Joining the Centurion Ultra Team
It's been a bit of a whirlwind year this year so far.
Last year, my first of racing ultras, started with a bang with a win in my first ever race, the SDW50. However it seemed to go a little bit downhill from there, and ended up finishing with a thoroughly unspectacular and unenjoyable slog around the Beachy Head marathon.
This year... well it has been quite different. After a slow start at the Thames Trot in February it has just kept on getting better, culminating with me achieving times that I would never have even dreamed about over the 100 mile distance, surprising myself as much as anyone along the way.
And although my nemesis, Beachy Head, is still ahead of me, this year has already had the proverbial icing added to it after being asked to join the top-notch band of ultra runners that is the Centurion Running Ultra Team. Of course I have accepted - although when Centurion head-honcho James first asked me I was both incredibly flattered and at the same time slightly scared - so far every race I've run with a Centurion team member entered in it has resulted in me being squarely beaten by them, and being part of a team of such obviously talented and hard working runners is not something I would have ever even considered within the realm of possibility even just a few months ago.
However, this is an opportunity I intend to grasp with both hands and whilst I am still a little humbled by the quality of the runners (and the depth of their combined experience) that I suddenly find myself sharing a team with I certainly intend to do my best to do the famous yellow t-shirt proud. Without doubt it has given me some major motivation to get out there and smash myself in training and hopefully make 2015 an even better year (if possible!) than this one.
And maybe, if I'm really lucky, I'll even have a bit of a better day out at Beachy Head before the year is out too...