year during "Dry June" when, instead of heading to the nearest pub, we really explored the place properly! And of course, we'll be packing our trainers where ever we go! 

For the career milestone, I'm not really sure what I want this to look like yet, it's something I need to put a bit more thought into over the next couple of weeks. Could be some kind of qualification, could be moving up the ladder, could be making more money (sorry if that sounds a bit crude, but who can honestly say they don't want to?!). Developing in my career year on year is really important to me, so it's on the list. 

Finally, and perhaps the most straight-forward, decorating our house and finally putting up our wedding photos is something we've been putting off for ages that we need to get ticked off and sorted. So it's on the target list! 

If you've made it this far, thank you. I fully appreciate that for a running blog, this post has done a lot of talking about non-running things. But in my head there's a lot of links and overlaps between what I want to achieve, why I want to do it, and how I'm going to go about it. 

And last-but-not-least, I'm sure I say it every year, but I'm going to make time to write this blog more regularly! 

You missed out on a ballot place, so now what?

It’s the same every year – whether it’s your first time or your fifteenth. You enter the ballot full of hope, anticipation and maybe a bit of anxiety in April then put it to the back of your mind and get on with your life until results day rolls around.

Then, full of the same mix of emotions, despite saying you’re chilled about it and not going to, you spend all day refreshing your emails until it finally lands in your inbox. The ballot result.

If you’re one of the very, very small minority who receives the coveted ‘yes’ email, congratulations! You’re starting the journey towards what’s going to be one of the most amazing days of your life – I know, I’ve had that day three times now.

For the rest of the pot, it’s the not-surprising-yet-still-disappointing ‘no’ email. When this happens, you’ve got a few options for what to do next.

You might do nothing – if the no email wasn’t actually too disappointing for you, and gave more of a huge flood of relief, then you’ll likely end your marathon journey here without thinking too much more about it. That’s fine, only 1% of the global population have done a marathon after all, so this is probably the most popular option.

But if you’ve got your heart set on doing that 26.2, you need a plan.

First, you need to decide if it’s the London Marathon and only the London Marathon you want to do. If it’s more about achieving the distance, what comes next on the plan is quite a bit easier. There are heaps of fantastic alternatives both in the UK and globally to get your teeth stuck in to. A couple of things I’d put on your list to consider when choosing which alternative to do:

How much will you want crowd support?

If you know you’re the kind of person who thrives on running through spectator-lined streets and will struggle with long, fairly solitary country lanes, then you need to make sure you’re picking one of the bigger, city based events such as Manchester or Brighton, for example.

Is April the best time of year for you?

Now you’re not tied to the third weekend in April, you could have a think about whether you might prefer to train over the summer – and give yourself a few extra months to bank the miles too. Consider any major life events you've got that might hinder your training...I learned the hard way last year that wedding planning and marathon training aren't very easy to run in tandem! 

Do you fancy a bit of running tourism? 

Combining the marathon challenge with a few days in another country is really special. Whether it’s a return visit to get a new view on a favourite holiday destination, or a trip to explore somewhere new completely, there’s hundreds of marathons to choose if you widen your search area

What are the cut off times?

While London is known for its particularly generous cut off times, other marathons aren’t quite so. And I could write a whole separate post on the subject of cut off times, but for now all I’ll say is, you’ll feel enough pressure on the day as it is, without needing the worry of whether you’ll manage to cover the distance in the time allowed, so it’s always worth a quick check before signing up to make sure you’re confident you’ll be able to do it.

If you’re thinking all this sounds great London is the only marathon you want to do, then you’ll need a charity.

Of course there’s championship and Good For Age schemes to get you in, too. But by the time the ballot is announced, these schemes have generally closed for the year. And let’s face it, with all the best will in the world, these methods aren’t easily achievable to the bulk of runner – that’s kind of the point.

A lot of people are put off from going down the charity route because of the fundraising targets required. And while I’m not saying it’s easy, you can do it, if you’re prepared to put a bit of effort it. Plus, if you truly are desperate to do the London Marathon, then you’ve just got to accept it.

