2024 Running Year In Review
- Total Miles – 800 miles / 67 miles per month / 15.4 miles per week
- Total Runs – 128 runs / 10.6 per month / 2.4 per week
- Total Time – 135 Hours / 11:15 per month / 2:35 per week
- LIFETIME TOTALS – 32,703 total miles run / 5650 total lifetime runs / 4599 total lifetime hours run
- JAN 58 miles / FEB 70 miles / MAR 34.5 miles / APR 3 miles (lol) / MAY 39 miles / JUNE 64 miles / JULY 48.7 miles / AUG 108.8 miles / SEP 132.7 miles / OCT 86 miles / NOV 88 miles / DEC 67.3 miles
In November, I had a “what the heck?!” moment. I decided to pull up the running totals for the year and staring right back at me was a total running mileage of just over 700 miles. At that moment, I realized that topping 1000 miles for the year would not happen. The last time I failed to go over 1000 miles was in 2010, so running 1000 miles in a year had become an expected milestone to reach, and to not get it was a little shocking. Then reality set in: I looked back at the monthly running totals and saw that April had a grand total of 3 miles. Yup, that isn’t going to help push me over 1000 miles. And the preceding and following months both were very low. I had forgotten that high hamstring tendonitis had taken me out of running for a spell, and I was using those three months to recover and rebuild.
Recovering and rebuilding seems to be the norm for my running anymore. At 61 years old, my brain keeps writing checks my body can’t pay for. I don’t think that will change, as I have already set myself up for some more body punishment for 2025. But I need to be smarter about staying within my ability without overdoing it.
Even though some mandatory recovery months in 2024 were necessary, I was still able to get some running and racing accomplished and did well at them. Four of my five races went really well, seeing that the first race of the year was the reason that set me back in the spring for me. Here are the links to the race reports:
Paleozoic Trail Runs – Ordovician Spring II – 25K Race Report – Summary: I’m typically terrible at spring races, and this was no exception. Plus running the hills here tore me up and forced me to take it easy for three months.
The Forge Gravel Triathlon Race Report – Summary: What did I do after tearing myself up running the 25K trail race? I switched to the bike and started getting my cycling conditioning back. Feeling good again and cautiously pushed the pace through a very technical running course, a course that half the field cut and ruined the overall and age group results. I’ll probably skip this race in the future. I had fun getting back into triathlons though.
2024 Broken Anvil Backyard Ultra Race Report – Summary: Broken Anvil is becoming my favorite event lately, and I’m already re-upped for 2025. I ran 41.67 miles here in 2024.
2024 Chicago Marathon Race Report – Summary: I was thinking this race would be a farewell victory lap for marathoning for me – one last hurrah. Then the speed started coming back and I attempted to shoot for a sub-3:50 Boston Marathon qualifier. Missed it by 3.5 minutes, but I was still happy with my sub-4-hour final Chicago Marathon. I’m done with marathons.
2024 Paleozoic Trail Runs – Silurian Fall II 25K Race Report – Summary: Although run by the same race director as the spring version, this course was not as technical and I was much better prepared for this fall race.
What’s in store for 2025? First up is a return to long-distance triathlon specifically the 70.3 Ironman Rockford in Rockford, Illinois. This is the inaugural race there, so I have my fingers crossed that this new race will have wrinkles ironed out. After that June race, I will switch from multisport and concentrate back on building distance to hopefully go far at Broken Anvil Backyard Ultra in Iowa. In the back of my mind is a return to Tunnel Hill, but mainly thinking about racing the 50-mile race, with a goal of being around 10 hours. A man can dream.
an amazing run 