We cut our visit short so we could go to Laura's preschool. She stayed to do some work while I went for a glorious run home. Even with the wind coming out of the SSW (the direction I was running), the air temperature of 42 made it super-pleasant. I even stopped at historic Pilot Knob to grab a brochure on some improvements going on there.
Now, eight miles from Laura's preschool, after reading about Michelle's 2011, I'm all pumped to write the year in review.
January
Started off the year running a sleep-deprived, eyelash freezing 5k with Jared. I was fortunate enough that all the fast, sane runners skipped the Resolution Solution, allowing me a victory for the second year in a row.
February
Ran my first snowshoe race, coming in first in a field of nine. The course took place on White Bear Lake, a frozen field of snow and ice, blanketed by a thick fog.
March
I paced Get Lucky Triple 7k while enjoying the company of Leah, another member of MN Running Wild. I was tres impressed at how she chatted with me for 11ish miles before bolting off for a PR. Then, I got to give my medal to one of my nieces!
April
The Craziest Running Month Yet. I raced Boston for the first and possibly only time, setting a PR of 2:59:42. Then, twelve days later, paced Brainerd Jaycees Run for the Lakes Marathon in Nisswa.
May
Ran the TC 1 Mile in 5:01, missing my goal of breaking five minutes.
June
Ramped up my training for my first ultra pacing the 3:15 group at the Minneapolis Marathon. It was so hot and the course was so tough Don, another MN Run Wild friend, had to see his friends at the med tent after he successfully paced the 3:10 group.
July
After the state government shut down, the Afton Trail Race was moved to the Afton Alps. I ran a 50k that, while tough and somewhat painful, was actually a pretty good time. Started a streak of consecutive days running 10 miles or more.
August
Laura crushed two hours in the half marathon with the help of Juli two days after saying she didn't think she ever could run that fast. My ten mile per day streak ended at 11. I ran my first Ragnar Relay ultra-style.
September
I started a new job teaching at a charter school. Running took a backseat as I figured out what the heck I was doing, but did manage one blog post about pacing the Graniteman 1/2 Marathon.
October
Laura kills her PR in the marathon while I run my first 10 mile race.
November
I started the tradition of running a corresponding kilometric distance with my years lived by running 29k for my twenty-ninth birthday. I had my second kidney stone in five years and this one doesn't come out on its own (warning: gross stuff).
December
We enjoy a mild winter so far and Laura and I decide to do a spring triathlon. We splurge on a road bike with Christmas money and I start trying to learn how to swim.
Well, that does it. Tomorrow, if I get inspired enough, I'm going to review my goals from last year and come up with some new ones for this year. If you're lucky enough to read this before midnight on New Year's, be sure to start this Mariah Carey video at 11:56 and fifteen seconds. Mariah's still got it. Happy New Year.