I’ve ran the London Marathon for charity three times now, plus a bunch of half marathons and various other challenges. Fundraising requires time and commitment, but it’s so worth it – both for the chance to do some really cool stuff, but also for knowing you’ve made a difference to somebody some where’s life. It’s a nice feeling.

Back to the practicalities, here’s my five top tips for getting a charity place.

1. Don’t just pick one charity

The likelihood is that the charities will all have their own application process, so you won’t be guaranteed a place. I’d recommend drawing up a list of four or five charities you’d like to run for, and think about your reasons why. A quick Google search returns pages of results for charities who’d like you to join their team choose a few who have values similar to yourself – not only will this give you something to talk about honestly in your application form, but it will help to motivate you through the months of fundraising ahead. The first time I did London, I ran for Girlguiding, a charity I’ve been involved with for most of my life, so it was a natural fit.

2. Research smaller charities

While there’s loads of obvious household names you could go for, there’s often much less competition for some of the smaller charities who have places so don’t just go for the big names. Sometimes, the fundraising targets are a bit smaller too. The second and third times I ran London, I did it for Childhood First, a smaller charity based in the south of England. From my experience with London and other events, when you run for a smaller charity you have a much more personal relationship with the fundraising team which is lovely – and you know that every single penny your raise really makes a difference.

3. Spend time on the application

You’re getting ready to commit a good few months of your life to training for the marathon, so be prepared to commit a reasonable amount of time to writing your application. Like when you apply for a job, you should tailor each application to the charity you’re applying to. Talk about why you admire their work, why it’s important to you, and any personal experiences you’ve had with the causes they stand for. Really let your passion stand out, use emotive language and don’t be afraid to be a bit cheesy. Remember, the person or panel reading your application will probably be reading a big pile of them, so you don’t want to be just another “I’ve always wanted to run the London Marathon”… be specific, tell them why you want to run…and why they’re the charity you want to run for.

4. Have a solid fundraising plan

Most applications will ask how you plan to raise the money. Charities pay a significant amount for the places, so they need to be confident you’ll raise enough to make it worthwhile them awarding you a place. I find, the best thing to do here is outline a month-by-month plan of activities you’ll do to keep the donation pot filling. 

It doesn’t have to be all elaborate charity balls and galas every month, it can be as simple as doing a payday pound drive in August, chocolate raffle in September and sponsored sober October. In fact, it’s best to have a mix of smaller scale actions combined with a few bigger events during your fundraising period to really make the most of it. Don’t forget to note how much you’d expect each to raise and make sure that tallies up to the total target!

5. Be prepared to get out of your comfort zone

This ties in everything, and it stands not just for the application, but the whole journey you’re about to embark on. Marathons are hard work, they require commitment and dedication. You’ll be shattered from the training then need to plaster on a smile and work a room selling raffle tickets. Nobody likes asking for money, but you’ll need to get comfortable with it if you’re going to raise a few thousand pounds for your charity.

But it’s so, so worth it.

I wasn’t exaggerating when I said London will be one of the best days of your life. It’s hard to really describe quite the sense of achievement you’ll feel when you cross that line next April, glowing in a mixture of sweat and satisfaction.   

Do yourself proud, good luck! 

That finish line feeling!

A bad run doesn't make a bad runner

Early 2018 - on a bench by the Grantham Canal in Gamston 

Four miles into a long run with just a few weeks to go until the London Marathon, I sat on a bench sobbing. 

I can't remember whether I had a total distance in mind for that run, but at four miles I felt like I couldn't go any more. And if I couldn't do four miles, how on earth was I going to be able do 26.2 in a few Sunday's time. I was panicking, nervous and every other synonym you care to think of. My first marathon was on the horizon, I didn't really know what I letting myself in for and I felt completely out of my depth.

I finished that day's running pulling together around 8 miles in total, crying a bit more during the rest of the run and again at the end. Crying and running was a common training technique for me back then. 

