2012 Mileage Club

I actually do not know my years mileage. Like BG, I ran unplugged for a lot of the time. If I had to guess I would think it will be around the 800 miles, all barefoot or in min shoes. Have not worn coffins for 2 years. Next year going for 1000 miles or more. :)
Lee, I run all over the place. A lot of my miles also come from places when I am on the road traveling. Impossible to remember all those routes. :)
 
Lee, I run all over the place. A lot of my miles also come from places when I am on the road traveling. Impossible to remember all those routes. :)
That makes sense. For me, there's a limited number of reasonable, low-traffic options per any given distance, so I don't need to mess with Google all that often. And once I get my pace down a bit more, I'll probably start running more unplugged again too. Even now, I rarely look at the Garmin while I'm running, but it's handy to use the lap function for my walking/stretching breaks. And in any case, you're a veteran runner, like BG. I'm still figuring things out, and the Garmin is helpful for that. I wouldn't be surprised if the whole fascination with exacting measures of pace and distance dissipates as I gain a few more years of experience.
 
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As of yesterday I'm at 848.75 miles for the year. I think I'm going to let the snow melt for another hour or so and then go out this afternoon to break 850.

I could probably go through my log and breakout BF vs VFF miles, but I don't really care that much. What made me happier was knowing that I went almost 6 weeks through the middle of the summer without putting on the VFFs once.

What makes me happiest is that my back is better and that I don't think I'll be heading into the new year running "injured." If yesterday's run is the indication I hope it is, I'm pretty much back to running free and without worries. Slower and somewhat weaker, but that's OK!

Happy New Year to you all, my friends!
 
Ran my last run of the year (not planning another run today) and SportTracks is telling me I ran 4827km for the year. Hoping of getting in 7000km for 2013.
 
Since I have no idea how much I ran in 2012 - I will join in for 2013. I plan to do it all BF - but have a pair of VFF's for when it is really wet or cold. (that is cold to what I am used to) . Here are my BF running buddies assuming their positions as I head out to work after a couple of miles with 3 of them the other morning. A hard life hey??
 

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I wouldn't be surprised if the whole fascination with exacting measures of pace and distance dissipates as I gain a few more years of experience.

Interesting because the reverse happen to me. When I first started running, say around 20 years ago. I didn't own a computer, never read a book about running, and never even knew what a forum was let alone a running forum, and honestly had no clue what a garmin was. My sister actually got me into running, and looking back the purity of not knowing anything about running was really nice.

I only started to read about running, training, etc. 3 years ago when I ran my first marathon, and got my first garmin two years ago. I will say learning more about running does help, but with my addicted personality, the numbers, mileage, pace started outweighing the joy I had with running. I thought back in the early days of running, and that's when I decided to drop the garmin for about 6 months and just ran again. I am back to the garmin, but it's only for mileage.

I would say, yes the fascination will dissipate.

Happy New Year!
 
Interesting because the reverse happen to me. When I first started running, say around 20 years ago. I didn't own a computer, never read a book about running, and never even knew what a forum was let alone a running forum, and honestly had no clue what a garmin was. My sister actually got me into running, and looking back the purity of not knowing anything about running was really nice.

I only started to read about running, training, etc. 3 years ago when I ran my first marathon, and got my first garmin two years ago. I will say learning more about running does help, but with my addicted personality, the numbers, mileage, pace started outweighing the joy I had with running. I thought back in the early days of running, and that's when I decided to drop the garmin for about 6 months and just ran again. I am back to the garmin, but it's only for mileage.

I would say, yes the fascination will dissipate.

Happy New Year!
+1 I was the same when I started 35 years ago. No watch, no resources, you just went out and ran. Hydration? Fueling, what heck is that stuff, back in the day you ate and drank water (beer) when you came back home. Now that I am older I do not need modern technology to inform me that I have gotten slower. :)
 
I'm done for the year as of this morning. My running club had a run scheduled for 0700 at Valley Forge Park and that was just the incentive I needed to get out of bed and face the chill morning's 25F. At least the wind had calmed down a bit. So, with this morning's 6.25 miles (my longest run since mid-October!) I finish the year with 855 miles.

On a slightly divergent note, I noticed that running on a paved loop that was about half ice covered, and all tracked up and irregular, that I think I was running more securely in my flimsy old and worn VFF's than many of my companions in their thick conventional footwear. I know I had more awareness of exactly what I was stepping on and knew when traction changed (or dissappeared entirely) under my feet from step to step. I sure know I could feel the changes in temperature!
 
