It is traditional at this time of year to look back at what has happened over the last twelve months. BBC 6Music have their album of the year chart, there was the Sports Personality of the Year awards, and Charlie Brooker has pre-empted his 2014 Screen Wipe with this look at a cruel 2014. I have also been reminiscing.
January: By the time the new year rolled around I was already a few weeks into training for the Leeds Half Marathon. I had managed to keep running during Christmas and had increased the distance of my weekly runs to 8k. I had also taken the decision to stop running along the canal. People had warned me about the hills of the Leeds Half so long flat runs were not going to do me any favours. Total distance 108.16km
February: February was cold, cold and wet. Leeds had been spared the storms that washed away railway lines in Devon and had flooded Somerset, but we still had our fair share of inclement weather. One particularly cold, wet and windy run, I found out first hand the pain and discomfort that comes from joggers-nipple. In fact, there was quite a bit of chafing in February as I tried out different kit for the Leeds Half, but I won't go into the details hear. Total Distance 141.64km
March: My training continued during March but this was the month that something changed. March was when I started to think of myself as a runner. It happened during one of my Sunday long slow runs. My new hilly route took my up Churwell Hill and back down Gelderd Road. I was on my way back home, with Leeds glinting in the morning light, and a smile crept across my face. I was running, on a Sunday morning, when most of Leeds was still asleep, and it felt good. Total Distance 176.8km
April: It had been five months since I had taken part in the 2013 Abbey Dash and I was still a month away from the Leeds Half but April saw my first race of 2014, the Harewood 10k. Having signed up on a whim I had no idea what to expect however I found out that the race was on and off road and could be very muddy. Muddy is an understatement but the race was fantastic. It was a clear day and Harewood House was a fantastic backdrop as we raced around the grounds. I finished in 54:10 due to a massive hill at the end. I then set my sights on May's Leeds Half Marathon. Total Distance 161.97km
May: After 25 weeks of training it was finally here, the Leeds Half Marathon. Although I had put the miles in I still wasn't sure that I would be able to get around the course in my target of 2 hours. I set off too far too fast and in the end I missed my goal by 8 minutes, finishing in a staggering 1:51:48. Over the moon doesn't do justice to how good I felt crossing the finish line. All of the training had been worth it and I could now relax, but not for long as I had unfinished business with the Leeds 10k to deal with in July. Total Distance 133.26km
June: During June I took a bit of time out from constant running. I still ran two to three times a week but having smashed the Leeds Half I didn't feel like I needed to prove anything or punish myself, how wrong I was. I signed up for the Pudsey 10k and knowing that I could cover the distance in around 50 minutes I set off, too fast again. Only this time I didn't manage to maintain the pace and I finished in a very disappointing 56:20. I have unfinished business with the Pudsey 10k but that can wait until 2016. Total Distance 82.28km
With half of the year gone I had covered 804.11km and, the disappointment of the Pudsey 10k aside, I had done it with my head held high. The Harewood 10k and Leeds Half had both given me new official PB's for their distances and I had a clutch of new training t-shirts to wear, which was a good job as I had lost a load of weight along the way. The rest of the year was stretching out in front of me. Six more months of doing the thing I had come to love the most, running. Or at least, that is what I thought!
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