When I was younger I used to enjoy all the news outlets doing the Year in Review specials. Now I just hate all of the news outlets. But I thought it would be fun here. Plus I had a good year.
In May I ran my first Half and crushed my goal time with a 1:56. I quickly scheduled my second for October and while I did not PR, I was very happy with my 1:59 as it was a very difficult hilly course. With my confidence riding high I decided that I could do another in November. While a month should be plenty of time to recover, my hamstring and calf had not cooperated. I ran the half in November and finished in a disappointing 2:01.
It was a great year and I am very proud of my accomplishments. I have taken a little time off to heal. But I am excited about 2014 and what it will bring. I am shooting for a 1:50 in April, I think.
So how about all of you?
delicate flower
My running year has been about as up and down as one can possibly be. I guess, technically, it was down and up. Most folks here have a pretty good idea of what I've been through...
I had lofty goals going into the year. I wanted to PR every distance from 5K to FM and run 2000+ miles. Then I tore my ACL in January and missed five months of running due to surgery and rehab. I shifted my focus to just getting back to running again and was hoping I'd be able to jog a half marathon by the end of the year and maybe hit 750 miles. Well through some miracle, my recovery went far above and beyond what I could have possible expected. Turns out I did the following:
5K: Improved PR from 21:23 to 21:13 on a much harder course. One more 5K to go.
10K: PR'd twice, going from 47:48 to 47:36 to 43:24.
HM: Broke my old PR (1:45:00) three times: 1:36:05, 1:36:41, 1:34:51
I also completed my first duathlon (Olympic distance) and finished 3rd overall in a short 5K.
I should close out the year around 1700 miles. Aside from the lower mileage and lack of marathon, this would have been a great year if I didn't tear my ACL. I count myself very lucky and fortunate to be where I am right now.
<3
Hmm. 2013 was a pretty good year for me running-wise. Ran my second marathon this spring (2.5 years after my first). Shaved off 45 minutes from my first (what happens when you run the first on poor training). Ran my third marathon this fall. Shaved off another 9 minutes and qualified for Boston. Also, brought my half marathon time down by almost 10 minutes. And I should hit over 2500 miles for the year, which is the most I've run by far.
As for 2014, I don't really know. Taking a break from marathon training. I'd like to run a fast 5k. Beyond that, I'm not really sure. Just trying to enjoy it again and not take it all so seriously.
The first part of 2013 went really well for me, starting my question to a third Maniac star, and PR'ing twice on the marathon distance. Then, the second half of 2013 went well with regards to my original goal, earning not only a third but a 4th star and completing my first double. It was also not a good year since I have been dealing with some other painful issues since October that are preventing me from running a marathon as a goal race.
Still, 12 marathons in 2013, 5 of those in 34 days, 2 PRs, and lots of miles and no asthma attack? It was a great year!
Damaris
As part of the 2024 London Marathon, I am fundraising for VICTA, a charity that helps blind and visually impaired children. My mentor while in law school, Jim K (a blind attorney), has been a huge inspiration and an example of courage and perseverance. Please consider donating.
Fundraising Page
Runs4Sanity
I would have to say that so far 2013 has been my best year in running since starting back in 2010. I had a few goals for 2013 nearing th end of 2012:
I am pretty pleased with 2013, I've grown and I've improved tremendously. I can't wait for 2014, my plans are more trail races for distances over 15k, more trail running period.
*Do It For Yourself, Do It Because They Said It Was Impossible, Do It Because They Said You Were Incapable*
PRs
5k - 24:15 (7:49 min/mile pace)
10k - 51:47 (8:16 min/mile pace)
15k -1:18:09 (8:24 min/mile pace)
13.1 - 1:53:12 (8:39 min/mile pace)
26:2 - 4:14:55 (9:44 min/mile)
Super B****
Ups and downs, as always!!
February -- peroneal tendinitis... what the hell
March -- FINALLY ran the Jerusalem half (PRed by over two hours)
May -- improbably ran a sub-1:45 half
July -- 5K PR
August -- 10K PR (sub-50:00, yay!)... and ITBS. For the next three months.
October -- won a 5K
November -- 5 mile PR by nearly two minutes (I thought one minute was a stretch goal)
Okay, those were mostly ups. Because I skipped the part where I've been battling shin splints pretty much all year, and that my hip/pelvis still hasn't learned to behave itself. And that my piriformis recently decided to join the party of body parts that hate me and cause me problems for months on end. But as long as I can keep running, it's all good!
chasing the impossible
because i never shut up ... i blog
2013 was a breakout year for me, not so much in what happened on the race course, but what took place in my head. I realized there is a bevy of untapped potential just waiting to be released, but more importantly, I came to understand that releasing that potential takes time.
Therefore, racing and competing at the highest level for your current ability is a continuing evolution. So what may seem an insurmountable obstacle today, may prove to be no larger than a pebble on the beach tomorrow.
Are we there, yet?
My year started with indoor track where I hoped to run a 7:45 mile. After my first race in 7:54 it looked like I should reach my goal with little problem, but that wasn't to be the case. It was frustrating to run sub-8:00 but not improve on the first time in every race. Even so in hindsight it was a good season and I showed some unexpected sprint speed in the 800m.
