Ugly Toes

1. How many miles/kilometres did you run this year?

1465.97 miles

2. What were your highest and lowest mileage weeks?

H: 44.01 miles | L: 6.1 miles

3. What was your longest run?

In training, my longest run was 20.83 miles.

4. How many (if at all) races did you enter?

2 road 5K
1 XC 5K
1 4 mile race
1 5 mile race
2 10K
1 20K
2 marathon (1 ran, 1 DNS'd*)

*Two years in a row, I've registered for Twin Cities and been unable to run it. If I start talking about how I'd like to run it again but don't have a free entry, will someone please beat me over the head?

5. What were your best and worst race performances?

I actually had more good than bad races this year. I got to execute some actual race strategy during the women's 4 mile race and the Spirit Run 10K; I also ran well during the St. Pat's 5K, the 20K and the Murray 5K. As for the worst, I executed some very poor racing during the cross country 5K. Running a 10K two days later was a bad idea. As for Med-City, while it was a PW, the first half was a really good effort so I can't really put it in the worst performance category. Biggest disappointment, yes.

6. Do you have a favorite, memorable run that you did this year?

I don't know what run I remember the most. I have fond memories of the pace runs I did along the lake/river because I remember how strong and confident they made me feel. I also enjoyed the first 20 miler I did for Med-City.

7. What was the craziest weather you endured while running?

The coldest windchill that I ran in was -23F, which is pretty crazy. I also had several runs (including long runs and a race) where the wind speed was over 30 MPH.

8. What were your goals for 2003? Did you achieve them?

1) Just like last year: be more consistent, not take so much time off, and run 1, maybe 2, marathons this year.

Completed. Just looking at my months doesn't show consistency, but that's what happens when you're building up for a race, then rebuilding following an injury, and starting to base-build. What I judge as consistent is that most weeks, I got out there and ran 5 days a week. I also, for the first time ever, didn't have any weeks with zero mileage. That's a big accomplishment for me.

As far as the marathons go, well I did succeed in finishing one. I'd thought I'd made more specific time goals, but I think I kept those to myself until halfway through Med-City training. I do know that I really wanted to PR (and hoped for going sub-4), which I thought would be easily achievable considering I was going to have a base prior to training, and was going to follow a real program.

2) I also want to run a 20 or 25k this spring.

Completed. I ran a 20K in April, and it was awesome. I wanted to do the 25K, but decided that running a trail race a month before the marathon wasn't a very good idea.

3) I want to run a non-crappy half-marathon in August.

Not completed. I probably could've run the distance, but wouldn't have been able to race it. So I decided to skip the local half-marathon; I wasn't able to find another one that fit into my training and work schedule.

4) I'd also like to race a 5k in June.

I ran 5Ks in March, August and September. The March 5K was 1:42 faster than the one I ran the previous November, and the August 5K was 1:29 faster than March. More importantly, the time in August is only 0:53 off of my high school PR. That's pretty damn good for not doing any speedwork, and coming off an injury!

5) Other goals include maintaining the weight loss that I accomplished this fall - I'm lighter than I was in high school (when I was in awesome shape)!

Completed. I finished 2004 lighter than I began; I fluctuated within the same 3 pounds throughout the year.

Of the goals that I can't find, I do remember I had something on there about continuing my weight lifting (I was doing alright with that until I started working), continuing to eat my 5 fruits/day (completed), and working on cooking more meals (a miserable failure - I hate cooking).

9. What are your goals for 2004?

I'm going to make some of these in tiers.

1) Marathons:a) run 1 marathon without injury b) break 4 hours c) qualify for Boston

2) Mileage:a) run 1200 miles/year b) run 1500 miles/year

3) Non-marathon racing: a) Try to run a <21 5K, if it fits into schedule b) Run the Women's race again c) Run the Fetzer 20K again, run <1:35 d) Run a half-marathon (to get an official PR) e) Run 10K in <45 f) Defend my track club Grand Prix "title"

4) Maintain weight within the same range as 2004.

So to sum up 2004, it was a good year. It's funny, before I started looking at the big picture I thought Med-City and the injury would kind of over-shadow everything. But while it was an unpleasant disruption, it really is just a minor part of the year. And I can't be unhappy to have just finished a year in which I ran the most miles, ran the most weeks, ran my first 20K (in <8 mpm pace), came within a minute of my high school 5K PR, broke my 10K PR, won the track club Grand Prix for my age group and took home hardware from almost every race I ran. Hopefully 2005 will turn out just as awesome, if not more so!