My review of 2017

       After reading my review of 2016, I realised that I had a very different year in mind. The first thing I decided was that I wasn't going to run any marathons in 2017. I just wanted to get quicker on the shorter distances. After 25 or so marathons, I just got bored of running 3.30+ somethings. It didn't feel like racing anymore and I wasn't pushing myself. I had become too comfortable in my running shoes so to speak. So my goals were to run faster and lose weight....

                                   (On my way to my first PB of 2017 at the Romsey 5)

January 2017

    I always seem to pile on the weight over xmas and struggle in the New year. 2017 was no exception. It started with a couple of slow parkruns at Southampton and then the Stubbington 10k. I was hoping to run a sub 42 minute 10k but ran a disappointing 42.04. Not far off and my fitness was definitely improving. Stubbington had more hills than I had remembered!
Not long after a 20.12 parkrun was achieved although I pushed hard hoping for a sub 20. It seemed impossible or a long way off. I was still 16 stone and struggling to lose weight but to my surprise I got my first PB of the year at the Romsey 5 miler. 32.38 was a big PB for me knocking nearly 30 seconds off my time at Romsey beer race a few years back.

                                                          (What number am I thinking of?)

February 2017

     Not much was going on in Feb for me. I ran the Valentine's 5k in Lover with the 2 Ali's who found it funny to parade me around Lover with my race number much to my embarrassment. It was a really fun day though and very low budget. I even sent my Captain Jim a card from the Lover post office! I can't even remember my time but it was a stunning muddy trail course around the New Forest.
The other thing that happened was that I ran my first sub 20 in a long time at Southampton. A time of 19.55. Yes, it nearly killed me but I was so happy about it.

                                             (Bargain of the year. £8 for Tavy 13)

March 2017

    My running for March seemed to take a dive for some reason. A few slow parkruns were done and me, Mikey and Larry ran the Tavy 13. A half marathon with hills and strong winds on Dartmoor. A stunning course though and a nice change from Eastleigh 10k. It was the farthest I had run in a while as I was doing speedwork and 5 and 10ks. I really struggled but Mikey kept me going to the finish. I got a really bad 1hr 49 mins and 36 secs. Obviously Larry was nowhere to be seen with his lightning speed!
I ran Basingstoke parkrun for the 1st time and failed the sub 20 test once again. Running a 20.40. It was a nice parkrun though and really enjoyed it. The very same day I walked to Amport for the Amport 10k race. It was a small village Saturday afternoon race organised by Muddy runners. It was really great fun. Made me laugh that some people took it so seriously though. Was a hot day and there was a nice pavilion to chill out on and watch all the runners coming in.

                        (Thanks to Lois for this photo of me at Salisbury 10 on a very hot day)

April 2017

Salisbury 10 was a race I was hoping to see some progress and start to run the longer distances. I saw this as great training for my planned PB attempt at Swansea half later in the year. I wanted to run sub 7's and achieve a sub 70. I ran a 70.35 but it was a very hot day. I was kind of ambivalent about this result. My fitness was getting better but not running a sub 70 for 10 miles seemed like a failure.
I ran Portsmouth Lakeside parkrun for the first time and ran well with a 20.11 but again didn't get that sub 20.
I was hoping for a PB at Southampton 10k. Sadly this was disappointing again. The race started while I was still in the warm up area. No gun had gone off and I was stuck at the back walking. It took me nearly a mile to catch some of the veterans from my club. I ran hard but all the efforts were never going to be enough. I even had to do a quick turn as I was heading for the marathon route. This race was a shambles with the 10k, half and full marathon all going on. I vowed never to run this event ever again. 43.34 on a course that should have seen me PB!

                                              (That sting in the tail at Bratton hilly)

May 2017

    Alton 10 I remember nothing about. I ran a crappy 82.08 though. Southwick parkrun was done before my favourite race of the year. The Bratton hilly 11.4k. This year we took Di for her first time and she loved it. I always go on about this race. Low budget trail race with lots of hills and great views. First time I ran the whole course without walking up any hills and I was a minute slower than my course PB the year before! This day never disappoints though and i'll be back there again next year.
Netley 10k was next and I felt I had to do it some justice after the Soton 10k. I achieved what I had set out to do... A sub 42. 41.55 was my time. I was happy with this.
Not long after I got a SB at Soton parkrun with an impressive time of 19.55. I think this was the first time I Sub 20'd twice in one year. Little did I know that more were to follow!

                                (Running the Cotswolds with Chloe was a fun adventure)

June 2017

   I decided to quit work for 2 months. I was going to cycle and run around Wales but then other stuff happened and I didn't. I also decided that all the cycling around Wales would slow down my running pace. I was also going to concentrate on losing some weight which was slowly coming off me.
I did Whiteley parkrun for the first time and the beer race in 33.17. Not too bad but no course record. Think it is 33.04 still. I did some more parkrun tourism with Mount Edgcumbe which has to be the hilliest parkrun ever? 3k uphill, some fast downhill and then an uphill finish again. I was 5th with 22 minutes. People who win it don't always sub 20 but then they only get 40 runners and most of them are tourists.

Not long after I run a 20.21 at Llanelli coast with a heavy rucksack full of clothes. I wasn't going to race it but I was in the top 5 from the start and got carried away. I finished 4th. May be a good excuse for running a crap half the next day.
Swansea half was supposed to be my PB target race. Training hadn't gone great though. I wanted to run another sub 1hr 30. 1hr 33 is what I got. I just didn't have the endurance yet. I could no longer run sub 7's after 7 miles.

