2014 Year End musings

Delayed reflection on the year gone by - with hectic work schedule and vacation in Rajasthan was unable to make time for this in the last fortnight of the year as I usually do. Better late than never I guess. After 5 years of relatively injury free running and consistently improving performances, 2014 was a let down.  The injury that I picked up just over a year ago in December 2014 plagued me throughout the year and impacted my race performances. Due to the injury it was also a lean year in terms of events  : 2FMs,1HM, a 10K and 50K Ultra. The high point was of course being able to run Boston marathon - fulfilling a goal I had set myself in 2011 though the timing was nothing to write home about.   The other first in 2014 was the maiden experience of being a pacer at Bangalore marathon - albeit it was my slowest HM. The 50K at the Bangalore Ultra was also my slowest ever - over an hour slower than my best in 2013!!

The running mileage was the usual 1800Kms:

1.  157
   Jan '14
2.  176
   Feb '14
3. 224
   Mar '14
4. 151
   Apr '14
5. 98
   May '14
6. 81
   Jun '14
7. 36
   Jul '14
8. 105
   Aug '14
9. 136
   Sep '14
10.  186
    Oct '14
11.  262
    Nov '14
12. 175
    Dec '14

And  cycling mileage was 1300 Kms :

1.  143
   Jan '14
2. 142
   Feb '14
3. 165
   Mar '14
4.  52
   Apr '14
5. 159
   May '14
6.  216
   Jun '14
7. Jul '14
8. 30
   Aug '14
9. 63
   Sep '14
10. 156
    Oct '14
11. 62
    Nov '14
12. 65
    Dec '14

Update on 2014 goals set in Dec 2013:

1. Sub 3:37 at SCMM - this one may get changed to a sub 4 based on how the left glutes/hamstring/calf behaves in the next 3 weeks  - 3:46:23

2. Sub 3:40 at Boston 2014 - 3:50:57

3. Sub 45m 10K in TCS world 10K  - 47:30

4. Sub 3:45 at Hyderabad marathon in August - skipped due to injury

5. 75K at the Bangalore Ultra - downgraded to 50K - completed in 5:57:41

Additionally I ran  a 23:33 5K at Puma Urban Stampede in August as part of a team of my new employer, namely, Wadhwani Foundation.  This was faster than I should have given my left leg niggles and this further  exacerbated the injury . Since September my focus has been on strengthening  - I restarted sessions at the Manipal Hospital- Department of sports and exercise medicine.

For the first time in last 5 years I am unsure about what events I will do in the year  - in any case I am unlikely to race hard in any event till I fully recover from my injury.   For sure I will run (though not race) SCMM in January. And the TCS 10K in May and most likely the Bangalore Ultra in November. I will definitely NOT be doing Comrades in 2015. I plan to take stock of events in April based on my recovery status. in any case I am reconciled to enjoy running in 2015 with no time targets and focus on strengthening and come back strong(er) in 2016!!