2021 Year End Review
2021 was another year of injury and illness.
The year started well, and I ran 40-50 miles/week as I tried to stay in marathon shape. But, in February, I fell and broke two fingers and skinned my knee! It was difficult running with my hand in a splint, so I took some time off. I allowed myself the break because so many things were happening in my personal life – my partner and I purchased a new home and adopted a dog!
I steadily increased my mileage in March and April. Then in May, I started training for the 2021 London Marathon (as part of the inaugural Wanda Age Group Championship). It was also the week I got my second Pfizer vaccine, so I felt like life was returning to some normalcy. But, it was difficult training in the summer, and I skipped a lot of strength workouts like threshold runs.
In July, I turned 50 and became a grand-master! I also returned to racing via the Roosevelt Island Parkrun.
On August 29, I ran the South Lakes 10K. A few days later, I got a positive test result for COVID-19! (I did not catch the virus at the race.) I only took a week off running but decided not to travel due to travel restrictions to the U.K. In October, I ran the 2021 Boston Marathon instead – about a month after recovering from COVID! It was a great weekend, but I did not re-qualify for next year’s race.
For the rest of the year, I ran 20-30 miles a week focusing on speed workouts in an attempt to get my speed back in 2022.
Training
Mileage Total: 2,191.0 miles
Days of Running: 286 days (79 days off)
Time Spent Running: ~14 days, 21 hours.
Average Pace: 9:47 pace
Longest Run (Distance): 26.2 miles on October 11th at the 2021 Boston Marathon.
Longest Run (Time): 4:12:15 on October 11th at the 2021 Boston Marathon.
Racing
Number of Races: 4 in-person
Marathon: 2021 Boston Marathon
10K: 2021 South Lakes 10K
5 Miler: 2021 Alexandria Turkey Trot
5K: 2021 Roosevelt Island Parkrun #178
Personal Records: None.
Runner rankings.
Potomac River Running’s Regional Runner Rankings – Fall 2021. returned in the fall, but I missed the list. During the year, I participated in the RunWashington’s DMV Distance Derby. My best times were:
- Teddy Roosevelt Island (1.4 miles): 10:08 (7:38 pace) on May 12, 2020. 22nd overall, 3rd woman.
- Custis Climb – Key Bridge to Glebe (3.1 miles): 25:47 (8:47 pace) on October 6, 2020.
- Hains Point (2.5 miles): 20:37 (8:13 pace) on November 26, 2020.
Most Memorable Races
3. 2021 Roosevelt Island Parkrun #178. It was strange being around runners, and I wasn’t sure where to line up now that I’m slower. I settled in the middle of the pack and ran fine. My time was 26:27 (8:31 pace).
2. 2021 South Lakes 10K. My last major in-person race was the 2020 Reston 10 Miler, so I went into this event very nervous. My training had been fairly consistent with a 16 to 22 mile long run on Sundays, speed work on Tuesdays, and a medium run on Thursday. If there has been any weakness, it’s been a lack of threshold and marathon-pace miles due to intemperate conditions. My time was 40:39 (8:06 pace). Over the past few weeks, I’d been wavering over whether I wanted to run the 2021 London Marathon given COVID-19 protocols for international travel and money. After that race, I felt as though I deserved to run the inaugural Wanda Age Group World Championship at the London Marathon if I could make the money work. Unfortunately, I got a positive COVID test a few days later.
1. 2021 Boston Marathon. Two years after a disappointing 2019 New York City Marathon and being treated for critically high blood pressure; eight months after a terrible fall that broke two fingers and banged up my knee; and one month after recovering from COVID-19, I toed the starting line of the 2021 Boston Marathon! The temperature was a little warm for a marathon – low 60 degrees at the start rising to almost 70 by the finish – but it was a gorgeous day to be in Boston for the return to major running events in the United States! I went into the race wanting to requalify for next year’s event with a sub-3:55 (8:59 pace). I ran aggressively through the half in 1:54:00 (8:43 pace) but knew I couldn’t keep the pace up through the Newton hills and decided just to finish the race. My time was 4:12:15 (9:38 pace).
Most Memorable Training Runs
3. 2021 United States Capitol Attack,” January 6, 2021. On this fateful day for our country, I ran by people going downtown to protest during my ten-mile run. I was annoyed that many of them were walking four abreast on the sidewalks and trails. I could feel the tension every time I passed but didn’t engage with them.
