Paul Legard

I’ve put off writing this for too long!

It was a year of many highs and very few lows, but it came to an end and unsurprisingly I felt a little bit lost. On a nippy Saturday morning I joined almost 100 fellow runners at Peterpan Parkrun to finish my 2,013 mile challenge.

The Stats!

I’d plodded the final 85 miles in December to reach the Red Square and my final destination, the Soviet capital of Moscow. By the time I finally succumbed to injury and was forced to stop running on the 30^th December, I’d covered a total of 2,039 miles in almost 273 hours. I’d burned 196,164 calories at an average pace of 8:01 minutes per mile and a mean average distance of 7.8 miles per run. In the second half of the year i’d climbed 28,407 feet, almost the equivalent of climbing Mount Everest!

New Years Eve 2012!

Rewind to New Years Eve 2012 and I completed the first run of a marathon programme; a steady 30 minute jog. The next day I started the count on 2013 miles with a 5.22 mile run. I’d set myself the challenge to run 2,013 miles in 2013, an average of 5.5 miles a day, every day for a year. I’d record this as if I was running from Hull to Moscow but I had no idea how I would get on.

The previous year I’d run less than 400 miles. This was going to be a big step up but I was determined to commit to the challenge. A well known Chinese proverb became a source of encouragement in the early days…

“A journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step”.

What did I want to achieve by running 2013 miles? Ultimately I wanted to set myself some decent personal bests across all distances. I also wanted to learn and improve by applying what I learned. The last thing the miles should be was routine. That wouldn’t be much fun! Banking the miles would lay the foundations for achieving those goals, but most importantly exorcising the demons of a disappointing London marathon attempt in 2009, which still felt like unfinished business.

My Name is Paul… and I’m a Lazy Procrastinator!

Up until this point I’d fallen into the category of the lazy procrastinator. Not only that, I was the worst kind of procrastinator. What follows is quite a frank and honest admission.

As a kid I enjoyed running. I wasn’t special, just ok, but I aspired to be good. I joined a running club when I was 9 but football was always my first love. I also ran school cross country, often placing in the top 10-15 in the district but in my short experience I had one bad race which affected my feelings towards competitive running. I had got used to doing well, and when I felt I’d failed for the first time, fear won through and I avoided being in that situation again. There was a fragility in my confidence. I didn’t learn how to come back stronger from failure, choosing instead to take myself out of the equation.

This conflict continued into senior school. I was the fastest in my year but I would find excuses for not representing the school at county meets. I didn’t enjoy the pressure I put on myself to be the best. If I wasn’t the best I wasn’t interested. I felt too competitive and I didn’t like how that made me feel because of how I came across to others. If I’d have known then that it was a good quality to have I’d have embraced it more and maybe might have turned out slightly different.  Besides, at that age it was every boys dream to be a footballer and I was no different. Football dominated my life. I spent a couple of years on the books of Scunthorpe United before the inevitable chop happened. Looking back it sounds bloody stupid and a bit too serious!

As I hit my 20s my passion for football mellowed and I began to flirt again with running. There’s something raw and primal about it. Combine that with an element of speed and you can see why I’m drawn to running.

Underprepared and i knew it!

I’m a big believer in working hard which actually worked against me because I didn’t know where to start and I put it off year after year. I felt too much time had passed. I had an ‘all or nothing’ mentally which often meant I didn’t commit to any proper running without knowing exactly what I wanted to achieve and how to get there. I was the worst kind of procrastinator. I thought about it a lot but did nothing of any significance. It was no excuse!

At the time the London Marathon was the only race I dreamed of running. Fast forward to autumn 2008 and I’m 23. After 3 failed ballot attempts I got the much coveted ‘Success’ magazine, not a smurf in sight. I was delighted and nervous in equal measure. Now I’d have to put those pent up thoughts into action.

Quite simply I underestimated what was required to run 26.2 miles. I was still playing Saturday football and I suffered with a couple of nasty ankle sprains which I didn’t deal with. Being honest I didn’t commit enough time or put in enough miles. I aimed for sub 4 hours but at 19 miles my pace began to suffer and at 21 miles I bonked knowing my target was slipping beyond my grasp. I finished in 4:26:28 and felt like a fraud but it was a big learning experience. I learned how not to prepare and how that I would never be satisfied if I didn’t run the whole distance. If you want to read a self-deprecating post on how not to prepare for and run a marathon click here.

Great Team! It was a shame most of us got older or moved on…

I never wanted to be as underprepared again and whilst I continued to play football I couldn’t properly commit to a running programme. I repeated the same mistake from my childhood of avoidance.

I only entered a handful of events afterwards. In 2010 I completed the Hull 10k in 48:47. It was two years before I entered another race, as part of a relay team for the ill-fated Hull Marathon. Later in 2012 I completed 40 miles as part of the Hell on the Humber, 12 hour night race. In between that I’d done the Yorkshire 3 Peaks Challenge in just over 8 hours but there were two failed attempts at the UK 3 Peaks Challenge. Not the greatest athletic CV! It was pathetic! I’d not even come close to performing to my potential in any of these events. One of my big weaknesses was running consistently. I’d do 1 or 2 months of consistent running but then I’d just completely stop for a few months and lose all the gains and I’d be back to square one. This became routine.

I was still playing football in Sheffield but it involved a lot of travelling and was costing quite a bit of money and as my enjoyment waned with every match so did my level of performance. I’d become disillusioned with football. Characters had changed in the dressing room and the banter just wasn’t there anymore so I needed to freshen things up. I’d reached a crossroads. I could continue to ‘go through the motions’ or I could make a change.

The Plan

This is where the idea for 2,013 miles in 2013 came from. It would force me to commit and run consistently. I committed to completing 10% of the distance in races. I then set myself targets for various distances with an emphasis on the marathon.

I used the ready-made marathon plans from the Adidas Micoach website, which have been devised by American coach and exercise physiologist Greg McMillan. He also devised a pretty accurate race calculator. I used my only reasonable official race PB from the Hull 10k to set a baseline and plot my initial targets. I could consistently run under 50 minutes for 10k and I considered 8 minute miles as a good pace for my current level.

I also created a geeky spreadsheet to help me track my progress and predict my mileage. It was later to become a work of art with the amount of hours I put into it.

