Brief Year End Review

As 2023 comes to a close, it's that time when we reflect on the past 12 months, and make some decisions as to how next year will be even better. For me personally, this year has been amazing, and it really is going to take some beating. As is typical with life, there have been some downs as well as ups, but the fact that we keep moving forwards is a positive in itself as we make the most of every situation. 

From a running perspective, I have no complaints whatsoever. I ended up doing far more races that I had initially planned, but every single one has tested my resilience both mentally and physically in one way or another. Every race I have done this year has been an ultra, which now brings my tally over 100 since I first started ultra running some 15 or so years ago. Whilst I still consider myself a competitive runner, the competition these days is more against myself, and I am happy to say that I have surprised myself this year with the race results I have had. A second place finish at Hill of a Race, Survivorfest 6 hour track race, and The Dark 24-hour event, a third place finish at Sinister Seven Ultra 50-miler, and then of course finishing the Canadian Death Race despite a really rough 4 or 5 hours on the course, a fairly decent run at the Lakou Backyard Ultra with 17 yards (next year I will do better!), and finally, my biggest challenge of the year - finishing the Divide 200 in 84 and a half hours, placing 7th female. I have already written about each of these races and you can read all about them in the archives of this blog, but in short, it's been a really great year, especially when I consider that I turned 50 earlier this year and I'm lucky enough to still be able to get out there and run, and compete against much younger runners. 

Next year definitely won't be as crazy when it comes to racing. I have already registered for the four races I intend to do - Lakou Backyard Ultra where I really hope to run well in excess of 30 yards - maybe even a PR if I have somebody willing and able to go with me! Then I have the Crazy Muley 50k in Wainwright which will see me running a hilly route that includes sand dunes - yep, you read that correctly! This will be followed by Sinister Seven Ultra 100 miler in July, then the Iron Horse Ultra 100 miler in October. I don't really have a goal at Sinister - I just want to enjoy being on the mountain trails again, but Iron Horse will be different. I currently hold the ladies course record at Iron Horse, and I really would love to break it next year - it's stood for over 10 years and needs a bit of a refresh! Of course, it does depend on who else races the 100 miler that day too, but my goal is to break the 21 hours, and hopefully take the win in the process. 

In addition to my races, I have also set my sights on setting a Fastest Known Time (FKT) on the Staffordshire Way over in England. I'm hoping to be back in the UK sometime in February and assuming I am fit and ready, that's when I will be attempting to do the 93 (or 96!) mile long distance footpath in less than 24 hours. I have walked the route in the past and I know that some sections are not very well marked or are terribly overgrown from lack of use, but with no current ladies' time, it's something that I just want to try so I can set a benchmark for others. I will likely be writing about my preparation on here as well as making a couple of videos, so keep a look out if you're interested. 

Talking of videos, this year I haven't been able to record as many YouTube videos as I would have liked, simply due to Andy being away alot and me having to look after the pups and fit in a ton of training to get me ready for my races. My YouTube channel is still going strong though, and this year alone has seen an additional 200 or so new subscribers, taking me over the 700 mark. I still get some internet trolls making offensive comments that are hard not to take personally, but when I think of the millions of people out there and the number of horrid comments I do get, it really isn't so bad. I do hope to get back into the video making next year although it's hard knowing what type of video appeals to people. My camping and outdoorsy ones get the most views from random people, but then I have a loyal following when it comes to my running and racing videos. It's hard to strike a balance and please everybody, but then I have to remember that I am doing this for my own enjoyment and experience - if other people enjoy watching and feel inspired to try something new, then that is of course an added bonus. 

In terms of life in general, Andy and I are still going strong and next year will mark 12 years since we left the UK. We still have our little boy Wilson who left the UK with us as a young pup back in 2012, and he is doing really well despite now being 13 years old.He has definitely slowed down and he can't run with me as much as he used to, but he still tries so hard, and he has completed a couple of parkruns with me recently, taking around 30 minutes compared to his 20 minutes in days gone by. He has given us a few health concerns this year bless him. Last winter he came down with bronchial pneumonia and pancreatitis and he was in a bad way. He had blood tests and xrays, which highlighted the problems, and it also showed that he has arthritis in his lower back which explains the stiffness he sometimes displays. He then started to pass blood in his urine and poop in the summer months, so he was once again off to the emergency vets for treatment. Then a couple of months ago, he was attacked at the dog park and ended up with stitches to repair a nasty puncture wound. But he is such a strong resilient little boy, and we love him to bits. He knows we're here for him, and always will be, and he still likes to play like a puppy, even if he's a little unsteady on his legs and gets tired more quickly these days. 

April and Tillie have thankfully been ok. Tillie did dislocate her tail a few months ago plus her allergies flared up again, so she too has been on medication this year. But thankfully it hasn't been anything serious, and other than being reluctant to go for walks now it's winter time, both her and April are doing really well. There isn't really much more to add. Work is going well and I am still enjoying what I do, Andy is still extremely busy with work and will likely be working away far more next year, but so long as we have our health and happiness, and so long as our family are all ok, we know that we will be ok. 

I was reading something a friend posted recently about these year end reviews that people do, and how we celebrate our successes and how we hope to do even better next year. It's human nature to do such things, but my friend's comment did make me stop and think. Some people have had a really tough year, whether through illness or loss or from other things that we have no control over - the fact that they have gotten through the year and are able to look forward to the next is a celebration in itself, and sometimes I think we do forget that. So for anybody reading this that perhaps hasn't had the best year, I'm hoping that things improve for you over the coming months and beyond, and you too can get back to doing the things you enjoy doing most. 

Wishing you all a very happy and healthy 2024, and thank you as ever for following along.