I can’t believe my last blog post about running was so long ago… I guess that’s a good indication of how the last year has been for me, plagued with injury off the back of last year this one has never really got going and I was feeling very disillusioned with it all until the Round Norfolk Relay (RNR).
My training suffered as I struggled to motivate myself to go out, nervous that my injury wouldn’t have eased or that I would make it worse or just not enjoying my running and worse I kept piling on the pressure as I wanted to get going and meet my targets, I entered countless races all in good faith if some a little unrealistic sometimes and in most cases never made the start.
- Birmingham half – 1:53:22 PB
- Not The Roman IX (NTRIX) – DNS
- Kilomathon England – DNS
- Derby 10k – 48:09
- Paris Marathon – DNS
- Colin Potter 10K – DNF
- NSPCC Milton Keynes Half – 1:55:55 PB!
- Robin Hood Mara – DNS
and then the turning point. Although my RNR time was disgraceful and I felt I really let the team down, it was meeting up with other club members and the whole camaraderie of the weekend that re-inspired me and recharged my enthusiasm and fortunately not to late end the year on a high.
- RNR – DIRE 2:16:44
- BUPA Great Birmingham Run (BUPA GBR) – 1:47:54 PB!!
- Derby midweek 5k – 21:35 PB!!!
- Heanor 10k Pud Run – 45:37 PB!!!!
It now seems that my injuries (touch wood) have subsided and with a constant visit for sports massages I’m keeping them at bay which has allowed me to go out and enjoy my running again and from there build up what I have lost this past year.
So a quick look forward to what is coming up for me and targets for next year.
Kind of insignificant but I’m planning on doing the Derby midweek mile next week just out of interest to see what a mile time would look like and then I may do the 5k after although that will just be a training run more than a race. Then I’m keeping the training high over winter focusing on speed and the NTRIX hoping to get around in under 54 mins and then it’s onto the marathon training.
I have yet to run a marathon and it was my main target for this year which I have disappointingly missed but next year I am going to run the Shakespeare marathon. I won’t mention my target yet as I know it will get poo pooed as many will say focus on getting round but we’ll see how my training goes first.
Running up to the marathon I have the MK half which I’m aiming for a sub 1:38 and the Derby 10k for a sub 44. After that I plan to run the Sheffield half at which point I I will ease off on my running a bit to fit more biking in. On the biking side I’m hoping to enter a few road races and audax’s as well as completing the Land’s End to John O’Groats (LEJOG) before returning to running and the BUPA GBR and a 1:32?! haha maybe not but I like to have a target 
Onwards and upwards! 
