Running Wrap Up 2006

Introduction

Ok, its time for a 2006 recap. I’ve been dragging my feet on starting this write up because I keep threatening myself to work in just one more run. But, unfortunately, I’ve been sick for the last few days and not in any shape to run. Guess there’s no reason to delay any longer…

General Statistics

I use little home brew web database to keep track of my stats. It drives the Quick Running Stats section in the side bar and that full stats section that I have to yet to shoe horn into the new wordpress version of my site. Maybe in 2007, I’ll get around to finishing that up and adding some more features. I exported the table from my database with all the running info as csv and imported into Excel for s’more slicing, dicing, and charting.

Click the charts below for a full size version. If anyone really wants it, I still have the Excel file with all the real data.

Distance Vs. Date

Man, that’s pretty up and down, isn’t it? I think that’s mostly because of relatively short runs during the week and relatively long runs on the weekends. The recurring 10.3 spikes are my out and about 10 miler. The low mileage shelf back in March and April was time off around my hernia repair operation.

Weight Vs. Date

I really tried to work on my weight in 2006. The downward slope is nice to see. My original goal was to be about 155 for the Boilermaker; missed that by about 5 pounds. I was feeling good at the time, so I wasn’t too busted up over it.

The gradual leveling off of the curve in September was me taking a little break after the Arc Half Marathon (where I had a little injury.) After that, I started to sub in 2 weight workouts in on weekdays. That seems to working pretty well, so I’m gonna stick with it for now.

Pace Vs. Date

The pace chart seems to share the same spikiness as the distance chart. That’s mainly because I’m not really that interested in speed on the longer runds. But from September on, its nice to see a little convergence between the extremes. That’s probably something to work on in 2007.

Cumulative Distance Vs. Date

Not really interesting except you can more easily see my hernia break than in the straight up distance vs. date chart. I’m a little surprised that my net mileage is a regular as it is. Probably due most to my maniacal need to make it to the Y every single working day.

Interesting Figures

• Total Distance: 1324.24 Miles
  Wow, that’s pretty far. I was looking to hit 1200 for the year and was little scared about missing that with all the time off from the hernia.  Guess I really didn’t have anything to worry about.
• Total Time Spent Running: 183.8 Hours
  All time well spent.
• Average Pace for the Year: 8:20
  Not too shabby; but, need to get a little faster on the longer runs.
• Average Weight for the Year: 159.8 Pounds
  No real complaints there.

Races

Before I went back and actually put the list together, it felt like I didn’t really do much racing this year. But after seeing the final list, I think I did all right. Follow the link on race name for a full write up from the event.

1. Susan G. Komen Race for the Cure 5K (5/13/2006)
   Time: 23:35
2. Fayetteville 10K Classic (5/28/2006)
   Time: 49:17
3. Paige’s Butterfly Run 10K (6/3/2006)
   Time: 22:35
4. Swamp Rat 10k (6/17/2006)
   Time: 47:03
5. Utica Boilermaker 15K (7/9/2006)
   Time: 78:42
6. ARC of Onondaga County Half Marathon (9/9/2006)
   Time: 111:28
7. Jingle Bell Run for Arthritis 10K (11/19/2006)
   Time: 47:31

A few finish were good enough to place in my age group. Geez, I guess I should really start hanging around for the awards ceremonies.
Noticeable absences from the schedule this year:

1. Mountain Goat (4/30/2006)
   Missed running because of hernia recovery. Stayed in spirit by donating a volunteer signup page to the race’s website and volunteering at a water table on the course.
2. National Distance Running Hall of Fame Half Marathon (5/21/2006)
   Missed because of hernia recovery (was jones’n real bad though)
3. JP Morgan Chase Corporate Challenge (8/1/2006)
   Canceled due to > 100 degree heat.  hmm, I see they’re moving the race up to June next year.

Looking Back

Despite taking about 5 weeks off for the hernia repair, I think I still had a break out year. While my race results aren’t all that spectacular, they’re all personal bests for me. Looking back a few years, I would never have guessed that I be so into running. Its really an addiction.

I’ve gotten a little more ambitious about running outside when the weather isn’t so great. I’ve headed out with rain in the forecast and gotten dumped on a few times. I’ve also been trying to make it out more in the colder weather. I’ve enjoyed some light snow and been annoyed by sleet.

We’ve had a light winter so far, so I’ve still been sneaking outdoor runs in (last was 12/23). I’m gonna miss the outdoor runs as winter really settles in. Maybe I’ll try keep on trucking through; but that’ll require me to finally break down and buy a real running jacket. That’s been on my wish list for a while now.

My trusty Samsung YP-F1XB mp3 player is a life saver. Its with me for every single run. I used to listen just to music; but, lately, I’ve switched over to podcasts (mostly from the Twit podcast network.) I feel a lot more productive getting the latest news while I’m troddling along.

Of course, I also had shared many a race and run with my crew: Larry, Steve, Leanne, the random SRC tagalongs, and the lifers I see everyday at the Y. Many thanks for pulling or pushing me along.

Goals for 2007

My main goals for 2007 are:

• Quality rather than quantity.
  Trade in some of the miles for speed. Try to work some sprint action into my longer runs. Try to get the average pace down by 30 seconds.
• Try a marathon.
  I’m still thinking that the Rochester Marathon is good choice for my first. I really wanted to try their half marathon in 2006 but proximity to the ARC run (with its injury) and cost ($45 early bird) kept me away. Maybe I’ll be able to do some preruns between now and then to get a better feel for the course.
• Stick to weights 2 days a week.
  3 months in, I think the weights are helping get me toned up in areas not really stressed by running. They also help break up the miles.

Conclusion

2006 was good to me. I’m pleased to be making progress on all fronts (general fitness, weight, and speed.) I’m happy to relatively injury and pain free after the whooping I put my body through. Its amazing to see how much I’ve changed.

Looking forward to a fast and fit 2007. See ya!