Today, March 2023

This morning's run didn't go to plan. And when I say plan, I use the term loosely. Now deep into the countdown for my fourth marathon, I've been making the plan up as I go along somewhat, just doing my best to ensure the long runs get a bit longer as the weeks go on. 

And it's been going alright. My total weekly mileage has been creeping up, I've been disciplined with getting the mid-week miles in and commited to keeping myself fresh for the Sunday morning long runs. But for some reason this morning I just really wasn't feeling it. Every route I thought of had some aspect I wasn't keen on, the return of the chilly and grey weather made my mood feel a bit rubbish, and the thought of pounding the pavements for hours really wasn't appealing. 

To be honest, 2018 Kay would probably have skipped the run completely if I felt like that. Or I'd have set off and got so wrapped up in my own head in the first 100 meters that I'd burst into tears and abandon the run a couple of minutes in. 

But I set about it with a rough route planned and a good podcast to listen to, determined to plod through and get it done. 

I spent the first mile with some friends chatting, then waved them off enviously as they took the 5km route option while I had a long slog ahead of me.

Marathon training is never about smashing the pace records and today was no different. I just needed to keep going! 

Eventually I reached Ruddington and wound my way through the village towards the country park. The idea I had in my head was to break the total distance down by getting up to the park, then ticking off a few kms while there before starting to make my way home, tallying up at least 13 (13.1 if we're being specific) miles in total. 

I got to around five miles and did something I don't very often do now, I walked. (Again, a huge change from 2018 and something I could write a whole blog post about). Once I started walking, I realised I really didn't fancy running anymore. I did have a few little tries but I'd had enough. I dragged myself through to 10km then stopped my watch. I didn't know what I was going to do next, but I was calling it a day for this long run. No drama, no tears, just at peace with the fact that today wasn't the day for a big long run. And that was fine.

Being the Strava wanker that I am, I set my watch back on to walk mode and wandered around a bit thinking about what to do next, I still needed to get home afterall. As luck would have it, the demise of my long run co-insided perfectly with the semi-regular bus schedule so in no time at all I was safely back on the number 10 heading for home.

All the while, I really couldn't believe how fine. And that's what really got me thinking, and inspired me to write something. After all these years, you kind of expect it to be the times you smash PBs, or feel strong or just bloody revel in it, that define you as a decent runner. But today I've realised it's quite the opposite, actually. Because they're the easy ones to some extent. Being able to have a run that is pretty shit on paper, and feel unshaken, undeterred and no-less motivated for the rapidly approaching marathon. That's what's really made me realise my entire attitude and approach to running has changed for the better. 

So what's next? 

Today's epiphany doesn't take away from the fact that it's seven weeks until the London Marathon and every mile I complete will make the main event a little less awful. 

Next week was supposed to be a drawback week (for those who don't know, every few weeks in a training block, you drop the mileage a bit to let your body recover). So I need to tweak a few things to still get some decent mileage in while also navigating a weekend away and some sub-zero temperatures. I'll sort it though, I've come back from much worse runs before now.

One final thing

The London Marathon isn't just a training challenge. Myself and Des are also raising funds for a fantastic charity, Childhood First. If you are able to support us, we'd really appreciate it. It really does make a huge difference when the going gets tough! You can visit our fundraising page here, thank you!!

On to 2023, the hard work starts now

I'm starting 2023 the biggest I've ever been. That's not me saying something for "don't be silly you're fine" and "you look great" comments, because I follow enough body positive accounts on Instagram to ensure me that weight doesn't necessarily have a correlation to how 'great' somebody looks.

It's a mathematical fact - the number on the scales is the largest I've ever seen it, therefore I'm the biggest I've ever been. 

Weight is something that's been a constantly evolving story for me. The numbers on those scales have been up and down more times over the years than I could write about without you becoming very bored.

During the 2020 lockdown, I really thought I'd cracked it. Loads of stuff clicked into place, I lost quite a bit of weight and I felt great. But since then, the more life has got more back to normality, the more it's crept back on, fueled by the hectic social life I thrive from and a demanding schedule which makes it easy to go for convenience over what I know is best for me.

