At it’s cruelest I never thought this year would end and yet as it drew to a close I found myself wishing it would carry on forever. Unlike most of the planet, 2016 has been the best year of my life. It ushered a completely new start for me and while I already had so much planned for 2017, as Big Ben ushered in a new year I feared the new unknowing it beckoned in. How could anything top that year?
I realise that the last time I put any sort of words down on this blog my challenge was still rolling on. While the races had ended the mileage target still loomed heavy, the big round 1,000 seemed far off. I didn’t like the idea of finishing over the festive period so instead vowed to push hard for a few weeks and finish with friends. Those last few weeks were my least favourite of the whole year, I was running without the love of running. I ran simply because I must. Yet when I ran the last mile with my friends heading towards a huge Christmas party running filled me with such an immense swell of loving.
I find the whole year really hard to describe. Impossible to tie sentences together in tribute. To put it simply I ran four marathons around the world, ran six half marathons and over 1,000 miles surrounded by new friends, new family and with a whole new perspective on life.
From running up the seemingly never ending hills of Athens, trudging through the relentless rain of the British winter or the pain of rehab following my stress fracture I have never wished this year away. Never dreamed of calling it a day and sitting down and letting my sofa envelop me. The challenge has formed in me a hardened core, the ability to struggle on through regardless and with it I have surprised myself.