1055

Last year I set a goal of running 90 miles each month. January and February set me behind, so it took me a little bit to get used to it and to understand the commitment level required. Otherwise I usually made it. The months I was north of the 90 I was far enough over goal to cover some of the months when I was short.

Starting 58 miles behind after two months put me far enough in the red to where I came up 25 miles short. 1,055 was the total mileage for the year. If I'd paid closer attention to the numbers, I'd have made it because who wants to miss a running goal by not running one more mile every other week? 

I'm starting to trend up again too. I had back and calf troubles last year that limited me to 684 miles. My annual record was in 2013 when I ran 1,183, followed by 2014's 1,072 miles that included the Publix Marathon in Atlanta. 

I just can't be disappointed by my effort in 2016 though. I ran in El Paso, across the Potomac River in Washington DC, and I met my goal of two runs on a recent trip. I've been over 20 weekly miles for eleven consecutive weeks (a standing short-term goal), and I set PRs at 5K and 8K distances. 

So it was a fantastic year. No complaints. 

This year I've raised the bar a little by making 95 miles per month the goal. Captain Math tells us that makes 1,140 for the year. I've even moved that very slightly to 1,150 as the mileage goal for 2017. I didn't do a lot of long runs last year which slowed me down, so by running longer on occasion and by staying aware of my short-term and long-term goals I should have no trouble. 

Monday was a holiday, so I went out for an 8 in the light Georgia rain, followed by today's four-miler before work.

2017 is off to a good start!

Race Report, Give Thanks 8K

On Thanksgiving morning I ran my first race since the Twilight 5K. I put a good number up at that May event and I hoped I could run well here, especially since I've worked harder at including speed work and training my core.

Additionally this is the same race and same course where I ran a 40:15 in 2015. It's got a few hills as things wind through the Normaltown neighborhood of Athens, and there are also a few hills on the back end followed by a downhill finish. I'd hoped for something in the mid-37 minute range. The plan was to go out a tiny bit slower and then tighten the screws as I went along.

The weather was perfect. Temps were in the low 50s with a light breeze and some clouds. Race shoes were my new favorite Adidas Sequence.

It turns out things went about like I wanted them to. My mile splits were 7:44-7:33-7:23-7:10, and Strava said I ran my last mile in 6:59. That last mile time pleases me, especially since the last mile began after a big climb that helped keep my heart rate above 170 for the last nine minutes. And to have a final mile under seven minutes is a good start as I work toward a sub-20 5K, where three miles around 6:20 will be needed.

Finish time was 36:09, or about 7:22 per mile. My watch was still in the 4.8 neighborhood so the finish kind of jumped out at me until I realized an 8K is actually like 4.96 miles. This finish time is four minutes better than last year's time, and an overall PR by over three minutes. Not too shabby.

Also worth noting is that I finished ahead of my boss, the classy gentleman for whom I work at Fleet Feet. Pay no attention to his wearing a turkey suit or that he took countless pictures while out on the course. I passed him on the last mile, he passed em back, then I got him back in the last quarter. Take your victories where you find them, right?

Meanwhile, I made my monthly goal of 90 miles with a three-miler before the Georgia/Georgia Tech game last Saturday (don't ask). I've made that goal four times in 2016, and I've been over 90% the last three times I've missed. I'm also slightly ahead of the game over the last six months. Plus I've run over 20 miles in each of the last six weeks, so I'm pleased with how I'm running and committing to getting out there.

No real race goals on the horizon-- just to keep on keeping on and staying in shape for whatever materializes after the first of the year.

Ed Whitlock

So Ed's in the news again...

For those who may not know who he is, Ed Whitlock is a native of London, England who now lives in the suburbs of Toronto, Ontario, Canada. He was a runner as a kid but then picked the sport back up in his early 40s. He's now 85 years old and he's crushing (new) age-group records as you might imagine.