The remainder of my racing season focused primarily on training for my first ultra marathon, the NC 24 12-hour race. Initial progress was very encouraging as I ran a 5:30 marathon on only 2 months of focused training after the indoor season. That was my first in over 30 years. The for a while it looked that that might be my peak because things went downhill from there reaching a nadir at the Endless Summer 6-hour Race at the end of July where I dropped after 3:40 and only 16.7 miles. After regrouping and getting a lot of positive feedback from my coach, Ian Sharman, we scheduled another marathon where the time was slower, but the race execution was a prelude to NC 24. Confidence and a lot of help from the NC 24 crew and runners made that race a huge success, far beyond what I expected and was the most incredible running experience in my 45 years of running as an adult.
I did want to get one more race in for the year and chose a 5K 7 weeks after NC 24 on a flat, fast course. I had no idea how I might respond to racing at that distance and intensity after 6 months of focusing on ultra training. I surprised myself a little by running at the faster end of the broad range I had predicted and ran my fastest time in over 3 years.
Overall it has been a great year for running when I look at the results. The low points were probably necessary to learn important lessons that eventually contributed to my success. I intend to continue to pursue new venues in running in 2014 and enjoy the change in focus.
2024 Races:
03/09 - Livingston Oval Ultra 6-Hour, 22.88 miles
05/11 - D3 50K 05/25 - What the Duck 12-Hour
06/17 - 6 Days in the Dome 12-Hour.
Great to see so much success, especially Baboon, who has become a machine since his knee surgery.
2013: A year where dreams came true.
Early on, I won my first HM and got to run Boston for the first time, an experience unlike anything else.
My biggest "A" goals all fell: sub-17 5K, sub-3 marathon, and sub-5 mile. A summer of absolutely glorious running weather helped with something that I would have never expected: 13 wins this year, currently up 4 on the closest male for Buffalo-area races. (I'm nowhere near the top talent in the area, but just ran enough small races where no one faster showed up.)
Hoping that 2014 will be just as amazing, with an eye on becoming a regional AG factor. (Ok, I really just want to finish top 3 AG at the Turkey Trot. Badly.)
Great to see so much success, especially Baboon, who has become a machine since his knee surgery. 2013: A year where dreams came true. Early on, I won my first HM and got to run Boston for the first time, an experience unlike anything else. My biggest "A" goals all fell: sub-17 5K, sub-3 marathon, and sub-5 mile. A summer of absolutely glorious running weather helped with something that I would have never expected: 13 wins this year, currently up 4 on the closest male for Buffalo-area races. (I'm nowhere near the top talent in the area, but just ran enough small races where no one faster showed up.) Hoping that 2014 will be just as amazing, with an eye on becoming a regional AG factor. (Ok, I really just want to finish top 3 AG at the Turkey Trot. Badly.)
That is so impressive. Congratulations on such an amazing year of glorious running, Jay!
PRs: Boston Marathon, 3:27, April 15th 2013
Cornwall Half-Marathon, 1:35, April 27th 2013
18 marathons, 18 BQs since 2010
Not a very good year for me. I started out slowly, still in recovery mode, having restarted running in November after my stress fracture last year. I ran a 5 miler in April I wasn't really ready for, then a 15k I also wasn't ready for (but managed to get 2nd in my age group anyhow). I PRed a 5k in May. I built up my mileage to 40+ a week, anticipating a first HM in September, but then in July I got injured again and wasn't able to run for the next 5 months. Now I'm exactly where I was a year ago, struggling to do 3 mile runs. I have no plans for next year, except to try not to get injured again. I won't sign up for any races in advance, because every time I do, I end up not able to run.
Not a very good year for me.
You have such a great attitude/perspective on things. Hopefully someday it will all click and this chapter of your running life will be a distant memory.
Dont think it would be overstating to say 2013 was another incredibly fun and successful year for me. And hubby.
Firstly I am just finishing up my 8 th consecutive year injury free. Pretty amazing considering all I do and being in my 50"s now.
Thought at 51 after 3 years of PRs and into my 13 th year of running that the PRs would not keep coming but they did At every distance except the half
Started the year by beginning marathon training Jan 1st at the same time as starting to swim 4 times per week in my quest to learn to swim and become a triathlete.
February did girls only trip from Canada to Florida for the Disney princess half.
May on Mothers Day took 10 minutes off my full PR with a 4:10.
5 triathlons in my first season of them including an Olympic in Ottawa where I had a 2 Nd in AG and several AG in sprint tris.
Another sub 2 half run with my friend RSX Where hubby and I had matching 3 rd place AG.
A 5 k PR for hubby and I at same race where we both had 1st place AG
10k PR 2 Nd in AG
Full marathon in Ireland for hubby's 50 th where hubby came 3 rd overall I was 4 th woman and 1 st in AG and both earned a Cow trophy.
A marathon 28 days later where missed PR by only 90 seconds.
13 races in all.
A pretty decent year.
I echo all of that.
Mmmmm...beer
My first full calendar year of running, and it was great!
PR'd every distance I ran (not hard to do when you're still new lol), and hit all of my goals except for a sub-19 5k, which I think I have in me, just haven't run a 5k since June (but sub-20 was also a goal and I got that, so I'm still happy). Marathon training is going great, and I'm running a 50k in two weeks, still can't believe I'm doing that. But I have full confidence that my legs will see me through, they have yet to fail at any task I've put them to.
Can't wait to see what 2014 brings!
-Dave
My running blog
Goals | sub-18 5k | sub-3 marathon 2:56:46!!