Monday, January 17, 2011

Resolution Made, Five Years Ago

Here we are, past the half-way point in the first month of 2011.  January is used as a month of renewal for a lot of people as they start their resolutions.  By now, however, quite a few have already broken them or have just plain given up.  Maybe it's the cold weather, maybe it's just the desire to wind down after a hectic holiday season, or maybe it's just the inability to get a proper routine going that would promote said resolution.

Five years ago, in January 2006, I made a resolution that was very difficult to get off the ground but I stuck to it.  As expected, progress was slow.  I made small adjustments here and there to inch toward my first goal.  I never saw the results early on, and there were stretches where I just wanted to stop the forward progress because of it.  I carried on, though, and just took everything day by day until I finally started noticing differences.  They were small, and I knew I needed something more than 'adjustments' to break out of it.

Those first 10 months were still off-and-on but it wasn't until October 2006, on the relentless advice of a co-worker who would become my mentor, that I started something that I eventually held on to. It because a cornerstone of my health, body, and lifestyle.  I don't think I really need to say what it is - you likely know if you're reading this blog.

Of course at that point, I did not really expect it to make a lot of difference.  I was slow, distances were short, my lungs ached and burned as well as my legs, especially the knees. I ran outdoors in the Maine winter for some of the first 6 months which made it harder for my willpower to fight myself.  I had on more layers of clothing than I think I've ever put on at once and ran in shoes that had no ability to support my feet.  I got smirks, laughs, and even name-calls as I shuffled back and forth on the 1+ - mile stretch of road that I would jog, walk, then jog again.

Starting in the dead of winter, however, was a great blessing in disguise.  Once the longer days brought warmer temperatures the desire to run outside became greater.  Layers came off and goals were met faster.  By June and July of 2007, I was nearly completing 4 miles without walking and my diet had changed dramatically from when I first began.  Pounds slid off like the sweat of a run in an 80-degree summer morning.  Just before my 28th birthday, I finally hit my goal of completing a running loop around my home without stopping.  I was then entered into a road race.  That's when my life turned a corner for good.

Sometimes resolutions are small, only met in a small burst and winked out just as fast.  Sometimes they're impossible to keep; the result of a wild dream in the haze of New Year's champagne.  Rare are the slow-burning, tortoise-like goals that can be sustained not for days or weeks, but months to years (and even lifetimes).  I'm glad I listened to that little voice that said to me:  "It will eventually pay off."

Monday, January 3, 2011

2010 Review: Races and PRs

Total Races:  37* (31)
Race Wins:  1
Top 3 Finishes:  3

Races Run:
January Thaw - 4.5 mi – 1/16 – 30:03 – 6:41
Mid-winter classic – 10mi – 2/7 - 1:08:36 – 6:52
Somesville – 20mi – 2/14 - 2:26:31 – 7:20
Hyannis – 26.2mi – 2/28 - 3:45:34 – 8:37
Road Rover – 5K – 3/7 - 21:12 – 6:50
Eastern States – 20mi - 3/28 – 2:25:56 – 7:18
Unity Spring – 5K – 4/17 - 18:52 – 6:04
Patriot's Day – 5mi – 4/18 – 32:35 – 6:31
Orrington – 10K – 5/1 – 40:30 – 6:30
Sea Dogs Mother's Day – 5K - 5/9 – 20:23 – 6:33
Sugarloaf – 26.2mi – 5/16 – 3:08:21 – 7:11
Cumberland Memorial – 1mi – 5/31 – 5:25
Back Cove – 5K – 6/2 – 19:56 – 6:25*
Peter Ott's – 10K – 6/6 – 41:47 – 6:42
Back Cove – 5K – 6/9 – 19:52 – 6:24*
Back Cove – 5K – 6/16 – 20:23 – 6:33*
Hampden Father's Day – 8.5mi – 6/20 – 1:00:28 – 7:07
Tour du Lac – 10mi – 6/26 – 1:07:55 – 6:48
Thomaston Firecracker – 5K – 7/3 – 20:29 – 6:35
LL Bean – 10K – 7/4 – 44:32 – 7:09
Back Cove – 5K – 7/7 – 20:49 – 6:42*
Back Cove – 5K – 7/14 – 20:20 – 6:32*
Yarmouth Clam Festival – 5mi – 7/17 - 33:43 – 6:45
Bucksport Bay Festival – 5K – 7/24 - 18:45 – 6:02
Back Cove – 5K – 20:31 – 7/28 - 6:36*
Beach 2 Beacon – 10K – 8/7 – 40:17 – 6:28
St. Peter's – 4mi – 8/13 – 25:58 – 6:30
Westport Shore Run – 10K – 8/22 – 42:50 – 6:53 (3rd)
Run With the Falcons – 5K – 8/29 – 19:48 – 6:20 (1st)
Bangor Labor Day – 5mi – 9/6 – 33:42 – 6:44
Dan Cardillo – 5K – 9/12 – 19:37 – 6:18
Safe Passage – 5K – 9/25 – 19:27 – 6:15 (2nd)
Maine Half Marathon – 13.1mi – 10/3 – 1:28:36 – 6:45
Physical Therapy – 8K – 10/17 – 32:11 – 6:28
Cape Elizabeth Turkey Trot – 5K – 11/21 – 19:30 – 6:16
Portland Thanksgiving – 4mi – 11/25 – 25:51 – 6:28
Epic Finale – 5K – 12/26 – 19:57 – 6:25

* - Back Cove 5K races are technically counted as tempo runs for me in my running log.  I often ran these with slightly less effort than most 5K races.

Personal Records This Year:
5K - 18:45 (6:02/mi)
4mi - 25:51 (6:28/mi)
10K - 40:17 (6:28/mi)
10mi - 1:07:55 (6:48/mi)
13.1mi - 1:28:36 (6:45/mi)
20mi - 2:21:01 (7:03/mi)**
26.2mi - 3:08:21 (7:11/mi)

**  - My fastest in a 20-mile race was at Eastern States, but the 2:21:01 time was achieved after 20 miles of running at the Sugarloaf Marathon, which technically counts as a PR for the distance.