It started as it quite often does, in January with me feeling a little unfit. I was desperate to get into top shape for my London marathon debut. I had qualified for the Championship start and so would be starting just behind the elites.
January:
- Feeling unfit, quickly piled into lots of miles.
- Entered Canterbury 10 and came 9th in a solid 59:15. This was a sub maximal effort but showed that the fitness was coming back nicely.
- Getting fitter, still piling the miles in
- Tragically lost a friend in a motorbike accident. Knocked me for six and made me realise you should live life to the full at every opportunity.
- Ran Tunbridge Wells 1/2 Marathon and came a creditable 9th again from a big field. I set an accidental PB of 75:18 in again a sub maximal effort.
- Now starting to feel very fit indeed, the marathon can't come soon enough!
- Found out I was going to be a Dad - my wife has a bun in the oven!
- Came 8th at the Paddock Wood 1/2 Marathon with a new PB of 73:25. I ran fairly easy at this apart from the last three miles when I really put a lot of effort in.
- Beginning to taper.
- I decide on a whim to do the re-arranged Dartford 10. This was a Kent GP race and so should be good points. I decide to do it roughly to marathon effort so as not to waste my marathon training. I came 6th in 56:39. It felt harder than it should have done, getting a little concerned I may have peaked too soon.
- Finish 84th form 35,000+ in my first Virgin London marathon with a PB of 2:33:57. Just awesome day. Had loads of family down to watch and cheer me on. Will live with me forever.
May:
- Take part in the London 2012 Olympic Marathon test event. A great thing to be part of, running round the route to be used in next year's Olympics. We ran to sub three pace and as a result all came in with a time of 2:58.
- Race and win the Beckenham 10k in a new PB of 33:53.
- Race the following week in Liverpool Mersey 10k and finish 5th in a new PB of 33:48. Disappointed it wasn't quicker but on what was a very windy day it wasn't bad.
- Starting to feel a little tired though and ease off training a little bit.
- Now start to think about the Autumn marathon, which will be the inaugural Liverpool marathon on 9th October.
- Start to build the miles back.
- Have a disastrous race at Dartford 1/2 and finish in 1:21:03. Put it down to lots of miles in the legs, no tapering and having an off day. Move swiftly on!
- Busy piling in yet more miles. No races, just need to build the miles.
- See my Big Sis get married (finally) to a top guy.
- Run my first 100+mile week. Feel OK and nice to know I can do it, but wont be doing it too often!
- Run the Kent Coastal marathon and finish first in 2:47 in what is a training run. Ran harder than I wanted to given I was being hunted by my clubmate, Steven Nimmo who finished just 600 metres back. Proud to be Kent County Marathon Champion and Team Marathon Champs too.
- Race the Liverpool marathon in a very tough race. Brutal wind and challenging course mean my time is somewhat down on what I was hoping for. I am proud to really dig in and finish third from 5,000+ in a time of 2:39.
- Race my first Cross Country since school days. Absolutely loved it! Came 12th from a field of about 180 showing the quality that take part. A very challenging course and time is unimportant but a solid and pleasing debut.
- Race the Deal 5 and come in with third place in a new PB of 27:20 on a very very windy day. I didn't have the desire to make second place mine when I probably could have. You cant go to the well every time.
- Confirmed as Kent County Grand Prix winner.
- Decide I ought to do something about my somewhat embarrassing 5k PB and bag a reasonable 16:22. Promise myself that 2012 will see me go under 16 minutes!
- Continue to get consistent weeks of mileage in.
- Wife heavily pregnant and past due date.....
- The greatest and most emotional experience of my life sees my wife give birth to beautiful baby Mia Victoria.
- Try to get into a routine and run when I can.
- Surprised to find that I can still seem to train a bit
- Start building for London Marathon 2012!
2011 hasn't quite finished yet but I will finish the year on about 3255 miles in an average pace of 7:05 per mile. Or just over 383 hours (a smidgen under 16 days) of running if you prefer. This equates to just under 9 miles per day. :-)
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