I’ve kept the last few years for comparison purposes… and my comments in Italics. I expect your comments below. What do YOU think are the wins and fails? what about your wins and fails? What is the most important factor for you? Mileage, PRs, races..??

Total Miles:
2009- 678
2010- 1217
2011- 886
2012- 1241
2013- 1109
2014- 1081
2015- 1237
2016- 1502 most
— wow. simple: most miles ever. And I just took 3 weeks off. awesome. thumbs up

Races:
2009- 10 (9 in NYC, 1 in Nashville) 1 marathon, 2 halfs, one 18 miler, one 10k, one 5M, two 4M, one 3 miler and a Mile.
2010- 19 (13 in NYC, 1 in Boston, 1 in Boulder, 2 in NJ, 1 in Philly, and 1 in Buenos Aires)
2011- 12 (10 in NYC, 1 in DC, and 1 in NJ)
2012- 16 (13 in NYC, 1 in PA, 1 in Germany, 1 in Argentina)
2013- 11 (10 in NYC, one in NJ)
2014- 15 (12 in NYC, one in NJ, one in MA, and one in Argentina)
2015- 17 (16 in NYC, one in NJ)
2016- 13 (11 in NYC, two in NJ), 6 were half marathons
— ooops, I seemed to have skipped a few classics. Crap. thumbs down

PRs:
2009- Six! (Out of 10 races)
2010- Thirteen! (Out of 19 races)
2011- Six + 1 automatic one (Out of 12 races)
2012- Three (marathon, 5K, mile) + 1 automatic (out of 16 races)
2013- Three (half mary, 4 miler, and 10K)
2014- ZERO!
2015- ONE – at the NYRR Hope and Possibility 5 Miler in June. I also came first woman in a 5K, but no PR there.
2016- ONE! at the United NYC Half.
— just one seems like a “thumbs down” situation but I also got just one in 2015, so maybe this is how things are now… Also, on the plus side, it is AMAZING that it was a half marathon PR, plus the fact that I got the PR at the hilliest of all the halfs I did. I also like the fact that I did 5 more halfs  and in a few I was within seconds of that same PR. thumbs up

Highest Age Grading:
2009- 60%
2010- 69%
2011- 68.5%
2012- 71:29%
2013- 70.23%
2013- 70.20%
2015- 72.28%
2016- 72.68%
— good thumbs up

Injuries:
2009- 2 — retrocalcaneal bursitis (5 months out), piriformis syndrome (10 weeks out)
2010- ITBS (three weeks out right before the Boston Marahton!)
2011- broken shoulder, 2 broken ribs, torn rotator cuff (2 weeks before NYCM!)
2012- NOT ONE!
2013- NOT ONE RUNNING INJURY! WOHOOO
2014- just my will to run…?!?! So, yey, good!?!?!
2015- a little adductor strain. It took a few months to diagnose it, but didn’t stop me from running. nothing special. just took off racing and speedwork for 6 weeks.
2016- NOPE
—most mileage ever and no injuries? #winning!  thumbs up

Races Cancelled or DNFed:
2009- none
2010- One DNF, a 50K where I fell twice.
2011- Chicago, DNS because of 2 stress fractures.
2012- ONE DNS (snow storm!), plus the NYC Marathon cancellation.
2013- none
2014- none
2015- Did the France Run without bib chip as I didn’t want to race it and skipped the Newport Half because wasn’t sure what was happening with my leg…
2016- One DNS: Philly Marathon
— got super sick, what could I do? thumbs down

Highest/Average Weekly Mileage:
2009- Highest: 40. Average: 13
2010- Highest: 40. Average: 23
2011- Highest: 36. Average: 17
2012- Highest: 40. Average: 25
2013- Highest: 43. Average 21.
2014- Highest: 43. Average 20.
2015- Highest: 40. Average 23.6
2016- Highest: 50. Average 28.8 most!
—fabo! thumbs up

Marathons:
2009- One (NYC). PR: 3:45:22
2010- Two (NYC and Boston). PR: 3:42:33
2011- Two (National and NYC). PR: 3:37:57. DNS in Chicago for injury.
2012- One (Berlin). PR: 3:27:44
2013- One (NYC). A MegaMESS
2014- Two (Boston and NYC), two awfully-slow-fun experiences. Not even close to a PR.
2015- NONE. isn’t that insane?
2016- NONE
— I tried, I got sick. thumbs up

Half Marathons:
2009- Two. PR was 1:45:55
2010- Six. PR is 1:42:47
2011- Two. No PR.
2012- Two. No PR. (though there was an unofficial half marathon PR in the second half of the Berlin marathon)
2013- Three. A 1:37:35 PR and two I did for training (1:45 and 1:42).
2014: FOUR! NYC Half, Brooklyn, Gretes’ Great Gallop and Staten Island. Not ONE PR!
2015- Three raced, one Paced. NYC Half, Brooklyn, More (pacing the 1:45 group) and Staten Island
2016- SIX. the most!
— One was a PR, one was close, two were close and run them for fun, one was a training run, and the other one was a weather mess that I still did great at. thumbs up because I got one PR!

 

THE BALANCE

Overall, I am happy, even though I know I should have expected more of myself. I trained harder than ever before, did more miles, more strengthening, and still just one PR. It was a huge PR (minute and a half, at a half marathon) but I had a feeling I could PR at the marathon, trained like a maniac, and just didn’t get to race it. That left a little of a bitter taste in my mouth but not bad enough to want to go at it in 2017. I am sticking with the halfs.

I am mostly happy about how it all came together. I run so much and did so much cross training, without ever feeling like it was a chore. 2016 was the year of FUN. I really got into November Project and I was going at least once a week. I did speedwork every week, at least once, usually twice. I did many stairs workouts and Iron Strength workouts. I run lots of miles with friends. I coached many NYRR workouts and run many miles in the coaching sessions. It never felt like work or like miles I had to squeeze in.  That is the best thing I could have asked for. I also did tons of hours of plyometrics on my own. Yes, because I like it.

Goals for 2017…? If I could manage to have the same year, I would. I’d do a few more races. I’d try to get out my comfort zone a bit more. And I definitely want to do more strengthening. But overall, I think this works for me. Well, I’d love a couple more PRs… 

what was your biggest accomplishment in 2016? do you have any specific goals for 2017?