He ran a 1:50 half marathon earlier this year and then a 3:56 at the Scotiabank Toronto Waterfront Marathon this past weekend. Whitlock even ran a 2:58 as recently as 11 years ago. His training runs are three hours long and wind through his local cemetery. I am amazed by his times, his performances, and his training. Maybe I can be like him when I grow up.

As a running store employee, the thing I read that made me cringe was when I read about his 15-year old running shoes and how he didn't race in 2015 because of knee problems. It's not my place to say, since Whitlock's been running longer distances for much, much longer than I have. But it's possible there's a connection. Although he's back and seemingly better than ever this year. Who can say.

Whatever the case may be, I hope Ed keeps on keeping on.

On the homefront, October has been an up and down month. I'd stayed off the road trying to heal a head cold, and then as I played catch up (never a good idea) I noticed my left calf try to seize up very early during a second run of the day. No running for six days.

Weekly mileages were down to 16 and 14 before last week's 26, which included an eight-miler on Saturday. Man it's nice to run at noon when it's 60 degrees Fahrenheit.

There's even an outside chance I can make my monthly goal of 90 miles. I'm feeling really good out there these days.

Loss

There was a death in our community Monday evening. Ashley was out on a group bicycle ride in a pack of three at the time, single file, when the driver of an SUV crossed the center line and hit all three of them. Ashley was pronounced dead at the scene. She was 25, a graduate student at the University of Georgia, and a member of the running/fitness community in town. The two other riders were also injured, one seriously.

Police said the cyclists were doing everything correctly. They also said the driver admitted to looking down at her cell phone, exhibiting signs of impairment, and during questioning made statements indicating drug usage. She's been charged with a bunch of stuff, including first-degree homicide by vehicle.

I started to see reports of this accident on my Facebook feed yesterday. I was sad more because my running friends (people who knew her) were sad. Today I saw more news reports and I saw Ashley's face, and I began to understand the sorrow.

Because then it hit me. I knew who she was. Ashley was a regular at the running shop where I work. Every now and then I would be there and scan her key fob in as she checked in for another Monday evening group run. We'd talk a bit, but not a lot. Our local running club has Wednesday 5:30 am speed sessions, and today lane one was left open for the first drill to honor her.

Ashley's Facebook has already been turned into a memorial page. I can't comment or like anything, because I wasn't her friend. I get that part of it but in scrolling through what others had to say, I'm heartbroken for my friends and for others, and disappointed in myself for not making more of an effort to get to know a remarkable person. Her brother is just crushed by this loss. Here is a snippet of his post to his late sister's page:

"All of us who had the pleasure of knowing Ashley owe it to her to make the world better in her name. In the wake of this tragedy many people have offered to help in some fashion, my personal wish as her brother is right here. Make the world the kind of place Ashley knew it could be."

Anger and hatred won't bring Ashley back. Her brother also suggests sharing a laugh, saying hi to a stranger, or taking the stairs instead of the elevator.  

And for God's sake, put down your cell phone if you're driving. This is the kind of pain that's caused. 

As a Runner and Pet Owner...

I'll try hard to not make this sound like a rant.

About four years ago, I got bitten on the right calf by a dog while on a run. It ran across its entire yard to track me down-- maybe 70 feet or so. It wasn't on a leash, and didn't seem to care that I kept running away from it.

I know I'm not the only runner with a dog bite story, but that one time makes me a little skittish whenever I see dogs without a leash in the front yard. It doesn't happen every day, or even every month. But it happens often enough. This post is about another one of those times.

I went out in my neighborhood for my run around 8:45 this morning-- pretty nice out there this time of day now as the overnight low temp has dropped into the upper 60s, and the sun isn't above the tree line yet. Perfect running weather.

I do my part for safety-- I don't listen to music or podcasts, I run against traffic, and I wave at all the drivers who move to the other lane to help. About a mile and a half in I saw a chocolate lab come running toward me from about the same distance. Turned out to be friendly enough, but when a dog is coming at me, I think the worst because it's already happened once. I don't continue, I stop running. All the dog wanted to do was jump on me and be friendly. I have no idea what it wants to do.