In June I also got to run some of the Cotwolds way with Chloe from Cheltenham. We ran parts of it twice in different directions. We got a bit lost at times at thumbed down a bus after 18 miles but it was a wonderful mix of terrain. I plan on going back again at some point.
Something else that happened is that I became a pescetarian and ran my fastest mile in a time of 5.29

                                    (Running down the Big Dipper in Merthyr Mawr)

July 2017

Since becoming a Pescetarian the weight was falling off me. I was only running 20-30 miles a week too. No junk miles for me. Every training session was pretty intense. This is when I was starting to feel pretty good and quite fit.
I ran a 19.21 at Moors valley parkie, a 19.54 on my first visit to Guildford parkie and a 19.23 back at Soton parkie. I was also loving the parkrun tourism. I ran a comfortable 21.23 at Porthcawl parkie where I met up with fellow V40 club runner Neil Catchlove who came in first place. I was saving my efforts for 2pm though. The Merthyr Mawr rabbit run. A 7.3 mile trail race. I was staying at my cousin Phil's in Ogmore-by-sea and was grateful for him looking after me, It rained a lot though and was pretty windy too.
This race had it all. Lots of mud, hills, big sand dunes, river crossings and a secret tunnel. It was a wonderful experience and I have already entered for 2018. It's a must do race along with Bratton.
Obviously I got a 7.3 mile PB of 1hr 3 mins. A time to beat next year.
That day I caught the train from Bridgend to Frome. The Frome half marathon was the next day. I met Di and Ian Bower there. I ran pretty well and didn't finish too far behind Ian. Despite being very hilly it was my best half marathon in a while.

                                                 (Another sub 20, this time at Upton House)

August 2017

    I was now down to 14 stone. I had lost 2 stone and people were starting to notice. 91.36 at Sturminster half which isn't flat. A 19.43 at Upton house parkrun where I met up David Rees. One of the nicest courses with a hill on the second mile. I was very happy to finally run a sub 20 at Netley parkie. Scraping just under with a 19.53 and a 19.41 at Brockenhurst with great support from the Letherens.
Another PB came too at the Trowbridge 10k. I shocked myself with a time of 40.28. Sadly though, it's not UKA race so won't appear as my PB on Runbritain or Power of 10. I spoke to the winner of the race and he said he was surprised I got a PB on such a technical course. It sure wasn't flat as advertised but a great course.

                                                   (Very determined at Maidenhead half)

September 2017

   August was great, September was going to be my best month!
I ran a PB at Maidenhead half marathon. I was aiming for my second sub 1.30. I got 88.12. I smashed my half PB by over a minute. I couldn't believe it. I was even chatting to other runners on the way round and ran a 34 miler to Sailsbury from my house the weekend before. So much for no junk miles. I am still over the moon about this PB. I paced well and held on for the last 5k.
Not long after I got a 5k PB at Soton parkrun. A time of 19.02. This was painful though and I thought I might die at the finish line..lol.
I also ran the hilly Winchester half marathon with nearly 1000ft of elevation gain. I ran a time of 1hr 32. I had put everything in and was happy with this result. At last, my results were worthy and no longer a disappoint to me.

                                                          (The finish of Winchester half)

October 2017

Not much going on in October. I was starting feel a bit burnt out and worn down, yet I would race another very hilly half at the Eden Project. It was so hilly in fact that I walked up 5 hills and finished in 1hr 36 and was still 35th overall. It was a stunning race with free entry to the Eden project but I was too tired after drinking my free beer in the hot tropical forest. I also did Parke parkrun the day before. Another hilly Devon one near Bovey Tracey. 3 hills and 1 pretty much unrunnable but again very stunning scenery on the National trust site.

                                                    (I seem to be attracted to hilly halves)

November 2017

   The AVR Wiltshire half was my idea. I had been wanting to do it for a while. I wanted another PB or a another sub 1hr 30 at least. It didn't look hilly but Mikey reckoned it looked it. It was hilly but somehow I just snuck under the sub 1.30. 1hr 29 something. I was over the moon again. It was a tough race on country lanes with not too much to see to be honest. Very friendly and well organised though. Again, not a UKA race so no results to show...
I also went back for that sub 20 at Basingstoke parkie with Rob Agar and Emily Smith. I didn't get it though as it was pretty muddy and water-logged in places. 20.34.
I did a very muddy Reading parkrun where the website says "Road shoes are suitable all year round". I could barely stand up and ended up chatting to people on the way round with a 21.13
More tourism followed with a shock at Isle of Wight Medina. I was expecting a very boring course and it turned out to be one of the best I have run despite getting lost 3 times and being redirected. A time of 20.22 on a pretty quick course.
Brockenhurst parkie moves from the college to Wilverley plain in the winter. I had never done it so decided to cycle there one freezing cold morning. I'm glad I did. The start is super fast and then you meet this massive but runnable hill at 2.5 miles or so. Stunning woodland with the sun shining through the trees and it's on gravel track so you don't even get muddy! It was great to see Alice Rudd too who always beats me..lol.

                                           (My last PB of the year at Victory 5)

December 2017

   I told myself and everyone else that I was running a 22 minute parkrun at Soton. I started off faster than anticipated though and there was a 19 minute pacer ahead of me who I would later befriend by the name of James Clarke. I tried to stick with him but failed. I finished in a time of 19.04. 2 secs away from my previous PB and not far from Sub 19 really.
Victory 5 was a weird one for me really. I got a place last minute from poor injured Chris Lamb. I knew I was going to get a PB before I even turned up. All I had to do was pace 6.30's for 5 miles right? I was confident but it's also easy to get caught in the race especially when it's a HRRL race. The first mile was something like 6.02 or 6.04. This was not my plan was it? Anyways, I settled in a bit better later on and made sure I ran the sub 6.30's. I finished in a time of 31.34. A massive PB by nearly 90 seconds.
That was my decided last race of the year all though I still had Bovington half to do which I dressed as a rainbow fairy and jogged round with Simon Ashdown. It turned out to be a 16.5 half mara course. I didn't care as I wasn't racing. A big thanks to Helen and all the Itchen Spitfires who made me fell welcome on their coach. It was a great day out.
I also did Weymouth parkie where I was quite hungover and ran a 20.53. It's a fast course when not muddy!

                                                   (It seemed like a good idea at the time!)

