A look back at the running, cycling and swimming I’ve done this year in the usual spirit of gratitude and celebration.
Running
I’ve run 1275 miles this year, which rather pleasingly is just over 2022km.
I did nine new parkruns: Rickmansworth on New Year’s Day; Southall’s inaugural run; Hove Promenade on our way to visit family in Brighton; Severn Bridge while visiting family in Bristol; Queen Elizabeth to get the Q; Talkin Tarn on the way to Scotland for holiday; Rendlesham Forest while staying in Southwold; Zuiderpark to get the Z; and Nonsuch for my 80th location. I completed my parkrun alphabet in November.
I did eight races: Cabbage Patch 10; Stroud Trail half; Ealing half; Maidenhead 10; Osterley 10k summer edition where I won my age group and the winter edition where I came 7th; Eagles 10k which I paced and Loch Ness marathon where I walked a lot.
Some memorable runs:
- Ealing mini mile which I ran with Thea
- Stroud Trail half marathon which was a hilly route but such a beautiful place to run
- Running on Islay, including this long run
- Running along Southwold’s disused railway
- Loch Ness marathon which was tough but beautiful
- running to Broadstairs and back along the coast
- miles in Edinburgh when we were up for the festival
- running to the coast in the Hague and realising that I’d cycled along there to Amsterdam back in 2015
Cycling
I’ve cycled just over 1850 miles this year and being back in a full-time job meant fewer long rides for fun. I did some while training for Ride London but they felt more hard work than joyous.
I’ve cycled to work a lot and love the cycle superhighway through Chiswick now that it’s finished. I got hit by a taxi in March which left me bruised and shaken, but fortunately didn’t put me off cycling in London. I invested in a Proviz jacket which hopefully makes me even more visible.
Some memorable rides:
- I started the year with a cycle to visit Harry in Margate – from Tunbridge Wells to Ashford for an overnight stay and then Canterbury to Margate
- I cycled to the wood on Easter Monday
- I loved cycling on Islay, including this trip to Bowmore with a sighting of a golden eagle
- Ride London with Joel
Swimming
I only swam about 20km this year, mainly in Acton pool although I went to Heron Lake a few times and Shepperton once. Getting used to a new job has taken a lot of time and energy, and swimming seems to be the activity that has suffered the most as a result. But I have swam in the sea more this year – on Islay in August where I swam with seals, in Southwold in October where Harry, Grace and I had a sunrise swim every morning and at Putsborough this Christmas with Ruth, Lou and Dave who are the hard-core cold water swimmers in the Baker family.
My final run of the year was Gunnersbury parkrun this morning with Jonny. I came home to WhatsApp messages from Kat, Harry and Grace to say they had all done parkrun this morning as well which made me smile. Looking forward to what 2023 will bring.
Run for your life 