Goodbye 2019; Hello 2020: Year in Review

Fast away the old year passes, 
Hail the new, ye lads and lasses!
 - "Deck the Halls", Thomas Oliphant, 1862

This is my 8th annual year in review post.  As I look back one year to the 2018 year in review post, it starts with "Let me just get it out there that 2018 was not my best running year by any stretch".  Ouch.  Then how should I classify my malaise of 2019?

2nd year in a row of abysmally low miles relative to my goal, and 2nd lowest number of miles over
the past eight years

In both 2018 and 2019, my summers were crushed by health issues.  In 2018, some general consensus on "Adherent Nerve Syndrome" that got better through PT and time.  In this recent year just passed (2019), I was rendered invalid by a scary condition where I sometimes could not move a single arm or worse, either leg.  Eventual medical diagnosis as Polymyalgia Rheumatica ("PMR") and subsequent treatment (I'm still taking daily medication six months later) brought a gradual and full improvement.

Mid-May to mid-October was a scary and debilitating time for me,
but I'm happy to have this in the rear view window now

 So where did I run my 2,051 miles in 2019?

Top 10 places I ran in 2019 (including ties)

Looks like I'm more of a creature of habit than I either thought or professed to be.  Just about all of my runs were in Westerly or surrounding towns.  I suppose both residing and being employed in Westerly, the stats are not a surprise.  The five towns tied for 9th place with 4 runs each seem a bit odd (other than perhaps Middletown), until you consider that I visited both Austin and Myrtle Beach more than once this year, and Needham, New Haven, and Westwood all are tied to days when I was working at our subsidiaries near there.

As usual, here is a restatement of the past year's goals (in black), and responses in red.

2019 Goals:

• Mileage:  2,600.  Same goal that I failed miserably in 2018.  Let's hope I keep injury at bay.  Fail.  Again.  2,051 miles.
• Marathon:  Run a spring marathon.  Again, a failed leftover from 2018.  Finally, success!  Myrtle Beach Marathon was a highlight for me this year.
• Run at least one new trail race.  Success.  Five times over!  Sleepy Hollow, Wachusett, Cranmore, Trails to a Cure, Waterville.
• Left over from 2016 and 2017:  Document history of one of my favorite and most frequented running areas:  Woody Hill.  The WLT has requested that I research and write up the history on Wahaneeta and Woody Hill.  Fail.  Again.  Easy to say I just didn't have the time to take it on and do it right, but a bit of an excuse.
• Become a mountain goat, by running at least six of the eight USATF-NE mountain circuit races.  Definitely a stretch goal and super aggressive, especially as last year I failed to run any, but again this is contingent on staying injury free, which I couldn't do in 2018.  Success!  This was not easy for me at all, especially given my inflammation and mobility issues, but I switched races on days when I couldn't physically race, persevered, and got it done!  At our WTAC Christmas party this year, outgoing president Steve publicly called me indefatigable.  I'll take that!
• Run in every New England state.  Success!
• More dog runs (besides those I already ran with Brady in early January).  Success!  Numerous runs with my canine friend, in many different locations from Texas to Nova Scotia.  Even a few runs with Riley (Tommy 5K's dog).
• Run a warm-up, cool-down, or other non-race run with someone I've never run with before.  Success!  Barely.  Met Ian Bachman-Sanders after battling him at the Christmas Run, and ran and chatted post-run.  Also met and ran with Linda Cunningham for a few miles of one of the weekly Run While You Can runs in Avondale.
• PR in any distance I've already run.  Now, what makes me think I can possibly PR in my advanced age, especially given I haven't had a PR since 2015?  The fact that in 2018, I ran just 16 seconds off my 10K PR.  I would say my 4M, 5M, and 10K are all possibilities, albeit a bit remote.  This is why we have goals; to give something to shoot for!  Fail.  Not sure what I was thinking that I good get another PR, but I actually wasn't that far off in the Christmas 10K, as I was just 15 seconds off my PR.

6 successes against 3 fails.   67% isn't great, but better than last year.

Monthly pictorial highlights of 2019:

January:  Not sure which of us is happier.  Is it Brady or me?
Myrtle Beach, SC

February:  No races myself.  This is at the NE Championship
indoor race catching up with Matthew before he ran a 15:44 5K

March:  Looking pretty haggard at completion of
Myrtle Beach Marathon, but happy with my 2:57:27 race

April:  Sleepy Hollow Mountain Race, VT
Absolute mudfest in the rain, but what a blast!
(Thanks to Jana for being a good sport and taking pics in the pouring rain.)

May:  Very proud of our son, Mark, for graduating from
University of South Florida in just 3 years!
Considerably shorter than it took his old man to earn his Bachelor degree.
(Mark is now studying for an MS in Marine Biology at Texas A&M,
and has his sights on collapsing the 2-year schedule there as well)

June:  Cranmore Mountain Race,
my first time running this.  I'm not usually a fan of two-loop courses,
but this one was awesome!  Steep downhill technical single-track was the best.

July:  Not sure what's with the goofy face,
but was so happy just to finish my 17th consecutive
Blessing of the Fleet 10-Mile Road Race.
Extreme pain and mobility issues post-race from my PMR,
and a very slow time, but I got it done

August:  Hiking with the family in Cape Breton Highland National Park,
Nova Scotia.  I just love the ragged coastline.

September:  Trails to a Cure Race.
Yes, the water crossing was that deep!  My absolute favorite race of the year.