A fantastic year of running for me with 5 PB's despite having a nasal infection for 11 months where I had trouble breathing. I had asthma tests, camera up my nose, chest x-rays, allergy tests and nasal sprays. I currently haven't used a nasal spray for 4 weeks.
I ran 1,356 miles and cycled 3,426 miles in 2017.
Thanks for reading some of it. I hope you do some of these great races next year :)

Hursley 10k

                                                       (Heading for the finish line)
    I hadn't run the Hursley 10k in 5 years. It was in 2011 that I started running and this was my 5th 10k race that year. I was 26th in a time of 43.16. I remember beating Stuart Smith which was a big achievement for me (although he did have a knee injury) I also beat Neil Catchlove by 5 minutes but I didn't know him then and he probably did it on crutches or something...

   Anyways, I was back to recapture some of my early running days. I went to school to collect my race number the day before. I thought I knew where the school was and it was empty. It was empty because I wasn't outside the school, I was outside the Parish hall which I thought was the school. I google mapsed the school, turned my bike 180 degrees and began pedalling again. It didn't take too long though.
I collected my number and got a t-shirt. The two women I spoke to at t-shirt collection were very friendly and we chatted for a while until a much older lady came by and told them off for being "tarts" and flirting with me. I can't say I noticed to be honest..lol. Off home I went and waited for the next day to arrive so that I could cycle another 9 miles each way without getting lost and getting to the race with plenty of time.

                                                              (It sure was muddy!)

      The next day (race day), I locked my bike at the school and not too long was it before I bumped into Rob and Kim Kelly. I then saw Clare Satterly and Peter Casey. I wandered about in a field for a bit (race village?) and got myself a free banana and queued for the portaloos. I got chatting to Rob Kelly again and then I felt this yank on my running shorts! Luckily though, I had tied them tight. Nothing worse than being naked in a field full of families. That would be my mate Paul Carpenter then. I also saw Paul Hammond taking pics of the Eastleigh crew.

                                          (Beaten by my old running Coach, Koach Kelly)

      It was cold and it was wet and my warm up run of half a mile got me covered in mud and gave me wet feet. I made my way to the start line and hid behind Rob Kelly who I was hoping to stay with for some of the race. I also saw speedy V50 Alan Graham from my running club. There were some other Lordshillers too but I didn't know them as I only go to training twice a year..lol.

     As the course was too water-logged for a lead bike, we had a lead tractor or something. The thing nearly didn't start after the run command was given as well. But off we went running through a water-logged field with wet, cold feet splashing in the grass. You were never quite sure where to put your foot with each foot fall either. It was a bit uneven and you had a choice of long folded grass or 4x4 ditch with long folded grass. Bit of a lucky dip really but my ankles did good.

(Warm up anyone?) 

     Out of the field we came and onto a road leading uphill. We ran uphill, reached the top and then down into another field. This was a bit different from the original course I ran in the dry and glorious sunshine in 2011. They had to make a diversion or two though so i'm guessing that this was one of them. 

Into the woods we went and now it got really muddy! I was sliding all over the place in my road shoes and finding it really hard on my muscles. Every foot fall again had to calculated. Tree roots, bogs etc.. It was going okay though... until...

  I got to mile 3 and the mud continued. I had slowed and was finding it tough. I had been racing a lot lately. A 20 min parkrun the day before and a 23 miler on the Wednesday. Weak excuses I know!

Anyways, the course took us downhill now but I was still slipping all over the place and couldn't judge my foot falls too well as my eyes were flooded with water from the wind or possibly sweat. I had to slow down as it felt too dangerous to be running fast downhill with little balance. I think about 8-10 people passed me on that bit. When have you ever seen anyone pass me on a downhill? 

                                            (Probably the only bit of road on the course)

   As we got to mile 4 I thought it was about time that I started to do some racing. Rob was nowhere to be seen now but I would try to close the gap and after half a mile I finally caught up and passed the first female runner from Winchester. She was breathing hard, I kind of congratulated her as I overtook but not sure if she understood my grunt. I was passing a few more now but the course had a fair bit of uphill now. I was glad to get to mile 5 after a long climb and finally see some more downhill that was runnable. I picked up the pace and passed a few more people including a guy from Winchester. I think that woke him up a bit as later he would dash past me and I didn't quite have the energy to push him into a sprint finish at the end. He was looking way too strong for me. 

  I didn't beat my previous time due to the conditions, neither did I beat my race position from 2011 but I had tried and raced as hard as my body would allow. I was so glad to cross that finish line!

27th place in a time of 44.20. My coach beat me by just over a minute I think. 

It was a tough race but I will be back next year to beat my course time. 

Best shape of my life!

                                           (The lowest my runbritain handicap has ever been)


    I guess I start this story from my earliest memory of wanting to run faster...
I was running Fort William marathon, I had a bad knee from running a 12 hour race the week before. I had also ran 3 other marathons including London that year and a 50k. My times were awful though. My most vivid memory is chatting to a guy who passed me at Fort William. It was his first marathon and probably about my 20 something.. Despite running a sub 4. I was unfit and overweight. I was starting to get sick of plodding out these slow marathon times on no training. So, I decided to quit the marathons and concentrate on the shorter stuff.

(Heading for a pb at Maidenhead half) 

Fast forward to 2017. I got a 5 mile pb at the start of the year and was starting to run 20 minute parkruns again.
Later in the year I decide to take 2 months off work unpaid. I was going to spend the summer cycling around the country again but despite cycling over a 1000 miles around the UK before, I had really lost my running fitness. This year, I would run races instead with a bit of cycling in the middle. I entered Swansea half as my target race but struggled with the distance as I had just been running 10k's and 5k's most of the time. I had really slowed after 7 miles and got a time of 1hr 33 instead of the 1hr30 that I wanted. It felt like I was starting to run from scratch. Starting all over again for the first time. The endurance was difficult to build for a while.
Around this time in June, I had also decided to become a Pescetarian. I had read a book about digestion and why we only ate meat for survival in the winter as there were no fruit of vegetables available. It had inspired me.

(Running through a housing estate towards another PB on the Trowbridge 10k) 

Fast forward a few months and I have now lost over 2 stone and have gone from running 50 miles a week to 25. I never lost weight when I was running 50 miles a week! I am running half that now, but the miles are a lot faster. Quality over quantity, fewer junk miles as they say.

