2010: The Year in Reverse

By virtue of our use of a Gregorian calendar, we've reached an arbitrary point in time which causes countless people and organization to publish lists reviewing everything significant and not-so-significant since the last arbitrary point in time.  You know, things like "Top 10 Uses of Canned Foods in 2010", or "The 10 Worst Ways to Stub Your Toe in 2010".  I don't have a "Top 10" of anything, well, unless it's "Top 10 Ways to Almost Drown".  What I do have, however, is too much time on my hands the desire to look at 2010 in reverse.

Before doing that, however, I want to say that one of the biggest things to happen this year has been the discovery of the running community in Minnesota.  In 2009, I was on my own.  This year, via blogs, Dailymile, Facebook, Twitter, etc..., I've found so many great people that just get out and run.  It's been great running/racing with you.  Sometimes it's really nice to have someone to run with.  And to all the people who have read my blog over the past year, thanks--I hope you'll stick around for another year!

Totals


Running: 940.9 miles
Swimming: 12.2 miles
Biking: 146.1 miles

(I started keeping a log in March, although Jan-March mileage was fairly insignificant.  It is possible, though, that I ran enough in those months to break the 1000 mile barrier.)


Mileage for the year was really good, and I got in a lot more cross training this year (I swam 34 times!).  Not only did I get in the miles this year, but I varied my training a lot more compared to 2009.  I consistently included repeats, hills, tempo runs, fartleks, LSDs, and easy runs.  Not only did this improve my running ability, but it kept me from getting bored!

December


Mileage: 56.4 miles

December was mostly defined by a return to running.  After Runner's Knee issues in November, I eased back into running in December.  Mother Nature didn't help, though, and gave us a lot of this:

So. Much. Snow.

November

Mileage: 26.9 miles

November was my lowest mileage month of the year.  I started with high hopes of some 5ks and a 10 mile after recovering from the marathon, but my knee had other ideas.  I sorta did a 5k (which I won), and a 6.23k race in the snow.  After realizing that my knee wasn't getting any better, I took up competitive TV watching imposed a 2 week rest period on myself.  The rest period helped my knee heal up, and I was back in business.

October:

Mileage: 91.8 miles

The highlight of October was a major PR at the Twin Cities Marathon.  My goal time was 3:45, and I finished in 3:42:01.  With everything combined--the weather, pacing, fueling, the course, spectators--I decided that I couldn't have asked for a better race.  Months of training paid off in spades, and it managed to put the Boston bug in me.  I raced, then I analyzed, and figured out that in the next two years, I'm going to get faster--much faster.

September

Mileage: 156.8

In September, I tapered, but also logged my 2nd highest mileage month of the year.  I also joined the first TCiM Flash Run, which helped us find our 15 seconds of fame on the news.  Another highlight of the year was a trip to Boston for a conference, and I got to run around the city and see some exciting things:

August

Mileage: 193.4 miles

August was, in many ways, the pinnacle of my training.  It was my highest mileage month of all time.  I did 2 of the 3 twenty milers in August.  Oh, and I didn't drown.  Yes, August was my first (and, to date, only) triathlon.  Lakefront Days was a fun experience, and while my swimming and cycling legs were pretty slow, my run was great.  Doing the race with friends made it even more fun.

July

Mileage: 139 miles

More new things in July.  After a quick trip to Baltimore where I learned that the best way to see a new city is via a good, long run, I ran my first ever half-marathon, Pikermi, Fun-Size Marathon.  I ran the inaugural Red, White, and Boom! TC Half Marathon on Independence Day.  It was hot, humid, and wet.  Really wet.  And, as a friend remarked, "Who knew Minneapolis had a mountain?".  My time was slower than what I was capable of, but with all the conditions as they were, I'm ok with that.  Katie and I also check out the local pro-triathlon scene at the Lifetime Fitness Triathlon.

Uh, yeah, that's not me.  I'm much, much faster...

June

Mileage: 100 miles

June was a hot month.  I celebrated by beginning my marathon training, yet I didn't expire.  I did perspire though.  Probably aspired too.  Maybe even inspired.  Beyond some open water swimming, I was involved with Katie's first triathlon of the season: Croixathlon.  I volunteered as a parking lot attendant and course marshal and found myself drenched in sweat and sunscreen.  I really got into the the course marshaling part and was maybe a bit too over-exuberant with my "Turn Left".  I had a great time--so much so that I'm considering doing Croixathlon this year as a participant.  I'm also pretty intrigued by this beach path...

Me at Cleary Lake pretending not to hear Katie

May

Mileage: 60 miles

Three big things happened in May: I set a 5k PR, I swam, and I raced with Katie at the Falls Duathlon.  The month began with the Duathlon, and Katie got the short end of the stick by having to ride her bike in gale-force winds.  I just ran.  We did good, and we're probably going to do the race again in 2011 (maybe not as a team, though).  

