Category: Year End Report

2022 Running Year in Review

2022 Running Year in Review

It’s time to wrap up another year of this crazy running journey that I have been on.  34 years and counting!  And what a year it was.  I decided to stick with ultra running as my focus and for the first time in the last several years the word “triathlon” does not appear in the title of this blog post.  I did very little biking this year, and any swimming I did was from a post-run, cool-down standpoint.  I miss cycling a little bit, but I had my hands full with training for another attempt at a 100-mile finish.  I came up a little short, but I’m getting closer!  Is next year the year I finish?  Hopefully, I will conquer that distance before age makes it too difficult.

The spring started off with a fun trail race called “Paleozoic Trail Runs – Carboniferous Spring II 25K” which was a very fun mud-fest.  First time racing a trail race, and I think I did pretty well with my 12th place overall and 2nd place age group finish.  Race report:  Paleozoic Trail Runs – Carboniferous Spring II – 25K Race Report

Got a little dirty running this very muddy trail run.  It was surprisingly fun.

The Big Hill Bonk became a favorite race for me after getting my first 50K distance run there in 2021, so naturally, I made a return to it in 2022.  It was moved from August to April this year, which meant less heat to deal with but now we dealt with some snow and cold.  In the end, it turned out to be a pretty good day.  I ended up running 10 yards, 41.6 miles, a new distance record for me.  Race report:  Big Hill Bonk 2022 – Wisconsin’s Backyard Ultra Race Report

At the top of the stairs and making my way down.

In the early part of May, I decided to try another backyard ultra in Wausau, Wisconsin called the “WausaUltra Backyard Ultra.”  I did this race without my race crew (my wife Kari) and when I fell on the fifth lap and banged up my arm and leg, I decided that I better call it a day.  This course was really technical and challenging, and that made for a fun time.  It kept me engaged, that is for sure.  I’d like to do this one again in 2023 if the calendar allows it.  Race report:  WausaUltra Backyard Ultra Race Report

Me and my one-man tent near the start/finish area.

At the end of May, I joined the local running club and did a marathon relay race called “Attack The Track.”  It was my first time doing an event like this for me and I really enjoyed it.  I ran the anchor leg, so my “mile” leg of it had an extra lap, but I huffed and puffed my way through it.  I wasn’t quite prepared to run a fast mile, but I had fun.  Race report:  Attack The Track! Race Report

Bringing up the rear of a 26.2-mile relay.

July and August were race free, but after a family wedding, and a vacation I was ready to race again in September.  I needed to do a 50-mile training run, and I found the perfect opportunity in Iowa at the “Broken Anvil Backyard Ultra.”  This backyard race was nowhere near as technical as Big Hill Bonk and WausaUltra, but challenging nonetheless.  The main issue here was thunderstorms and rain, but I was dialed in with help from Kari.  I managed 54.1 miles and could have run more if it wasn’t for the chafing I was experiencing.  I’ll be back at this one next year.  Race report:  Broken Anvil Backyard Ultra Race Report

Ringing the bell – making it official that I was done after 54.1 miles.

I was registered for and planned to run the Chicago Marathon, but I came home from my anniversary trip to Italy (Hiking in Cinque Terre Italy) with Covid-19.  That is not what I was hoping for, but I had a mild case thanks to being healthy and vaccinated.  Since being sick with Covid took away the Chicago Marathon for me, I decided to run a marathon on my own, seeing that my training plan for the hundred miler called for 24 miles anyway.  I took it very slow and got the miles in.  (My Covid Marathon)

November brought my “A” race:  Tunnel Hill 100.  This was my second attempt at the 100-mile distance, and I trained accordingly and gave it my best shot.  I really thought I had it in the bag after heading out for the second 50, but things turned on me coming in at 76 miles, and I just didn’t feel comfortable continuing on.  In retrospect, I wish I had but that is hindsight for you.  I’m still pretty proud of what I accomplished at Tunnel Hill, but I’m not going to quit on this yet.  That 100-mile finish will happen.  Race report:  2022 Tunnel Hill Race Report

What’s on tap for 2023?  I was planning to return to Ironman and do IM Couer d’Alene in Idaho, but that was assuming that I’d have finished the goal of running a 100-mile ultra.  So I think I will continue to focus on the 100-mile goal and maybe return to Ironman in 2024 unless my Gunner teammates do something to change my mind.  

I’ve already signed up for Broken Anvil and it will be my “A” race, with a goal of running 100 miles there.  I think there’s a good chance to accomplish that at a backyard ultra event.  I added the 25K trail race to the calendar again, as that was a lot of fun.  I just learned that the Big Hill Bonk has been canceled, which I had also signed up for, so that is a little disappointing.  WausaUltra is a big maybe because we’ll be spectating Ben & Emily at the Boston Marathon the Monday before, so we’ll see.  I don’t want to make my crew chief angry with me!  She’s a big part of my success!

Me and my crew chief.

The running stats below were a little surprising to me this year, as I somewhat had it in my mind that I would be closer to 2000 miles for the year.  In 2015, I ran a total of 2112 miles and I would have thought that I had easily done that much this year.  

1600+ miles is nothing to scoff at, though.  I’m pretty proud of that total.  The amazing part of training for ultras for me is that it is far less abusive to my muscles.  Other than the three times I fell down this year (I Be Trippin’), I didn’t have many (if any) running-related overuse injuries.  Running slow, and adding walking to the pace plan sure has made a difference in how I feel.  I might have discovered a secret to running in my old age.  

And although I may have been surprised at the yearly mile total being lower than expected, the lifetime miles run total was a nice surprise – I have officially gone over 30,000-lifetime miles!  I’m on my second virtual trip around the world!  

So, I tip my hat to another great year of running, being thankful for the great experiences it has given my life, and look forward to another year of my running journey.  

RUNNING STATS

  • JANUARY – 18 Runs / 79 Miles / 20 Miles per week
  • FEBRUARY – 17 Runs / 86 Miles / 22 Miles per week
  • MARCH – 17 Runs / 147 Miles / 37 Miles per week
  • APRIL – 13 Runs / 152 Miles / 38 Miles per week
  • MAY – 16 Runs / 90 Miles / 22 Miles per week
  • JUNE – 20 Runs / 149 Miles / 37 Miles per week
  • JULY – 18 Runs / 182 Miles / 45 Miles per week
  • AUGUST – 19 Runs / 206 Miles / 52 Miles per week
  • SEPTEMBER – 13 Runs / 170 Miles / 42 Miles per week
  • OCTOBER – 14 Runs / 137 Miles / 34 Miles per week
  • NOVEMBER – 16 Runs / 155 Miles / 39 Miles per week
  • DECEMBER –  16 Runs /  88 Miles /  22 Miles per week
  • 2022 TOTALS –  197 Runs /  1640 Miles /  32 Miles per week

 

LIFETIME RUNNING TOTAL

  • 30689 Total Lifetime Miles / 5387 Total Lifetime Runs / 34th Year of Running

BIKING STATS

  • 30 Total Rides / 493 Total Miles

SWIMMING STATS

  • 1 Total Swim / 1410 Total Yards 

2021 Running and Triathlon Year in Review

2021 Running and Triathlon Year in Review

Started 2021 with some trail running. Found out I loved running trails.

