#smashrun

Still working from home in 2021, so my mileage was very good with the extra time I was able to dedicate not having to commute. 2215 is ~200 miles more than I ran in 2020, and just short of my all-time high of 2243 in 2015.

My only goal going in was to take another shot at running a sub-1:20 half. I trained for that all summer. Unfortunately, August was a rough month with high humidity and a minor groin strain that I had to deal with. I did make it to race day healthy, but maybe a bit tentative. Either way, some of those lost weeks of training might have bit me because I only ran 1:21:19. Not a total disappointment, though, as that was my 2nd fastest ever, and it scored me an age group win at a pretty big race.

I was able to return to most of my regular races as well. Some of them looked a little different than normal, but the surprising thing is how many 5Ks I ran. It’s getting a lot harder to maintain leg speed, but I’m happy that I ended the year with a solid 17:44. I would have scoffed at that time a few years ago, but I’ll take what I can get.

I was not good about recapping my races, but here’s what I did:

Fast Cat 5K - 18:28 4 on the 3rd - 24:12 Daisy Dash 5K - 18:13 Chicago Half Marathon - 1:21:19 Raise the Roof 5K - 17:58 (1st overall) Bat Race 5K - 18:06 Beat the Bird 5K - 17:44

Haven’t really figured out what I want to do in 2022 yet. I didn’t sign up for the Chicago Marathon, but I haven’t discounted a fall marathon somewhere else. I’ll likely run another half marathon in there somewhere, but for now my focus is on the Shamrock Shuffle 8K on March 20th.

Oh Smashrun. You so silly.

Seriously though, it feels good to start logging the miles again. Speaking of, my calves are fairly sore this morning, so I will not yet run back-to-back days.

Well, 2017, you’re off to a slow start. Historically, though, January has been a low mileage month for me: I ran 23 miles in January 2016, also, and ran less than that in January 2013, 2014, and 2015. But, hey, at least it’s a start.

2020. Not what I thought it was gonna be when the year started. I had hoped to put my injuries behind me and train back to prime form by the fall for a half marathon PR attempt. Never did quite shake the plantar fasciitis in my left foot, but it’s been very manageable if I take proper precautions. While quarantine has sucked and I wouldn’t wish it on anyone, work from home had its positives as I was able to log more than 2K miles for the first time since 2015.

With fall races clearly not going to happen, I kinda cut back on the hard stuff in the summer and just focused on consistent training. I did eventually make two attempts at a solo half and was very pleased with my time. Hopefully by carrying this effort into 2021 and having something to focus on, my 1:20:40 PR will go down. It will be a joy to run and race with other people again.

A few virtual races this year. That last one was actually in-person.

EndureIt! Virtual 5K - 18:29ish Virtual Half #1 - 1:25:18 Virtual Half #2 - 1:22:36 Run the Ridge 5K - 17:50ish (first overall)

Work from home continues, so I’m now hitting monthly totals that rival some of my marathon cycles of the past. 225 miles is the most I’ve done since August 2017. I’m also at 1,324 YTD, which already surpasses the last two injury-riddled years.

Too bad there’s really nothing to apply it to. I’ve topped out at 18 miles and thrown in a tempo run once a week, but I guess it’s all looking forward to 2021. There is a 5K happening in person in Sept which I’ve been debating. They’re doing it in waves with very little race-day amenities. Haven’t decided if it’s worth the effort since it’s a bit of a drive. If not that, the Chicago Marathon is facilitating virtual races in October, so I may try to run a half time trial in their window.

Running is still going well. I hit 215 miles in July after hovering just below 200 for a few months. That’s my highest total since Sept ‘18 in the height of my last marathon training cycle. Body’s holding up okay with some minor tightness in my left calf.

Not pushing it too hard - only occasional tempo or long runs to help build some strength and confidence. My half in September was officially cancelled. I haven’t decided yet whether I’m going to attempt a solo time trial or not. I’d like to see some improvement from last year’s time, but I worry I won’t have that same tenacity if I’m out there by myself.

Little Teddy is now 9 months old and probably about the size he’ll stay. Still very active, but he’s learning and such a sweetie. He didn’t get to finish his obedience training before the quarantine, so he’s a bit of a stinker when it comes to listening to commands. Hopefully that will improve with time.

Hey, gang. Thought I’d at least drop in here to give a running and life update. Hopefully you’re all coping well and finding ways to exercise and be healthy. I’ve been blessed to have a job that allows me to work remotely without too much disruption. I know that’s not the case for a lot of people. The other members of my household are working on a reduced schedule, so it’s been a little hard to maintain a productive day when everyone else is doing their own things (especially the puppy).

On the positive side, no commute means I’ve got a couple more hours in my day. I’ve been doing all my running outside in the morning and crossfitting in the basement a couple times a week with my younger son. That’s resulted in a decent increase from last month’s 94 miles, mostly because I’m not subbing spin for a run each week.

Another positive is that the extra time has allowed me to practice more self-care when it comes to stretching, foam rolling, etc. The various ailments that have plagued me the last few years seem to have all faded away. I’m hesitant to turn up the intensity too much, but I’m still planning to work my way to a half marathon PR in the fall. I’d like to think things will have settled by then, but you never know. Either way, I’ll be training and getting stronger for whenever we can race again.