Another Trip Around the Sun

2016 was a year that I will never forget.  And I am not even talking about the insanity that was the 2016 Presidential Race and Election.  No I am talking about my running adventures and races.  This year I participated in more endurance events than I have ever done in my life.  That includes 2004, the year I ran 2 marathons.  Not only did I run more miles in races and training than ever, I also had a lead role in a local theater's production of "Moon Over Buffalo".  No wonder I am tired.

The first big race of the season was in February and my 3rd Ragnar Del Sol here in Arizona.  I wanted to run it to support my company's team.  But more importantly, I wanted to have a chance to share the experience with my son Nathan who would be on the team this time.  I personally had a fantastic race.  I was feeling really good at the start and even better when I finished my last leg at an ungodly hour.  I ran 16.4 miles in a total time of 2:16:54 which was an average pace of 8:21 per mile.  This was my fastest relay performance ever and I was pumped.

I had already committed to running 2 more relay races with my running buddies when I received notice from the New York Road Runners that I had been selected to run in the 2016 New York City Marathon.  Needless to say I was thrilled to get a chance to cross one of my bucket list races off of my list.  After I confirmed my entry, I decided that I wanted to run the marathon as a charity runner so that my training and race would have a higher purpose.  I signed up with Fred's Team and started raising money for one of my passions - creating a world without cancer.

I started training seriously now that I knew I would be running 2 more relays and a marathon before the year ended.  I wanted to also ensure that I would not sustain any injury in the process.  I slightly modified my Brook-Hanson training program to include hill repeats on Mondays and strength training 3 days a week while still logging the required miles I would need to be able to comfortably compete in the 3 remaining races of the year.  I had no expectation of running faster than I had in the past.  But I fully expected to arrive at the starting line in each case well prepared and healthy.

Ragnar Austin was my next race.  It was in April and the weather in Texas was warm and humid.  I was worried about my pace as I knew the humidity would affect my ability to log fast times.  If I have learned anything in all of my years of running, it is to get out there and see what the day gives you.  Surprisingly the humidity didn't affect me too bad.  I ended up running 17.65 miles in a total time of 2:30:11 which was an 8:31 per mile pace.  I felt it was a good omen for the New York City Marathon.  Perhaps I would be able to run a sub-4 hour marathon again.

I went back to training hard for the next 2 races.  I knew that the final relay of the year would have to be my final long run in my marathon training program.  Plus I wanted to use it as a final check on how well I could hold a strong pace in hopes of running sub-4 again.  The good news was that I was feeling really good overall.  The strength training was really helping me reduce fatigue on my double weekend long runs.  I wasn't feeling any nagging injuries.  I was able to run with abandon almost every time I hit the road.  It was a great feeling.

In October, I got back together with my running buddies to run The Bourbon Chase across Kentucky.  The bad news the day before the race was that one of our fastest runners had broken her foot and wouldn't be able to participate.  This meant 3 of us would have to run an extra leg.  Since I had been training for a marathon, I took one of the extra legs.  Not only was it my favorite adventure relay to date, I had a great race.  I ended up running just 1 mile short of a marathon (25.2 miles) in 3:35:35 which was an 8:34 per mile pace.  I was ready for New York and had an excellent chance to break 4 hours if I could stay healthy until race day on Nov. 6th.

My training was going well and I was feeling invincible.  This was the first time in all of my years running that I felt like I could run any distance up to a marathon with relative ease.  I wasn't feeling any nerves about New York.  As my training went on and I reached my taper weeks, I knew I was going to have a great race in New York.  The only thing I didn't know for sure was would I finally be able to run a sub-4 hour marathon for a second time.  I would be 7 years older which in theory meant I shouldn't be able to as I was theoretically slowing down.  I found comfort in the paces I ran in the three relays.  All I could do as race day approached was to train hard and take care of myself so that I could arrive at the starting line healthy and happy.

You can read my full race report for my New York City Marathon in my Nov. 13, 2016 blog entry.  While I didn't go sub-4, I had what I would say was my best race of the entire year and my second best marathon overall.  The first mile of the race killed my chances to run sub-4 when it took me 14 minutes to complete due to the crowds.  But from that point on I ran great never feeling bad at any point on the course.  Dare I say it actually felt easy.  Don't get me wrong the last 4+ miles were tough.  Despite that, I crossed the finish line with a huge smile on my face.  I had run 26.2 miles in 4:15:57 which was a 9:46 per mile pace.  Unbelievable.

In 2016, I ran 4 major races in 4 different states covering 85.45 miles in 12:38:37.  I was able to average an 8:53 per mile pace overall.  As part of that effort, I finished in the top 40% of all runners who completed the 2016 New York City Marathon.  It seems improbable to me that I was able to run so well this year.  I logged more miles in training and races than I ever have and stayed injury free the entire time.  I am so proud of what I was able to accomplish this year.

This was my 55th trip around the sun on this planet I share with the rest of the world.  When I have time to really look back at all that I have accomplished this year professionally, personally and as a runner, I can see that the one thing it all comes back to is the simple fact that I run because I can.   There are times out there during training or the later miles in a marathon that I am seriously tired.  It is at those moments that I think about those who can't run and those who are no longer in my life.  I run harder for them because I imagine what they would give to be out there with me.  Therefore I am not only running for myself, I am running with them in a spiritual sense.

I am so grateful for all that running has given me over the years.  I have learned that winning isn't everything.  Sometimes just experiencing the run or race is all that I need to be happy and healthy.  Never forget that your racing success rarely equals your greatest run. Instead your runs allow you to see clearly how wonderful life is now that you're truly one with the world.

May 2017 be your best year yet.  I cannot wait to see what experiences I will have as a runner and human being.

Dec. 26 – 5.80 miles (1:01:02, 10:31 pace) - Hill Repeats
Dec. 27 – 5.50 miles (49:36, 9:01 pace) - Speed Work
Dec. 29 – 7.40 miles (1:07:53, 9:10 pace) - Tempo Run
Dec. 30 – 6.20 miles (56:40, 9:08 pace)
Dec. 31 – 7.30 miles (1:24:24, 8:59 pace)
Jan. 1 – 8.10 miles (1:12:41, 8:59 pace)

Total Miles:  26.4 miles
2016 Total Miles:  2,058.1 miles

Total Miles:  8.1 miles
2017 Total Miles:  8.1 miles