Boozy Book Club No. 15

As 'tis the season for "year in review" posts, it seemed like a good idea to review the books I read this year, but then I realized I already did that. As a reminder, these are the books I've finished so far:

1. Train Dreams, by Denis Johnson (finished 2/13/13)
2. Baseball in Blue in Gray, by George B. Kirsch (2/13/13) 
3. Night of the Hunter, by Davis Grubb (3/2/13) 
4. A Walk in the Woods, by Bill Bryson (3/16/13) 
5. Sunset Park, by Paul Auster (3/27/13) 
6. Driving Mr. Albert, by Michael Paterniti (4/15/13) 
7. Man in the High Castle, by Philip K. Dick (5/21/13) 
8. Someone Could Get Hurt, by Drew Magary (6/10/13)
9. Tenth of December, by George Saunders (8/4/13) 
10. Joyland, by Stephen King (8/14/13) 
11. Cuckoo’s Calling, by J.K. Rowling Robert Galbraith (8/31/13)

Every year, I aim to read at least one book per month. As you can see, I'm coming up short. Back in August, it looked like I was going to crush my goal, but ever since Baby Viper arrived, I've started and abandoned several books, trying to finish my twelfth of the year. On Monday, I started what I hope will be that final book.

You may not know this, but I'm a bit of a Coen Brothers geek. Barton Fink is among my Top 5 all time favorite movies. O Brother, Where Art Thou? is partly responsible for my descent into old-time music. I own six of their 14 movies, and it would be more if I hadn't gotten rid of my VHS tapes when Mrs. Viper and I moved into the house. And so, with that lead-in, you shouldn't be surprised to learn I am excited to see Inside Llewyn Davis.

As such, I decided to pick up The Mayor of MacDougal Street, by Dave Van Ronk, the folksinger who purportedly inspired the character of Llewyn Davis. Van Ronk grew up in New York City, amid the folk music scene rooted in Washington Square. Old-time music was a major inspiration to those musicians, and it's an era that has always drawn my curiosity, even before I knew what old-time music was.

After 65 pages, I'm hooked. Van Ronk is a crack up, and his worldview sometimes reminds me of myself, particularly his adherence to a certain sense of authenticity in what "folk music" meant before it became popular music and his disdain for certain practitioners and imitators what "folk music" came to mean after the singer-songwriters co-opted the term.

I have a little less than two weeks left to finish Van Ronk's book to count it for this year. I'm off on vacation next week, so hopefully I'll have the time to read in between holiday doings and taking care of my son. Wish me luck!

What final books are reading this year? What was your favorite book of the year? Anything you're looking forward to reading in 2014? 

2013: Might as Well End it Here

It's the halfway mark of December, but it might as well be the end of the month and thus the end of the year, because that's how it feels. I'm done with 2013. Here is my take on the obligatory "year in review" post that everyone is doing now.

Don't get me wrong. This has been a momentous year, all except for when it comes to my running. While being fit and healthy is important to me, it just wasn't a top priority this past 12 months. And that's OK. There's always next year. But first, let's take a look back.

We have to start with my goals for 2013, which I didn't bother to announce until Oct. 11, exactly a month after my son was born. My goals were meager, but still mostly unattainable. They were:

• Break 1,000 miles 400 miles 200 miles.
• Weigh 170 pounds 175 pounds 180 pounds
• Return to the Akron Marathon and run two trail races Run a 5K this winter
• Run barefoot 10 percent of this year's total mileage

Let's see how I fared!

You Take the Good
At 13, my barefoot mileage is actually more than 10 percent of this year's 129 miles. I should probably keep my not-running streak going to make sure I maintain this singular running achievement.

However, if you want the real good stuff, you have to look beyond the miles I ran in 2013, because babies be life changing. I ran three times after Baby Viper was born, and that was all in October. Instead, I've been focusing on being a dad, which is way cooler than slogging out a few miles a day.

Baby Viper has put on nearly 10 pounds since he came into the world a month early. He's smiling up a storm, and that wipes away any disappointment I may have in regard to other aspects of my life.

Mrs. Viper and I are adjusting well to life as a couple married with children. We're tired and sometimes cranky with each other, but I sense we're growing stronger and learning to better communicate our needs.

Although I haven't played as much music as I had hoped to this year, I've made great progress in learning to play the fiddle. Once I found I could play in the mornings and not wake up Mrs. Viper and not make my son cry in holy terror, I started to get into a good practice routine. There's still a long way to go, as old-time banjo and fiddle guru Dwight Diller says, "It takes 10 years just to start learning to play the fiddle."

