2010 Review / 2011 Goals

2010 Highlights

While I failed to set any PR's in 2010, I somehow managed to rack up a couple wins and some decent cash winnings in the process. After injuring my left IT Band and knee while running the Sugarloaf All-Comer Indoor Meets in January, I was happy just to be running again come February. The sub-par performances at the start of the early race season, DH Jones and Stu's, were tough to deal with but little by little I was making some slow, steady improvements.

Looking back I feel fortunate to have run 3 decent spring marathons in a six week span (Boston 2:42:29, Holyoke 2 weeks later 2:50:58 in 70 degree heat ! for my 3rd straight victory, and 4 weeks after that, Vermont 2:41:22 2nd Master) on what was my least amount of marathon training, ever.

Like all years, there was the usual couple races where I didn't go as fast as expected. After a couple disappointing results I went into my summer's big race, the Beach to Beacon 10k, with not too much hope of a solid performance. Yet somehow ran a near PR 34:57 about a minute and half faster than what I though I might do. Go figure.

After that the focus turns to the fall marathon and another go at the USATF New England GP Marathon Championship. I was hoping to really mix it up with the top masters in New England and go for a sub 2:36. I got close, running on pace through 20 miles but again came up just a bit short over the final 10k. All in all I'm happy with the results in 2010 and think I'm making progress in my training.

Best of luck to you all in 2011 !!!

Goals for 2011

• Vermont City Marathon - Sub 2:35 and another top 3 in the Masters division
• Cape Cod Marathon – challenge for a top 3 in the Master division
• A 4th consecutive win at the Holyoke Marathon – all I can really shoot for is to run my best since even in such a small race like this you never know who might show up. 
• A top 10 finish at one of the USATF-New England Grand Prix events in the Individual Masters division (in an event other than the marathon)
• And of course, set a bunch of new PR’s – hopefully in the 5k, 10k, half marathon
• Try to reach 20,000 career miles before by 43rd birthday in mid Sep. That will take an average of 70 miles/wk, which is doable only slightly above my best year of 3,500 miles.