7: Running the Year . . . and Then Some!

Polar Inspiration

Lake Monroe Polar Bear Plunge.
Bloomington, Indiana, January 1, 2012.

On January 1, 2012, I stood at the shore of Lake Monroe in Southern Indiana. As winter days go, it wasn't bad -- mid-30's under overcast skies. I was appropriately clad in my 5-fingers, running shorts, and swim goggles. This is where the marathon bug bit me.

Our friend, Julie, said that she had recently completed a marathon. Of course, I was impressed. But I knew she was a runner, so I wasn't entirely surprised. Then she made a statement and unwittingly planted the seed of an idea that would grow in my brain over the next several months as I was continuing to feel more comfortable with my running preparations for the triathlon: "I had decided I wanted to complete another marathon before turning 50."With that, I and the other crazies charge into the frigid waters, emerging invigorated and energized for the coming year . . . and COLD.

A year later, as I stood near that same spot on the shore of Lake Monroe, I was still a few months short of my 50th birthday, had completed two marathons, and was looking at the prospect of a 50 km event in the coming year and quite possible a 50-miler. Julie turned to my wife, Irene, and proclaimed that she "never said anything about ULTRAS!"

The Training Wrap-Around: Running the Year

As I approached the beginning of 2013, I found myself again recasting my training plan. This time, I was looking for a method through which I could increase my stamina for running. I wanted to give myself a reasonable chance of completing a 50 km (31.1 miles) run early in the summer, after which I would assess if I thought the legs could eventually carry me for 50 miles in the fall. With my brain being such as it is, I enjoy setting both long-term and short-term goals. In fact, I have often referred to my various experimentations in running as part of "the game," be it form, equipment, or training. Then, somewhat out of the blue, I came to the notion of running the year - 2,013 miles. In the latter part of of 2012, as I zeroed in on the first two marathons, I had recorded several weeks of more than 40 miles of running. Expecting that my distance would ramp up at peak times of the year, I determined that the necessary weekly average of 38.61 miles of running was doable. So I built a default training pattern with 5 running days per week (Monday and Friday off to allow for rest and/or cross-training), including a long run on Saturday, a short follow-up run on Sunday, and a low-medium-low mileage arc on Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday. Finally, I went to work on the spreadsheet to keep track of it all.

Once the initial form of the spreadsheet was complete, it still needed the finishing touch -- some pizzazz to show that it's a little professional, and a little fun, and more than just a data grid -- a LOGO. I'll be honest with you, I had heard vaguely of people running the number of miles in the year, but had not realized that there was an entire web-community of crazy companions to be found. I quickly identified the "Run This Year" group on Facebook and have enjoyed the encouragements that the group has provided.

Progress Through The Year

As I began my year of running, the legs were feeling quite good and I exceeded my 171-mile January target by nearly 30 miles. I decided that this was a good thing. Surely, across the year there would be times that I would not feel well or would run into scheduling difficulties. So I decided that building up a cushion of extra miles was a good strategy. February came and I racked up an extra 26 miles; 35 more in March; and, nearly 50 extras in April. The fact is, as of this blog entry, I have not felt bad or had an injury all year! Travels in June had a small impact, but the miles I did run in Colorado were beautiful! So now, as of the end of September, I am 365 miles ahead of the original target that would have had me on pace for running the year, and I am expecting to log mile #2,013 when I cross the finish line of the Indianapolis Marathon on October 19! Needless to say, I have mapped out a short-term training plan to hit that mileage target precisely.

As the year progressed, I even decided on a secondary goal for my running miles -- accumulate enough miles to have traveled from my current home in Indiana to my undergraduate alma mater, Western Washington University in Bellingham, Washington -- 2,378 miles. If that was my "Run This Year" target, I believe I would be living at some time close to the time frame of Star Trek: Voyager.

Finally, just in case anyone were to question the level of my insanity (or why my wife feels that it is appropriate to hold me up as an example of "Obsessive Compulsive Personality Disorder" for her Abnormal Psychology classes), this is what the results of my spreadsheet currently look like:

Postscript (October 21, 2013)

Since first posting this item, I am pleased to report that I did, indeed cross the finish line of the Indianapolis Marathon on October 19 as I completed mile 2,013.

Up next: Finding Form: How I Learned a Stride That Keeps Running FUN