Getting serious about my challenges for 2020

Last year I found it hard to balance everything in my life. There was never enough time for sleep, so training took a back seat and I didn’t take on many challenges. I’m now more determined than ever to get my training back on track, so I’ve been planning a full events calendar to keep me motivated.

Here’s what I’m thinking of doing this year…

January

• 01/01/20 Heartlands parkrun 29:41
• 01/01/20 Penrose parkrun 29:31
• 25/01/20 Southampton parkrun 32:31

February

• 01/02/20 Southampton parkrun to celebrate fellow RD Kate’s 250th parkrun 29:52

March

• 15/03/20 Run Falmouth Half Marathon
  I’m not sure yet whether I’m going to run this. It’s in Cornwall and is raising money for Cornwall Hospice Care, a charity that I care about. (My father spent time in a hospice in Cornwall before he passed away in 2012). There is also a 1-mile children’s run that I think M would enjoy.

April

• 11/04/20 Southampton parkrun (Run Directing)
• 18/04/20 Southampton parkrun (Run Directing)
• 26/04/20 Southampton Half Marathon
  I’ve run this several times previously. It’s one of my favourite events as so many of my friends will be taking part in or supporting the event. I ran the half in 2015 and paced it whilst pregnant in 2016. Less than six months after giving birth in 2017, I achieved a marathon PB at the event. I was a half marathon pacer again in 2018 and enjoyed being a spectator in 2019.

May

• 08/05/20 May Day Triathlon
  This event wasn’t held last year, so I’m glad to see it back for 2020. I’ve taken part in it previously and wrote about it in 2015 and 2017. It takes place around Winchester, so it’s conveniently close to home!
• 30/05/20 Brighton Run2Music (and Scootathlon)
  As soon as I heard about this event, I thought it might be just what I need to motivate and inspire me. It is a colourful and entertaining fun run in Brighton that features three different distances: 5k, 10k or 21k. I’m so excited about it as it’s an event that positively welcomes buggy runners, so Stu, M and I can take part as a family. (I’m thinking that the half marathon distance would be a great family challenge). Runners can submit their favourite tracks which the DJ will aim to play on the day, so I’ve already started thinking about songs I love that will encourage me (and others) to run faster. Previous photos show that lots of people attend in fancy dress, so I’ve also started thinking about what we might wear. A bonus is that there’s a Scootathlon (scoot-bike-run) event that M could enter. I think she’d love that.

June

• 08/06/20 Copythorne 10k
• 20/06/20 Cycle Southampton Sportive
  Cycle Southampton are organising a ‘Sporterium’ this year – that’s a Sportive and a Criterium on the same day. I’ve watched a ‘crit’ in Winchester before and thought it was a great spectator event, but I’m far too much of a nervous cyclist to race in close proximity to others. However, I’d love to take part in the sportive. There are two different distances available. I’d like to aim for the longer one, which is just over 100km. I think it’s not an unmanageable distance, but it’s far enough that I’ll need to make sure I train for it!

July

• 05/07/20 Purbeck Junior Try a Tri
  M is desperate to start taking part in events, so when we saw this, we thought it sounded ideal.
• 18/07/20 Southampton parkrun (Run Directing)
• 25/07/20 Southampton parkrun (Run Directing)
• 28/07/20 St Ives Bay 10k
  I took part in the St Ives Bay 10k last summer and found that running on sand made this race one of the biggest challenges that I’ve ever taken on. I’m determined to go back and smash my time from last year!

August

• 07-09/08/20 Wiggle Festival of Sport
  This sounds like an amazing event, but it’s quite expensive. Also, I’m not sure whether Stu and I would be able to make the most of it if we have M with us.

September

• 13/09/20 Brighton and Hove Triathlon
  This is the largest triathlon on the South Coast, so it’s a must-do event. Most of my previous triathlons have taken place to the west of Southampton, so it’ll be fun to head east and try a new event. Perhaps even more excitingly, the weekend features a ‘scootathlon’ for 3-8-year-olds. I know that M would love to take part in a scoot-bike-run event (although we’ll need to borrow a scooter for it!) The main triathlon is also an ITU Age Group qualifying event, which means that it’ll appeal to a wide range of people… although I don’t think my training is at that stage yet! I’m hoping I’ll be fit enough to do the Olympic distance.
• 20/09/20 Winchester Half Marathon
  I’ve never entered this race before – partly because I’ve been out of the country twice when it’s been on and had a newborn for one of the other occasions. I love the other events that Rees Leisure put on, so I think I’d also enjoy this.

October

• 11/10/20 Ferndown Try a Tri
  This late-season triathlon might work well for us as a family as it’s just on Stuart’s parents’ doorstep. It also includes a junior event which we think M would like to take part in.
• 24/10/20 Southampton parkrun (Run Directing)

November

December

• 18/12/20 Marazion to Mousehole Half Marathon Christmas Fun Run
  As a child, one of the highlights of the festive season was always a trip to see the Christmas lights at Newlyn and Mousehole. I’d love to take part in this run to see the lights, but my participation will depend on my annual leave.
• 25/12/20 Southampton parkrun

Other 2020 challenges

I want to do some more parkrun tourism and am also trying to tick off some more parkrun challenges. My next tourist event will be my 50th, so I’m looking forward to that. I’m also looking forward to reaching my 350th parkrun, probably in later summer. Here are some specific parkruns that I’m hoping to visit:

• Bognor Regis (one of my Top 10 NENDYs)
• California Country (one of my Top 10 NENDYs)
• Chichester (one of my Top 10 NENDYs)
• Gunnersbury (Stayin’ Alive)
• Havant (one of my Top 10 NENDYs)
• Hogmoor Inclosure (one of my Top 10 NENDYs)
• Itchen Valley Country parkrun (this hasn’t started yet, but I’ll be aiming to do its 20th iteration as I need that for my Wilson Index as well as an I for my alphabet! I just need 9 numbers to get my Wilson Index to 100!)
• Jersey Farm parkrun (needed for my parkrun alphabet)
• Marlborough Common (one of my Top 10 NENDYs)
• Prospect (one of my Top 10 NENDYs)
• Queen Elizabeth parkrun (needed for my parkrun alphabet and it’s my NENDY)
• Rushmoor (one of my Top 10 NENDYs)
• Sandhurst Memorial (needed for Snakessss! challenge and one of my top 10 NENDYs)
• Seaton (needed for Snakessss! challenge)
• Seven Fields (needed for Snakessss! challenge)
• Severn Bridge (needed for Snakessss! challenge)
• Shepton Mallet (needed for Snakessss! challenge)
• Somerdale Pavilion (needed for Snakessss! challenge)
• Victoria Dock parkrun (needed for my parkrun alphabet)
• Westmill (Compass Challenge)
• Yeovil Montacute (needed for my parkrun alphabet)

Challenges for 2021

I know that I’m not going to be able to do everything I want to this year, so I’m saving some challenges for 2021. In another year, I’d like to do Rifle Run: https://events.soldierscharity.org/event/view/riflerunsouth I’d also like to do Egdon Easy 10k, which is usually on a Saturday evening at the end of May.

I’d love to do a parkrun beginning with Z, but am leaving that for when I can afford to go abroad. That will then help me to get an ‘international tourist’ badge as I’ve done parkruns in UK, Australia and Denmark so far.