I really let this blogging slip... I'll start with an update of the final races that I ran:
Great Yorkshire Run - Sheffield
The race was all flat, fantastic right? Sadly not, the heat during the race was probably the worst I encountered over the entire year, and no amount of water helped to quench an ever growing thirst. The best reprieve I got was running through a shower that had been sent up on a race track, it refreshed me and I managed to pick up the pace for a while. I'd definitely run this race again, fantastically organised and whilst not a great way of seeing the sights, enjoyable and stress free all the way.
Stockton on Forest
If there is one thing I have learnt from this year, give me running through fields and mud over running on tarmac in cities. Not only is there more things to see, the challenge is far greater. In this race I ran through wooded areas, alongside haystacks that were as high as houses and across the tops of hills, looking down across North Yorkshire. This race wasn't too challenging either, and my sister Vikki came along, which was an added bonus. At this point I began to grow weary of running the races, and they felt like somewhat of a burden.
Wistow 10K
Wistow was much the same as Stockton, not surprising being that they are within the same area and offer much the same landscapes and sights. In fact, at points you could have barely told the two races apart, but luckily I loved Stockton and loved this one the same. I think as I got to the end of the year I was less about competition and more about finishing the race and getting it over with. I think I began to resent things because I wasn't preparing myself for the races, my fitness was declining and, at the time, I had just changed jobs and was spending time before/after races moving things out of my flat. Once I got home i'd be unpacking and my weekends had gone. That's life though, and 2012 has been a big year for me.
Pickering
What a great race! This was during the rainy part of October, and whilst it wasn't raining during the race, the ground was sodden. Better yet, the majority of the race was off road, so I was trudging through mud, and puddles, the race became all about running through the puddles, laughing at the people trying to step around them and just having an attitude of enjoying it. I finished the race coated in mud, the water absolutely ruined my feet, the skin tearing off because I didn't have waterproof socks. It was painful, and is still healing now. It was a fantastic feeling to finish that race, the last of the 12.
So how do I feel after running 12 races for charity, and raising over £1,500?
Well, firstly, I feel very proud of what i've achieved and am glad to say that I have been able to do this, and achieve it in memory of my father. 12 months ago I wasn't sure that I would be able to hack it, and when injury struck in only the 3rd race and persisted I thought it could all be over in a second. I feel to have overcome what I have had to in the past 12 months shows great will and determination. I am also happy I was able to be a catalyst towards raising money for BHF, and hope it'll go towards preventing ill health and deaths from heart related problems.
Secondly, the flip side of the coin. I wasn't prepared for this. I didn't realise the sort of training i'd require, the injuries I faced, or how to run a charity campaign. This blog for example wasn't kept very up to date, and there are plenty of other channels, including the many forms of social media that I could have used. I think I will do this again in a few years, and I will approach it as someone who is informed on how it works. I feel that I failed to maximise my fund-raising potential by some way, even if what we raised was such a huge amount.
What next?
Well, on the charity front, I won't be doing any out and out fundraising work for charities over the next 12 months to my knowledge, and if I do, it won't be anything to shout about. What I plan to do instead is work on marketing campaigns for charities, such as social media strategies, and I may even provide them with some videos. I'd also like to start giving blood. I'll be looking forward to the next fundraiser I do though, which I may do in 2014.
On the running front, well, i'm diversifying! Next year I plan to run one 10k, this time the goal is to run it under 40 minutes, rather than to run twelve of them.Secondly, I plan to run a half marathon, and as long as I finish it i will be happy, it's meant as a taster. As well as that I will be competing in two open water swims, again as a taster for the future. I also plan to buy a bike in the spring and start cycling more. Finally, if the opportunity arises, i'd like to compete in an aquathlon (a run and a swim). This year I am working towards fitness goals, reducing my body fat to 10%, increasing muscle mass and looking forward to the future where I plan to compete in marathons, triathlons, adventure races and just about anything I can.
I'll be keeping this blog up and running, and plan to make more of a habit of updating it in the new year as I begin my new training. The focus will shift from the charity campaign to a more generalised blog about the sports I partake in, training, diet etc.
Thank you for following me this year in what has been a defining achievement that I will remember for the rest of my life. I could not have done it without every single one of you. Thank you.
John
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