October:  Run for the Pumpkins Trail 8K.
Love the race and the singlets we were able to
procure this year.

November:  Notched an 18:15 at the Avondale 5K.
My fastest outdoor 5K this year (ran a 17:58 indoors at USATF-NE Masters Champs in Jan)

 

December:  With teammates Chris and Jonny before the start of one of my favorite road races,
the Christmas 10K in Newport.  Aptly described by Chris as
"The good-looking, if follicly-challenged, WTAC crew".

Other memorable moments of 2019:

Despite the heat, our March family vacation to Key West was a lot of fun.
My first time ever to Key West.  Low point was Brady collapsing on an 87-degree
run we took him on; this idiot didn't bring any water for him, nor any money to
buy water.  Lesson learned.

I only ran Mt Greylock 8-mile road race because
I had to back out of planned summer mountain races
when my PMR flared up, and find a substitute in order to
get goat status.  However, I surprised myself and actually liked it!
(With fellow WTAC'er Kevin Murphy here at summit post-race)

This series championship was a tough, tough race
that I was beat up for days afterwards,
but so glad I did it.

Two Jeff Walkers!
(At Waterville race, courtesy of Leslie)

In November, sadly we lost WTAC member and past club secretary,
Beth Lazor-Smith, much too early at the age of 52.  In this picture
from the 2015 Christmas 10K, Beth is second from the right, next to me.
---
(The caption on this very pic, on Beth's blog write-up is as follows:
"Probably one of my most favorite pictures this year.
Joe, Tommy, Shara, Mikey, Crutch, Me, Jeff
Photo by Jana Walker")---
Recently I was rereading cards from my 50th birthday, and eerily,
the card at the top was from Beth.  RIP.

We made some significant changes to the 2019 edition of the Li'l Rhody
Runaround Trail Race.  I heard nothing but compliments on the bib I put together (above),
but there sure were mixed reviews on the 10-mile course we switched to, as well
as inclusion of USATF-NE champs/exclusion of nearby CT USATF members.
Numerous runners going off 4-mile course, signs and flags being pulled up on
4-mile course, and awards and results errors on 10-mile race didn't help matters.

At WTAC Christmas party, left to right:
Outgoing president Steve (after 20 years!), incoming president me,
incoming VP Paul.
---
Time for a change.  I won't be at the helm for anywhere near as long as Steve
was, and I want to make sure I help steward the club, but be inclusive of all
and minimize unilateral decisions and actions.  As I stated that evening, it's not just my club,
it's all of ours.  Looking for others to step up, help out, and bring new ideas.
We have a great club, and I'm appreciative of all of our members and volunteers.

Also in December, I was installed for a 3-year term on the
Board of Directors of one of my favorite non-profits,
the Westerly Land Trust.

Housing woes:

Here is one of the ugly scenes from 2018, when we had the entire house
exterior gutted, stripped, and removed, and sometimes found some ugly and
costly mold issues that required deeper surgery.

The deck was in rough shape as well, but after going way over
budget expectations with house repairs/renovations in 2018, we had
the contractor "patch" it for now and we put it onto
the 2019 replacement project list for a new deck/patio.

This summer we had the entire deck gutted ...

... and replaced with a new deck, completely made of AZEK for low-maintenance.
In April 2020, we will continue and finish the project by marrying the deck up to
a stamped-concrete patio at the bottom of the stairs.

Now onto 2019 stats:

• Races run:  24 (2018: 25, 2017: 22, 2016: 29, 2015:  36)
• Race breakdown by terrain:  Road - 11, Trail - 11, Beach - 1, Tri - 0, Indoor Track - 1
• Age group wins:  9
• Overall wins:  3 (yes, they were all wins at small local races in RI & CT, but as Muddy says, you race who shows up)
• Miles run:  2,051 - 2nd lowest since I started tracking in 2012
• Elevation run:  140,341'
• Most elevation gain in a single run:  3,077' (US Mountain Running Championships)
• Hours run:  281 (2018:  246, 2017:  360)
• Days run:  276 (2018: 240, 2017:  315)  Not as bad as last year, but nothing to write home about.
• Lowest mileage week:  5 (2nd week of July amidst pain and severe mobility issues)
• Highest mileage week:  75 (2nd week of January, while training for Myrtle Beach Marathon)
• Highest mileage day:  27 (Myrtle Beach Marathon)
• Highest mileage run:  26 (ditto)
• Longest running streak:  18 days (mid-October)
• Longest non-running streak: 6 days (forced break in July)
• Number of tickborne diseases:  0 
• Number of states run in:  15:  RI, CT, MA, NH, ME, VT, OH, MI, NC, SC, FL, TN, MI, LA, TX (tied 2017, but can't imagine running in this many again for a while)
• Number of provinces run in:  2: NB, NS
• Number of countries run in:  2 
• Run furthest from home:  San Antonio, TX

And, finally, some 2020 goals:

• Mileage:  2,600.  Same carried over failed goal from 2018 and 2019.  2020 will be my injury-free year.  I can feel it.  
• Marathon:  Complete at least one marathon.  As long as I stay injury free, should be easy.  
• Marathon time:  Break 3 hours in a marathon.  I've done that the past 8 marathons, but it's getting harder and the margin of error smaller.
• Run at least one new trail race.  
• Run a fun destination vacation run in a new venue.
• Rejoin the sport of triathlon after a 2-year hiatus.

Happy New Year 2020!  Looking forward to running adventures in the new year with friends new and old.