Strangely Alive: 2011 Year in Review

2011 is coming to a close and I'm a bit sad to see it go. It has been an unbelievable year for me. Entering the year, I had a minor knee injury that became a major problem. It turned into severely painful tendonitis that had me thinking dark thoughts about my prospects for the year. Fortunately, after some back and forth, I found a doctor that helped me quickly get to the bottom of things and the rest is history. I went from a 3:55 marathoner to dreaming of a 3:10 BQ in one calendar year. It was a combination of hard work and good fortune. Here are a few of the statistics that demonstrate my hard work through the year:

More than 2500 miles of running
More than 430 hours of running time
Nearly 190,000 vertical feet climbed
30 runs of 18 miles or longer
22 runs of 20 miles or longer
4 marathons and 1 ultramarthon (races only)

My body responded to all that stimulus in a big way! I spent most of the year training for some event and ended up competing in 9 total. Nearly every one of those events was a personal best. Here are a few of my new personal records:

5K (20:19 unofficially during training, 20:42 officially at Turkey Trot)
10K (40:39 unofficially during training)
Half marathon (1:37:30 officially at GT, 1:36:15 unofficially at Vegas RnR)
Marathon (3:45 at Colfax, then 3:34 at Steamboat, and finally 3:19 at Vegas RnR)
50 Miles (10:05 at Leadville Silver Rush)

While all of that was great, perhaps the two best things that have come out of this year are my increased fitness level and my new friends. I have transformed myself from a 220 pound sloth just hoping to finish a marathon into a 185 pound fitness junkie. People that I have known for a long time have actually stopped me to ask if I am sick (because of the dramatic change, I hope that's why!). Others just stare in amazement and ask me how I did it. And of course, I have had the good German family suggesting I need to eat more! It is a huge confidence boost to have people outwardly notice my healthy lifestyle. I like to think I am being a role model for my family and friends.

Maybe the greatest gift of all this year was a whole new group of friends -- and getting closer to some old ones -- that inspire me. I have watched all of you grow and enjoyed your company. In fact, I consider myself blessed to have been part of the following: training with strong runners like Jen and Jon, being at the finish line to see Chuck complete a 2:53 marathon, coach and cheer my big sister to a marathon PR, pace my daughter in the Bolder Boulder, and pace Karen to a monster marathon PR. And I almost have my wife convinced to be a runner. Almost. Those memories and friendships have been a huge part of my year. And I thank all of you for inspiring me and being part of my story.

A year in review blog wouldn't be complete without a list of my best running moments. This list is not in order because there is no way good way to sort them. Every event meant something to me in ways that make them impossible to separate.