A year in review, looking forward

I thought I'd take some time and review 2013. 

It was a year that started with all the gusto and possibilities. I was coming off of a marathon PR, and immediately started training for the next one. The Hendricks County Runners was just getting started and my vision for that club was large. Early in the year I set a modern day PR in a half marathon (not including my high school time). Then the wheels fell off.....

I got sick and the Marathon training derailed, then I lost my mojo. I tried to recover and train for another marathon but never made it to the start line, instead opting to run the half with a friend as a pacer. Looking back at the year it feels like a wasted opportunity. Now, before you think I'm going to get all "woes me" on you let me say I've done some reflecting and learned some things.

What did I learn?

I learned that I still have some speed in these legs if I put in the work. Just like everything in life if you do the work you will be rewarded. I learned that I can't get down on myself for a poor performance. This will happen, things won't always go exactly as planned. I also learned that starting this running club is a benefit not only for myself, but now we have members who I see are getting better and more consistent in their running. Although this takes some time in my life it's well worth the effort. 

What does the new year hold?

I've no idea, but it's going to be a fun journey! 

I do have some goals for the upcoming 2014. What's a good way to keep yourself accountable for these goals? You guessed it! Tell people. 

So here they are:

1. A 40 miler around the time of my 40th birthday.

2. A sub 1:40 half marathon

3. A sub 4 hour full

4. A modern era PR in a 5k

5. Log the most miles ever in a year for me.

6. Stay injury free

So there you have it, now you can help keep me accountable.

New Playlist additions:

1. Bad Blood, Bastille

2. Come A Little Closer, Cage The Elephant

3. Hippy Hill, Grouplove

4. So Into You, Wilhelm Tell Me

5. Making Art, JD Samson & Men

A thr33 month update

I know it's been a while, three months to be exact, but things have been out of routine with the summer months. The girls were out of school which throws the entire routine off. Since we last spoke I've run a couple of races and set a new PR at the 6mile distance. More about those in a minute, but I've also been training for a fall marathon which I've yet to sign up for. Training has been a little spotty as of late. I'm not sure if it is the lack of routine, motivation, or flameout? Time shall tell. I did have some really tough but fun runs when I was on a business trip to Florence, KY. More elevation than I'm used to, but supper fun at the same time. Maybe I just need more change of scenery on my runs. Maybe I'm getting bored seeing the same sights all the time on my normal everyday training runs. Hmmm?

July4 2013 and it's time for the Firecracker 6! This is a six mile loop course through downtown Indianapolis. Goal sub 48 minutes; I just missed this last year. I also wanted to be top 100 overall and top 75 males (because top 75  of each gender get a cool mug). 

It was a beautiful day and looked to be a fast day with the weather. I pushed hard but tried to stay consistent, yea I have pacing problems. 

Splits: 7:10, 7:50, 7:30, 8:13, 8:00, 7:04 official time 45:47. I feel a little bit robbed with that 8:13 there was a bad water cup handoff and I had to stop, turn around, then start again. Overall pleased with the time, finished in place 100 overall, and 77th male. Dang! No mug, maybe next year. 

I just ran the Jeremy Wright 5k, super humid and coming off a decent week of training with tired legs. I didn't get an official time and I stopped my watch late but I think it was about a 23:30. Nothing great but it was for a good cause and honored a fabulous runner and person.

So, as of late my training runs have been up and down. Sometimes I feel great and other times I just want to stop and be finished. Hopefully this will pass! I feel like I need to do something mentally to better engage or prepare, I have the endurance in the legs but the mind has been weak. 

 

Do you struggle getting your miles in sometimes? 

How do you cope?

Playlist additions:

What It's Like, Everlast

Anastasia, A Silent Film

You've Got Time, Regina Spektor

Pompeii, Bastille

Inbread Evil, Boondox

Now get out there and run!

Sometimes you got it, and sometimes you don't

Right after my new PR for a half marathon at the Sam Costa I became sick. Most of the time I push through this and just grind it out. But this one hit hard, I ended up taking two days off from work which is extremely rare for me. This sickness lingered for almost a month.

The morning of the Carmel Marathon arrived and I didn't feel very much of the sickness left but I had taken almost a month off from training.I wasn't sure how this was going to go but this was supposed to be my "A" race this year. So I decided to go for it and hang with the 3:35 pace group.

Everything started fine when we headed out. We were clicking off 8:12 miles like no ones business. At mile six I started to feel a little fatigue in my legs and fell off the back of the pace group. I stayed calm and slowly reeled them back in within a half mile. By mile 8 I could feel the weight still in my chest from being sick. I started coughing up the remains of my lung. Then my right calf started to get tight. I could still run but I started to slow. Somewhere between 8 and 9 I lost my pace group, and had the 3:40 group pass me. Things were going down hill fast. I continued to cough up the lung and by the time I saw my wife and kids at mile 10 I felt like I'd already run a full marathon. I continued on and muddled through the next mile before I really lost all motivation and will to continue. I battled through not wanting to quit but thinking it may be the best thing. I was so discouraged, disappointed, and generally pissed off.

At mile 12 when I couldn't stop coughing up the lung I decided it wasn't my day. I called Tammy and told her to pick me up. This was the hardest decision I had made about running, and one I hope to never have to make again. It is still disappointing even after a couple of weeks have passed. It's even hard to sit here and type this out. I felt like a failure. My children were there and I was worried about what kind of example I would be setting for them.

Since then I've tried to come to grips with my decision and I think it was the right one, even as hard as it may have been to make. Some runs are up and some runs are down, sometimes you got it and sometimes you don't. The key is to try not to dwell on the negative, but focus on the positive and keep getting out there to do what you love. In my case I'll run...

Have you ever had to drop out of a race or DNF'd? 


Playlist Additions
1. Synthesizers by Butch Walker and The Black Widows
2. The Boxer by Simon and Garfunkel
3. Tourist by Yuna
4. No Wow by The Kills
5. Down By The Water by The Decemberists

Now get out there and run.