2012 report cards.

Since I have clearly ran my last major event of the year, I am going to hand in my report card for the year early.  In the year of our lord 2012, I have participated in the following races:

Thames Path 100 (100 miles)

Viking Way Ultra (147 miles)

Woodhouse Challenge (13.5 miles)

Dukeries Ultra (40 miles)

Rothley 10k (6.1 miles)

The Wall (69 miles)

Lakeland100 (105 miles)

Hardmoors 60 (60 miles)

Leicester Marathon (26.2 miles)

Stort 30 (30 miles)

Rutland Water Marathon (26.2 miles)

Winter 100 (100 miles)

Got my first DNF in the Viking Way Ultra, but all over events were completed.  Anyhow, that is what I have to try to better in 2013. 

Anybody else?

I wouldn't want to be seen as being ostentatious Lirish.  There are plenty of ultra runners out there who run an event every week, against who my resume would look very humble indeed.  What I want to do here, is give people a chance to display their year for constructive criticism, and perhaps show off a bit to boot.

By criticism, I mean suggestions about how to do better next year.  For example in my case, you might think that I took on too many events in the latter part of the year. 

Okay, here it is:

London Ultra 50 K (31 (actually 32) miles (Feb)
Croydon HM (13.1 miles) 1st April
Greater Manchester Marathon (26.2 miles) 28th April
Sutton 10K (6.2 miles) May
North Downs Run 30 K (18.75 miles) June
Croydon Ultra (30 miles) July)
North Downs Way 50 (August)
Dunstable Downs Challenge (20 miles) September
Jog Shop Jog 20 (20 miles) October
Croydon 10K (6.2 miles) October
Beachy Head Marathon (26.2 miles?) October

(and some parkruns)

Completed all. This was my first year to do anything over HM, so I'm pretty pleased with that list. Aiming for 5 x 50-miles in 2013 (Thames Trot, SDW, NDW, Lakeland, Ladybower), plus a couple of 30-milers as training runs, and no doubt some shorter stuff here and there.

Ben, your list looks great - think it's going to take me a ocuple more years to think about a 100-miler.

Andy, good luck for next year. I suppose the good thing about being at the start of our ultra journey is that there are still loads of events to try for the first time!

im with Lirish on this .......

You have had one hell of a year Debra, and it looks like you have big plans for 2013!

Based on your results in the NDW50, you are going to be a terror over the 50 mile distance! 

Ben - Nice thread, very interesting to see the mix of races completed and also a good reference guide of who to ask about what race as we plan next year.

My report card unchanged from school: "Must try harder".

ALISTAIR STEWART 4 wrote (see)

Ben - Nice thread, very interesting to see the mix of races completed and also a good reference guide of who to ask about what race as we plan next year.

My report card unchanged from school: "Must try harder".

ali, i think in general most of us have in the back of our minds 'must try harder' for every event.

not sure tht we need ANOTHER ref guide to whos doing what-dont we have that already on 'whats next' and 'wannabe'?........................

My report card reads must not try so hard on the early part of 50 mile plus races, or it taxes me physically and DESTROYED me mentally  

Without joining in the 'is this willy waving?'  element of this thread, this year I have completed the following:

1x 5m (one lap of a 24hr race)

1x 10k

1x 12k

3x hm (one of these should have been full, but conditions were such that I had to drop to the half - same day as TP100 but down on the coast)

1x 20 mile

5x marathon

1x 30m

1x 48m

And a dnf @ 49 miles of the Winter100  (running well but hypothermic)

dns: Moonlight Challenge, NDW 50 and a few shorter distances.

With 2 bouts of injury I'm quite happy with how the year panned out, and have identified where I need to work harder - mostly estimating gear requirements to cope in bad weather, and learning to rest when the body demands it.

Still have a few more races to finish out the year and plenty lined up for next year - let's hope it's a better one

Ran my first 100 miler this year and loved every minute of it (sort of).

Did the Cardiff ultra as well for the second time

Plan to run two 100 milers next year the TP100 again and Ultrarace100

pmo: Looks good, really. Interesting re. hypothermia - I learned that at M'cr - by the time I realised I should have been wearing my waterproof coat (which I'd stupidly taken off at the start to avoid overheating), my hands were too cold (despite gloves) to get it out of my backpack and put it on. Even sub-3 hour runners were finding their hands getting too cold to take/squeeze drinks bottles.

Ben: Given that Alice Hector went through the 50-mile point in 90 mins less than my finish time, on her way to the 100, I know my time at NDW50 was nothing special. What I -am- pleased about is the fact that I went up from 40th at half way to 18th by the end, and I still had energy to run (rather than shuffle) in the last miles, when the terrain allowed. That indicates I paced myself well. Perhaps even slightly conservatively (which I think is sensible on my first try at the distance). Considering whether I should try a 25+5 run/walk strategy for Thames Trot, given that most of it is flat so there aren't natural uphill walking breaks?

And I -really- want to get faster for Lakeland 50, to minimise the amount I have to do in darkness. Must work on uphill, downhill and navigation!

slaneuk - I agree it should make it easier to ask people specifically about particular events. And yes, enjoying it is the main thing (even if most people who are not ultra runners think we're quite mad)!

louismaxy: Congrats on your first 100 miler!