This year has been bloody amazing so far. I've taken part in some incredible races and had some unforgettable experiences. The last 3 days has really opitimised this for me.
On Saturday I took part in the Helly Hanson Beauty and the Beast trail marathon. To tell you how it went, I'd like to explain my preconceptions before the race:
In reality, this race turned out to be one of my favourites so far this year.
In particular, laps turned out to be motivating - making pacing feel less of a chore, and providing a better sense of how far into the race I was, and how far I had to go. The trail was varied, wooded, exciting, and hilly. Yes, it was hilly! I didn't bosh out a quick time (4hours 20minutes), but instead I enjoyed making friends with the other runners; I made friends with the marshalls; I made faces at the photographer; I highfived children; I cheered back at the spectators and I had a lot of fun. The day was incredibly well organised, the goody bag at the end was packed, and they even offered a swap-your-old-techical-tee-for-a-new-one, which I took advantage of.
I would love to do this again next year, and to see if I could improve on my 10th place finish.
And then today; today I find myself featured in Men's Running magazine.
As part of my competition win to Ultraks, Men's Running promised a feature in their magazine which came through our letter box today. It is very cool to find pictures of me gracing the magazine I've been reading for the past year!
To think of the luck that has befallen me in the last year is to remember:
It's been a good year, and it's not even over.
On Saturday I took part in the Helly Hanson Beauty and the Beast trail marathon. To tell you how it went, I'd like to explain my preconceptions before the race:
- 6 laps would be dull, and soul destroying
- The 'trail' was going to be lacklustre
- It would be badly organised
- The atmosphere would be crap
In reality, this race turned out to be one of my favourites so far this year.
In particular, laps turned out to be motivating - making pacing feel less of a chore, and providing a better sense of how far into the race I was, and how far I had to go. The trail was varied, wooded, exciting, and hilly. Yes, it was hilly! I didn't bosh out a quick time (4hours 20minutes), but instead I enjoyed making friends with the other runners; I made friends with the marshalls; I made faces at the photographer; I highfived children; I cheered back at the spectators and I had a lot of fun. The day was incredibly well organised, the goody bag at the end was packed, and they even offered a swap-your-old-techical-tee-for-a-new-one, which I took advantage of.
And then today; today I find myself featured in Men's Running magazine.
To think of the luck that has befallen me in the last year is to remember:
- Winning entry into Wildman in November last year, and then coming second
- Winning a pair of Vibrams in June, and subsequently being befriended by the Primal Lifestyle company at their London Zoo 10k this month
- Winning entry into Ultraks, and then speaking to the editor of Men's Running ready to be translated onto the pages of his magazine
- Making like minded friends through Twitter and featuring in a Run Commuters blog
It's been a good year, and it's not even over.
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