2023 Running Review

Another year of similar running activities, with some minor improvements.

The total was just a bit down, due to a month of holiday. I did still manage to run every day, except when travelling against time zones from London to Melbourne and getting delayed in Dubai for over twelve hours.

• 2023 - 5050 kilometres and 381 hours
• 2022 - 5119 kilometres and 390 hours
• 2021 - 5128 kilometres and 392 hours

Happy to record a new PB in each distance, but a little disappointing to only have six races for the year.

• May - XCR Albert Park 10km
• 36:34
• June - Launceston 10km new
• 35:39 PB
• July - Gold Coast Marathon 21km
• 1:18:02 PB
• August - XCR Ballarat 15km
• 54:17 PB
• September - Run Prix 10km new
• 36:21
• December - 2XU Wellness Run 21km new
• 1:20:01

I went to a record 52 parkruns for the year, only missing an event on the same Saturday as the Gold Coast half marathon. Another PB in the 5 kilometre distance as well with 17:24 at Dandenong and two more under 17:30.

The rest of the parkrun stats are.

• 52 events - 45 in 2022
• 12 new events - 12 in 2022
• January
• Kerang Regional
• Queens Domain
• March
• Eastern Gardens
• April
• Louis Hamon Park
• June
• Launceston
• July
• Kilmore Racecourse Walking Track
• August
• Old Deer Park
• Bushy
• Karpendonkse Plas
• September
• Upton Court
• Dixon Field
• December
• Tallangatta Station

The goals from 2023 and new goals (some unlikely) for 2024 are:

• 2023
• 5km 17:30 - 17:24
• 10km 36:00 - 35:39
• 21km 1:18:00 - 1:18:02
• 4500 to 5000 kilometres - 5050
• Parkrun
• 10 new events - 12
• Races
• 2 new events - 3
• 3 interstate events - 2
• 1 or 2 international events - 0
• 2024
• 5km 17:00
• 10km 35:00
• 21km 1:17:00
• 4500 to 5000 kilometres
• Parkrun
• 10 new events
• Races
• 3 new events
• 3 interstate events
• 1 international event

Albury 2024, January 01

Only a 10 minute drive to Willow parkrun in Wodonga was good for a change. I had the usual five kilometre warm up to inspect the first half of the course.

There was a much bigger crowd this time since it was the only one nearby, a bit under two hundred people.

This time there was two younger kids who were quick, but they made multiple wrong turns including running up to the street footpath instead of going through the underpass. They seemed to be confused by the cones being placed on either side of the paths to be avoided, where at other events they often put them right in the middle to be more obvious.

I took the lead due to their mistake, but one ran fast to catch up before fading after two kilometres due to the extra effort.

I wasn't checking behind but felt like I had a good lead and managed to work out the rest of the course, the half that I hadn't seen yet. There wasn't always clear markings but I knew the general shape and direction of the course, so used common sense when required.

Just as I was coming on to the final straight I got a surprise as second through fourth were running towards me in the opposite direction. They'd taken another wrong turn, this time a significant short cut, and then just turned around at a random point shortly after I passed them.

I finished with a good time of about 18 minutes.

Went back to the hotel to pack up and left at 9:30am. The estimate on the GPS was to return just after 1pm but I planned to stop whenever my legs were feeling sore or uncomfortable.

I managed to make it until after 12pm before taking a quick rest stop. The traffic was quite light again but still had people sitting in the overtaking lane. I took the usual detour to the Uni Hill outlets but couldn't find anything at all to buy. It seems like all Nike sell now are boring plain black models of outdated shoes. Finished up back home before 2pm.