I have now been running sub 20 parkruns. I have run 8 this summer in fact, with a PB of 19.02 last weekend. In the last 4 weeks I have PB'd in the 5k (19.02) 10k (40.28) and Half marathon(1hr28mins14secs). I also got a 1 mile pb of 5.29 :)

I am in the fittest form of my life and I will be 43 tomorrow. It is a great feeling, let's hope I can keep the weight off. All I did was give up meat for a few months and I can't imagine me ever going back to it. I have tried dieting so many times and the weight always piles back on.  I can still eat chocolate, cheese, bread, crisps and drink beer. My metabolism has really sped up. Everytime I think i'm going to gain weight... I seem to lose a bit.
There is a great quote from the book "Again to Carthage" by John L. Parker JR... "Running is easy when you reach your plateau but you forget how hard it was to get there".

Hmmm... Maybe I should run another marathon next year ;)

 

The Merthyr Mawr Rabbit Run

 This is a short story about the Merthyr Mawr Rabbit Run. I had booked this race a while ago because it sounded fun and exciting. It was also very near my cousin Phil's in Ogmore-By-Sea. The race didn't start until 2pm though, so could I fit in a parkrun too? Of course I could! I even managed to meet up with Neil Catchlove there. Not only that, but I also entered the hilly Frome half marathon on the Sunday where I would be meeting up with Di Mattingly and Ian Bower.

  Anyway... My cousin was nice enough to drive me to Porthcawl parkrun. I stepped out of Phil's lovely warm car and into the pouring rain and wind. I wasn't really feeling it to be honest. I walked along the promenade with my hood up and head down. It wasn't long until Neil came flying past me in his vest and shorts. This told me that I was being a pussy and needed to man up! Off came the longer shorts and the hoody. I wasn't going for a time today as I had decided to put everything into the Rabbit Run that afternoon. I was also running with a heavy backpack.
I caught up with Neil and we spoke about the course and that we were the only Lordshillers to do this particular parkrun. It was a fantastic course along the coast even though it was a bit windy and very rainy. You run out to a giant Chessboard and turn around and then head up what I thought was the hill that Neil mentioned but the bigger hill is after the first one. The thing is though, that last mile is very fast with the downhill. Hence running an easy 6.30 minute mile. Neil actually came first in 18.18. Neil, like me is also a V40. I wasn't racing but managed a respectable time. Second Lordshiller and second V40. We did our cool down and Neil gave me a lift to Bridgend where I decided to buy a coat after breakfast as it was still raining hard and I had left my last coat in a night club in Plymouth somewhere after a drunken night of breakdancing...

  I got the bus back to Ogmore in my new coat and got myself ready for the Rabbit Run. Mostly cups of tea were drank and then my cousin kindly gave me another lift to Merthyr Mawl. 

I had to queue to get into a tent in the rain to get my race number. This did not make me very happy to start with. I was in that queue for a good 20 minutes as well. Finally got my race number and t-shirt and then we al waited around in the tent until it was time to head to the start. I chatted away to various people. There was "The Giant Rabbit" which was an 18 mile course, which consisted of the rabbit run twice and then 3 miles on sand! The Rabbit Run was a sensible 7.3 miles but looking at the winning times it was a very tough race. At least with all the rain there would be no heat exhaustion and the sand would be easier to run on right? 

    We headed to the start line and on my cousin's great advice, I decided it best to run in my new coat. We stood on the grass while the race director went through the course with some great humour thrown in. I must say that he had me worried a bit. The worry soon turned into adrenaline as we set off. It wasn't too long before we were running uphill in a field. It was tough already but there were some super speedy road parts for me to fly down. Only a couple of miles in, it kind of turned into a scene from a Vietnam film. The trails went into the woods and then the trails were just a bog. People all around me were losing shoes or falling over. I had road shoes but I don't think trail shoes are too beneficial when the mud is nearly up to your knees anyway. This was a very tough and challenging section. Some people decided to walk. I kept my head down and battled on through the rain. Surprisingly I never fell over once! As soon as we got out of those woods I was able to pick up my pace quite a lot. There were some more fields and a car park or two after this but what I had been dreading the most were these sand dunes and the one named "The big dipper". 

   We ran through some more woodland and now I was overtaking a few people but there was one younger guy in front of me who I couldn't catch but at least we were both overtaking people. He shot off ahead at a great pace and then I couldn't see him after overtaking the last guy. I was now kind of leading our little pack which I didn't really like as my navigational skills are terrible. I followed what looked like a path and darted torwards the signs that I could find. 

   Soon after we were running on these narrow sand trails. Either side were bushes, some of them prickly. I had to really concentrate on keeping my feet in those narrow ruts and not falling into a bush. It felt like I was running fast up and down in these narrow sand tracks. It was very exciting indeed. I was now hunting down more runners including the speedy guy from earlier who I shall call Paul for now. 

  I got to the big dipper. I knew it was the big dipper as it was a huge downhill sand dune. It was a weird experience. Here I was mid-race and this was my first time running down a massive sand dune. I thought it was probably the closest i've ever get to becoming an Astronaut. I decided that leaning back and taking long bouncy strides down was the best option. Here I passed paul and another dude. I was also wondering if it was possible to break your leg running fast with these strides and digging my heals into the sand. 

     We ran next to a river and followed it. There were supporters on the stepping stones cheering as we ran past Ogmore castle. The marshals were also brilliant on this race. Just after the castle we ran through another rutted field cover in flint and cow pats. The wind was so strong now and here was this crazy marshal lady whooping and cheering with great enthusiasm. I thanked her and called her a crazy lady as I smiled and ran past. I was nearly 7 miles in and still there was no river crossing that I had read about. There were river crossing but they were across bridges. There was supposed to be a waist height crossing somewhere and also a "Secret tunnel". This also worried me as the race director said it was very dark and I might get lost! 

