2022/2023

It’s been a minute. 

But it’s a new year, and what the heck? I kinda miss the blogging thing.

I haven’t run any races since the crap-fest at Pikes in 2021, but my running has been going fine. I ran 2120 miles in 2021, which is the most miles I’ve run since 2017. I ran 30 miles a week January through June, 55 miles a week July through October, and then 30 miles a week in November and December.

I thought about running a marathon in the fall, but I never got around to it. Or any races, for that matter.

I did run a few time trials, most at 7000 ft. in Salida. I ran a 17:52 5k, a 10:28 3k, and three 5:0x miles, with the fastest at 5:05. So more or less in line with my fitness the past few years. Not any better, but not any worse, either.

I think there might have been a couple of times where if I had been transported to a low-altitude track against some appropriate competition, I could have gotten the 4:5x eluded me for a few years, but that never happened. I need to work on my transporter technology.

I was in pretty good shape in October/November, and I had half a notion of going for a sub 17:30 at 7k ft. around that time, but then COVID, RSV, and the flu hit our household in consecutive weeks, which is why the mileage went to down the tube in November.

The reason I picked it up in the first place was just that I felt like I gone as far as I could with the whole low-mileage training thing, and I was inspired by the training of the Ingebrigtsens, who do huge volume, low-intensity easy days, and a bunch of threshold work. So I started doing a dumbed-down version of that for myself, and it felt good. 

Family spent most of December in Costa Rica, which was awesome overall, but terrible for running. Never had so many runs cut short by aggressive stray dogs before, but such is central America. I got in 25 miles a week with some threshold stuff. Good enough.

In 2023, I aspire to actually run some races. Maybe some 10ks in the summer, maybe Creede and some mid-distance trail races in the late summer, maybe a road marathon in the fall. My marathon PR is 2:59, which is weak, and I think I can beat that with 15 weeks of good training, even as an old fart. 

I aspire to run at least 2500 miles this year, and maybe 3000 if everything works out. I’ve never done consistent mileage (as in, above 50 mpw) and consistent workouts at the same time. I ran 60-70 mpw when I was healthy and training for ultras, but I didn’t do any quality. And I’ve done tons of quality in recent years, but not much in the way of mileage. 

If I can do both this year, and not get hurt, maybe I can get some masters PRs by summer and fall. 

Might as well give it a go. I ain't getting any younger.