RE: What next eh?
Looking back on 2017 and it’s been a pretty good year for running. I actually ran three races (two half marathons, and a 10 mile cross country affair); and more happily have had some great jaunts over the Downs with the local loons. However, I have finished the year in a worse condition than when I entered. The last couple months have seen me fighting two colds in quick succession, work stress building, and a blossoming alcohol intake. I have put on weight and lost a lot of running form. Weekly mileage can be measure on the fingers of one hand (in some weeks on the fingers of half a hand).
But this is all changing, and in typical Rawson style I have launched from 3-4 miles a week to 16 so far in the last 6 days. The plan is to run slow and steady during the week with a fast and furious one on the Twittens at the weekend (when I say fast and furious…).
This week, a planned three miler around town with Radar turned into a five and a half miler up the start of the Moyleman; then on Friday I was joined by OATR for a 6 mile flurry up to the top of the Mighty Caburn. This one is my favourite kinds of outing… running into the dusk battling a hoolie.
Today was Twittens. The usual crowd plus a newbie. A young newbie. A young and very fit newbie. The sort of young and very fit newbie who waltzed up the bloody Twittens without breaking a sweat. Somewhat different to the rest of us. But he did put the pressure on.
So, what about 2018? I have nothing really planned, other than I want to re-build my fitness again and get out into the hills on a regular basis. My plan to help build the motivation is to maintain a 2 mile a day average, which worked for me 18 months ago or so. So far, one week in, I am running at 3 miles a day average. My other ambition is to keep the big man running, and get him back into our local WhatsApp group with a spring in his step.
Here’s to 2018!
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