  Just after 7 miles, sure enough, there was a muddy bank a bridge full of spectators and a rope in the water to grab hold of. The water was too deep to run through or even wade I guess, so you just pulled yourself along on the rope until you got to the otherside. The stones were very slippery on the shore though and I nearly fell over twice. I was running hard and loving it. All the time chasing people down and passing them. Including one very tired looking Paul. Goodbye Paul! 

     Where was I in the field of runners? It was so hard to tell. Top 10, top 20? I just kept on battling away until I came to something that looked like a cricket pavilion or an old rugby hut? Anyway, this was the secret tunnel. A man guided me in and I ran through, up some steps, left turn and then I was out the otherside. That was fun but shouldn't I be at the finish by now? I ran into the last field and could see the finishing area. Time to try and sprint. One last bit of effort to the end and I was in. I was back at the start but I hardly recognised it for a few seconds until I got my bearings. I collected my goody bag and went back into the dry tent. I was soaked as I had decided to take my coat off at 3 miles, it was too warm but no regrets as to starting with it. 

What a wonderful race and well priced with a lovely t-shirt, great marshals and support and check out that coaster! I'll be back to beat my time (63 minutes) and hopefully do better than 16th place. 

   The next day saw mw run a 1hr35 half marathon on tired legs but it was fun racing Ian but he beat me by 30 seconds. What a great weekend and one to be repeated! 

Mount Edgcumbe parkrun

So.... Every now and then I like to go to Plymouth to see my mate Nick. He has been doing a bit of running lately, so I asked him if he fancied doing his first parkrun. He stupidly said yes, so I got the train to his on the Barbican. Like the athletes we are, we didn't drink and went to an art show or something where we looked at photos and illustration. An early night was had and we set off for Mount Edgcumbe. 

You may wonder why I am wearing a rainbow tutu in the first photo? Well, this parkrun had a rainbow fairy theme to which just so happened to coincide with the fairy festival at Mount Edgcumbe. I had shopped for my tutu, got a nice set of sparkly wings and a magic wand. Of course I wasn't going to go on the Ferry dressed as a fairy. I'll get changed when I get to Cornwall.

There are two ferries two Cornwall from Devon, or is it three? Anyways, there is the Cremyll ferry with Marley the ferry dog. See facebook page. He is a cutie... https://www.facebook.com/MarleyTheFerryDog/

and there is Torpoint which is a car ferry. We got this one and then a 20 minute drive from there? 

Anyways, we parked up at the wrong place and couldn't find any runners or marshals. We did the next best thing and found the toilets to urinate in. It was then a climb up a hill to Mount Edgcumbe house. 

We had warmed up nicely with the walk and my mate Nick had printed off his barcode to get his first timed result but we were soon told that the previous weeks run director was uncontactable. This meant that it was just a dude with a watch and a large sheet of paper to write the results on and we got a position number on another piece of paper.
HANG ON A MINUTE!!!! Where are all the other fairies??? Turns out, I got my dates mixed up and so didn't bother changing into all my fairy gear as I had decided I was going to be a proper athlete instead ;)

We were then told to walk back down the massive hill to the start. On the way down we chatted to other parkrun tourists. A girl from York and some dude from somewhere else. Some runners were clever enough not to walk up the hill in the first place and patiently waited at the bottom. One of the smallest parkruns i've ever done with a total of 40 runners! 

Now, when doing parkrun tourism, you should always check out the parkrun page and do a bit of research. How many runners do they get? What is a fast time? Where can I place? Will I be the first V40? etc... Turns out our very own Southampton's Steve Hayes-Arter had won the parkrun the previous week and hadn't even got a sub 20! We know how fast he is, so it must be a toughie right? 

The race director does the talking and informs us that next week there is a fairy fancy dress run and before you know it we are off. We climb to start with and turn left still climbing. In fact, we are climbing for a very long time! I am trying to catch other runners and occasionally glancing at my watch. We go through the woods and yet it still climbs. 

Did I mention the climbing? We reach the apex of the hill at 1.8 miles (3 kms) I am still passing people though and going for a place. I wanted a top 10 finish but was now more focused on a top 5 finish. At this point, I thought about my poor friend Nick and his first parkrun experience. What a debut course to pick..lol. Anyways, the marshal informs me that it's all down hill from here... 

...But we all know that marshals were born to lie or wind people up. It sure does descend though and I am flying down the gravel track and under the shade of the trees. Sadly or sadistically, the last quarter of a mile is uphill again to the finish. I swear a bit and me and another dude pass one more dude but I can't pass him. I know that I am currently in 6th place and will have to settle for that. 

I chase the guy in front to the bitter end but he is too strong for me. I cross the finish line and stop my garmin. 22.43 for a 5k which later on Steve Hayes-Arter tells me is a great time on a tough course. This makes me smile :) I somehow managed to get 5th place as well. So I was happy although nearly dead from a heart attack! 

I speak to the guy who beat me and he was super nice. I tell him i'm from Southampton and he tells me he's from Portsmouth. I mention i'm an Arsenal fan and he's says he's an Aston Villa fan. We laugh and have a good joke as we watch my mate Nick struggling up the last hill. He is chasing that young girl from York but is unable to catch her. A great effort from Nick though with 28 minutes and 15th place. I'm not sure if he'll do another one but I hope he does. He will knock at least 3 minutes off his time if he does Plymvalley parkrun! 

Anyway, A great parkrun it was and then I dropped my two day old phone and had to pay £180 for a new screen. We went to the pub afterwards and got quite drunk. Athletes to alcoholics as my friend Nick named it. Sure was a great day though and the toughest parkrun i've ever done with as much climbing in the 5k as in the Plymouth half marathon! 

2016

J

JANUARY

Being me nowadays isn't easy. I can barely remember yesterday, let alone a whole year. Here is a concise review of what I got up to in 2016. I've had to look at the Runbritain website to remind me!

  It started off a bit mad really. I had decided to get up really early and cycle to Queen Elizabeth Country Park for the parkrun which started at 10.30. It was a 26 mile bike ride on my mountain bike. It was muddy and hard going down Butser hill with all those holes all over the place. I didn't even get lost! I made it with plenty of time but my legs felt heavy for some reason! I saw the founder of parkrun there to along with Dave Williams formerly of Pompey Joggers. I think Kiernan was race directing. Someone I would get to meet better later in the year. 

