Well folks

Welcome to 2011! How did 2010 finish up for you and what are your wishes, hopes, goals & dreams for 2011?

There's an old soccer saying; "Sometimes it's a game of 2 halves" and 2010 was certainly that for me, from a running perspective.

First half of the year: Settled in Texas and running my socks off. Not necessarily from a speed point of view, but from a mileage point of view.

By March I had broken my two biggest goals (sub 26min 5k and sub 2 hour HM) and by July was on pace for 1500 miles for the year.

Then my job changed and we started looking at relocation to Virginia. My running fell off a cliff!

I had run 833 miles by the end of July. I'd run less than 70 in the last 5 months of the year, including a compete goose egg in December.

Safe to say no more goals were achieved and I learned that when I don't run I am grumpy, less happy and unsurprisingly - fat!

Virginia brings new challenges compared to TX. It's cold enough to freeze that balls off a brass monkey and there are these things called hills.

But I have set new goals for 2011 and while I am yet to pick a next race I did go out for a 4 mile run this morning and didn't die (that's about the only good thing that can be said about it!)

Hope to be around here a little more too.

Cheers

MattJ

Sorry to hear about your year Simon. That sounds very difficult and I hope that 2011 brings you only good things.

I'm still training consistently for my first half in February. My long runs are still pretty short, but I am trusting Nobby and his plan (despite fretting at times). I'm running about 40-45km/week at the moment, with my long run only up to 12km. However, I am mixing my efforts well and I feel pretty good. I also ran a non-goal 18km trail race up over the Rimutaka incline (10km very gentle uphill, 5km steepish downhill, 3 km flat ) in November. I felt pretty strong right until the flat section, which felt like uphill after the downhill. I did much better than I had hoped and that was off a long run of 9km, so I have decided to listen to Nobby and do what he tells me. I guess the proof will be in the result in Feb! Although, I think the slow build up has been very good for me as I needed to be more consistent before getting to aggressive and feeling constantly tired, which has been my pattern in the past.

Well, lets hope the new year will bring better things to all of us!

Snow is causing some problems on my runs, the sidewalks are often bumpy and slippery from people walking on them.

Also, the river I cross near my house is now fully frozen and often has snowmobiles buzzing up and down. Smelly things!

Tough 11 miler last night, started around 23 degrees F and ended around 17 degrees, I wore two thin pairs of gloves, but should have had mittens, very cold fingers. Long run tomorrow.

How is everyonedoing

Simon - I don't know how you do it! I did not run yesterday or today. It's 25F here!

Normally I am OK running in 25 F but we also have about a 15MPH wind and I just cannot do it.

Going to have to find a treadmill somewhere I guess.

Anyway - I was meant to do 12 M last week (easing in to it) and I did... Got to get 16 in this week.

Have a good one y'all - stay warm!

Happy 2011 everyone.

I too struggled with injury the second half of 2010 and have just started up again. Apologies for not participating here for the last few months, but it was just too depressing to read about your training/races while I was sidelined. Not sure what that says about my psychological make up, but I probably don't want to know. 

@nzrun - It's not surprising that "5km steepish downhill" would wear out your legs.  Looking at your logs, you've been very consistent (Nobby must be happy with you ) and that should really pay off.  Exceeding your expectations in an 18km trail race, definitely bodes well for your first half.

MTA: I did not reach any of my 2010 running goals, so perhaps they will become my 2011 goals.  The only one I came close on was my goal for the 1/2 which I missed by 18 seconds.

Yay for all the crazy kiwis

Still not in running mode, been climbing with the kids   Good training though - have a look at my movie if you want. Great effort by my twins!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=x2LyEhL3elw

I am looking at a slow start to the year and to build a base March-July and then 3 months hard training for a half marathon around sept/oct tbc.  Might end up being Auckland again or perhaps Taupo

Also going to throw in a 10km and some 5km.  I doubt I am going to break the 20 minute mark for 5km ever but will just see how it goes

I was happy to run my first two half marathons last year in sub 1:40 pace.  I do though wonder how much I have left in me - perhaps a 1:35 on my day

Goals may be

Sub 20min 5km

Sub 43 10km

1:35 HM

Haven't posted in awhile and owe a Decker Challenge report in the Race Reports thread.

SimonR: sorry for your loss and praying for the best for your sister.

The short version is I finished in 3:12. A tough hilly course. Longest run in my Vibram Bikila's. Felt strong at the finish and thinking I could have run faster. Glad I didn't, because I irritated right achilles tendon.

I relocated from Fort Worth, TX to Austin, TX in July 2010, and retired in Nov so I could run more. work was getting in the way of my running and I run to keep my heart beating. Along with MattJ, and I'm sure  others, I feel better and less grumpy when I run. It also lowers and helps me control my blood pressure and cholesterol. And to top it off - I enjoy it! Everything else is icing on the cake!

Although I should have known better I have had symptoms of overtraining. My new neighborhood is very hilly, grades of 3-10% throughout,  almost nothing level. (MattJ - I didn't know we had hilly neighborhoods in TX until the move to Austin!) I use low heart rate training (Dr Phil Maffetone's method) and was still building aerobic base so I didn't think I could overtrain. However the hills (I think), and probably age and medical/physical condition did me in. Not seriously, more annoyingly. I started having calf/shin issues almost everytime I went out, which was 5-7x/wk. Being dumb and stupid it took me awhile to figure it out. It actually took the Decker irritation of my achilles to get me thinking more about it. I guess I was following "insane" running all fall - doing the same thing and expecting different results! I missed my 1000 mi 2010 goal because of the achilles and spring work overload, but think I am on track to a better 2011. I've decided to add in some cross training, joined Planet Fitness at a $10/mon, no contract cost. Fits within my fixed income retiree budget! LOL. Am doing their 30 minute circuit, being sure not to let hr get into anerobic region as well as ellipical and walking on dreadmill on the gym days. Have also identified a nearby school track that is open to the public and some fairly level trails in the town north of me. I do mor walking in my neighborhood with slow running on the downhills and slower than my normal slow pace on uphills if not walking them. I walk a mi to the top of nearest hill before I start a slow jog down hill about .6 mi to the bottom. Faster maf running is done on the trails. Will probably use the track for maf testing. At the suggestion of my massage therapist and other RL & online runners have also added foam rolling of the left calf and quad. The therapist noted that both were full of knots. The combination seems to be helping.

Haven't been able to plan for next half marathon yet. Local DD (why we picked Austin to move to) got pregnant with twin boys shortly after we moved. She is due the end of March, but twins come early and we are hoping for late Feb to avoid NICU time for them. I might be able to sneak in a 10K in Feb (Capital 10K - can't remember the date) if I feel like my legs and conditioning are back. Finishing the 10k is not a problem, that's easy, but being competitive against my pb is the challenge.

Wishing everyone a great 2011!