Coming to an End - 2010

9:46 AM

Only a couple days left. 2010 is almost over. It’s hard to believe. It’s been a great year, a year full of memories. Since it’s nearly done, I figured I’d take a look back as I did last year and list the best of the best. If I had to name the best moment of 2010 it would hands-down be finding out that I’ve got a 3rd son on the way in April. It was the best surprise I’ve ever received. However, that’s not running –related and since this is a running blog, I thought I’d once again list my top 10 running moments of 2010. So here they are:

10. Talking with Dick Beardsley – I’ll admit that before this year started, I had heard of Dick Beardsley but didn’t know a whole lot about him. But when I found out I was going to get to chat with him while co-hosting the Runners Round Table, I did some research. I was amazed and impressed with his accomplishments. He’s one of the modern greats and it was a huge honor to get to talk with him. We were scheduled to talk about his running camps which we did, but we had some extra time and I even got the chance to ask him a personal question about my Cross Country team. That was a special moments to get advice from someone so well known and special in the running world. I really enjoyed that interview.

9. Registering for the Goofy Challenge 2011 – I know this was just punching buttons on the computer, but at the same time, it was fulfilling a dream I’ve had for a long time. I’ve been wanting to run Disney for a while now, basically ever since I heard about it. And the fact that I finally decided (and got approval from the family) to run the Goofy Challenge was very exciting. I’m leaving in just over a week and I can’t believe it’s almost here.

8. Huff ‘N Puff 15K Relay – I got to run my first ever relay this year. I hadn’t run a relay since high school track. I enjoyed running this 15K relay with my friends , Nate and Andrea. I appreciate them asking me, but wasn’t sure what to expect. It ended up being a really fun getaway and race. Ending up first in our age bracket wasn’t too bad either. I ran my 2nd best 5K ever that day.

7. Memorial Day 5K – This was the 2nd of two races I got to run with my son, Carter. But it was his best one. He ran a 26:01 that day which was much better than either of us expected. We hadn’t gotten to train for this one like we did his first one but he still ran his best. And he got FIRST in his age group which was very exciting. I was so proud of him that day and it was so special to run it with him.

6. Purity Dairies 5K – This was the 1st 5K that Carter ran and we had no idea what to expect. We had trained pretty well for this one and it was a great race. He ended up getting 26:23 and coming in third in his age group. He got a medal which he was so excited about as were his very proud parents. One of the best parts of that day was when we crossed the finish line, he looked at me and said, “Dad, can we do that again?” He didn’t care about being tired or needing water, he wanted to run again. I knew then that he was a natural and it made me a very proud dad.

5. Chick ‘Fil-A 10K – This was my first ever 10K. One of my goals this year had been to run my first one and I chose this race. I was a little nervous about how I would do. I had some pain in the weeks prior and was worried that I wouldn’t do well. But I ended up feeling great, running a great time and placing 2nd in my age group. This landed me free chicken sandwiches for a year. We’ve used several of the sandwiches already and each time it reminds me of this great day.

4. Zoo Run 5K – This was my earliest race of 2010 way back in January. I ran so much better than I ever thought I would. I guess I just felt really good that day, but I ran hard and didn’t let up. I ended up with a 19:46 which is my best 5K ever. I got first for my age group and a nice gift-certificate prize. I enjoyed this race and would love to do it again this year but it might be a little close to the Disney races to have enough recover time.

3. Nashville Half Marathon – I was excited about doing this race. This was one of my biggest goals of 2010 – to PR in the half marathon. This would be my one and only chance. I was also excited about going back to the half. I had run the full Nashville in 2009 and had missed the easier and more fun half. I did end up PRing with a 1:33 but it came at a price as I had to visit medical for a while at the end. It made for a good story but I felt pretty bad during the last mile. It’s still a great moment all things considering.

2. Coaching my first ever high school Cross Country season – I got a dream job this year when I was promoted to high school coach at the school where I teach. I had coached middle school cross country for 11 years and loved it, but I was ready to advance to the next level where the competition advances greatly. I had a great season and loved working with these kids. They worked so hard and made me extremely proud. I cannot wait for next season.

1. Chicago Marathon – This had been another dream for a while. One of the ultimate marathons. I was so excited to make it my fall marathon for this year and had a blast. It ended up being a tough race and I didn’t feel exactly like I’d hoped, but I still PR’ed with a 3:34. The trip itself was so much fun and I enjoyed touring the city with this run. It was just an overall great experience and one I will never forget.

So there they are – my top 10 running moments of 2010. Here’s hoping the 2011 will bring some great ones. They may be toned down a bit as I’m not going quite as big after Disney with our son on the way. But I still plan to do some new things. I’ll try to post one more time before the year ends about my goals for the new year. 2010 was a great year where I accomplished a lot of goals and had a running year I won’t soon forget.

By the way – this is my 100th post on this blog. Happy 100! Here’s to 100 more…..maybe.

Keep runnin’,
Albert