What a difference a year makes! After just going through the motions last year, running and biking without any racing, it was such a joy to have racing back again in 2021. As I write this, December 2021 is starting to feel more like 2020, and I definitely do not want to go back there, but I think the ship will right itself again.

2021 saw a return to racing for me. I tried to not go overboard with racing, and there were some changes to how things were done, but we were allowed to push ourselves once again.

On the triathlon front, I got in two events – the first being an “off-road” sprint triathlon that was a lot of fun, and resulted in an age-group placing. And I completed my fifth Ironman in Chattanooga with my friends.

The Gunner Gang the morning of Ironman Chattanooga 2021.

It was also a year of new adventures in running for me as I trained for and ran a couple ultra marathons. I found training for the ultras to reinvigorate my passion for running. I also found that going slower can also be fun. I learned quite a bit about myself on those training runs and during the events as well. I’ve already signed up to do the Big Hill Bonk event, as well as another attempt at the Tunnel Hill 100.  I’m an Ultra Runner now!!!

In the spring I began my training for Ironman Chattanooga, which I made my goal “A” race, and would train for the other stuff around that training. Although it prepared me well for the Ironman, I think the training wasn’t quite adequate for the 100-miler, and that became clear to me when I decided to drop at the halfway mark and take the 50-mile finish. I felt no regret about stopping at 50 miles at the time I did it, but it wasn’t long before I was regretting it a little. I will prepare myself with a little more ultra-specific run training and arm myself with what I learned from the race to give it another try in the fall.

Summer saw me entering my first race of the year and first time back at racing since Covid shut down everything in 2020. I was urged by a few of my coworkers to run a local 5K and that was a fun return to road racing. The course was hilly and tough, and the warm day didn’t lend to a great 5K time, but I did okay-ish. Here’s the race report:  2021 Chasing the Sun 5K Race Report

Had some fun swim training with Tom in Lake Michigan.  He’s caught the tri bug.  

Next was a new, local triathlon that was “off-road,” which basically meant it was on a crushed limestone trail for the bike and run. I was excited about that because I got to actually race my gravel bike for the first time. You can read about it here:  The Forge Off-road Triathlon Race Report

Coming out of the water at the Forge Tri.

In August the Big Hill Bonk – Wisconsin’s Backyard Ultra race finally took place after a couple of postponements and it was a ton of fun. This race format of running multiple 4.16 mile loops every hour is still kind of new, so I found myself learning as I ran. And what I learned is that I had a lot of fun running through the woods and into the dark of night. It was a great experience and I look forward to doing it again in April 2022. Eight laps, or “yards” netted me 33 total miles.  The adventure can be found on this post:  Big Hill Bonk – Wisconsin Backyard Ultra Race Report

Fake running for the photographer, but having a blast at Big Hill Bonk.

Next up was a return to Chattanooga for my fifth Ironman with my Gunner teammates Dave, Jeff, and Jan. Weatherwise, race day was much better than what we experienced in 2019, a dreadfully hot and humid day. This race was wetsuit legal, a first for Chattanooga, I believe. Even with an extra four miles on the bike course, and the run course being one of the hilliest ever, I turned in my second fastest IM time. Here’s the report:  2021 Ironman Chattanooga Race Report

Doing my part to promote pathetic triathlonism.  

I had about a month and a half to work on building some mileage for my first attempt at running 100 miles. I worked on pacing and in-race nutrition while logging lots of weekly miles in training. Race day came and I felt prepared, but my body was aching a little and my mind wasn’t quite prepared to tell my body to keep going. Thankfully, at Tunnel Hill you can get the 50-mile finisher award if you decide to drop at the half-way point, and that’s what I did. I’ve never run that far in one day ever, and I’m pretty proud of that. Read about Tunnel Hill here:  Tunnel Hill 50 Mile Run Race Report

Finishing 50 miles of running and calling it a day.  I had a Forrest Gump moment and didn’t feel like running anymore.

One little note about the Boston Marathon. I ran the Chicago Marathon in 2019 and got my third Boston qualifier, albiet barely. I was thirteen seconds under the qualifying time and even though I was proud of that, I knew that a BQ-13 would not be quick enough, and I didn’t give any thought to applying to run it again. I was wrong. Boston announced that there would be NO CUTOFF FOR 2022! I could have made it in! Oh well, I’m not sure I wanted to run it on such short notice anyway. Running Boston in 2018 was such a miserable experience (!) and great memory for me, I might not ever want to run it again!

So that wraps up 2021. What’s in store for 2022? Well, it seems that I’ve gotten myself entangled in a hodge-podge of events that I will have to figure out how to train for. Plus, I have to keep the calendar clear for a couple reasons: Kari and I celebrate our 30th wedding anniversary in September and we are hoping to go on a trip. And my son Ben and fiance Emily are planning a summer wedding, which doesn’t quite have a concrete date yet. I’m looking forward to both of those non-running, non-triathloning events!

But I have already committed to running the Big Hill Bonk in April, which I have sorta started training for now. I’ve also added the Manteno sprint tri for the end of July. I’m toying with adding the Chicago Triathlon for the end of August. And since the Chicago Marathon notified me that I have legacy and can sign up for the race, I did so. It may end up being another attempt at a Boston qualifier, or it may end up being a training run for Tunnel Hill 100, which I committed to just 2 hours ago. Yeah, I have some unfinished business there.  And I’m a glutton for punishment.

So here’s to 2022 and a happy and healthy racing year.

RUNNING STATS

  • JANUARY – 21 Runs / 140 Miles / 35 Miles per week
  • FEBRUARY – 15 Runs / 79 Miles / 20 Miles per week
  • MARCH – 19 Runs / 85 Miles / 21 Miles per week
  • APRIL – 15 Runs / 78 Miles / 19 Miles per week
  • MAY – 17 Runs / 91 Miles / 23 Miles per week
  • JUNE – 18 Runs / 98 Miles / 24.5 Miles per week
  • JULY – 18 Runs / 120 Miles / 30 Miles per week
  • AUGUST – 20 Runs / 180 Miles / 45 Miles per week
  • SEPTEMBER – 18 Runs / 124 Miles / 31 Miles per week
  • OCTOBER – 21 Runs / 242 Miles / 60.5 Miles per week
  • NOVEMBER – 14 Runs / 158 Miles / 39 Miles per week
  • DECEMBER – 13 Runs / 95 Miles / 24 Miles per week
  • 2021 TOTALS – 209 Runs / 1490 Miles / 28.6 Miles per week

LIFETIME RUNNING TOTAL

  • 29049 Total Lifetime Miles / 5190 Total Lifetime Runs / 33rd Year of Running

BIKING STATS

  • 109 Total Rides / 2843 Total Miles

SWIMMING STATS

  • 33 Total Swims / 51971 Total Yards (29.5 miles)

2020 Running and Triathlon Year in Review

What a year. Had it been a great year I would have stuck an exclamation point after that brief declaration. But it seems to me that a period is more fitting. Period – end of the story. 2020 is a year that we may want to forget but will be hardpressed to do so. It was a memorable year for everyone, and as I sit down to wrap up my year of running and triathlon accomplishments, the year of the pandemic certainly had an impact on my goals.    

