Running Year in Review

There were ups and downs this year in my running but overall I'm happy with it.

I racked up 271.4 miles this year.  Good but not as good as last year
I started the year at 195 and ended at 199.  About which I'm actually pleased.  I managed to maintain my weight within a few pounds all year after loosing 20 pounds last year.  So a year of setting a new baseline isn't bad.
I ran a 10K with my dad and a 1/2 marathon with my friends.
I got a new Garmin watch about which I'm really excited to track my runs and I've been testing it out.

So after a good year you gotta set new goals.  Drum roll please...

2014 fitness goals;
- Finish at least (5) half marathons
- Go Streaking!  Not what you think.  A running 'streak' are consecutive running days in this case I'll count any day where I run at least 1 mile.  I would love to streak for a month but since my current record is four days I think I'll settle for a goal of 14 days.
- Run at least (2) races with my dad and beat him at one.  He usually lets me win.
- Loose a minimum of 10 pounds and maintain that through the rest of the year.

1/12 - Ringing in the New Year Right

I'm starting the year out right with my first race of the year on the first day of the year!  I ran a 5K this morning so I'm trying to keep up the great success that I had last year with my 12 races in 12 months plan.  And this year my dad is doing it with me along with some other super supportive friends! 

I beat last year's January time of 33:07 by more than two minutes with a finish time of 30:50.  I'm hoping to bring down my 5K average of 30:15 (averaged over 10 5Ks) from last year to under 30 minutes.  In other running news I'm hoping to top my mileage total and break 300 this year as I fell short coming in at 296 for the year.

Also on a bright note I'm starting the year less round.  Last year I rang in at ~217 I'm starting the new year 22 pounds lighter at ~195 which is great.  So I'm also hoping to continue loosing weight and finish the year strong with 20 pounds of weight loss.

Hope everyone enjoys the new year and reaches their goals.

10/12 - It's Not All About Preparation

Woohoo!  10th race of the year went well and I learned it's not all about preparation.  I haven't laced up my running shoes since the last race I ran on September 2nd but I went out there and kicked this race's butt!  I clocked in at 28:50 which is respectable for me and much better than September's race which took me more than 30 minutes to complete.

I don't think this is a case of increased fitness though.  I'm pretty sure it was a case of a lot less weight to carry.  I finally reached my first goal with weight loss since I started tracking it weekly.  5% of my body weight is now gone, hopefully for good.  I still have nearly 35 pounds to loose to get into even the top portion of the healthy range for my height but I'm very pleased with my progress so far.

New running goal for the year, to add to the two more races I plan on finishing: break 300 miles.  Early in the year I was doing well with consistency in my running but that has slacked off significantly as seen in my chart of running distances.  It's easy to see that my running spirits got pretty well crushed in July after the 1/2 but I'm going to try to use my achievements in weight loss to help me hurdle the 300 mile mark for the year.

The running year in summary:
January: 40.21
February: 39.19
March: 38.26
April: 28.76
May: 42.22
June: 34.65
July: 45.80
August: 13.60
September: 3.1
October: 3.1
    Total: 288.89

Hitting the Wall

I've recently hit the wall in more ways than one.  The first two are to do with my body.  After the abysmal 1/2 marathon I ran last month I feel like I've managed to run the fun out of running.  I used to enjoy it.  Getting up early always sucked but I didn't mind 2, 3 or even 4 mile runs.  Now the idea of a mile is a chore.  Despite the half my logged miles for July only piled up to 45 and I'm looking at the sofa as my home away from home for the next while.  I just don't enjoy it anymore.  I am, however still going to try to reach my goal of 12 races in 12 months.  I think it's key to life to try and stick to things.

On a brighter note the second thing I've hit the wall with is the shape of my body.    I'm in shape, Round is a shape.  Well I'm pretty sick of being round. I've decided to join Weight Watchers.  I figure if running isn't part of the equation for the moment maybe I can take the time to focus on what I'm eating.  Right now the answer to that question is lots and lots of saturated fat and fried things.  But it's a new month and I'm trying to turn things around.  So here's to my, hopefully long lasting, dedication to trying to live a healthier life!  Because being 70 pounds over weight just doesn't cut it anymore.

Finally I've hit the wall at work.  I'm never good at doing things I don't enjoy and work has become one of them.  So I've started looking for a new position at the company I'm with.  I've also signed up for the GRE in the hopes that if all else fails I can go back to school.

Here's to hitting the wall and finding a new way to get over it!  Hoping all my endeavors go well.