2021 in Review; 2022 Goals

2021:  It was the best of times; it was the worst of times.  Yes, I overuse this Charles Dickens quote, but it sure seems to sum up the dichotomy of my year in running versus my year in health:

2021 goals assessment:  (Verbatim restatement of the past year's goals [in black], and responses in red.)

• Mileage:  2,800.  That's an average of 55 miles per week, conservatively allowing for two down weeks.  Fail.  2,524.  Not even close.
• New England:  It's been a couple of years, and in 2020 I had to take a COVID pass on running in Vermont (I ran in the other five states), but in 2021 it's time once again to run in all six states.  While travel restrictions will remain in place in early 2021, I have faith they'll either go away completely or be sharply diminished as the year progresses.  Success!*  Actually raced in 5 out of 6 states, and the asterisk is for Massachusetts.  In recent past years, I ran often in Massachusetts, as I worked there at least once per month, but in 2021, I ran but 0.5 miles in the Bay State, as part of a Border Patrol Challenge run that went barely over the state line on the Midstate Trail.
• Trails:  Run at least one new trail race.  Success!  Not one, but four:  Ledyard Mini Loop, Pineland Farms, Catamount, and the inaugural Grills Trail Race.
• 50K:  Time to step up the distance!  I find the longer races in some ways easier and more enjoyable than oxygen-debt, panting 5K road races.  Fail.  We'll reboot this one back onto the 2022 goals list.
• Triathlon:  Rejoin the sport of triathlon after a 2-year 3-year hiatus.  Fail.  For medical reasons.  We'll reboot this one into 2022 as well.

Not what I was looking for in terms of mileage,
but not terrible either.

Breakdown of where I ran the miles, or at least the top ten municipalities:

Very similar to 2020 listing.
Voluntown dropped off and was replaced with Jamestown.

Pictorial highlights of 2021:

January:  snowy run at Misquamicut with Brady

February:  my first ever snowshoe race!  (I'm in yellow WTAC hat).
Delta Dental snowshoe series at Concord, NH

March:  Grills hike,
at Big Hill

April:  WTAC group run at Barn Island.
New for 2021, we now have a monthly club group run,
open to all runners and paces.

May:  Soapstone Mountain 24K
Trail Race
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I didn't run well at this race, but it was good
to be back racing at all.

June:  After being canceled last year due to COVID,
my earned entry from 2019 USATF-NE Mountain Series
was deferred to this year.  Not a fast finish,
but was thrilled that I was able to run the full 7.5 mile course,
with 4,600' gain without any walking.

July:  Beavertail State Park, Jamestown, RI
One of my favorite places in all of RI;
I try to visit at least annually

August:  Bottone Mile
Fastest mile race for me since 2013!  5:22

September:  Serious and focused at
Jamestown Half Marathon.  1:23:43
Pretty happy with this result, especially given
the rolling hills that did me in on a training run
on same course.

October:  Vermont City Half Marathon
1:20:01!  1st in age group, 2nd master, and a PR!
Psyched with this one.

November:  Philadelphia Marathon!
This was my crowning achievement of the year.
2:50:16, a PR by more than a minute and a half!
1st in age group.

December:   Niantic Jingle Bell 5K.
The race achievements kept coming.  2nd overall, and I tied
my PR of 17:32!

Health scare and setback:

I was diagnosed in April with malignant melanoma, the most aggressive form on skin cancer and the one that took marathoner John Kelley's life.  I was immediately scheduled for surgery to excise the cancer from a difficult body area:  the top of the my head.  The cancer area was much larger than the small mole on the top of my head (think "tip of the iceberg").  The cancer remained after the surgery, and I needed to go in for a second surgery on a now much enlarged area, and this left with me with a 20 square centimeter open wound that could not be closed.

After the surgeries, I was left with a massive
bandage on my head.  The bandages would get progressively
smaller, but my head would be bandaged and need to be kept
dry and immaculately clean for five months!

23 weekly visits to the hospital ensued,
where over the course of five months my wound care seemed
to take two steps forward, one step back.
It was a scary ride, but not as scary as the surgery itself.
The wound care doctor tried many different therapies,
where medical grade honey seemed to make the
greatest inroads.

I'm fully healed now!  It doesn't mean I can't get melanoma in another place on my body, but this melanoma is gone and I'll be seeing a dermatologist for a full body check every six months.  This certainly gives me a renewed perspective on life and the importance of living life to its fullest.

2021 stats:

• Races run:  21 (2020: 16, 2019: 24, 2018: 25, 2017: 22, 2016: 29, 2015:  36)
• Race breakdown by terrain:  Road - 10, Trail - 9, Beach - 1, Tri - 0, Indoor Track - 0, Snowshoe - 1
• Age group wins:  17
• Overall wins:  4 (smaller races for sure, but you race who shows up, and happy to win any races at age 57!) 
• Miles run:  2,524
• Elevation run:  178,212'
• Most elevation gain in a single run:  4,646' (Mount Washington Road Race)
• Hours run:  357 (2020: 383, 2019:  281, 2018:  246, 2017:  360)
• Days run:  302 (2020:  310, 2019:  276, 2018: 240, 2017:  315)  
• Coldest run:  11°F, Barn Island, CT, January
• Number of deerfly kills:  203 (Jun 18 - Sep 8)
• Most deerfly kills in a single run:  50
• Number of deerflies eaten:  only 1
• Number of horsefly kills:  2
• Lowest mileage week:  0 (April, post surgeries)
• Highest mileage week:  71 (October, while training for Philadelphia Marathon)
• Highest mileage day:  28 (Philadelphia Marathon in November, including warm-up)
• Highest mileage run:  27 (Pachaug-Nehantic trail loop, Border Patrol Challenge)
• Longest running streak:  13 days (three different occasions)
• Longest non-running streak: 9 days (mandatory rest post-cancer surgeries)
• Number of states run in:  7:  RI, CT, MA, NH, ME, VT, PA
• Number of countries run in:  2:  obviously USA, plus Canada
• Run furthest from home:  Bar Harbor, ME

2022 goals:

• Major races:  Complete two marathons and an ultramarathon.  2022 running for me will revolve around three core races:  a spring marathon, a summer ultramarathon, and a fall marathon.  Any other 2022 races or series (like the Border Patrol Challenge) that I run will be subservient to training for and running these three races.
• Mileage:  2,800.  I didn't come close in 2021, but it's a new year!

• New England:  Run in all six states.  Again.
• Trails:  Run at least one new trail race.  
• 50K:  Rebooted from failed 2021 goal.
• Triathlon:  Rebooted from failed 2021 goal.
• Set new PRs:  PR in the marathon, half-marathon, and at least one other distance.  What?  You know you're pushing 60, right?  I'm basing this on my unexpected successes in 2021 with a new PR in the marathon and half, and tying my PR in the 5K.

Saw this on the wall of a restaurant
(Samurai Grill, Mystic, CT) towards the end
of this year, and while I know not what 2022 will bring,
I love these four mantras and hope they will have meaning
for me in 2022.  
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Life is short; live it to the fullest!

And that's a wrap for 2021.  If I had to sum up 2021 in a single
sentence, a tough and scary five months medically,
followed by an awesome fall season of running
with unexpected PRs in the half and full.
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Happy New Year, friends!
Looking forward to new adventures in the new year!