2019 – my favourite year of exercise to date.
Just like 2018, 2019 got off to a flying start: I completed events continuously throughout the year, starting on 13th January. I maintained this level of motivation and enthusiasm right up until I completed my last event on 22nd December, and took part in the most amount of events I’ve ever done in a year! 26 events were attended and completed during 2019, compared to 18 in 2018 🙂
Some key points (not necessarily highlights!) from this year of running include:
- I fell pregnant with my first baby in August, and baby Plane was my running buddy for 8 events, including a Half Marathon in October! This means that I’m currently on a bit of a running break until the summer, but will continue with other types of fitness including swimming and pregnancy yoga.
- I thought that 2018’s Brighton Marathon would be the peak of my fitness journey, but those 26.2 miles were nothing compared to the 62.2 miles/100K of the Peak District Challenge in July 2019! I can’t actually describe how much I enjoyed it, and would definitely take part in the similar London 2 Brighton 2020 event if I wasn’t pregnant.
- After 8 years of applying, I was finally accepted into the London Marathon 2020 ballot! However, typically, I will be 8months pregnant on race day. So I’ve deferred my entry until 2021 and absolutely can’t wait to take part – it’s a dream come true.
- I smashed two Half Marathon PBs, getting a 2:01 (down from 2:02) and then finally a sub-2hr with 1:59! I also got a 10K PB with 50mins, down from 51mins. Timing has never meant anything to me and I don’t run to get a good time, however the feeling of accomplishment each time was huge, and I felt very proud of myself. I definitely enjoyed running a lot more during 2019 than in any other year.
- Although I no longer attend weekly running club sessions with the Tunbridge Wells Harriers after a judgmental runner reduced me to tears, I renewed my membership with them online and wore my vest to a few events in 2019. I also volunteered to help clear the route for the Eridge 10 Mile run with a group of Harriers, which involved a fun few hours of gardening!
- I took part in three Parkruns at three different locations, and really enjoyed them. I’ve previously said that as I get up at 6am every weekday, weekends are a chance to rest, recuperate and wake up when my body tells me to rather than with an alarm clock; however if I happen to be awake, I will attend!
- New trainers included the Adidas Cloudfoam Pure, Nike Air Zoom Fearless Flyknit 2, Brooks Launch 5 and Nike Free Run 5s.
I threw out my Brooks Ghost 5s, Skechers Flex Appeal Serengeti, Nike Roshe Floral and Nike Roshe Tiffany last year because they were all super old and thin, and I hated it – with each trainer comes a whole bunch of memories, and miles of sweat, blood and determination! Sometimes even tears. My Ghost 5s were the first pair of running shoes I ever had, and they taught me the importance of having ‘proper’ running footwear! But here’s to creating lots of happy memories (and miles!) in my new trainers.
2020 will be a year of gentle exercise, swimming and yoga until the baby arrives in May. Then, it will be a case of slowly building fitness back up again and preparing to start marathon training as from December! I can’t wait. In the meantime, here’s a collection of my favourite moments from 2019:
So here’s to a fun and successful 2020 – wishing everyone a very Happy New Year! 🙂
Laura's footprints 