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Another year where running, swimming and cycling have kept me healthy and happy.

Running – I was aiming to run 2025km in 2025 but a broken toe in September put paid to that. I’ve run just over 1060 miles (1706km) and have probably done more trail running this year than ever as I did my first ultra to celebrate turning sixty.

Races: Richmond park Half with my sister Mandy; Ashridge Boundary (got a hat instead of a medal); Thames Towpath Ten (pint glass instead of a medal); Eagles Club Champs mile; Stour Valley marathon as a training run; Maverick Cotswolds Ultra on a very hot day; Wedding Day 7k – another club champs race; Burnham Beeches Half with Mandy; Eagles 5k; and Ealing Half marathon with Joel, Harry, Mandy and Dave, James, and Sam who I’d written training plans for.

I won my age category in the Eagles Club Champs this year, thanks to my marathon time, but can’t do enough races to qualify in my new age category for next year because of the broken toe.

There was less motivation to do parkrun after hitting a couple of milestones last year, and I only did 19 with five new locations: Three Brooks, Holyrood with Anne, Ben’s Yard, Druridge Bay and Worthing on Christmas Day. I loved doing two parkruns with granddaughter Flo – Whitstable the day before my sixtieth birthday, and Northala Fields at Christmas (photo above).

Memorable runs:

  • Ashridge Boundary Run – grateful to Lisa for highlighting this one. I went back to Ashridge for a couple more training runs later in the year – really beautiful location.
  • Wendover Woods – enjoyed finding new places to run on trails
  • Lindisfarne loop during my cycle trip
  • Loop round Cheddar reservoir during the Amos cycle trip – very pleasing strava record
  • Stour Valley marathon – this is where I really started to trust Jenny Bushell’s training plan for my ultra. I’ve often felt quite physically broken after a marathon but this one was a just a training run with more to come, and I felt fine the next day.
  • Maverick Cotswold Ultra – such a hot day; such a huge effort; such a sense of achievement. Really grateful to Jenny for all her coaching and support
  • Run to the gym – only two miles but gave me hope that my toe was mended.
  • South Downs Way – have begun training for the next ultra, and this was such a beautiful way to spend Boxing Day morning

Cycling – I cycled 1505 miles this year, lots of them to and from work. There were some more memorable rides though:

  • Cycle from Sittingbourne to Margate with Joel for my Christmas present sauna on the beach. Lovely way to spend time together.
  • Cycle to the wood two weeks in a row to get some time in the saddle before my northern trip.
  • Newcastle to Edinburgh over four days in May – such a joyful, liberating cycle on my own through gorgeous countryside with a night on LIndisfarne and a stay with Anne near Edinburgh at the end.
  • Amos cycle rides in Cheddar at the end of May, with routes designed by Iain Cotton. With the conflict in Gaza still raging it was hopeful and helpful to spend time with the Amos team and lots of like-minded cyclists.
  • Cycle round Kielder Water on our wedding anniversary in ferocious wind.

Swimming – I swam regularly at the Serpentine all year, just once a week, but loved making it through another winter. It’s such a faff to get there for five minutes in the water when it’s really cold, but always worth it. Highlight this year must be swimming with Nick Cave (aka happening to be in the lake while he was.) Other places I’ve swum are Walpole tidal pool while visiting Harry and Grace; a quick dip on Lindisfarne and at Cocklawburn on my cycle trip; the River Avon and Clevedon Marine Lake during the Amos cycle; the Thames during the tidal swim from Lindon House to Chiswick Eyot in June, and with the Bluetits in Teddington a couple of times; Ellerton Lake while visiting my sister Liz; Canary Wharf and Heron Lake when there was blue-green algae in the Serpentine; Henleaze Lake and more trips to Clevedon Marine Lake with Lou; Dunwich beach after walking the Suffolk 10k with a broken toe; and lots of gorgeous swims in clear blue water in Malta. I got in the sea in Worthing on Christmas Day but it was a 30-second dip so can’t really claim that as a swim.

Grateful to still have the energy and motivation for exercise, and always mindful of how much I benefit from it. Next year, I’ve signed up for the 100 hills ultra in March and hope to do another marathon as a training run. I’m joining the Amos ride to Belgium in May, and would love to do the second half of the Coast and Castles route in the autumn.

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