I added a new discipline to my training--swimming.  I was awful at it, and still am.  But I didn't drown.  I worked with a coach, and that helped a lot.  I'm still convinced that humans weren't meant to swim, but it's a skill I semi-possess now.  Later in the month, Katie and I had a pretty tough workout trying on wetsuits at Gear West, but emerged victorious and tried them out in a lake.  This was my first OWS, and while there's no chance of me being mistaken for a fish, I didn't drown and I count that as a victory.  (If you haven't noticed, "not drowning" has been a theme for the year).  The month ended with a great race at the Brian Kraft 5k.  I PR'd, and even managed some nice blisters.

Katie at the Duathlon

Me at the Duathlon

One of Katie's fantastically awkward photos of me

April

Mileage: 70 miles

I was in "spring training mode" in April, acted like my normal self dressed in a semi-ridiculous manner to win a contest, and decided to put myself in danger of drowning by signing up for a triathlon.  Over at Steve in a Speedo's blog, Katie entered me into a "worst dressed" contest, and I came in third place with my overly-geeky entry:

I'm running at the speed of light.  No, really--I'm blue-shifted.

I also "Ran the Valley" and put up a respectable 5k time:

Serious heel-strikeage going on there

March

Mileage: 45 miles

In March, I sold my soul to Hal.  I started his Spring Training plan, which would lead into his Marathon Training Plan in June, meaning that from March to October, I would be training under Hal's direction.  I was ok with that.

February

Mileage: unknown

After waffling for a few months, I did what everyone was expecting and signed up for Twin Cities again.  At that early stage, I decided to shoot for a sub 4 hour time.  I'm glad that changed  :)

January

Mileage: unknown

Dome Running!  I discovered that the best way to spend a dollar in Minnesota is to save up for a ticket to a warmer climate was to run at the Metrodome.  In January, I started going every Thursday night, and David even joined me a few times.  With the Dome deflated now, I've learned to cherish the ability to run in such an ugly building while I can.

It's been a super 2010, see you all after the arbitrary time division that is a product of the Gregorian calendar!  (And remember, "Knee High by the Fourth of July" doesn't make any sense in a non-Gregorian calendar.)

Same Great Taste, 50% Less Winter

Minnesota can be...trying during the winter.  Lately, I've dealt with this:

and this:

and this:

and, putting a damper on Dome Running, this:

So, when it came time to head to Michigan for the holidays, I wasn't exactly going to miss Minnesota weather.  Now, I'm not saying that Michigan is like Florida, but at least Michigan doesn't have so much snow that it doesn't know where to put it.

This past summer, my folks moved.  Instead of driving to Lake St. Clair to run, I can just go right from their house.  There aren't many trails and parks in Metro Detroit that are good for running, but there is one right in front of my parents' house--the Metro Parkway Bike Path:

It's a little tough to see, but I took this photo from the front door of the house.  There's a snow covered path/bike trail just 20 feet from the mailbox.  If you go left, you'll eventually get to Freedom Hill.  If you go right, you'll get to Metro Beach.  Not a bad place for running.

There was a dusting of snow, so Yaktrax were necessary

Snow, but not so bad as Minnesota

The bridge going over Groesbeck was a bit more snowy because they don't plow it.  Nice "hill" though.

It started to melt by the time I headed back

A sad thing is that in my 6ish miles, I saw one other runner.  In Minnesota, no matter how bad the conditions, you'll see other crazy people out running.  Oh well, at least it was a good run.

A Video of My Marathon Story

I've always said that I've sold my soul to Google.  Here's more proof.

(S)Now I'm Running!

I'm now ready to deem my 2 weeks sans running a success.  I eased back into running this week making sure I didn't do any speedwork.  I was a little scared the first few runs thinking that any weird feeling in my knee was the return of Runner's Knee.  On Thursday morning, I did a run in some pretty cold temps on one of my extra hilly routes.  It was good.  I was planning a 40-50 minute run for Friday, put with the impending snowstorm, I moved that run to Thursday evening so I could return to one of my favorite winter running events…

Dome Running!*

I ran two laps, then ran into Steve and Pharmie.  I did two laps with Steve, then ran the rest of the time with Pharmie and we were joined later by Steve Q.  Even though I had planned to run for 40 minutes, we were having a wonderful conversation and next thing I know, it's been and hour.  And I'm ok with that because I ran for an hour on the hard surface with no knee pain!  Victory!

Then winter came.  Again.

Last night it snowed, and my normal 20 minute commute took 1.5 hours in part because my bus was 40 minutes late.  This morning, I awoke and it was sunny with 4-5 inches of fresh, fluffy snow—perfect time for a run.  So I strapped on my Yaktrax and grabbed my camera and off I went.

