2014 Year in review

Wow. 2014 is almost over. Just a couple more hours, and there will new goals to set. Records to be broken. So what did I accomplish in the last year? Well, I ran my first 10k, and did it in the very difficult setting of Boulder Colorado when I ran the BolderBoulder 10k. I did amazingly well considering it was my first time running that distance, and running at an altitude of over 5,000 feet with over 40,000 other crazy people. When it was all said and done, 404.59 miles were run over the course of 57.44 hours. I would never imagine doing something like that before. There's been a lot of people who have supported me all this year, and even leading up to this year. There's people I know, and people I barely know, but they've all made a difference. Between the daily support I need, and just the motivation to keep going when things seem impossible. People who know that they've helped me, and those that don't. Anyone who's taken the time to read this, help out with donations for some of my races, thank you so much. We're all in this together. Team Munky will continue to grow in 2015. I see good things happening.

Starting off the new year right with a 5 mile run. An odd distance, but a race none the less. My friend Doug, who helped me get back into shape, lost his father this week due to cancer. From talking with him and seeing Facebook posts, his dad was a real fighter. He was also a runner. Having someone like Doug who helped motivate me and get me to where I am now is incredible. They guy will not give up on you. It might be small, and can't fully repay what he as put into me, but tomorrow I'm running for him and his dad. Ever race I run, I try to raise cancer awareness with the shirt I wear. Tomorrow is no exception. So if you read this, thank you Doug. Thank you for all you have given. Thank you for not giving up on me, even when I was stubborn (and still am), and pushed me to keep going. I may have not had the good fortune to meet your dad, but the little you've shared in the last few months, what a man. Know that tomorrow, you and your family will be running with me. You will once again be pushing me though that last, cold mile when I think I can't go any further. Thank you.

On a happy note.....HAPPY NEW YEAR!!!!!

The end of the year

Well, the end of 2014 is almost here. Unless there's something that really perks my interest, I've run my last race for the year. And that might be a good thing. A few weeks ago, before my last 10k, I developed what I think is plantar facitis. It was pretty tender, and I thought I had done a good job of rehabbing my foot in time for my Thanksgiving 10k run. Not so much. I did good up until about mile 4 when things started to hurt a bit. The last mile was mind over matter, doing what ever I could to not think about the pain in my foot and finish strong. I still ended up with a very respectable time of 52:06, with an average of 8:24/mi (according the the official results, my watch had me a bit faster average). I'm very pleased with that, and will most likely submit that for my BolderBoulder qualify time and that should put me in an early D wave (of which there are 5). That's about 5 and a half minutes quicker than my first 10k in Boulder this past May.

So anyway, had a run yesterday. It wasn't a timed race. I was a little disappointed in that, cosidering that it was a route though downtown Madison, around the capital square, a really good goody bag and a race fee that I'd expect to have timing involved with. But what ever. It was fun. It really just made me focus on me, which was good. Timed myself at a 23:58, 7:54/mi average. So not too bad. And having not run since Tuesday, and the race on Saturday, I'm ok with it. Felt a little funny in the beginning, but really started to feel good going up the hill with a little over a half mile to go.

But what a year this has been. My first 10k, about a race a month, the goal of running a full marathon in 2016 in Hawaii with a high school friend set, times going down, and just getting out more than I have. I've returned to raced I did in my first year, entered into new ones. Bettered my times, and pushed myself to just get better. It's really amazing.

Working my way up the final hill with about a half mile to go

Finishing strong

No matter how bad a race might feel, or how much I hurt, I always finish strong

2014 was a big year! 12 races (I lost one of my bibs I think). Kicked some butt!