PMMP

[marathondan]

A very quick review of the year...

Jan 6 miles; Feb 19; Mar 39; Apr 56; May 69; Jun 61 (shoulder); July 109; Aug 125; Sep 44; Oct 40; Nov 29; Dec 34. Total 632 (1.7 miles per day). PMMP: 110 miles in 103 days.

From almost non-existent beginnings, this has turned out to be a great year of running. As the numbers above show, it didn't really start until February, when I hit upon the "weekend warrior" idea, tailoring my running routine to fit my lifestyle. I abandoned my old mantra of never running on consecutive days, and it was more successful than I could have imagined. So much so that I entered a marathon. Richmond Marathon was a perfect event, both local and timed so that I could get through the lion's share of the training during the school holidays. I picked up a couple of freak injuries over the summer, and the diary shows that I was not certain of making the start line, as the general creaks and groans built up. This may have been partly due to not splashing out on a new pair of shoes. But those blips aside, training was textbook and the race itself a joy. I had my best every marathon recovery, and fell straight into a new, once-a-week pyramid session, designed to fulfill all my base training needs in a single weekly hour of running.

The plan for the coming year is a repeat of the above, more or less. I'm sure there will be blips along the way, so when all else fails the guiding principle is to make sure I'm enjoying the weekly endorphin hit of getting out there, take in the seasons as they turn all too quickly, and try to hit May in decent shape for the start of marathon training. (May is the new December, it seems.) EG will be pleased to know that today I bought some new shoes.

Happy New Year one and all!