2012 - Runner reborn

So my running "year of runner-reborn" ends today.
I have pretty much achieved what I set out to do, for which I feel thankful and very lucky. It helps when you have an understanding family, supportive friends and a lifestyle that allows, and I know this is not the case for everyone.

So here's the objectives I set myself at the start:

To run 2012 miles in the calendar year 2012.

According to my GPS tracker software on Endomondo I have finished the year with 3407 km, which is  2117.46 miles. This took me 353.3 hours of "on the feet" time, and theoretically "burned" 328,957 calories

That's 5.78 miles and a Big Mac, medium fries and barbecue sauce every day for a year burned.

To run the 2 big city marathons of London and New York.

The nature of the entry systems meant that I "bought" a charity place, for Spinal Research, in London, pledging to raise at least £1700 and entered New York on the ballot, the results of which I would only know in the week after running London.

To take some "insurance" I entered another marathon in the USA on the weekend following New York, in Richmond, Virginia, as I fully expected the 12-1 against ballot odds to count me out of New York.

I ran London, and had a blast in 4:12:31.

I got in New York on the ballot, and decided to try to run both marathons on successive weekends.

New York was controversially cancelled due to Hurricane Sandy, but I got to run Richmond on the following saturday in 3:48:37.

As the year went on I added some challenges to keep the fund raising going:

To run an ultramarathon.

I ran my first ultramarathon, in Nottingham, on October 7th finishing the 50 km trail / road race in 5 hours 32 minutes.

To run the entire length of the Ridgeway National Trail in 4 days

I completed my 4 days of the 143 km route on sunday December 9th, smiling and surrounded by fantastically supportive family and friends.

So all that remains is to name the running highlights and set some objectives for 2013.

My top 5 for 2012 are:

5. Running a 20 mile training run on the day of the New York Marathon, round lower Manhattan, past ground zero and then finishing with a lap of central park with around 15,000 other runners, mainly foreign, who were determined to have their day out despite the cancellation.

4. The last 4 miles of the Nottingham Ultra. After running through the 26 mile point I realised that the marathon distance was merely a staging point for longer distances and anything might be possible with the right preparation. This changed my running mindset for ever.

3. The third day of the Ridgeway run, which included crossing the 2012 mile point for the year and allowed me to run 5 miles with my son, James on a glorious winter day in the Chilterns. Again I felt the sense of power in being able to cover long distances in all conditions, given the right preparation, and it meant I knew finishing the last 30 km would be relatively easy the next day.

2. My age-graded sub 4 hours "PB" of 3:48:37 in Richmond. This hurt, both from the on the edge endurance running and the achilles pain that was fairly constant. But it made me think I could still get quicker over the marathon distance, something I never believed possible at the beginning of the year.

1. The London marathon. It is an iconic race, with many annoyances due to the large field and the constant weaving around to dodge water bottles. But nowhere surely beats London for support, the views and the huge feel good of so many people all raising money for their personal charities. The total elation I felt after the 21 mile point, when I knew I would be "OK", was unmatched at any other time of the year.

And what of 2013?

So far just three objectives :

1. To run a 3:40 marathon - which is a Boston Qualifier (THE most iconic city marathon that obliges you to have an age-graded time qualification). I have entered Milton Keynes on May 6th.

2. To run a proper mountain marathon. I want this to be the Jungfrau Marathon, in Switzerland in September.

3. To run further than in 2012. An average of 6 miles a day would seem reasonable - and that is 2190 miles.

Evolved to run. Born to run. Older, greyer, still running. Follow @Nariokotomeboy