Les Croupiers Running Club Forum

Top 3 running highlights.

2015 was another frustrating year of injuries and illnesses running wise, but I did get into reasonable shape at times. These were mine:

1. Sub 3 at the Snowdonia marathon.
2. Winning a castles stage at the 10th attempt (1st time off the mountains, and a baby stage helped) :-)
3. Selection for the Masters home international in Dublin.

Any one else?

Edited by user 02 January 2016 13:01:53(UTC)  | Reason: Not specified

1. Finally achieving a sub 3:30 at the Manchester marathon
2. The Snowdonia marathon. Not just the race but the whole weekend.
3. The Castles Relay - again, the entire weekend was great.

The tea house in Dogelleau is a major highlight of no.s 2 and 3 ☺!

I had a good start to the year:
8 mile PB at Lliswerry 8
10 mile PB at the club's handicap 10
20 mile PB at Fission 20/20
and the greatest of all, PB at Manchester marathon in April

After that it all fell to pieces and I've failed to have any form at all.

1. Completing my first ever marathon at Snowdonia. I'd trained all year for it!
2. Getting a sub 1:39 (1:38:59!) PB at the Cardiff Half, taking 4.5 minutes off my previous best. This took me completely by surprise as I had intended it as a training run for Snowdonia. The problem now is that one of my goals for 2016 is to beat my half marathon PB at the World Half in March. Last year's result has made this year's goal a lot harder!
3. Getting selected for the South Wales team at the recent Regional Cross Country Championships in Builth Wells. I'm well aware that my selection will have been down to others dropping out, but I felt really honoured. Relatively speaking I also had a great race in horrendous conditions, beating quite a few people that I hadn't beaten before.

Another good year for me with a few pbs and V40 wins but my three top highlights are definitely:

1.Started the year aiming to beat my marathon pb, smashed it in London and got the London Pride award for most even half splits to boot, and then beat that pb in Berlin.

2.Running for Wales for the first time for the V40s in the British and Irish Masters International XC.

3.Winning the Monarch of the Mountains award on the dreaded stage 10 of the Castles after starting the stage late.

I love the idea of "running highlights". Much more than setting goals anyway.

Personal running highlights were:

1- Breaking 19 for 5k (18:58.. skin of my teeth!). This came from purely upping mileage for marathon training.
2- Getting a GFA entry for London at the Great Welsh Marathon and thereby saving the pain of the ballot.
3- Breaking PB's in all distance categories that I competed in this year that I had previously run from 1 mile to marathon.

And as a running "community member" the following 2 hold a special place for me.
1- Setting up Cardiff junior parkrun and seeing anywhere between 50 and 250 4-14 year old children running in any weather on a Sunday morning. Warms the cockles of my cynical old mans heart.
2- Seeing my 3 children becoming regular runners and my eldest daughter being picked for the school region for the Cardiff Cross Challenge. I shall be a proud dad seeing her run in her Cardiff and the Vale vest.

2015 has been a good year for me. Lets hope 2016 continues in the same vein.