Then i got to work on what my race targets could be…

The greater the distance the more ambitious these targets were and given my crappy running history I kept these targets very close to my chest in the early days but I looked ahead with a quiet optimism.

I set about planning a running schedule up to May/June following a marathon programme, picking races I really wanted to do which fit within the programme and use them to build up my race experience. I’d suffered badly with nerves in London. I was fine when the race started but during the morning the nerves were so bad it was the most debilitating thing I’d ever experienced. The pressure I put on myself got the better of me. I wanted to overcome that so that it became routine and I could prepare as best I could.

I felt that by focusing on a marathon programme I could build up my endurance, and naturally I’d bank the miles and the times would come down over the shorter distances. The intention was to complete a marathon training cycle and assess where I was before planning the next marathon cycle which would take me to October. Breaking the year up this way made it easier to focus on ticking off each milestone whilst having one eye on the bigger picture.

I would try to run six times a week with a rest day on Friday. A typical training week would consist of ‘recovery’ runs on Monday, Wednesday and Saturday. I’d run fartlek, tempo or interval sessions on Tuesday and Thursday. Sunday was long run day. Every run had a ‘blue zone’ warm up and warm down.

The Micoach programmes are great for zone based training and steady progression whilst keeping the sessions interesting. I was using the Micoach pod to record my distances before switching to a Garmin GPS in the latter half of the year.

Initially I wanted to set myself some ‘no pressure’ personal bests which gave a more accurate picture of my starting position and which improved on the baseline from the McMillan Calculator. First up was a nice local, low key race; the Ferriby 10 closely followed by my first half marathon in March at Silverstone which I finished in 1:40:38. With a period of the most consistent running ever under my belt, the benefits were clear in the way I felt and in the stats.

On New Years Eve in 2012 I’d run 3.55 miles and my average heart rate was 161 beats per minute. Running the exact same route a month later saw my average heart rate drop to an average of 132 beats per minute. That was an incredible drop which had steadily decreased with every run.

From January through to March, I was down on the daily mile average for 2013 miles as I slowly built up the weekly miles but I knew my training load would eventually claw back this deficit.

Picking up the Pace in April

It was in April I saw some big improvements. I jumped into a few Parkruns and with 3 months of consistent running behind me I broke the sub 20 minute 5k barrier three times. Historically my unofficial best had been on a treadmill when I managed 3k in 11:52 and my previous 5k best was just under 22 minutes.

At the end of the month I banked a double PB in a 5k (19:14 at Parkrun) and a half marathon (1:32:52 at North Lincs). Also, for the first time I got ahead of the average daily mileage for 2013 miles. I was making fantastic progress both on the overall miles covered and in terms of race performance.

Earlier in the year I’d come across the Run Britain Rankings which gives you a handicap which determines your national ranking based on your official race results. I’m never going to trouble the likes of Mo or even the top club runner but in April I was lucky enough to finish second on the national leader board for improvement. I was rewarded with a pair of Sennheiser headphones!

Next up in May was the Sheffield Half Marathon, a city I miss living in greatly. I used the race as an opportunity to test out my marathon pace, finishing in 1:37.19. The following week at the Hull 10k, I targeted a significant improvement on my personal best of 48:47; an event I ran with friends from work. I finished in 37:58 which included a 5 minute walk at the start with Sam and Sherelle! However, at the last minute the course had been unexpectedly shortened because of a problem with a bridge on the route. My old PB remained, but for the first time I genuinely believed that sub 40 minutes was possible.

I was coming to the end of my marathon programme but I hadn’t actually entered one. I’d been too tentative at the start of the year. By the time I felt comfortable, the marathons which still had open entry didn’t really fit. Instead I decided one night after work to run my own personal 26.2 miles around Hull. I finished in 3:31. It was tough, mainly as it was unaided and I couldn’t carry much fluid with me but I’d practiced taking energy gels. It was a great confidence boost for attacking the second half of the year.

Marathon Cycle 2: June to October

All smiles before Sam and I tackle Hell on the Humber!

It was now June. Everything had gone to plan and I felt positive. It was time to plan the second phase of the challenge and I embarked on a second marathon training programme geared towards running finishing in 3:15. Again I used the training plans devised by Greg McMillan through Adidas Micoach.

I’d already entered the Amsterdam Marathon, but decided to go for the Loch Ness Marathon too. It was three weeks before Amsterdam giving me a double chance of getting a decent personal best.

After a few days off and no sooner had I planned the second stage of the year, I came down with a bout of man flu. I was still hoping to dip under 40 minutes at the flat profiled Owston Ferry 10k, but I’d only run twice in two weeks since the 26.2 miles. I bumped into an old school friend, Gary Crompton. He was in the year above me and was a bit of legend at our school for his speed. He destroyed everyone and broke all our records. It was good to catch up with him for the first time in about 10 years.

The race started and I set off too quick and suffered. At 5k I was overtaken by the fastest 70 year old in the UK! I managed to get back ahead later and finished in 40:48 only a few seconds ahead of my more experienced friend. I’d knocked eight minutes off my PB but I was disappointed. With the focus on marathons I wondered whether I’d get a better chance to run under 40 minutes this year.

I followed up the 10k two weeks later with the Humber Bridge Half Marathon, adopting a ‘suck it and see’ approach. Whilst the profile had a few hills I was hoping to get close to my personal best from North Lincs. This time I bumped into Dave Millns minutes before the start, a former teammate from football. It’s never easy talking to someone you haven’t seen for a few years just before you’re about to start a race, especially when you’re trying to focus and I pretty much mumbled my way through before we were off.

After 4 uphill miles I was on target but then I realised I was missing my Adidas Micoach recording pod. I faced a real dilemma. Carry on or stop and try to find it. I did the latter. After five minutes of asking people in the street and frisking a police officer (don’t ask!) I gave up. I’d had the Micoach since 2011 and I’d grown fond of it as it recorded my miles. Luckily, not a week earlier, I’d invested in a Garmin GPS watch so I still had a record of all my miles.

The Eccup 10… a character building race!

I eventually finished the race in 1:40:11. The rest of the race was a bit of a blur but I tried to laugh off the series of unfortunate events. It was a second successive race disappointment though and I wanted to put that to bed. Training was going well but I began to think I was having a bit of a hangover from running a marathon distance. I needed to refocus.

