I'm still behind with these recent blogs, but the busy spring is upon me! I have had some terrifically busy, but fun, weekends recently--including conference for the Southwestern Region-American Music Therapy Association and a huge concert with my wind ensemble, the Metropolitan Winds. Without further delay, I present the running report for the 1st quarter of 2011:
Here are my goals for 2011:
1. Build a streak of 1000 mile years by running 1100 miles in 2011.
2. Build upon 2010's success by maintaining/surpassing Personal Records in each distance.
3. Build a streak of sub 2 hour half marathons by building on the half marathons that I completed in 2010.
4. Add variety into training and races by mixing in different challenges (distances, relays, multi-day events, etc.)
5. Run a marathon in 2011.
1. Build a streak of 1000 mile years by running 1100 miles in 2011.
So far, so good! I am exactly where I should be with mileage in order to meet my goal of 1100 miles. This goal really motivates me to get out there and get my planned miles done. I started using a Garmin in January and there is a "Goal" section on the website, I love putting in my goal miles and watching it click down each time I upload my run data. January was my highest mileage month to date at 104.2 miles. February was a different story, the combination of a short month and the worst ice storm in decades left me with only 71.25 miles. I typically don't miss running due to weather, but the streets were under 2 inches of ice--making it much like a hockey rink. March was my second highest mileage month with 102.75 miles, bringing the total for the quarter to 278.2. It should be noted that I need 275 miles per quarter in order to reach 1100 miles. I am right on schedule!
2. Build upon 2010's success by maintaining/surpassing Personal Records in each distance.
I knew that this would be a tough one and that has been the case thus far. I was thrilled to get a new PR in 10K at a race in January and I came within 11 seconds of my 15K PR a couple of weeks after that. I enjoy the challenge of chasing down those numbers and I will keep trying with each race.
3. Build a streak of sub 2 hour half marathons by building on the half marathons that I completed in 2010.
I must have jinxed myself because I had a nice little streak of sub 2:00 hour half marathons going....until I wrote this goal. I have run four half marathons in 2011 and have not had any sub 2 hour finishes. I came very close at the New Year's Day Half (2:01) and Houston (2:01). I finished in 2:08 at Cowtown, but I didn't have any time goals for that race because I paced Erik for the 1st 10 miles of his marathon (before the courses split). I also returned to the scene of the Grasslands Trail Half in March and came away with 2:27--thrilled after the bad experience and 3:35 finish time of 2010. I am still new to the whole trail running scene and expect my times to be slower as I adjust to the different terrain and pacing. I have a half marathon on the calendar this weekend and two coming up in May, I plan to get that streak up and going again.
4. Add variety into training and races by mixing in different challenges (distances, relays, multi-day events, etc.)
I have already tried many new things in 2011 and I have had so much fun doing it. In early March I took part in the Texas Independence Relay where I ran a total of 20 miles within a 28 hour time span. The relay brought many new challenges, many of them related to proper rest and fueling. I loved the whole experience and can't wait to do it again next year. I after much whining and worry about a repeat of 2010, I ran the Grasslands Trail Half. I had a wonderful time this year and found that I really do enjoy trail running. I enjoy trail running so much that Erik and I met up with some friends for a run the week after Grasslands. This same group has already scheduled another trail running gathering in April, we call ourselves the Beer and Bagels Trail Group because beer and bagels were consumed after our inaugural run last month. I have made many new running friends since I joined Twitter and I love the community that surrounds it.
5. Run a marathon in 2011.
I am still in the very early stages of this goal. I have extended my long run to 15.5 miles on two occasions and I am happy with how my legs responded to that. I was also pleased with how I responded to the challenge of the Texas Independence Relay as that was the first time I have run that many miles within such a short period of time. I am currently shopping for a good first marathon and looking at various marathon training plans. This is a big goal and I plan to take my time in order to insure a positive experience.
I am quite pleased with how the 2011 running year has started and I am looking forward to the Big D Half Marathon on Sunday. I have a big goal for this one, come back next week for the full report!
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