2016 Year End Review
Training
Mileage Total: 3,051 miles*
Time Spent Running: ~18 days, 15 hours*
Average Pace: 8:48 pace
Longest Run (Distance): 26.2 miles at the 2016 Boston and New York City marathons
Longest Run (Time): 3:41:37 at the 2016 Boston Marathon
Hottest Run: 92 degrees on September 14th
Coldest Run: 15 degrees on January 19th
Days of Running: 324 (41 days off)*
Most Memorable Training Runs
- March 27th – The Fall. I fell and busted my knee three weeks before the Boston Marathon. It healed quickly but it took a while for the swelling and pain to go away.
- August 27th – The Breakdown. A hard workout in the heat left me feeling so exhausted tat I sat down on the base on an electrical post and almost cried.
- August 21st – Treadmill Viewing of the Men’s Olympic Marathon Final. This race helped me get through a grueling 18 mile long run on the treadmill.
Racing
Number of Races: 12 races (2 marathons, 1 20 miler, 3 half marathons, 2 10 milers, 1 10K, 1 5 miler, 1 4 miler, 1 5K) and a relay.* (My Race Reports)
Personal Records: One – 2016 DCRRC National Capital 20 Miler
Most Memorable Races
- 2016 Ragnar Cape Cod. Another fantastic weekend with a group of incredible women. Coming into Exchange 7 in the lead, sensing the shock of the crowd and seeing my teammates was one of my favorite racing moments.
- 2016 Wild Horse Trail Half Marathon. I ran my first trail race this year! Although it was a half marathon, it felt like a full. I really enjoyed the atmosphere at the race, too.
- 2016 Parks Half Marathon. This race was memorable, but not in a good way. I was so disappointed in the result that I decided to make some changes in how I was training.
Most Memorable Weather
- Snowzilla. The snow moved in on Friday night. I was housebound for three days! I finally made it to the gym on Tuesday and was able to run outside the next Friday.
- Hot Summer in D.C. The region experienced the third hottest summer (June through August). It definitely impacted my training for the 2017 New York City Marathon.
- 2016 Boston Marathon. The race was surprisingly warm.
Clothing & Gear
Favorite New Clothing
- Lululemon Swiftly Tech Long Sleeve ($68). I suppose I really discovered this shirt last year but the love continued into this year when I bought two more.
- Asics Marathon Pull Over w/Hood ($85.00). I’ve been wearing this pull over as lounge wear since the New York City Marathon.
- Saucony Endorphin Singlet. This singlet is very light and great at wicking away sweat.
Favorite New Gear
- Garmin Forerunner 630 ($399.99). I’m glad I have a touch screen watch again.
- Yaktrax Run ($39.99). I finally tried these out during Snowzilla and they were fantastic.
- Mizuno Wave Rider 20 ($119.99). I was worried about the new version of this shoe but so far, they haven’t disappointed.
Nutrition & Hydration
Favorite Nutritionals
- Crank Sports e-Gel. It’s hard for me to believe I hadn’t tried one of these until January since they’re such a staple in my running now. It’s a very salty tasting gel but I love it.
- Accel Rapid Energy Gel. I liked this running gel, as well. It went down very easy during my training runs back in February.
Routes
Favorite Developments
- National Airport Water Fountain. The upper 7 miles of the Mount Vernon Trail had been without a water fountain until one was installed early this year.
- “Still Life With Spirit and Xitle,” installation at the Hirshhorn Museum and Sculpture Garden. I see a lot of things on my runs but this made me do a double-take.
- Fixed Sidewalk Hazard. I wrote about this long-standing hazard in my neighborhood and a day later it was fixed!
Media & Motivation
Favorite Running Pictures
1. New York City Marathon Finish. A friend took this picture from the Grand Stands and I absolutely love it!
2. Flower View of the Monuments. I think this is the most artistic picture I took this year.
3. Sunrise over the Lincoln Memorial. I think this was the most breathtaking.
Favorite New Running Songs
- “Coming Home,” by Diddy feat. Skylar Grey. I discovered this song while training for the 2016 New York City Marathon while visiting Chicago. And, I had just been back to my hometown, San Diego. Outside of Washington D.C., I feel most at home in these places.
- “On Top of the World,” by Imagine Dragons. This is a get motivational running song when I’m a little tired due to the, “Get up, now! Get up! Get up, now!” refrain. It also reminds me that my life is pretty great.
- “The Greatest,” by Kendrick Lamar feat. Sia. This is a good swagger song. Some days, it’s nice to pretend you’re ‘The Greatest’ and remind yourself, “I got stamina”.
Favorite Running-Related Podcast Episodes
- Dick Beardsley, by Run to the Top. I read Duel in the Sun recently and knew some of what he talked about but he’s such a dynamic speaker that I enjoyed his recount. I was glad to hear this was the host’s favorite podcast, too.
- Shalane Flanagan and Frank Shorter, by The Runner’s World Show. Two elites sharing stories about their struggles – on the road and off.
- Episode 25 – Matt Centrowitz Jr, by Pace the Nation. Learning about his life was great and all but the candy discussion was the best part (1:09:37). He also got the field hockey question right (1:01:19).
Favorite Running-Related Book, Article, or Movie
- The Science of Running, by Steve Magness. It took me months to finish this book but it was well worth it. Some of it was confusing but I think a few principles stuck and will help make me a better runner next year.
- Two Hours, by Ed Caesar. I finished this book on my flight back from Boston. It was fascinating to read how the best marathoners live and train but also the impact of good coaching and technology.
- “Barkley Marathons,” I hate roughing it but this documentary had me thinking, Hmmm… I liked the idea that failure is expected and yet people try it anyway.
Favorite Running Stories
- The Olympics. “The Top 15 Running Moments at the 2016 Olympics,” from Runner’s World covered most of them.
- The U.S. Olympic Trails. The Womens 800m Final had to be the most dramatic and controversial event with the Brenda Martinez / Alysia Montano clipping incident.
- Bobbi Gibb. I didn’t include it in my race report for the 2016 Boston Marathon, but her trailblazing story was inspiring.
*These statistics assume I run the 2016 Fairfax Four Miler tonight.