Race Report – New Year Revolution/s at Hillingdon Cycle Circuit

Yes, yes! I know I only did a 16 mile run last week! I know I was supposed to be taking a break – but I could not resist this one! It closed the loop too, as this time last year I started my year of half marathons at the very same place in the Start Me Up run. The reference to the old record factory at Hayes is so cool, and this year’s medal did not disappoint.

It’s quite odd doing 7 laps of a cycle track. Like last year there were a mix of people running and walking, or both. I’ve realised that there is whole subculture of runners who collect marathons and half marathons like some people collect stamps, or books. They don’t seem to really mind where they run/walk/jog, they just want to rack ‘em up! I met a really lovely man, Steve, today, who I first met only last Sunday down in Walton-on-Thames. He was aiming for marathon distance today, and is trying to do 12 marathons in 12 months, as well as 50 half marathons in 50 weeks. Quite extraordinary. He wasn’t the only one either. As I was running out and back along the same (quite boring) route I thought about this. The people doing this today are not athletes. They are just regular men and women, but with quite amazing qualities of perseverance, tenacity and endurance.

Running this sort of event is not my cup of tea for every time. But sometimes it is the right kind of thing to do. It allows the mind to wander and unfocus. There’s nothing much to look at. I didn’t have my headphones. You can say hello, and words of encouragement to your fellow runners – Steve said hi every single time we passed each other, and we had a little chat a couple of times. But basically it allows space for some contemplation – and at the begin of a new year that’s quite good really isn’t it?

I may have given the impression that I intend to carry on running a half marathon every month – NO! I intend to carry on blogging, and running (and baking), but actually entering an event every month is not happening this year. I have so far entered only one more – a trail run in Suffolk, in April.

I feel great that I did this today – sub 2 hour time too! And Jack came along and did a bit more than half marathon distance, and that’s good too. A brilliant start to 2020!