My foot with Yaktrax.

The first few block were pretty treacherous, but once I got to the golf course near the river, the paths were cleared:

The sidewalk you see in this photo is new.  It used to be a wonderful tree lined, grassy, trail-like path heading down to the river.  Then the city decided that no one was allowed to have fun anymore and they took out a bunch of trees and put this concrete in.

The path was already cleared along the river in St. Paul...

…and in Minneapolis

A magnificent view from the Franklin Ave bridge 

Me, afterwards.  It looks like there is a spear going through my head.

So, take that, winter!  Between Yaktrax and Dome Running, there's no reason to forego running in the winter.

*Every Tuesday and Thursday from 5-8pm, the Metrodome is open for runners on the upper concourse.  It only costs $1, and parking is free in the lot on the east side of the Dome.  Go here for more details.

Yeah, I Can Eat Anything (uh, sorta)

One of the beautiful things about being a runner is the ability to eat anything.  I can eat nonstop, yet still lose weight when I'm at the peak of training.  So, my question is this:

While on a running hiatus, should I feel guilty about eating lots of turkey, stuffing, mashed potatoes, cranberries, carrots, rolls, and pumpkin pie today?

I think not.

No Running!

Uh, yeah, I'm still here.  After my race last weekend, I learned 2 things.  The first is that I was able to run the race faster than expected.  The second is that I NEED to take it easy on my knee.  So, to remedy this second point, I'm giving myself a two week break from running.  I had planned on doing the Detroit Turkey Trot when I go home for Thanksgiving, but I'm going to cancel that.  There will be other races, and I really want this knee to get better.  I'll try and race in December, or use December to rebuild my base, but there won't be any running until November 28th.

————————

In the meantime, though, official results are up from the 623 Run:

(click to zoom)

Some thoughts…

There must have been some discrepancy between my watch and the official clock because this shows me running it 13 seconds faster for a pace of 6'45"/mile.

Yes, 6'45"/mile.  In the snow.  With a bum knee.  And after a few weeks of slacking of training due to bum knee.  I'll take it.

I placed 14th overall and was the 13th male finisher.  It's tough to judge how I could have done if it were in ideal conditions and if my knee was in good shape, but I'm pretty confident I could have cracked the top 10.

Roseville 623 Run Race Report

Or, "I Should Have Brought My Yaktrax"


Or, "How I Raced My Department Chair"


I raced today.  I decided to do the 623 Run for Roseville Schools.  Yes, the 6.23k race.  This turned out to be rather fortuitous, since I had to deal with this:

Yes.  Snow.  Lot's of it.  In fact, we're on track for this to be the biggest pre-Thanksgiving snow since 1991.  Since the race was a crazy non-standard distance, I wouldn't be trying to hit certain pace goals, and that would be good for running in slippery conditions.

I dropped Katie off at the airport, then made the slow commute to Roseville.  I decided to park at the start (it was a point-to-point course), and afterwards I would run back to the start as a cool down.  It was a pretty popular race since it raised money for Roseville Schools.  Even Minnesota running legend Rick Recker was there.

Well, it kept snowing.  And snowing.  And snowing.  They managed to plow the whole course, but that only lasted a little while before it was covered again.  If I had worn my Yaktrax, I would have had a HUGE advantage.  But I didn't.

I lined up at the start, and we were off.  I settled into about 12th place for the first mile or so.  Over the next mile, I passed 2 people.

THUNDERSNOW!

My knee started to give me issues around 2.5 miles.  By "issues", I mean it felt like it was on fire.  The course left the roads and went to paths/trails.  I was passed by 2 people in this stretch.

In the final mile, there was a decent uphill, followed by a downhill.  In this last bit, I was passed by the first place female.

I finished in 26'20", which is a 6'51" pace.  I'm pretty pleased with that considering my knee and the weather.  I'd guess that I placed 12th or 13th for men, but I'll wait for the results before making that official.

Afterwards, we gathered in the Roseville High School cafeteria, and they had pie.  Apple Pie!  It was absolutely delicious!  I also won a door prize (I think 50% of the people there won door prizes, and the other 50% won slightly lesser door prizes).

As I was waiting for the bus to head back to my car (I had given up on the "cool down run" because of the weather and my knee), I noticed someone familiar—the Chair of the Mechanical Engineering Department at the U (aka, my advisor's boss).  We chatted a bit (he was running with his wife and kids).

I rode the bus back, and cleared a few inches of snow off my car, and drove home.  It took a while to get home.

This was also the first time I've raced in my Brooks Launch.  Overall, they worked good, although it was tough to judge because I was concerned with traction more than shoe weight.

I Need to Find a Race

After last weekend's wildly successful slightly disappointing "5k", I still want to get a real race in.  If that's going to happen, I need to find one for this weekend, November 13/14.  I'd do one the next weekend, but that's getting close to the Detroit Turkey Trot that I'm semi-planning on doing, so the 13/14 is my best shot.