It was bloody hilly and very muddy! I poor legs struggled on the mud. I was wearing road shoes and sliding everywhere. I was too scared to even run downhill. It is still my slowest ever parkrun of 32 minutes but what an experience. After eating a large brekkie it was time to cycle another 26 miles home in the pouring rain and strong winds. Never again! 

The next day I did a comfortable 23 minute parkrun at Southampton. It made me appreciate the lovely tarmac and lack of hills. I only did one other parkrun that month. I was training for a half marathon..

FEBRUARY

I did Netley parkrun with an uninspiring time and then Exeter Riverside parkrun. Exeter was good but quite a challenge with a muddy field and the wind on the way into the finish. The weirdest part was getting your barcode scanned. You had to take your token to this building and take your shoes off outside. Walk up and couple of flights of stairs and queue outside this room to get your token scanned. You entered a room where a lady would be sat with a scanner. It kinda reminded me of being summoned to the headmasters office at school. 

The next day however, the real challenge happened. The Bodmin half marathon. Me, Mikey, Di and Larry decided to give this one ago. I think it was my idea actually. One day I hope to do all the Cornish Grandprix races. It was cold. We started running and it was boiling hot with the sun beating down upon us. Me and this other run stood on a hill taking off our base-layers and moaning about the heat. There were some hills! Very muddy hills and the only way to get up them was to pull yourself up by using branches from the nearby trees. I loved it, Mikey loved and Di and Larry hated it. I tried to get them to enter again but they aid something very offensive... 

MARCH

Wimborne 20. 3 laps with some hills thrown in. After doing Wimborne 10 with Rob Benham we both decided to enter this one and it would prove to be great training for Rob's London marathon! I was just happy to race and see what I could achieve. Rob smashed it obviously and I got 2.37 which I was very happy with. I wanted 8 minute miles and got under, so all good. A great race but the only thing that annoyed me was that there were no XL t-shirts even though I put down for one on my entry form. They clearly had no intention of printing any, maybe due to lack of demand. So I just got a large which was thrown in the bin. Still, a great race and good to see White Star running legend Andy Palmer cheering us into the finish, 

I did a pretty impressive parkrun at Southampton and ran a time of 20.18. More impressively getting a PB the next day at Eastleigh 10k with a time of 41.15. This would sadly be my only PB of the year. I was quite shocked to get this PB and really wasn't expecting it. 

APRIL

A slow Winchester parkrun was done and then a speedy 20.10 at Lee-on-the-solent parkrun the weekend after. The weekend after that was a slow-ish parkrun at Fareham. It was great to see all these new parkruns popping all over the place. Always very friendly and great fun. Straight after Fareham parkrun I hopped on the train to Plymouth. 

The next day I ran the Plymouth half marathon. I put in all my effort and was a bit disappointed with my time. I knew I was struggling with the weight and training hadn't been great. It may have been a hilly course with a brutal uphill finish but it's a great race. I had been meaning to enter this race year after year but it always sold out! 95.42 was my time and I went on a pub crawl drinking diet cokes all night the day before! 

A 22 minute parkrun at Netley and then the Southampton half marathon the next day. It was quite exciting to be running a race in your home town. It was a big event (almost as big as Plymouth) and the crowds were wonderful. I had to do better than Plymouth didn't I? Well, for the first 5 miles I thought I might even be on for a PB! Thing is, this race had tricked me. The first half was easy going and the second half seemed hilly and I was feeling destroyed at only mile 8. I pushed hard though and dug real deep. This was real suffering. 92.05 was my finishing time. A long way off a PB but I was more than happy with my efforts. I felt like I gave it everything. The cider went down nicely as I watched the rest of the runners coming in. I was getting fit again... maybe. . 

The very end of April saw me jumping on a train to Fareham and getting picked up by Jeff Scarle. We were off to Wickham ito run the Wickham Whistler. An Event organised by Kiernan that I mentioned earlier. They were such a lovely bunch of down to earth people and very funny and quick witted with it. It was a simple idea really. Run 3.5 miles of the Meon Valley railway line and get a lovely medal with some great support thrown in. In fact, you could run for the whole 12 hours if you wanted! Well, me and Jeff managed a 28 mile marathon and Carlo from Hedge End runners kept on going. What a machine. I thought I might be on for another PB but a few toilet stops put an end to that one after only 7 miles. The best thing is that it's so cheap and you can stop whenever you like or push yourself to the limits.  I would also see Dave Williams again and meet a few other runners like Robert Bryan of Winchester AC who was sadly injured at the time and Chris Maple. 

MAY

May would see me heading back to Fareham parkrun and trying to run a sub 20. It never came but I was happy with a course PB of 20.10 there. 

The week after would see my favourite event of the year and the best race in the world... but wait... Southwick parkrun first at 9am and then it begins..

The Bratton hilly 11.4K race. Bacon and egg roll and coffee and then race at 11am. I found this race back in 2012 and love it so much. The first mile is all uphill. You can see for miles across the Wiltshire countryside as you race onto a gravel track and past farmland. I am so excited and running as fast as I can. Will I get a course PB, will I finish in the top 20 this year? 

A lovely little village 7 miles from Westbury. This race is led by Avon Valley runners, It's been going for years but this year I thought I woud bring Larry and Mikey along. Would they share my love and enthusiasm for this race? Would I still enjoy it year after year? 

Simply Yes! Ask them, this is the best race ever. If you only do one race next year, do this one. Yes, it's hilly but it's incredible and varied. I smashed a minute off my course time. I think this is probably my biggest achievement running wise for 2016. Happy days :)

My fitness was at its peak and I ran a 20,30 parkrun and then it was time to go for that Marathon PB.

