2012 Recap

2012 was an interesting year. I started strong with a 5K record in the O’Hartford 5K. I attributed the PR to strength training, good health, a beautiful day to run, a fast course, and an all-out effort. That effort may have knocked me down some as I was sick off and on for the next six weeks. I still worked out, but was battling respiratory infections. The loss of April, where I had planned lots of bike riding set my triathlon training back. I either missed or wasn’t fit enough for the Shamrock Duathon and the Litchfield Hills Olympic, which I had planned on.

June, July did see a racing resurgence as I did some Lake Terramuggus Triathlons, a mile open water swim, the Black Fly International, and the Pat Griskus Sprint. I continued throughout into August and September with good health, doing the Niantic Tri, another Lake T tri, the Lake Quassy Swimfest, the Dave Parcells Tri, which turned into a duathlon, the Surftown Half Marathon relay, and then on into October with the Hartford Half Marathon. Overall my times were similar to last year’s to slightly slower.

I ended the season with a slow 5K on Thanksgiving and a slow half marathon in Jamaica. Both of which can be attributed to weather.

Overall, my two best achievements (the 5K record aside) were doing the 3 mile swim at the Lake Quassy Swimfest and running most of the Hartford Half (all except to 40 second walk breaks in Elizabeth Park after the 9-10 mile marks). I highlight these races because I had to push myself into uncomfortable territory.

I did do some new fun races – The Griskus Sprint, the Surftown Half Marathon relay and the Reggae Half Marathon, as well as past favorites, the Black Fly and the Lake T series.

So overall, my recap for the year was “I kept on keeping on.”

Sitting here now with a chest cold at the end of the year, I hope next year I will take another step forward, increasing my fitness, getting a little faster and meeting new challenges, and maybe a couple new races.