2008: The Year in Review

I knew this one was coming, I just thought I would have done it a little closer to the first of the year. As I'm writing I can glance out the window and see two things: snow and more snow. And a third thing: THE SUN! After a good 24 hours of solid snow, the sun is back. You've gotta love Cleveland weather. It makes me think about the run I'm supposed to do today. I think my marathon training starts this weekend. I'm going to have to check on that. The street's finally clear but the sidewalks aren't. I don't think I'm up for running in 10 inches of snow, which is about what we've got. And I don't trust drivers enough to run in the street as there aren't a lot of side streets that run into each other here. They just branch off of more heavily travelled ones. I did another 20 miles on the bike trainer this morning and should try to fit something else in this afternoon. A run is what's scheduled, but I may just hit the pool. Maybe I'll flip a coin!

And now on to the 2008 season recap. 2008 was I think, hands down, the most successful season I've had in 12 years of competing. I set 6 new personal records: 37 story stair climb (5:48), 4 miles (26:26) , 5 miles (34:31) , 10 miles (1:15:09) , the half marathon (1:33:59) , and the marathon (3:34:08). I set one PR for a new distance, 15 miles (1:58:22). I also had 3 successive PRs for the half marathon in 2008: 1:38, 1:37, and 1:33. I made two attempts at a new 5K PR but was thwarted by road conditions (ice), weather (wind, cold), a course measured too long, and getting off course. My duathlon season was successful (I placed second for the HFP sprint series), I was just weak on the bike still. Something I'm working on correcting right now. I finished the year running 601 total miles, the most I've ever run in a year. As for the bike, only 427 total miles, which is where my poor performance comes from.

As I look forward to the 2009 season I'm aware that I shouldn't expect similar success with PRs falling left and right again. But I shouldn't count out that possibility either. I'm planning on racing longer distances with 2 marathons and switching from duathlon to triathlon with my A race being a half Ironman in August. It should be an interesting season. And it all starts next month with the stair climb.