I got a free place at the Kent roadrunners marathon thanks to Neil Garton who volunteered there every year, or is it twice a year? Anyway, it was super tough. It was 21 laps of a cyclo-park. It was up and down. Glad it wasn't flat as the hills gave you something to look forward to! And seeing Neil cheer me on. I had 21 elastic bands to take off my wrist every time I completed a lap. Sounds easy right? I felt ok for about 15-18 miles and then it was getting harder to keep those sub 8 minute miles. I was slowly slipping into a very dark place inside my own mind and no-one could get me out. Thanks Neil..lol. The wrist bands never seemed to go down. Still 5 left!! I passed the 26.2 mark in about 3hrs 35 but the course was more like 27+ miles. I finished in 3,39. It was a great day though and the best bit was eating and chatting away to all the other runners and drinking a few beers. I even caught up with marathon legend Brian who had currently run about 1300 marathons. He can be quite hard to chat to at first but just mention Man. United and that'll do it..lol. Lovely guy really.  

JUNE

That marathon at the end of May had destroyed me. It was going to take a while to recover from. I also thought I had an umbilical hernia from the marathon. I went to the doctors and they told me it was just an infection and would clear up in a few weeks. All I did in June was run a few mediocre parkruns and jogged the 5 mile Beer race with my mate Rob Benham. It was still hard work though. I did want to push to hard and wanted to make sure I recovered well as I had some big plans coming up. 

At the end of June I was off cycling around the U.K. The aim was to get to Dylan Thomas' boathouse from Southampton and raise money for Cancer research UK. It wasn't a direct route I choose though. I would be heading to Dorset, South Devon, most of the coast of Cornwall and up into North Devon, Somerset and then heading into Wales that way. It was an epic journey. On the first day is was raining heavily for 5 hours. My seat post had snapped and I had to cycle 10K standing up until I got into Wareham to get my bike fixed. I had also realised that I had packed way too much stuff to carry on my mountain bike and panniers! 85 miles for the first day was good but it was going to get very hilly in Devon. I kept at it but had a few foot pains after 4 days. I was already tired and feeling really bad. It had rained a lot and it getting me down a bit. It was nice to see friends in Plymouth and make the crossing on the Cremyl ferry to Cornwall. Right at the end of June I made it to Penrose parkrun near Helston. My legs were sore and tired but I managed 23 minutes on a newer flat course. 

JULY

The cycling continued as I looped Cornwall staying at my friend's house in Camborne and doing a few more ferry crossings. I also stayed at my friend Craig's in St. Allen and caught up with my good friend Anishka in Quintrill downs. North Devon was kind of lonely as I didn't really know anyone there but it was lovely... and hilly again. At least the sun was out more now. I did Highbridge and Burnham parkrun in 22.50. Such a lovely course. One of the best I would say. Would love to do this one again. Beautiful and varied. 

I travelled up to Somerset where I met up with an ultra running buddy I met at a race last year. His name is Nicolas Thick and he lives in Portishead. All the way there I was singing "Wandering Star" by Portishead but didn't really know the words. Was great to see a familiar face again as it seemed like ages since i'd seen a friend. He showed me around the bars of Portishead while we drank cider and he told me some fascinating stuff and knew the most random things. I loved the conversation and I was going to miss it! Nick warned me about Avonmouth being a bit of a dump. As soon as I got there, there were two burnt out cars in the subway. I'm glad it was really early in the morning. I passed the Spanner and Hammer he was talking about. At the time of him telling me, I was just really confused..lol. I crossed a big bridge over the water and was now in Gloucester but not for long as I could see the old Severn bridge. 

I always thought you were in Wales as soon as you crossed the river Severn but you're only just getting to Chepstow. It wasn't long until I found the "Welcome to Wales" sign though. I took a picture and a group of cyclists passed. One of them stopped and asked if I was doing LeJog. I said "No, too short for me" and cockily winked and smiled. He laughed and caught his crew up. I messaged my friend Becci Starr in Newport and was glad to see her and John. They made me tea or was it coffee? and offered to do my washing. I nearly cried at their generosity. I was feeling quite weak and emotional at this point. I realised that I had cycles 65 miles with no food or water. 

After Cardiff I was starting to urinate a lot and when I wasn't urinating I felt like I needed to urinate! I thought I had a kidney infection from dehydration and not drinking enough water. Maybe it was but another theory from my sports therapist is that I had a bladder infection from leaning over my bike so much. I was so painful when see massaged my swollen bladder. It was also later confirmed that I had an umbilical hernia. I probably shouldn't have done this bike ride but hey, it's for a good cause right? I even met someone in Plymouth who was having radiotherapy. She couldn't thank me enough and I felt very touched and determined after that. 

Anyway, off to my cousin Phil's next in Ogmore-by-sea. What a lovely place. More sheep than people and right on the coast. He made me a family sized lasagne which I scoffed down when I wasn't going to the toilet for another wee. I was then travelling into the familiar grounds of Carmarthenshire where I spent a lot of my childhood in the summer holidays. I cycled up the hill to my old nan's house in Pensarn. I managed to find the exact house and all the wonderful memories came flooding back and the next thing you know.. i've burst into tears and i'm crying. My emotions were really pushed on this bike ride. I was constantly tired but had the desire and sometimes that is enough. 

I was glad to get to my Auntie and Uncle's house in Banc-y-felen. I only has one more day to go to get to Laugharne and Dylan's boathouse. Now though, I kind of wanted to make 1000 miles on the trip. I decided to cycle into Pembrokshire and Tenby and then head back to the Boathouse in a loop. This was a hilly day but 60 odd miles felt easy now. Nothing to it and best of all. I could leave my panniers at my Auntie's house! I was free and flying. I got to the boathouse and drank coffee and ate some lunch. I had made it! I couldn't believe it was over. Even worse, I didn't want it to be over but the urinating was getting worse, plus the hernia was worrying me. I had raised over £1000 though and was very happy. My dad drove to Wales and picked me up. Everyone was calling me lazy for not cycling back but I just couldn't face that hill in Sidmouth again! 

It was an incredible journey that took me about 15 days I think. I wrote a journal every night but often fell asleep while writing it. I may write a book one day as there is just too much mention about the experience. Thanks to all who sponsored, supported me and left messages of encouragement. Couldn't have done it without you! 

