Friday, December 31, 2021

My Year of Running in 2021

The quick stats:

  • Miles run:  4168.2
  • Races run:  14
  • Race overall female podiums:  14
  • Race overall female wins:  7 (1 overall person win)
  • PRs: 
    • 50k, with 3:34:41 in my debut
    • 20k, with 1:19:41, though that's slower than my PR marathon pace
    • Yearly mileage, with 4168.2
    • Monthly mileage, with 428.2
    • Weekly mileage, with 106.0
  • Records:
    • 4th fastest overall female 50k time in North America in 2021
    • Missouri state road racing record for overall female 50k
    • Frisco 50k female course record
    • Oklahoma state road racing record for female masters and female age 40-44 half marathon
    • Missouri state road racing record for marathon female age 41
    • Missouri state road racing record for 20k female age 40
    • Milwaukee Lakefront Marathon masters record (2021 was the 40th year for the race)
    • Hospital Hill Half Marathon course record (2021 was the first year for a new course though, so I got this by nature of winning the race, not by really running a record)
  • Injuries: 0

Smiles in my first 50k

The overall impression:

2021 was a good year!  While I didn't have any break-through times, I consistently ran well throughout the year in races and workouts.  I really found my stride with masters running and enjoyed the new opportunities it brought.  I can almost say I'm undefeated in the masters division, with the one exception being the 10,000 m at USATF masters track nationals (so, I am undefeated on the road!).  Most importantly, I had zero injuries, issues, or significant illnesses!

I had a lot of fun chasing records, some of which I didn't even know I was chasing (I didn't know about the 50k North American list, the Oklahoma masters half record, or the Milwaukee Marathon masters record until after those races - nor Hospital Hill, but that really doesn't count).  I also had a lot of fun doing races that I've avoided in the past.  Most races I ran this year are races I wouldn't have run in 2017-2020 because they aren't fast courses or generally in good weather.  I didn't have any good weather + fast course combinations this year, which may also be why I didn't have any break-through race times - or at least that sounds like a good rationale.  I had a few great weather + mediocre course situations (Frisco, Tobacco Road, Bass Pro), two of which went well and the third which I was a tad overcooked for.

I think my best performance of the year was the Tobacco Road Marathon; though not a PR, I ran a 2:48 on gravel in a race with around 900 ft of elevation gain and I paced pretty brilliantly, including the fastest final mile of any marathon I've ever run (6:07, as the first 2.5 and last 2.5 miles were on the road).  I think if I'd been on a flat paved course that day I'd have seen a PR, but as it was I was happier with this race than any of the other 2:4Xs I've run in the past few years.  It was liberating to feel like I ran a really good marathon instead of feeling like my time just wasn't good enough (re: 2:45).  I was also pleased with my 50k debut, though the final 4 miles weren't what I wanted and I know I can do better!  The Milwaukee Marathon, while a poorly paced race, was also one that I'm proud of in retrospect because my performance in the weather conditions we had was pretty solid - just significantly slower than I'd have run in 40 degrees.  The only race I was purely disappointed in this year was the masters national 10,000 m, but I walked away knowing that I should never again run a track race in 90 degrees! #themoreyouknow

My other big running-related highlights for the year were being selected to join the rabbitELITE team and Team UCAN.  Nike is also supporting me with some great shoes for marathon training through 2024.  I've applied for several elite teams and programs over the years, and it's been exciting to find some good fits and to represent brands that I love!  I wrote a recent article for rabbit chatter here.

I am heavily involved with my local running group, Miles from Mentor.  We have group runs every day, and I coach many of the regulars so I coordinate our workouts as much as possible given our varied race schedules and goals.  One of my athletes took her marathon PR from a high 2:57 to a mid-2:52 and ran two marathons off of one cycle for the first time this year.  Another ran a 4 minute PR at Chicago in the terrible heat (she was ready for about a 15 minute PR).  Another improved his half PR from 1:19 to 1:15 - to think, I recruited him to join our group because he was about my same pace before I started coaching him, hah!  Another of my athletes broke my 8k course record at Frisco and had a speedy half debut.  I have one running Houston in January 2022, ready for her first sub-3.

I really enjoy coaching, and seeing my friends succeed was more exciting than anything I did this year.  When I retire from my full-time gig I'd love to do more official coaching, but currently I'm a volunteer, though I love when I get treats like brunch or UCAN from my athletes!

I have big goals for 2022, but the most important is to maintain my zero injury streak so I can continue doing what I love every day!  Admittedly I did the math on what it would take to exceed 5000 miles for the year (average of 96.2/week), and it wouldn't be smart for me to do that yet, but maybe in a couple of years...

From the rabbit elite website

You can read my race reaps for 2021 here:

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1 comment:

  1. Liz RunningmommaJanuary 2, 2022 at 4:48 PM

    It was a super impressive year and I'm excited to see what 2022 has in store for you!

    ReplyDelete

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