13th Annual FBG Year-End Report - 2022
Your goals coming into the year, and were they achieved?
Pulling a couple nuggets from a year ago me to help me out…
“I have to identify and minimize weaknesses through strengthening even if at the detriment of volume…It’s my core that is weak, it leads to too much stress on everything else.”
This led me to perform hundreds of short core and stretching sessions and paid off big time. Still lots to do.
“Health is #1 to support upping mileage with a bump to my base and a bump to my training peak miles.”
I did not bump my base by much nor my peak but stayed consistent with both even with the hours traded for non running activities.
“Race times will be an outcome, the desired outcomes are a 5k PR in first half of year and a marathon PR in the second half of the year. The sub 20 min 5k goal has been a couple years now and it’s getting done this time. “
“I also want to enjoy more start lines and if possible race days with some FBG crew.”
This was the best. KT82 with the crew and Berlin with
@SteelCurtain and Richmond with
@pbm107 . Really truly makes running mean even more to me. 2023 running schedule hopefully includes some meet ups.
“Hitch on to some group runs / run club stuff locally. I think this will be good for me.”
Gonna do better here but I’ve joined a local club and met a few folks to link up with more in 2023
Accomplishments or PRs in 2022:
5k - 19:47
Marathon - 3:23:18
KT relay victory with the team
First 2x marathon year (Steel : yawn)
Your proudest and/or best race (or segment within a race):
On those PR days, I am thinking of the last portions where you go to the well. It’s what it all comes down to. I had something to go to and the training, strategy, guts came together. Turning onto the last straight in Berlin with the Brandenburg Gate was a thrill and even more so being able to push it home. Juxtapose with not having that last topped off training in me on 2nd marathon. Profound learning moments.
The KT relay was big fun and big efforts in the heat. I was thrilled to get the last leg and bring it home for the masters and the long hairs.
A race or race training disappointment during 2022:
I had 2 good swings at the BQ time with 2 different ways to start and finish the races. 1 with a goofy start and strong finish and 1 with a good start and a fading finish. I am good at gathering and learning from experience and I got a lot to learn on in 2022. Fading down the stretch in November marathon remains a disappointment that I’ll turn to motivation to strength train after runs to develop more fatigue resistance.
Total training volume and successes during 2022:
YoY metrics look good-
2022 Volume vs 2021 - 2,001 miles down 3%
2022 Avg pace 9:04 down 9 secs vs 2021
2022 Avg HR 130 vs 129 2021
2022 Elevation 58,655 up 14.9%
Lesson(s) you’ve learned during the year:
Another callback to last year…
“Staying healthy is easier than getting healthy. Warmups, post run stuff and strength work is what it takes for me to stay on track”
Shoot this in my veins. And in my PTs bank account.
Primary memories of other guys’ training, races, or life experiences in 2022:
@Zasada ultras and R2R2R were bonkers and he’s just getting stronger. The Ironmans jump out and blow my mind. Looking at the race calendar, so many of you put out big performances to cash in on solid training - you love to see it. Raceday support and tracking is just the coolest. The shared experiences make it matter.
The guys working through injuries and setbacks are coming into 2023 with things looking up
Goal(s) for 2023:
1- Longer long runs and mostly easy effort with strides and hills for the variety. This will be a long and wave based build. Will monitor resting HR and AHR for feedback along with volume. All goes well I’ll hit a new high score for annual miles.
2- I’m starting fresh with body weight and imbalance assessment in Dec and Jan and will get on a sustainable path to getting stronger. I’ll get on to KBs and then to pull-ups and a half decent deadlift but have to clean up a messy shoulder and horrific lack of lunge strength first. Will monitor and compare Ground Contact Time metric for improvement translates into running. Shooting for 10 pull-ups.
3- Eat more at the right times. I am generally hangry in life I am now recognizing. I can improve on quantity and quality of calories to support my life better and more evenly.
4- BQ shot in September. I tried to avoid it coming down to 1 raceday for my 2024 entry but I would be racing for a buffer even if I had hit the 45 yo mark in 2022.
Sign up for Erie on 9/10/2023 opens on 1/1 - see you there??
Items 1,2,3 above will have me in a good place to absorb marathon focus training. I am going to do it.
I’ll have some other race days along the way mostly for fun and as long runs but will be very focused on Sept.
It’s been a mellow December getting my body to come back around, toenails and all are doing well. Ready to do the work.
The support shared here is special, thanks for letting me be a part of it and let’s keep going.
I just bookmark my reply after multiple years of not finding it. Could be that I didn’t submit reports. 
), but unless it's on trails or we get a pleasant unseasonal surprise that fits the schedule I doubt I'll do anything over an hour before the first melt. If I end up in a position Q4 to restart a 2,000+ mile streak then I will, but unlike prior years it isn't an issue I'm going to force.
All of you other Inspirational BMF'ers that I forget to mention.
Meanwhile it’s 7° here and won’t get above freezing until Tuesday. 
