Monday, July 2, 2012

First half of 2012 recap and second half preview

Hello!

I had a very good first half of 2012 and thought I'd post a lil' recap of it. Here it is:

Training:


For the majority of the first half of 2012, I ran, on average, 4 times a week or more with a long run on Saturdays, a mid-paced, tempo-like run on Mondays, and one or two shorter runs during the week. In April and May, I added one or two short runs with my daughter who was training to run some 5k races with me.

As I continue to improve, the overall pace of my runs has picked up. The chart above shows an average speed of 6.1 mph, which is just under a 10 minute / mile pace, but take away the slower runs with Lil' C and I was a bit faster than that.


From January - April, my mileage increased each month with each month setting a new monthly mileage record for me. May dropped just a little and June was just rough. Part of the mileage drop in May and June was due to running short (5k) races, but June in particular had many challenges.

Between racing, going to camp, work, housework, hot weather, attending recitals and so on, it was just difficult to get time to run. It happens and I'm not worried about it, but I do feel like I have slipped a bit in the past month or so. While I tend to go along with a more "minimal" approach to mileage, 56 miles in a month is not nearly enough. Ideally, at this point, I'd like to be around 100 miles a month (20 -25 miles weekly).

Racing:

 I ran 8 races in the first half of 2012 and had 6 PRs (Personal Records) in those races. Actually, I went 6 for 6 in races where the goal was to set a PR. 

For 5Ks, I went from 24:36 last year to 24:01 at the Super 5k to 23:16 at the Resurrection Run to 22:50 at the Sylvan Shuffle, finally to 22:16 at the Open Door Julie Run. I'm glad I've been able to keep getting faster - it certainly makes me feel like my training is paying off. I ran one 10k race, the Shamrock N' Roll 10k and finished in 50:28 (a PR by aboout 7 minutes) and ran the Rock CF Half Marathon in 1:56:36 (a PR of about 8 minutes).

The Big House, Big Heart 5k race was fun because I won the entry from Renewal by Andersen and because the finish was on the 50 yard line of Michigan Stadium, but the race itself was a bit of a bust because it was pouring rain until the race started. The Necktie 5k was a blast, even though I wasn't "racing". I was able to run with my daughter and was so proud of her.

Goal Update:

I set what I intended to be challenging but attainable goals for 2012.  Here are the goals and how I'm doing so far:

1. Run a 22 minute 5k

Status: Close but not there yet. I ran 22:16 at the Open Door Julie Run in early June. My hope is that I'll get a few more shots at 22 minutes this year and am pretty confident I'll be able to do it. The only issue I anticipate is that I'm going to start training for a half marathon soon and there will be less of an emphasis on building speed for shorter runs.

2. Run a 1:50 half marathon
Status: Not yet met. I ran 1:56:36 at Rock CF in March. It looks like, with the baby due in October, that I will likely only have one more shot at 1:50 this year at the Brooksie Way, September 30. Hopefully my training will go well and I'll be ready for the hills at the second half of the course.

3. Place in a "big" race

Status: MET! I made it clear in my goals that the Open Door Julie Run counted as a "big race" for me, and I placed second in my age group.

4. Finish a 10k in 48 minutes

Status: Not yet met. Ran 50:28 in late March. I think I'm faster than that now, but haven't had a chance to run another 10k. The half marathon training and likely hood that I will only have one, maybe two shots at this goal will be the challenge.

5. Run 900 miles

Through July 1st, I've run 439 miles. A little less than planned, but close to the pace needed to meet this goal. I'm hoping that I'll be able to run 77 miles a month (or more) to meet this goal.

Overall, I'm happy with my progress this year. I'm healthy, in good shape, and having fun!

How are you doing with your goals?

Are you good at setting goals, or do you make them too easy or nearly impossible?

How has your 2012 been going so far? 

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