I usually fill this space with great memories and stories of training experiences from the year, races I competed in, finish lines that I crossed, and medals I had earned. But this year is different. Although the pandemic year of 2020 allowed for a handful of events and races, there would be none for me. What wasn’t canceled on me were either postponed or I opted to sit them out.  

Covid-19 changed the running and racing landscape in 2020. Virtual races became a popular option, but they did not appeal to me for some reason. I “virtually” cheered for others who completed their virtual events, but it just wasn’t the same for me. It’s hard to get excited about a virtual race when it’s only me doing it. To me, there was no difference between a virtual run than an actual everyday run.  

But not all was lost. I set a goal of running a sub-6 mile, which I did achieve on my 57th birthday. I also pushed myself through a half-marathon in the fall to test my fitness and was very pleased with that run. And I was able to hop on my gravel bike and take advantage of some long-distance riding, thanks to having built up some endurance through training before my Ironman race was canceled.  

So I did accomplish a few things, and above all improved my health and fitness. I was allowed to run. That is a blessing. In all of this pandemic fear and worry about controlling the spread of this crummy virus, we were actually encouraged to get outside and exercise. People took up running. I saw many new faces out on the trails. People also took up cycling to the point where there were no new bikes to be purchased. Even tubes and tires were in short supply. I’ve seen a couple of big running booms in my thirty-plus years of running, but this year is by far the biggest.

This year reminded me that running is my life and that sometimes the journey will lack the things that make running fun for me. But when it comes down to why I run, it isn’t always about racing the local races or getting a personal best, or winning an age group award. 2020 reminded me that running is freedom. Running is living life when life is challenging. Running takes me places and lets me experience things that I don’t see in everyday life. Running makes me feel good about myself. All I need to do to have an amazing run is to simply go for a run.  

MONTHLY NOTES AND TOTALS

JANUARY – As January got underway, Covid-19 wasn’t really on my radar. I once again used this month to recover somewhat before starting to build for my last runner standing ultra event in April.

  • TOTAL RUNS: 14
  • AVERAGE WEEKLY MILES: 22.4
  • TOTAL HOURS: 12.15
  • TOTAL MILES: 90

FEBRUARY – I more than doubled the mileage for February in 2020 over 2019. That extra leap day this year made a difference!  

  • TOTAL RUNS: 18
  • AVERAGE WEEKLY MILES: 33.6
  • TOTAL HOURS: 19.26
  • TOTAL MILES: 134.5

MARCH – Covid-19 was now on everyone’s mind. The pandemic was declared and the stay-at-home order was issued. Running outside was approved, but you needed to stay at least 6 feet apart. People were crossing the street when walking towards us on the sidewalk. My friend Jodi and I went up to Big Hill Park in Beloit, Wisconsin to do a preview run of the Big Hill Bonk Last Runner Standing course, but everyone was starting to think that the race was on shaky ground.

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  • TOTAL RUNS: 20
  • AVERAGE WEEKLY MILES: 32.5
  • TOTAL HOURS: 20.6
  • TOTAL MILES: 130.2

APRIL – The Big Hill Bonk Last Runner Standing ultra race got shut down, but I still held out hope for my fall Ironman race in Louisville. The Big Hill Bonk would be moved to the end of October, putting it two weeks after IM Lou. My first thought was that it was going to be tough to do an ultra so close to doing an Ironman, but then I figured that I would be in pretty good shape for it. I just wasn’t convinced that I would be recovered enough to get as far as I was hoping to in this open-ended race.  

  • TOTAL RUNS: 18
  • AVERAGE WEEKLY MILES: 22.5
  • TOTAL HOURS: 13.3
  • TOTAL MILES: 90 

MAY – Well into Ironman training now, just waiting for the hammer to drop on the race, as many events had already been canceled. I got the pool opened and started putting in some laps. I also started riding with a local group of cyclists. We made several trips out to Abe Lincoln National Cemetery this summer.  

  • TOTAL RUNS: 17
  • AVERAGE WEEKLY MILES: 25
  • TOTAL HOURS: 14.35
  • TOTAL MILES: 100

JUNE – In June I started making odds as to whether IM Lou would take place and came up with a plan that if I make it through Week 15 of training (which is half-way) that I would continue training and do it on my own if it got canceled. Still no word, but training was going pretty well. I ran the Torch Run with some coworkers this month, putting in a couple of miles. Afterward, I wondered how fast I could run a mile, so I hit the gas and ran a 6:35. It got me wondering how fast I could run a mile. A new challenge was born: a sub-6 minute mile!

  • TOTAL RUNS: 20
  • AVERAGE WEEKLY MILES: 26.6
  • TOTAL HOURS: 15.35
  • TOTAL MILES: 106.3

JULY – Ironman Louisville gets canceled. Not only a cancellation for 2020, but Louisville gets the boot from the Ironman circuit. I’m given the option to defer to three other races that had yet to get canceled or to defer to Ironman Chattanooga 2021. I opt to race in 2021, even though that means returning to Choo, a race that was super hot in 2019, and we all swore we wouldn’t race it again. Looks like just me, Jeff, and Jan will return in 2021. I also opt to stop training for the race and not do the Ironman training or the virtual do-it-myself version in October. Just didn’t feel like doing it anymore. I kept up the running and biking, pretty much just alternating days.

  • TOTAL RUNS: 16
  • AVERAGE WEEKLY MILES: 27.6
  • TOTAL HOURS: 16.5
  • TOTAL MILES: 110.5

AUGUST – I got interested in the Eco-Challenge, an orienteering type adventure race that seemed to make an impression on my coworkers and me. I even got Kari to tag along to a local orienteering course at Waterfall Glen and had a great time. I started doing some 400m repeats at the local track and a few attempts at getting under 6 minutes for a mile. I got the time down to 6:25, and it was looking like sub-6 would be quite a challenge.

