Your race of 2009

Now to the end of another year. Whats been your race of 2009.

The race which you enjoyed the most. Done a PB. The one that made you feel happy.
Also, on the opposite side, the worst race of the year too.
It can be any race whether running, triathon, durathon, you name it.

For me, not many good races this year and hoping the best one to come is
the Witham Boxing Day 5 mile in Essex which normally gives me a good race.
Worst race, quite a few but London stands out again.

Comments

  • Paris marathon.   It wasn't just my race of 2009 it was the race of my life.     I did it as a challenge for my 50th birthday image.  (Thought it would be a different way of getting legless!).     As i was heading toward the finish line the guy on the PA singled me out, i got over excited and started leaping up and down he had to remind me to cross the line.    I wasn't a runner before that so hadn't really entered any other races before then, but done a couple of 10k's since and have 10k's, halfs and London lined up for next year........... I obviously got the running bug, albeit late in life!      
  • The Vitruvian triathlon. Got beaten up in the swim, but didn't come in the bottom 10 this time. Blitzed the bike and just held on for the run. It was great fun all the way round. Taking 26 minutes off my time from the first time I did it wasn't so bad either.
  • This year has probably been my overall worst year for running ever! Started with the flu, then was side lined with bad piriformis syndrome, then a bad cold and another bout of flu and a sprained ankle/broken foot thing(?) which still persists. At no point did I ever really get going

    Best Race - I'd just about recovered from the first bout of flu and I had had a decent run at Parbold Hill race two weeks earlier, so I went in to the Cloud 9 Hill Race feeling quite good. 3 lads from work were running and few from the running club as well.

    I set off hard because I wanted to avoid any potential log jams on the narrow start and found myself running along side a club mate who is a better runner than me, I stayed with him on the first gentle climb, but when it started getting tougher he pulled away. On the first decent I caught him up, but again dropped back on the next climb and got passed by another club mate. But on the final decent I caught and passed them both and it was just a case of holding them off to the finish. At one point I was running on my own and could see no signs or marshals and was convinced I'd gone the wrong way, but I rounded a corner and was confronted by a steep road climb with a marshal on the top and thought I was going to loose my place but dug in and got back onto the disused railway track and ran it in to the finish ahead of everyone I knew. Result!

    Worst Race - Moel Y Gamelin, Another hill race but this one involved some real hills. I'd run the majority of course on training runs over the years so knew what to expect, but due to various injuries and illnesses I'd lost all strength and stamina so by the end of the third climb I was completely done. I was reduced to walking on anything that remotely resembled an incline. I made up time on any decent simply because I can run them easily and fast, but overall an embarrassing performance. But at the end of the day it was still a nice day out,

  • SezzSezz ✭✭✭
    My best race (and I think my only race) was a 10k in October, the Jill Oliver Memorial 10k organised by Edmonton RC.  I beat a long standing 10k by about 45 seconds, my best 10k for 5 years.  Great run down the Lee Valley.
  • Best race was probably the AIr Products 10k in Crewe. Ran 39:15, a time I genuinely had no idea I could do - I thought I might just duck under 40 minutes if I had a really good run. It's a straight forward basic race largely around a trading estate so no scenic views or  majestic herds of wildebeest sweeping across plains, but it runs efficiently and does the job.

    Worst race I'll split into two. Worst race physically was the Burnham Beeches Half because it was just so hot. I got to half way on schedule for around 1:34 yet ended up only just under 1:50 because I kept having to stop. Windsor half was even hotter, but I just packed that in completely at 5 miles so it wasn't so bad. Worst race mentally was the London marathon this year. I actually ran a 10 minute PB, but I was so set on a Good-for-Age time and ended up missing it by 98 seconds, and all because of the heat again. I knew from 16 miles that I was just going to miss it, and that really detracted from what I should have regarded as an achievement, but at the time it really messed with my head.

  • so hard to pick one as have had aamazing year.......end of january was given the go ahead to start running and cycling gently after 4 months out with achillies..........so took it easy.

    end of march did a 200k audax bike ride........the thrill of finishing after such a crap winter was brilliant

    June bala middle distance triathlon.knocked 20 mis from prev year and won first female welsh vetimage

    july ironman switzerland...............an amazing experience all round with the pirates support.

    sept JW ultra.my first ultra and a great 30 miles along a canal..........another great weekend

    nov a new 5k PB at th4e park runs.getting under 25 mins image

    dec    the brecon beacons ultra 45......only enetered 2 days earlier and with meldy's help managed to finish in one peice....loved running in the dark with the headtorch eaten peanuts ....after almost freezing conditions.

    loads of other great races including the pudding race last week and a 2nd and 3rd awelsh vet at two other triathlon distances..........

    so hard to just pick one race..they all meant so much for so many different reasons..............but have now managed to so many things that I would never have contemplated without the pirate attitudeimage

  • Ok, look through my results for this year and the one I would say was my
    best race of 2009 is the Baddow 10 mile. Don`t know why but it is.
    I rather now look forward to 2010.
  • Best race for me was the Welsh Castles Relay. My first one and the first time that I have felt confident about my running to put my name forward.
    Did Leg 13 and the whole event was great - camaradery in team and with other teams. Sign up sheet will go up in Feb/March and I don't want to miss out.
  • Best = Wolves Half.  First ever race and I loved it.

