It is here!!! The end of another amazing year. Full of new experiences and life changing decisions, 2013 has been all I expected and in some cases even more. At the end of 2012, while on a flight to the Dominican Republic and reading the latest issue of Runner's World, I started writing down some of my 2012 accomplishments and once I finished, I wrote down some high-level 2013 goals. I held onto that Runner's World and a few weeks back found it while looking for something else and took a few minutes to assess how I had done with those goals.
The 5K
Shortly after deciding to run my first marathon in 2009, I ran a 5K as a fun run just to experience that 'race' feeling again. That day I ran a 25:26. A month later, I ran another at 25:15. As a new 'runner' (if that's what you would call it), I was tickled to death with these results. In both 2011 and 2012, I focused on running the marathon and ran a total of three 5K's. In two of those three races I was beaten by 15 seconds by Jim Schwan. Jim is a good friend but that doesn't mean I'm gonna let him continue to beat me. I decided I needed to commit to running the 5K more often so that on Thanksgiving Day of 2013 I didn't finish 15 seconds behind Jim again. So, goal #1 was to run a 5K per month for the year. This got a little tough during the summer of crazy mileage marathon training, but I pulled it off!!! And, I didn't finish behind Jim on Thanksgiving Day because he never made it to the start line. (He completed the Flying Monkey Marathon 4 days earlier). GOAL #1 - CHECK
Goal #2a was also a 5K related goal. Since that initial 25+ minute time, I had reached a point where I was consistently just above 21:00. In my mind, this is pretty good for a 5K, but I really wanted to break that 21:00 barrier and with 12 chances to do it this year, it had to be possible, right? In March I ran the Mt. Juliet Middle School 5K on a snowy Saturday morning. I was very surprised by the number of people that showed up for this race considering the snow that was coming down. The cold air must be the trick. 20:59. Good for 3rd place overall that day. GOAL #2a - CHECK. So, considering this was the 2nd day of March, I felt the need to add another goal. Let's break 20:30. Why not right? I really didn't think this was possible, but the week prior to the Chicago Marathon, I ran the Shelby Bottoms Boogie and crushed a 19:40. WHAT??? Yeah, I looked at it twice too! GOAL #2b - CHECK (I've raised the bar awfully high here, so there will not be a 5K goal for 2014.)
The Half-Marathon
Toward the end of 2012 I ran the Music City Marathon and posted a very respectable 1:36 time. In my 'overly aggressive' goal writing, I decided that I wanted to break 1:30 for the half-marathon. This one gets carried over to 2014 simply because there wasn't enough time for me to schedule a half-marathon. I feel really confident that I can do this considering I ran a 1:32 front half during the Chicago Marathon. This one should be easy pickens' for 2014.
The Marathon
When writing down my goals, I was three weeks removed from a 3 minute PR (3:29), which was preceded a 14 minute PR (3:32) from September. I seriously wondered if there was any improvement left in my body. I mean, I'm not 22 anymore, right? (I'm really only 27, but don't tell anyone! Shhhh!!!) I guess though, without a goal, or something to shoot for, one will never know. On the cover of that Runner's World, I wrote down "Sub-3:20 Marathon". That would amount to another 9 minute plus PR. In previous marathon attempts, I've seen big number improvements like that (13:00, 16:00, 9:00, 14:00), but as you get a bit faster, the amount of time that comes off becomes more difficult. In my mind 9 minutes at sub-3:30 is twice as hard as 16 minutes at 4:30. I may be wrong, but that's just the way I see it. In February I got into the Bank of American Chicago Marathon and it was ON LIKE DONKEY KONG!! Hahaha! Or whatever the cool kids say these days! I'll spare you the race recap as you can read it here in an earlier post, but with a 3:10 on Marathon Sunday, I not only crushed the sub-3:20 goal, I destroyed it and qualified for Boston in the process. GOAL #4 - CHECK (DESTROYED!!!)
Goal #5
During 2012, I ran 1623 miles. A number that I looked at almost in disbelief. At the same time, I wondered if I could possible get to 2,000 miles. I was planning some significant changes to my training that I knew would add mileage and if I stayed healthy, I could surely get close, right? On Saturday, December 7th, I surpassed the 2,000 mile mark. With more than 20 days left in the year I would say that I crushed this goal as well. GOAL #5 - CHECK
Walking Away.......
As I started planning how to get to the marathon goal of sub-3:20, I wanted to make sure that I had more than one chance at this during the year. Getting in two marathons during a fall racing season is a challenge, both physically and mentally. After having such an incredible race in Chicago, mentally I don't think I ever 'checked back in' to my training. I completed the each of the runs and went through the motions, but never got to that determined point of focus needed for me during marathon training. Physically, I was a little nicked up as well. All of the miles and the hard workouts for the past 6 months were starting to hurt. Pain that was tolerable, but ever-present. I knew that I needed time off and that certainly didn't help my mental state. On 12/14 I was to run the Rocket City Marathon in Huntsville, AL. I had run this race last December and knew the course was one that I could post a good time.
Saturday morning the rain started pouring about 3 a.m. At 6:00 when I got up for coffee and breakfast, still pouring. At this point physically I'm still in for the start. Mentally I checked out months ago! At 7:00 still pouring as I start putting on my running gear. 7:15 while looking out the window of my hotel room, I see that the empty lot across the street looks more like a lake than it does anything else. I decided at that point that mentally I was not prepared for 26.2 miles on that day. I sent a simple text message to Nate that read "I'm out! Heading back to bed." 30 minutes later we were both walking away from the start line looking toward the next year of running, the next race and the next goal to fall on the list. I found myself 'justifying' my decision throughout the day before finally coming to peace with it. Knowing deep down that the marathon is something that I expect to be able to give my best effort and anything less can be a greater disappointment.
So, as I walk away from 2013, and prepare to run into 2014, I am incredibly thankful for the health that I have and the ability to even try these things. I'm also very thankful for the incredible experience of 2013. I'm extremely thankful for the friends and peers that I've met through running. Most of them inspire me in one way or another to be better at what I'm doing. Others of them teach me how to be better. And all of them, and I mean all of them, will gladly talk your ear off about running!
Merry Christmas (Yes, Christmas! You know, immaculate conception, the manger, wise men, 'franken-scent' and baby Jesus) and Happy New Year to you all.
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