2. The Second Fall, December 12, 2021. Late in the year, I fell again during a seven-mile easy run. Unlike my fall in February, this time, the damage was relatively minor – I skinned my elbow and knee, but not seriously enough to impact my running.
1. Broken Fingers Run, February 13, 2021. On this day, I tripped on the remnants of a road sign that had been taken down. On impact, I felt the ring finger on my left hand bend in a bad direction. Sitting up, I took my glove and mitten off and was relieved to see my fingers were straight. The hole in my new tights revealed a bloodied right knee. After returning home, my boyfriend convinced me to take an emergency trip to the orthopedist when the pain and swelling in my fingers wouldn’t relent after icing and ibuprofen.
After taking x-rays, the doctor diagnosed “avulsion injuries to the middle phalanx of the third and fourth digits of the left hand” aka two fractured fingers.
Weather
It was a relatively mild year for weather in Washington D.C. However, it was one of the top 10 hottest years – “[t]he city also experienced 48 days registering at least 90 degrees.”
Here were my hottest and coldest runs based on the temperature at the start:
Hottest Run: 81 degrees during an easy run on August 13th.
Coldest Run: 24 degrees during an interval run on January 29th.
Most Memorable Weather
3. July 4, 2021. Heat! I ran my long run, 18 miles, on this super hot day. By the end, the temperature was well over 80 degrees! After I arrived home, I sat next to the sprinklers for a while to cool off.
2. January 31, 2021. Snow! It seemed like ages since we’d had significant snow in the Washington, D.C. region, and there was a good inch on the ground when I headed out for a long run.
1. February 13, 2021. Ice Storm. Conditions were poor – even my running jacket became covered in a thin layer of ice – but I handled them fine during the early part of this eight-mile run. In fact, when I fell, I actually tripped on a piece of metal post sticking out from the ground. I ended up breaking two fingers and skinning my knee.
Clothing
Notable Products
3. 2021 Boston Marathon Celebration Jacket. My first Boston Marathon was in 2012, and I bought that year’s jacket – a fiery orange color. The jacket for the 2013 race was the iconic blue and yellow, but I didn’t run that year. So, I finally purchased a jacket with the race’s official colors on my eighth running! I was surprised to discover… it’s actually great for running! Price: $120.
2. Asics Gel Nimbus Lite 2. When I started running regularly again in May, I went online to buy a new pair of Mizuno Wave Rider 24s, but I wasn’t too fond of the color options. Instead, I went to my local running store and picked up a pair of these shoes. They’ve gone the distance for both speed-work and longer runs. Price: $150
1. Rabbit Hopper 4″ Short. I’d been running in the Oiselle Roga Shorts, but the waistband chafed my skin so I went looking for another brand this fall. These shorts fit the bill. The fabric is light and would have been great for summer runner. The 4″ inseam is perfect for me. With shorts, it’s all about pockets and this short has one rear and two small front. While I’m size small in most shorts, I was medium for these. Price: $54.
Gear
Notable Products
3. BeeCause Shoe Charms. For my birthday, a friend gave me some London-themed shoe charms. I put them on my shoes before the Roosevelt Island DC Parkrun – my first race in a long time – for added inspiration. Price: $5.
2. Garmin Quick Release 20 MM Band. The clasp on my Garmin 645 Music tore this year, and I bought a replacement on Amazon. There are three pieces in the package if someone wants a longer or shorter band. Switching out the band was so simple that I realized I could have been changing my bands all along! Price: $29.99.
1. End of Stridebox. I have been a long-time user of this monthly subscription service. I looked forward to sampling all types of running-related products. Unfortunately, September’s was my last box.
Nutrition
Notable Products
Without Limits Runners Essentials Long Run Recovery. I felt so depleted after Sunday’s long run that I tried this recovery drink that I got from a Stridebox. The flavor was birthday cake. “Does anyone want to drink cake?” The drink was actually very tasty – especially with a few ice cubes. Each packet has 270 calories, 47 grams of carbohydrate, 14 grams of protein, and is fat-free. It also has 5 grams of a BCAA blend and 1.5 grams of amino acids.
Routes
Notable Developments
3. Murals in Rosslyn. In June, I noticed these art pieces in Rosslyn at the end of the Mount Vernon Trail. The Business Improvement District installed the artwork, and it really brightened up the area. I couldn’t find an artist to credit for the work, though.
