Note to self: must try harder....
Why have I, once again left it nearly a year before blogging again? It's not as if I don't have the time. The truth is that running is again pretty much a constant in my life, but perhaps I don't feel the urge to communicate the minuteae to the world - a few photos on Twitter and Instagram seem enough.
It may be because I've read a few blogs from runners that are just so self-absorbed, and I would hate any reader to turn away with that idea. One in particular was turned into a book that I downloaded for Kindle. It remains unfinished, while most other running books get devoured with great speed.
(I really should blog about great running books..)
Anyway, the adventures of a 62 year old runner and his crazy spaniel continue. Mainly we can be found on Dartmoor plodding about, but the last 12 months has also seen lots of goals set and most of them achieved.
I've raced 4 times over more than 50 km on trails since December 2016. I am currently unbeaten as an MV60 at these distances.
I've been able to run 3 Fell Running Association fell races, from a clifftop race in Dorset of 12 km, to a Yomp in the upper Eden Valley of 34 km. In each of these I've found 3 or 4 old 'uns quicker and / or more experienced on the terrain.
Four of my favourite outings have been on Dartmoor, ranging from the local village fell race of 16km up to the 55km full North to South Crossing of Dartmoor.
I didn't get into UTMB - OCC in 2017 but have doubled my chances to get in for 2018. I've now got quite a few qualifications points - having run 74 km and 80 km races this year, I can now even go for the next one up, CCC. But let's not push my luck too much.
I am now in two running clubs. As a "masters athlete" I joined my local regional club, South West Veterans AC, and have worn the purple colours whenever I could. I have also recently joined the running group Tamar Trail Runners. Despite this, virtually every mile of my running is done alone, or should I say, with no human company. Cocoa gets to do nearly all of it, apart from the races, which seems a little unfair. Although he has completed Killerton and Tamar Trails Parkruns and has a PB of under 26 minutes with the berk on the other end of the lead.
I have been taking coaching advice since February from an experienced mountain runner and ex English Fell running champion, Natalie White, who is based in Chamonix.
I currently have 7 pairs of trail / mountain running shoes on the go, and one pair of road shoes that I never use.
I have been through the "Hoka phase" and have now grown up. My last purchase was a pair of Inov8 X-TALONS.
I've got a race coming up this weekend: the Endurance Life Coastal Trail series Gower Ultra.
Hopefully I will actually post a blog about that soon.
Evolved to run. Born to run. Older, greyer, still running.
