2023: a year in running

If I could say anything about 2023, it would be, well at least I tried.

It didn’t go perfectly and I fell short of my goals a few times but I’m pretty proud of the fact that I kept getting up again and trying to fix all the mistakes.

Looking back on the year, it’s pretty safe to say I bit off more than I could chew.

I didn’t know it at the time, but falling and finishing at Kosci impacted the entirety of 2023. For the first time, I maxed out my physio and osteo allowance on my health care and even dipped into the natural therapies (myo) and podiatry.

I spent a lot of the year trying to correct one imbalance after another after another.

I did a lot of PT exercises and a lot of stretching.

I focused a lot on the mental side of the sport this year too. Having to run/walk back from injury really opened my eyes to it and it worked great guns at the end of Peaks and Trails and the end of Surf Coast Century to keep me moving forward.

I used mantras like “one and done” to get myself through UTA when I had surrendered myself to only being able to walk the last 30k.

I read books about sports psychology and listened to podcasts focused on mental fortitude.

I didn’t follow a training plan.

One of the wins of 2022 was having a structured training plan to follow. Unfortunately in early 2023, right before Tarawera I parted ways with that coach and went coachless for the rest of the year. I went back to paying my friends Kerry and Ali at SquadRun but it would be a big lie to say I followed their plan.

Not that it would have made much difference, I spent most of the year tentatively rehabbing and even when nothing actively hurt or felt injuries, I tip toed around the edge of training, scared if I didn’t run walk that something else would go wrong.

I’m not going to lie, I much preferred when my hips cracked. While it took a long time to diagnose and find the right specialist to help, it was a clear cut process. Nothing about fixing tendons and ligaments and “inflamed” or “angry” or “lazy” body parts is straight forward and most felt more like trial and error than actual science.

Here’s the calendar of what I actually did! Most were not planned! (I’ve linked race recaps when I did one)

January

-Two Bays 28k

February

March

April

May

August

September

October

November

  • AfterGlow 21k (PB)

December

I had two actual goals on my 2023 goals list and they were to run under 24 hours at Tarawera and to PB at Peaks and Trails.

Considering they were my only goals, maybe 2023 went alright after all.

The highlights

➡️ running with my mate Morgs at Warby. It was great to run with someone the whole way (even if he wished I would stop talking) and show them a trail race and our community. He was an absolute baller and really smashed it out of the park.

➡️ Volunteering at Surf Coast Trail Mara and hanging out at the pub afterwards would make any short list. The Tour de Trails races are always a highlight of the year.

➡️ Peaks and Trails, of course, love the race, the family vibe, the trails, even made a friend in Erin who dragged me around the last 20k

➡️ My unplanned and unpredicted PB at Surf Coast Century. I feel like I finally ran a race to my potential and I’m keen to see what I can do next.

I had on my list of goals for 2023 to “join a running group”, I didn’t. I thought about it quite a few times and bailed each time, but the best parts of the year was definitely runs spent with friends, whether we ran side by side or I only saw them at the start and the end.

Last year I decided to give out awards for best races and best gear.

One of my non running goals of 2023 was to not buy things, so I can’t really help with that!

So here are my wins for best trail content of the year.

Best Podcast (in general)- Trail Society

Best Podcast episode– Jim Walmsley post UTMB on Some Work All Play

Best photo– This is hard but I’m going with Allie Mac and her dog at Broken Arrow

Best movie– Lucy’s Dad by Salomon TV

Best Insta Story series- #zacheats by Zach Miller

Best Sponsored content– Jim & Jess by Wahoo continued to be great with an honourable mention to the Buff content of Amanda Basham at UTMB

Best local– shoutouts to Blackall and Buffalo Stampede for jumping into the live streaming or insta story type coverage of their races

Best Insta reel– Runnable (duh) by Laura McGreen

I’m excited to try some new things in 2024. I’m stoked that I managed to post here for consistently and I have some new things planned for next year. Running wise, well I’m going sub 24 at Tarawera of course!

Happy new year friends!

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