A week later I did Parkrun, on the tougher Peterpan Park course, clocking 19:17 and finishing 4th. It was only 3 seconds away from my PB of 19:14 from East Park. This gave me confidence going into the Eccup 10 the following day. I was aiming to run 7 minute miles along the hilly route. In the scorching heat I recorded 69:16. It remains one of my favourite races of the year because I had to really dig deep to get the time I wanted. I almost gave up with two miles to go but found something extra within. Something I hadn’t had before. I’d also put two disappointing races behind me. This would be invaluable experience.

Five days later I was racing again at the Walkington 10k, another undulating course with a couple of biggish hills, so I wasn’t chasing a PB. This time I learned not to set off too quick and finished with a negative split and recorded a new PB of 40:29. I’d finished in 26th position out of 554, my best position outside of Parkrun.

January to July had been a feeler for attacking races in autumn. Heading into August was now the start of the business end of the year. I was about a week ahead of the 2013 miles average and I was really looking forward to what I considered the big races.

When I ran a race it meant going off programme but I was managing this by swapping or moving the long runs to different days. With every week that passed I was ticking off the all important long run which was rewarded with an ice bath… a different kind of torture. The next event on the horizon though was an event I said I would never do again… Hell on the Humber!

This event was the race that I considered the biggest risk to my marathon training. Last year my mate and multiple iron man finisher, Sam Whitaker, roped me into it. He’d told me that it was the most mentally and physically challenging event he had done.

Starting at 7pm the premise is to complete as many 4 mile laps of the Humber Bridge as you can in 12 hours. Last year I completed 40 miles but had an unfortunate experience with Soreen’s finest which rendered me unable to eat anything for the majority of the event. Afterwards I swore blind that I would never do that again and I really meant it! However, I saw an opportunity to bank some big miles for the challenge and a good opportunity to test my character. I thought I’d give it another shot, learning from the mistakes I made the year before. It couldn’t be any worse than last time right?

This time around I managed to complete 52 miles. More importantly, it didn’t seem to have a negative effect on my training even though I’d just completed my biggest mileage week of 99 miles. I celebrated with an ice bath!

Super September

Not long after Hell on the Humber I was back out to finish my last couple of long runs (22 miles and 23.5 miles) before tapering for Loch Ness. A week after my last long run was the small matter of the Great North Run, a bit of a marquee event on the race calendar.

I hadn’t improved on my half marathon time since North Lincs in April so I was gunning for a new personal best; hopefully less than 1 hour 30 minutes. In the build up to the race a PB became increasingly important. I studied the profile of the course intensely to fine tune my race strategy.

Having that focus worked! With an attacking effort I crossed the line in 1:27. Not even the farce of the baggage drop and 5 hours stuck in a field, cold and wet could dampen my spirits afterwards.

A bit like the treble triumph of Manchester United in 1999 when they won the FA Cup before going on to seal the Champions League, this was the prelude to a bigger event in two weeks… the Loch Ness Marathon.

A beautiful race but I felt terrible for 20 miles!

Unofficially in June I’d run a marathon in 3:31, but technically my PB remained at 4:26. My top target was to dip under 3:15. My long run pace suggested I was capable but I knew it would be a big ask. I would still be happy with something under 3:30. Anything better and I’d be over the moon!

I got to the start line feeling as confident as I could be. I’d done the training and I’d had lots of success at shorter distances. There was the inevitable nerves and feeling of self-doubt which infiltrate most runners’ thoughts on the morning of the race. I was nearly sick as I left the hotel. It doesn’t matter how prepared you are, nerves are always there but soon dissipate when you get under way.

The route started in the hills south of Loch Ness and headed north east along the beautiful loch to Inverness. Whilst the first half was predominantly downhill, there were significant undulations which made it incredibly tough. I struggled from the first 6 or 7 miles to get into a rhythm and suffered physically. I’d heard the tales of the big hill at mile 19. After 8 miles I felt it all unravelling and I was convinced I had no chance of running up it. Somehow, when I got there I manned up and dragged myself up the hill before entering the final few miles through Inverness, fueled by pure adrenaline.

I crossed the line in 3:13:55 before suffering what I consider my favourite moment of 2013. It wasn’t the joy of crossing the line. It was the thirty seconds after when I fell to my hands and knees. I began to chunder and dry wretch. Eyes about to pop out from the force. I knew in that moment I’d given the marathon absolutely everything I had. It didn’t look dignified but this was why I’d set myself the 2013 mile challenge! All the miles and all the races in the build-up had been integral to that. I’d convinced myself otherwise until this point but I knew deep down this was the big one. I’d graduated from Marathon Finisher to Marathon Runner!

VIDEO: The Loch Ness Marathon (1:28)

Running through the Rijksmuseum.

It felt like a dream to run 1:27 for a half marathon and follow that up with 3:13:55 for a marathon two weeks later. I’d have made a deal with the Devil for that at the start of the year. If I’m honest I wasn’t sure I had it in me!

My approach to the Amsterdam Marathon in October had completely changed. Running fast had become inconsequential. There would no way I could improve on that time in the space of 3 weeks. I was determined to enjoy the experience a bit more without the added personal pressure, although judging by the pre-morning nerves I still had that hunger to do well.

My aim would be to take it a bit easier and learn from the experience but it still turned out to be a tough assignment. I crossed the finish line in 3:22:02 with a negative split. Although it was hard I actually enjoyed the experience. I’d also hit my 10% race distance target as part of the 2013 miles. Amsterdam had a nice atmosphere and to finish in the Olympic Stadium is a great touch. Forget your homogenous modern day football stadia, the Olympic Stadium had character! There’s definitely something about finishing a marathon in a foreign country that makes you feel more athletic! I was representing Great Britain after all!

VIDEO: Amsterdam Marathon (8:52)

I wasn’t resting on my laurels. My attentions soon turned to the last remaining target within the challenge; a sub 40 minute 10k. The Leeds Abbey Dash would be my best chance in November. After Amsterdam I was 142 miles ahead of the 2013 mile average so I had a bit in the bank to lower my mileage and concentrate on speed. Fartlek became the routine workout for the next three weeks.

A week before the race I did Parkrun to gauge where I was. I was on track as I smashed my previous 5k  best by 26 seconds with a time of 18:48.

