Looking Back, Looking Ahead

A couple of days ago, I gave you all a blow-by-blow month-by-month account of how 2010 went for me in terms of running. To be sure, there were things I did which I am quite proud of (4 mile PR, sub-3 marathon, inspiring parents/brother to take up running) and other things I did which I am decidedly NOT (marathon DNS in NJM, medical DNF in 4-miler, no half marathon/10K PR). Nevertheless, if I were to be completely objective and disregard my emotional attachment to speed and faster times, I'd have to say that 2010 was overall a successful running year because I finally discovered how to embrace running as a lifestyle and not just a hobbie and/or a sport. I (finally) learned that performance gains on the road doesn't necessarily come in a perfect sequential order. I learned that taking a step back, or two or even a DNF or DNS, is sometimes necessary to prevent unnecessary physical damage and allow the body to heal quicker and stronger. I learned about the importance of social running and of moderation and of active recovery. I learned how to inspire others by allowing others to inspire me with their struggles, their dedication and their triumphs regardless of speed, sex, race or background. I learned how to be an active member of the running community while still remaining true to my identity. In short, I became a more complete runner, not just in any individual pursuit, but as it relates to my life, my family, my friends, and the virtually running world.

Before I close the chapter on last year, let's take a look at how I fared in my ten 2010 running goals as set forth last January 2nd. (Feel free to cover your eyes 'cause I know it ain't pretty...)

Ten Running Goals for 2010

1. I will enter my first ever triathlon, ultramarathon, or overnight relay race - CHECK [Ragnar NY - It was a really fun time. May I have another please...]
2. Train two newbies for their first long distance race - CHECK [Madame E in Philly Marathon and My brother in 15K - There were others...but less epic.]
3. Sub 3 - CHECK [Chicago Marathon - 2:59:55 - Need I say more?]
4. PR in 4 races - FAIL [Only 3 PRs - 5K, 4M, Marathon - Sigh.]
5. Finish Pentathlon (missing sub 24min 5K, sub 3hr Marathon) - CHECK [I had forgotten about this quirky wannabe running quest I had designed myself...glad to have completed it even if unintentionally]
6. Six out-of-town races - FAIL [Only did 4. Yes, I seriously need to get out more!]
7. Volunteer to be 7-min pacer for LTR - FAIL [Stuck to my safe 7:30 pace on both occasions. No excuses.]
8. Run in 8 different city parks - CHECK [Not that you should care, but the list includes Riverside, Central, Morningside, Flushing Meadows, Kissena, Cunningham, Forest and the exotic Balboa Park in San Diego]
9. Run in 9 different race distances - FAIL [Did 5K, 4M, 5M, 10K, 10M, 13.1M, 26.2, but neglected 1M, 15K. So many races, so little time.]
10. Run 2010 miles - CHECK [Ran 2304 miles. For those scoring at home that's 44 mpw on average!]

Final Grade - C+; 6/10 Goals completed (At least I passed! Barely...)

Meh, so last year wasn't exactly the best for me. I think we already know that. Maybe if I actually took the time to look at my goals from time to time, I could've done a better job. Anyway, moving on. Because I'm a bit narcissistic and frustrated that I barely missed out on some of my 2010 goals, I'm requesting a do-over on the items I missed and adding some newer challenges to the mix for my list of running goals for 2011. I'm not sure how many of these I will get done by year's end, but I'm throwing them all out there just to keep myself honest and accountable and because that's we all do on January 2nd. Right? Here goes.

Eleven Running Goals for 2011

1. Complete one (or two) ultramarathons.
2. Cut 2 minutes off my NYCM PR - in other words - sub 3 in NYCM
3. Coach 3 new runners to first half marathon or longer.
4. PRs in 4 races - including 10k and the half marathon.
5. Run 2500 miles.
6. Compete in 6 out-of-town races.
7. Volunteer for 7-min/mi pacer for LTR.
8. Complete at least one 80 mile training week.
9. Finish 9 different race distances goal from 2010 - Run 1M, 15K race
10. Do 10 different trail runs (majority of the run has to be on a trail!)
11. Run at least a mile with 11 different friends/family...individually

So what do you all think? Too challenging? Piece of cake? All I know is: Stick around, my dear friends! 2011 is going to be an interesting year. Oy...I mean Yay!

