2017 By the Numbers

Weekly Running Totals

Yes, there were some numbers in 2017. Not all of them were completely bad. Some, on the other had, were pretty darn shameful. But like them or not, they did occur, and that's just the way it is.

I am, and I always have been, a numbers guy. I analyze, count, measure and estimate stuff for a living, and I consider myself lucky to be doing these things that I enjoy. It's not too much of a stretch to understand how I might apply my enumeration habit to my running habit.

What are those numbers, you ask? I'm happy you inquired.

Totals for the year, from my Garmin data

2906.82: Arguably the most important number; it's the mileage total for the year, and the most since 2012.
5.7 (or 10.53): My average speed in miles per hour, or, for the 10.53, my average pace per mile. This is in the not so good category. Just when I thought I couldn't get any slower since last year's numbers, this happens.
4,658,226: The number of running steps I took for the year. I don't know whether this is good or bad, but I like big numbers, so there it is.
2: The number of marathons I ran in 2017. I wasn't too unhappy with the times, especially Erie at 3:43.
4: The number of ultramarathons I ran in 2017. These were so-so. The two 50Ks were 5:14 and 5:11, and Mugrage Park was 33.71 miles, and I ran the Burning River 50-mile race in 11 hours, 10 minutes. Also, I finished second overall at two of them.
1: Age Group Win. I actually thought I'd get more, considering some decent performances at a couple half-marathons, as well as the marathons mentioned above. This win was at Burning River, where I was happy to just finish alive.
97,345.4: My life-to-date mileage total. Hoping for that sixth digit. Think I'll make it?

Life to date miles, year by year

Sweet Misery. Except it wasn't so sweet.

You've heard this here before. Some of my most joyous runs occur when the weather is at its worst. The converse/implication (that running in lousy weather always leads to enjoyable jogs), isn't necessarily true, however. Today's running was... well, you'll see.

It was a case in point. When I saw the cold rain, I ditched my running friends in order to stay closer to home. I thought I'd get it done with quicker and easier this way. Not so fast, said the weather and running gods. The cold rain (you know how I hate cold rain) soaked me to the bone. That's when I began to freeze up; cold and wet is just no good in my book.

The thing was that I had to get a long run in. Why did I "have" to, you ask? That's easy. It's because the Landis Loonies Marathon is only a week away, on New Years Day. But even with this "need", I still couldn't handle the cold and wetness anymore.

What to do? Wimp out and finish the run on the mill, of course. After about 10 months without so much as stepping on a treadmill, I've now succumbed to the temptation a few times. The weather is my only excuse. I only hope this mill running doesn't lead to a relapse of my painful Achilles Tendonitis, which has been under control, but which I also believe may have been exacerbated by mill running. But so far, so good.

I did complete a long run - 6 outside and 16 inside. But the whole thing was sweet misery. With no sweetness.