The Life of a Running Momma: 2020 Running Review

Well, this year was WAY different than any other in so many ways and running was no different. I had a really strong spring training cycle gearing up for the Boston Marathon in April. I felt like I was in the best shape I've ever been in for longer distances. I got in 5 long run workouts and four 20-22 mile long runs. Then I got a terrible case of the flu mid-March right before Covid-19 made it's way to America. That kept me out for about 2 weeks and left me feeling weak for quite a while! Then Boston was canceled along with all the other races I was signed up for. This fall was pretty blah and my body and mind were just out of sorts. The only real races I ran this year were the Race in the New Year and the Sweetheart Run. The rest of my runs this year were virtual races. In true 2020 fashion, I hit 2,020 miles for the year because I missed so much training while sick with the flu. That seemed to fit with the theme of the year pretty perfectly! Read last year's running review here, 2018 here, 2017 here, and 2016 here.

Total Miles Run:

2,020

For Comparison I Ran:

2,019 miles in 2019

1,918 in 2018

1,546.41 in 2017

1,332.6 miles in 2016.

Average Weekly Mileage: 38.8

Average Daily Mileage: 5.5

Total Time Spent Running:

292 hours

For Comparison I Ran:

283 hours in 2019

271 hours in 2018

223.5 hours in 2017

191.5 hours in 2016.

Total Elevation Gain:

71,963 feet

For Comparison:

75,483 feet in 2019

70,513 feet in 2018

Total Active Days/Days I Ran: 319

My friend and I were supposed to end a running streak in November of 2019 but were really enjoying it so we kept going. My running streak stretched from July of 2019 until I got the flu in March of 2020. Then I missed out on 10 days of activity and followed that up with super low mileage as I came back to the world of the living.

For Comparison:

338 days in 2019

308 in 2018

This Year's Stats:

Number of 5ks Run: 4 (10 in 2019, 10 in 2018, 8 in 2017, and 15 in 2016)

Number of 10ks Run: 2 (3 in 2019, 3 in 2018, 4 in 2017, and 4 in 2016)

Number of 15ks Run: 1 (1 in 2019, 1 in 2018, 1 in 2017, and 1 in 2016)

Number of Half Marathons Run: 2 (3 in 2019, 3 in 2018, 1 in 2017, and 1 in 2016)

This puts my total half marathon count at 21.

Number of Marathons Run: 1 (0 in 2019, 1 in 2018, 1 in 2017, and 0 in 2016)

This puts my total marathon count at 6.

Times Under 22 Minutes in the 5k: 2

Times Under 21 Minutes in the 5k: 1

Times Under 20 Minutes in the 5k: 1

Weeks with 20-29 Miles: 3 (0 in 2019, 5 in 2018, 21 in 2017, and 24 in 2016)

Weeks with 30-39 Miles: 20 (23 in 2019, 25 in 2018, 8 in 2017, and 11 in 2016)

Weeks with 40-49 Miles: 21 (29 in 2019, 17 in 2018, 9 in 2017, and 7 in 2016)

Weeks with 50+ Miles: 7 (0 in 2019, 3 in 2018, 7 in 2017, and 2 in 2016)

Highest Weekly Mileage: 57 miles (My highest weekly mileage since college and it happened to be the week leading up to the flu, don't think that was quite a coincidence.)

PRs

None

January

Dec. 31st/Jan 1st- Race into the New Year 5k in 19:57 (6:23 pace), 2nd overall female

Mom, me, and dad ready for the Race Into the New Year.

February

15th- Sweetheart Run 5k in 20:39 (6:38 pace), 2nd overall female

15th- Sweetheart Run 10k in 42:39 (6:47 pace), 2nd overall female

Jeremy and I finished 3rd as a team in the doubler and I was 7th out of 289 in the double and 2nd female.

Finishing the 5k during the Sweetheart Run double.

Running with Jeremy during the10k of the Sweetheart Run double.

March

I missed out on the Chisholm Trail Half Marathon I had signed up for and planned to run with the 1:30 pace group in an attempt to break 1:30 for the first time. The race was canceled but I wouldn't have been able to shoot for my original goal pace if it hadn't been as I was just recovering from the flu when it should have been.

April

The big one here was missing Boston. I was pretty much into my taper when Boston was canceled.

May

We would have run the Joplin Memorial Half Marathon this month. I wasn't sure if I would be running on a relay or running the half, but didn't need to decide after all.

June

Our summer race series was set to return this summer and ended up getting canceled. We hadn't signed up get so didn't miss out on that.

July

4th- Run OK Virtual Half in 1:37:29 (7:26 pace)

August

5th- Hope Isn't Canceled Virtual 10k in 44:02 (7:04 pace)

September

12th- Virtual Boston Marathon in 3:46:15 (8:37 pace)