A New Year, A New Decade:Running Goals for 2010

Hello blog-o-world, welcome one and all to 2010!

Now that I've gotten the obligatory pleasantries out of the way, let me say that I've already got beef with 2010. Yes, I know we're only two days in, and I know I made more mistakes writing 1/01/2010 than the NY Giants when they got trounced by the lowly Carolina Panthers 41-9 over the weekend, knocking themselves out of the playoffs (I'm hanging my head down in shame...) but please, please, someone tell me - what is the socially acceptable nomenclature to abbreviate the important events of this year? For example, we all know Chicago '07 and '08 were nothing short of a social travesty and Boston '09 was great because it was my first, but could you honestly say Boston '10 as Boston-TEN (because that sounds so awkward) or should you say Boston-ONE-O? Hmmm...while I'm at it, do we refer to this new decade as the decade of the TENS or the TEENS? And has anyone yet figured out the proper term for the decade we just passed? Sorry if this all seems so frivolous to some or most of you, I'm just so confused...

As for something that's not as confusing...I ran my 4 mile midnight race in Central Park on New Year's Eve and finished up 2009 miles for 2009! Yay for me! Although it may conceptually seem like an easy task, it was anything but. Not only was it windy and cold in the dead of winter on a night when all the sane people were partying and having a ball in heated houses and apartments, it also snowed heavily during the morning which left the roads slushy and slippery and drizzled and rained for most of the night. Fantastic! But despite all of that, I had an absolute blast running this race with my newbie turned marathoner running friend MT. We watched the fireworks at the start, regaled each other with memories of our favorite runs of the past year, sipped sparkling apple cider at the champagne station at mile 2, exchanged high-fives with walkers and runners in costume all along the course, and slogged our way through the four mile course in 44:28. For those counting at home, that's a 10:57 minute per mile pace, easily my worst ever in a road race! But again, it wasn't about the time...but enjoying the night with a good friend sharing our communal passion out on the roads. Still, I found out that climbing hills at that pace is not easy. Everything seems to drag on for so much longer when you're running slow. (Yes, I realize that fact should be somewhat intuitive, but it really isn't!)

I also took some time in between the miles (yes, I had a lot of time, haha!) to reflect on the past year and think about my goals for 2010. Although I might be disappointed with a few minor details, for the most part, I've had a tremendously successful year on the roads. In addition, I've also enjoyed all the new relationships I've fostered as a result of my running. I'm truly grateful for all my new real world running friends, my virtual world bloggy friends, and those who've managed to bridge both worlds. Whether you've never met me before, or have met me a thousand times, I thank you for knowing me and inspiring me and motivating me to be so much better than I ever thought I could be. Hopefully in time, I could do the same for you! (Toward that end, I have some exciting news to share in a few days...)

Below are my running goals for this coming year. Let's rock the roads for 2010. Who's with me?

My 10 Running Goals for 2010
1. First - I will enter my first ever triathlon, ultramarathon, or overnight relay race!
2. Two New Feet for Two New Runners - I will training two newbies to run their first long distance race (it's part of my Pay It Forward campaign).
3. Sub-3 - If you gotta ask, you must be new here...Sub-3 marathon, here I come.
4. As in 4 PRs - I will PR in the 4-Miler and 3 other distances (4 PRs).
5. Pentathalon - I will complete the final two legs of the Laminator Pentathalon (4-Miler in under 24 minutes and Marathon in under 3 hours).
6. Seis (which loosely rhymes with states) - I will run 6 out-of-state races.
7. Seven minute miles - I will volunteer to be the 7 min/mile pace leader for a Long Training Run in Central Park (16-20 miles).
8. 8 City Parks - I will find time to run in 8 different city parks this year.
9. 9 Distances - I will race 9 different distances this year (1M, 5K, 4M, 5M, 10K, 15K, 10M, 13.1M, 26.2M)
10. 2010 Miles - as in 2010 Miles for 2010.

