12 in 2012

BTW if anyone is interested, here are the reports:-

Click Here

Hello everyone! It's been a while, but when I've not been marathon
training, I've been getting stressed out settling into my new job. 4
months in and the dust is beginning to settle.

I'm on track now, 8 down and number 9 this weekend.

Over the Edge (Much Wenlock) back in July was horrible, but fun in a
"just scrape in under 7 hours" kind of way. Oh the mud, the endless
mud! Still, at least the forecast rain kept off until afterwards.
Sadly my Garmin died at 5 hours, so I didn't have an accurate record
of the course (although I could fill in the gap with Iheartmedals half). Would I do it again? I doubt it!

August brought The Thames Meander which by comparison I enjoyed a
great deal. Pace was spot on plan, and I clocked up a "season best"
(4h50m48s). Even the torrential rainstorm in Richmond Park which
soaked me to the skin didn't dampen my spirits. The downside, as
Way2Slow mentioned (good to see you there ) was they ran out of water, at at least two of the stations. Luckily I'd refilled my water bottle at the Putney Bridge halfway point (although had to wait for water there as, yes, they'd run out...), so it saw me through to the end. Thanks especially to Possum Hopper for the lift back to the station - so save me from a soaking once I'd changed into dry clothes!

September was Bacchus. Was this a marathon, or was it a wine-tasting
crawl? I signed up to this as it sounded fun. Ha ha! And to be fair
it was. Still on a high from 2 weeks before, I planned to notch up another sub-5. Dressed in a pink t-shirt, pink tutu and pink leg-warmers. 2 laps of ... oh hold on, this is another off-road one, isn't it? And yikes, that hill's a bit big isn't it? And the heat! Indian summer as its fiercest. Ok, 2½ hours in and I set off on lap two, determined to relax and enjoy it, and who cares how long it takes. Sure enough the second half took me a smidgen over 3 hours (again the Garmin died at 5 hours, I think it dislikes wooded areas with poor GPS signal). As Iheartmedals said - the feed stations were second to none. And I passed 15 of them, with a drink of wine at each one Hic!

This weekend sees me squeeze in my missing marathon - to bring me up-to-date.

Summary:
Jan (Glos), Mar (Duchy), May (Brathay), Jun (Kent RR), Jun (Wales), Jul (Over the Edge), Aug (Thames Meander), Sep (Bacchus)

Sep (New Forest), Oct (Abingdon), Nov (Staffs Enigma), Dec (Portsmouth).

I look forward to seeing some of you at the last few - especially number 12 in Pompey - we must do a full 12in12 group picture!

Oh - and I'm off to Chester too in October to cheer on there, and I'll be running the Oxford Half on 14th (as a warm-up for Abingdon).

is anyone off here doing the New Forest ( I know mabof is and possom hopper is ) I'm doing the half, i'm really looking forward to it

yes a group picture sounds good for pompey, i've just got to work out my accommodation as i have my kids with me for that one

12 seems a long way off, for me, injured since June but hjust about to get back into the swing, hopefully Loch Ness or Chester (both at a push) I was on 7 in June for 2012, so I need 5 more. Probably looking for top up runs in November and December to get there

Have you looked at the Enigma runs, EG?
Some low key races left in Oct/Nov/Dec - like this one:
http://www.enigmarunning.co.uk/events/2012_dirty_dozen_marathon.shtml

...or do both and clock up your 12th on New Year's Day? It's still well within 12 months of Gloucester!

come and do the staffs one with us EG on thursday FoxyDave has one place left for it, would be good to see you there, canal run 4 out and backs so should be fairly easy going for u especially if you're coming back from an injury

In the words of Marvin the Paranoid Android: "I ache, therefore I am".

New Forest was VERY wet today. Not much fund at all. Still, 9 out of the way, just 3 left to do now!

Hi Ulen I'm still stuck with 8 this year, I think this weeks Loch Ness has maybe come too soon for me, but Chester is a possible for number 9, although I will be taking it very slow if I do it at all, I might need to take you up on the Thursday run at Staffs if I'm going to have any chance of 12 this year.

Hi everyone, i'm up to 11 now with completing 4 in 4 days at Gt barrow challenge last week, it was a great way to clock up the numbers....not as harsh as you would imagine but glad i put in back to back days of long runs to prep the body and mind. It was mostly off road and a bit of self navigation and only managed to get lost twice - although getting lost half a mile from the finish on day 4 was not the funniest thing that could have happened! Off to Dublin next for me, then Rutland

Brilliant SueO, but aren't you sore?

EG - it would be good to see you in Loch Ness.

I'm due to finish my 12 in 12 end of October, thinking of adding Dublin it's a day after Frankfurt-No12.  Should I, my left ITB has been causing problems ??

Sue O Brilliant 4 in 4 off road, brave woman, i dont like off road at all

SSQ wow u finish ur 12 in Oct well done

EG, really think you should do the staffs one on Thursday, if u dont want to drive dowon on the morning come and stay at mine the night before i'm only half an hour away, Ulen is we could have a nice carb loading evening and some great company its cheap to enter and it has a medal lol

I went to look at the course too this week and its flat flat flat, I'm going to go and run it next week or the week after, do just one out and back to see what the whole route is like but the bit I saw i walked about a mile and then went by car to see what it was like and its just the same path all the way along

Just back from Loch Ness.

Absolutely stunning, a fantastic event that everyone should do.

No 18 for the year (7 jogging and 11 walking), with another 12 to go.

Another 12 to go??? are u doing a marathon a week now?

what marathon is next 

and after reading everyones reports about Lochness i really fancydoing that

Well Loch Ness was OK, after plenty of rest number 9 is in the bag now for Chester, then on to Liverpool hopefully for Number 11

Isee)

Another 12 to go??? are u doing a marathon a week now?

what marathon is next 

and after reading everyones reports about Lochness i really fancydoing that

 

Where Raven's Dare in South Wales.

This time as a walker so I can enjoy the scenery.

And there is a mid week Marathon, and then a double in December.

Enigma marathons left in 2012 (as at 27 Sept):

6th Oct Reverse - 3 spaces
31st Oct / Nov 1st - Staffordshire - FULL
10th Nov - Fox @ 40 Marathon - FULL
10th Nov - Fox @ 40 Ultra - 2 spaces
11th Nov - Fox @ 40 / Godfather 500 - FULL
12/12/12 - Dirty Dozen - 6 Spaces
15th/16th Dec - Christmas - FULL

Other marathons (as at 20th sept):

1st December 2012 - Saxon Shore Marathon
8th December 2012 - Broadmeadow Xmas Marathon Double - 75% FULL
9th December 2012 - Broadmeadow Xmas Marathon Double - 75% FULL

31st December 2012 - Liverbird Marathon Double - AVAILABLE
1st January 2013 - Liverbird Marathon Double - AVAILABLE

I'm very tempted to to the NY eve one....!!

Only 1 space left on the Fox @ 40 Ultra as I have the other 1, will be no 13 this year if Abingdon goes to plan in 2 weeks.

Ulen - I did new year last year it was a good run 4 laps out and back along Liverpool sea Front. Think I'll probably do it again might need it to complete my 12