Well, it has been a while since I posted anything. If you are a faithful follower, I am sorry. My New Year's Resolution is to post more often than I did in 2012. There was so much going in last year that I just did not find the spare time to blog about my running life. If change was the theme of my year in 2012, it is going to be even more of a theme in 2013. 2012 was the year Beverly and I became empty nesters. This year holds even greater change as we move to Phoenix, Arizona where I am starting my new job at Sprouts Farmers Markets as the Senior Vice President of Business Development. Before I explain that change, I wanted to look back on my year of running.
2012 started off with my continuing to train hard for the 116th Boston Marathon. I had really high hopes of breaking 4 hours again. My training was going really well and I felt great. Mother Nature had different ideas for me that day. As you know race day was one of the hottest Boston Marathons in its history. I chose to run it despite the heat and knowing I would not be setting any personal bests on that day. As I look back, I am very proud of having run it and finished without any major mishaps. And more importantly, I was able to raise over $17,000 for the Dana Farber Cancer Institute.
I will admit that I had some motivation issues after the Boston Marathon. I was finding it hard to get back into my running routine after the race. It felt like all of that training had been wasted. The weather had trumped my preparedness and I began to doubt my skills. I knew I needed to find another goal that would reinvigorate my running and help get me back on track. I found two races that would get me pumped up to train -- The Green Mountain Relay and the Falmouth Road Race. One was a team effort to race over 200 miles in the Green Mountains of Vermont and the other was one of New England's most famous road races.
I got back into the swing of things and found that my body quickly got back into form. Both of these races helped give me back my running mojo. The Green Mountain Relay was so much fun. The course was one of the most beautiful I have ever had the pleasure of running. We had perfect weather the whole weekend and the team crushed it finishing in 30 hours. This team was made up mostly of members from the MassDash where we almost didn't finish before the cut off time. I was so excited about our performance that it renewed my faith in my rigorous training regimen.
I capped off my summer with the 40th Falmouth Road Race. As you know if you follow my blog, I had one of my best road race performances ever. I was warned that I could not expect to run fast or set any PR. Instead of worrying about what the naysayers were telling me, I relied on my training and decided to just have fun. The result was a PR for that distance and one of my best per mile paces in all of my racing. I guess the pundits are wrong when they say that your best years of running are behind you when you pass age 40.
I finished the year with a 10 mile trail race in Framingham, MA. I signed up to run the 2012 Busa Bushwack Trail Race. I had run only one pervious trail race which meant I had no real experience. All I can say is that I had the best time despite falling several times. I finished in a respectable time and now want to try and find more trail races in the future. Despite the difficulty of the terrain, it took much less of a toll on my body than a typical road race. I definitely see more off road runs in my future. Overall it was a great year in my running life.
Now my both my personal and running life are going to change again as I head out to Phoenix on Monday. I had an excellent job that I enjoyed at Staples for almost 11 years. But there comes a time when I need new challenge. Much like my running life, I need to challenge myself in my career or I feel like I am just wasting time. So, I started to look for a new challenge where I could take on the key leadership role in another retailer or restaurant chain’s store growth. I found that opportunity with Sprouts Farmers Market.
“Sprouts is a neighborhood grocery store with the feel of an old-fashioned farmers market. Our bright, friendly stores are filled with everyday staples and specialty items at a great value. You’ll find mountains of fresh fruits and vegetables, barrels of wholesome grains, nuts and sweets, full-service deli, meat and seafood counters—complete with homemade burgers and sausages. Roam around our spacious aisles and you’ll find fresh baked goods, eclectic beer and wine, gourmet cheese, sensibly-priced vitamins and supplements, and thousands of natural, organic and gluten-free groceries. Our friendly and knowledgeable team members are here to help you make healthier choices that are better for you and your budget.” (from Sprouts.com)I am now sitting in the key real estate leadership role and cannot be more excited about the challenge ahead. I am going to be learning and growing in my profession which is invigorating. Even so, I am going to miss all of the friends I made here in Massachusetts. But, I know one thing and that is that “true friendship is when two friends can walk in different directions, yet remain side by side”. I am confident that all of my friends remain by my side as I head off on this new adventure.
Nov. 5 – 5.20 miles (46:01, 8:49 pace)
Nov. 6 – 3.10 miles (24:41, 7:58 pace) – Speed Work
Nov. 8 – 6.20 miles (49:36, 8:00 pace) – Tempo Run
Nov. 9 – 5.20 miles (40:01, 7:42 pace) – Speed Work
Nov. 10 – 7.10 miles (1:00:57, 8:34 pace)
Nov. 7 – 10.10 miles (1:28:55, 8:49 pace)
Nov. 12 – 6.20 miles (56:56, 9:14 pace)
Nov. 16 – 5.40 miles (47:12, 8:44 pace)
Nov. 18 – 8.10 miles (1:13:08, 9:05 pace)
Nov. 19 – 6.20 miles (57:04, 9:12 pace)
Nov. 21 – 5.10 miles (45:54, 9:00 pace)
Nov. 23 – 10.10 miles (1:29:13, 8:50 pace)
Nov. 24 – 7.10 miles (1:04:06, 9:05 pace)
Nov. 26 – 3.10 miles (24:42, 7:55 pace) – Speed Work
Nov. 28 – 6.10 miles (56:23, 9:14 pace)
Nov. 30 – 6.20 miles (55:23, 8:57 pace)
Dec. 2 – 8.20 miles (1:12:25, 8:49 pace)
Dec. 10 – 6.10 miles (55:16, 9:05 pace)
Dec. 12 – 6.20 miles (54:32, 8:48 pace)
Dec. 14 – 6.20 miles (55:50, 8:57 pace)
Dec. 16 – 9.10 miles (1:19:25, 8:44 pace)
Dec. 18 – 3.20 miles (24:28, 7:42 pace) – Speed Work
Dec. 20 – 5.20 miles (41:38, 8:00 pace) – Tempo Run
Dec. 21 – 6.10 miles (56:39, 9:14 pace)
Dec. 22 – 8.20 miles (1:09:02, 8:27 pace)
Dec. 23 – 10.10 miles (1:29:12, 8:49 pace)
Dec. 24 – 6.20 miles (56:27, 9:05 pace)
Dec. 25 – 3.10 miles (24:03, 7:48 pace) – Speed Work
Total Miles: 234.2 miles
2012 Total Miles: 1,498.5 miles
