Happy New Year

Happy New Year!

January 1^st 2016

Well I did manage 2 runs between Christmas and New Year [ total 9.3 miles] + I did a kettle bells session on Wednesday evening, which wasn’t as bad as thought it would be putting on a few pounds since Christmas day. This now brings my totals for the year as 602.7 miles run and 3370.7 miles cycled, I am pleased with this as I did cycle more miles this year than last year. But! I ran 10 miles less?

Year	Run	Cycle
2012	590	3000
2013	501	2398
2014	612	2784
2015	602.7	3370

Event wise I probably did a similar amount of off road running trail races and same amount of Audaxes although I did ride the ‘Round the Isle of Wight ‘ event this year as well. Injury wise done well, except some current niggles, but have noticed I get the ‘niggles’ in the winter?? I was hoping starting doing the kettlebells weights might help with ‘core ‘strength [that’s what the books and magazines say anyway!

I have not managed to get as much fell walking in this year even though we did get away twice to the Lakes, but no welsh trip this year[ must make it a priority for the spring].

The campervan has not seen as many nights this year either, seemed to be a combination of work, wrong weather, twins arrival etc. but perhaps they are excuses? So again must be a priority this year to get away more in the van.

My cycling/running plans for the year are similar to last year, the Grizzly big run this year [20 miles instead of 9 miles] on March 13^th followed by Ex to Ax again, 22 miles and many feet of ascent! In early April then it should be back to cycling again for the early Audaxes down in the New Forest or maybe the Dunkery Dash 100k on Exmoor if it doesn’t clash with Grizzly and perhaps the round the island again in early May , I might even have a go at the ‘Eroica’ in June if I can get a decent retro bike to ride  100miles on round the Peak district. This then followed by ‘Charmouth Challenge’ fell run on the coast in July, have missed that for last two years so would be nice to do again. Then its ‘Here Path half’ and ‘Minehead Stumble’ again in the Autumn.  I enjoyed the events this year, not too many to become onerous, enough to keep motivated, and not too expensive, which is why I don’t ride Sportives [£30 + a time compared with £15 (includes Tee shirt usually) for a run and £6 for an Audax].

I will keep up my spinning classes twice a week along with Kettlebells early into the year.

We managed to get out to Seaton this morning for a walk on the front for  coffee and Christmas cake  in the van with our new Grandma and Grandad engraved mugs, however, the sea was very rough with a high tide and  strong wind blowing it onshore, [photo later if I can down load] much debris on the sea front and the noise of the sea very load as it hit the shingle with a crash and sucked it all back down the beach.[seems strange we will be running along it in 73 days time!] It was also starting to rain and the weather forecast is for gale force winds and heavy rain to increase so think we are in for a rough time later today.

                                           Grey, bleak and windswept seafront at Seaton,Devon

The house seems very quiet since the grandchildren went home, we need to think more seriously about moving house, so I expect that on the agenda for March time, but! Where we will move to I am unsure, it will be the coast but where? Sidmouth, Seaton, Exmouth, Burnham on Sea or Weston Supermare???

Anyway, a Happy New Year to anyone reading this Blog, I don’t appear to have followers and I never get comments, but the statistics show someone reads it as far away as Ukraine!!!  I do hope you find it interesting, it’s really a personal diary to keep me motivated to keep fit, this now is in its third year!!! [ birthday today I think!] put together to train for Ex to Ax run , and maybe I need to enter again this year [ even though I found it very hard and said I wouldn’t do it again] I will make a decision mid January.

Bikeability starts again next week with a small group of six at a local school, I hope the weather improves, I also intend to cut back on time spent on this to give more time to get away and cycle, hill walk etc.

Well that’s the first blog post of 2016 I must also add more photos !!!!! I have reset my spread sheet for cycle/ run mileage so look forward to adding my first miles to that [if it ever stops raining long enough?] got to run more than 66 miles and cycle more than 246 miles this month to beat last year.

Thanks for reading