A catch up on 2017

So, apologies if anyone really enjoyed my blogs and suddenly they stopped. I've been inspired recently to dust off the blog & bring it back up to date. I'm still not convinced that people want to read about my life, it still feels self-indulgent. But, as FB friends, and Twitter followers will know, i share post-race reflections anyway, so why not blog them was the question asked of me?! I've also been told recently that i'm a bit "wordy", 😂, so i'll try and catch up on three years of races & life events in three relatively short blog posts!

OK, so, the highlights of 2017 - I went and ticked off two bucket list races - Wales Castles Relay, and Snowdonia Marathon. Both events i will do again and again. WCR, or "Castles" as it's known, is truly a magical weekend, one that is the highlight of my year now and i'm about to go away for my 3rd consecutive year. 2017, i was given the legendary and iconic "Drovers" stage. Basically, 6 miles of undulating (definite lumps and bumps along those 6 miles with not much reward on the downhills), before turning off the main road and then being met with a 2 mile winding, twisting, wall, up to the top of the MOD firing range!!!!! As you can imagine if you know me at all, i went into the weekend with an injury brewing - tight calves - i did all i could but i knew they weren't good and true to form, they seized 10m into the race. One of my club buds has a vid of me starting and then jumping into the air as it seized. I was last hobbling out of Builth Wells, determined to race the 10.4 mile race (with that 2 mile wall to climb at the end). This for me was a race i'd wanted to do since 2010 when i had first heard about it when a guy i was seeing at the time told me about it and i was hooked. I have a love of Castles from my childhood when my parents would take my brother and I to a different castle most weekends, with a picnic, and a spirit of adventure and exploration. So, off i hobbled, but the calf eased enough that i was slowly able to run and started to pick off people. The support along the route was epic, even from other clubs, and i lapped it up as if i was a rock star! #showboat onto the climb up Drovers and there was a brutal headwind that left me standing still at one point i'm sure. But, even though i was hobble-running, i got up there and finished strongly & the support from my club, Run4All, was truly eye-watering. Once finished mind i couldn't walk, 😂, but, i had posted a time i would have been chuffed with without an injury, so with it, i was more than happy!

The next big race was Snowdonia marathon 2017. I had been training for the Brecon Beacons 46 mile ultra that was to take place a few weeks after Snowdon, but, surprise, surprise, on a recce doing one 23 mile loop, my itb kicked in after about 8 miles. This was in early September, and i knew deep down that the ultra was gone, but, maybe, i could rest and get through to Snowdon end of October. I basically had about a 6-7 week taper, hardly ran, lots of treatment, and got up there, knowing that the itb would likely kick in within the first few miles going up Pen-y-pass. But, i was determined to get this race done. I love snowdonia, and being away with my club mates again was like Castles all over again. Even the support on the course made it feel like Castles. Surprisingly, i kept waiting for my injury to kick in and it held off. I had no expectations in this race, as i was injured, but, it stayed away. That is, until mile 22, when the wall of a hill for 2 miles is set before you, and my calves decided they wanted to join the injury gang, and i quickly felt them cramping. Quick strategy change to run 20 roughly 20 seconds, walk 20, and repeat. I was surprised to catch a male club mate at the top at mile 24, as he should have way in front of me and i tried to kick his arse back into action, but, it wasn't to be. Now for 2 miles of descent and how i flew, literally! There was no holding back, my calves were fine going down and i love a good fast descent. You get down into Llanberris, and suddenly there is a wall of noise as you enter the high street, 100m to go and the crowds are huge. Finishing that race was such an epic feeling, and to finish in 3:44 was phenomenal given my injury run in, and cramping. I also placed 3rd in the Welsh Marathon Champs!!!!!!!! Like WOW!!!!!!! #whoknew!!!!!!! I've always loved running, but to win medals???? I'm not that good!!!!! But, maybe...maybe over longer distances i am decent?

Needless to say, the next day i could hardly walk and there is an awesome vid of me walking to breakfast that my clubmate took, it's a very painful shuffle i assure you. But, so, so worth it!!!!!!! I was out again for a while after this as my itb seriously kicked in once the race was done, but, i was so thankful that it gave me that race, it held off. It made me realise that after my itb issues in snowdonia trails marathon last year (this was the other itb - b**tard), that i needed to sort my glutes out for sure!

The other highlight was winning the club 5k champs race - just back from a calf issue but raced it as it was club champs in the July and placed as 2nd overall, and 1st Run4All lady. I was blowing out my arse, hanging, disgusting, but, it was job done, and a 5k pb at 20:21. I want to get sub 20, but, in only my 3rd standalone 5k race (rather than in a tri), this was OK, and i'd like to think in time i can get faster. This result meant at the club presentation night in the November, i got a nice little trophy and cup, as 5k club champ, which was lush, and overall, whilst i was injured for the early part of 2017, and the latter part, with many periods in between, it was overall, a very decent year of running!