I hate running...
No seriously, I do...
I've never been a strong runner... Ever... I can remember in high school, running at soccer practice and ALWAYS being the last to finish... So I did what any smart kid would have done: I quit soccer and picked up in-line hockey... Less running, right?
I entered the sport of triathlon through running starting back in 2008... Hard to think it's been almost 5 years since I started all of this nonsense... and believe it or not, as much as I hate it and complain about it, running is the discipline that takes the least amount of prep work, and the one you can do in just about any kind of weather...
So just what do the 2012 numbers look like?
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| Left, Right, Left, Right... |
Much like cycling, I crushed the 2011 numbers...
2011: 448.99mi
2012: 579.92mi
29.16% increase
2011: 5.9mph avg. speed
2012: 6.2mph avg. speed
2011: 176bpm avg. HR
2012: 165bpm avg. HR
2011: 118 runs
2012: 164 runs
The numbers don't lie... or do they?
I can't say that 2012 was a pain free year of running... in fact, I feel like I had more problems this year than any year that I've been active (since 2008ish I guess)... EVERY year in the winter, leading into the spring (and triathlon season), I always tell myself, "THIS will be the year... THIS will be the year where I manage running in the heat, that I manage hydration and nutrition, and not cramping or shitting my pants because I'm bonking so hard... THIS WILL BE THE YEAR!!"...
And every year, I'm let down...
Hard...
But I keep running...
(Sidenote... I postponed this entry back in December of 2012 and am just now picking it back up in February of 2013... seems hard to legitimately write it as if I haven't been slacking the last two months... whatever)
Running... it has been, is, and always will be the most difficult for me, be it because of lagging around extra weight, poor form, or just plain speed...
Here are some memorable runs from 2012:
1. Mercedes Half Marathon: By far, this was my BIGGEST running accomplishment of 2012... After three years, and MANY failed attempts, I FINALLY broke the 2 hour mark for a half marathon... I went into the race seriously doubting my abilities, especially because of the weather that weekend... The temps had dropped overnight to like, 20F and I was noticeably uncomfortable at the start... It really took all I had to get up that morning at Chad's... I knew it was going to be a tough race, because of the weather, but ultimately, it was tougher because I ended up pushing myself (almost) harder than in any other race I've ever done...
I remember Kendrick jumping in around mile 8 to pace me the rest of the way so I could try to break 2 hours... By the time he jumped in, I was already hurting... I think the first words out of his mouth were "Man, I have to pee", to which I responded, "Shut the fuck up and just run"...
He did...
And, he knew what he was doing... He knew that I wouldn't voluntarily drop the pace.. he knew that he'd have to do it for me by speeding up a little, letting me catch up to him, then doing it again... Numerous times, he suggested, "Ok, drop it down to X:XX pace and keep running, you're looking good"... "Lookin' good Dave, keep it up"...
All the while, I didn't want to tell him that I felt like my heart was about to explode out of my chest, or that I could feel my left hamstring straining so hard that I knew a full tear was on its way... But I just kept my mouth shut and ran... and ran hard... because I wanted it.. I wanted it pretty damn bad...
I'll never forget rounding that last corner and hearing the announcer say, "If you can hear my voice, you will finish under 2 hours"... I gassed it... I gave it everything I had, and still BARELY crossed under 2 hrs at 1:58:xx...
I framed my bib... I'm a nerd...
2. Prickly Pear: I got into trail running in 2012... I don't do it often, and for good reason... It's hard... simply put... it's hard and it's stupid and I fall down a lot and it makes me hurt in ways that I don't like... SO, pretty much, it's awesome...
Prickly Pear was my first trail race, and I couldn't have asked for a better location... Helena, MT... absolutely gorgeous... The race report that I did didn't really give the race its due justice... At that point, I was like, three weeks out from the race and was in the throes of interviewing for my current job at USC, so details were sparse.... Maybe someday, when the time is right (for reasons that I only know at this point), I'll go back and amend that post... because it's an experience that needs a little more...
Since moving to SC, the Prickly Pear Land Trust folks have updated my mailing address and have sent me some newsletters... it's made me nostalgic for the Montana experience... or maybe for who I was with during that experience... or probably both... I've had some fleeting thoughts-- very very fleeting thoughts-- about going back, taking another cross country road trip, with a stop in Helena to run the race again... But I also feel like there's no reason for me to return to Helena, at least not now... at least not now...
3. On the topic of Montana... the two runs I did solo on that trip, one in the Badlands, SD and the other in Yellowstone, were two of the most memorable, most spiritual runs I have ever done in my life... They weren't fast, they weren't for fitness... they were for the experience... Being able to wake up early in the morning, and hit the road for a quick 30min run, where God himself is still hitting the snooze button in Heaven... when there's nothing but silence all around you, nothing but space, but openness, and the feeling that despite all of the space, openness, and silence, that you are definitely NOT alone out there...
I may never make it back to either of those places, but I still have pretty vivid memories of the runs I did while I was there... In the Badlands, it was pretty much a straight uphill climb for 15mins... the road ran in between the monstrous rock formations, and I was struggling from the elevation... In Yellowstone, I'll never forget making the climb up to the Lodge area and seeing Bison just hanging out under the trees like nothing was happening... then coming back down near the campsite and running through the neighborhood where all of the park workers and their families live, and thinking about how incredibly lucky they are to live in such a gorgeous place, if only for a little while during the year...
There's not much more I can say about running in 2012... I had some good runs, sure, but I also had more than my fair share of soul crushing defeats that were labelled as "Runs" in Garmin Connect... Knowing that running is still the toughest part of triathlon for me, I want to make 2013 a year where I do my best to focus on running... Really take care of myself (i.e., regular visits to the chiro, focusing on nutrition during training, regular stretching and maintenance, etc)...
Just gotta keep putting one foot in front of the other.... preferably at a really fast pace...
Thanks for reading...
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