2012 The racing year is over(maybe).

2012......


The first race of the year was the Devil's burden. I am not a hill runner and it's huge thanks to Rhian for getting me through this race BUT I did enjoy it and we had some great laughs in the time we were out there.


The next race of the year was Forfar 1/2 marathon. Not a lot to say, icy day where skates were more appropriate. You had to stop many times to have your race number punched so difficult to assess how fast you had run. Anyway I enjoyed it on the whole and there were quite a few Harriers makingit a nice wee sociable Sunday. 1.46.57.


A few weeks later and it was National XC, quite enjoyed this but don't think I really ran all that well.


The next run was the D33 which I was really excited about. I was running this with Nic and Rhian. We had a nice meal the night before and all plans were good for getting to race etc. I felt I ran ok at this but found it hard running on the flat for so long. Rhian and Iran together the whole way finishing in 5.09.59.



A group of us headed off for the Road relay's which was a fast run on the strangest course. Doug and I were battling it out all the way with Doug leaving me for dead in the final sprint. Revenge will be sweet.

The next race was the one I was so looking forward to and has been the highlight of my year and infact my whole running life. 53 miles ran with Rhian and just had a blast. Yescould have gone much faster but would have lost the enjoyment that we had. The worst part of this race was it coming to an end, I wanted to keep going. 11.55.19.


The women's 10k was next. I hadn't ran this race for a few years but my Mum and Sav wanted to run so I signed up, 2 weeks post Fling but I was only going to bimble with them. NOT, they both pulled out leaving me to actually have to run this!! I struggled and huffed and puffed and felt terrible but a P.B is a P.B. 42.44.

3rd June saw me head over to Dunfermline after a nightshift to run in the 5k there. Sol was going to be racing in the same race for the first time and this made me nervous. Who want's beaten by their son? But that's what happened, great result for him 2nd place and as a consolation prize I was 2nd lady. Sol 19.02 and me 20.59 :-(. This race killed my confidence and while in my heart I knew Sol could beat me it wasn't a great feeling and to be honest running post nightshift isn't great.

This totally robbed me of motivation for racing and really indeeed training with any real purpose. The summer bimbled along with a half hearted attempt at running and this showed in my horrendous performance in the club's 5x5. It didn't re motivate me I just felt worse. Life got in the way of getting any real routine going and although I did do a few classes, a few swims and regular runs they were of poor standard. By then I had entered G033, I hoped I could summon up the motivation to get my head back in the game.

September was the club's hill relay and I did get back into training with a bit more effort and on the day helped organise things and ran leg 4. The glory leg, I really liked this leg and gave it my all, I felt I ran well and thought I had silenced the demon's and would have my hunger to race back.

The hunger vanished quickly and I struggled to get any interest to race. My training was improving slightly but in a very sporadic way. I knew GO33 was looming but could not do anything about it. Managed to get a 14 miler in followed by a 10 miler the next day but that was it.

October saw the return of the XC league and having my great friend join me on the start line in her first run as a Harrier was the kickup the backside I needed. Wendy told me on the morning of the race that she was running so I had no time to formulate any excuses. Wendy is a great runner who had recently ran a great half PB, I knew she was on form and I would need to run my best to finish in front of her. We both ran well and I did come in first but I am under no illusion that the next race will be a harder battle. 26.53.


The finale for me was GO33 and I loved it this year. In the run up I didn't put in the training and my piriformus was playing up so I went with no real expectations. I took the advice of my good friend Sus who told me just to treat it as a day out and enjoy. This I did, I loved every mile of this race this year and yeah I was probably slower than last year but it's hard to tell with the distance change but I felt so different to last year. A huge part of this was the support from Tony, Fi, Sus and the boys who were fantastic. Finishing with Levi, Dan and Scott was great. The last hour was spent listening to  WHW podcast, it was one I had heard before but it was listening to Deb's blog about GUCR, those who know me will know that it was reading about Deb's adventures that got me into this ultra running along with passing her in person at the Clydestride in 2010(I ran along behind her scared to pass her, I was in the relay and she was doing the whole thing). My race finishing picture says it all for me, I look ecstatic and that's how I felt. I wasn't first or anywhere near it but it was a huge challenge and achievement for me.

In addidtion to my running I have spent a lot of time supporting Sol in his running, I have gotten great joy from this and can't wait to see what 2013 holds for him. This is the year he has really stuck in and with his new trainng regime at Strathtay combined wit his Harriers training I think he has a lot to give next year. To a lesser extent but with equal joy I have supported my wee boy Levi develop his running this year and see real progress from him My beautiful Sav, well she is still only dabbling with running but is at present thinking about the Marcothon which may just be the thing to firm up her desire to run.


2013.......... No decisions yet, that is for another post.

Highlights of 2012:-
 Highland Fling, G033 and a 10k PB. Also watching my 3 children compete in the Junior GSR which ended in an age group win for Sol and his first cash prize and a dead heat between my oldest and youngest, what's the chances of that with chip timing!

Low points:-
Dunfermline 5k and general lack of racing hunger.


So it's all over unless I run the XC at Cupar!!!!!