Preparing for 2013

With only 13 days until my last half marathon of 2012 and, assuming that the Mayan Calendar end does not imply the end of the world on 21st December, I need to start some planning for my running challenges for 2013.

I certainly will not be starting off the year in quite such style as 2012 in Tromso and Spitzbergen, but I do intend to make 2013 another year of challenges. What I cannot decide is which one to choose from.

I think it is probably a year to keep fairly clear of half marathons and, although I have already booked to run in Bath 2013 and will probably run in Bristol again, I think I will stick to some shorter races and make some changes to my shorter distance PBs which I think should be quite easy given my speed this year.

As an example, my 5 mile PB is 34.04 but I also know that I can run a 5 mile tempo training run in around 33.17 so this should fall pretty quickly. My 5km PB is 20.37ish and a month ago I ran a time trial on my own on a windy track in 20.05.

My 10km PB may be a little harder to beat as this is set currently at 41.17 and I have not beaten this time in any of my training runs or half marathons. However, my 10km split this month was 42.21 in the Shakespeare Raceway half marathon and so I do think this one should fall.

In addition to just beating PBs, I also want to get ahead of my friend Simon in our PBs. I better him in half and full marathon, but he beats me in everything lower than 13 miles.

I also want to improve my Orienteering and this is really only possible my doing events and training offroad.

Lastly, I have also thought of just trying to do lots and lots of the Free Bristol Park Runs. These are 5km events held at Ashton Court each and every Saturday of the year. Perhaps trying to run as many as possible could be an interesting challenge and would not break the bank (as some of the half marathons could certainly do).

I have a month to think about it and anyway, I will finish the year off with my half marathon on 9th December and the Boxing day run in Clevedon on 26th December. 2013 will then kick off with the Hangover 10km in Kewstoke on 1st January.