Hello 2018 – I could say that I expect good things, but I would be lying! All I want is CAKE! Oh…. and running of course. Lots of good quality training and races that allow me to test myself in new ways.
I don’t do resolutions. There….. I’ve said it!🤗
I’m not a Revolutionary Resolutionist. I think that if you want to fail at something then why wait until the 1 January! 😂
But if that works for you and appeals to you then I can understand – an arbitrary date is like wiping the slate clean so that you can start your life afresh and fail at your resolutions in the first week when you forget that you planned to have at least 3 no-meat days a week and you have only 2 days left having failed 5 days running already. Or that you wanted to make 50 steps on your fatbat and you forgot to wear it even though you walked to the bathroom twice a day.🙈
Anyway, let’s get on with this. One of the reasons I don’t do resolutions isn’t because they are bullshit, rather more about me having a tiny attention span and being shit at remembering what they are.
But what I can remember to do is sign up to races throughout the year. So, I thought this would be an opportune time as any to lay out my 2018 plans for you to see – and to take the piss when it all goes horribly wrong.🙊
- Battersea 10km – January 6th 2018 – 10km around a flat, fast course. I run around her regularly and I’m hoping that I don’t trip over any leaves or any discarded avocado on toast when attempting a PB. My previous 10km PB is so long ago that it doesn’t really count anymore, but it should be easily beatable even though after months of on and off injury following my sheninagans in 2017 I am a bit off-form. Pressing goal at the moment is sub 45 and anything else is a bloody bargain. Before Autumn 100 I was knocking out 44 something 10kms in the middle of 8 mile tempo runs but after sketchy training in November and December who knows what will happen. Either way it is going to hurt like a big’un!
- The Moyleman Marathon – 18 March 2018 – this takes in the south downs (which I’m pretty familiar with – at least the poo and sick spots!) and gives a wonderous 3,000+ft of elevation gain…. BUT PIZZA AND AN ENGRAVED PINT GLASS at the end are the real deal here! I hope to get a good time on this. My current marathon PB is 3h44 on a mixed terrain race with half that gain, but we will see what happens. Probably looking at somewhere faster than 4h30 given the gain – but we will see closer to the time. I do plan to eat ALL OF THE PIZZA 🍕 though.
- CanalSlam – Grand Union Canal Race (end May), Kennet and Avon Canal Race (end July) and Liverpool Leeds Canal Race (end August). These are my A races during the year and there is precious little recovery time. I have never gone beyond a 100miles so it will be interesting (no…. actually pretty horrendous!!! who am I kidding!) to experience what happens at the tail end of the races. I don’t have any expectations or goals right now – but I will update closer to the races. I guess my only expectation is that there will be a lot of little boy strops to keep my amazing crew and buddy runners amused!
- Beachy Head Marathon – October 2018 – decent bit of ascent and some of the south downs again for this. I’m starting to see a theme here of bifurcated racing – pancake flat and hilly AF! Anyway, there is a decent opportunity – body willing – to put in a decent stretch of training in September and October and hopefully get a decent time on the south downs. Anything between 4 and 4hr30 on this hilly thing will be great! Who knows whether I will achieve that – much is down to how many pork pies I eat during the race and whether my body holds together long enough to train hard enough for it after the Canal Slam.
Throughout the whole year I am looking forward to training hard, running with friends and my wife, and being a big smiley idiot and enjoying the whole thing!
Also, aside from racing I am looking forward to seeing what all my running friends achieve and hoping to look after as many as I can by volunteering on races and being the best bloody crew and volunteer that I can be (i.e. borderline shit but hopefully acceptable!)
What are you looking forward to training for in 2018?!
What other plans do you have?
Any tips for any of these races?
The Untraining Ultrarunner 