So... 2016 then?

[Travs]

How did it go for you...

Anything learnt? What was good, what wasn't? Best moment, worst moment, hardest race? Hopes/plans for 2017?

For me, it was a massive learning curve. Before the turn of the year I hadn't ran further than 18 miles, but this year done 33 and 42 mile ultras, and had a bash at the hardest races (Welsh 1000, Wasdale, Buttermere, Borrowdale, Peris).... Massively improved at descending (nothing to shout about, I'd now class myself as average, rather than piss-poor), and seem to have learnt how to pace a race.

Slightly underwhelmed by my results. I seemed to think that cruising into top half finishes like I was in 2015 in smaller races, I'd do the same in the big leagues, but apart from decent results at Marsden-Edale, and Welsh 1000m, I was well down in the 2nd half of the field. But really I was just expecting too much, the step up to the big Lake District races in terms of difficulty and standard of runners is huge.

Best races for me were Peris (brutal), and honourable mentions to Borrowdale and Welsh 1000m which were both fantastic as well. As for Buttermere, see below, an epic, and lost and timed out at Wasdale so can't really comment...

Hardest race... No doubt about it, Buttermere. Will never forget the despair I felt pretty much from Honister onwards...

Worst moment... Not finishing the Stretton Skyline after building my hopes up for a flying run.

Best moment was flying down the back of Snowdon during Peris after finally pacing a race correctly, Leaving several runners in my wake, feeling like a reasonable fell runner at last!

Hopes for 2017.... Well I've joined my local club Coventry Godiva Harriers, so training regularly with much better runners, which I hope will help me improve. Also got Jura and the 10Peaks to look forward to, and no doubt a whole lot more to fit in as well.

Finally like to wish all the people I've met this year from the forum, a happy xmas and new year. Some I speak to regularly, others it's just been a passing hello at a race... DaveMole, TrevorM, BillB, MarkClayton, IanDP, Tindersticks, Stolly, Edmond, Calvin... Hope i haven't missed anyone...

Pete