This year my running focus has been to complete 1000 miles. To complete this with 2 months to go was kinda cool, but also weird. Although I got medals for this I still don't feel like I earned them, and I don't think I'll try this sort of challenge again.
I don't race much but I have missed it, so even though it wasn't a normal race I did take part in the Basingstoke 5k in November, a race I normally attend in May. Run in the dark on the roads round my house I did enjoy this challenge. I think because it was a time challenge against myself. I knew what my 5k PB was and ran to beat it.
With that in mind I decided on one last challenge to finish 2020. A half marathon.
I've only run one offical half (the Reading half back in 2014), although I must have done several when training for the marathon.
At the time it was the furthest I had ever run and seemed quite amazing to me that I could push my body that far. Having now run a full marathon and regularly running 10 miles for my Sunday long runs, a half doesn't seem quite so awe inspiring. However it is still a good distance and one that needs commitment. Also I know what my PB was so I had something to race against.
So this morning, a cold, frosty and grey day, I went out and ran 13.1 miles on the roads around my house. I was well chuffed when I stopped my watch to find a time of 1 hour 53 minutes. Not just under 2hr which had been my main aim, but 3 minutes faster than my half PB.
This was a virtual race, logged with the Lonely Goats Running Club. I love their medal and I'm very proud to have it hanging on my wall.
Over the course of 2020 I managed to run 1271.89 miles. I find that quite amazing. I won't be trying to beat that number in 2021 but I hope that I can keep my mileage up in that regon. Here's to more new PBs in 2021.
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