Another year runs by.  My running season typically runs from March – November.  By November, my body needs a break from constant running and I get on the eliptical and once the snow flies, out snowshoeing.  I still run about 3-4x/week, depending on schedule, mostly on the treadmill at the gym because the roads are too slippery.  I ran 7 races this year, about average for me.  Some years I run another 2 or 3.  Here is my year in review:

Shamrock Shuffle March, 2010  27:39.10  This 5k race usually kicks off my race season.  Ends with a Guinness at Salt Hill Pub, and usually lunch with my parents.

Road to the Pogue May, 2010   1:00:12.8  This race used to be the first in a triad of races that made up the UV3 (Upper Valley 3) and also  included Covered Bridges 1/2 marathon and CHaD 1/2 marathon.  Apparently they don’t link them together anymore, but for me, I consider this the first in my series of 3 challenging summer races.  It is a beautiful run on dirt roads/paths through the Marsh-Billings-Rockefeller National Historic Park.  It’s a 10k race that climbs Mt. Tom and circles around a man-made pond (The Pogue).

Raptor Run May 2010   45:49  This is a 5 mile run around Lake Morey in Fairlee, VT, which is the town across the river from us.  This is the first year I ran it and given it’s easy locale, I think I’ll run it again.  I used it as part of an 11-mile training run I had to do that weekend while in training for Covered Bridges.  I ran 6 miles in the morning, went home, then came back and ran 5 miles in the race.

Covered Bridges Half Marathon June 2010   2:11:55  I hope to get in to this race again.  What a beautiful course and my fastest 1/2 marathon time yet.  Registration opens for one night only in December and last year, it filled in 19 minutes.

CHaD Half Marathon August 2010   2:27:09  My Waterloo.  I am determined to run this thing whole.  No more needs to be said on this race.

Melanoma Education Foundation Five-Miler September 2010   45:21  A nice run through Wompatuck State Park in Hingham, MA, which is close to where my parents live, so again, easy locale and great cause pretty much guarantee my attendance. My mother and her friend, Cathy, complete the 3 mile walk.

Harpoon Octoberfest Road Race October 2010  31:20  This is a 3.6 mile run, the first mile is alllllll uphill.  Run, drink beer.  Perfect day. Part of the WWFR and I thought it was fitting that since I named myself “Midpack” for WWFR, I came in 318 out of 843, which is better than mid.

So that ends it.  If I was feeling overly invested in this journal thing I would post my training schedule, what it actually ends up looking like, but considering there are only 3 of you reading this, and I live with one of you…

As I mentioned before, I may journal again this winter to update on running stuff, or I may just wait until next race/training season starts.  I’m hoping to add another half marathon to my schedule next year, the Bay State Half Marathon in Lowell, MA, next October.

Thanks to those of you who followed my journey this year and added your comments and thoughts.  I set out on this journaling thing to just keep people in the loop with what is going on in my life, and in particular, what is going on with something that is important to me…running.  I am a mid – backofthemid-packer and I train hard (most of the time) and enjoy what I’m doing (most of the time).  In another entry I wrote about the solitary aspect of the event but I would be ignorant if I didn’t say thank you to those of you (Nana, the Morgans, Sara) who call/write and say good luck.  It gives me a great boost to know that people are thinking about me and I do think of you as I chug along.  I want to give an especially BIG SHOUT OUT to my road crew, which over the years has been my husband and my parents.  My parents will travel up from MA to stand in the POURING rain for 2 hours, early in the morning, to catch a 3 second glimpse of me crossing the finish line.  My husband, Ben, is my most dedicated crew member.  He is at most of my races and puts up with grumpy early morning starts me taking off for and hour or two on weekends (even during vacations) so that I can stick with my training, also standing in the pouring rain for hours…all with only a few little grumbles.  And for that, I’m very thankful.

“May you have the hindsight to know where you’ve been, the foresight to know where you are going, and the insight to know when you have gone too far.”  (but when you think you’ve gone too far, keep on going)

Until next season,

Amy