Running year review 2021

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It has Bean a funny year

After the chaos that was 2020 this year passed off without incident....

Maybe not.

2021 was another pandemic affected year with various degrees of restrictions, lockdowns and cancellations. On a personal note it was also quite traumatic. Whether this was the reason for exceeding my running goals I am not sure, but exceed them I did.

My goals were to run 52 long runs, - half marathon distance or more - beat my parkrun PB and run 21 marathons in 2021. The usual aim of running the miles of the year (2021) still stood.

I hit the target of 52 runs on June 11th and set a new goal of 100. My final total was 108, more than two per week. I completed 32 marathons of which 17 were ultra distances. The total miles I ran in the year was 2353. I didn't get close to a 5K PB though.

There were many memorable runs. Here are a selection of them in no particular order.

There were also numerous trail runs and the regular 5k with YPOM (Your Pace Or Mine running club) on a Tuesday. I started a weekly interval session which was well attended and began to do some 1-2-1 coaching with a few people. It was also good to see parkrun back again.

In addition to the runs I managed to publish two running articles in Like the Wind magazine and publish the first edition of my running 'zine Shin Splintz. A book proposal is also with a publisher although no response as yet...and Matt and I have founded London Ultra Runners with over 100 Instagram followers and growing.

This year I have read the following running books:
Time to set some new goals for 2022:
  1. 100 lifetime marathons is definitely achievable. That would mean completing 20 in the year. 
  2. A trail running weekend in the Brecon Beacons.
  3. The Pilgrim Challenge 
  4. Peak 50 miler.
  5. Centurion Running One Slam event - 600 miles in 100 days
  6. Raising money for National Autistic Society.
  7. 2022 miles in the year.
  8. Three new Shin Splintz 
  9. More Like the Wind articles.
  10. Coaching.
That should do. Here are some photos showing some of the highlights from the year.

3am - supporting Matt to run 100 miles

Running to Ware?

Best running book of 2021!

Football fever

Street Art

Monkey visit - Big T

The average monkey

Interval training

The 'zine

nodnoL nohtaraM

Global Relay

BMRC in Catford

Running the Prime Meridian

Yen Vo running for Newborns Vietnam

Tail running on the Ridgeway

Sign of the times

Night running

In the footsteps of Kilian - Vertical KM

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