2013 - what a year

This was the year of highs and new experiences, the year when I finally cracked UTMB, the year when I became a serial compulsive fell racer, got some speed and decided I wanted to join Glossopdale Harriers on the fells. Here are some stats:

Number of races: 88;

Number of Ultras: 12 (total since 1996: 170);

Number of 'Hundreds': 2 (total since 2000: 18);

Total distance: 1,577 miles;

Total ascent: no idea, not never I ain't;

PBs: 17 (only when there was a previous completion with which to compare);

Number of continents raced on: 5.

The highs
- Paying my first ever visit to New Zealand and meeting up with ex-pat Jan Danilo and family, completing the Tarawera 100k and a week later completing the Te Houtaewa Challenge down 90 Mile Beach.
- Storming past L50 and L100 runners in that storm to pull off my most storming Lakeland 100 finish to date.
- Completing the Ultra Trail du Mont Blanc in all its awesomeness in the most perfect conditions imaginable.

The lows
- Suffering so much survival death-march in achieving that UTMB high. The highs overcame the lows.
- Nearly, so very nearly dropping out of the Lakeland 100 with digestion on strike, until total body reset that turned me into a bit of an animal and ultra machine. The low became a high.

So, no lows then, only highs.

The surreal moment
Mingling with the fresh-legged fell runners at the start of the Lantern Pike fell race already mud-spattered and feeling somewhat used; I was 26 miles into the High Peak 40 in the "Race within a race". My HP40 time with fell race and travelling time in between wasn't a Personal Worst either. I'd call that another high.

Two Grand slams
Hayfield fell race championships (10 races) and the Goyt Valley fell race series (4 races) and earning some rare bling as a result.

I can't finish this final post for 2013 without mentioning the camaraderie. Runners are a great bunch wherever you go, from the humble Parkrun (yes, I did plenty of those) all the way up to the world class athletes at Tarawera. It's all one big happy family. (Opposite - with Tarawera 100k winner Sage Canaday.)

Here's to 2014.