So it's been about a year-and-a-half since my last post. I'm happy to be resuming as an official blogger for the 2016 Foot Levelers Blue Ridge Marathon. It will be a slightly different story this time around. When I was a blogger for BRM 2014, I was the defending champion hoping to defend my title (which I did successfully). However, after skipping this year (instead I ran the Vermont City Marathon in May) and watching BRM stream online from my couch, I ended up suffering my first injury in eight years during July. I injured my right foot, and while it was never officially diagnosed as a stress fracture, it felt pretty stressy and pretty fracturey. I stayed in decent shape by biking a lot and swimming (badly), but I ended up having to take around 3-4 weeks off from running. I feel like a got back in pretty good running shape relatively quickly once I started running again, but this training cycle for BRM will still feel like a comeback of sorts for me.
Also, on a positive note, my injury in July gave me the impetus to finally break down and buy a bike.
Her name is Hypatia of Alexandria, and she will put up with none of your shit.
Anyway, while I don't plan on recapping the last one-and-a-half years of training and racing, I will hit a few high points from this year. After Jeannine and I managed to escape icy Philadelphia in March for a conference in San Diego, I was able to take 1st overall at the St. Patrick's 10K in Mission Bay Park in 32:25. I had no idea what to expect of my fitness since the icy conditions in Philly confined me to the treadmill for most of January and February (I logged over 200 treadmill miles in February alone). I went through the first mile in 4:47, and the other miles, um, slower. Also, the 85 degree temperature didn't help (but if felt fantastic before and after the race!). Then Ballast Point sponsored a post-race beer garden, so Jeannine and I got to drink free beers in the San Diego sunshine in mid-March. And I won a $400 GPS watch.
Not pictured: Winter, sadness
Then I continued my tradition of running the Virginia Creeper Marathon on odd-numbered years, finishing 1st overall in 2:39.
Icicle beard!
I won my fourth straight Dogfish Dash, although this year the 5K and 10K races were combined into one 8K race. My father-in-law, Dave, who ran the BRM half marathon in 2014 (and will be running it again in 2016), also joined in the running/beer festivities.
Suck it, Falls Church!
"We love running. We love beer. We love everyone heeeeeeere!"
And then yesterday, I finished 1st overall in the half marathon at race #1 of the New Jersey Trail Series after sort of taking a wrong turn (I knew the race was two 10K loops plus a smaller loop, but I thought I was supposed to run the smaller loop at the end instead of the beginning, so the race director let me run it between the two 10K loops). This got me free entry into one of the other races of the series, so I will be running again on December 19th.
So overall, an OK year. With yesterday's win, I ended up with victories at 8K, 10K , half marathon, and marathon. There were also some low points. In addition to the injury in July, I was registered for two races that I ended up not being able to run- the Finger Lakes 25K and the Bucks County Marathon. I also had a couple of sub-par efforts late in the Spring, namely a 53:30 at the Broad Street 10-Mile, when my training suggested that I should have been able to run sub-51:00, and a 2:36 at the Vermont City Marathon, when I thought I was in shape to run mid-to-low 2:20s. I'm optimistic about 2016, though. I plan on racing more frequently, and racing in January and February will keep me motivated to train and eat well during the holidays (increase my "miles-to-beers" ratio, if you will).
Outside of running, Jeannine and I finally got married last December (the culmination of events that began with Operation Chocolate Piranha Hurricane), and we're really excited about celebrating our one year anniversary in a couple of weeks. I'm also hopefully finishing grad school in the Spring. And of course, our beagle, Dr. Peter Venkman, is still in fine form.
Truly the people's champion.
Going forward, here is what one can expect from this blog:
- Excessive narrativizing of my training and racing (see literally the first paragraph of this entry)
- A delicate sprinkling of profanity (I was an aircraft mechanic for ten years, what do you want from me?)
- Pictures of my dog (you're welcome).
-A lot of parentheses, apparently.
-Trash-talking Roanoke-based runner Pat Woodford, who I believe is also running BRM in 2016.
As far as what to expect from me on social media:
Facebook: pictures of travels, links from The Onion, pictures of things I think are funny, pictures of my dog
Twitter (@bubbicus): shouting about whatever TV show Jeannine and I are watching, stuff about running/beer, live-tweeting Storywonk seminars and podcasts, discussions of hypothetical fights (most recently, GI Jane vs Sarah Connor from Terminator 2, Morgan Freeman as God vs Alanis Morissette as God), pictures of my dog
Instagram (jefficusrex): This is pretty new for me. So far- pictures/videos of my dog, race pictures
You can also follow the BRM-related action by using #runblueridge on Twitter and Instagram.
Additionally, if you are interested in participating in the Foot Levelers Blue Ridge Marathon next year (full marathon, half marathon, or Anthem Star 10K), you can register here and get 15% off of your registration fee by using the promo code TOUGHIS.
I think that's all I've got for now. Have fun.
Jeff
once again. Perfection.
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