As 2023 commences, I'm excited to see what this year will bring. I've got some really good races planned that scare and excite me at the same time, and I know for sure that all of them will test me both physically and mentally, with some - if not all - pushing me beyond what I thought I’m capable of.
This year, I will be celebrating my 50th trip around the sun, and it's crazy to think that I've been a competitive runner for over 40 years! Over those 40+ years, I've had some fantastic results, and just looking back at the archives in this blog alone brings back so many fond memories of the different events I've done - I just wish I'd started this blog earlier than 2011, as I'm sure there are lots of things I've since forgotten.
Looking back and comparing my former self to the runner I am today, I’m very happy to report that the passion and competitiveness I have for running and racing is still there. Yet I have to admit to getting a little frustrated sometimes, simply because I know I'm nowhere near as fast as I used to be, and I’m unable to compete at the same level nowadays. Not only has my pace slowed, I also don't recover as quickly as I used to from those harder sessions, and it's a fine line between training hard to enable me to continue competing the way I do, whilst avoiding injury or overtraining at the same time. I know that PRs are a thing of the past, but that doesn't mean I have to give up trying to be the best I can, and I’m still willing to put in the hard work that’s needed to hit the results I am looking for.
The other thing that's challenging at this point in my life is of course the menopause. I've already noticed some of the symptoms in my daily life which can and sometimes does affect my running as my body changes. Being able to recognise those changes and adapt to them is half the battle, and thankfully, I’m willing to approach my training with some degree of flexibility, and I try not to be too hard on myself when sessions don't quite go as planned!
As I do approach my 50th birthday next month, I don’t feel intimidated by the aging process, and my plan for 2023 is to train hard and to be as competitive as I can in all the races I've registered for. This will mean continuing to work with my coach Paul, who has been there supporting me for the past four years, and no doubt we'll be incorporating more strength work and stretching/mobility to keep this body strong. Whilst I already eat a healthy diet, there is always room for improvement, and there are some changes that I can make to provide me with more energy when running, and to help me recover from those harder sessions more quickly.
From a personal petspective, 2023 will be a year where I hope to demonstrate that age is no barrier if we truly believe in ourselves and want to fulfill goals and dreams. As we get older, age is often used as an excuse for so many things in life, and certainly for me, i started to lose condidence in myself and my ability as a runner when I could no longer hit the times I wanted. I came up with so many reasons, but the one that kept rearing its head was, "I'm older now - I just can't do it anymore." It took a while to swallow my pride and just accept things, but now when those feelings of self-doubt start to enter my mind, I shall try my hardest to stick to my mantra "I can, and I will".
In terms of my race plans, things are a little different from last year with my focus shifting once again to the longer distances. I don't mind saying that my aim is to be as competitive as possible in every event, and I’m intrigued to see how I get on.
First up will be Hill of a Race which involves running a 2.5km loop up a ski hill for 6 hours. I used to be a much better hill runner back in the day, but more recently, I’ve got lazy on hills. Entering this race means I will have to do more hill work if I want to put in a strong performance. Last year, the winner did around 14 loops – can I go further? I won’t know unless I try.
In May, I will be competing in my fourth backyard ultra, this time Lakou BYU which is pretty local to home. My ultimate goal still remains 40+ hours, but I know I need somebody else that is willing and able to go the distance too – without them, I will be unable to achieve this goal.
Having done several Sinister Sports events both virtual and in-person in recent years, I finally managed to plan my races so I can do Sinister 50 miler. Whilst we have passed through the Crowsnest Pass area of Alberta, we’ve never really explored the area, and doing this mountain trail 50 miler in July is something that I am really looking forward to.
But the ultimate goal for 2023 is the Divide 200 in September, a 200 mile race that incorporates parts of the Great Divide Trail, and will be organised by Sinister Sports. I’ve already mentioned that I’m not great on hills at the minute, although there are plans to change that, and with something like 35,000 ft of climbing, it is going to be tough just dealing with the elevation. Then there’s the terrain which will be steep and technical in places, and which will no doubt slow me down. I aim to get out to the mountains a lot over the coming months, to familiarise the body and mind with the movement of running in the mountains. Then of course there is the distance. The furthest I have ever run is 150 miles which took 36 hours during a backyard ultra - a very different kind of event that tests both mental and physical strength. Although I would love to be competitive at the Divide 200, my main goal for this particular race is to finish within the time limit, and to finish safely and in one piece.
The good news is that training has already started, albeit at a low level for now as I start to pick up momentum again. Last week, I did a run up Sulphur Mountain with my little pup April, and then yesterday, I completed another hilly, snowy trail run on the local trails in Devon.
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| Sulphur Mountain run with my girl April |
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| Snowy trail run in Devon |
I can tell that I've allowed myself to indulge in the Christmas festivities this past couple of weeks, and these runs certainly highlighted where improvements need to be made and what I need to focus on. It'll be good to build things up again over the coming weeks and see the changes taking effect, although I know things wont happen overnight, and I need to be patient and trust in my training, knowing that every session means progress. I hope to be doing more regular updates on here and also via my YouTube channel, and I hope that you find the time to dip in occasionally, just to check how things are going.
For now though, all that remains is to wish you all a very happy new year, and I hope you too have your own goals or challenges to persue. No matter what these are, let's do this, and let’s make 2023 a great one!
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