well that's it. finish work for christmas today and 2 weeks to just chill with karen, the kids and charlie.
i feel mentally exhausted from the year just gone but hope to find some clear head space with some nice long runs over the coming weeks.
we popped out this morning for a quick one at 5.30 and it was fantastic. a crisp cool morning with stars and the moon (well ok 1/5 of it) lighting the sky. it fitting way to end my working year.
the break will also mean firming up plans for 2009 and getting entries sorted.
Happy Christmas!

the rest has ended,the training's begun

it only seems 5 minutes since i was coming through the Snowdononia Marathon finish line at the end of October. That sounds the 'end' of our running year. the usual sequence of events post snowdon are eats lots, drink lots, and eat/drink some more. this celebration usually last anything up to two months, though i vow that in 2009 i shall be a man of less extremes.
anyway, it looks like the rest (of sorts) is over. yesterday we headed up to the lakes for a training run which would take in the first 16miles or so of the lakeland 50. having been out partying til the early hours of saturday morning, i could have done with something a little easier. alas it wasn't to be and so, along with a small but fairly fit bunch of like-minded idiots, we battled the chilling winds, snow and ice that clung to the fells and tops for a good 5 hours. often up to knees in snow it was surely an adventure. the race actually takes place in august so by then hopefully it will have melted and there will be no need for full winter mountain wear and kit.
that said, we wouldn't have it any other way but it does mean that we're off again so the partying needs to receed (maybe just a little)

joy of running

it's 5am. dark. damp. no, wet. cold. and misty.
myself and the pooch head off for what i thought would be a forgettable 5 mile trot round our lanes.
but no. there i was loving every footfall every stride. we could have run forever today.
running never ceases to amaze me how sometimes when you least expect it, you enjoy every single moment of it. even when all the elements are against you.

(nearly) goodbye 2008, (nearly) hello 2009

i can't believe it! how quickly has this year gone.
we've had loads and loads of fun and new adventures in new places, and some familiar ones too. 7 ultras and 1 marathon completed as a 'team' and somewhere around 2500 miles. probably the two that stand out were the highland fling (a great race, wonderful people and our first venture over 50miles) and osmotherley (we knocked 1 hr and 5 mins off last years attempt and it is a special race for us having been our first ultra ever).

being a bit anal, i need to plan 09 well ahead and so i've just about completed selecting the key long races, which will be indespersed with some shorter fell races locally.

so here goes (subject to change)

that's lyth - jan
rombalds stride - feb
high peak marathon - mar
wuthering hike - mar (assuming not still lost on high peak)
spring in lakeland - april
highland fling - april
coast to coast - may (hmm?)
wharfedale - june
osmotherley - july
lakeland 50 - august
ridgeway 85 - august (hmm?)
high peak 40 - sept
snowdon - oct (solo)

eek! that's a few more sneaking in than this year. the coast to coast still deciding about. anyway, looks like some more fun, rain, mud, hills, and inspiring places to be had!
best get training!
later.