Are you all ready for 2010? I know I am. I can't wait to get started.

Sayin' Goodbye to 2009:A Review of My Running Year

I don't know about the rest of you, but I am thinking of holding a mini-protest against the calendar! It's bad enough that Christmas came and went faster than my motivation to run after the Honolulu Marathon but in less than 24 hours, I have to say goodbye to a year and a decade? Who approved this craziness? Don't we have the right to catch our collective breaths first after the long glutinous holiday weekend before we are forced to think nostalgic on what we did or failed to do this past year? Shouldn't we have more than a few days to make plans and design realistic goals and resolutions before we're forced to welcome the new year? C'mon, Robert Frost isn't the only one who has "promises to keep"! I too have "miles to go before I sleep"!

Okay, maybe the last little bit is a slight exaggeration. The truth is that I've only got 4 miles to go before I can bid adieu to 2009. Right now, as I'm totally up my mileage for the year, it stands at 2005 and some change. This means, with an additional 4 miles, I will reach my goal of 2009 miles logged for 2009! How awesome is that? And you know what else...as luck would have it, there's a 4 mile "fun run" happening in Central Park on New Year's Eve with fireworks at the start and champagne for water stops out on the course! So guess where I'll be at the stroke of midnight as we welcome in the new decade? Let's just say I'm planning to set an anti-PR at this 4 miler and I won't care one bit if I am the last one in. Just save me some bubbly if you happen to pass me on the way into the finish!

As if you can't tell, despite my sarcasm, I'm truly excited to be participating in a race on New Year's Eve even if said race is only a fun run with a bib and no chip. I can't really think of a better or more fun way to end the year than to do so in a race with other like-minded people. And on top of that, I'll be running this one with my friend MT who ran her first marathon this year and who gave me this as a Christmas present/souvenir this past week:

Needless to say, this picture is going into my coaching resume.

I'm hoping to run into and celebrate with friends and Flyers before and after the race as well, so it promises to be a great night of fun! I am getting giddy with anticipation just thinking about the race. Rumor has it that there'll be many people running in costume for this one. Would I dare to discard the rules of social convention and join in the fun? Hmmm...decisions, decisions...

While you and I have the rest of the day to pontificate on this absurdity, let me take a moment here to review for you my running year. This year was definite fun, awesome, interesting and yet somewhat humbling for me running-wise. I ran my first ever 5K and my first Boston this year. For the first time, I also failed to PR in the NYCM. I ran a total of 20 road races and set 6 PRs in 4 different distances, although none in the marathon. I completed 8 half-marathons (having never ran more than 3 in any previous year) and set PRs 3 separate times. I also accumulated more miles than I ever did before although the average pace for each mile was noticeably slower than the previous year. I succeeded in traveling a bit for my races although I still have not yet gotten close to an age group award. I did not get injured although I flirted with danger multiple times and had severe muscle cramps in two of my three marathons. I celebrated my running by encourage several of my friends and my brother to enter their first race. I also coached a couple of buddies and several bloggers through their first marathon. I've learned that my body isn't a machine and I can't be as good a runner as I think I ought to be each and every day. I learned that the glory of winning doesn't necessitate despising others just starting out and that sometimes the best way to inspire is through no words at all. Finally, I've learned to appreciate my running for all its strength and weaknesses and to have faith, patience and persistence with the journey.

To all my blogger buddies and running friends, whether 2009 was your best year, your worse year, or somewhere in between, I hope you take some time to celebrate the highlights, learn from the mistakes and love and appreciate all you've got around you. Here's to a safe, happy and prosperous new year to all!

Final Report Card for My 2009 Running Goals (as declared here)
1. Run 1499 Miles

- CHECK (2009 for 2009!)