I've found one race, the Roseville 623 Run/Walk, that fits my criteria:

1. It exists.
2. It's nearby.
3. It's on November 13.

The major downside is that it's a 6.23k race.  Yes, 6.23k.  So, I'd be guaranteed a PR, but it's a less-than-standard distance, and I was hoping to find a 5k or 10k.

So, here's where I throw it out to you, the blogging world.  Do you know of any races this weekend?  Remember, it must fit these criteria:

1. It must exist.
2. It's in/near the Twin Cities (although if you know of a good race in Cancun, I'd certainly accept you flying me to Cancun for the race…)
3. It's on November 13/14.
4. It's distance in kilometers and/or miles should be evenly divisible by an integer.  (Not critical, but always nice)

Tesfa 5k: 1st Place Male

The Tesfa 5k is one of my favorite races because (a) it's at Fort Snelling State Park, and (b) it's small.  Well, today, it was really small.  When Katie and I arrived, there were only a few others there:

2 deer (of about 6) in this photo.  The second one is to the left of the silver car.

Yeah, there were deer.  Just deer.  No people.  Katie and I wondered if they had moved the starting line to someplace else in the park, so we went to the front office and asked.  The lady there said "they cancelled that race a long time ago."  Nevermind, of course, that it's still listed on Tesfa.org and Active.com.

Bummer.

Since we were both still in running clothes, we said "why not run it anyway?"  So we did.  And, since the competition was pretty weak, we took it easy.

Katie was the first place female.

I was the first place male.

Our time?  31'09"

Objects at rest...

Having an injury—no matter how minor it may be—allows one to reflect on their running.  I haven't been running much since my knee started acting up—maybe 2 or 3 times a week.  It's given me time to think.  Time to meditate on a running season that, by many measures, was a resounding success.

In truth, I've needed to make a special effort to listen to my own advice.  Whether it was helping someone figure out a training plan, or giving advice to someone who has an injury, I had one piece of advice: listen to your body.  Well, I've been listening, and it's been saying "take it easy, Matt.  A few weeks of taking it easy will not ruin your running life."  So it goes.

Beyond making the effort to not run (yes, not running requires more effort than running), I've been able to look back at how I've grown as a runner.  How I've become more dedicated, smarter, and in some ways, faster.  To explain this, I'm going to look back into my past a bit.

As a kid, I didn't run.  I played soccer when I was a child, but mostly because it was fun and my parents thought it would be good for me.  I stopped sometime around 1st or 2nd grade.  I did nothing for many years.  I did the mile in gradeschool, and was super happy when I could get into the 10:xx range.  My gradeschool did the mile by running a big rectangle in our parking lot.  10 laps to a mile.  My strategy was to run the short sides of the rectangle and walk the long sides.  I was thrilled when they made the rectangle longer so that it would be 8 laps to a mile (meaning the long sides were even longer).

I was an awkward kid.  Sports weren't my thing because I sucked at them.  All the way through high school, I could count the number of baskets I made in basketball as less than 20.  And we played basketball a lot.  My PE teacher was also the b-ball coach, so he would throw in a token dodgeball game, or weightlifting day, but 90% of what we did was basketball.  I hated it.

This changed my sophomore year.  I was going to join the soccer team.  But, in a school of ~100 students, the soccer team was cancelled that year due to lack of interest.  Dejected I was, but a seed had been planted.  A few days later, Mr. Sprow, my chemistry/advanced algebra/physics/calculus teacher wanted to know if I'd join the cross country team.  I had absolutely no clue what a cross country team was, but said ok.

I was in for a rude awakening.  My second day of practice involved a 6 mile run.  I just about expired.  I was slow that season.  First 5k time was 34:30, second was 38:40.  I was last on my team, and usually last in all the meets.  It was a great day the first time I didn't come in last, and I managed to break 30 minutes that season.  I was just as slow during track season, and it was more embarrassing because one can't hide in the woods and walk.

I got a little faster my junior year, but in my senior year, things changed.  The fast people on my team graduated, so I just needed to run faster than one of my teammates to be the fastest on the team.  It took a few meets, but I assumed that mantle, and didn't look back.  That was the season I almost broke 20, and was 2 places shy of being named all-conference.  In track that year, I even earned points on my own for the first time.  I had a great year of running.

Then I stopped running.  I had every intent of keeping it going in college, but I would run maybe 2 or 3 times a month, and then it stopped altogether.  I was a runner without a team, and only then did I realize how much the team was a part of me.  If I were ever to become a runner again, I would need to learn how to run as my own team.  I would have to carry the sport that I loved on my own.

Stay tuned for how these experiences shaped my 2nd running life.