That was 2013 that was

It's been a terrific running year.  Here are my highlights:

• Inadvertently running the Stonehenge Stomp backwards
• Finishing the 2012/13 Hants XC league as 10th M40
• Enduring freezing conditions in March races, including near-hypothermia after the Grizzly
• Second by second, getting below 19 mins at the Eastleigh parkrun
• Doing 2 races in 1 day, and thereby scientifically proving that muddy hills are more fun than flat tarmac
• Getting 5th place at the Hursley 10k and then running 20k home
• Finishing the RR10 season in 21= position and 5th M40
• Getting 3rd position in the Clarendon marathon

My goals for 2014...

• Top 10 position in this winter's XC league
• Top 40 place in the Grizzly
• Top 20 in the RR10
• Top 3 in Clarendon marathon
• Southampton parkrun sub 18:00
• Eastleigh parkrun sub 18:35
• 10 miles in under 60 minutes

Joining Romsey Road Runners has proved to be a really valuable stimulus to better races.  For the first time ever, I'm doing regular (i.e. weekly) structured training, and this has started to translate into more speed across all types of races.

Here's to faster muddy, sweaty hills in 2014.

XC league 2013: Popham

I ran the third of the cross-country series today after a lengthy and unplanned gap from racing.  I stupidly missed the second one at Goodwood three weeks ago.

The weather was glorious - bright winter sunshine and little wind on a crisp afternoon of long shadows.  I set off quite conservatively, mentally gearing up for lots of repetition - not just one short and three long circuits, but zig-zags up and down the sloping fields.

I felt that the pacing as just about right.  I overtook plenty of runners, but in the later stages I had to work hard to keep my breathing under control and prevent myself blowing up.  This is the best spectator's race of the series and it was great to have family support in three places on each lap.

The final leg is a straight downhill blast which is great fun.  I could hear pounding behind me and I could see the shadows catching up on me which really spurred me on in the final seconds.

I finished in 78th place which was good - 22 places up on last year.  Even more pleasing was the time: 36:55 against last year's 39:01.  Conditions were better this year but this is really encouraging.

Here are a couple of photos courtesy of Paul Hammond.

What's different?  I'm now doing structured evening training sessions with Romsey Road Runners every week.  It's just possible that this is putting a spring in my step.  Watch this space.