The farlek sessions paid off as I finished the Leeds Abbey Dash in 39:08, cutting well over minute off my previous best. Finally I’d become a sub 40 minute 10k runner! I was now content to complete the remaining 161 miles safe in the knowledge that I’d ticked off all my race targets.

Let’s Play a Game Called ‘Chase the Injury’

Just over a week had passed since Leeds before I picked up some serious knee pain which stopped me instantly towards the end of a 14 mile run. I tried to carry on but it was impossible. I’d been lucky with injury up until this point, although I recognise I had niggles which I didn’t really deal with. What unaffectionately became known as ‘chase the injury’ had finally caught up with me.

Injuries hadn’t featured and didn’t warrant a mention in my previous posts as they weren’t seriously affecting my running. I didn’t want to give them a basis for being an excuse but I did have niggles through the year.

Picture a cartoon character plugging one tiny drip in a wall but then another hole sprouts from the wall somewhere else. He then plugs that hole with his finger and two more holes sprout somewhere else. He then plugs those holes and eventually the wall collapses!

It started in February when I couldn’t walk properly on my left foot for about 4 or 5 weeks but there was no pain whilst running which I found very odd! A bit of internet digging suggested it was plantar fasciitis, but it wasn’t affecting my running so I ran through it. Then from March onwards I suffered from a small dull pain in my lower back and tight hamstrings. This wasn’t uncommon. I’ve always had tight hamstrings and did a bit of stretching in that area but nowhere near enough. Again, it didn’t feel like it was affecting my running, although I did notice significant wear on the outside of  the sole of my trainers meaning I was supinating more than usual.

Checking out pictures taken of races, my foot strike, particularly on my left foot looked contorted and horrible. I always knew I was a supinator but not dealing with my hamstrings was making it worse. I knew it was important to get the right trainers and the Mizuno Wave Precisions have been absolutely immense. My best piece of advice when it comes to kit  is that the first thing any runner should do is get the right trainers, buy multiple pairs and wear them on rotation.

However, it still wasn’t enough. My lack of stretching had caused niggles and it was only a matter of time before I succumbed to something a bit more serious. I shouldn’t really be surprised as I went from a standing start to running 30-40 miles a week overnight. All these niggles were linked to each other by not dealing with the original problem.

I’ll be the first to admit I’m no poster boy for taking care of myself. Firstly, I eat way too much junk food, particularly chocolate, and I don’t mean just a few bars here and there. It wouldn’t be uncommon for me to tuck into a chocolate gateaux and finish it in one sitting.

I’m also a lazy stretcher… I’m just not that patient with it. What’s worse is that I’ve done a lot of reading around both of these areas but I haven’t properly applied myself to prevent injuries so you could say it was a long time coming.

I have taken some steps to rectify the stretching side and core strengthening by doing a few yoga classes. This only confirmed that I’m the least flexible person going, made all the more embarrassing by sharing this flaw with 12-15 other women in the class! Never have I felt so athletically inferior!  I felt like I was there for the entertainment! Since Amsterdam I haven’t been back but I know it’s necessary if I want to remain injury free in the future.

Eating better, stretching and muscle conditioning including core work are the big areas for improvement which should see some performance gain next year.

One Last Push

Going into December and back to business. I still had 85 miles to go with a knee I could barely run on. It looked like an IT Band injury. A short term solution would be to use a knee support which seemed to manage the problem, although I was conscious that the point of feeling the pain in my knee came sooner with every run.

This was not how I wanted to wind down the challenge but I guess if everything went completely to plan then it wouldn’t really be a worthy challenge. I wanted to finish with an event so it meant managing the problem. The finale was pushed back a week from when I originally anticipated finishing.

The End

On Saturday 14^th December I completed the final 3 miles of the challenge at Peter Pan Parkrun. I was grateful to a few of my friends who came to see me tick off those last remaining miles. Some even joined me in the run.

I wasn’t intending to race properly as I wasn’t fit but somehow found myself leading the race for the first half a mile. I ran the first two miles fairly quick and found myself in 3^rd place. I was way down on a personal best and the course was muddy so grabbed Gemma, my biggest supporter, to run the final mile with me. I then joined @jodyhorth, who had come to share the last few miles with me, for the final half mile and paced him in to the finish. A fast finish was a great way to end the challenge.

Unlike some of the races throughout the year I didn’t feel an amazing sense of achievement in the immediate aftermath. It was a pretty low key affair. Other parkrunners were just going about their business and I felt I’d gate crashed the run a little. A photographer for the local paper turned up later and I felt a little bit sheepish.

I guess I was always going to feel that way. Parkrun is a great event but you don’t get the same sense of achievement from a 5k when compared to a longer event requiring greater endurance. I didn’t feel that great feeling you get from feeling physically fatigued knowing you’ve put your body through a tough challenge. I’d had my eye on the Newcastle Racecourse 50k the week before but the knee problems put paid to that idea. I think to some extent once I achieved all my race targets it felt like the challenge had wound down rather than peaked at the end.

Still, I could now complete the final piece of the jigsaw in my spreadsheet…

Post 2013 miles…

In the days that followed I felt quite lost. I didn’t know how to switch off from running so ventured back out before Christmas and instantly my mood lifted. Those of you that are runners will understand this. Running becomes a drug and your mood darkens when you go cold turkey. I’m not easy to be around when this happens as I seem miserable and Gemma has put up with it a lot. The same again happened after Christmas although on my first run I tore my calf which signaled the end of the miles in 2013 and left me feeling slightly anxious.

It’s easy to sound negative and forget the progress I’ve made over the year. It just shows how my expectations have fundamentally changed and evolved. I thought if I achieved my race targets I’d be completely satisfied even if by some horrible accident I was never able to run again. Whilst I’m proud, it hasn’t satisfied my appetite. I came across an interesting article titled ‘Ever feel you are not enough?’ by @challengesophie and I could instantly relate. It mirrored my feelings after i’d finished the challenge. I’m competitive and that’s ok! I want more! I want to be faster! I just hope that’s a hunger and desire to improve rather than a self-perpetuating unquenchable thirst.

I shouldn’t be too downhearted as I’ve made some big sacrifices to get where I am, particularly with my social life. I can’t forget where I was at the start of 2013 to where I am now. At best I could run a half marathon in 1:50 and a 10k in just under 50 minutes. I was a relative running novice at the start of the year but I think I’ve progressed to being a half-decent runner and I’ve still got so much more to learn.

