2012 Running year end review

My last running picture of 2012! 

My running goals as I started out the year were as follows: PR in the 5K, 10K, 15K, Half & Full Marathon distances along with running 2000 miles

My 5K's for the year: 22:49 2/25 Grissom JR ROTC 5K (32 seconds off PR), 23:06  7/4 Firecracker 5K (49 seconds off PR). I would of loved to PR in a 5K this year, but it was not a real focus of my training during any part of the year and I just decided to be happy with the 2 events I ran. So, I did not run another 5K after July. My PR for the 5K was set in May of 2010 at the Gurley Library Challenge I ran it in 22:17. A distance I did not set out to do a PR in was the 8K. I'll be honest I forgot about this race the first time I published this blog! So, Here is my little bit about the 8K. I finished the race in 37:46 some 40 seconds off my PR set in April of 2010. I had no clue what my best was in this event when I ran it. Guess I will pay more attention next time!

Firecracker 5K

My 10K's for the year: 47:42 3/4 UAH Spring Road Race (30 seconds off PR), 49:56 5/31 Cotton Row Run (2:44 off PR) I would of really liked to have Pr'd at this distance. I guess that's really not the case since I ran my last 10K of the year in May. I feel my first 10K was alright just 30 seconds off my PR at the same course. I feel like the Cotton Row Run was kinda a blah run way off my PR and my PR for the race. My personal record for this distance is 47:12 set in March of 2010 at the UAH Road Race. 

My 15K's for the year: I ran zero 15K's in 2012 and do not really know when or if I plan on going after a PR for this distance. My PR is 1:12:45 set in October of 2011 at the Fleet Feet Monte Sano 15K.

Southern Tennessee Plunge Half

Huntsville Half

Virtual Half

My Half's for the year: 2 PR’s in consecutive events: 1:39:12 11/10 Huntsville Half Marathon (8 Seconds faster than previous best) 1:39:20 10/6 Southern Tennessee Plunge Half (4:21 seconds faster than previous best). What can I say about these 2 races? They were completely different in how I had to approach them! Why? My legs were very fresh for the Southern Tennessee Plunge Half and completely whipped out for the Huntsville Half (don't ever try running a 3fer 2 days out from an event). I was strong the whole way in Tennessee! I was able to rev up and tone down as I pleased! It was a great event! I knew the Huntsville Half would be tough because of my dumb decision to run three times in one day 2 days out from the race. I sat on a pace that would give me a chance to PR going into the final mile. That's exactly what I did running the final bit at right around 7:20 to grab my 8 second PR! I was extremely proud of my 2 Half PR's! Another half-marathon event I participated in was the #virtualhalfmarathon on Dec. 22! I ran the full length of our new and extended greenway (looped) which was fairly close to being 13.1 miles! I ran with my new running buddy Robert and had to twitter my running buddy Michelle the results! 

Mercedes

Rocket City

Marathon's for the year: 3:56:21 2/12 Mercedes Marathon (3:56 fasters than previous best), 4:03:25 12/8 Rocket City Marathon (7 minutes slower than PR). My 2 marathons for the year were a tale of 2 races one race I just wanted to get finished and one race I felt a monster PR was coming. Of course, that's not how it played out in either race. The race I 'wanted' to finish was the one I PR'd and the race I thought a monster was coming I burned out near the end. I was extremely pleased with my performance at the Mercedes in Birmingham, AL and completely deflated by my performance in Huntsville, AL. Why was I disgusted with Huntsville? I thought I had done everything right training for the event for 18 weeks! This is partly why I did not do 5K's or 10K's for the last half of the year! I was laser focused on a PR in the Rocket City! So that is why I was so disgusted with my performance in Huntsville I thought about quitting running and finding another fitness activity to be a part of! Special thanks to all my twitter pals who lifted me up when I was down after the Rocket! Y'all rock!

Santa Hat Run Dec. 24

My Ultra's for the year: 5:08:57 12/31 Recover From the Holidays 50K. I did not plan on doing a ultra as I headed into the year 2012 and was not especially excited about this race right after 12/8 at the Rocket City. I was dreading this event. It did not take me long, however, to get over the race on 12/8 and focus my attention on this event. This was my finest race of the year on the last day of the year. My goals were simple heading into the event: 1) Finish 2) Do not fall 3) Stick with the plan 4) PR! I did exactly what I wanted to do for the whole race and was strong the whole event! That does not mean I felt awesome the whole event, but I never doubted or deviated from my plan the whole 31 miles! It was also great that my former Dirty Dozen teammate Jeff came over and rocked the 31 miles with me!

Relay Race: Dixie 200! Champions forever! May 18-19

One of my favorite events of the year was running the Dixie 200 with 11 other crazy runners over 2 days from Atlanta to Birmingham! We cover 200 miles in heat that normal people would not run in! It was one great event! I hope to get to do another relay sometime in the years to come! No personal time records were set, but the memories made were immeasurable! Best of running to my fellow Dirty Dozen teammates in the year to come y'all rocked! Keep on running gals and guys of the Dirty Dozen! 

My mileage goal for the year looked like it would not happen after the let-down at the Rocket City Marathon. I did not run for 3 days and would have to really amp it up if I was going to even sniff the 2000 mark! Well, over the final 7 days of the year I logged 94 miles to hit 2000 miles right on the nose! 

Although, I would of loved to PR in the 5K & 10K distances I feel I accomplished my major running goals for 2012! I set PR's in the Half Marathon, Full Marathon, Ultra Marathon, and Mileage run. All-in-All it was a great running year I'm looking forward to more running adventures in 2012!

RFH 50K 'medal'