2. Mount Vernon Trail Memorial Bridge Construction Staging Area. In early December, work on the Memorial Bridge was completed but it took a while for workers to remove the staging area on the Mount Vernon Trail. It’ll be nice to have an unobstructed view of downtown again.
1. Gateway Park. I long suspected there might be a water fountain in this park on the north end of Rosslyn just across the bridge from Washington, D.C. This year, I went exploring and found one. There were restrooms as well, and… they weren’t disgusting! The stalls were relatively clean, and there was ample toilet paper. These facilities were a game-changer for me this year.
Favorite Pictures
3. Boat on Potomac River, August 19, 2021. This photograph was mostly about timing. I must have run this section of the Mount Vernon Trail hundreds of times, but this was probably the first time I caught a boat going into the Columbia Island Marina.
2. Lincoln Memorial and Flowers, September 26, 2021. This view from the Mount Vernon Trail is a splendid representation of fall in the Washington, DC area – clear blue skies, wildflowers in the forefront, and the Lincoln Memorial and Washington Monument in the background.
1. 2021 Boston Marathon Shake-out Run – Swans, October 11, 2021. This photograph evokes my mood the day before the 2021 Boston Marathon – serene but with a touch of gloom.
Media & Motivation
Memorable News
3. “Ahmaud Arbery Went Out for a Jog and Was Gunned Down In the Street“, Runner’s World. This article won the 2021 Pulitzer Prize for Feature Writing. I’m not sure I read this article last summer, but reading it now, I thought it did a wonderful job of covering Arbery’s life and not just his murder.
2. “Kenya’s Peres Jepchirchir Is the 2021 Women’s Olympic Marathon Champion,” Runner’s World. What a great race?! As someone who has struggled with summer training runs, I can’t imagine trying to turn in the performance of my life in those conditions. Of course, for Americans, Molly Seidel‘s bronze medal performance was celebrated widely.
1. “Eliud Kipchoge Repeats as the Men’s Olympic Marathon Champion,” Runner’s World. What a dominant performance – beating the silver medalist by 1 minute, 20 seconds. After repeating as gold medalist in the Olympics and breaking 2 hours in the marathon distance, in my mind, he’s the greatest male marathoner of all time or as the kids say, “The Goat“.
Favorite Movies, Books, and Podcasts
3. “Episode 168: Alison Desir,” The Morning Shakeout. Last summer, I was introduced to Alison Desir and looked forward to hearing more from her. My favorite part of this interview was when she talked about founding Harlem Run (41:30 mark). She was so inspiring that I contemplated starting a running club in my neighborhood!
2. “Episode 420: Live with Molly Seidel, Olympic Bronze Medalist,” Ali on the Run. What a fun interview! Molly’s excitement from winning the bronze medal at the 2020/2021 Summer Olympic marathon was infectious. I particularly enjoyed the part where she relayed the physical and verbal intimidation that happened during the race (51:35 mark).
1. “Episode 424: Dave McGillivray, Boston Marathon Race Director,” Ali on the Run. Most of the episode centered on how the race director would keep people safe during the COVID-19 pandemic. To that point, one of my favorite moments was at the end when he described himself as a caretaker of the race. But, his tips on juggling and a busy life stayed with me long after listening.
Favorite Songs
3. Don’t Start Now, Dua Lipa. I liked the beat of this song for running, but it wasn’t motivational enough for my racing playlists.
2. Blinding Lights, The Weeknd. I hadn’t known this was a song by The Weeknd until the 2021 Superbowl. It remained on my playlist for the whole year.
1. Harmony Hall, Vampire Weekend. I heard this song at the end of a Ted Lasso episode and listened to it obsessively ever after.
JT Running DC
These were the top page and post views on my blog this year (except for the home page).
3. Guide to the New York City Marathon. I didn’t run the New York City Marathon this year, so it was surprising that this page’s appearance was in the Top 3 for the site because I didn’t promote it. It still got 186 views this year.
2. Thoughts on the Hudson Plan. I wrote this piece three years ago, and it’s consistently the most-read post on this site! With 276 views in 2021, I still think this post from 2016 must be the only search result Google returns on the Hudson plan.
1. Guide to Washington DC Area Running Routes. With 753 views (up from 577 views last year), this was the most popular page/post on this site last year! I spent a lot of time on this page and am glad other people find it helpful.
Thank you for reading, and here’s to more running adventures in 2022!