Our holiday gift beer should be ready to taste on Tuesday, though I'll probably let it condition a little longer before testing to make sure recipients won't gag on their homemade Christmas gift.

Which brings me to our debt situation. We've paid off one credit card and 25 percent of another, taking us to more than 8 percent of our total since signing up at ReadyForZero. That's good progress in two months.

You Take the Bad
Unfortunately, the rest of my running and health related goals were a bust. I'm sitting at 129 miles for the year, well shy of my revised goal of 200. My weight continues to hover around 190 pounds, but this past month it's consistently been below that undesirable mark by two or three pounds, so hooray for movement toward that 180-pound goal line. As you are all well aware, I didn't run a single race this year, and it doesn't look like Mrs. Viper and I will get ourselves to a 5K this winter. Maybe the spring?

And There You Have the Facts of Life
OK, so I purposefully kept the bad parts of this review contained in one paragraph while lauding my non-running triumphs, but as Johnny Mercer says, you have to accentuate the positive. I know I'll get back to running eventually. I know things won't always be this hectic. Time won't always feel so crunched. Everything ebbs and flows.

Flashback Friday: Holiday Break

Some of you fools have still been running. Yes, I've noticed your blog posts. Don't you worry about your accomplishments going unnoticed. I've cursed each and every one of you for your diligence and commitment to running, along with a handful of random strangers I've seen outside enjoying themselves.

It's not that I don't miss running, but it's not a very strong sense of longing. At least, not so much that I've considered donning my running apparel for a few miles. Instead, this has been a nice, little break in the action. And it very well might last until the end of the year.

There are a pair of running shoes on my Christmas wishlist, and getting those might tempt me to try them on for a run before the year is out, but don't get your hopes up. You won't hear it about until after the New Year regardless of what happens.

It seems like this should be some sort of year-in-review post, but what's to review? My first trail race, my first barefoot race and a heap of failures, missed goals and missed revised goals. Who wants to read that? I certainly don't want to write about it. Let's just skip to the end.

This is the holiday season. Spend it with family and friends. Be thankful for what you have. No matter which holiday you celebrate, remember we're all in this together. Have a safe and happy New Year. We'll see you in 2013.

Happy Hour is nearly upon us, teammates! Have a finely brewed weekend. Run well and drink well. Cheers!

Flashback Friday: About Those Goals

With two weeks left in the year, it's a pretty safe bet that I won't be achieving any more goals this year. Yes, you've stumbled into one of those "looking back" posts. It is Flashback Friday, after all.

Way back on Jan. 3, I spelled out the things I hoped to achieve. Just so you don't have to go back and read that post again, here's what I wrote.

The Requisite Goal SectionAs we enter the new year, we all feel the need to make new goals. In the past, I've made grand and specific goals. This year, my goal is to be a "better" runner and teammate.
Enthusiasm: The Enthusiast is embarking on her first half marathon in May, and my goal is to help her get there. Notice, I didn't say "coach her there." Instead, I plan to be a dedicated training partner and fan. She has been my biggest fan, and now it's my turn.
Attitude: I've never been one of those annoying happy runners you see, and I likely never will be, but I'd like to be more upbeat about running. While I do obsess a bit about my stats, it really shouldn't be my focus when I'm a solid mid-pack runner. The reason why I run is not to gloat about numbers, but to feel good physically and mentally. It's time to focus on the joy of running.
Bare essentials: What was I just saying about numbers? Last year, I hit a point where I had nearly logged 10 percent of my total mileage without shoes. This year, I'd like to make that a reality by adding more barefoot runs to me routine. Of course, I'll wait until spring to doff my footwear.
Marathon: The Akron Marathon falls just two weeks after the Enthusiast and I get married. I probably would have passed on it this year if running it for the fifth consecutive year didn't mean I get VIP "Legacy" status. Last year, I finally broke the four-hour mark. I'll try that again.
Redux: I didn't even come close to doing it last year, but I'd still like to try to run 20 miles per week for the whole year. I've already failed at this goal once, won't cry about it if I do it again this year.

Now, how'd I do?

Enthusiasm: Well, Mrs. Viper's first half marathon became a DNB. This just wasn't the right time.
Goal Grade: Incomplete.

Attitude: Judging by the ridiculously small number of miles I ran this year (oops, there's those stats again), I'd say I didn't focus much on running at all in 2011. My experience during the Akron Marathon, however, showed me the joy being part of the running community.
Goal Grade: C for coming along.

