After a fairly poor 2018 I was not really sure what to expect in 2019. I started the year training for the London Marathon. As I have said for many years, racing forms part of my training, I am not talking about running to threshold in a race, I always set off giving hard effort (based on the distance, how I am feeling and race tactics) and run as hard as I can whilst being sensible.
I did seven races in January including three parkruns, the Yorkshire Cross Country Championships, the Northern Cross Country Championships and two half marathons. Although I was delighted to win the V40 Northerm Masters championships I was disappointed with my half marathon times having not broken 80 minutes. Still a solid month with 205 miles (very high for me).
February was a bit quieter with 3 races, the highlight of which was only 3 days in to the
month. I went to Dewsbury with no real hope of running a PB, it is an out and back race with a slight climb on the way out. I got to halfway in 18 minutes and ran the second half in 17:22. I realized with about 200m to go I could PB if I took the pain and accelerated, so I finished with 35:22. Brilliant bonus considering I was training for a marathon. I struggled at the Stamford 30k with the headwind in the second half. The National Cross Country championships ended the month and I had a solid race despite almost going down with an ankle sprain. 143 Miles for February.
March was quieter again with just 4 parkruns (18 or 19 minutes) and competing in the Yorkshire Veterans Cross Country Championships. I got a couple of long runs in including running out and back to watch the Gainsborough 10k at pace for 22.6 miles. 201 Miles for March.
I eased back on my training through all of April so as to have fresh legs for London which was on 28 April. I did 3 parkruns (including one the day before the marathon at an easy pace). 158 miles for April. I had earned my place on the Championship Start and was determined to make up for last year. I had set a realistic target (2:50:00) based on my races and training building up to the marathon and was delighted to finish strongly with a time of 2:48:47. My blog about the marathon can be found here.
I decided to take no rest days after the marathon, I did not feel broken (I was but I felt ok). I ended up doing 4 races in May and I threw the hammer! I 6 days after London I raced Gainsborough parkrun which is a very tough course. The day after I raced the North Lincs Half Marathon, again, just missing out on 80 minutes and finishing my 23rd race of 2019. Then it hit me and I was totally knackered. I raced the Askern 10k and finished with 36:22 and I also took a team of 6 to the British Masters Road Relays at Birmingham. I gave everything but struggled to run well. My May total was just 79 miles.
During June I did some short races, I did the 5000m on the track in the South Yorkshire Track and Field League, not a great time 18:25, I did a last minute fill in (No time for a warm up), in the Northern Track and Field League 400m in 64 seconds, I ran a reasonable leg in the South Yorkshire Road Relays bringing our M40 team home in 4th place. Back up to 110 miles for the month. I decided not to run in the Pennine Barrier ultra, but was delighted for my team mates who smashed the team prize!
July saw me get right back in to it, I did 5000m on the track in a better time 18:06, I did the 3000m steeplechase for the 1st time, 3 parkruns but the highlight was the Round Donny Run, a 30k race around my training routes and I finished 1st overall having a right laugh in the process, 22 runners from Doncaster AC finished the race. Mileage back up completing 161.7 miles in July.
In August I completed six races, four brisk parkruns and two fell races. I do not do many fell races, at the end of the day I am a road runner, a track runner, a cross country runner, a fell runner and a parkrunner. I can not fit anymore races in. The trunce is a short trail / fell / road race which is great fun. The salt Cellar fell race was brutal. Great for training and conditioning.
On around the 29 August I entered the Yorkshire Marathon which was on the 20 October. Realistically I had 4 weeks to get my long runs in, no time to build up but this did not bother me, just give it my best and see what happens. I knew Rose was driving to Penistone on the 31 August, so I got a lift and did the parkrun, and ran back along the TPT to Doncaster. My first long run done and giving me a total of 193 Miles for August.
September and I got 4 long runs in.
I ran the Grindleford Gallop with my wife Rose, a tough 21 mile off road route at around 9 minute miles.
I ran with Wakefield, quite a tough run covering 20 miles at 6:55 pace – some road / off road.
I raced Equinox 24 hour relay race in a team of 5, we smashed it. I did 6 x 10k loops – 6:30s to 7:30s.
I also did four races, 2 parkruns, the mile on the track and the Northern 6 stage road relays. The mile was a disaster 🙂
That was it, time to taper covering 183 miles in the month.
During October I did six races including two parkruns, the first two events in the South Yorkshire Cross Country League, the Bridlington Half Marathon and the main race, the Yorkshire Marathon. The Half was 2 weeks out from the Marathon and conditions were poor with very wet and windy conditions. Cross country one week before the marathon would be my last hard session. Most people would not have risked a cross country so close but I have never injured myself competing in cross country and I typically do around 9 cross country races a year (not just the South Yorkshire events).
The marathon day came along, I drove to York with Adam and we caught the bus to the start. Left it a bit late to get to the start and I started way back (probably 1000 places) from the start line (which was totally fine!). So I was passing people for the first 18 miles running to pace all the way. Got hard at 20 miles but hung on to get 2:47 off fairly hit and miss training. 163 Miles for October.
November and 5 races completed including three parkruns and two cross country races. We took about 30 runners from Doncaster AC to compete in the National Cross Country Relays – the course was very tough due to the mud but we had strong teams this year, and more local we took part at Kiveton on a very wet course.
I also paced 40 minutes in the Doncaster 10k.
130 Miles for the month.
During December I decided to do RED (Run Everyday December) targeting 200 miles. At the same time I was targeting the Fitwins 200 mile target. I did five races including the final fixture in the South Yorkshire Cross Country league where I was proud to be part of the division 2 winning team.
I hit 250 miles for the month, my highest mileage month ever (excluding the 200 mile race).
My stats for the year follow:
So, my highest mileage in the 16 years of my running journey and my Runbritain handicap is maintaining 🙂 Hoping for some improvement in 2020.
