2006 was the best running year of my life. I ran over 3,000 miles, a 3:07 marathon, 1:24 half, 38:23 10k, and an 18:51 5k. Then everything started falling apart (at least mentally).
2007 was my best year mileage-wise. I ran over 3,500 miles, but the only PR I set was an 8k. After running Boston, my goal race was the Milwaukee Lakefront Marathon, but that was the year of the heat and it was 90+, very humid degrees. I shut it down about half way and decided to do the Philadelphia Marathon. I waited too long and it filled. So it was a very disappointing year and pretty much the start of my downfall.
2008 I decided to make running a secondary part of my life and have a little more fun. Only ran 2,500 miles. I ended up in the med tent at Grandma’s and run my first 4:00+ marathon in two years. I tried to do Chicago in the fall, but ended up with a hernia three days before the race. I still completed Chicago, but I wouldn’t have run well anyways, my training wasn’t there.
2009 I joined Minnesota RED and really began enjoying running again. There was a good group of about 10 guys who really trained well together. It was a great sense camaraderie. The really helped me get serious about running again. I ran over 3,000 miles and probably missed 10 total days of running the whole year. The big highlight of the year was running the Ragnar Relay. On three tough legs totaling 19.5 miles, I averaged 6:45/mile and the team was on the podium.
The big failure of the year was the Chicago Marathon. I really ran a stupid race and the wheels fell off about mile 18 and I finished with a 3:20. I was so incredibly frustrated.
2010 was been a great year for training and an ok year for racing. I ran six 5k’s in the low to mid-19′s (fastest 19:11), which isn’t too bad. I ran over 3,000 miles. Where I really struggled is in the marathon. I tried to run Disney, but had to drop out (first time ever) at the half way point. It was so cold and I had a banged up quad. Then at the Fargo marathon, the humidity decided to make an appearance for the first time of the year and I struggled to a 4:05 marathon. I thought (I know) I was in the best shape of my life. Philly marathon was more of the same, stomach issues and lack of guts added up to a 3:40.
So now my major goals for the 2011 are to run a good time at the Earth Day Half Marathon, run well at the Ragnar Relay again and to better my pace from last year and to run a sub-3:00 at the Liverpool Marathon. As usual, another goal is to set a PR in any distance.
I decided to write a blog to chronicle my training a little more than just writing in a running log. I really want to see in more detail what works and what doesn’t and be able to make adjustments in each training cycle.
