2014 My First Running Year

"The only time you should ever look back is to see how far you have come" - Anon.

I was thinking today when I plodded along on my lunch time run about how much happened last year.  

I've ran off and on for years but never for more than a few weeks at a time.  2014 was my first solid twelve months of training hard, racing more and taking the whole thing a bit more seriously.

So here it is, 2014 in a nutshell...

Miles Run 1,756

Races Finished
Baildon Boundary Way
Reeth 20k
Edinburgh Half Marathon
Swaledale Marathon
The Race to the Stones
Vale of York Half Marathon
Kirkstall Abbey Trail Marathon
Frostbite Ultra 

A nice little haul

Best bits

There were a lot of highlights but to pick out a few...

• Discovering trail running and how much it kicks ass compared to the road for so many reasons. 
• Running trails all over my new home in beautiful Yorkshire.
• Smashing my half marathon pb twice in four months on the road at Edinburgh and York.
• Beating my 2013 road marathon time in the cold, hills and mud at Kirkstall Abbey.
• Running into the arms of Bobby and Rachel after 100km at the end of the Race to the Stones.

Running into the storm - Race to the Stones

Worst bits

• How I felt on the journey back to the hotel after the Race to the Stones.
• Getting chased out of a field by a dozen bullocks in Nidderdale.
• Being brought to a standstill by simultaneous cramp in all of my leg muscles after trashing my quads at the Swaledale Marathon.
• Realising I still had another 4 miles to go after five hours, 3,500 feet of ascent and 30 miles of the Frostbite Ultra. 

Running Lessons Learned

• Run your long weekend run slower than you think you should - no, slower than that even.
• Eat loads on an ultra if you don't want to finish a shriveled grey shadow of your former self.
• Easy on the fibre the night before your long run - you know what I mean!
• Take care of your feet, even small callouses can give you bad blisters on a long run.
• There really is no cure for cramp whatever anyone suggests - tonic water does loads more for gin than it does cramp!
• Be patient and open minded in the long races.  You might need to change your strategy if things don't go to plan.  Embrace the challenge and difficulties which will inevitably come your way.
• If you work hard, are patient and want it bad enough you can do loads more than you think. 

Loads in the diary already for 2015.  The A race though has to be the Centurion South Downs Way 100 in June which has got me pretty excited and nervous.  There's loads to do before then though...

Next up, taking on the Rombalds Stride Winter Challenge after an afternoon session at the Ilkley Beer Festival next week.  Nowt like making it easy for yourself!