2012 Recap - Part 1 - The Goals

Happy New Year!

I've been meaning to write this recap for a while now, but only now am doing it. I've been reading all the blogs from my Michigan and other blogger pals and thought I should finally do my post.

This is me running.

I suppose I have a lot to recap so I'm probably gonna take a couple posts to do it. This one will recap the goals I set at the beginning of the year and how I did in meeting them (or not meeting them).


1. Run a 22 minute 5k - Result: So Close.

This was a tricky goal to set. I wanted to say 20 or 21 minutes at the start of last year, but I think I've gotten pretty good at knowing my capabilities and I set this one just right. My best 5k time this year was at the Open Door Julie Run in June with a time of 22:16. I really thought I had it at that race, but I came up just short with a disappointing 3rd mile. I wanted to say I met this because the race had a clock time start and was slightly long, but the official time is what it is.

I knew that race was my last, best shot at 22 during the year, as I went into half marathon training mode after it. That training helped me for the next goal which was...

2. Run a 1:50 half marathon - Result: Done!

I thought this would be the most difficult of the goals to meet (and maybe it was), but I did it, running 1:49:09 at the Brooksie Way in late September. It was doubly sweet to meet this goal on that course, which is notoriously difficult. I dropped over a minute per mile off of my time from the previous year.

The Train (me) stands victorious on the mountain top!

3. Place in a "big" race - Result: Done!

I qualified this one by noting in my goal setting post that "Even though it doesn't have a huge turnout, the Julie Run is big to me". Well, I finished 2nd in my age group at the Open Door Julie Run in June, which means I can consider this goal "met"! That finish meant a lot to me, as this particular race is the first one I did before I committed to getting back to running on a regular basis. Placing in any race at that time seemed so far away.

4. Finish a 10k in 48 minutes - Result: Not Met.

Excuse time. I ran in two 10k races and neither one was the main race I was preparing for. In March I had a good effort at the Shamrock N' Roll 10k, finishing in 50:28, a 7 minute PR. I was on my way to getting this one, except that I ended up doing a couple 10 mile races and the 10k distance never ended up being a priority. My other 10k race was not planned as I won a race entry from Renewal by Andersen to the Milford Labor Day 10k. This race was a week after the 10 mile Run Thru Hell and on a hilly, un-PR friendly course. I did PR with a time of 50:16, but that is obviously not close to 48 minutes.

The thing about missing this goal is that I think that, in my peak shape from 2012, I would have beaten it handily. It was a good goal, but my priorities changed during the year (both in running and in life), so it didn't get accomplished. It won't stop me in setting a more challenging goal in 2013, but that is another post. :P

The Train is crushed, but he will chug on with bionic legs!

5. Run 900 miles - Result: Not Met.

I didn't want to set a mileage goal, but did anyway. I honestly thought I would have no issue with 900 miles, but I didn't know we would have a baby during the year (BOOM - saying that was shocking is way too mild) and I didn't anticipate that the mid-late summer months would be so personally challenging. I ended up running about 802 miles, which was up from just over 450 in 2011.

I am not troubled about not meeting this goal at all. I rarely passed on running when I was physically and mentally able to do so and when my schedule permitted. Therefore 802 miles is cool with me. Again, not meeting this goal will not prohibit a higher goal in 2013.

Summary:

Despite only fully meeting 2 of 5 goals set at the start of 2012, I say that 2012 was an outstanding success. It was my first full year of running. The fact that I was active all year long was a huge accomplishment in itself. The goals that I missed, well, I didn't miss by much and they were well within my capabilities.

I will get part 2 of the recap done in the near future and then layout goals for 2013! Thanks for reading and for your support in 2012! I appreciate everyone who read and commented on my blog, twitter, facebook, dailymile, etc. during the year. You helped encourage me during the year and I hope I returned the favor in some small way.

Holiday 5Ks and stuff

Hope everyone had a great Christmas and we wish you a Happy New Year. With the baby, work, family activities, colder weather and limited sunlight, my running continues to be erratic. Even so, I was able to run a couple 5k races this month and, as a bonus, both were run at no cost to me!

The first was a trail run at Independence Oaks County Park called the Christmas Present 5k. This race was sponsored by ROTPAC and Running Gear and offered completely free entry to all participants (they did offer some shirts for $10 - $12. They were nice but I passed as I have plenty of shirts at the moment). If this race would have cost anything, I probably wouldn't have gone. This isn't because it is not a good race (it is), but I am nowhere near "race shape".

Enjoying some hot cocoa and snacks after the race.

My wife and two of my kiddies came with me to the race and hung out in the shelter where there were two fireplaces going (thus the name of the area, Twin Chimneys). I stayed in there with them until about 20 minutes before the race, where I tried to warm up. It was in the upper 20's and I was able to loosen up a bit before we started. We all lined up at the start of a path past the parking lot and got moving without much delay.

