So... 2016 then?

[Travs]

2019 then.... mixed year for me...

Highs: looking back at my aims, I wanted to break into the top 5 or 6 in a couple of races, and I managed a 4th and a 6th in a couple of the South Wales champs (my three scoring races in the SW champs were 4th, 6th, 8th, which gave me 6th overall but no official placing as not in the WFRA sadly...

Also managing to expand over the usual races and do some different ones... Fairfield, TWA, Snowdon Uphill, Nine Standards, a number of Welsh races, plus several track races.

Thirdly, consistent training which has undoubtedly made me a stronger performer, and another year of experience, meaning I rarely get overawed on the start line anymore, as I finally feel I can compete.

Spending a week in Skye was also a huge highlight... three long runs in particular stand out... Trotternish... Red Cullin... Coruisk/Bad Step/Camusanary... all in biblical weather... didn’t always get the views, but a stunning and wild place.... definitely felt awed by the scenery and force of the weather at times...

I was also rather happy with our team 20th in the Lee Mill Relays. I have utmost respect for all the club members who put large squads together for relays in all running formats... I only had one full team (and another incomplete) and it was a flipping nightmare...

Lows: Long distance plans fell apart yet again. Entered 4 ultras, and due to a combination of injury, illness and personal trouble, only managed to finish one.... two others were dnf’d (one due to injury, the other illness), and one didn’t even start. Also DNF at the Trigger (a sensible decision as I was so cold), and a DNF at the LDMT (simply unable to find one of the more obscure checkpoints).

Also personal/family issues obliterated much of my plans for the second half of the year, and I just raced as and when I could.

Best race: Four Fans... best position ever (4th) but paced it well, descended well, attacked when necessary, just a pleasing performance. Hitting the top of Fan Fawr and realising I was only a mile from the finish with no chance of being caught was perhaps the most satisfying single moment of the year... and certainly justified the pain and hard work of the previous couple of hours...! Especially after standing on the start line and looking round at everybody looking lean, mean and fit, and thinking there weren’t many people here who I’m going to be able to beat...

Hardest race: I thought the LDMT was incredibly tough this year and I didn’t even finish. Also the TWA and the Snowdon Uphill, both in extreme heat, were very hard. However the single most painful race was actually a track mile on a hot summers evening.

Plans for 2020: Dropping the ultra long distance stuff almost entirely, and concentrating on a three-pronged attack on Wales... Welsh, North Wales and South Wales Champs. This will bring a great combination of old favourite races, and some nice looking new ones... also a selection of the fantastic English/British Champs races (Ennerdale and Glenshee to name a couple...)

Could I even dream of a top 3 finish in a fell race somewhere...?!?

Would like to see my Parkrun/5km time down below 18mins but it will be hard work (May need a track attempt to get there).

Anyone else had fun this year...???