My running year ended almost exactly like it began — with a surge of hope on a picturesque trail. Missed race goals and injury struggles filled the middle, but I couldn’t script a better start or end. My hope, as we all turn ahead to 2020, is that I can learn from my 2019 missteps and correct my running path in the new year.
My first run of 2019 was my first ever trail experience around Blue Diamond, Nevada, which is just a short drive from my house. I remember the crisp air, stunning views of Red Rock Canyon, and the sense that 2019 would be my best yet.
Instead, I ended up falling flat in all of my races. I had to skip planned starts, and bad execution early in the year combined with injury later to equal multiple failures. My marathons — Mesa-Phoenix, Boston, Missoula, Baltimore, Atlantic City, and California International — all missed Boston qualifying time (for 2021).
When I look at the year as a whole, I see a lot of mistakes. In May, I got away from my strength training, which sent me down a road of chasing different injuries. When I started back up, I didn’t do the little things to stay healthy.
For the past few months, I’ve struggled with how my running plans in 2019 unravelled. I finished the year with a little over 2,700 miles running (my lowest output in four years). My number of days active dropped significantly to 272, as I took multiple weeks completely off.
It’s tough to see a bright future when fitness is low and each restarting attempt leads to different injury pain (the latest has been my Achilles).
Today, I wrapped up my 2019 mileage with a 5-mile loop trail run in Sedona, Arizona. Just like my Blue Diamond run 364 days before, the air was cold and sharp. The sun slowly rose, displaying dazzling views of Bell Rock, Courthouse Butte, and Cathedral Rock.
And it happened. I felt a surge of hope.
My current fitness lags when compared to my 2020 goals, and my Achilles is still a little sore after each run. I have a daunting race schedule planned, because I’m always signing up for races in bulk. I’m feeling really far from my next PR, and I’m ignoring the fact that my last best time in any distance came more than a year and a half ago.
Next year offers so much possibility. I’ve worked my way up before. My first marathon, nine years ago, was slower than six hours. I fought for years to make running BQ times my normal.
Now I’m ready to fight to return to that baseline.
And then I’m going to work to go deeper and test my limits.
Running sets us free. Sometimes goals can feel like a weight, dragging me down as I see my dreams fade away. But today, as I dipped and cut over red rocks and through the cold, bright Arizona air, I found my peaceful running zone.
Breakthroughs don’t come easily. I don’t expect this next year to be completely smooth.
But I am resolved.
Let’s see what you’ve got, 2020.