And The Award for Most Runningist Goes To...

Me!

This bit is going to read a bit like an Academy Award acceptance speech, but the following thanks are needed and overdue. 

Thank you to Kata for getting me into running in the first place.  It’s been life changing.  Thank you to Kata, Jess, and Chris for running faster than me on those first lunch time runs and making me push hard  to keep up.  I used to run before, years ago, and it came to nothing; I think it was being pushed out of my comfort zone by you guys that really made the difference this time.  I remember vividly the time I really wanted to stop and puke but I didn’t want to look weak in front of Kata in particular. Kata’s response to my repeated ascertains that I felt sick of, “either be sick or shut up” become a bizarre mantra!  Despite a few close calls, I’ve yet to actually be sick.  

Thank you to Kata, Brian, Steve, and Blonde Rachel for turning up at Parkrun that time to celebrate ‘Day 100’.  That was a highlight and a really nice surprise.  BIG thanks to everyone who turned up on my last day to run and/or drink with me.  Absolutely amazing.  

And thanks to my parents for the balloons!!!

Now I'll always have a balloon with my face on it. 

Thanks to Kata and Brown Rachel who are “The Committee” referenced at the top of this blog.  Although the idea was mine, they were the ones that encouraged me to turn it into a reality and also helped set the rules of ‘Most Runningist’.  

Thanks to Jon Sutherland whose idea it REALLY was. Thanks to Jet2 for putting his story in their inflight magazine! 

Thanks to my sister, Kirsty, for the free entry into Cumbernauld 10k.  I hope it’s OK to mention that on the Internet!

Thank you to everyone that has driven me to races.  Brian to Calderglen, Gala, KB Dash.  Rachel to Dunbar (the weather that day was awful).  Hector to Dumyat.  James to Falkirk (sorry about your car and all that mud).  Martin to Kinross.  Kata to….too many places to mention.  

If anyone had given me their place in a race because they weren’t able to make it then I would thank them too.  But obviously that’s not allowed so I didn’t do that and so there is no need to thank  Bobby and Ross.  If I’ve missed anyone else who definitely didn’t give me their race place then it’s just as well that there is no need to apologise.  

Thank you to everyone who took an interest in this madness and who spoke to me about it (usually in the pub).  Many times I found it embarrassing to talk about and often tried to steer the conversation away in case I sounded boring or conceited, only for people to keep coming back to it because they wanted to know and talk about it.  What was especially bizarre but rewarding for me was to be told a few times that I was “inspirational”.  Being told this is very embarrassing, but also makes me very proud.  On the really hard days I realised that failing would be a failure for me, but it would also be disappointing to all the people that were genuinely interested in what I was doing. This is the conversation that haunted me…

“Hey, Steve.  How’s your running every day for a year going?”

“Oh I gave that up.”

“Oh.”

Thanks to Kata for putting up with me on the bad days/weeks and pushing me out the door with kindness or with force as required.  Your encouragement was invaluable I don’t think I would have completed this challenge without you.  In fact I know I wouldn’t have.

I wish I had a montage.  This post needs a montage with music by M-People.  Instead, here are some second-rate photos from the last year that were considered not good enough for the blog. 

Lake Zurich.  Just as well I didn't get the job, running in Zurich wasn't as good as running in Edinburgh.

Outside Edinburgh's Gallery of Modern Art

Hard to imagine why this picture never made it!  Blackford Hill. 

My rejected t-shirt design for HBT

Harris Half-Marathon recovery beers

Day 50 at OCP

Kata before The Beast.  Probably the best race I've ever taken part in. 

Day 100 - Parkrun.  It's Elderflower wine

Where's Wally Steve? Cumbernauld 10k

Dunbar 10 Mile and Gala XC.  Two races, one pose.  

Survival of The Fittest, before I got my biker leathers on.

Nemesvamos in the snow

Bakonybel.  There's that pose again.  Shoe gazing!

Before Ben Lomond.  I had no energy to do this after Ben Lomond.  Possibly the toughest race I have ever taken part in. 

Running for 365 days in a row isn't the highlight of my year.  Kata completed Black Rock 5 with an extra person on board.  One more runner in the family due to join us in October.