End of Year Report

Last week I noticed I was nearly on track to match last year's total running distance if I simply did my scheduled mileage for the week with one modification: I'd have to move this Thursday's run a day early.  This would not normally be an an issue since this week coincides with my shortest (during which I don't run on Wednesdays), but, with rain in the forecast for most of today (and not a fan of getting wet when I run), I made the call to combine the two mid-week short runs into a 9 miler yesterday...adding a half mile just so I could top 2024's total.  Even then, I had to wait for yesterday's rain to end (roughly 2pm) before stepping out the door one last time in 2025 (and I'm not a fan of doing afternoon runs).  On the plus side, I caught glimpses of a rainbow as I started running, but the color faded by the time I reached an unobstructed view.

So, according to Garmin, I finished 2025 with 1,357.71 total running miles.  Strava displays my total as 1,357.50...exactly one half mile further than 2024...so I definitely topped it.  That said, this is not exactly a big accomplishment as I did not really improve my overall average pace, but I did manage to break 50 minutes for the first time at this year's The Hills Are Alive 10K.  Chip-timing definitely provides more motivation to work on pace, so I really should register for more races.  Uncertainty about my annual travel plans is making it harder to register for marathons though.

Longer Beach Marathon

With a trip planned for the end of July, interest in attending NSXPO in September, and another big trip yet to be scheduled (but definitely happening) later this year, I had pretty much ruled out signing up for any races in 2025 after The Hills Are Alive 10K...and, with zero control over when my latter trip would actually fly, sticking to my usual marathon training schedule seemed nearly impossible. But, in late June, I learned my end-of-July trip was suddenly off the books, NSXPO no longer seemed fiscally responsible, and I suddenly had a lot more time on my hands.

So I pivoted.

This year's Long Beach Marathon seemed early enough to be a safe date for planning a 26.2 mile run, but I would need to enter my training schedule in week 9 (of 18) and adjust distances accordingly if I wanted to have any chance of being ready to go without striving to do too much too soon (i.e. to avoid injury). My maintenance schedule gives me a solid base, but without the longer distances that help increase endurance (peaks at 10 miles every four weeks), so I knew I would have to ramp up the distances in half the time.  Since I can easily do a 13 to 14 milers at any point within my maintenance routine, I started with a 14...and then went up from there.

That said, the longest run I completed this cycle was only 16.66 miles, 17.76 if I add a subsequent walk to my peak week run...both workouts far short of the 22-23 recommended by my schedule.  If memory serves, I've only once run a full marathon without hitting this peak distance target in my training (when I opted to ride my bike 48 miles because I was too injured to run).  Despite missing distance targets, I have still managed to complete 91% of the mileage of a full marathon schedule...so 22-23 miles is doable especially if I give myself an easy route and don't attempt run at a race pace.  Worse case scenario?  I extend my schedule another four weeks and try again in early November, but I am curious to see what I can do without having fully trained. I am still in very good condition.

So I have driven down to my usual spot near Torrance Beach early on the morning of the Long Beach Marathon.  I should have started as early as the actual race because the marine layer is not present...it could get quite warm before I finish!

Fall Comes Early

Time to add another incident to my growing list: this time I tripped on an exposed root on Moccasin Trail as I approached the entrance to the Landfill Loop.  I don't recall ever seeing or feeling roots along this particular stretch of dirt (northeast of the church), but I definitely could see this one when I looked back.  I saw some people talking near a horse ahead...so I decided to ask them for help (I was bleeding and covered in dirt...just wanted to get some water to rinse off).  One of the ladies lives in the house at the corner, offered the use of her hose, and brought out bandages and hydrogen peroxide as well.  After getting patched up, I was able to continue on to the Landfill Loop and finish my five mile run.