Well what do you know, another day of freezing rain/sleet/ice to make my life more interesting.  Currently things are just wet so hopefully tonight's run won't have to be canceled or abreviated because I really need to get myself back into race condition before my next 5K (16 days) and marathon (17 days).  But that future stuff can wait...

Now is the time for a little reflection on the recently concluded year; a year of unprecedented (for me at least) performance.  Yes, somehow I managed to make it through 2008 in better condition than I could have even imagined at this time last year.  I not only survived my "ambitious" personal challenge, that saw me race more than 350 miles in 16 races over the course of the year, including 12 as part of "RunningBull's Run to Honor America's Veterans", but I also managed to finish in the top 10% for each event (that I was not participating in as a pace leader) including 8 finishes in the top 5 of my age group.

I ran a grand total of 2094 miles for the year. Unfortunately the local weather conditions did not permit me to run on New Years Eve, sort of like the LSU defense did to Georgia Tech in the Peach Bowl (again ), so I did not reach 2112 and thus could not find the Passage to Bangkok or the Temples of Syrinx before passing into the new year.  But still, that is more than I ran in 2007, 2006, 2005, on back to at least 1993 combined and am therefor not all that disappointed in having to wait until New Years Day to knock off those remaining miles.

My efforts to help support the New England Shelter (now Center) for Homeless Veterans in 2008 were mostly successful.  I came up about $3000 short of my fundraising goal BUT I did generate some additional publicity for the Center, generated some good will and feelings of appreciation for our veterans and active duty personnel, made my father proud and gave him something to talk about at the VA hospital where he lives.  For all of those reasons, and more, I have decided to continue my efforts into 2009.

However, this year I will not be focusing my schedule around participating in the Thematically linked events that I had in 2008, which dictated my travel, training, and race availability.  I will instead focus on completing one or two dramatic ultra-endurance level events while also expanding my role of service to the sport in honor of the service of our soldiers.

I will be continuing my new found role as a Marathon Pace Leader: currently scheduled to lead the 3:20 group in Miami and either the 3:30 or 3:15 group in Little Rock.

I am the Volunteer Coordinator for the 2nd annual Marathon Sports Super Sunday 5k/10k on Feb 1 in S. Boston.  I was the Course Director last year.  Volunteers are still welcome to sign up for on course support during the race (water table, course monitor, timing chip collection).

I joined the newly formed Race Director Committee for the 13th annual 24-hour Around the Lake Team Relay, Ultra-marathon, and Marathon presented by the Somerville Road Runners in Wakefield, MA on July 24-25.  I am currently operating as the Director of Sponsor Relations undertaking great efforts to keep this event fun, exciting, and affordable to all participants.  I hope to be able to find a way to actually participate in this event and enjoy the fruits of my labors, but odds are I will too many duties that will need my attention that weekend and will have to sign up for someone else's Ultra.

Speaking of sponsors, I feel that it is time for me to pass the torch and will be stepping down from Team Aquaphor after my 3 years of representing their Endurance Athlete Team.  I had a great time, met some wonderful people, and enjoyed some excellent benefits but feel that it is good to spread the wealth and will not stand in the way of some other deserving up-and-coming athlete.

And of course, I am registered to both volunteer for and compete in the Boston Marathon in April.

Have a great year everybody.

Yup, not only did I manage to get through the US Air Force Marathon, the Army 10-Miler, the Chicago Marathon, the Marine Corps. Marathon, and a local 5.2 miler in the span of just over 5 weeks, I set new personal best times in the 5.2 mile, 10 mile, and 26.2 mile distances at each of the races where I ran my own pace.

So now what?  Well for one thing, I have been busy trying to catch up on all of the household/familial responsibilities that had been piling up while I was away just about every weekend (including attending my wife's operas as the official videographer last weekend in Hingham and Duxbury, MA and this weekend in Lansdale, PA).  Next weekend I will be hosting a group run / breakfast clinic out of Karma Yoga Studio in Harvard Square.  Feel free to join me if you are available; we will be starting the 4-5 mile run at 8:30am and enjoying free Bear Naked granola with yogurt and fruit after we finish.

But this is all just filling time until Nov 20 when I will be heading down to Maryland (with a detour to hopefully visit with my mother for her birthday) for the JFK 50 Mile Memorial, my first official ultramarathon race on Nov 22.  Wish me luck on this stepping stone to next summer's Vermont 100 Miler.

I know, I know, I should devote as much time and attention to my garden or maybe organizing my photos into albums or finishing that letter to my brother or any of those other "important" things in life instead of running through the woods for 10-30 hours.  But none of those things give you a spiffy medal like this one when you finish: