2018 Year in Review

I am finally getting to my 2018 Year in Review after W and I had our first child.  She is one month old already!

2018 was a very different year for me.  I ran about 300 fewer miles over the year, mostly due to W and I expecting our little one and having to care for both of my parents in the Fall.  Things changed dramatically once we hit September!  But I still had a pretty good year.

2018 Race Totals

5k- 8
Half Marathon- 4
5 Miler- 1
2 Miler- 1

Grand total of 84.2 miles in races.  Definitely the lowest total I've had in years!


Favorite races

ONU Polar Bear Indoor Half Marathon- I've enjoyed this one more each year and will certainly miss it this year.  I chipped off more time from my 2017 and 2016 efforts and ran a solid 1:39:24.  The cross country and track teams do a great job to make this one fun.

Cooper Tire Centennial 5 Miler- This was a pleasant surprise despite the cold race conditions.  I ran a 34:02 and finished third overall.  The organization and door prizes were top notch.  Very fun race, just be prepared for wind in Findlay!

Flying Pig Half Marathon- I had to skip this one in 2017 and came back to it this year.  Good thing I did!  The race conditions were almost ideal and I ran a very surprising 1:37:40.  This race is very challenging.  The organization, spectators, and post-race area make it well worth it!

Heart & Sole Half Marathon- This was my second time running this race and, good grief, is it a challenge.  I struggle more here than at the Pig.  It's a well organized race and I'll always remember it as my 70th.

Hoot & Scoot Trail Race 2 Miler- This was a fun little trail race at the Ohio Bird Sanctuary.  It rained cats and dogs the evening before the race, making it extra fun!  I really enjoyed it and came away with a first place finish.

Let's look at the goals I set one year ago:

• Run 3-5 half marathons.  This would get me to 70 overall.  I split the difference and got four in, bringing my grand total to 71.
• Shoot for 19:30 in the 5k.  This is lofty but I think I can do it in the right conditions.  Not even close.  My training was up and down before everything happened in the Fall.  I had some nice races but never sniffed a sub-20:00.
• Run 750 miles in 2018.  I've been over 1000 the past several years but I won't be able to maintain it.  I ran just under 700 miles.  I'm pretty happy with that considering the Fall was a bust.
• Win one or two local 5ks.  If I'm going to focus on that distance, I feel this is possible.  Well, this one didn't happen either.  I had one second place finish and four third place finishes.  I did, however, win the Hoot & Scoot Trail Race 2 Miler.  

I'm setting some very modest goals for 2019 since we now have a little one.

2019 Goals

• Run 4-5 local 5ks.
• Run one trail race.
• Run one half marathon.
• Run 500 miles in 2019.

Mansfield Lexington Turkey Trot

I've been well behind on my blog as W and I were expecting (and since had) our first child!  To say we are excited is an understatement.  I've finally had a few moments to think about my last race of 2018 so here are my brief thoughts.

This one was odd in that it was announced a few weeks prior to the Thanksgiving race date.  This was especially odd as there were three race distances: 5k, 10k, and half marathon.  I had no idea how many people would show up for this little known race.  It was ran entirely on the B&O bike path from Lexington heading south and back.  I ran the same course a few years ago and remembered it being relatively flat.

Race morning was chilly but not awful.  There was a very slight mist prior to the race but that went away before the start.  I was pleasantly surprised by the number of people at this race.  The 5k had 47 finishers, the 10k had 8, and the half marathon had 13.  This race could certainly grow due to the fast course.

We started out on the path and I moved into the second group of runners.  The second half of my year did not include much running for a variety of reasons.  I knew this would not be anything near my 20:00-20:30 range and just aimed for a nice hard run.  We headed south of Lexington and I moved ahead of a few runners before tucking in behind the leaders.  This is one of those races in which it's difficult to tell who is in what race.  I just focused on myself.  

There isn't a whole lot to say about the course as it was pretty flat and fast.  Just a bike path run through farm country.  The lack of wind certainly helped, but I was certainly feeling the race by time we hit the turnaround.  I hit the halfway mark in about 10:40 which is close to where I wanted to be.

The second half felt fast as we passed most of the runners and walkers.  I noticed four people in front of me at the turnaround and wanted to just maintain fifth place.  The fourth place runner was at least 50 meters away and sixth place was probably 25-30 behind.  I couldn't let up too much, though my legs wanted to do so.  

We finally hit Lexington and went down the only hill of note on the course.  I tried to speed up and hit the mat in 21:42.  I did maintain 5/47 overall and first in my age group.  Not the best race of the year but I was pretty happy with the effort.

That's it for 2018!  I have no idea what 2019 will bring since we now have a little one.  I'm hoping to enter a 5k around March but it just depends.  My next post will look back on the up and down 2018 running season.

Ranking My Half Marathons

It's been over a month since my last race and I still have yet to post my report.  In the meantime, I started thinking about my favorite distance and wondered how many individual half marathons I've finished (47) and which ones are my favorites

I've ran 71 half marathons since 2009 and will probably be taking a hiatus.  .  Call me nostalgic, but here is my ranking of each half in which I've competed.

Disc

1. ORRRC Half Marathon (6)- Also my PR race three times.
2. Flying Pig Half Marathon (3)
3. Capital City Half Marathon (4)- Definitely a PR race.  I did so twice.
4. Rock 'n' Roll Arizona Half Marathon
5. Air Force Half Marathon (2)
6. Buckeye Half Marathon (2)
7. Spirit of Columbus Half Marathon
8. Mad Half Marathon
9. Old Port Half Marathon
10. Akron Half Marathon
11. State to State Half Marathon (2)
12. Melbourne & Beaches Music Half Marathon
13. Run the Bluegrass
14. Houston Half Marathon
15. Dayton River Corridor Classic (3)
16. Alamo 13.1
17. Louisville Sports Commission Half Marathon
18. Columbus Half Marathon (October)
19. Ohio Northern Indoor Half Marathon (3)
20. Medina Half Marathon (2)
21. Augusta Half Marathon
22. La Porte By The Bay Half Marathon
23. Amish Country Half Marathon (2)
24. Mid Ohio 13er (2)
25. Columbus Half Marathon (August)
26. Carmel (IN) Half Marathon
27. Three Creeks Half Marathon
28. Inland Trail Half Marathon
29. Churchill's Half Marathon
30. Wooster Heart & Sole Half Marathon (2)
31. Pro Football Hall of Fame Half Marathon
32. Presque Isle Half Marathon
33. Millersburg Fall Trail Run (2)
34. Earth Day Challenge Half Marathon
35. YOLO Half Marathon
36. Made in America Half Marathon
37. Cleveland Fall Classic
38. Park 2 Park Half Marathon
39. Somerset Stampede Half Marathon
40. Soaring Eagle Runs Boy Scout Half Marathon
41. Last Chance for Boston Half Marathon (2)
42. Heartland Series Ohio
43. East Bay Half Marathon
44. Geist Half Marathon
45. Findlay Red, White & Blue Half Marathon
46. Little Miami Half Marathon
47. Run to the Wall Half Marathon