While I was on my run this morning I caught myself reflecting a bit on 2013 and my running year. I wanted to share a bit of a recap, and the easiest way to do so, is through my goals that I had set about a year ago. I made these goals for various distances based off of my previous marks. For me 2013 was going to be about MY running. I had taken about 6 months off and wanted to get back on track and what better way to do it than to set the bar high. Here is what my goals were listed at:
5k Race:
PR as of 1/1/13: 26:03 (8:25 pace) set in February 2012
Goal: 24:44 or less (7:59 pace)
I ran 2 5k’s in 2013 and unfortunately did not come anywhere close to reaching that goal. Not to say there was not a valiant effort, but unfortunately I came out a little too fast in both of them and just couldn’t hold on to it. Here’s to 2014 though!
10k Race:
PR as of 1/1/13: 55:30 (8:56 pace)
Goal: 52:35 or less (8:29 pace)
I have to admit that this goal seemed quite unrealistic for 2013 and I was ready to push it to 2014 and settle for an 8:42 pace or under (split in the middle). I ran 2-10k’s in 2013 and I am happy to say that on March 31 I surpassed by goal by running the 10k in 52:17, an 8:25 pace!
10 Mile Race:
PR as of 1/1/13: 1:38:59 (9:53 pace) set at the 2011 Mountain Goat Race
I had two goals for this distance, one was really for the Mountain Goat (slower time) and the other was for the Caz 4th of July Race because it’s flatter so I expected to go faster.
Goal 1: 1:34:50 or less (9:29 pace)
Goal 2: 1:27:30 or less (8:45 pace)
I ran the Mountain Goat this year in 1:35:42 (9:34 pace), and although was slower than my goal for that race, I am BEYOND excited to have taken 5 minutes off of my time for this incredibly difficult race.
For the Caz race, I successfully completed this in 1:31:14 (9:06 pace), and although once again I fell below the goal time I had set, I can honestly say I am incredibly happy with this time because I took more than 8minutes off of my previous best for that race, which is an incredible feat once again.
20k Race:
PR as of 1/1/13: 2:01:56 (9:50 pace) set in 2011
I once again set two goals for this distance, 1:57:35 or less (9:29 pace) and 1:52:38 or less (9:05 pace). Really I would be happy with anything below 2hrs for this race. I only run one 20k per year and that is the Phelps Sauerkraut 20k. It is one of the oldest races in New York State, if not the oldest. There really aren’t a ton of runners, but that’s okay. This race right here is my arch nemesis. There is just something about it that kicks my butt worse than the Mountain Goat, and unfortunately it got the better of me once again this year, and sadly enough I finished in my worst time yet! I somewhat expected this and was just happy to finish when at the 3 mile mark I felt as though I had no legs under me at all, and that can be tough when you still have ¾’s of the race to go! So for 2014 my goal is still to finish under 2hrs, but to conquer the mental aspect of this race. (There are two monster hills that make the Mountain Goat look like a piece of cake!)
Half Marathon
PR as of 1/1/13: 2:11:38 (10:02 pace) set in 2011
I set two goals for this distance, because my goal since I started running was to finish in under 2hrs. I know that this is quite a distance, so I cut it in half in some ways, with my first goal finishing under 2hrs and 5minutes (roughly 9:29 pace), and the other goal being to finish 1:59:59 or less (9:09 pace).
I ran two half’s within 2 weeks, one in Syracuse and one in Rochester, both in September. I finished the Syracuse half in 2:00:26 (9:12 pace), and although 27 seconds from my “ultimate” goal, I was quite proud and happy. I wasn’t sure about doing the Rochester one but figured why not give it a shot – running half marathons is actually quite a lot on my body because my training tends to taper off towards these longer races when it should really be the opposite). If I had felt better when I finished in Rochester I may very well have done a back flip as I crossed the finish line in 1:55:34 (8:47 pace)!!!
I surpassed many of these goals because of the vision that I had to reach them. I knew what time frame I needed to keep my miles at and with the help of my Garmin GPS watch I kept them in mind. Don’t get me wrong if I wasn’t feeling it I changed my attitude and my goals mid race, especially for the 20k to JUST FINISH!!!
I’m looking forward to a successful 2014 running year, but this year it won’t be about me because I’ll be Runnin’ 4 a Reason in each race!