Reflecting on another year gone by

I turned 54 on 3/9. So, as my “birthday week” winds down, it’s time for a little reflection of the past year.

At this time last year if you told me I was going to run in a 5k, then 6 weeks later run in another one, and then 2 months later run in an 8k, I would have laughed and told you that you’re crazy. Bike 4,000 miles, yes, run 3 miles, no freakin’ way.

This morning, I have to admit that you were right and I was wrong. I didn’t hit my goal of 4,000 miles on the bike, came up 762 miles short. But, I ran my first 5k in Nov., the Summit Twilight 5K benefiting Movember, with the goals of running the whole time and completing it in under 30 minutes. I accomplished both those goals, completing the race in 28:04. New Years weekend, I decided to run in a charity 5k put on by some of the M’s and 2.0’s of the Davidson Pax. I posted that morning and an hour later I started my second 5k, this time finishing in 27:34. Last night, I celebrated the end of my birthday week by running in Summit’s Leprechaun Loop, an 8k race. All I heard this past week is how tough the course is and that it’s one of Summit’s toughest runs. So, I set my goals based on this information, run the whole time and finish in under an hour, that was my realistic goal. Then I set my stretch goal, finish in under 50 minutes. Five miles through Davidson on streets that were not flat, most of the hills were subtle but long, the worst kind in my opinion. Then there is the final mile which was a constant up and down, including tackling one the the steepest hills in town. As I hit that final mile, that’s where all those early rainy mornings and damn burpees paid off, it  was my best mile of the race. I crossed the finish line with a time of 45:38.

I’ve gotten up too early, on too many occasions to work out, sometimes in some pretty crappy weather. I’ve endured way too many SSH’s, burpees, stadium stairs, box jumps, laps around the track, sprints, and J-Lo’s. I’ve struggled completing exercises, ran in the back of the pack because I couldn’t keep up, and after rounds of ab exercises, I’ve struggled to get back on my feet. Yet, when all was said it done, it was the best part of my day and I wouldn’t have had it any other way.

So, as my birthday week winds down I want to say a HUGE thank you to my good friends in the F3 Nation, especially the PAX of Davidson, who were working out next to me, making fun of my cadence counts (SSH Knuckle Ball Count), amazed by my boxing skills (or lack there of), but most of all, for pushing me hard and helping me get in the best shape of my life both physically and mentally.

You men have have made this past year one of the best.

AYE!

Duvall