2010 Year In Review

2010 is coming to a close and I thought I would review my year. 

1.  Ran 2 marathons in 2010 - the Chicago Marathon on 10/10/10 and the Kenosha Marathon on 5/1/10.

2.  Ran 9 New York Road Runners races (NYRR) and volunteered for one, which will give me an automatic entry into the 2011 NYC Marathon under the 9+1 program.  Also ran in the JP Morgan Corporate challenge.

3.  Completed 2 triathlons (both sprint triathlons).  This was a major accomplishment for me, as I didn't own a road bike until June 2010 and hadn't gone swimming since high school.

4.  Healthwise, I had a great year.  No illnesses (other than a few minor colds) and no fevers.  No major Crohn's Disease flare-ups and no hospitalizations.  Last hospitalization was on 12/31/09 when a capsule I took (with a camera in it to take pictures of my small intestine) for a routine test got stuck in my small intestine, causing a full small bowel obstruction.  Luckily, the doctors were able to get it out without major surgery.

5.  I averaged 4.89 workouts per week (259 days), which exceeded my goal of 4.50 times per week.   I have been tracking my workouts since 2000 in an excel spreadsheet, and my previous record was 4.44 times per week in 2002. 

6.  I ran 1,335 miles in 2010, an average of 25 miles per week. 

7.  My year end weight was 197 (with a low of 192 and a high of 201 during the year).  However, my waist size was down to 34 at year end (from 38 in 2009).  For almost the entire year, my weight was between 195-197.  I hardly ever weigh myself, as I can usually tell where my weight is by how my clothes fit.

8.  Overall, I'm proud of the year I had.  I was able to maintain a high level of fitness all year and I became a more experienced runner.  I learned that I can't run more than 4-5 days per week and expect to stay healthy.  I decided to do triathlons to take advantage of its cross training benefits.  This way, I run less and keep my body healthier by biking and swimming, both of which are much lower impact on my body.  When I became a distance marathon runner, I used to believe that more mileage is better.  I now believe that less is more, and in the future, I will train with a focus on the duration of each of my workouts, not distance.
Here were my 2010 Goals that I created at the beginning of the year and what I actually did (highlighted in yellow).  As I look back, some of the goals I set seem crazy to me today.

Goal - Average running 4.5 days per week for 2010 (worked out an average of 4.38 times per week in 2009 – started running in July 2009)

Result - Goal Achieved!  I averaged 4.89 workouts per week.  When I set this goal, I expected only to run to achieve this goal.  By year end, I realized that I could not sustain running this much, which is why I started cross training.


Goal - Run 1,404 miles for the year (average 27 miles per week for 52 weeks)

Result - Fell short, coming in at 1,335 miles (25 miles per week).  I will never set an annual mileage goal again.  In the future, I will stick to weekly workout goals (and perhaps duration goals)


Goal - Run a 5k race in under 7:00 per mile pace (haven’t run a 5k yet)

Result - I didn't run a 5-k race in 2010.  I did run a 3.5 mile race in 7:12 per mile but frankly I just wasn't healthy enough to go all out in a race.  Still hope to get there in the future

Goal - Run a 4/5 mile race in under 7:05 per mile pace

Result - fell short, running a 4 mile race on 2/7/2010 at a 7:11 pace

 Run a 10k race under 7:25 per mile (ran 7:39 per mile on 12/6/2009, my first and only 10-K run to date)

Result - not achieved -  I only ran one 10-k this year, and I decided to run it at the end of a 10 mile training run, so I ran it very easy (8:36 per mile)


Run a half marathon at under 8:00 per mile pace

Result - I didn't run a half marathon in 2010


Run a full marathon at under at 8:40 per mile pace

Result - fell short, ran Chicago in 3:56 (a 9:01 pace)

Run a 1 mile race under 6:30 per mile (I haven’t run a mile race since I was 12 years old, which I think I ran in 8:28 per mile)

Result - I didn't run a 1 mile race this year, as I wasn't healthy enough to go all out in a 1 mile race.  Still shooting to achieve this goal in the future

Goal - Get weight down to 189 or less (currently 192)

Result - Not achieved!  I was around 196 for the Chicago Marathon and went up to 201 when I took 5 weeks off from running in November 2010.  I was 197 at the end of 2010.  I need to improve my nutrition!!