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  • TOTAL RUNS: 15
  • AVERAGE WEEKLY MILES: 28
  • TOTAL HOURS: 16.4
  • TOTAL MILES: 112

SEPTEMBER – Nothing much going on in September – no races, nothing to train for, and not much enthusiasm for getting out there. But I shaved off one more second of the sub-6 mile attempt and was sure that I wasn’t going to get there.

  • TOTAL RUNS: 14
  • AVERAGE WEEKLY MILES: 24
  • TOTAL HOURS: 13.5
  • TOTAL MILES: 95.6

OCTOBER – On my 57th birthday I gave the sub-6 mile attempt one final try. The day was favorable – cool, with a strong wind at my back, and a well-chosen downhill route. With Ben riding along helping me keep on pace I went for it and turned a 5:44 mile. Mission accomplished.

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  • TOTAL RUNS: 18
  • AVERAGE WEEKLY MILES: 30.5
  • TOTAL HOURS: 17
  • TOTAL MILES: 122.1

NOVEMBER – I kept hitting the trail in November, racking up some pretty good mileage. On 11/28 I decided to push hard through a half-marathon and although it was tough trying to maintain a hard pace in a non-race type situation, I was able to post a 1:43:17. I always shoot for sub-1:40 in half-marathons, so being just a few minutes off of that pace was a pretty solid time for me.

  • TOTAL RUNS: 15
  • AVERAGE WEEKLY MILES: 30
  • TOTAL HOURS: 17.5
  • TOTAL MILES: 120.2

DECEMBER – As the last month hit I realized that I could probably go over 1300 miles for the year, so I made that my goal. And the weather was really nice. It hadn’t snowed and I was putting in some really good long runs. I realized that I was enjoying running in the late fall, almost winter, without any usual aches and pains that come with a season of abusing my legs.  

  • TOTAL RUNS: 19
  • AVERAGE WEEKLY MILES: 39
  • TOTAL HOURS: 23.4
  • TOTAL MILES: 159

2020 RUNNING TOTALS

TOTAL RUNS: 204

TOTAL HOURS: 200

TOTAL MILES: 1370

LIFETIME RUNNING TOTALS (32ND YEAR OF RUNNING)

TOTAL LIFETIME RUNS: 4981 – (155 RUNS PER YEAR AVERAGE)

TOTAL LIFETIME HOURS: 3709.5 – (116 HOURS PER YEAR AVERAGE)

TOTAL LIFETIME MILES:  27558 – (861 MILES PER YEAR AVERAGE)

2020 INTERESTING BLOGS

Normally I would share my race recaps here but there were no races for me this year. But I did have a couple of interesting blogs about training. Here are a few:

Today I Learned… Cross Country Skiing Is Fun!

Big Hill Bonk Course Preview Run

Ironman Louisville 2020 Is Canceled

Chasing a Sub-6 Mile – Final Chapter – I DID IT!

Orienteering Fun

 

CYCLING AND SWIMMING TOTALS

SWIMS:  

TOTAL SWIMS: 8

TOTAL DISTANCE: 14152 YARDS

CYCLING:

TOTAL RIDES: 96

TOTAL DISTANCE: 2517 MILES

GOALS FOR 2021

None! I’m not making any plans for 2021! Well, if the pandemic gets under control I will give the Big Hill Bonk another try in early April. I am signed up for it and lately have been reading a lot of race reports and watching a lot of last runner standing videos. And if the vaccine gets the herd immunized I’m thinking that Ironman Chattanooga will be a go in late September. So for right now, I’m going to play it by ear and sign up for things when they are available and I feel safe racing. If 2021 turns out to be a rerun of 2020, well, I will keep shuffling along, putting in some long-distance rides and runs, and keep putting that smile on my face.

2019 Running and Triathlon Year in Review

 2019 RUNNING AND TRIATHLON YEAR IN REVIEW

I had another great year of running and creating memorable moments in 2019.  So very thankful that I can still do what I enjoy doing and reflecting back on the memories I made.  I have kept track of my running miles since 1989, so I only tally up the number of runs, miles, and time spent running in my stats.  Here’s how 2019 went for me with running and triathlon.

JANUARY – Not much to reflect upon here.  Most were treadmill runs and nothing out of the ordinary.

  • Total Runs:  14
  • Average Weekly Miles:  22.4
  • Total Hours:  11.8
  • Total Miles:  89.5

 

FEBRUARY – Another winter month to get through and focus on recovery.

  • Total Runs:  10
  • Average Weekly Miles:  15
  • Total Hours:  9
  • Total Miles:  60

 

MARCH – Ironman Chattanooga training begins! I chose to be a little loose with the training this time around starting out by following the “Just Finish” plan but then decided to commit to the competitive plan like usual.  I did drop the swimming down considerably, mostly just doing two 45-minute swims per week.  The monthly totals for March reflect what miles the beginning stages of the plan prescribes, plus some time off for a trip to Nashville to see some colleges with Rebecca.

  • Total Runs:  12
  • Average Weekly Miles:  12.1
  • Total Hours:  7
  • Total Miles:  48.3

 

APRIL – Weekly training going well, as long as I don’t ruin things for myself.  For example –  I’m My Own Worst Enemy

  • Total Runs:  16
  • Average Weekly Miles:  23.8
  • Total Hours:  14
  • Total Miles:  95

 

MAY – Still swim/bike/run training and getting into the swing of things.

  • Total Runs:  18
  • Average Weekly Miles:  24.8
  • Total Hours:  13.3
  • Total Miles:  99

 

JUNE – I officially kicked off the racing season this month with a 5K and a sprint triathlon in June.  (See below for the race reports.)

 

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Me with my Short Run on a Long Day 5K age group medal post-race, trying to stay dry.

 

  • Total Runs:  20
  • Average Weekly Miles:  30
  • Total Hours:  17.5
  • Total Miles:  119

 

JULY – Time for a vacation and some more racing!

 

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The final stretch of the 2019 Manteno Tri.

 

  • Total Runs:  20
  • Average Weekly Miles:  33
  • Total Hours:  19.5
  • Total Miles:  130

 

AUGUST – It got hot just as the training ramped up big time.

 

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Just two Ironman trainees wondering why we love this sport so much.

 

  • Total Runs:  19
  • Average Weekly Miles:  38.4
  • Total Hours:  23.4
  • Total Miles:  154

 

SEPTEMBER – September came with the wrapping up of 30-weeks of Ironman training and racing a very hot 2019 Ironman Chattanooga.  Even with the heat and all the suffering, it was an epic day.

 

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The first 100 feet of the Ironman Chattanooga marathon leg.

 

  • Total Runs:  19
  •  Average Weekly Miles:  36.7
  • Total Hours:  22.5
  • Total Miles:  146.6

 

OCTOBER – I debated with myself as to whether I should defer the Chicago Marathon to 2020 seeing that it was two weeks after Ironman Chattanooga, but I committed to it and decided to see if I could parlay all that Ironman training into another Boston Marathon qualifier.  I did!  But not by much.