So, like so many times before, I've put everything I lost back on, plus a bit for good measure. 

The effects of this are becoming evermore obvious to me. My clothes are getting together, my pace is slowing, and it's generally playing on my mind a lot.

As I mentioned at the start, a huge chunk of my social media following is dedicated to people celebrating bodies of all shapes and sizes. And I completely agree with their messages for many reasons. But for me, and for my own personal reasons, I'd like my body to change from where I am now. 

So it's time to tackle it...again!

Right now, the most important target I have for myself, and the biggest thing I'm working towards, is the London Marathon on 23rd April. It will be my fourth marathon and third within 18 months, and I really really want to do it to the best of my ability. It's basic science that being lighter will make this easier. Plus, putting marathon training at the cente of what I want to achieve kind of leads all the other changes I want to make. 

I know for a fact that one of the simplest changes I can make which will have the biggest impact is cutting down alcohol, something which I'm going to do almost completely. I've got two occasions coming up which I'll use to keep my motivation up for staying dry in the short term, then afterwards I'll be sober until the marathon. 

Let me clarify this though. Just because I say cutting out alcohol is a simple change, I do not mean it's going to be an easy one! I love drinking, everyone who knows me knows it's a huge part of who I am and what I do. But I know that it's no good for me and it's certainly no good for marathons, so it's got to go. This is a journey I'll be documenting more as part of my training and my fundraising! So watch this space.

Aside from that, I know that achieving my targets is going to be all about planning, discipline and the support of loved ones in equal measure. 

Planning and discipline are entirely on me. I know that I find it much easier when I do a weekly menu plan, for example. And I need to know when my runs are going to be taking place each week and whether there's anything I need to work around to fit the miles in, then the discipline comes with sticking to those plans and giving myself a talking to when I need it. 

The next bit is crucial, because as much as I want this for me, I need people to work with me on it too! 

It helps a lot that Des has got the same thoughts and targets as me, so it can be a team effort on many accounts. And I know we're both actually really looking forward to pushing ourselves to start achieving the things we want to do this year. 

But Des is just one of many people I spend my time with, and I need the backing from everyone. I need cheerleaders, not sneerers when I say I'm chasing some big things this year - so I really hope people can get behind me. 

So what next? 

Well first and foremost, I need to bloody run. I've been terrible over the last few weeks for no real reason. So the next week weeks will be about building up the consistency ready to start building the mileage quite quickly, so that the confidence I can do it emerges before the real hard slog long-runs start. 

I'm planning on putting aside for strength and conditioning training this time, too. I know the dark nights and mornings, coupled with an energetic puppy who needs loads of walks, mean it can't just be about pounding the pavements to get my exercise in. So I'll be using my gym and swim membership and trying out a few other things to get some cross-training in (hopefully) without driving myself too mad and obsessing over miles. 

And of course I've got to pay a lot of attention to what I'm eating. But I know that with how my mind works, that kind of slots into place once I get to grips with the rest of it. When I'm working hard, I always want food which will fuel me to progress and make me feel good. So this week's meal plan is done and I'm even looking forward to trying some new recipes. 

Here we go then. 

This has been without a doubt the most honest and open blog post I've ever written. And I've written it for myself as much as anything. 

2022 was amazing, I couldn't have asked for anything more. But 2023 is a new year with new targets and a refreshed sense of motivation, and I'm really excited to see what I can achieve!

Looking back at 2022, my running year in review

Going into 2022 I had massive ambition for my running. 2021 had been my best yet, I'd smashed PBs across all distances and genuinely fallen head over heels back in love with my sport. 

Picking up in January was tough. The miles had tapered off massively during the festive season and it's safe to say I'd piled weight on. I can remember a particularly tough hills session which made me realise that my fitness had dropped and I needed to kick myself up the arse to get back on track. All wasn't lost at this point, I still did a decent weekly average mileage and when I put the effort in a could get a good pace going, but the huge love I'd felt before was dwindling somewhat.