Interesting because the reverse happen to me. When I first started running, say around 20 years ago. I didn't own a computer, never read a book about running, and never even knew what a forum was let alone a running forum, and honestly had no clue what a garmin was. My sister actually got me into running, and looking back the purity of not knowing anything about running was really nice.

I only started to read about running, training, etc. 3 years ago when I ran my first marathon, and got my first garmin two years ago. I will say learning more about running does help, but with my addicted personality, the numbers, mileage, pace started outweighing the joy I had with running. I thought back in the early days of running, and that's when I decided to drop the garmin for about 6 months and just ran again. I am back to the garmin, but it's only for mileage.

I would say, yes the fascination will dissipate.

Happy New Year!
Yah, I don't have anything like your running experience, but I feel like I'm going through a similar gadget phase, lagging a year or two behind yours.

I've been running on and off a good deal of my adult life, but only began to run consistently 12 years ago, in Chicago. I had no idea about pace or form or anything, I just ran to Washington Park three times a week, ran my three laps around its 1.5-mile dirt track, and that was that. I gradually got faster, but I didn't have any goals and I have no idea about what my form was like.

Now after 9 months or so of reading up a bit on running, I've already given up thinking about form--cadence, strike, leg lift and all the rest. I look down and see my foot landing under me and confirm that my posture is erect and relaxed and that's about it. Pace concerns will probably fall by the wayside sometime this year, once I can intuitively toggle between 8 and 9 mm pace. Distance is fast becoming a non-factor because I already know the distances of most of my low-traffic, mildly pleasant routes within 5 miles of my door, and I know most of the distances around the lake and river paths nearby. Once I get beyond 8 miles on my out-n-backs, however, I'll be needing the Garmin again to cross-check distances against what Google says. So basically I'll just be using it for mileage, like you, and occasionally checking for pace improvements. One measure I can't let go of, however, is temperature and windchill. I always check that in the winter before heading out, to get a sense if I'll be able to barefoot it or not. In fact, I've already made a mental note of Saturday's forecast as being favorable for my first barefoot run of the new year.

Obsessive compulsive disorders never die, they just get distracted by something else.
 
...and thank you, Lee, for giving me that choice musical rabbit hole to wander down.
Well, since your fish head has entered my dream-state recently, I thought it only proper to reciprocate a bit.

On a slightly divergent note, I noticed that running on a paved loop that was about half ice covered, and all tracked up and irregular, that I think I was running more securely in my flimsy old and worn VFF's than many of my companions in their thick conventional footwear. I know I had more awareness of exactly what I was stepping on and knew when traction changed (or dissappeared entirely) under my feet from step to step. I sure know I could feel the changes in temperature!

Conversely, on my first shod run of the winter yesterday, I noticed feeling slightly less sure of my step while running in my Neo Trails, despite their superior traction. I missed the proprioception, if not the frostnip.

Nutrition, hydration, like you mentioned what was that?!

Ha, at least I have enough hiking and cycling experience not to get caught up in that nonsense. It's bad enough that I contemplated my cadence for a full two days!
 
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.... It's bad enough that I contemplated my cadence for a full two days!

The most insidious "tip" that ever poisoned my running pleasure was that "optimum breathing / breaths per step" bs. Oooooh Noooo! Talk about indulging in one's OC disorderliness.
 
DNEChris,
Did I see your YTD miles yet? That's always good for a jolt of humility.
...as is Spoonerweb's. (He wants to run 7000K in '13 - that's 80 to 85 miles per week! Sh!t!!! That's up from his modest '12 55 to 60 mpw.)

Yup it's funny, I think holy crap I have run a lot this year, then I see those 2 and I think okay maybe not. :oops:
 
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Ran my last run of the year (not planning another run today) and SportTracks is telling me I ran 4827km for the year. Hoping of getting in 7000km for 2013.
Geesh Spooner, if I had that mileage, I would be kicking myself that I didn't hit 3000 miles. :)

Just finished my last run for the year of 9 miles. That makes 1458.27 miles for 2012. Not bad considering I was off almost 6 weeks due to injury and did not run a marathon or ultra this year.
 
DNEChris,
Did I see your YTD miles yet? That's always good for a jolt of humility.
...as is Spoonerweb's. (He wants to run 7000K in '13 - that's 80 to 85 miles per week! Sh!t!!! That's up from his modest '12 55 to 60 mpw.)

I 'adn't posted 'cos I wasn't done! :D

Just rounded out the year with a nice 8.5 mile run on an ice-slicked Central Park Bridle Trail - just the thing for a pair of Altra Adams that are worn enough that their razor-siping is gone. Love the shoes but quite challenging for today's trip!

I finished up with 3356 miles for the year. 2185 of them were skin-to-ground.