"Footpath no142 to Shutlinsloe"

For the last run of the year in drizzle, low lying cloud & with only fifty metres visability I decided to go off for a long solo run up through Macclesfield Forest and up on footpath number 142 (my new target weight for 2012!) to the summit of Shutlinsloe. Normally you can see Wales from here on a good day but today you could hardly see off the summit itself! It was nontheless a fantastic run and a chance to test myself against the elements! Although it was only just over seven miles it felt much longer but all in all it rounded off another running year that was definitely better at the end than it had been at the beginning!

Weekly mileage 25. Total annual mileage 1302. Races 31.

"Boxing Day Handicap"

Earlier today in the mildest temperature for years I ran the club's Boxing Day Handicap over the usual "super hilly" four mile course from Langley Chapel around the roads of Macclesfield Forest. As with last year it was a "watches off" mass start affair whereby each runner had to estimate their finish time and pace themselves to as near as possible to this. Having run 28.13 last year I went for 28.28 but despite a really good run (apart from on the two toughest hills & my lack of endurance one again showing) I came in at 28.59 and thirty one seconds out. My son Matt and girlfriend Lucy chered me in at the finish which was great. The race was won with a difference of only four seconds!. Everyone retired to the St Dunstan pub for soup, rolls and beer. happy days!

"Bramhall Parkrun"

My first ever "parkrun" today, the Santa Run at nearby Bramhall Park. What a great event! Taking us over a tough undulating two lap course, although I could only manage a 22.44 and 50th out of 485 finishers I ended up 4th V50 and was well chuffed. The course was more off road than I realised it would be so racing flats were not the best option, with lots of interest as the course took twists and turns including the aptly named "bird poo corner". I will definitely be back in the near future.

Weekly mileage 23. Annual mileage 1276. Races 30.

"Christmas Killer!"

From the cross country of killer hill last week to the best, last & toughest track session of the year, the "Christmas Killer". Following a three mile warm up the group is paired up to run 6x800m with a 400m jog recovery. Run alternately with your partner this starts off hard but then gets really tough. I was working with one of our lady fell runners who happens to have recently won the Lakeland 100 mile race so she went faster (less recovery for me) as the session went on!

Covering nine miles for the total session my legs were shot but it was great to again be completing a full workout, something that has been lacking in my training since before the summer and the calf injury.

"Killer Hill +"

It been a rollercoaster of a fortnight with training and racing fighting off a variety of viruses. The highlight was last weekend's final North Staffs XC fixture at Westwood High School, Leek. Featuring the toughest climb in xc by far, and known even on the race map as "Killer Hill", it was made even longer this year than normal!. Three ascents of this in driving sleet and gusty winds was probably the last straw for my body which spent next three days in stomach ill mode! I did however run the whole course and score for the team, finishing eighth V50 overall. I'd like to think that the photo shows me dragging up those behind me but the reality is that I was probably holding them up!

Today was another great ten mile run in glorious sunshine over the Kerridge hills with the spread of the Cheshire Plain below me and the white snow covered hills of the Peak District to the north. The temperature hovered around 2c but I was working hard up the hills and finished off the ten miler steaming. Great stuff!

Weekly mileage 25. Annual mileage 1253. Races 29.

"The Big Round at Wythenshawe Park"

The last Manchester XC League fixture before the Christmas break saw my best run of the season so far. Over a fast, flat but increasingly soggy Wythenshawe Park as a result of driving rain, I ran the three laps of the six and a half mile course in 47.50. For once this was a consistent race with some great running through the twisty sections of wood for which this course is famous. The photo of The Big Round at the far end of the course seems to sum up the weather pretty well!

The rest of the week was am ixture of easy runs and a hard track session on Tuesday including 5 x 800m, 30 seconds recovery and 200m fast. hard work indeed!

Weekly mileage 24. Annual mileage 1208. Races 28.