February rolled around and, other than completing the Skegness 10km in a respectable 57:50 (after a big dark fruits session the day before) there's not really much to report. 

March came and I needed to take action, so I set about a 5km a day running streak. I know consistency, and taking out the option of saying no, work really well for me. I managed 19 days before a weekend away scuppered it. I finished the month with a couple of runs in Spain which I loved, as I always do!

April, May and June we're all pretty quiet too. I wasn't hating running but I wasn't loving it either. I had some really enjoyable runs in the form of parkrun tourism and runs with friends, but I was finding it tough getting any level of miles in, or accessing the pace I'd been running comfortably not too long ago.

July kicked off with my hen weekend in Benidorm, the first holiday since I've been a runner where trainers didn't make the packing list. By the time I returned I was becoming consciously aware of how quickly the weeks were disappearing ahead of the London Marathon. Work needed doing! 

The end of July saw our annual trip to ThunderRun, a brutal 10km course which individuals, pairs and teams spend 24 hours tackling. This year I completed two laps and they really bloody hurt, but it was good training all the same.

In August the final preparations for our wedding were well underway. I knew these next weeks were a crucial training time, but with so many plates to spin, I had to just do what I could without worrying too much. I did manage an epic 15 mile run from my home now back to where I grew up though, which was bloody brutal and therefore naturally something I'd like to do again one day. 

Perhaps the start of actual consistent training came on August Bank Holiday weekend, when I somewhat reluctantly took part in the Carsington Water half marathon. With only five weeks to go before the marathon, I knew I'd left it a bit late!

September was epic. I became Mrs Oldham and took part in the Great North Run and Robin Hood half marathon, two of my all time favourites. Three weeks off the alcohol and the spring in my step from running on home turf earned me a 15 minute quicker time for Robin Hood than my previous two halves and it was just the confidence boost I needed ready to tackle London the following weekend.

I went into London with quite a calm attitude, particularly for someone who is hardly ever calm about everything. I knew it was going to hurt, I knew it wasn't going to be my quickest, but I knew it would still be an amazing experience. My only regret is that I didn't write a blog about it while the memory was nice and fresh! 

I was extremely lucky to be offered a place to do London again in April, which gave me the motivation to not let my running decline too much during October. For November, I decided to embark on another 5km per day streak to build a solid base. 

On the third day, disaster struck. A bullet I've dodged for so long finally hit. Injury time. During my run than day, a niggly ache I'd been feeling in my hip turned into a really bad pain and I had some really uncomfortable days to follow. I rested completely for a few weeks and even got professional advice (that's how you know i wasn't just being mardy!)

The full story of what happened next can be found here, but in short I had a go at the Clowne Half Marathon when perhaps I shouldn't have. My only run of any substance really during November and what turned out to be my final event and long run of the year.

In December, I once again set about the 5km a day challenge for DOrunning's #DOrunning25days advent challenge. I did give it a really go but some bad news, bad weather and bad blisters did all they could do knock me. Christmas day parkrun was lovely though, and is always a highlight of the festive season. 

So that was my year. I plan on doing another post in the next few days with my hopes and plans for 2023, but I need to really find my love for it again, and soon!

For those who are into them, a few stats about the year:

Number of runs: 237

Miles ran: 830.3 (the .3 is very important!)

Number of parkruns: 28 (personal best!)

Quickest 5km: 27:56 (12th May)

Slowest 5km: 45:57 (looking at Strava I think a hangover might have been involved)

Blog posts written: 5 (poor effort, must try harder)

Events completed: Skegness 10km, ThunderRun24, Carsington Water Half, Great North Run, Robin Hood Half, London Marathon, Clowne Half Marathon

Clowne Half Marathon 2022 - a lovely horrible time

There's always something nerve wracking joining the start line for an event. No matter how long you've been running, how many you've done, or what your targets on that day are.

Last Sunday, preparing myself on the start line for this particular event, I had so many causes to be nervous.