I started off fine as far as pace goes, but started sucking wind rather quickly. Even though I had been running a bit as of late, the running that I had been doing was at a very moderate pace and not near a "short" race pace at all. The first half mile was about 20 seconds off my best 5k pace and it was just downhill from there. Not literally downhill, because the course was a bit hilly and I didn't enjoy them at all. At least no tree beat me this year. I finished in 25:40. This was my slowest 5k time since...well... this race last year. I did get 3rd place in my age group and won a $5 gift certificate at Running Gear, which I will certainly will use.

The other race I ran was the following Saturday at the Jingle Bell Run / Walk for Arthritis in Bloomfield. This was one of many such races run to raise money for the Arthritis Foundation throughout the country. I ran this race because I won yet another race entry from Renewal by Andersen Detroit.

Me, Santa and Jeff from Detroit Runner

Before the race, I met Dawn and Jeff (aka Detroit Runner) who also won entries from Renewal by Anderson, Matt (Faster than a Turtle) and his wife Janet. It's always good to see people you know at a race!

After hanging around in the gym with the group and Brandon from Renewal by Andersen for a while, we headed out to the starting line. I was hoping to be better prepared for this race than the last, but I was not at all (number of runs between Christmas Present 5k and this race - 0). I was hoping just for a better showing than the previous week. I felt slightly better this race than the last, probably mostly because there were no significant hills in this race and it was on roads rather than trails.

I finished in 24:29 and was surprised that I actually won an age group award. After having some good Tortilla Soup, we waited around about 30 more minutes to collect our awards. Matt and Janet both won their age groups, Jeff came in second in his, and I third in mine (behind Matt).

Picture of the victors shamelessly stolen from Detroit Runner

I don't have much more to add. The races were fun because they were races and were "free", but I was not thrilled with my performance. It was what I expected though, based upon my level of preparation.

My next blog posts will be a recap of 2012 and my goals for 2013. Merry Christmas and Happy New Year!

New theme song & running updates

Because I am a superdork, I must have my own theme song for running and I switch it up every few months. For the first and perhaps only time, my theme song is an instrumental - "Into the Arena" by Michael Schenker.

I like the title and the feel of this song (Into the Arena). I would like to be announced at my next race with lots of smoke, fireworks and lasers all around as I emerge from the tunnel and head to the starting line. Delusions of  grandeur for sure!


Pandora and especially Spotify have helped me find a ton of music I knew little or nothing about. Through it, I've discovered or rediscovered many bands, including UFO and former UFO and Scorpions guitarist Michael Schenker.

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I've been running lately, but just enough as not to lose too much. I peaked at the end of September and, due to a great number of circumstances, can't get fully back into any sort of running routine. Baby, weather, laxk of daylight, my schedule, family schedule, all together I can't get any kind of regular thing going, but it's ok.

I did do a crazy run on Monday this week. I belong to a local Meetup group that runs regularly at a local Metropark and the one thing I've been able to do semi-regularly is go to the park on Saturday mornings and run with them. Much of the group is training for a marathon, so they actually have been running 18 - 22 miles and I join them for the middle 8 - 10. Anyhow, one member posted about a night run at the Pontiac Lake Rec Area. Since it was so warm (60 in December is tropical), I figured I could go.

Since it is an almost 10 mile trail with no light, I picked up a headlamp after work and got ready to go. I knew this was going to be a challenge, 'cause it was very long for an afterwork run, on a rough trail where it would be damp and dark. I could use an adventure. I met 3 others at the park and after a couple minutes we were off. Not more than a couple minutes into the run,, I had my first fall. I tripped on the edge of the road (not even yet to the trail). I fell "well" and kinda rolled into it. I wouldn't be my last fall...

We were going along pretty well for a while. Because it was dark, there was very little warning when obstacles like roots and rocks were coming. I had almost fallen at least a half dozen times coming up to the 3 mile mark when I came upon the rock garden. There were lots of wet, slippery rocks and I went down pretty hard. I hit below my left knee and my left palm particularly hard. Thankfully, there were people there to make sure I was OK. Being out in the woods, no where near a road, I would have been SOL if I was hurt badly, but I was alright.

If I would have had much of a choice, I would have been done running for the night at that point, but I wanted to finish and also didn't have much of a choice other that to go 3 miles back or 7 miles forward. We walked along (I limped for a bit) for a couple minutes, then I managed to run again. We probably went a bit slower than planned, but it was ok. They let me lead so I could keep the pace (and probably to "find" the obstacles first). It took about 2 hours total, but we made it. I felt a mix of accomplishment and pain.

My knee and hand were pretty bruised and once I got home, noticed that my knee was pretty skinned up. My upper legs were also sore for 3 days but I am now mostly recovered.

I have 2 races coming up: tomorrow at the Christmas Present 5k (free race by Running Gear) and next weekend for the Jingle Bell Run for Arthritis 5k (courtesy of Renewal by Andersen Detroit contest). I have no idea what to expect. While I always hold out hope for a magical PR to fall from the sky, I'd be happy to keep the first race around 24 minutes and hope that the second, flatter race is a little better. We shall see!

Into the Arena I go!