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If it wasn’t for the crappy winds, the day would have been perfect marathon running weather.  

  • Total Runs:  15
  • Average Weekly Miles:  24
  • Total Hours:  13.5
  • Total Miles:  95.7

 

NOVEMBER – Looking back at 2018, November 2019 was almost a mirror image in terms of the stats below.  I ran a couple of races, which probably did more damage to me than good.

2019 ACE Wheaton Hot Cider Hustle Saturday (30 of 1951)
The start of the 2019 Hot Cider Hustle, Wheaton, IL.  I’m in 2nd place!  It didn’t last long.

  • Total Runs:  13
  • Average Weekly Miles:  21
  • Total Hours:  12
  • Total Miles:  84

 

DECEMBER – I paid for the four races I did, which ended up causing me some weird leg left leg/knee pain.  I never had pain in the rear portion of the leg/knee area before.  It wouldn’t hurt during the run really, but afterward, I would have some dull pain that would linger.  I would rest it a few days and then feel fine only to go back out and get the same result.  I decided to shut down running on December 26th for the rest of the year.

  • Total Runs: 12
  • Average Weekly Miles: 17.9
  • Total Hours: 11
  • Total Miles: 71.5

 

2019 RUNNING TOTALS

  • Total Runs:  188
  • Average Weekly Miles:  25
  • Total Hours:  174.5
  • Total Miles:  1193.2

 

LIFETIME RUNNING TOTALS (31st Year of Running)

  • Total Lifetime Runs:  4777 – 154 runs per year average
  • Total Lifetime Hours:  3509.5 – 113 hours per year average
  • Total Lifetime Miles:  26188 – 844 miles per year average

 

2019 RACE REPORTS

I had a pretty successful year racing again, getting some more age group and finisher medals to add to my collection.  Here are the summaries with a link to the race recaps.

 

TRIATHLON REVIEW

I think I had a pretty good year with triathlon.  Ironman training went well and ended with a very good effort on an extremely hot day in Chattanooga.  And I medaled in the other two sprint tri’s that I did, which is always the goal.  I’m really looking forward to another year of racing.

SWIM TOTALS:   Total Swims:  34  /  Total Distance:  69,461 yards (39.5 miles)

BIKE TOTALS:  Total Rides:  132  /  Total Miles:  3694

 

GOALS FOR 2020

In May I registered for a race that had piqued my interest.  The race is called the “Big Hill Bonk” (read about it here: My First Ultramarathon?) and is in Beloit, Wisconsin in early April 2020.  It’s an elimination/last runner standing type race format in which you run a 4.16-mile loop in an hour and keep doing that until only one runner is left.  So this run could be my first ultramarathon if I decide to keep going past eight loops.  I was training pretty well for it and starting to build some decent weekend long run miles, but the leg/knee injury thing has screwed up my training.  I think I will still be able to get to the starting line and get in enough loops to push me over 50K.

I decided to take a year off from running the Chicago Marathon.  I have legacy status, so I should be able to sign up again in 2020 for the 2021 race if I want to.  My Gunner teammates and I were discussing doing another Ironman in 2020, but I’m not sure how serious everyone is.  We’re at the point that we have done the races nearest to us and may to commit to traveling farther to do a different race, or just sign up for one we have already done.  A lot of the fun in doing them is experiencing a new race locale.  I hear that Ironman is returning to Idaho in 2021, so I definitely have it on my must-do list.  If the Gunners shoot for another go-around I will definitely be in.  I just have to fit it around getting my youngest off to college.  I’m not missing that.

If the Ironman thing doesn’t pan out and I survive the Big Hill Bonk run, I may look to sign up for a 100-mile ultramarathon.  I have a local friend who is fond of the Tunnel Hill 100 Miler in southern Illinois, but I have also eyed the Hennepin 100 race out by Sterling, Illinois.  We’ll see.  Got to get some experience first.

 

 

 

2018 Running & Triathlon Year in Review

2018 RUNNING AND TRIATHLON YEAR IN REVIEW

 

 

30th Running Year

I can wrap up 2018 in a couple words:  overtrained and rainy.  In 2018 I turned 55 years old and it certainly feels like it.  The work I did in the three prior years while maintaining a three plus year run everyday running streak turned me into a pretty good runner and triathlete until it became too much.  By the beginning of 2018 I was starting to feel beat up and it only got worse.  By the time I made it to the starting line of my first Boston Marathon in April I wasn’t sure I could even finish it, but I did, in the rain, the first of  many 2018 events run in rainy conditions.  The day after running Boston, I ended my running streak and spent the rest of 2018 trying to recover and rebuild.  There was a little bit of success there, but I am still searching to recapture the ability to get the personal bests that were happening consistently in 2016.

2018 just wasn’t my year for running.  I was in a groove the past five years or so, claiming at each year end that I had just had the best running year ever.  But not this year.  It seems like I have plateaued, hit a wall, or just plain have gotten old.  I’m not sure about the excuse of being old, as I have set plenty of personal bests the last few years in both marathons and Ironman and qualifying for and running my first Boston Marathon.  I think I may have just pushed a little too hard toward the end of 2017 and into 2018 that I need to reset myself.  It’s hard for me because although my body reminds me daily that I’m in my mid-fifties, my brain still acts like a twenty-something.  The brain is writing checks that my body cannot cash any more.  I think I need to put my training on some sort of budget, but my brain has already declared that I’m doing two more marathons next year.  Dumb brain.  Anyway, I did try to dial it back into a rebuild this year, dropping my 3 year running streak and taking more rest days, as well as not trying to set a personal best on every damn training run (thanks a lot, Strava).

30 YEARS – WOW!  One thing I’ve been thinking a lot about as I run is that I have been doing it for 30 years now.  I started experimenting with running in my teens and college days, but I didn’t start keeping track of my miles until 1989, when I started to see myself going farther and getting faster and wanted to see how I improved over time.  I just kept writing it down.  Now I log it with an app, which has taken some of the fun out of it because I used to write down comments and notes about my run when I logged it by hand, but I do not do so as much now.  I used to hand write this yearly wrap up as well, but I think I enjoy sharing it on this blog page more.  I can add photos and leave and share memories that I can look back on easily.  Some day I will get around to writing about the years and miles of running I have accumulated, but for now I will just keep on running and enjoying the miles.

 

 

2018 – RUNNING REVIEW

Here’s a monthly wrap up of my running miles and milestones.

JANUARY

  • Total Runs:  31
  • Average Weekly Miles:  35.5
  • Total Hours:  20.4
  • Total Miles:  142

Nothing much of note in this month.  Training for the Boston Marathon had begun.  I do remember it being super cold and occasional runs in the snow.