2. Set 4 New PRs

- CHECK (6 PRs)

3. Complete 2 legs of the Laminator Pentathlon - 4M in 24:00; 5M in 30:15; 10K in 39:00; 13.1M in 1:25:00; 26.2M in 3:00

- CHECK (5M in 30:13; 10K in 38:59; 13.1M in 1:24:14)

4. Run 4 races outside New York State

- CHECK (Boston Marathon, Long Branch Half, Lawyers Have Heart 10K , Philadelphia Half , Honolulu Marathon)

5. Run a race in the Bronx and in Brooklyn

- CHECK (Bronx Half, Cherry Tree 10M, Brooklyn Half)

6. Find a new place outside the city for a long (13 miles+) training run.

- CHECK (Palisades Run for 22 miles)

7. Coach, and/or encourage 4 new runners to reach their individual running goals.

- CHECK (2 friends - first marathon, 2 bloggers - first marathon, BQ marathon, my brother - first race ever!)

8. Participate in at least 4 Flyer running club events

- CHECK (LTR Pacer, 3 Bridges Run Leader, More Marathon Volunteer, Marathon Route Ten Mile Run Leader)

9. Run a sub 3 hour marathon

- FAIL (Boo! Closest was Boston in 3:02:21. Double Boo!)

Final Grade: A- [8/9]

My Blah New Year Post: 9 Resolutions for 2009

Sorry, blog world, I’m late. But Happy New Year to all anyways! If you’re still feeling festive, you might want to skip the rest of this post.

Maybe it’s the perfect score from 2008, or maybe it’s just the guilt of resolution procrastination, but I really have had a hard time dealing with the hoopla of the ball dropping into a new year. A big part of me wants to shed a tear and hold on to 2008 for just a little while longer. Right now, I feel like the guy still stuck to his seat in the moving theater when the film credits are rolling and everyone is climbing over themselves to see who can reach the exit the fastest. What’s the rush I say. Much of the business world don’t go back to work until Monday, so the way I see it, the new year doesn’t officially start until after the weekend anyways. But since I’m tired of thinking and revising my 9 goals for 2009, I’ll throw them out there just for your viewing pleasure and my stress relief. (Feel free to congratulate, mock, criticize, applaud, ridicule any of them as you wish and I’ll feel free to edit, modify, delete, insert, copy, paste, and make irrelevant any and all parts before the start of official business on Monday. I feel that’s fair, don’t you?) Good, now that’s settled, I can climb back into my hole and pretend it’s still 2008 for a few more days!

2009 New Year’s Running Resolutions

1. Run 1499 miles (or more).
2. Set 4 new PRs (any distance).
3. Complete 2 legs of the Laminator Pentathlon (4M in 24:00; 5M in 30:15; 10K in 39:00; 13.1M in 1:25:00; 26.2M in 3:00)
4. Run 4 races outside my homestate (New York).
5. Run a race in the Bronx and in Brooklyn (yeah, it’s sad I've never done any!).
6. Find a new place outside the city for a long (13 miles+) training run.
7. Coach, and/or encourage 4 new runners to reach their individual running goals.
   
8. Participate in at least 4 Flyer running club events (one of which is to be a long run pacer)
9. Run a sub 3 hour marathon (dream goal!)

Saying Goodbye to 2008: Reviewing My Year In Running (Part II)

Coming home after spending a long weekend in New Hampshire with extended family (20+ under one roof!), I finally bit the bullet this week, and signed up for a gym membership. Not only so, but I also ended the temporary restraining order I imposed on my running shoes and got back out to the park again. I know I originally posted that there’d be “no running ‘til new year” but once I figured out that the Boston Marathon is but 16 weeks away from this past Monday, I really had no choice but to get back on the horse and start training. (More on this to come later this week…) But strangely enough, a funny thing happened on my first post-recovery run. I was expecting myself to be slightly sluggish after the 3 week layoff, but after a long stretch and some tentative first steps, I was running again comfortably and effortlessly at my NYCM goal pace. And the more I ran, the faster the pace became. I wasn’t sure if it was just the pure excitement of running again or if it was the way my legs chose to show their appreciation for my recovery break, but it became really difficult to control my speed. I felt really good the whole way through…up to the very last step of the last mile. I finished 6.1 miles at 6:55 pace and felt completely wonderful. It wasn’t until I got home and looked back at my training log that I realized that I hadn’t run that pace for that long a distance since the weeks before NYCM! Wow! What started as a nice easy comeback run became one of the best training runs I’ve had all year!

