2010 round up & thoughts on 2011

I've been slack on the blogging front.  The thought of a 140 character Tweet is less hassle than writing something more lengthy, but it's about time I wrapped up 2010 and laid down some plans for the New Year.

After the UTMB it was nice just to get back into running.  To be honest, since August I've not really focused on racing and I've just spent time getting back to what t's all about - enjoying time on the fells and towards the end of the year, starting to build a winter base fitness ready for what I hope will be an epic 2011.  I did do one race, the Langdale Horseshoe (see pic above) in glorious weather on my 30th birthday.  Despite getting lost coming off Bowfell in the mist I ran a respectable 3hrs1min and it has certainly got me thinking about dropping a few more 'Lakeland Classics' into the calendar for next year.  They're shorter races, but the climbing is still severe and the atmosphere is quite different to the long stuff.  People are more likely to hang about to see you finish if they don't have to wait literally all day or more...

It's not been a good year for cancellations either.  After the OMM in 2008 I thought I'd seen it all but the UTMB certainly topped that for drama.  I wont start on that again, but the end of year was disrupted further when Tanky's Trog was cancelled and the Calderdale Way Relay too a week later due to snow!  We (Tim Whittaker, Colin Bishop and I) were out on the fells anyway and to be fair the conditions were fairly extreme.  Hauling yourself up the side of some of the Chew Valley edges, waist deep in snow is fairly arduous - Tanky's would have been epic!  I would have loved to run the inaugural Tour de Helvellyn last weekend but sadly I was otherwise engaged at a wedding - that one went ahead too!  Maybe I'm a curse...

Thoughts have now turned to 2011.  In terms of major goals I'm giving the UTMB a rest for a year, I'll be back in 2012 but I think I need to let the disappointment of this year fade and go back more focused at a later date.  The main aim for 2011 is a Bob Graham Round.  I've been mulling running a BG for years and I think this year seems like the right time.  I've chosen the same weekend at the Grand Union so as not to be tempted back there again!  All races until the end of May will probably have a 'BG preperation' slant but that's not to say I wont be thrashing myself as usual!  Currently pencilled in the diary is The Hebden (Jan), The High Peak Marathon - sub-11 this year hopefully, Hardmoors 55 (both March), Calderdale and The Highland Fling (both April) which will mean over 200 miles of competitive running before I embark on my trot around the Lake District!  After that there are no firm plans - maybe a bash at the LAMM or the OMM again, or possibly something totally random at home or even abroad, we'll see.

Until then it's Christmas on the fells in the snow, browsing the internet for new gear, maintain my new winter gym class routine with the wife (!) and maybe taking up Bikram Yoga at some place in Manchester!  And of course there's always AM Mayhem...