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I tossed some older running shirts that I never wear.  That is a big move by me.

FEBRUARY

  • Total Runs:  28
  • Average Weekly Miles:  29
  • Total Hours:  17
  • Total Miles:  116

Still training for Boston in the cold.

MARCH

  • Total Runs:  31
  • Average Weekly Miles:  40
  • Total Hours:  23.4
  • Total Miles:  159

The plan upped the mileage this month preparing for my date with Boston.  I did my one long run on 3/23, an 18 miler.  I had no intention on doing any longer runs.  I was pretty sore and had no energy.

APRIL

  • Total Runs:  23
  • Average Weekly Miles:  27.5
  • Total Hours:  16.3
  • Total Miles:  110

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My first Boston Marathon!  I think that might be Des Linden behind me.  Maybe not.

Yay!  I ran my first Boston Marathon!  It was quite an experience that I will never forget.  I beat Galen Rupp!  Okay, he dropped out and I didn’t, but technically I think that still qualifies as a win.  (The link to my race reports will be at the bottom of this post.)

Immediately after finishing the Boston Marathon I kept the promise to myself that I would drop my running streak. I needed to recover from 3 plus years of running at least a mile every day.  It was a good challenge, but it had worn out it’s welcome.  Here’s the wrap up of the running streak:  RIP Running Streak

MAY

  • Total Runs:  17
  • Average Weekly Miles:  25
  • Total Hours:  14.75
  • Total Miles:  100

Recovery from Boston was pretty quick and I started enjoying some milder running weather.  I was kind of surprised that I hit 100 miles this month.

JUNE

  • Total Runs:  18
  • Average Weekly Miles:  23
  • Total Hours:  13.3
  • Total Miles:  93

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Had fun running the 5K with the youngin’s, Ben and his girlfriend Emily.  Ben was the overall winner and Emily grabbed 1st in her age group and 13th overall.

I jumped back into the 5K race season with a decent but slower than usual finish time, but still nabbed a first place age group award in the getting old division at the Frankfort Short Run on a Long Day 5K.  As nice of a finish that is, I had my first ever Did Not Start to a race I had signed up for.  The weather on race day morning of the Batavia Triathlon was threatening enough for me not to waste my time driving up there, thinking it would be canceled.  I took a gamble and lost, as the race was delayed and shortened, but it’s a punch to the gut when you drop out when others committed to it and got it done.

JULY

  • Total Runs:  17
  • Average Weekly Miles:  33
  • Total Hours:  19.7
  • Total Miles:  135

The corral seeding came out for the Chicago Marathon and they put me in the E corral, which is weird because the time I used to qualify for the race should have put me in the D corral from the start.  So, I applied to move up to the D corral based on that previous qualifying time and hatched a plan to move up to the C corral by trying to run a qualifier in a half marathon.  So on 7/21 I toed the line in Hoffman Estates and attempted to run a sub-1:35 half marathon.  I was kind of shooting for the stars, and missed it by about 4 minutes, but it was a pretty good time for a rainy half marathon in July.  I was happy to be in the D corral.

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‘Murica!  The people behind me were finishing the 10K as I wrapped up the half marathon.  I love when that happens.

I also did the Manteno Tri at the end of this month, with Kari doing the duathlon.  We both did well, placing 2nd in our age groups.  Fun race.

AUGUST

  • Total Runs:  20
  • Average Weekly Miles:  39.5
  • Total Hours:  23.4
  • Total Miles:  158

Marathon training was ramping up again.  I did the Chicago Triathlon with my Gunner mates and our side kicks.  That was a hot race.  First time that I HAD to walk a portion of a running race as the temp was into the 90’s.

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SEPTEMBER

  • Total Runs:  19
  •  Average Weekly Miles:  42
  • Total Hours:  24.2
  • Total Miles:  167

Highlight of this month was running the Frankfort/New Lenox Running Club’s 20 mile training run.  I did surprisingly well and built a lot of confidence on a mid-September Saturday.  Since it’s not a race, here’s the link to that report:  The Dreaded 20 Mile Training Run

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Last few feet of the F’NRC 20 mile training run.

OCTOBER

  • Total Runs:  17
  • Average Weekly Miles:  25
  • Total Hours:  15
  • Total Miles:  102

I gave my best to the 2018 Chicago Marathon but it just wasn’t my year.  I held on and was on pace for the first half and slowly lost it from there.  The highlight of the race was running with my son Ben, who was running his first.  And boy did he, finishing in 2:47.  Impressive!  I dialed it way back after the marathon.

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Running the marathon with my son was the highlight of the year.

NOVEMBER

  • Total Runs:  13
  • Average Weekly Miles:  21
  • Total Hours:  12
  • Total Miles:  83

I really went into recovery mode in November and I think it paid off.  I find that my feet and calves were no longer killing me like they were in 2017.  I did start adding some bike spinning on non-running days.

DECEMBER

  • Total Runs: 15
  • Average Weekly Miles: 20
  • Total Hours: 12
  • Total Miles: 82

 

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2018 RUNNING TOTALS

  • Total Runs:  249
  • Average Weekly Miles:  27.8
  • Total Hours:  211.5
  • Total Miles:  1447

 

LIFETIME RUNNING TOTALS

  • Total Lifetime Runs:  4589 – 153 runs per year average
  • Total Lifetime Hours:  3335 – 111 hours per year average
  • Total Lifetime Miles:  24995 (Really?!  Missed it by 5 miles!) – 833 miles per year average

 

TRIATHLON REVIEW

This was a dial back year of sorts for triathlon.  I signed up for three and only started two  as I chickened out for the Batavia Tri.  But the year was pretty much dedicated to doing the Boston and Chicago marathons.  I was thinking that 2019 would be a bigger year for tri’s but I’ve already signed up for two more marathons!  I am definitely planning on another Ironman in the next year or two.  Swim and bike totals were way down from 2017.

SWIM TOTALS:   Total Swims:  11  /  Total Distance:  14,475 yards

BIKE TOTALS:  Total Rides:  75  /  Total Miles:  1484

 

RACE REPORTS

 

GOALS FOR 2019

I was really planning to take it easy in 2019, seeing that I didn’t re-qualify for Boston, but that just made me mad.  Ben and Emily qualified for Boston 2020 and now I wasn’t content to be a spectator, which I was just fine with in October.  But I thought it over and decided to give it one more shot at qualifying.  I looked around and found the Spring BQ 26.2 in Batavia, IL in early April 2019.  Fortunately, I met the qualifying standard to get into this race and I look forward to running it.  It’s an 8 lapper on a bike path, and they treat you like an elite with a table for your own sports drink and nutrition – cool!  I hope to dial it in, lock it down and run sub-3:35 for another BQ and join Ben and Emily in Boston.  But if it doesn’t happen, I’ll once again be glad to be a spectator in Boston.

