I do not want to waste money on races that I have not taken part in. Last year I had 11 DNSs, including the Les Hutton deferral because of weather. So 10 of the 31 races from 2013 I did not finish and I feel bad about that. This year I want to be more organic and reactive in my race booking. I have already ruled out Rome and Milan because of the timing and it was silly of me to book them in advance.
In 2014 I want to run 1 more race than last year, so that it 21. I have the following 6 booked. There will, of course, be a trip to the US at least twice to race halves (I really want to join and start inroads in the 50 States Club). At the tail end of the year there are always the Santa and Movember events too that I always run. It just looks a little thin at the moment.
Saying that I do have a cold, I have not run for 2 weeks due to the cold and a groin strain, so why am I panicking? Probably because the Christmas season I snack and have gained 10 pounds and look like a fat shadow of my former lithe self. Still, next weekend the race year starts and lets see how quickly I get back into it.
I am considering Cambridge and Hastings in March to replace Milan and Roma. I know they are not close to being them, but the cost was ridiculous. Luxembourg is an £80 train ride and a cheap hotel for a country I haven’t been to before. Milan and Rome, in a month of each other would have been £1500.
So if there are any other races you think I would like, I am thinking maybe Robin Hood half, the Loch Ness full, the Tartan Race, Cardiff, just let me know…
thanks for reading and Happy Racing 2014
Darren aka RunnersKnees
Confirmed Race Calendar 2014
- Les Hutton 10 Miler – Dartford, Kent Sunday 19th January (Deferred from last year)
- Longleat 10K 9th February
- London 10K May 25th
- Luxembourg Night Half Marathon 31st May
- Rock and Roll Dublin Half Marathon August 4th
- Bournemouth Half Marathon 5th October
Runners Knees 
Loch Ness is a good race and worth doing, but there are a few things to consider before signing up – it's a lot of travelling (is more than 3 hours for me, and I'm starting from near Edinburgh), the point-to-point route means that you'll be on a bus for more than an hour before the start, there's not much support on the route (although this is because you're running through some rather pretty countryside, so not all bad) and it's the week before the Bournemouth Half…
If you do decide to enter, it's worth getting accommodation sorted at the same time – in my experience, it's tough to find something decent at a reasonable price if you leave it too late.
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