Posterous theme by Cory Watilo

suboptimal running

one man's view from the back of the pack

The blog. It lives.

A new year has arrived. And along with everyone else and their third cousin, I have taken a moment to reflect on the past year and look forward to the new one with a new sense of hope and resolve and... yeah. Whatever. And along with everyone else, I feel the need (why?) to share those hopes and reflections.

Still awake?

First, a review. In 2010, I had a so-so year running. The good: I ran more miles since I started running regularly in 2008. So "yay" for me. I also relented a bit on the technology front, and I bought a Garmin Forerunner 205. It is an older model, so it was affordable. I love it. I have just begun to explore all the features. But no regrets buying it.

The bad: I had a few slumps. I only racked up 35 miles in January, and 30 in March. I made a decision to leave the TNT program as a coach and mentor and run on my own. I spent too much time away from my wife and my kids. And I burned out a bit. The other bad part? I had no PRs. None, zero, nada.

Left to my own devices, I ran for fun. I didn't do speed workouts, hill repeats, core work, or anything extra. And my running suffered a bit. But I had fun.

Moving forward to 2011, I want to find a better balance between running for pure pleasure and being perhaps a wee bit stronger runner than I am now. I'll find a way.

My other 2011 goals:
  • 1400 miles
  • run a Ragnar relay
  • connect with other runners socially IRL
  • run an unofficial marathon with Maile
  • lose 10 - 15 lbs
A few notes about my goals. 1400 miles is doable if I run as usual and don't have any slumps. Running Ragnar leads to connecting socially with other runners by default, so "yay." An unofficial marathon is where Maile and I run 26.2 miles and use our Garmins for timing and distance. No race fees, no t-shirt we'll never wear, no medals that will go in a box in the closet. The weight loss goal is required by law. Anyone blogging about new year's goals in the US must include a weight loss goal or else be subject to scorn, derision, and a small fine. It's true. Look it up.

first!

I know what you're thinking: "Oh terrific. Another running blog."

Exactly. You may be wondering what insights or knowledge I have to share. Coincidentally, so do I.

There are a bunch of well written, thoughtful, and thought-provoking running blogs out there; sadly, this isn't one of them.

So why bother? I bother because I have a daft theory that shared pain makes for a better world. (It doesn't. At all.) I bother because once every three months or so, I have a particular thought about running that I want to get out of my head -- and a blog would be a great place to ditch it. I bother because although running is an individual endeavor, it really is a social and participatory sport.

About me: I am not a particularly good runner. Being north of 40, I imagine that I am at or near my apex in terms of performance. My half marathon PR is 1:49, and my marathon PR is 4:16. I have run two marathons, bonked twice, and I await the memory of the pain to fade a bit (a lot) more before I sign up for another. Currently, I run between 30 and 40 miles a week. And I enjoy it.

I have no strong feelings about barefoot-running or minimalist shoes or chia seeds or refueling strategies or any of that. I just enjoy running. I don't wear a GPS device, and rarely do I wear a watch when I run. If it's hot, I carry a water bottle. I prefer not to listen to music when I run.

But none of that is "gospel doctrine" for me. I do what works for me, and encourage other runners to do what works best for them. One size doesn't fit all.

Welcome to supotimal running. Enjoy your stay.