2023 Running Review

Congratulations. You’ve made it. 

You’ve traversed the calendar’s course and have (pretty much) reached a finish line 365 days in the making.

I don’t have a medal for you. Sorry…

We’ve so much to talk about so grab a cuppa and one of the numerous boxes of Christmas shortbread you were given and we’ll discuss the new reasons I’ve discovered that make running the greatest thing since sliced bread…

1,000 Miles Ran in a Calendar Year 

I’ve actually tried to reach this milestone a number of times over the past few years but to no avail. Somehow, life always managed to trip me up along the way. Ironic then, that the one year that I didn’t set any distance-related intentions would be the year that I would finally hit my mark.

Looking back on this year, I think the old adage, “a little goes a long way’ has been proven true. Previous attempts have seen me trying to chop large distances out in a single effort and losing time recovering. In contrast, the road to victory this year has been paved with smaller, constantly consistent efforts.

I Ran for 24 (almost) Hours

(Still haven’t forgiven myself for that 30min sleep at 3am…)

I won’t dwell on this one for too long here as there is a separate pocket of waffle on this site dedicated to this endeavour. The more longer-distance Ultra marathons I do, the more I feel at home in them, more so than in distances like marathons and half marathons.

Those races that question the motivations and determinations at the very core of your being are much more attractive to me that setting any new PB’s. To be able to say that 16 hours into a 24 hour race, when I was so tired that my fingers couldn’t tie my shoe laces, I found another gear and kept moving forward, is so much more valuable to me than setting a new personal record at 5 or 10K.

PRC XC     

One of this year’s greatest gifts was the renaissance of cross-country running on my calendar. This year, for the first time in what must be 15 years, I dawned a pair of running spikes and took to the muddy slopes of the cross country championship with our newly formed XC squad within the running club.

There’s a simplicity about running cross country that I don’t think you can find in any other type of race…

Registration costs less than a bottle of wine. 

There’s no medal. 

At time’s the races aren’t even chipped. 

And your £200 running shoes are going to disappear not the mud just as easily as your £40 ones.

It’s pure running, pure racing. No fancy shoes, no water stops and no need to remember how often to take your gels. And you don’t need to be anywhere near the podium places to feel like you’re racing. Everyone running, from the folks challenging for the win, to those at the back are a target for someone on a home stretch stride for the finish line.

The camaraderie it provides is nothing ordinary and perhaps its greatest gift. You won’t belong getting to know folks once you’ve pulled on the same club vest as them and waded through the mud in the wind and the rain together. We share that struggle together and that connects us as team mates. We support each other through it and that strengthens us as runners. We race each other to the line and that compels us to be better.

A good team brings the best out of the individuals that make it, and I personally regard myself as a better runner because of this team and those races; which leads me nicely onto my final point…

I Joined a Running Club

Yes, you read that correctly. I, the awkward, anti-social solo runner with the social battery of a 5 year old iPhone, joined a running club.

And frankly, it’s one of the best decisions I have ever made.

In truth, I wasn’t overly sold on the idea at the time of joining. But my friends (who have a healthier, less obsessive relationship with running than I do) were interested in trying it out, and so I figured I’d at least give it a go. I didn’t have a reason to say no and they wouldn’t accept “I don’t want to” as a valid response.

I am however happy to concede my trepidations were misplaced. (They usually are.)

Now I can only speak about our running club. But if they’re all like ours, you will not find a warmer, more welcoming community of like minded people. And regardless of your ability or preferred distance, you’ll find someone to be inspired by, someone just a little faster than you to aim for and in all likelihood, be that same inspiration to someone else.

Over the past nine months, I’ve made many new friends, I’ve ran races I’d never previously heard of and I’ve been given tips and advice that has improved my running in ways I’m not sure I’d have managed on my own.

Don’t get me wrong, I still need a good long solo run or two a week to keep my mind’s ship on an even keel. Now though, I set out for those solo runs having drawn inspiration from every one of those folks who pull on the PRC teal, and without any doubt that I am a better runner (and person) because of them.

So here’s to you folks.

Reflections

As I write (and hopefully publish) this, it’s the 29th December. With the exception of tomorrow’s Christmas Cracker race at Castlewellan, I’ll likely spend what left of this year reflecting rather than running. It occurred to me today that, as time progresses, I finish each year with fewer medals but more highlights and takeaways that I am grateful for.

Takeaway, the First: Teamwork Makes the Dream Work

You might be good on your own, but a tribe of the right people will make you so much better than you thought possible. You’ll also have the opportunity to purchase team merchandise, and how doesn’t love team merchandise?

Takeaway, the Second: Struggles will Unveil your Treasures

The pursuit of a physically difficult goal will show you what you have to be thankful for. At Hour 23 of 24 (6 weeks after the passing of my Grandfather,) I was grateful for the pain in my legs, the air in my lungs and the will in my heart to keep moving forward. 

At Lap 3 of the worst cross country race of the year, I was grateful for the team mate who patted me on the arm and kept me running when I was mentally beaten.

Takeaway, the Third: Keep Showing Up 

Persistent Consistency is the key to all doors. The most impossible of your goals are within you if you just keep showing up. 

I went on plenty of runs this year that I didn’t want to. But I didn’t finish a single one and wished I hadn’t went. 

It’s all progress…

The Aspirations of 2024 Mark 

Looking head to 2024, my race calendar is shaping up nicely. First up we’ll have Rome Marathon in March, which I should probably be training for already. Then I’ll be taking another swing at the 24 Hour race I ran this year, in the hopes of turning the lessons learnt this year into a more impressive result. The final ‘big race’ of the year will be my first attempt at the 100 mile distance in September. 

Running aspirations aside, I’d also like to make more of this little corner of the Internet that I’ve carved out, and perhaps extend my running writing beyond just recounting races I’ve experienced.

Needless to say, I’ve given 2024 Mark plenty to think about… My current edition however is off to drink some wine…

Wishing you all health, a cosmos of possibilities and positive vibes. 

I’ll catch you next year.