Monthly Archives: December 2012

Boxing Day

Start time: 12/26/12, 5:48am
Location: National Mall
Distance: 6.31 miles
Average pace: 9:05min/mile
Total Miles For December: 83 miles
Total Miles For 2012: 654 miles
Current Shoes: 194 miles

Last group run for a few weeks… although the group was just me and Steve. I’m out for part of next week, and then once I’m back they’ll be in Jackson, Mississippi for their marathon. We had a nice pace this morning, and hopefuilly I’ll get one or two more runs in before the end of the year. Looking at the weather forecast for where we’re going, though, that might not be an option. We shall see! If not, though, I did at least break 2010’s 635-mile total, as predicted, so that’s good.

Watchless-Run

Start time: 12/24/12, 5:50am
Location: National Mall
Distance: ~6.3 miles
Average pace: no idea
Total Miles For December: 77 miles
Total Miles For 2012: 648 miles
Current Shoes: 188 miles

Was running late on Monday for our Christmas Eve morning run, and blowing up my Garmin did not help matters. By the time I figured out the answer to the “how do you fix a blank screen after you’ve performed a hard reset?” question (you let it just sit for a day or two for the power to drain, then put it back in the charger and it’ll revive itself) I didn’t have time to hunt for an alternative. So, ran sans any sort of recording device. Which is nice to do on occasion.

One Final Zoo Trip

Start time: 12/22/12, 7:00am
Location: National Mall, Rock Creek Park, National Zoo, Connecticut Ave
Distance: 10.2 miles
Average pace: TBAmin/mile
Total Miles For December: 71 miles
Total Miles For 2012: 642 miles
Current Shoes: 182 miles

I keep forgetting to add this run in, and my data is all at home. But anyway, it was a nice run, one last trip up to and through the Zoo before the end of the year. Stephanie was running a little less so she got the smart idea of hopping the metro back around mile 8, and arrived just a minute or two after us in time for coffee/tea.

just another run

Start time: 12/19/12, 5:46am
Location: National Mall
Distance: 6.25 miles
Average pace: 9:42min/mile
Total Miles For December: 61 miles
Total Miles For 2012: 632 miles
Current Shoes: 172 miles

blah blah blah blah run blah blah cooler blah blah dark outside

forgotten run

Start time: 12/15/12, 7:00am
Location: National Mall, Capitol Hill
Distance: 10 miles
Average pace: 10:34min/mile
Total Miles For December: 55 miles
Total Miles For 2012: 626 miles
Current Shoes: 166 miles

Just realized I never added Saturday’s run, which was pretty basic; ran 6 miles with Ben, John, and Stephanie (past the Christmas trees on the Ellipse then down to Rock Creek and back), then another 4 miles with Ben and John through Capitol Hill to Lincoln Park and back. Ben and John (and Steve who was out of town) are now in taper mode for their marathon, which is nice for those of us not about to run a 26.2 mile race…

On an unrelated note, here are some end of the year mileage tallies from past couple of years:

2011: 743 miles
2010: 635 miles
2009: 867 miles

With the stress fracture grounding me for three months, the drop-off in 2012 is unsurprising. (Although I should still clear 2010’s total with no problem.) If anything I’m impressed I still got as much as I did this year between three months of no running and then a slow reintroduction into running.

2009 surprised me until I remembered that it was the year where I not only ran 2 marathons (Potomac River Run in May, NYC in November) but also was training for the Goofy Marathon and a Half a week and a half into January 2010. That makes me tired just thinking about it.

Foggy Morning

Start time: 12/10/12, 5:53am
Location: National Mall
Distance: 6.31 miles
Average pace: 9:46min/mile
Total Miles For December: 39 miles
Total Miles For 2012: 610 miles
Current Shoes: 150 miles

Really, really foggy morning. Got to the run a little later than normal (thanks for waiting, guys!) but that meant less stretching than I’d wanted, and also ended up slowing down a tiny bit for my last (normally faster) mile because my footing never felt 100% sure and my glasses were forever covered in moisture. Not a bad run, just trickier.

More Spring Weather

Start time: 12/8/12, 7:40am
Location: Belle Haven Park, Mt. Vernon Trail
Distance: 12 miles
Average pace: 10:42min/mile
Total Miles For December: 33 miles
Total Miles For 2012: 604 miles
Current Shoes: 144 miles

More spring weather? This getting crazy.

The guys were running 20 so they did 8 on their own, then I met them for the back 12 and let them set the pace. Nice weather (a bit foggy in places!), no real complaints. My faster last-mile plan for my weekday runs is definitely paying off; with one mile had a nice kick in the tank and dropped about 1:45min on it.

Blustery

Start time: 12/5/12, 5:47am
Location: National Mall
Distance: 6.3 miles
Average pace: 9:28min/mile
Total Miles For December: 21 miles
Total Miles For 2012: 592 miles
Current Shoes: 132 miles

Very windy today—a cold front to displace the unseasonably warm weather was sweeping in—but still another shorts morning. Which is a victory.

Spring Weather in December

Start time: 12/3/12, 5:47am
Location: National Mall
Distance: 6.3 miles
Average pace: 9:30min/mile
Total Miles For December: 15 miles
Total Miles For 2012: 586 miles
Current Shoes: 126 miles

Ridiculously nice for a December morning. Shorts! Yay!