Running 2016 Endeavors

This is not the first blog I have done, I have done many others typically about university work but this is the first ever running blog I have created. Ok I won’t be rude and ill introduce myself, im 25 years old and I live in the midlands, im a running enthusiast which basically means im not particularly fast im just an ordinary runner who likes to get out clear my head and stay fit.

Alongside running I like all things outdoors, from camping and hiking to canoeing and rock climbing. But, less about me and more about my running.

I started out during august 2014, basically I just decided I wanted to get fit so I decided to run the Lichfield 10K (which is a nice course by the way). I basically did 3 months of training and beat my target time of 55 mins. After telling some of the lads in the office were I was working at the time (some of them being runners) the banter started about my time as they were all older but faster. It was at this point that I decided to make a conscious effort to join a running club to improve these times. Lichfield was my chosen club as it was close to home. At first I only ran with them on a Wednesday for intervals but this quickly migrated to joining them for Monday and Sunday’s as well. I started off during 2014 by running in the C group but my fitness soon came back and I was soon with the B’s.

My friends are not particularly sporty people, so joining a club helped me to join a new friendship group with likeminded people. I soon progressed and the club helped me in running Fradley 10k in 50 mins and Lichfield half marathon in 1hr 50. During this year I also did race the train which was 14 miles through the valleys in mid wales.

Towards the end of 2015 I became injured with a bad knee and I immediately went to see a physio. The physio diagnosed me with runner’s knee, preformed some acupuncture and gave me some stretches which helped strengthen the muscles. I did exactly as I was old and just before Christmas I got back into running.

2016 started and I was more motivated than ever, I had had some time out of running and with Fradley 10k approaching I wanted to get a new PB. I started training smarter and harder than I had before and I was soon able to run faster times. I joined the A group on a couple of occasions but I was always at the back. However, it was enjoyable and what more would you want on a cold, wet and dark Wednesday night?

Fradley came and I managed to get myself a new personal best of 40:29 which I was extremely happy with, the week after I ran Stafford half marathon where I got 1 hr 29, again I was ecstatic with. From here I started to think about what I wanted to do next!

Towards the end of April my work asked me if I wanted to work in Singapore for 2 months or not and I took the opportunity whilst I could. To hear about these adventures visit the posts on Singaporean running.

I returned from Singapore at the end of June and I had to quickly begin training for Man Vs Mountain which was a 22 mile obstacle race up Snowdon. I will post a separate blog on my page about this which will enlighten you to the thrills and details of the event.

4 weeks later (after man vs mountain) I found myself running Chester Marathon. With no specific marathon training and off the back of the hilliest run I had ever done I managed to get a time of 3 hr 32 mins which I thought was brilliant! During this run I learnt a lot about myself, I learnt that I cannot just go out and run a 7:30mm for 18 miles, I soon dropped down to 8 and even 9mm pace for the remaining miles. The 20 mile marker was the hardest mental battle I have encouted during running I have never had to push myself as much as I did on this race. I came away telling myself “I will never run another marathon in my life”

Well that’s until I got a LRC club place for London 2017.

To follow my progress on the build up to London 2017 keep an eye on this page.