Speaking of dialing it in, I’m going to utilize Don Fink’s Mastering the Marathon plan for us older athletes.  It’s geared to the over 40 runners, which I certainly qualify.  There’s more recovery and I can swap some runs in the plan for running related activities, in my case cycling.  This will hopefully still prepare me to do well at the marathon as well as allow me to gear up for the triathlon season.

Regardless of how I do in the spring marathon, I plan on taking it easy for Chicago.  The only way I push hard is if my buddy Jeff wants to run it together, but I don’t think I can keep up with him.  I’m thinking I might put that race away for a while even though I have legacy status to maintain.  Running it every other year would maintain my legacy status.  I might focus on 70.3’s and Ironman for a while instead.

Of course I still plan on running my favorite local 5K’s and the triathlons I like to do.  I’m already signed up for the Batavia Tri and will definitely sign up for Manteno again.  It’s a fun race.

That’s it for 2018.  See you on the trail in 2019!

2017 Running & Triathlon Year in Review

29th RUNNING YEAR 

I think most people will say “good riddance” to 2017, but as far as running and triathlon went for me, it was a pretty good year.  As is the custom, I like to wrap it up with a year end summary.

2017 – RUNNING REVIEW

I wrapped up my third straight year of a running streak, managing at least a mile every day.  There weren’t too many issues in maintaining my streak.  Even the post-Ironman mile was no big deal the day after the race and a 4 hour car ride home from Louisville, Kentucky.  I really felt like I could do 2 or even 3 miles that day, but I didn’t push it.  Maintaining a streak takes some discipline to know when not to overdo it, and so I played it safe with just a mile.

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I will have to say good bye to this little running data app that I have used for the past several years.  The developer refused to update it for the new iPhone operating system.  It served me well.  I received a new Garmin 935XT watch that is pretty impressive.  I will be using Garmin Connect from now on to log my running miles.  Fingers are crossed.

 

I finished the year with 1682 total miles, 142 miles less than last year.  Even so, it’s still pretty impressive to me.  After 29 years of running, this brings my yearly average to 812 miles per year.  So I have done approximately double the miles this year than my annual average, which is increasing every year.

One item of note is my average pace this year was 8:35 min/mile, which exceeds last year’s 8:47 min/mile average.  Not sure why that is, because it wasn’t intentional, but I will take it.  I have learned somewhat through training for Ironman and marathons that long, slow distance with occasional speed work thrown in is probably a better training method for performance than the constant tempo runs at faster paces that used to be my bread and butter.

Speaking of the running streak, last year I mentioned in my wrap-up that I might give up the running streak in 2017, but it didn’t happen.  The main reason for stopping the streak at the end of 2016 was injury, mainly to my foot.   But I managed to train through it fine.  The reason this year for the consideration is basically the same.  I’m pretty sore after another long season, and I just don’t think I have anything left to prove with keeping the streak going.  At 54 years old, it’s not like I’m going to set a longevity record for streaking.  I would have had to have started that in my teens probably.  And with two big marathons on the calendar for next year, I think that I might benefit from having some rest days after tough or long workouts.  If I do end the streak, I’ll write up a blog about how I felt it affected me.  The original goal was to last a year – mission accomplished.  I think year two of the streak I saw the benefits, and this past year I’m starting to see some diminishing returns with it.

BIGGEST ACCOMPLISHMENT

My biggest accomplishment for 2017 was making the cut for the 2018 Boston Marathon!   Of course I actually qualified for the race in 2016, but I had to wait until April to apply and then wait to see where the ax would fall for the cutoff to get in.  I had a -4:51 BQ cushion, so I wasn’t really too worried about it even after missing the cut for the 2017 race by 28 seconds.  When I got the email I was relieved.  So, basically being patient and waiting was my biggest running accomplishment.  Funny.

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I guess the information I provided was accurate!  I was very excited to get the official invite booklet.

 

2017 RUNNING STATS

  • 1682 TOTAL MILES – 32 MILES PER WEEK / 140 MILES PER MONTH
  • 365 TOTAL RUNS – 7 RUNS PER WEEK / 30.4 RUNS PER MONTH
  • 240 TOTAL HOURS – 4.6 HOURS PER WEEK / 20 HOURS PER MONTH

LIFETIME RUNNING STATS

  • 23,549 TOTAL MILES – 812 MILES PER YEAR
  • 4340 TOTAL RUNS – 149 RUNS PER YEAR
  • 3124 TOTAL HOURS – 107 HOURS PER YEAR (Nearly 130 days spent running over 29 years!)

2017 TRIATHLON REVIEW

I had a pretty great year with triathlons in 2017.  In all, I took on three races, finishing on the podium at Manteno, Illinois and once again qualifying for the USAT Nationals.  I think that is my second time qualifying for nationals, and is always a big feather in my cap.  The race will be held in Cleveland in 2018, and I will not attend seeing that I am already committed to the Boston Marathon in April, and the Chicago Marathon in October.  Some day I hope to attend, especially if it is a little closer to home.

The ET Batavia Triathlon is becoming a favorite for me, and I did well this year, but did not place in my age group.  I’ve already signed up for it again.

My big “A” race this year was 2017 Ironman Louisville.  I had big expectations for this race and I put in a lot of hard work to achieve my goals.  I PR’d every discipline this time around, lowering my Ironman personal record to 11 hours, 46 minutes, 55 seconds.  The finish was awesome, but once again pales in comparison to the fun and experiences I had with my buddies training for and racing Ironman Lou.  Lots of great memories.

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2017 TRIATHLON RELATED STATS

  • 119,174 TOTAL YARDS SWIMMING (67.7 MILES)
  • 3308 TOTAL MILES BIKING
  • 1682 TOTAL MILES RUNNING

2017 RACES

I did six total races in 2017 and had fun in them all.  Here’s a brief recap with a link to the race reports for each.

GOALS FOR 2018

I’m looking forward to running my first Boston Marathon.  I plan on following a 16 week beginner training plan for it, as I don’t really have any real desire to do this race as fast as possible.  I kind of want to take my time and enjoy every step.  The plan, although labeled as a beginner plan, has plenty of mileage and work in it for me to do well.

I’m already signed up for the Chicago Marathon in October and the ET Batavia Tri in June.  In talking with my Gunner teammates, there’s a strong possibility they will be back at the Chicago Triathlon in August, and I am planning to join them this time.  I’ve skipped it the past few years.

I ran two miles on January 1, 2018, so the streak is alive as I wrap this report up.  But we will see.  If I do decide to let the streak die, I will do so when the marathon training plan has rest days, and I’ll probably throw in some cycling or weight workout on those days.

That’s it for 2017!  Thanks for reading.