Speaking of which, I’m ready to delve into the second part of my review of 2008. Instead of evaluating my accomplishments on the road in terms of PRs or race times (which I did in Part I), let’s see how the year stacked up in terms of what I set out to do way back in the very first post of 2008. If you remember (and you can check here if you don’t) I wrote down a list of 8 goals I wanted to achieve this past year – my running resolutions. In July, I took advantage of the All-Star break in baseball to compose a midsummer review of these running goals. I gave myself a 50 out of a possible 80 points in that evaluation – which I was content with at that point. With that as the backdrop, let’s revisit those goals and see how my running year finished out in the final analysis.

Final Review of Running Resolutions for 2008
Goal 1: Run 3 marathons in 2008.
Completed? Yes – SFM, NYCM, LVM
Grade: 10
Comment: Ran as many this year as I did the last 3 years combined!

Goal 2: Log at least 1333 miles for 2008.
Completed? Yes – Logged 1366 miles for 2008.
Grade: 10
Comment: Had some catching up to do after having only 10 miles on 3/1 due to injury.

Goal 3: Established PRs in at least 3 distances.
Completed? Yes – Had PRs in all 5 race distances – 4M, 5M, 10K, Half, Full.
Grade: 10
Comment: Ten PRs in all this year. Never expected that. Simply wow!

Goal 4: Run in 3 road races outside of New York.
Completed? Yes – NJ Half, SFM, LVM
Grade: 10
Comment: Good I got to travel; bad I never made it to CT to run a race.

Goal 5: Participate in 3 road races that I’ve never ran before.
Completed? Yes – Need for Speed relay, Newport Half, GC Turkey Trot
Grade: 10
Comment: Each of these was so fun in their own way…and I didn’t even have to repeat any from the last category.

Goal 6: Run a road race with 3 new people.
Completed? Yes – NY Flyers (any of them), sRod, my friend EW…etc
Grade: 10
Comment: Ran with a lot of new people this year, more than I ever expected I would…only hoping there’s more to come.

Goal 7: Coach 3 new runners to run well in their distance events.
Completed? Yes – Frayed Laces (BQ), RB, MW
Grade: 10
Comment: Paying it forward! (Read this if you don’t know what I mean.)

Goal 8: Run a marathon in under 3:05.
Completed? Yes – NYCM (3:02:20)
Grade: 10
Comment: Reached my A+ goal for this race.

Total Score: 80 points out of 80 points
Final Analysis: A Perfect Score! Some will say that my goals were too soft; I’d like to think that I was just that awesome this year! Who knows. Only thing I can say is that I truly enjoyed my ride—so if I’m still dreaming, please don’t wake me up (at least not until after Boston)!

Happy New Year to everyone!

My Midsummer Review

When you’re a sports enthusiast like me, everything resolves around baseball during the summer months. So just as all 30 teams let out a collective sigh of relief from the Midsummer Classic that almost became a Midsummer Debacle and about to kick off the second half of the season, I thought it was an apt time to review the progress I’ve made on the running goals I set for 2008 way back in January.

Okay, I must admit that the motivation to engage in this mental exercise was not my own, but rather was inspired by a new blogging friend, Mizfit, who posted an excellent video post earlier in the week on why we should all take time to revisit and track the status of our goals. (If you still haven’t seen it yet, what are you still doing here? Please go NOW!)

As you’re searching the deepest corners of the attic for that piece of paper where you jotted down your resolutions (you DID write them down, didn’t you?) or consciously misremembering what you planned to do this year, let me dig up my own New Year’s Running Resolutions post from way back when and review for you all how I’m doing on those. For each goal, I’m grading myself on a 1-10 scale on the likelihood it’ll get done by the end of the year. This should be interesting!

Midsummer Review on Running Resolutions for 2008
Goal 1: Run 3 Marathons in 2008.
Progress: None yet; Running SFM in August and NYCM in November.
Grade: 1 (in other words…not gonna happen!)
Comment: Was gonna happen until I broke a bone on the slopes two days after the post! Sucks!

