2008 Is a Wrap

Sorry not much activity but not much has been going on with my running. I am currently working on moving out of our apartment into a house nearby.

I took a few much needed weeks off after Haney to Harrison and just as I got my training mileage up to a reasonable level the snow hit. I did a little bit of snow shoe running but not too much training aside from a few runs through the snow and water and some treadmill intervals and tempos. I spent xmas with family in Alberta and there was an indoor track there and I managed to get a reasonable though a bit slow workout in but I have struggled to run well ever since my tight hip flexor suddenly loosened and I have been able to use my weak left leg as much as my strong right. The left leg has been very sore after workouts but seems it is finally starting to catch up to the other in speed and strength.

At the VFAC annual xmas party I was awarded the Coach's Award for 'Most Improved Male Athlete' mostly on the basis of my half marathon time dropping from 1:30:54 to 1:25:57 in the spring and then 1:21:15 in the fall. This was the bright spot of my running since October, the actual running has not been going so smoothly! In such a large running club of such talented runners it is an honour to be recognised for improvement - and good thing too because I don't think Jay MacDonald has anything to fear about Top Open Male - at least from me - for a while.

Anyway my main goal for 2009 is to run with my hips level and gain an equal amount of strength in my left leg to the right. If I can accomplish this I believe that I will be able to run the next season injury free and continue to improve rapidly. In addition I would like to increase my training mileage to a pretty stable marathon level through the racing season, and go by my coach's more disciplined training regimen at least through my spring marathon season (Vancouver Marathon) and just change the terrain for the summer/fall trail ultra season (the Knee Knacker, Canadian Death Race and Plain 100 miler). As far as a time goal for the upcoming year I would have to go with the 1/2 marathon in 1:15 or less - my distance goal it complete the Plain 100 miler. Seems like a strange choice I know (the course is not marked, you follow a map, and the volunteers don't tell you where to go) after going off course in the STORMY but I will have time to train on the course.

Although I'll be lucky to improve at all at the First Half in February. On my easy run last Sunday I knocked my cuboid bone in my foot out of whack and it got really swollen. I went to see Sophia at Active Life Physio in North Vancouver and she unstuck it and loosened up my foot but it is still pretty tender. At least I can move it somewhat normally now. Anyway I should be back in a week but I'll be happy just to be running decently by February 15th and would be incredibly happy if I could just crack 1:20 for elite seeding at the First Half in 2010. Although it doesn't really make that much of a difference there its not exactly the Sun Run in terms of numbers and its really well organised at least at the front. It does make it easier to warm up on the course and then not get stuck behind slower runners who think that because they got there first they should be right at the front.