2010 Summary

Since I've got the numbers, I thought I would share them.  Total miles ended up at 2281 with approximately 65 miles of climbing.  The breakdown:

1274 trail miles (48 miles climbed, 281 hours)
190 treadmill miles (14 miles climbed)
97 track miles (no climbing)
720 road miles (estimated 3 miles climbing)
129 resistance workouts (weights/plyometrics, about 100 hours)

Prominent Summits:

Longs Peak (14,255ft)
Comanche Peak (12,690ft)
Signal Mountain, 3 times (11,253ft)
Lookout Mountain (10,597ft)
West White Pine Mountain (10,302ft)
Crosier Mountain, 3 times one day (9216ft)
Sheep (Round) Mountain (8458ft)
Horsetooth Rock, 7 times (7208ft)
Arthurs Rock, 3 times (6772ft)

I ended up my year today with 15 miles of urban trail (road) around Fort Collins in the snow and single digits (welcome Winter).  I'm really happy with the total numbers.  As I pointed out in a previous post, my miles are pretty low compared to a lot of my trail running peers.  Of course since that post a month ago I went out and did 270 miles in December (my biggest month).  As all trail runners know, however, all miles are not created equal.  Pete recently posted his 100th vertical mile of 2010 and that is a number that I put more value to than horizontal miles.  Maybe I will shoot for 100 in 2011, but it will be tough.  I'm going to have to convert more of those road miles to trail miles but that is not always feasible.  I am trying to make an effort to do more short trail runs at harder efforts.  For example, I plan to make the Horsetooth Summit time trial a regular personal challenge.

It's been a great year of discovering new trails and I hope to continue that trend in 2011.  I will assume Hard Rock to be my goal race this summer until I hear otherwise from the February 5 lottery.  There is also a long list of runs and adventures that don't involve a registration fee or racing bib that I hope to slowly make my way through.  As a kid, my Dad and I used to joke how we wanted to fish every pond and lake in Maine.  Impossible!  Now I feel the same way about trying to explore every trail in Colorado.

I am thankful to go another year injury-free (not counting the everyday muscle soreness of this 40 year old body).  I think the resistance training is key to this.  I am also lucky to have the support of a wonderful wife and two girls who let Dad disappear into the mountains for hours on end and then lets his stinky, sweaty body back in the house upon his return.

2010, you are done!