If you’ve read my progress throughout the year you’d be forgiven for thinking my sole focus has been on performance improvement and I’ve used my race performances as a measure of success. To a large extent that’s true but the desire runs deeper. It was also about pushing the boundaries of what I thought I was capable of and sharing that openly. It was about improving my discipline and applying it to other aspects of my life. It was about committing to something I believed in wholeheartedly. It was about facing my fears and challenging my weaknesses. Ultimately, it has been about challenging that lazy procrastinator and proving ‘I am’ rather than thinking ‘what if?‘. As a result I’ll admit I’ve become a fully fledged PB chaser! I may have finished the year with a slightly broken body but I have a stronger mind, will and determination to succeed!

If you are about the level I was in 2012, I hope my experience serves as a good example of what you’re capable of. If I can do it then anyone can. It might seem a long way off at the start, but improvement is always around the corner. I’m reminded again of that Chinese proverb.

Seeing other people make similar levels of improvement on different scales is heartening. It reinforces hope. If I can be part of that and help people then fantastic. For example I’d love to pace someone to a PB. It’s definitely on the ‘to do’ list next year. I’ve taken and learned so much from others that want to help others. Some people have also told me that they’re going to have a go at 2014 miles in 2014 after hearing my story. Hearing that is more rewarding than the actual running in some respects. It means it hasn’t been totally selfish! 😉

Charity Fundraising

My current fundraising total stands at £631.77. Whilst it doesn’t sound a lot and is the one blot on my record for 2013 (I was aiming for £2013), it’s still the most I’ve ever raised for charity and its £631.77 more than I would have raised had I not done the challenge. For that I’m very grateful to every single person who has helped me raise that total for the Smile Foundation. You’ve backed me where others haven’t. The site is still live so if you fancy bumping up that total so I don’t look like a total loser then head to. www.justgiving.com/2013miles . In fact, if by some miracle I get to £1000 I’ll run my next race in a onesie… and I hate onesies!

The Highlights

The Great North Run was my first big achievement of the year. It would be fair to say I love a good PB. It’s not the only reason I enjoy running but it certainly fuels my passion and to smash through the 1:30 barrier is something I always dreamed of doing.

The Loch Ness Marathon was undoubtedly my best achievement of the year. In the Scottish Highlands I graduated from Marathon Finisher to Marathon Runner. Four years ago I missed out on my sub 4 hour target. This time I banished the bad experience of London and ran with my heart to finish inside 3:14! That gives me hope that one day I might actually be good for my age!

To complete the hat trick, running my first foreign marathon in Amsterdam is also right up there. Combining those three races over a five week period was certainly a special time that’ll never forget. After London in 2009, I’d questioned whether I had the heart to run a whole marathon and it had discouraged any future attempts even though there was a fire burning within. Football was an obstacle at the time. I’m not big on regret but I do regret that I didn’t do a challenge like this sooner.  I’m only now beginning to realise my potential so it’s hard not feel a tinge of regret for the time lost. This challenge was a great way to overcome that barrier and it has offered me some form of redemption for the years lost.

It’s not just the big ticket events which stand out for me. Running has also given me a freedom to explore. Running through the Tiergarten and along an unusually traffic free Strasse des 17. Juni up to the Brandenburg Gate in Berlin ranks as one of my favourite moments of 2013. Berlin had a big impact on me and it has certainly pushed the Berlin Marathon to the top of my bucket list! 

Berlin… I can’t wait to run a marathon here one day

A small random act of solidarity which embodies the everything l like about the running community will also stick with me. A soldier from the local barracks was out jogging and just before we crossed paths and without warning he offered the ‘low five’. We were both going at a decent pace. He was a complete stranger and it was the most random thing ever but it was cemented by a thunderous slap. We were running! Most runners are complete strangers from such diverse backgrounds yet we’re united by our love of running.

For various reasons I’ve struggled to get my friends involved in running with me so when they have joined me I’ve really enjoyed the banter. Sam has always been a willing partner. But for injury there’s no doubt he would have joined me for more races. I’ll keep plugging away at him! I would have definitely liked to have got more people running though!

I’ll always remember when John Mac and I jogged in the stifling humidity surrounding Kensington and around Hyde Park before an awards dinner. It was only for half an hour but it was a welcome change of scenery and it was certainly interesting dodging the pedestrians in Kensington during rush hour. John has kept me entertained through the year by reminding me of his peak when he was 26.

Twitter… My Introduction to a Wider Running World

Twitter has been unexpected outlet where I feel I’ve been connected to the running world. Running can feel very solitary at times especially if you’re not part of a running club. 99% of training I have done alone, left to my own thoughts. It’s easy to let the mind wander or let your standards slip. I’ve swapped tweets with so many positive people with incredibly diverse backgrounds from all over the world, including elite runners, world record holders, published authors, club runners and beginners. What stands out is that they have three things in common… their positivity, selfless support of others and the joy of running! Regardless of their ability and experience I’ve definitely drawn strength from these amazing people.

To swap stories and tips and to see the great progress people have made has kept me honest throughout the year. I for one have been massively grateful for the genuine support shown towards my challenge. I only hope that my challenge can serve as a good example to others of what’s possible. I hope next year i’ll get to catch up with some people in person on race day.

There are too many people to mention but if you’re reading this and we’ve shared a few tweets then this is a personal message for you… You are immense! Weather you are a back of the pack runner, just starting out or a seasoned club runner, keep doing what you’re doing because you never know who is watching or who you are inspiring! You’ve definitely kept me going!

In isolation it’s easy to think that you are doing something unique or are doing the most a person can do to improve but Twitter has shown that there’s always someone working harder and doing more creative challenges and I find that a great source of motivation and encouragement. Likewise there’s been a lot of interest in my challenge. Twitter peeps are constantly bouncing off each other and supportive, particularly the @ShabbaRunners and friends. It has opened my mind to whole new level of thinking in terms of what‘s achievable. If you think it’s not possible. I guarantee there’s someone out there doing it!

Conversely, it has also put in to context the difficulty of the challenge that I, along with others, have faced this year. 2013 miles in 2013 seemed like a popular challenge but not all that started have finished for a number of reasons such as injury, family commitments, other pressures etc. Over time it’s felt fairly straightforward for me and it’s easy to forget that there were a lot of obstacles which could have derailed the challenge at any point in the year.

