Running into 2021

By | January 10, 2021

Into? Away from? What a week.

This isn’t the place for that, so I’ll just offer love and hugs and an ear if anyone ever needs one.

By far the highlight of my week was celebrating my fourth running anniversary, but it was overall a really solid week of running. While on my runs I found myself reflecting even more on the year that was 2020 in running.

Mileage:

  • January 43.78
  • February  66.47 (all of 2020 races: 10K, 4M, Half, 7 Mile)
  • March 56.02
  • April 19.31 (aka finally let the IT Band heal)
  • May 36.66 (building back up)
  • June  52.73
  • July 76.48
  • August 91.46
  • September 90.24
  • October 96.52
  • November 80.59
  • December 80.43

That shakes out at 80 miles/month over the non-injured half of the year. Thanks again Marcia for coach voicing me to stop doing what hurt. Might there be a hundred mile month in 2021? If not for the upcoming post-travel quarantine I’d say January might be a candidate as this was a solid week.

I’m used to all the challenges appearing in January in line with New Years’ resolutions, but in all the years I’ve been a Kindle user, I’ve never been offered a Kindle Challenge. It looks easy to hit and I’ll take a $5 credit. Benefit of some down time to start the year was three books read through last weekend and another nearly two this week. Best so far is Samantha Allen’s Real Queer America. Saddest? Alex Trebek’s The Answer Is (and yes I sniffled through Friday’s episode)

As a way of preparing for quarantine, I started my free Peloton trial and so far it’s fun. I really liked the foam rolling class (Thanks, Coco) and am excited to try the strength training ones when I’m home and with the new to me dumbbells.  I like the idea of the free two months to really decide if it’s going to work for me. I have a feeling Deborah’s 12 of the Most Useful Features post is going to be very helpful!

Speaking of quarantine, had a bit of a digital scare this week when I got an alert from the New York COVID app that someone who tested positive was within six feet of me for over ten minutes… on December 27. I’ve tested negative in the interim, so wasn’t particularly worried, but the alert was nerve-wracking. That was a weird message to get almost two weeks later. Oddly I was only in two places that day and with one other person. I’m guessing it was someone somewhere in Central Park, because I wasn’t within six feet of anyone otherwise, and the only person I was with didn’t get an alert.  Before I checked the date I assumed it was my travel day, but it wasn’t. I still haven’t decided if I’m glad for these alerts, sanity wise, but glad to know contact tracing is in place.

Linking up with Kim and Deborah for the Weekly Run Down

good morning work week

  • never miss a Monday: wasn’t sure about this after Sunday’s hard run, but really wanted to get the work year off to a good start so I did a short, chill run to the beach. It’s ~ 3 mi and in my pre-coffee brain I went past 3.1 thinking 3.2 was 5K. There are worse things than an extra tenth.
  • Tuesday: up for a chilly sunrise around the marina and some errands.

thank you for 2020 for making me a morning runner

  • Wednesday: happy runversary to me! It’s funny looking at Facebook memories, I think it might have actually been January 7, but I celebrated it in the past on the 6th, so the 6th it is. Six miles, on the sixth before the world got ugly.

bonus reindeer

aforementioned table

  • Thursday: my achilles requested and received a break from the intracoastal bridge.  It’s always fun to explore the streets of this area. Aside from being out of winter, one of the best things about being here is space to eat and work and how cheap everything is. Living on salads (and, full disclosure, PB&J) and so happy.  It’s even more colorful than this pic looked. And it has been *lovely* to have a table to sit at for lunch. (Spoiler, I still didn’t make it out on lunch despite thinking about cross training swim/stretch).  I actually have a choice of two tables, two desks, although I’ve mostly been working from an arm chair on the terrace, because who wants to be indoors?  I’m going to miss space and the ability not to eat at my desk. It’s not enough to get me to move most likely, but I’m very curious to see what rents look like when my lease is up and what I can possibly get for the same amount of money.
  • Friday:  I wish I had a waterproof fitbit as with my pool running I probably had my step goal combined with some errands. Regardless of whether it “counted”, I really enjoy the pool cross training and it was likely a large part of what made this week’s volume work.

best mask sign

  • Saturday: no plans beyond vaguely “long” and wanting to avoid the expected busy sidewalks by the beach on a Saturday morning. It was “chilly” so it was never really busy, but it was nice to re-visit the New Years Eve route through downtown Delray. As a bonus, found the green market and this amusing sign.  Ended up at just more than eight miles and my first long run below a 12 minute mile average in a long time. I haven’t done speed work and haven’t been trying to get faster, but I love some flat terrain. Would have been faster except I walked the uphill portion of the intracoastal bridge. Much cooler than last Sunday made this much more pleasant. I spent the afternoon with the pool (deck) to myself as it was not at all pool weather, but no way was I going to miss a chance to be outside and reading.
  • Sunday: short, flat shakeout meets errands. Upper right quad a little tight, and good excuse to do the foam rolling class again. More reading and, sadly, packing, as I prepare to go home.

21 thoughts on “Running into 2021

  1. Darlene S Cardillo

    Love that you have beach picks. Those view would make me a morning runner. No temptation here.
    And you are so lucky to leave the frigid temps and all those layers of running clothes.