The dog's owner, on the other hand, couldn't be bothered. He took a leisurely walk over to get his dog and head back. He didn't see a problem. I called him out for not controlling his pet, but he didn't think he'd done anything wrong. I told him that's because he's not a runner and doesn't understand. It got pretty animated there for a minute or two but not heated. It didn't matter to him as he kept brushing me aside. I don't think he ever cared what I said or tried to have any sort of perspective.

But as a runner, what am I supposed to think? Shouldn't I be prepared for the worst? I can't keep going because that's how I was bitten.

Now I am a dog owner-- a 18-pound Random Terrier who is currently camped out on his favorite chair. My wife and I work hard to be responsible pet owners. When we are in the front yard, he is always, *always* on a leash, and we pick up his dog poop when we go for his walk. Every time.

I don't know what has me more frustrated-- that the guy's dog wasn't leashed, that he totally couldn't be bothered, or that I couldn't make him understand someone else's point of view.

So on behalf of runners and walkers everywhere, please take the few extra seconds to leash your dog. We don't know how it'll react to seeing us. All we want is to get on with our day-- we've got things to do as well.

Moving on... trying to, anyhow.

I blew my 90-mile a month goal out of the water in August by running 110 miles. I've set that goal every month but I haven't reached it every time, so this will help cover a few months when I fell way short. Due to a vacation in scenic Asheville I'm off to a slow start in September but I have no worries that I'll get it done.

Run for Rankin

Jeannette Rankin was the first woman elected to federal office when she represented the state of Montana as a U.S. Representative from 1917-1919. She served again from 1941-1943. Known for her pacifism, she was one of 56 senators and representatives to vote against declaring war on Germany in 1917. In 1941 after Japan bombed Pearl Harbor, she was the only one who voted against the declaration of war on Japan.

So we know she has the courage of her convictions.

But there's more.

Rankin also played a leading role in the 1920 ratification of the 19th Amendment to the U.S. Constitution, which granted women the right to vote.

Earlier today I was our running store's representative at the Run for Rankin, a 5K race that was held in a park very near her seasonal home in Watkinsville, Georgia (south of Athens). It's always nice to meet people and to be a part of such a positive vibe, especially when the Jeannette Rankin Women's Scholarship Fund does so much to help and empower women. The Foundation has given out over $2 million to help low-income women over the age of 35 complete a college education.

Definitely a worthy cause.

Elsewhere, 24 miles for this week... Including 6x800 on the treadmill today that felt really good. Last two repeats were right at 7:00/mile pace. Good stuff out there.

Quadrennial summer sports gathering

Time for an Olympic track and field report: Usain Bolt is really, really fast. Our women's 4x100 and 4x400 are both awesome. So is Mo Farah, who again doubled in the 5K and 10K. Matt Centrowicz wins the men's 1500.

My training is going pretty well, and I'm committing to doing more speedwork (paying a price) and adding more weight work to build some strength. I like running 800s on the treadmill since it's easier to regulate speed and I don't have to get up really early. I ran 5x800, starting at 7:30 pace and banging out the last two at about 7:15 pace.

I felt pretty good after this six-miler-- it's a good start and a good way to add on to my fitness base. 24 miles for the week as I start to feel better about my fitness level. I feel like I'm getting up and over hills better now than I have in recent memory. Average paces are better, average heart rate is better, and my RHR is 46. *thumbs up*

What made me feel like a bum, however, is the 50K Olympic race walk. Matej Toth of Slovakia won in 3:40. His marathon (just over 42K) was 3:06, or a 7:06 mile pace. Amazing. I red-lined it at the Twilight 5K a few months ago at 7:02 per mile, meanwhile this guy is walking, WALKING a 7:06 mile. Meanwhile his final 8K time, for you math majors, comes out to about 34 minutes and change.

Zhen Wang of China won the men's 20K race walk in 1:19:14, or 6:23 per mile. I aspire to run a 5K under 20 minutes someday, and this guy strings four together in 19:49 while walking.

Yikes. Like I needed another reason to feel like a tortoise.