It ain’t all showbiz here on RunnersKnees.com. Yes, there are times I am running amongst the lovely ladies of #UKRUNCHAT dressed as unicorns. There are times I am running abroad (Athens to come). But mostly I am dicking about London, going to the gym, planning races, organising giveaways and buying kit.

After the wonderful fun and silliness of Bacchus Half marathon there is a 3 week gap before my next race, the unique Chester Metric (yes, you read that right, folks) marathon. 26.2K. Sounds a much more achievable distance doesn’t it? I shall be running it with sub-20 Parkrunner Katie Mawdsley so fingers crossed I don’t humiliate myself too much.

Virtually Fun

One thing that happened this year was the decision to stop running Virtual races. I was over that. But then I came across https://www.myrace.run/ and things changed a little. They raised money for causes I cared about, and their bling is superb. So, after their D-Day medal was hung on my medal rack. The proceeds of that one going to SSAFA The Armed Forces Charity, I was drawn to their latest offering, and a charity dear to my heart, Prostate Cancer UK, and this viking shield.

The Running Awards are Back

I loved the Running awards last year, it was such good fun partying with the crowd after a Run with Strava and, just as I am building the blog up, lo and behold the review of last years event appeared in inbox. It was a fun event and I recommend coming to meet the good peeps if you can.

I have been nominated again, thanks to everyone who voted for me last time. This time the link was broken  for a while as it pointed to my old blogspot site and not this shiny one. It does work now, so if you like my rambling reviews of races and occasional ranting craziness, then please tick my box at http://therunningawards.com/.

2017 list is growing

Some say that I do plan too far ahead, and, as I am booked up 9 months in advance maybe they are right. But what this compulsion does achieve it remove all stress. I am stressed by the thought of Beachy Head and Athens marathons in the next couple of months as I have a whole year of them in 2017. Having Copenhagen in the background made me as calm as Hindu cows at Berlin. Having King before Stones relaxed me about that impending nightmare. And so all of next year I should be calm, as there is always another marathon booked and waiting in the wings. That and if you leave it too late the races fill up, the good ones always do, some a year in advance, within hours of opening. So get in there like swimwear, people.

London ballot coming up

There are three notable races next year. First the London ballot is in the mix. This will be the third time I have entered and I had not planned to then I thought, “hey, fuck it!” What do I have to lose? If I get in then I spend more time focusing on the Abbott’s Majors. if not, then I haven’t lost anything. I got my brother to sign up too. It is his 40th year and, much like me running my first marathon when 42 at the 42nd Berlin Marathon maybe he will get into London in his 40th year.

Lucerne is Back in the Mix

After deferring the race in 2015 as it was too close to Berlin and too expensive and deciding early on this year that £1200 for the weekend was too much for a half I thought I may as well sign up for the full in 2017. After all, it is listed as Europe’s most beautiful marathon. I cannot possibly think why.

Comrades – my A AAAAA race

Which brings me nicely onto a decision that has changed my running landscape, so to speak. With Brighton Marathon signed up for and London in the ballot I was umming and ahhing in. If I got into London marathon I would run that, if I did not I would sign up for the Two Oceans marathon. Simple as that. If however I did get into London and therefore didn’t run in Cape Town at the Two Oceans I still needed to see the family in SA some time. So, did I sign for the Cape Town marathon in the fall, or go hell in a handbag and sign up for Comrades in an Up year?

Comrades is up there for me with MDS as my two A races. Everything I do on a run is geared towards eventually ticking those boxes. Even the planned Berlin Wall 100 miler was just a stepping stone to getting in under the 12 hour cutoff in Durban.

But with the London ballot still not published, and Two Oceans still not open I had a moment of clarity (some would say insanity) and signed up for Comrades on a whim. It is my A race and I now have 9 months to prepare for an 87KM uphill road race in South Africa. GAME ON!