Let’s just rip off the band-aid …
this is where I quit the training for my first 50 miler
From a running perspective, my biggest disappointment in 2015 happened 3 miles into an 18 mile run on a Thursday morning. I can tell you exactly where I was (see picture to the left). Rather than running the 18 miles, I went home and went back to bed for 2 hrs. Yes – 18 miles before work is difficult. But … so is a 50 mile race (I imagine).
With that said … 2015 was awesome. I won’t dwell on the negative, but it happened.
2015 Kal-Haven trail run – look at that sexy form
2015 was the year of the Ultra for me. I ran my first two Ultras – my first in April, the Kal-Haven Trail Race, and the second in August, the Marquette trail 50k. The ‘k’ was supposed to be a ‘M,’ but see two paragraphs prior …
Perhaps it was a bit unrealistic to expect to run a 50 miler during the first year of running ultras, but I figured I’d keep cranking up the mileage. Oh well.
In addition to the two ultras, I ran two marathons. That’s it – four races in 2015. But I ran a PR in all of them! Hey, it’s easy to do when you’re still a relatively new runner!
Ready to high-five my nephew during the Flying Pig Marathon
Of course my first Ultra in April was a PR, especially at the odd distance of 33.5 miles.
In May, I knocked over 50 minutes off my Marathon PR at the Flying Pig in Cincinnati.
In August I ran my first 50k, on trails, thus that was a PR as well (and my favorite race of the year – by far!).
Then in October I dropped another 20ish minutes off my marathon time at the Grand Rapids Marathon. This was also my first sub-4 hr marathon.
Beyond the four races, I also crushed my PR for miles in a year by over 300 miles. It was a very good running year. I hope 2016 treats me half as good. We’ll begin to find out tomorrow – as I line up for my first race of the year, the Yankee Springs Winter Challenge 50k.
Beyond running, 2015 was good to me in other ways…
My 2yr old caught her first fish …
We went camping as a family for the first time (nephew and my daughters) …
Backyard camping with my oldest …
Watched Howie Day from this far away with my wife …
Helped my daughters make snowmen in June …
Took the family to Rocky Mountain National Park …
… and watched my daughters explore the rocks at 10,000 ft near Dream Lake …
I hope you enjoyed your 2015 as well, and have some cool stuff planned for 2016. My big goal for the year is to conquer the 50 mile race that I gave up on last year.
I’d also like to be a better husband and a better dad in 2016. Not to say I was bad in either instance in 2015. By my totally unscientific measure, I was an A-, but there’s always room to improve. Sometimes I focus a little too much on the running … or let my temper escape when it shouldn’t. I will do better in 2016.
Happy New Year!
What’d you like best in 2015?
What are your goals for 2016?
darkskyrunner 
Happy new year! What races do you have lined up for 2016? Another ultra? I want to BQ again and run the 4 marathons under 4 hours- among many other resolutions!
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I start tomorrow w/a 50k, another in April, 50 miler in Aug (my main focus for the year) and either a fall marathon or 50k. Good luck in your marathons! I ran my first sub-4 in October. I can’t imagine doing it 4x in a year. I’ve never been a speedster.
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Hope the 50k went well- so exciting! Good luck with all of your other running goals!
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Thank you! I ran a PR, but I feel like ultras are hard to compare with the varied terrain. Yesterdays was easier from an elevation standpoint, but covered in snow and ice. Hard to say if it was the course difference or if I ran better, but I’ll take it!
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Beautiful babies. And good luck for continued success this year! I’m actually thinking about maybe an ultra at the end of the year….MAYBE
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Thanks so much! They’re quite adorable most of the time :). Ultras are a lot of fun; I like the laid back family feel to them – at least the couple I’ve run.
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