I wasn’t alone though. @dennis_hussey finished his 2013 mile challenge on the exact same day as me at Cannon Hill Parkrun. I’ve enjoyed catching up with Dennis and watching his progress through the year. We don’t know each other but we’ll always have something in common. @lornahannahmac was another who passed 2013 miles in 2013 on the same day, rounding off with a 20.13km run.

I have also drawn strength from reading the experiences of other blog writers in the UK and USA. Swapping stories has been both educational and entertaining.

Running is a Selfish Sport

On reflection I’ve had to make some sacrifices but in turn I’ve learned a lot, mainly about myself, my friends and the people around me. In the past I could drop everything at a whim and meet up with friends in other cities for big weekend sessions. This year I haven’t and it’s been interesting to see the reaction. I’m lucky that I’ve had a small number of supportive people around me who have been very understanding of my single-mindedness, none more so than my other half Gemma.

She by far has been my biggest supporter and has had to put up with the most. She was at almost every single one of my races supporting me, often waiting for hours on end. She even camped out for the 12 hour night race. What was amazing is that we managed to spot each other at every race, even at the busy marathons! She’s put up with me going out running every night and at weekends. Hardest of all she’s put up with me sitting on the laptop planning the year around running, writing blogs and my general quietness when things have been constantly ticking over in my head. Somehow saying thank you just doesn’t do it justice.

Running is quite a selfish sport and can be hard on those close to you. You become obsessed with every detail. I’ll admit a lot of the time I’ve fallen into that trap.

Looking Ahead to 2014

I’ve thoroughly enjoyed the challenge which had so many more highs than it had lows. Even the few disappointments I had were positive learning experiences. If anything, I felt sad about closing the door on a chapter which had exceeded my expectations. I’ve fallen in love with running. It’s like a drug. We might not always get on but I’m passionate about it.

2013 has been a pretty epic year. The big question which played on my mind was could I match or even surpass what I’d done? I’ve had a lot of time to think about 2014 and it’s been difficult as I’ve had to reassess my goals but I’ll cover that in Part 2.

What’s certain is I want to build on the progress I’ve made in 2013. I want to go further afield and use running to explore bits of the world. The New York City Marathon is still a dream. Running the Berlin Marathon has also become a priority for the future. It excites me that I’ve had my eyes opened to so many opportunities and from hereon in my path could go in any direction!

I do miss playing football and the team dynamic. Maybe one day I’ll return. Being much fitter than I was would only benefit my game and I’m sure I’ll make the odd appearance here and there for my old club.

For now I want to say a massive thank you for staying with me through the year. I know I drone a lot but I’ve tried to be honest throughout and share my experience in my own words. I could write so much more. I’m often over-analytical and I’ve tried to spare everyone from the level of ridiculous over-analysis that I’m often prone to so I hope you have enjoyed it and haven’t found it too monotonous.

The blog started out as a means to record and share my experiences and to a large extent I think it ‘s remained true to that. Is my story encouraging or is it full of nonsense? I don’t know. I thought I’d only get 2 or 3 readers but it’s nice to see the blog has had almost 1,200 hits and has been viewed in 16 countries including the USA, France, Germany and Russia extending as far as India, Brunei, Hong Kong and Indonesia.

Next year I’m hoping to focus more on practical topics of running which might be useful for runners and non runners a like, whilst injecting a bit more humour. Whether that’s hints and tips I pick up on training, nutrition or race strategy, to an objective review of a race (rather than focus on my own performance within races) I’m hoping you’ll find it useful.

I’m always grateful for the feedback. I’m also open to suggestions of what you’d like to read about in the future so let me know.

On that note it’s time for me to close that chapter and move onto the next challenge! Thanks for sticking with me! I’m looking forward to 2014, I hope you are too!

Total Mileage: 1,929 miles

5.5 Mile Average: 1,842 miles

Monthly Mileage: 139 miles

84 miles to go…

I’m almost in the surburbs of Moscow. Hopefully it won’t be long before I knock off the remaining few miles!

From Marathon to 10K

After finishing my second marathon in 3 weeks my attentions quickly turned to the last remaining race target to check off my list… a sub 40 minute 10k.

The first thing I had to do was find a 10k event. I found three! The first one was the Leeds Abbey Dash, a flat and fast course by all accounts but it was only 3 weeks after Amsterdam. The second was The Percy Pud 10k in Sheffield. A quick internet search showed that the route was undulating. Lastly, I came across the Leeds Christmas 10k on the 8th December. It looked quite similar to the Leeds Abbey Dash but the promise of a hill at the end put me off slightly seeing as though I was gunning for a PB.

I decided the Leeds Abbey Dash was my best bet. I had enough slack in the year to lower the daily mileage for the 3 week period leading up to the race. I mainly did short tempo and fartlek sessions interwoven with short recovery runs and fortunately didn’t feel any ‘hangover’ from Amsterdam.

Chasing PBs

The weekend before the 10k, I ran my first Parkrun in a while, with the aim of finishing in under 19 minutes. It had only been 2 weeks since the Amsterdam Marathon and I’d put on some erm… ‘post marathon weight’, but I was confident.

I’d set my 5k personal best of 19:14 back in April and so much had happened since then. In the end I dragged myself round to finish 5th out of 331 but more importantly I crossed the line in 18:48, knocking 26 seconds off my previous best. It was a tough effort but this would be a great confidence builder for the following week.

Race day came. This was it! Hopefully, this would be my final attempt at a personal best time for the year. Before I knew it I’d crossed the finish line in 39:08, knocking 1 minute 21 seconds off my previous best. It was a great feeling! Later I reflected that dipping under 39 minutes was not beyond my reach.

That was the complete set! The SLAM! I’d achieved PBs in 5k, 10k , half marathon and marathon… all within a 9 week period! Not bad… not bad at all; even for someone as self-deprecating as me.

What I learned was how accurate the McMillan Calculator is as a race time predictor. If I entered my Great North Run time of 1:27 it projected I could run 5k in 18:47 and 10k in 39:01. Pretty accurate! I’m not sure about the prediction for a marathon though! I can dream… until next year! 😉

I’d hit all my race targets. I’d made a list of ‘dream’ times in my head for every distance from 5k to marathon. At the start of the year I wasn’t convinced I had it in me. I thought the self doubt was me being realistic and managing my expectations.