I did a few parkruns after that but I had only run 5k a week. It was hard to run. My body was trying to recover and my normal 40 miles a week of running was no longer there. 5k's were hard! I did Woodhouse parkrun in Leeds which was a nice course and very friendly people. One of the oldest parkruns too. 

AUGUST

I was still fucked! I did a few parkruns. Southampton, Netley and my 100th parkrun at Eastleigh. It was slow but I was so happy to have reached the milestone. Never thought it would happen and now I have the t-shirt (finally). Below is a photo of Patrick beating me at parkrun after running 3 miles with me. Nice sprint finish Patrick! 

SEPTEMBER

September with something completely different. I was going skateboarding around North Devon. At the time I didn't really know what I was getting myself into. 

Just before my bike ride I had become a qualified skateboard instructor. I met some nice people on that course and Andy Norman was one of them. He lived in Barnstaple and was part of the older generation of skateboarders like myself. 

I booked a hotel in Barnstaple but jumped off the train in Exeter to skate with my friend Simon Gillard first and then it was rest and an early night. 

Andy and I met at the bus station pretty early and caught the bus to Appledore where we would be the others and begin our journey. Parks and Pubs was done twice a year. Once in September and once in April. There was a scheduled route and Andy was our leader. We left the Appledore mini ramp and skated along the coast. We ended up at someone's house for a can of beer at 9.00-9.30? Felt a bit weird drinking beer this early on a skateboard but what the hell. i had signed up for this now. 

Onwards we went into places like Bideford and it's Wetherspoons, We skated Devonshire bowl for a bit but tragedy struck as Steve fell going down a hill and his bone came through his shin, We shut the road off and called an ambulance. I had never seen blood some thick before! We were too scared to take his sock off. We used one of my old t-shirts to wrap around the wound and try and stop the bleeding a bit. We made him as comfortable as we could. The ambulance crew gave him some strong stuff to make him laugh and then they had to pull his sock out from the open fracture. 

Anyways, we soldiered on but it was a really sad thing to happen. My legs were aching a lot now too. It was quite rough along the Tarka trail and I hadn't really bought soft enough wheels. 

By the time we got to Barnstaple we were about 17 miles in and my leg had cramped and really tightened. I was struggled but pushed through the pain. I was starting to feel a bit drunk now too! 

Anyways, we made it all the way to Braunton and finished the day with another beer and a shot for our fallen hero Steve. What an epic adventure and a very long day! I was out injured for a while after that but obviously still managed a few slow parkruns. I should train a bit next time. 

I also took photos at Overton 5 and the New Forest half where my friend Russ was running dressed as a Rhino for the "Save the Rhinos" charity. It was funny to watch him charging past runners and see their faces of disbelief as they were getting beaten. 

OCTOBER

I ran the Solent half. I was aiming for 8 minute miles/1hr 45. I ran it with my mate Paul Carpentar most of the way but he slowed on the last 5k or I sped up. It was also our mate Paddy's first half marathon and he smashed out a 1hr 33 and later admitted that he "Held back"! 

I did a couple of parkruns at Southampton. One of them 20 minutes something and then I got a last minute place for Snowdonia marathon because poor Rachel was injured. So, I did some last minute marathon training with a 17 miler and went off and plodded out a 4hr 30 marathon or just under. Thankfully I had Angela to keep me company as I was already feeling it at 7 miles! She and the others had already ran a really fast marathon the week before too. Sarah W and Mike Bisson still smashed out incredible sub 3.30 times too! 

Beautiful views and a great day overall. Not long after Mikey had finished, we walked back to the car and there was a man running in backwards! What a nutter! Thanks to Sarah Winstone who I stole this photo from ;) Oh yeah and after taking a year out to run the Lorsdhill 10 mile race, I was back in the club again. Thanks for taking me back Lordshill roadrunners.

NOVEMBER

Let's face it, my running wasn't really going well. I had no real goals and was struggling with weight and fitness but who says you still cant enjoy it? Poor Tony Rickman had injured his back and his Gosport number was up for grabs I didn't really want it to be honest but Rob Agar talked me round. Another slow half marathon at Gosport with a time of 1hr 40 but I was glad to to it. I think that is the only time that i've actually enjoyed that race. I pushed hard though but knew I wasn't in the great shape I was in earlier in the year. Still, I had targets for my comeback tour and I was achieving them. Next I would run Hayling 10. A time of 73 minutes. I was aiming for 7.30 pace, so all good there. I was starting to get the racing bug again and nothing could please me more. Also, I enjoyed the days out with the club and the great support. Especially from people like Kev Wilsher, Rob Agar, Ben Tavendale and Emily Smith. Always a pleasure to these people and many others and of course my old captain Jim. 

A big thanks to Brian Davenport who was also a really big support when he was injured and took this the photo below at Hayling 10.

DECEMBER

December was here already and I had been getting great support from everyone including Paul Johnson from Southampton AC who was cheering me on throughout the year at various races. He text me to ask what races I was doing and what he was doing. I totally surprised myself at Victory 5 with a time of 33.05. Not only was this a course PB for me but i was 2 seconds away from an all time PB. Dammit, if only i'd known! I was over the moon and on cloud nine for a while after that. I felt like a proper runner again and I wanted to get fast. Speedwork and hill sessions were to follow. 

I did Poole parkrun for the first time in 20,25 and the next day raced the Christchurch Xmas 10k. It was tough and I think I really paid for that parkrun the day before. Just after two miles the pace was maintained but felt strained. I just snuck under 42 minutes though, so I was very pleased with this. I was running hard again but I still know that 16 stone runners don't get much faster than this. I'll have to lose some weight! 

I then tried for one last sub 20 parkrun jsut before xmas and managed a 20.04. Not quite there but a Season's best for me. Things are definitely heading in the right direction for 2017. 

Thanks for reading. Now to concentrate on 2017 and my goals for that. It's been a wonderful year and typing this is a great to remember it and look back at it all. See you all on the start line..........