2009: Running recap and comparison

Ouch, as I have already noted in previous posts throughout 2009, this was a tough year of running and racing for me.

Battling injury after injury, it was a struggle to keep fighting back into fitness.  In year's past I have missed days due to 'down time' after big goal races (example, 2008 after the Columbus Marathon).

But this year was different.

Looking over my post collegiate running career, I have been fairly injury free... days here and there, but never substantial time missed.  This year, it all caught up to me... I had more injuries that required 2+ weeks off then I have ever had in my 16 years of running competitively.

That obviously does not bode well for the year end recap.

The biggest disappointment is easily the number of times I toed the line to race.  Throughout college I would easily race 50+ times a year (XC, Indoor, and Outdoor).

Post-collegiately, I would say I typically average about 20-25 races a year, while consistently posting a PR (personal record) or two each year, minimum.

In 2009... toed the line 4 times.  Twice in March, once in July, once in September.  And definitely nowhere near PR'ing in any of those races.

What does this all mean... not much.  Everything can be linked back to being healthy.  The hamstring injury (which I have never had issues with in the past) was rough the first quarter of 2009.  Once the MRI showed no real damage, it miraculously disappeared.

The other injury... which popped up three separate times was tibialis anterior tendon issues.  Again, something I never experienced in my career cost me 40+ days in 2009.

But, outside of the hamstring and the tibialis anterior tendon... I'm 100%! Ha.

If you take out the 78 days I missed, my average per day when running was 10.55 miles.  That really bodes well for 2010.  My training was actually pretty good... when healthy.  And yes, that seems like a lot to ask when looking at 2009... but this year is clearly the exception, not the rule. 

So let's get to the data and comparisons... 

2009 Total miles: 3029 
2009 Average / week: 58.25 
2009 Average / day: 8.30
2009 Average / day (minus days off): 10.55
Days off: 78
PRs: 0 

2008 Total miles: 3395 
2008 Average / week: 65.29
2008 Average / day: 9.30 
2008 Average / day (minus days off): 11.09
Days off: 59
PRs: 4 

2007 Total miles: 3105 
2007 Average / week: 59.71
2007 Average / day: 8.50
2007 Average / day (minus days off): 8.87
Days off: 15
PRs: 1 

2006 Total miles: 4038 
2006 Average / week: 77.65
2006 Average / day: 11.06
2006 Average / day (minus days off): 11.40
Days off: 11
PRs: 2 

* Timothy