Year Without Beer

The year ended with 2,081.5 self-powered miles, mostly running and cycling, plus some rowing, walking and swimming thrown in along the way.

I finished my 2013 miles in 2013 challenge early, crossing the line at the Santa Fun run in Cheltenham’s Pittville Park, ahead of schedule.

In month 11 of my 2013 miles in 2013 challenge I ran and cycled 226.4 miles, taking my total for the year past 1,984 miles across running, cycling, rowing and more.

The Mo Run Cardiff 10k took me round Bute Park with over 1,000 runners in moustaches. I finished in 48 minutes 10 seconds, 157th out of 1036, with the best medal yet.

October added 149.1 miles, including the Great South Run, taking my year’s total mileage so far to 1,773.9 miles toward the 2013 miles in 2013 challenge.

Windy conditions and a strange mental blip that slowed me to a walk couldn’t stop me beating my Great South Run debut time, finishing in 1 hour 23 minutes and 31 seconds.

September brought 170.8 miles and took me to almost 80% of my 2013 miles in 2013 challenge, with 11 races completed so far including my first full marathon.

A day after finishing the Great North Run in pain, I feel proud rather than frustrated, having fought through cramp for the last 3 miles and even made it onto TV.

Cramp hit hard after mile 10 of the Great North Run, costing me a personal best, but among 50,000 runners I still finished in exactly 1 hour 55 minutes.

With juicer sales up 1,886% at John Lewis, I launched a Budget Juice Reboot with a shopping list, schedule and recipes, and people from across the world joined in.

Running the Apperley Quarter Marathon again a year on, I beat my previous time by more than 4 minutes despite feeling bloated and low on energy after a month of travel.

August was my lowest mileage month of the year at just 130.7 miles, thanks to work travel and festivals, but September brings the Apperley Quarter Marathon and the Great North Run.