Thoughts on 2016 Running Year

I posted another solid running year.  W and I were very busy planning a wedding and honeymoon, plus we recently purchased a house.  We have more things on the horizon, so I think there will probably be fewer races in 2017.

Although it was a busy year, I still had many highlights.  I PR'd once again at the Ohio River Road Runners Half Marathon in April, ran a solid 20:00 5k in November, hit my 60th half marathon, and had fun traveling to races with W.

2016 Race Totals

5k- 7
10k- 1
Half Marathon- 9
25k (plus a bit extra to make it 16.2 miles)- 1
Grand total of 162 miles in races

Favorite Races

• ONU Polar Bear Indoor Half Marathon- Who would think 105 laps on an indoor track would be so much fun?  The organization and enthusiasm from the school's athletes made this one a must-do.
• Alamo Half Marathon- This was well worth the trip as San Antonio is a gorgeous city in which to run.  I had a solid outing and enjoyed all the historic sites and parks.  
• Ohio River Road Runners Club Half Marathon- Yes, this is on my list every year.  $25 and a great race experience make it my favorite race.  I'll be running it for the sixth time in 2017.
• Flying Pig- I have a blast doing the 5k with W on Saturday and turn around to do the half marathon on Sunday.  I somehow ran a sub-1:40 in the half this year.  The food and atmosphere after the race makes this one of my favorites.
• Medina Half Marathon- The heat and humidity was an issue this year, but I still had a fun time at this race.  W and I both love the farmer's market in the square after the race.
• Mid Ohio 13er- Spectacular organization plus the fact that it's in our backyard make this one well worth it.  I ran a great race and was so encouraged by the great people volunteering.  I will definitely run it again in 2017.
• Wooster Brick Run 25k- I got turned around a few times, but I really loved this cheap ($10) low-key race.  The organizers, Vertical Runner, did a great job in this one.

Let's look at my 2016 goals and which ones I hit.

2016 Goals

• Set a new half marathon PR.  My current PR is 1:36:24.  With that in mind...

          I did hit a new PR of 1:35:26 at the ORRRC Half.

• Break 1:35 in the half marathon.

          Not quite there yet.

• Set a new 5k PR.  My current best is 19:42.  This one may be a bit too unrealistic, but I think I can do it on the right course in the right conditions.

          I did run one 5k at 20:00.  I'm thinking 2017 is going to have more focus on the 5k, so this goal is certainly possible.

• Run 7-8 half marathons.  We have a wedding to plan but I think this is still realistic.

          Somehow I got in 9 half marathons this year.  

• Run a trail half marathon if my schedule allows.

          I would still love to do this some day, but there are very few trails in my neck of the woods.

• I would love for FW to set a new 5k PR.  She made some excellent strides this year.  She'll be good if the plantar doesn't keep coming back.

          FW (now W) had a tough 2016 and couldn't keep the same pace as in 2015.  She's determined to come back and train consistently in 2017.

• Find a 5 miler (or above) for FW.  She came very close by running the Shawshank Hustle 7k and that was in miserable conditions.

          This one will probably have to wait another year or so.

2016 Goals

• Set another new half marathon PR.  I am signed up for the ORRRC Half again.  I've PR'd three times at that race and I know the course like the back of my hand.
• Break 1:35 in the half marathon.
• Set a new 5k PR.  Let's try this one again.
• Run 6-7 half marathons and start to focus more on local 5ks.
• Find a trail 5k in the area.
• A new 5k PR for W.

I start my 2017 schedule at the end of January with a fun race at which I finished in second this year.

Next race: ONU Indoor Half Marathon- Ada, OH

Amish Country Half Marathon- Half Marathon #60

My final 2016 race, the Amish Country Half Marathon, was just a few days after Thanksgiving.  I wanted to get one more half marathon so I could hit another milestone.  This counted as my 60th half marathon.  I'm still hitting milestones like this every year.

The race took place in Berlin, OH, a quaint Amish community in nearby Holmes County.  Much of the area is commercialized as tourism is the top industry.  But the Amish in the nearby rural areas were extremely friendly to the runners.  It was a different experience than any other half I've ran.  W sat this one out as I had to leave for the race around 6:00.  I made it in plenty of time to get to the nearby high school for packet pickup.  The shirt is very nice, but I was perplexed by the fake beard and straw hat runners received.  I know the race is Amish themed but that's a bit much.