Goal 2: Log at least 1333 miles for 2008.
Progress: 694.5 miles (after tonight’s run)
Grade: 7 (in other words…pretty likely!)
Comment: Considering I had 2 months off, and is more than halfway there, I’m pretty much on target for this one. Thank God I didn’t follow somebody’s advice and pick 1933…

Goal 3: Establish PRs in at least 3 distances.
Progress: 4 (4 Mile, 5 Mile, 10K (twice!) , half-marathon)
Grade: 10 (Completed, yeah!)
Comment: Was going to give myself a 12 grade (+2 for extra credit) but really, that would be bragging =)

Goal 4: Run in 3 road races outside of New York.
Progress: 1 (NJ Half); will be 2 after SFM.
Grade: 6 (in other words…get planning!)
Comment: Should really be doing so much better in this category because I really like running outside of NYC. I need to find a good fall race in Connecticut. Get cracking!

Goal 5: Participate in 3 road races that I’ve never ran before.
Progress: 1.5 (Need For Speed relay, NJ Half)
Grade: 4 (in other words…iffy!)
Comment: I’m scoring a half progress point for the NJ Half, and same for the SFM because I think it’s half-cheating if I’m including the same race for 2 separate categories. So if I want to be real about this, need to get cracking on this too!

Goal 6: Run a road race with 3 new people.
Progress: 3 (NY Flyers!)
Grade: 10 (Completed, yeah!)
Comment: I know I’m being a little cheap, but joining a running club is a big deal for someone who has always run solo. So yeah, I’m going to take some kudos for this one.

Goal 7: Coach 3 new runners to run well in their distance events.
Progress: 1.5
Grade: 6 (in other words…somewhat likely to happen)
Comment: I’m the official coach for one, while a couple other newbies have asked me to devise a marathon training schedule for them. I think at least one of them will come around to asking me to coach. May need to actively recruit one more though for my third…

Goal 8: Run a marathon in under 3:05.
Progress: TBD
Grade: 6 (in other words…somewhat likely to happen)
Comment: I have two cracks at this one, and both McMillian and Runner’s World calculators have me running sub 3:03 based on my half-marathon and my 10K finishes, so it’s a reach, but not a far reach, I think.

Total Score: 50 Points Out of 80 Possible
Assessment: Wow, a passing grade. Not so bad. I have a few things to work out in the second half, but all except one goal is still within reach. Cool. I’m inspired again!

(BTW, my team, the NY Mets won again tonight; their 10^th win in a row! Woohoo! I'm hoping this win to start off the second half will be good karma for me and my running!)

New Year’s Running Resolutions

I’m not saying I’m an advocate of Al Gore and his theory on anthropogenic global warming, but the latest weather patterns in NYC have been downright bizarre. It was unseasonably warm during the holidays but downright windy, cold, and full of white stuff ever since we hit 2008. Maybe we need to change the song from “White Christmas” to “White New Year’s” ?

I guess blaming the weather is not healthy, but I’m still waiting for some cooperation from Mother Nature so I can get my first run in for 2008. I might be hard-core, but running with temps in the teens and wind chill in the single digits is beyond even my level of craziness. Luckily, all was not lost however, as the brutal conditions outdoors allowed me an opportunity to work on my New Year’s Running Resolutions for 2008. Because I’ll be turning 33 this year, I decided to use the number 3 as my inspiration:

Running Resolutions for 2008

1. Run 3 Marathons in 2008.

2. Log at least 1333 miles for the year.

3. Establish PRs in at least 3 distances.

4. Run in 3 road races outside of New York.

5. Participate in 3 road races that I’ve never ran before.

6. Run a road race with 3 new people.

7. Coach 3 new runners to run well in their distance event.

8. And lastly…Run a marathon in under 3:05 (to knock 3 minutes off my previous PR)

There you have it. I think they are good goals to shoot for. Hopefully, they will all inspire me to be a better, faster, and more consistent runner. They will also help me connect with others in the running community. What do you all think? Too hard, too easy? I guess for the time being, they are subject to change, so as always, comments are appreciated.