2020: The Year That Wasn't-We've read in on news sites, heard it on TV, and discussed it over and over with family and friends, but 2020 is a year that most of us would like to forget. Walking into the year, none of us planned for or were prepared to live through a pandemic. The pandemic led to so much loss-lives, jobs, relationships, mental/physical well being, opportunities for socializing, and the cancellation of just about EVERYTHING. While the cancellation of most races out there was sad and disappointing to many of us, it was a small scale loss in the grand scheme of things. With all of these shutdowns, social distancing, and risks, my main fitness goal changed to just remaining active. While I have continued to battle injury issues throughout the year, I absolutely stayed active. So let's get to those measurable goals that I posted at the start of 2020. Here goes...
Goal Assessment
-Since I didn't race many regular distances, the best measuring stick I have is the 5k. I still love the 5k over any other race distance and would like to try to run them fast for as long as I possibly can. GOAL NOT ASSESSED.
-Stay active almost every day of the year. It shouldn't be that hard. Besides my love of running, I have plenty of other activities that can keep me going. GOAL ACHIEVED. I'm pretty sure I was active in some form almost every day. That fitness or activity may not translate to many run miles but I definitely included a variety of activities (Running, Biking, Swimming, Weights, Core, Stretching)
-Speaking of staying active, I'd like to do another Sprint TRI, swim race, and go skiing a few times in 2020. PARTIALLY MET. Shara and I did get to ski at least once before the COVID shut down. The TRI never happened.
-Complete the WTAC Clamshell. NOT MET
-Run sub 5 or as close to sub 5 as possible in the mile. MET. Ran 5:00 flat during a hard mile mile on 7/26 at Ninigret.
-Go for stroller runs with the girls and continue running with Riley and Lulu. MET. I ran with all of them and thoroughly enjoyed it.
-Continue running races with Shara and compete in team racing with the WTAC. NOT MET
-Swim 1x a week. Was on track through March, NOT MET
Goal Synopsis: I felt like I was completing a teacher evaluation or filling out a report card while assessing those goals. COVID led to many NOT METs or NOT ASSESSED. It's funny how quickly plans, goals, and things can change in a split second. If 2020 taught us anything, it's that you can't get fixated on things that you can't control. Full disclaimer: There are some goals that I could have done better with on here, regardless of the COVID.
What went well in 2020
- I continued to find ways to incorporate my family into my running (Shara, the girls, and the dogs). I try to appreciate every time I run the stroller and get the opportunity to run with Riley and Lulu. To mix things up a bit this past fall, Shara was even willing to do some trail or "bush" running with me.
- Running early. While this is not a change from recent years, I've continued to live by the motto, "the earlier, the better." To meet my various commitments on work days, those early runs pay dividends even when it isn't always fun to get out of bed or the door in the morning.
- Haley's Fun Runs. With WTAC Kids Fun Runs cancelled due to COVID, we came up with this fun idea and Haley was usually game most weeks to participate by running a 1/2 mile around the block. Various fans, including her grandparents, Mikey B & family, and The Gazelle appeared at these runs. The adults usually closed out Haley's fun runs with a hard mile or easy run. It was especially fun when Mike and Jeff joined me and we ran down to the beach to float in the waves and enjoy the summer.
- WTACs drive to put on safe events. Although I only made it the L'il L'il Rhody (aka the short race), I offer up a huge kudos to the club for putting on fun runs, the Bottone Mile, and fall trail series during these crazy times. I can't imagine the effort it took to meet regulations, keep things safe, create an authentic race experience, communicate with stakeholders, and break even in costs. As for the L'il Rhody short race, it was fun, super organized, and definitely safe.
- RWYC. A big shout out to Jeff V. for organizing this group and holding these weekly socially distanced runs. While the group is not new, I remain especially impressed by it's inclusiveness. Run as fast or as slow as you want and you will always find a warm and friendly group of running enthusiast to at least start with you. The atmosphere and camaraderie are great! Jeff was even kind enough to put on a couple of self timed "pickup" 5ks on Thanksgiving and for the holidays. I had a blast running 18:00 on Thanksgiving in the pouring rain and then 17:47 2 days after Christmas as we "Ran Away from 2020." Group members provided swag in a few different ways at these fun events.
- My basement. This area became a key workout spot for me in 2020 and will likely remain that way for the time being.
- Jeff's blog. A big shout out to Jeff for maintaining his weekly blog. I thoroughly enjoy reading about his adventures and experiences throughout the year. *Disclaimer: this is a shameless ploy to encourage him to keep his blog running!
So Now What? With some hope for things to become more normal in 2021, I'm reluctant to set time goals because I'm still unsure about race opportunities. As I write this blog post, I'm feeling fairly well but have continued to battle bursitis and tendonitis in my right knee. To maintain progress, I am mindful of how often I run, how long I run, and the surfaces I run on. I know I need to plan rest and don't want to overdo it one day and then pay for it for a month. So with COVID precautions, an unclear race calendar in 2021, and on-going injuries, here are some things I hope for in 2021:
- Continue to enjoy fitness activities and the outdoors as much as possible with my family, dogs, and friends.
- Complete as many WTAC events as possible. If I'm healthy, maybe even parts of the WTAC trail series will be in my future?
- Run more miles than I did in 2021. This is not a mileage goal. It would be more of a sign that I'm healthy.
- Bike, swim, paddle board to supplement my running.
- Enjoy where I live..so that means running on or by the beach, hitting some trails, or hanging out in some of the neat nature areas right in my backyard.
- Continue to work on core strength and running muscles.
- Run as close to 5 minutes or less in a mile and try to run a fast 5k
- Attend RWYC every now and again.