It was pretty cold out so I kept my running jacket and pants on for this one.  It looked like it was going to rain, but thankfully we never got wet in this one.  On to my brief report:

Miles 1-5:  We started with a quick lap around the school track and headed south on a small country road.  I felt pretty good but knew this race included a lot of hills during the middle portion.  I settled in to a comfortable pace and just enjoyed the beautiful scenery.  Many Amish were out to say hello to the runners which was a nice touch.  We did hit a few hills during this first portion.  They weren't anything major, but they were just enough to slowly wear out the legs.    Here are my splits: 1 (7:10), 2 (7:55), 3 (7:56), 4 (7:13), 5 (8:22).  My race would remain inconsistent due to the hills.  The goal I kept in mind was to gather as many sub-8:00 miles as possible.

Miles 6-10:  We continued east on another small country road to continue the loop course.  The hills were getting more intense and we hit the biggest of them around mile 7.  You can tell that I slowed down quite a bit here, but gained ground on the downhill.  I was shocked that these five miles were all under 8:00 miles.  My legs were feeling the race.  Plus, I forgot to mention that the smell of horse manure (remember, there were buggies and farms all around us) was strong.  I'm not used to that smell during a race.  Still, I was enjoying the scenery, especially on the hilly portions.  I slowed down again around miles 9 and 10 even though this was the flattest part of the course.  Here are my splits: 6 (7:18), 7 (7:50), 8 (7:11), 9 (7:43), 10 (7:40).

Miles 11-13.1: We finished the loop on a gradual hill leading back to the school.  While it was gradual, it seemed to go on forever!  My legs were completely shot and I really wanted to finish the race.  We headed back to the school for a quick loop on the track to the finish.  Here are the final splits: 11 (8:00), 12 (9:17), 13 (7:35).  My final time was 1:43:01, good enough for 31/227 overall and the dreaded 4th place in my age group.  This time I was only off by a minute or so, which just drive me nuts.  Still, getting my 60th half marathon is quite an accomplishment.

I'll be back with my final thoughts on my 2016 running year.

Next race: ONU Indoor Half Marathon- Ada, OH

Hot Chocolate 5k

I'm only about a month behind on the blog.  W and I have been extremely busy the past few months and it's becoming difficult to keep up to date with this thing.  We did have the opportunity to go to Columbus for this 5k the week before Thanksgiving.

The expo at the Columbus Convention Center was fun.  We both like getting in and out of these things and this one was pretty quick.  It's much smaller than the Columbus Marathon expo, but there were plenty of free samples (chocolate!) and some running stores represented.  Plus you can take pictures next to the giant inflatable mug of hot chocolate!

Good times.  We were able to relax the rest of the evening prior to the race.  Dinner was amazing at the Mellow Mushroom Pizza in nearby Dublin.  Just look at the options and tell me you don't want to go there.

Ohio was really mild this Fall but that changed at this race.  It was cold and windy the entire time.  And we had to get to the race start very early as this had well over 10,000 people in it.  So W and I stood around trying to get warm for about 45 minutes prior to starting.  We were reduced to shells of our former selves.

W has had a rough time training this year, so we went into this one with no real goals other than to have fun.  The race started at McFerson Common Park (across the river from COSI) and ran in a circular route in the downtown area. She started out with a little bit of light jogging which certainly surprised me.  I could tell she was having fun and was somehow staying warmer than I was.  I don't have splits for this one but she stayed pretty consistent.

The portion running straight north on High St. was probably the easiest going part as the wind was mostly blocked by the buildings.  W was still sprinkling in some jogging at various points.  She was very surprised by her effort.  If we can get her training consistent, she can certainly get back to where she was in 2015.

The last part of the race was where the wind hit us as there were few buildings.  We did jog the last bit and finished together in 55:04.  I think W's goal was to break an hour and she easily did so in less than ideal conditions.  The plastic finisher's mug included hot chocolate (duh) and other goodies.  It was ok, but W and I were underwhelmed.  More importantly, I was very proud of W for gutting it out and completing another 5k this year.

My last race of the year was a special one as it marked my 60th half marathon.

Next race: Amish Country Half Marathon- Berlin, OH