Here we are, almost 2 months into 2016 and I am still buzzing off of this 2015 miles in 2015. It took a tremendous toll on my legs as I am still in recovery as I update this blog. Despite all this, the show must go on. More New York Road Runner's (NYRR) 9+1's, more marathons and run-cations, more connecting with other runners, and more recovery and stretching. So let's break down how I reached 2015 miles in 2015 and what I plan to do to make 2016 another amazing run year.
With New Year 2015 fast approaching, I made some necessary changes to keep this running habit consistent, putting myself in a position to meet new people that would accommodate my growth as a runner. In my constant connections with runners all over social media, I stumble upon a challenge to run 2015 miles in 2015 through Run The Edge (a group that included professional marathoner Kara Goucher) that promoted a healthy, goal oriented runner's lifestyle. Since I had accidentally run 1750 miles in 2014, including 3 marathons, NYRR 9+1, and weekly training miles in preparation for all my races, I figured I can get the extra 265 miles I needed in 2015 to hit the goal. This would take consistency, a relentless approach to running, and discipline.
Logging all my miles with mostly my Garmin 620, and a few on the Nike + app on my phone, here is a breakdown of my mileage for each month:
- January - 100 miles (Joe Kleinerman 10K, Fred Lebow Half)
- February - 107 miles (Al Gordon 4 mile, NYCRuns Central Park Half)
- March - 193 miles (Rock n Roll DC Half)
- April - 177.1 miles (NYCRuns Queens Half)
- May - 124.65 miles (Long Island Marathon, Airbnb BK Half, UAE Healthy Kidney 10K)
- June - 138.66 miles (Queens 10K)
- July - 270.51 miles (Run Selfie Challenge)
- August - 145.21 miles (Self Transcendence Marathon)
- September - 191.68 miles (Rock n Roll Virginia Beach Half, Bronx 10 mile)
- October - 155.38 miles (Back to back - Rock n Roll Brooklyn Half and Staten Island Half)
- November - 162.05 miles (TCS NYC Marathon, Berkeley Half)
- December - 249.78 miles (Ted Corbitt 15K)
Grand Total = 2015.02 miles. I completed the challenge with a 17 mile on New Years Eve in Central Park as New York Road Runners were setting up for their Midnight Run. Running all these miles didn't exactly help my previous injuries. It did teach me to be more careful with my body and finding the delicate balance between pushing my limits and proper recovery time. Although I did achieve PR's in my 10K, Half marathon, and twice in the marathon, my goal of reaching Boston didn't happen, thus delaying m ultimate goal of running all 6 of the marathon majors.
So what will I do to make 2016 even better! My New Years resolution was to stretch more and run smarter. All throughout the year I've had to defend my high mileage running to fellow runners by making note of the challenge I was undergoing. This gave me an excuse not to go all out on most of my runs. This allowed for better pain management from my hamstring injuries and my newly discovered hip pains. (That's a whole other story worthy of another blog post).
With a nice healthy running break in the first month and a half of the year, I've been taking it easy on my races. The smart runner in me has decided to go easy on my 9+1 requirements and not go for PR's. Less running in the winter and more active stretching with the foam roller. Eventually when training for my Fall marathons get into high gear, I'll be doing more yoga for runners through the DVD I bought.
And finally, to bypass the whole lottery system (I never gain race entry through lotteries anyway), I decided to run the Chicago marathon as a fundraiser for the DetermiNation of the American Cancer Society.
So there you have it! After a slow start for recovery, 2016 is going to be my best year yet! No doubt about it.
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