You Can Trash 2017 AND One Year Warranties Suck!

So tomorrow, New Years Eve, I will probably run 5 miles. That will bring the total for 2017 to 1473. That is the worst mileage total for me since 2008 AND my eighth lowest year EVER! So, from the running standpoint, you can take 2017 and put it exactly where the picture on the left indicates: the TRASH.

Don't get me wrong, the rest of my life is pretty okay. I have a wonderful wife, great sons and step-daughters, had a fantastic year in business, and for the most part have few complaints. BUT this running thing, has GOT to get better.

Between recovering from knee surgery (and more on that later) and this piriformis syndrome crap, I'm not sure I've ever had a more painful year of running..... and a slower one. I missed yet another New York City Marathon, and logged PS's (Personal Slowests) in the 4 mile, 5K, and 10K.

I'm older, I get that. Frankly, however, it's just not a good enough excuse. And, by the way, I don't mind slowing down a little bit. I've been doing that since 1980. What really bugs me is that I almost don't care. Note: "almost" don't care. Obviously, I care enough to whine about it here and I care enough to commit the next year to turning things around. But really..... I'm seriously considering that maybe, just maybe, I need to move on and find some other activity that isn't quite so deeply rooted in my life; something a bit more casual and enjoyable. Until then, weight loss, knee therapy, attitude adjustment.

Almost a month ago, I hit the one year anniversary of my "surgically repaired" knee. Surgery: what a costly disappointment. Six months to feel even moderately okay running, followed by six months of okay-ness, followed by...... wait for it...... the warranty being expired. You know how nothing terrible happens to your car, your appliance, your computer until the warranty is up? Well, I must have had a one year warranty on my knee. What a pain.

So now, back to square one therapy and ice and everything else so that I can get back to being a back of the packer. (Geez, am I whining quite enough yet, or do we need more? Deep breath....... okay I'll stop).

Here comes 2018, the year of the new, improved version of ME (see? feeling better already). We'll see how it goes. 2000 miles has always been the benchmark of me seriously running, so that's the goal. I have six "races" scheduled at this point. Two of them are 10Ks: Bolder Boulder and Fortitude, two half marathons: Canyonlands and Georgetown, and two marathons: Eugene and Chicago. Would love to do some others. 

Next years log is waiting in the wings, bring it on.

Run on.