    Worst = Brum Half.  So different, more people, slower, Yuk.!

  • Best JW Ultra, just felt good all the way and knocked a big chunk off the year before.

    Worst bizarrely was a local 5 mile in June where I recorded a PW which upset me image

  • My best race of the year was Sunday's 5 miler, running in the snow, in which I managed a new PB of 33:08. image

    My worst race was the Cork Half Marathon in which I DNF'd due to my damn knee injury. image

  • A number top events for different reasons, mostly glad to be running reasonably well having had a hernia operation which buggered up most of 2008.

    It was great to do The Charnwood Hills Race, Grizzly and Turkey Trot again. Probably the best event for me was my first ever duathalon at Silverstone considering I couldn't ride a bike at the start of the year (never learnt and I'm 44) I considered this a great achievement - but it was made better because 3 weeks earlier I had my first bike accident cracking a couple of ribs and grazing a lot of skin (arms, hands, knee and face) in the process (my 2nd bike accident happened during the race and I finished with blood streaming out of my chin).

    Other top events were the Men's Health Survival of the Fittest and the Northampton 10K.

    Personally my worst race was the Killer K XC in Milton Keynes, a very good event but unfortunately a minor hamstring injury meant that I was running to protect my leg from further damage rather then going for it.

  • Don't have a "best race" for this year, I've written off 2009 as hopeless, too many injuries and illnesses, not a good year for me. The only one I really enjoyed was a charity run with your dog a couple of weeks ago, 15km through the woods with my younger dog Nemo to raise money for Tasso, a non-profit org that runs a registration service for pets to be able to reunite lost animals with their owners. Very upbeat about 2010 though and looking forward to racing.
  • Best - Cabbage patch 10 - dipped under 56 for the first time - by a second image

    Best day our - Burnham Beeched half - just used it as a sociable Sunday run. Fantastic swim after and lovely day (too hot for proper racing though)

    Worst - Wolverton bloody 5 again. 3 years ago - injury and pulled out. This year - stitch

  • RatzerRatzer ✭✭✭

    Best, Cardiff Half, PB and finally made it under 1:30.

    Least best, maybe Lliswerry 8, but only because it was a little dull.  It was still well worth running!

  • 2009 wasn't a great year for me, just seemed to stagnate. My mum being ill and in hospital through the Tri season didn't help. Still, highlights whilst thin on the ground were:

    South Cerney Tri - 28 min swim for Oly and 5 min pb for the bike (shame the run was crap, miscounted laps!)
    London Tri - Another 4 mins of bike (albeit slighly short course) and a good run, sub 40 min pace and 2nd faster runner in wave
    HSBC Tri - 38.50 for the run, very pleasing. Was only aiming for sub 40
    Wyellyn Garden City 10 - My only running pb of the year, a meer 3 secs but pleasing as it was totally unexpected.
    Windsor Half - Not a great time but finished 18th overall and 4th in the V40, my highest vet finish in trying conditions. Also passed a friend from work at mile 7 who had been kicking my ar@se all year long image

    No disasters but dissapointments were:

    Hamburg Marathon - Had trained well and was aiming for sub 3, went through half way on course for 2.56 ish but fell apart after about 32K. Enjoyed first marathon abroad experience but 3.11 finish was a bitter pill.

    London Tri - Swim leg. After clocking 28 mins at South Cerny only managed 34 at London. No excuses, even swam in a straight line for once!
    HSBC Tri - Swim leg again, this time didn't swim in a straight line and went hopelessly of course. 35 mins this time image
    Hyde Park Tri - Swim was OK but I found bike and run leg very hard work. Not sure of it was eth course or the heat but just struggled all through both legs.


  • Edinburgh marathon was my best, not my best time but had a cracking weekend in gorgeous weather and met up with some old friends.

    Merry Xmas WR

  • OK, so my last race which I expected to be the best race of 2009 was cancelled.
    So it had to be the Baddow 10 mile in Essex. Roll on 2010, please!!!!!!!! image
  • Dublin marathon was my best ever. I walked round in 6hrs 53 mins. Thought my running days were over after an infection destroyed my hip in 2006,got new hip for xmas 2008 (thanks santa) .The surgeon was quite happy with me  running but wanted me to wait 10 months for everything to settle down before starting.I managed  some training on the eliptical trainer and my bike but hadn,t ran for nearly three years so had to fight the urge to break into a canter in case I blew up.                                                            Hope to get nearer to 4hrs 30 mins this year.
  • Edinburgh Marathon was my highlight of the year.  My first marathon and I loved every minute of it (did 3:41).  The recovery has been hell and I have had my worst races since, but onwards and upwards and staying positive...
  • Well, I guess you could say that both my best and worst run of 2009 was the only one I did this year, the Santa Run 6k in Battersea Park! I had ambitions of going around more quickly, but I know things will go much better, given time! It was a lot of fun, thoughimage
  • Has to be my 2nd attempt at marathon - Stratford. Last year first go at one, really wanted to beat 5 hours and finished in 5.12 - cried with frustration and couldnt appreciate the acheivement of finishing a marathon.

    This year trained hard for sub 5 hours - on the day I cracked it and some, 4 hrs 42.  It also came during difficult personal times - I nearly gave up marathon training but instead channelled my focus to distract from the other bits of life- so crossing that line a 2nd time and well under 5 hours was a real personal triumph.

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