2012 Season by the Numbers

In life at times we often remember our failures more and tend to forget our successes.  In 2012 I started the season with a dnf (did not finish) at Mountain Mist 50k and then ended the season with a dnf at Rocket City Marathon, both of which were goal races.  It would be easy to have these two performances cast a dark cloud over my entire year; but then I realized that in between I ran 45 races in 10 months, winning 20 times and finishing 2nd overall 10 more times.  Were these the most competitive races in town?  Certainly not all of them, but it still took lacing up the shoes and beating some decent runners in those races.  In fact, I placed in the top 6 in all but one race against 14,102 other runners.  Within my age group, I was first 39 times and never lower than 3rd among other male 35-39 year olds.  The numbers look good, but...

I started the season started poorly and ended it even worse as I was plagued with injuries in the last 4 months during marathon training.  While I am still receiving treatment, the diagnosis is far from exact; a combination of plantar fasciitis along with unspecified nerve issues in my right leg slowed my times, despite the most diligent and focused marathon training period I have ever completed.  While the heat, humidity and wind were unfavorable in early December, it was pain in every single stop that forced an early exit at Rocket City Marathon.  It will be difficult to forget these failures, significantly harder to forget the slower race times and a rough road to recover from injury, but I will try to look back at 2012 and remember the times where I gave it everything I had.

I am excited to start training again as I have some big goals for 2013 for these two feet.

Season Highlights

• Ran Rim to Rim to Rim in the Grand Canyon (41.8 miles, 21,100' of elevation change) 11 hours 9 minutes 58 seconds in March with Tim Pitts
• Ran the 2nd fastest time ever McKay Hollow Madness 25km 2:06:08 in March after barely being able to walk with illness all week leading into the race
• 7 consecutive overall wins on 6 consecutive weekends in April and May
• Overall winner at Swampers 5k and Swampers 1 mile on the same morning in April
• Ran the 2nd fastest time ever Twisted Ankle Trail Half Marathon 1:37:38 in May
• Set the course standard at the Everest 8-miler 48:47 in June (Three cat 5 climbs and 600' of gain)
• Set fastest known time for the 40.4 mile Greenstone Ridge Trail on Isle Royale in Lake Superior, running unsupported from Washington Creek Trail to Hidden Lake Trail on July 10, 2012 in 8:47:36.90.
• Won both of my hometown (Iron Mountain/Kingsford) races with wins at the Norway Spring Classic 10k and the Lake Antoine Classic 5 miler
• 2nd overall at Guntersville Midnight Run 8k in 28:50 and then 1st overall at Big 5k in 17:27 the next morning (hours later)
• Overall winner at Southern Tennessee Plunge (Winchester, TN) and Magic City (Birmingham, AL) half marathons
• 2009, 2010, 2011, 2012 Huntsville Track Club Open Male Gran Prix Series Runner Up
• Logged 25,000th mile in less than 10 years of running with 19,600 miles coming in last 6 years (since moved to Huntsville)
• Logged over a hundred hours of volunteer time for local area races, the Huntsville Track Club or for Fleet Feet events