2011 Recap

Background:
  I ran in high school.  I was alright as a runner, my PR in HS was 21:50. I loved it, love the social aspect of it but never really set any goals.  I just ran as fast as I could.

After high school, I was an exchange student in Spain where I started to smoke (it pains me to even admit that now!) and continued to smoke through college.  I never ran, I am lucky that I have good skinny genes since I never had to worry about my weight.

When I got my first job, I had the opportunity to be an assistant coach for the HS xc/track team.  I remembered how much fun it was to run again.

I signed up  to run the Marine Corps Marathon in 2001.  I worked with the AIDS marathon training group in Washington, D.C.  I was in the "Alberto Salazar" 12:00 min/mile pace group.  It was a great way to get back into running.  The rest of the time I lived in the DC area, I almost always did a run/walk.  Then I had kids....and stopped running.

Once we moved to Ohio, I started doing zumba and did that for about 2 years before I started actually running again.  I decided to sign up for the Dirty Dude Girl trail run in one of the MetroParks in our area.  I did pretty well for myself (31:30 with tons of mud on the course)- I'd only been "training" for about a month.  Started to train for some local 5ks and the rest is history...

Fast forward to 2011

I'd been doing a lot of local 5ks in the fall of 2010 and continued to do more in 2011.  We had a "wellness challenge" at work where we were on teams and if we worked out a certain amount or ran local charity races we'd earn points. My team was very competitive, so any opportunity we had i.e. 5k races, we took it.  My running partner and I had decided that we were going to do the Flying Pig 10k in Cincinnati at the end of April- so we had a bigger goal.

2 races really stood out for me in the spring before "the Pig".  I ran the Harrigan's 5k in March.  It was a great day to run- freezing in a t-shirt but I had my new Saucony Kinvaras on- super light weight running shoes.  I forgot to start my watch and never saw the mile markers- so I was just going on how I was feeling.  I remember not believing the time when I rounded the final turn and saw the clock 21:40- I bet my high school pr by 10 seconds!  It was a 19 year old PR.  Awesome! Who says you get slower as you age?

The next race was kind of silly, it was our work's "Wellness Challenge 5k".  Anyone who'd been in the contest was supposed to do it.  I didn't know how we'd do but I decided that I was going to try to run again for a good time, I ended up leading the entire race and actually won it overall.  I've never won a race ever...not even in high school- I was always 2nd or 3rd.  I was pretty pumped- the best part the award for 1st place- the lovely rainbow participant ribbon.  Now I know the point was to get everyone out there and moving...but still.  Could I at least get a blue ribbon?

The Flying Pig 10k is kind of like the stepchild to the Flying Pig Half and Full marathon since it's the day before and not a many people do it.  My running partner and I had been following Hal Higdon's 10k intermediate plan and we were feeling pretty good about it.  We had perfect weather- unlike the marathoners the next day- got to love Ohio weather in the spring!  I ran 47:23, got 5th in age group, 19 overall for women.  My first 10k in 10 years and 5 minutes faster. 

After the pig, I was not sure what I wanted to do...I needed to think about a fall race just to keep the momentum going, and around this area, it's the U.S. Air Force Marathon in Dayton in September or the Columbus Marathon in mid October. 

I did both of those, which by then I started this blog so you can read about the Air Force 10k here or the Columbus 1/2 marathon here.

Both were PR's for me but since the Columbus marathon I haven't really run since PF has stopped me in my tracks.
That would be 90 days without running.  With the exception of last Saturday's quick attempt and today's/tomorrow's run (which I've already planned to spend the rest of the day off my feet since I won't be able to walk the rest of the day but hell with it, last week's run was AWESOME even if I couldn't walk later.

So, It was a good year for me and running.  PRs in the 5k, 10k, 13.1.  I can't complain.  Really, I could and you know I do, but it was a good year. Plantar Fasciitis might have me down right now but I know I will shake it- and it's just my heel- I have my overall health which is the most important.   So here's to a great 2012!