It turns out I was completely wrong. Now I have achieved them, if anything, my expectations have fundamentally changed. I’m not entirely satisfied with my current best. I know there’s more in me. Is that my character or have I changed? I’m not sure. Am I never completely satisfied? Probably!

You’d be forgiven for thinking I’ve become a bit of a PB chaser lately. It’s true, I probably have. I haven’t been going for personal bests in every event though. I’ve deliberately targeted when to peak. I spent a lot of time in the earlier part of the year gaining experience and learning how to race. Then it started in September with the confidence of having almost two marathon training cycles in my legs.

I’ve said this before but I want the challenge to mean more than just plodding along aimlessly for 2013 miles. The challenge and personal bests have reinforced each other to keep me going throughout the year.

160 miles to go…

Whilst I’ve hit all my personal race targets the challenge is far from over. I still had the small question of 160 miles left to run before I reach the icy climes of Moscow.

At this point there were 45 days left. An average of 3.5 miles a day! It sounds straightforward enough but I was wary of losing focus without a race to aim for! Nevertheless, it should be all down hill from here with the focus of completing the miles to keep me motivated. I was in a great position!

Oh how wrong I was!

It was time to ramp up the mileage again in an attempt to finish well before Christmas. I really noticed the shift from the milder autumn to the cooler, darker, wintry nights. It seems to have happened so quick making it slightly harder to even get out the door!

Not long after plodding around I began to feel something I hadn’t felt before; a niggle in my knee. I’ve been very fortunate with injury but that’s not to say it’s been smooth sailing. Privately and unaffectionately known as ‘chase the injury’, it’s something I’ve had to manage all year.

Picture an Acme cartoon character plugging a hole in a water pipe… then another hole sprouts. The character then plugs that but two more holes sprout before the character has no more limbs to plug the holes and the pipe bursts. That sums it up!

I won’t go into detail but I’ve had a series of niggles throughout the year that have likely arisen as a result of overtraining and not properly dealing with the initial niggle with rest. My body has then overcompensated and caused a niggle somewhere else.

After finishing the Leeds Abbey Dash the rest of the month has consisted of running between 10-13 miles every other day followed by a 7 mile recovery run. On the 28th I was attempting to run 15 miles but was cut short at 12 miles by a sharp stabbing pain in my knee.

“Oh sh*t!”

I walked for a couple of minutes but felt no pain so tried to continue. Within 3 steps my knee shouted at me “Are you having a laugh?” before I had to stop. I wasn’t panicking but I was slightly worried that this was something more than a niggle. Unfortunately this has put paid to any grand finish I might have had planned.

My next run was the last run of November; an 8 mile steady run, and I’m now being propped up by a knee support. I still have 84 miles to go. Suddenly this has become a much more difficult end to the challenge.

But it wouldn’t be fun if it was so easy would it?! 😉

Total Mileage: 1,656

5.5 Mile Average: 1,500

Monthly Mileage: 212

357 miles to go… the countdown begins!

Deep into Soviet territory I’m just shy of the Russian border in Belarus. Moscow is getting closer and closer! I only have 357 miles to go!

I’m now 156 miles ahead of the 5.5 mile average; the equivalent of 28 days in hand. It’s looking likely that I am on course to reach the Soviet capital by  early December. I hear it’s pretty cold this time of year! I need one of those Russian hats and some vodka!

Time seems to be flying now! September was THE most important month for me personally! It would determine whether the running I’d done for the last 8 months had meant something a bit more than just miles in the bank. It sounds so serious doesn’t it? Ha ha. I don’t mean it to. Coming off the back of an ultra event I had two big races to tackle; the Great North Run on the 14^th and the Loch Ness Marathon on the 29^th.

The Last Long Run & Tapering

I started the month with my final preparations for the Loch Ness Marathon. My last long run of 3 hours took me over 23.5 miles. Thus began the 3 week tapering phase of my marathon programme.

I got twitchy as I found it difficult to reduce my mileage. I felt like I was losing momentum and fitness but I had to trust in my training. I began to get irritable. My sessions began to decrease in duration but the intensity increased. Every other session through the week was a fartlek or interval session divided up by an easy recovery session in between and finishing with a longer tempo run on a Sunday.

The Great North Run

I couldn’t fully relax though as the Great North Run was around the corner. Only a week after running my last long run I lined up with thousands of others in Newcastle to take on one of the most popular half marathons in the world!

I was taking this race seriously. I hadn’t aimed for a PB since the North Lincolnshire Half Marathon back in April and I really wanted to dip under 1:30 before the end of the year. I only had to find less than two minutes and I felt confident given that I’d increased my weekly mileage since April and had almost another marathon training cycle banked in my legs.

In my mind there were only two obstacles beyond my control… the weather and the bunching at the beginning. In the week building up the race the forecast predicted rain and quite a gusty head wind. Fortunately whilst it was wet and there was still a breeze it really wasn’t too bad.

I nearly got caught out at the start as the crowds queued to get into the starting pens. Despite queuing for a quite a while, security closed our pen and told us to go to the back which was about ¾ mile further back.

Cue panic and anger from about 50 runners who had been waiting patiently to get in. I started jogging to the back where I spotted an opening where someone had mercifully lifted up the Heras fencing. In a swift SAS style move I crawled under the gap. Yeah! I don’t just run, I crawl too! Result! I was saved from having to overtake thousands of people at the start!

I was in a pen where the expected finish time of runners was 1:45. I would still end up overtaking quite a lot but I’d become quite adept at this now. After a mass ‘Gangnam Style’ we were off.

My strategy was to run the first 5 miles at 7min/pace before picking up the pace but that went out the window almost as quick as I crossed the start line. Within 2 miles we were crossing the Tyne Bridge and into Gateshead. I apparently missed the Red Arrows completely at this point.

The 5k mark came quickly in 20:29. 10k was completed in 41:19, only 45 seconds slower than my 10k PB! It was faster than I expected but I’d created a buffer and felt strong.

