End of Year Ruminations

I covered 1,305 miles this year.

My longest runs were two 13.1 mile jaunts, one a race and the other a course preview a few weeks prior.

My shortest recorded run was a 1200 meter jaunt around my sub-division so that I had an even 900 miles for the year at the end of that week.

I set a nine second best in the mile from last season by running a 5:27 at the Sizzling Mile.

I set a 25 second best over two miles from last season by running 11:56 at the Parade Run.

I set a 27 second best through three miles from last season by running 18:32 at the Polka Pace Race.

I set a 33 second best over 5K from last season by running 19:02 at the Polka Pace Race.

I improved my 10K time by 1:59 by running 42:06 at Abe's Amble.

The race I think I ran exceptionally well at is the Passavant-Powerade 10K in early June where I ran splits of 6:59, 7:07, 6:52, 6:43, 6:40, 6:36 and 1:16.

I am also happy with my races at the Premier Bank 5K on July 4th, the Sizzling Mile and the Shoreline Classic 15K.

PPR was a good race but I wish I'd run mile three about 3 seconds faster.

"Daniels' Running Formula" works for me.

Tempo runs are my friend.

I am not afraid of hills.

I didn't puke at all this year.

I came close a few times.

Black coffee is my favorite beverage. . . anytime.

Goals for 2008:

1. 5:20 for the mile.
2. 11:45 for 2 miles.
3. 18:45 for 5K.
4. 41:30 for 10K.
5. 1:35 for the half marathon.
6. Stay healthy.
7. Take Nathan out in his jogging stroller more often.
8. Kiss my wife every day.
9. Put some Wiggles songs on my iPod.
10. Hopefully start working on my Masters degree.

I hope everyone has a safe and Happy New Year!

I'm not tired yet.

So I'm going to post an entry. I've been a little pre-occupied lately with my son being sick, end of semester activities with my radiography students, Christmas shopping, planning in-services for the next year for the technologists in my department and finding a place to house the Radiology Department's Powered-Air-Purifying-Respirators (PAPRs) as well as writing a policy for inspection processes and implementing said policy.

I just got tired thinking about all of it.

About two weeks ago I ran a two mile race at our end of year race, the Frostbite Festival. There were 10 and two mile races and it was about 54 degrees so I decided to run the shorter option because I didn't need the age group points. The courses are both out-and-back and if the first mile of the two mile race was any type of indicator then the next four miles to the longer race's turn-around were going to be strenuous.

I took off with two guys in my age group who aren't club members but are at about my level of fitness. I don't know how experienced they are at running but they were running the ten miler and we all went through the mile mark together. I happened to go through at about 6:01. . . I also happened to be turning around. I was in third place overall in the two mile race and I stayed there. I finished up my last mile in about 6:30 or so for a time of 12:31. After finishing I cheered on a few people, grabbed my brand new Asics Storm Shelter jacket and went inside Fit Club to eat a muffin and drink a Gatorade.

After replenishing my carbs I jogged out to the mile mark to wait for my friend, the Bionic Woman, so I could run the last mile of the race with her. She was in second place in the women's race and was hurting so I paced her in and let her draft off me, she finished in a bit over 70 minutes. My two buddies didn't fare too well after their 6:00 first mile. One of them did okay and ran 69:45 but the other crashed hard and finished in the neighborhood of 75 minutes. After that I went home, took a shower and got family pictures taken.

Then we got freezing rain later that night.

Recap: It was 54 at 0900 when I ran my race and 12 hours later it was 28 and precipitating.

My Storm Shelter jacket kicks ass in freezing precipitation. The review says that it is only a mid-weight jacket but I get hot in it when it is in the high 20s and I'm only wearing a short-sleeve shirt underneath.

Being a Father...

Means that you do gross stuff that you never would have done when you weren't a father.

For instance, Nathan caught a stomach bug this weekend. At 2406 hours on Sunday morning I awoke from a sound sleep because I heard my lovely baby boy make a gagging sound. I threw the sheets off and ran into his room so fast that I think stuff fell off my nightstand. As I entered his room he was sitting up and I had time enough to cup my hands under his chin and catch the emesis as it left him.

Fatherhood . . .