    Congrats on your running anniversary. You had some great months of mileage. Too bad all those races were squeezed into one month.

    I have been using the two month trial for Peleton too. There’s so much else out there, I doubt I will spend the money when it’s over.

    I looked at the COVID plans for the Feb 14 race. It’s actually the flights that worry me not the race. Still haven’t made up my mind….

    Glad that COVID alert was a fluke. My friend that I visited with called to tell me that she test positive. I wore my mask and was never within 6 ft of her…but still nerve-wracking and I quarantined for 10 days just in case. All is well, it’s been more than 14 days.

    Reply
    1. cari Post author

      I just don’t like multiple thousand people in one spot, even if it’s theoretically staggered, especially since they’re not allowed to enforce the mask mandate. I have no doubt you’ll love it if you do
      It’s all so nerve wracking, and glad you’re OK. Hope your friend is as well.
      I’m not sure yet if I’ll do the Peloton paid, we’ll see how I get into it. I think they’re all around the same price and so far I like Peloton’s variety over Beachbody’s, which is the other one I tried

      Reply
  2. Deborah Brooks

    wow getting an alert 2 weeks later is not that helpful! You are going to love the Peloton app! So many classes so little time. You had a pretty solid year of running coming off of your injury. January and Feb are always great running months for me too. Yay for 4 years! Run on my friend

    Reply
  3. Lisa @ Mile by Mile

    My dad got an alert that he was within 6 feet of someone who tested positive, but he also got the alert 2 weeks later. He thinks it was from an airport (he was traveling for work that day). He got tested and was luckily negative. Its good to have the alerts, but is less helpful when they are received 2 weeks after potential exposure!
    Glad you are having a good running month to start out the year!

    Reply
  4. Wendy

    I forgot you were still in Florida! I’d be sad to go home too.

    I hadn’t seen that Kindle challenge, but I am going to chase your link and check it out!

    Reply
    1. cari Post author

      I didn’t even know about it until I got notification that I got an email that I earned a badge. So weird, but I’ll take it. Read anything good so far this year?

      Reply
  5. Chocolaterunsjudy

    Getting notified 2 weeks later — that would not make me happy. By then what’s the point, really?

    Nice to be able to get in some sunshine! I know when we’ve been in Kauai I’ve been outside first thing in the morning, because it’s just so darn gorgeous. Or on a lanai. 🙂 Ah, memories . . .

    Sounds like a good week & a good runnversary for you.

    Reply
  6. Kim G

    Hooray for your running anniversary! Nice to have a positive thing to celebrate, especially this week.

    Wow, I can’t believe the app gave you the alert that late – that’s crazy! I haven’t received one of those yet but I do have the app for CT.

    Reply
  7. Liz Dexter

    Well done on your long run and again on your runniversary! How weird about the alert, they are pretty random here and very delayed usually. I have Real Queer America I think and want to get to it soon though have a LIST to get through by mid-month. Which it nearly is – eeps!

    Reply
  8. Coco

    You backed a lto of races in February — good thing! Thanks for the scoop on the Kindle challenge. I’m trying to do more reading and less doomscrolling in the evening. 😉 I can’t believe last Friday was Alex Trabek’s last show. 🙁

    Reply
    1. cari Post author

      I have been much better here at turning off the computer than I am at home, but I’m going to try and keep up that habit. Fingers crossed. Definitely better for the mental health.
      Me neither. Came on so quick

      Reply
  9. Jessie

    Interesting about the alert- Minnesota has a similar app and I check it constantly and am quite curious what it looks like when you do have exposure! (though I’m happy not knowing, as that would be stressful!)

    Glad you are enjoying your warm vacation!

    Reply
  10. Michelle D.

    So glad you’ve enjoyed a little escape! Happy Run anniversary 🙂

    I’m glad you’re giving the Peloton app a go – hope you enjoy it!

    Thanks for the heads up on the Kindle challenge – I have a goal to read more this year so I need to check this out.

    Reply
  11. Jenn

    Congratulations on such a big running milestone!

    I don’t know if I could leave NY. I did once, and I would love to be back. I am very much a city dweller, and while I love the beach and nature and all that, city is my heart. I don’t know that we will ever move out of the sunshine state.

    I’m so glad you had a wonderful break.

    Reply
  12. Renée @runlaugheatpie

    Your stats for 2020 are amazing. really. and yes, good that you finally let the IT band heal! and I was confused for a sec wondering how close you lived to the beach but indeed remember that you weren’t at home 😉

    I don’t know when my running anniversary is. I wish I would have noted it! All I know is that it’s sometime in Feb 2009 for a couple of weeks, then I went away to get married and started up again in March. Happy Runniversary to you!!

    Reply
  13. Marcia

    You’ve got some impressive 2020 stats! Way to go! That Covid alert 2 weeks later is disconcerting to say the least. I’ve run across a few people lately who have no clue how they contracted Covid. Disturbing. I’ve yet to try the Peloton app. I’ll probably wait until we’re back from our snowbird trip.

    Reply
  14. Zenaida Arroyo

    An alert like that would freak me out. Especially if it is 2 weeks later. I get the reason for these alerts but wonder if others will find it helpful or nerve wrecking. Happy to see you trying out the app. Keep us posted on how it goes.

    Reply
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