2011 Running Plans

At the beginning of each year, I have one simple goal. To be better then I was the year before. This applies to every aspect of my life. A better husband. A better person. A better friend. Better mentally. Better physically. etc....

Focusing in on running, last year January, I literally limped into the new year. Nursing hip flexor and knee bursa issues that impacted my running for 2+ months. This year I start out the year feeling damn good.

Running is simple and I try to keep my training as simple as possible. This year I tweek it just a bit. Going back to what I've done in the past. Last year's focus was on getting in the miles and completely ignoring leg turnover. This year I want to re-focus on this speed work. I'm also focusing on my fueling while on the run. Hydration, calories, all that good stuff that's so important when on the feet for long hours of a day.

My 2011 Schedule is as follows:

20th-ish February 2011 - The birth of our child.

Priorities are pretty simple here. Family comes first. My training comes a distant second. I'll be running as much as possible till the birth and I have no idea what to expect after that. With Michele and I both working most of April and May till she's off for summer break, the following event is tentative even though I'm signed up and plan to race.

07 May 2011 - Collegiate Peaks 25M (R)

Once summer break starts at the end of May, Michele being home full time for the foreseeable future will make training much easier to take on.


04 June 2011 - Golden Gate Dirty Thirty (R)


17 September 2011 - Steamboat 50 - This ain't about redemtion or finishing what I started last year. It's about building on what I've learned over the past 2 years of tackling distances greater then 26.2. It's about putting together a strong race from beginning to end at the 50M distance. This will be my main focus this year.

The following are events I'm seriously considering.

25 June 2011 - Double Dipsea - I'm heading back home to show off baby and this would be a fun race. I've ran the course a few times. If the weather is nice, the family can chill at Stinson Beach. If not, then the family won't be thrilled with me.

08 July 2011 - Hardrock 100 - If Scott K. is lucky enough to get in, then I'll be spending a few days crewing and pacing him. Wife and baby would be spending the long weekend down in Dgo with friends.

16 July 2011 - North Fork 50K - If there's no Hardrock, then I'll put this race on the calendar.

31 July 2011 - San Francisco Marathon - Similar to the Double D, I'm heading home at some point and running this tough route would be enjoyable. Logistically would be easiest as parents live 15 minutes away from start/finish line.

Not included are 5Ks that I plan on running and other events that I might squeeze in.


I also have a goal of running fattie (aka Bisbee) more constentantly this year. While living in Durango, he ran a good 10 miles a week. The past few years, he's maybe ran a mile a week. He honestly hates it when the distance exceeds 1 to 2 miles. So plans are to run him as part of my cool down. Figure a goal of 250 miles for the both of us can't hurt.

December Summary / 2010 Review

December:

Runs - 23
Workouts - 9
Injured - 3

I ran a total of 8 miles the first 6 days of the month as I recovered from injury. I logged over 150 miles over the next 25 days to wrap up the month. Very happy with the progress made. I also got to use the beard for what it was intended to be used for on the morning of the 31st before shaving it off.


It wasn't my planned run up Green Mt, but family takes priority and thankfully Wash Park was mostly untracked.

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The year 2010 for me had many firsts and highlights:

1) Just days before running the San Juan Solstice 50M, Michele and I found out she was pregnant. The high associated with this news still leaves me at a loss of words with a huge smile on my face. To think in 7 weeks a little one will be entering our world. Nothing I could have done the past year even competes with this.

And since nothing can compete with this, the following are a distant second in no specific order.

- Completing my first 50M at Lake City. Epic course.
- Running the most yearly miles in my life in 2010.
- Running the most vertical feet in my life in 2010.
- Pacing SK at the Leadville 100.
- Indian Peaks North Loop (Buchanan and Pawnee Pass Loop)
- Iowa road trip with Michele to visit her family.
- Running trails in each of the calendar months in 2010. A first for me.
- Losing track of how many training runs/races I ran that exceeded 26.2 miles.
- Completing the 50K at Jemez. Another fantastic race.
- Reading all these blogs of fellow runners. They continue to motivate me to be better.
- Lastly, being so lucky to have such an amazing wife in Michele. Enough can not be said with how grateful I am that she allows me to be so selfish with my passion to run.

With as many highlight as I had this past year there were a few low points:

- A few injuries that hampered my training. Probably lost a good 30 days of running to nurse my injuries. Possibly over cautious at times but still fear my disastrous 2008 year.
- DNFing at Steamboat Springs 50M.
- My performances in general. There were segments in which I ran strong, but never was able to put a whole race together. Getting into ultras, I never realized how important nutrition was during a race and I paid for it during all 3 of my races.

So many reasons for me to remember 2010. I took on so many challenges that I didn't think were possible just a few years ago and I sit here typing away looking forward to see how high I can set that bar next year(to be continued in another post).

(One of my favorite shots from last year. Wrapping up Dawn Patrol at Mt. Falcon before a Feb sunrise)