Happy New Year 2022

Happy New Year folks. I wonder what's in store for 2022,  - something crazy, something new? It's a shame Covid is still here and I'm sure we are all wanting something better. I do hope this year blows your socks off!

2021 wasn't the best of years on the challenge front and I've still not cycled the TransAlba Race. Hopefully, the TransAlba will be completed this year, Covid or not. 2021 didn't end so great either, however, it wasn't so bad. No Rapha 500 was completed, however, I did complete the Albion/Re-strap Solstice challenge that awards a funky badge for cycling 100 miles. Having a broken foot is my excuse for not performing wonderfully in 2021.

So, what about 2021? What were the scores on the doors? Well, I didn't cycle or run as far as I had planned or hoped. Below is a list of my distances from last year and yesteryears (dating back to 2009). Cycling distances are followed by run distances.

2009 - 5,086 (3,160) LEJOG 2009

2010 - 8,509 (5,287) Paris to Geneva Cycle 2010/LEJOG 2010

2011 - 8,378 (5,207)   PBP 2011

2012 - 6,935 (4,309)

2013 - 12,498 (7,766) LEL 2013

2014 - 9,253 (5,750)

2015 - 5,531 (3,436) and Ran 1,170 (727)

2016 - 6,515 (4,048) and Ran 1,204 (748) Iron Man (Bolton) 2016/TNR 2016

2017 - 8,940 (5,555) and Ran 514 (319)

2018 - 10,958 (6,809) and Ran 417 (259) TransAtlantic Way Race 2018

2019 - 8,034 (4,992) and Ran 484 (301) Bivy-A-Month 2019

2020 - 10,082 (6,265) and Ran 466 (289)

2021 - 9,021 (5,605) and Ran 319 (198)

So, I didn't achieve my cycling distance and running distance goals from last year (10,000k and 500k respectively) - can I blame a broken foot? I didn't complete TransAlba - definitely blaming Covid for that one (race has now been postponed 2 years running). One of my goals was to enter a cyclo-cross event, which I did - never cycled it though as was cancelled due to Covid. My other goals were to cycle a Tron Bike on Zwift which I managed to achieve and to cycle around a velodrome which didn't happen either. So pretty naff, all in all. However, I still had adventure and loved that very much. Cycling the King Alfred Way was particularly awesome and all my wild camping was very much fun too. 

Let me end this blog post with goals for 2022. They are:

• Cycle 10,000k and run 500k by end of year. (I am not 'allowed' to even start running for a 'couple' of weeks yet due to the aforementioned broken foot menace).
• Complete the TransAlba race. 1,000 miles and about 50,000 metres of climbing. (Better start training, especially as I currently weigh 96.9kg, which is seriously ridiculous).
• Lose weight. My usual weight is around 90kg. All the lack of training/exercising due to broken foot menace has resulted me going up 2'' in my waist size. I'd like to be 88kg or less for TransAlba.
• Cycle a 200k event on my fixed cycle.

Be the best dad/husband/person that I can. Lat year, I wanted to produce 'fruit of the spirit', - I don't think I produced enough. The fruit of the spirit is love, joy, peace, long suffering, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self control (Galatians 5:22-23). I'll give it another go.