15k was passed in 1:01:44 as we entered South Shields. This was where it got tough but I was on target! I ploughed through, catching a glimpse of my support team and giving them a thumbs up and crossing the line in exactly 1:27! I was sore but delighted! At the start of the year if someone told me I’d run under 1:30 I would have laughed it off completely. Like any runner I’ve had ‘dream’ targets in my head which I would love to achieve and this was THE one for a half marathon.

Is the Marathon the pinnacle for a ‘Runner’?

I couldn’t bask in the glory of my achievement for too long as I needed to get ready for the ‘bigger’ race of a marathon. Personally for me the marathon is the pinnacle of running. Don’t get me wrong I enjoy other distances too but the marathon takes something a bit more. I can largely get away with it up to 13 miles. Running anything over 13 miles gets tougher but once you get over 20 miles it gets exponentially harder.

On the other side I’d put ultras in a different category to running. Last year I ran my first ultra and I think that requires a completely different mindset and type of fitness. They’re harder in many respects but most people can’t or don’t run the whole event. I hadn’t run the whole 52 miles for Hell on the Humber. I’d stopped for food and drink and walked for periods. I didn’t feel the same sense of achievement as if I’d have run without stopping but realistically that would have been practically impossible. It just doesn’t appeal to me as much. In reality they aren’t less of an achievement. Ultras are just different. As irony would have it, until this month, I’d completed more ultra events than marathons!

My love affair with the marathon started as a teenager and I’ve entered the London Marathon ballot pretty much every year since I turned 18. After several failed ballot attempts I was lucky enough to finally be awarded a place for 2009. It wasn’t the dream debut I hoped for though, lumbering to a finish in 4:26 after aiming for sub 4 hours. In my mind it was a failure as I began to walk at 21 miles after ‘hitting the wall’, that infamous expression which strikes fear and horror into any runner. I did manage to pull myself together to run from mile 25 but the damage was done. I had COMPLETED a marathon but I hadn’t RUN a marathon.

From that moment I respected the distance much more. In a perverse way I was hooked and I wanted to do it again but I wanted to do it right and playing football still took priority. Football has taken a back seat since last year. This year has given me the chance to prepare properly. London 2009 was the ‘monkey on my back’ so to speak and I needed to knock that monkey right off there!

Back in June I’d actually run a marathon distance in training but I still didn’t consider myself a marathon runner. I needed to do it at an event. The intention was to do it at Amsterdam but I’d read good things about the Loch Ness Marathon and the opportunity was too difficult to turn down.

The Loch Ness Marathon

I set off for Inverness after finding out for the 8th time in 9 attempts that I’d been unsuccessful in the London Marathon ballot. I was more disappointed than ever to get the ‘Sorry’ magazine. It wasn’t because I wasn’t actually running but because I was rejected again; like I wasn’t invited to the party. I couldn’t dwell on it too long though and I was made up for the people I speak to on Twitter who had been successful.

After a 7 hour drive north we arrived in the beautiful city of Inverness but I felt like I’d already been in a race. I hadn’t put any pressure on myself to achieve a particular time but I had targets in my head. Worst case was to finish in 4 hours. Target A was to finish within 3:15. Target B was 3:20. I suspected I wouldn’t have been happy if I didn’t run the whole distance.

Feeling it but the crowd got me through!

The course was tougher than I expected. The first 7-8 miles were predominantly down hill which sounds great in theory but they were often followed by short up hills and the impact of running down hill took its toll on my thighs. I’d trained on hills but I hadn’t expected it to be this relentless. I was feeling rough and doubt began to creep in. I became genuinely concerned I wouldn’t be able to run the whole distance. Knowing there was a monster hill at mile 19 played on my mind.

I’d completed the first half in 1:34 so I was well on target for a good time but I worried whether I’d done too much damage already. In the supposedly flat section of the course there were still a lot of undulations. It was never ending.

I couldn’t contemplate how I was going to get up the hill and then it eventually arrived. From somewhere I mustered the courage and determination to attack the hill. It wasn’t going to beat me! Shockingly, I passed quite a few people and it wasn’t long before I reached the top.

The last 6 miles seemed to last forever. I was running on reserves fueled only by adrenaline and the determination not to walk. I’d feel like I’d failed if I walked, regardless of time. I logically told myself that it would be over quicker the faster I ran. This fear of failure and logic kept me going.

Backed by the crowd support I somehow pulled through and actually seemed to finish strongly crossing the line in 3:13:55. I’d achieved my top target. There was nothing dignified about the celebration though. 2 minutes after crossing the line I was on my hands and knees chundering but that made it all the better! I knew in that moment I’d given that marathon everything I had!

I’d also learned a lot about myself. I’d invested so much time, effort and mileage into running the marathon. This had been what my training was geared towards and I’d achieved what I set out to do. Now I could I finally call myself a marathon RUNNER. I’d exorcised that demon which had haunted me since my last marathon 5 years ago.

For the first time in a while I felt like the pressure was off. The Amsterdam Marathon was only 3 weeks away but for the first time in a while I could relax and I enjoyed a few drinks that night.

350 miles to go…

It’s going to be tough for October to live up to the last few months. In the last 6 weeks I’ve run 52 miles in an ultra night race, a sub 1:30 minute half marathon and a sub 3:15 marathon. How do I top that?

I’ve probably overshadowed the Amsterdam Marathon a bit. I’d like to say that I can go for it again and have a go at my new PB but I don’t think 3 weeks is going to be long enough to recover. On the flip side I might actually relax a little and enjoy the event rather than being too focused on achieving a time. I’ve even been looking at fancy dress ideas!

I know I’m definitely looking forward to ticking off the remaining 350 miles to finally reach my year long target safe in the knowledge that I’ve achieved and even exceeded almost every performance target I’ve set myself this year for each race distance.

Look at that! So close to Moscow! I hope the Kremlin is getting Christmas dinner ready for me! I’ve been incredibly lucky to stay healthy and not have any big hitches especially with the way I chow down on chocolate! I just hope that the last few hundred miles are as enjoyable as the ones I’ve completed so far!

On reflection it’s amazing how far I’ve come. I’ve become a sub 20 5k runner. I’ve gone from a sub 50 10k runner to almost breaking 40 minutes. A sub 2 hour half marathoner to sub 1:30. Knocked over an hour off my marathon PB. If you are reading this and are at a similar ability to what I was at the start of the year then I hope you can take motivation from how much I’ve improved and what is possible!