 

2016 Running & Triathlon Year in Review

28 YEARS!

28 years of running are in the book!  I say “book” in the literal sense, seeing that I have been logging my runs since 1989 and keeping them in a notebook.  It’s becoming a behemoth!  28 total years and a crazy 21,867 total miles is what I currently stand at.  I’m very proud of that.  I’m glad I started logging them down back in 1989.

As it is the usual custom for me, I like to sum up the year and take stock of my accomplishments and create goals for the following year.  I started doing triathlons in 2012, so I now include notes about my triathlon season as well.  So here’s my 2016 Running & Triathlon Year in Review!

 

2016 REVIEW

 

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2016 was Year 2 of the running streak that I started in 2015.  I really wanted to see if I could run every day for a year, but once I got past that first year, I just kept it going.

I managed to log 1824 total miles in 2016.  This is 288 less miles from last year, which surprises me a little, seeing I did both an Ironman and the Chicago Marathon in 2016, and only the marathon in 2015.  Both 2015 and 2016 were years in which I ran every day.  I think the main reason for the smaller year end total was that in November 2015, I started to wonder if I could get over the 2000 mile mark, and once I did I kept it going hard until the end of the year, running a lot of 8 and 10 milers until I reached the 2112 mile mark.  (Being a die-hard Rush fan, how could I not shoot for that number?)  This year I developed a nagging foot issue in December and really cut back in hopes of making it to the end and keeping the streak alive.  Now that I have completed the 2 year streak, I think I better take some time off and let the foot heal.  Plus, running a mile the day after an Ironman and a marathon was a very hard task.  I have a huge year ahead of me planned for 2017.  You never know with me, though.

One of the stats in the photo above is the average pace of 8:47 / mile, which surprised me quite a bit.  It was 8:12 / mile in 2015, and I have always been more concerned with pace than distance.  But since I trained for both Ironman Lake Placid and the Chicago Marathon this year, I logged a lot of long, slow distance runs.  I’m not one to remember the weather, but I do seem to remember a lot of long, hot runs which may have also slowed me down.  I will review it again in 2017 and see if I’m still slowing down.  At 53 years old, I kind of expect it.  But after setting another marathon PR this year, I also question it.

 

2016 RACES

As far as racing goes, I took it a little light this year, only doing five races, which is two less than in 2015.  I have included a link to my previous race report blogs.

4/30/16:  Aurelio’s Pizza Frankfort Half Marathon – 1:35:16 Finish Time – 7:16 ave./mile – 4th in AG – 12th Overall.  Race recap:  2016 Frankfort Half Marathon Race Report

6/12/16:  Batavia Triathlon – 1:18:15 Finish Time – 3rd in AG – 29th Overall.  Race recap:  2016 ET Batavia Triathlon Race Report

6/15/16:  Short Run on a Long Day 5K – 20:52 Finish Time – 3rd in AG – 17th Overall.  Race recap:  2016 Short Run on a Long Day Race Report

7/24/16:  Ironman Lake Placid – 12:52:01 Finish Time (PR) – 59th in AG – 812th Overall.  Race recap:  2016 Ironman Lake Placid Race Report

10/9/16:  Bank of America Chicago Marathon – 3:25:08 Finish Time (PR, BQ) – 7:49 ave./mile – 201st in AG – 3159th Overall.  Race recap:  2016 Chicago Marathon Race Report

Here is the running data from 2016:

2016 Running Year Summary  –  Running Stats

Month / Runs / Miles / Hours

January  / 31 / 119 / (22.25 ave.)

February / 29 / 127

March / 31 / 137

April / 30 / 154

May / 31 / 159

June / 30 / 187

July / 31 / 180

August / 31 / 185

September / 30 / 204

October / 31 / 135

November / 30 / 128

December / 31 / 109

Total:  366 Runs / 1824 Miles / 267 Hours

 

Weekly Runs Average:     7  /   Monthly Runs Average:            30.5

Weekly Miles Average:   35  /  Monthly Miles Average:            154           

Weekly Hours Average:  5.1 /  Monthly Hours Average:       22.25

Total Lifetime Runs:  3975 (as of end of 2016) ~ 142 runs/year

Total Lifetime Miles:  21,867 (as of end of 2016) ~ 780 miles/year

Total Lifetime Hours:  2884 (as of end of 2016) ~ 103 hours/year

Notes: 2016 was a leap year, adding an additional day to the year. The averages are based on 28 years of running data.

 

2016 BIKE AND SWIM

The bike and swim went well for me this year.  I more than doubled my bike mileage from last year, which was expected thanks to all the training I did for the Ironman.  Swimming was way down from my other Ironman year of 2013, somewhat due to pool issues and also due to me thinking all that damn swimming wasn’t that necessary for me.  I did 67K less yards this year and still took off about 12 minutes from my Ironman 2.4 mile swim time.

For 2017, I will swim about the same or maybe cut back just a little more.  I think the training plan is a little too swim heavy, and I am completely fine with being able to swim the 2.4 miles in 1:20 or so.  I will keep an eye on how I am progressing throughout the year and adjust it if necessary.

I’d like to get my bike average up to near 17 mph or more for Ironman Louisville in 2017.  I think that is doable.  IMWI and IMLP were very challenging bike courses, and I am hoping for a faster ride at Louisville.

 

2016 SUMMARY

I think 2016 went really well for me in my running endeavors.  I was glad I was able to complete my streak, running at least one mile every day for two straight years.  I also set two new personal bests in 2016 in both the Ironman and marathon.

I thoroughly enjoyed training with my Gunner teammates Dave, John, Jeff and Alex and completing Ironman Lake Placid with them.  It was an awesome day.  I also got to race with my son Ben in the one 5K we did together.  That was a hot race.

But I think the most notable thing for me this year was once again qualifying for the Boston Marathon with another personal best at the Chicago Marathon.  I lowered my time by another 3 minutes, and gave myself a BQ-4:51.  Not quite a slam dunk sub-5 minute cushion, but with the cutoff to get into the race sitting near 2 minutes under the qualifying time, I think I have a pretty good chance at getting into the 2018 Boston Marathon.

 

2017 GOALS

The “A” race for 2017 is Ironman Louisville on 10/15/17.  I look forward to 30 weeks of training with my buddies and sharing this experience.  I also have the Batavia Triathlon sprint on the schedule, and will probably add the Chicago Triathlon too.  It’s been suggested that we try the Triple Challenge again, and knowing my Gunner teammates, that’s probably what we will do.  The Chicago Marathon is a no go this year, as it falls the week before the Ironman.  Even I am not crazy enough to attempt that.  I’m regretting it a little as it is the 40th anniversary of the marathon, but I will make sure that I maintain my legacy status and make sure I can run the 50th.

Other than that, I hope to stay healthy, and out of harms way out on the roads training for my planned races.  See you in 2017!