2018 was another year of ups and downs. I done half of what I wanted to do. My original goals were:
- Falling at the final hurdle after getting so close is not going to stop me trying again. Run 1,000 miles in the calendar year.
- Break 5 minutes for 1500m.
- To run a 800m PB. This should not be hard as I don’t run many.
- To complete the marathon. After the start to training I’ve had, this is possibly the toughest ask, but I’ve not set myself a time target so should be achievable.
Goal 1: For the third year in a row I have fallen short at the final hurdle. This year was even closer, I am in the very late 900s as I write this. Considering I was injured for pretty much the first two months I’m not so disappointed.
Goal 2: I cannot remember when I decided on this one, however, I only ran three 1500m races this season, the first was poor, 5:14, but that was the first race of the season and not long after I’d completed the marathon. The second was 5:04, before the race I spoke to someone who was aiming for 5:10, I stuck with him and it worked, I ran my season best. The plan was to do more, however, I ran out of events and before I knew it there was only the Chris Newman handicap (at Medway and Maidstone AC) left to run. I’d been ill that night and ran a 5:05, so goal number 2 not complete either.
Now for the good part…
Goal 3: In 2017 I’d run a 2:32 800m, this was my first race of that distance for a long long time. I do not remember any times from that ‘era’ of my running so I put that down as a PB. I thought I could improve on that and I was right. I ran two 800m races this season, one in Bromley at a Masters event, I ran 2:26, which was a PB. Then another in the Kent Masters Championships, a much improved field helped me to a 2:20:08. Again a PB, so goal 3 complete.
Goal 4: To complete the marathon. As per the previous post, this didn’t go well, but the goal was to complete the marathon, not in any specific time. So therefore goal 4 complete.
Half of my running goals complete. I will get better for 2019.