I almost didn't attempt to start it. A dodgy hip following London turned into a full blown injury a couple of weeks ago, and until that started to subside earlier this week, I was going to do the sensible thing and give Clowne a miss. But being a runner, we often don't make the sensible decisions and the thought of being sat in the pub afterwards with all my friends sporting their new hoodies (a momento Clowne is well known in the area for) was too much to bear. So, after a test run with some parkrun tourism on the previous morning seeming bearable, I decided I was going to tackle it.

Last year, Clowne was the final event to round off my best ever running year. This year, it's the final event to round off what's been a fairly mediocre year for running amist a hectic yet fantastic year for everything non-running related. For so many reasons, running has had to take a back seat, and for the same reasons, I've been absolutely fine with that.

However, that doesn't make it much easier when you're stood waiting to kick off a race which you know is going to take you a good chuck longer than it has previously! Fortunately, when I suggested to some friends that we should "just twat about and have a good time together" they all agreed. So the klaxon sounded and off we went, heading into the countryside of the Notts/Derby/Sheffield border determined to take the next few hours in our stride in the best way we know...together, having a laugh!

The first couple of miles were fairly uneventful as we fell into a rhythm and got our heads into gear for the challenge ahead. Uneventful was good though, because it meant I wasn't getting any trouble from the dodgy hip! By the 5km mark our initial group had dwindled with people finding their own pace, but me and my friend Rachel stuck together and set about putting the world to rights and catching up having not seen much of each other recently. 

Running has a unique way of providing you with time to give your complete attention to what you're doing, in a way we don't often spend experience. Generally when I'm running I don't check my phone, I'm not looking at housework that I should be doing and I'm not trying to do too many things at the same time - all things I'm generally quite guilty of doing. 

The last few weeks have been 100mph 100% of the time. So a run through the countryside with friends was exactly what I needed, and the miles ticked themselves off nicely as we made our way through the undulations, thanking the many fabulous volunteers as we went. 

By around mile eight, my body was struggling and I had my first little walking break. The hills were taking their toll and my feet were really aching. When I started running again my pace slowed considerably and it started to become a battle of wills to keep going. 

The light hearted chat which had filled the miles previously became a lot of me moaning and complaining, and the walking breaks became more frequent through what seemed like never ending hills.

It was around mile 10 when Des caught us up and, with my constantly slowing pace, it wasn't long before he'd disappeared off in the distance. I wish I'd had the energy to attempt to keep up, but I was really scaping it together so it wasn't to be.

As we passed the 11 mile marker, now in a group of three as our friend Dawn had caught up and joined us, it was time to knuckle down and get it done. I remembered from last year that this mile was a bit of a boring drag down a country lane with a hairpin switchback. It definitely dragged again this year, but was much more enjoyable with friends who shared in the struggle somewhat! The moaning continued, mainly from me, but despite that I still felt in relatively high spirits having a lovely horrible time with my friends!

Before too long we crossed the 12 mile marker. Dawn had a time she wanted to achieve and we knew it was in reach but would need some effort, so it was time to dig out whatever we had left in us and get the job done. However, at this point we spotted some people who'd already finished walking back the other way, sporting this year's hoody. The thing I'd spent the entire race thinking about to motivate me through was a bloody minty lime green specimen! I was fuming when I saw it! Had I known before what I was running for, I honestly can't say whether I'd have done it or not.

But I did do it, and a mile left turned into 800 metres turned into a few yards turned into done! We crossed the line in 2:43:42, nicely under the time Dawn wanted which we were all so pleased with! 

Collecting my hoody, the colour still wasn't my favourite but it felt good putting it on and being part of the group, so I'm glad I decided to run and luckily it didn't seem to make a difference to my dodgy hip so no harm done! 

All in all, Clowne is a lovely event ran by the running club local to the area. The volunteers are some of the best out of any event I've taken part in, which really helped when things felt tough out on the rolling hills. It was lovely to run the whole thing with a few friends and part of it with Des, too. Not every race is going to be a PB, but every one is memorable for its own reasons and I'll definitely remember this one fondly. 

It's now a week later and I must admit the colour of the hoody is actually growing on me too!