Bare essentials: Had I run barefoot last night like I said I might (coughstoryofmylifecough), I would have 100 miles of running barefoot this year. As it stands now, I have run 18 percent of my total mileage without footwear. Last year, I ran 71 miles barefoot, whereas I've run 97 miles this year.
Goal Grade: A for awesomepants.

Marathon: Well, I ran the Akron Marathon as planned, so that's something. I was a bit shy of the the four-hour mark, but I nailed my "married PR."
Goal Grade: B for better than nothing.

Redux: Do I really need to say anything about averaging 20 miles per week this year?
Goal Grade: F for failed so hard.

What are my goals for next year? Well, you'll just have to come back for that post.

Back Talk
Wherein some people don't know how to count.

Jamoosh doesn't think much of my new (since ended) streak: "Can there really be a streak of one? Regardless, congrats on ending one streak; just don't start another of the same ilk."

Answer: No, there can't be a streak of one, as a "streak" denotes a series. Thankfully, I ran serially Friday and Saturday for a two-day streak of runs.

Happy Hour is nearly upon us, teammates! Have a finely brewed weekend. Run well and drink well. Cheers!

Oh, Shit! I Should Do One of Those 'Year in Review' Posts Before Someone Else Does

2010 hasn't kicked the bucket yet, but my running year has been dead for weeks. Time to do a postmortem on this corpse before it stinks up the place. 

Once upon a time I had high aspirations for this year. Now, I'll be lucky if I avoid another new low in my monthly mileage. 

My goals for this year were to set new PRs in every distance I raced and to average 20 miles per week for the year. One these goals was a solid success with an asterisk and the other was a laughable failure. 

Let's revisit the highlight reel: 

Tallmadge Memorial 5-K: I didn't have nearly the same training strategy to this year's race that I did in years past. With more of a focus on hill training and totally abandoning interval training on the track, I bested my previous PR by three seconds, finishing in 22:26.

Buckeye Half Marathon: My watch had died, and I abandoned my strategy of running with a pace group. Instead I ran completely by feel and completed what I think was my best ever all around race performance, finishing in 1:44:27. 

Akron Marathon: My race plan went in the shitter when I had to make my first-ever bathroom stop during a race. But that wasn't the only new wrinkle I had to overcome to set a new PR and beat four hours with a 3:58:46 finish.

This year was a very enjoyable racing year. I set three new PRs and finally broke four hours in the marathon. However, I didn't enter as many races as I have in the past. I missed the 15-K I wanted to run, though I did run the course. My usual 10-K was canceled, and I never found a replacement. Maybe next year I can update those PRs left over from 2009. 

As for weekly mileage, I'm sitting at 16.4 miles per week and falling. I was right on track until the marathon, and then October happened. My mileage never recovered. This year will be my lowest total mileage on record, but who gives a rip? I'm over it. I had a damn good year racing, and I feel good about 2011. 

Also-Rans of the Year

Despite not racking up the big mileage I had hoped for, this was a year of revelations about how to run better. A combination of improved form, higher peak mileage, and running on hills resulted in better overall performances on race day. I not only ran faster, I felt better doing it. 

First thing I did was ditch the cushioning. Early on this year, I made the switch to only running in racing flats. When the weather got warmer, I started mixing in barefoot running. By the time I got to the marathon, I had run almost 10 percent of my total mileage without shoes. I believe this approach improved my running form, allowed me to avoid injury, and strengthened my essential ambulatory muscles and ligaments. 

The second change I made was to how much I ran during my training cycle, peaking at a higher weekly mileage (50) and including more 20-mile runs (three) than ever before. Nothing prepares you better to run lots of miles than running lots of miles. 

In addition to the higher mileage, I also changed where I ran. In years past I included weekly track sessions with 400- and 800-meter intervals. This year, I decided to instead run on hills as often as I could. This extra attention to hilly terrain prepared me for the hilly Akron Marathon course, and as Frank Shorter said, "Hill repeats are speed work in disguise." 

Biggest Highlight of 2010

The best thing that happened this year has nothing to do with running. In June, the Enthusiast agreed to marry me. Next year at this time we'll be married. I can't wait. 

That New Runner Feeling

The Viper nosedived into the end of 2009 with a two-week hiatus from running. However, on New Year's day, I got off my slack ass and went out for a four-miler. My long layoff led to that lead-in-the-pants feeling that reminded me of my first days of running, back in 2006. I was winded and my legs felt rusty, but it was exhilarating to be out there again. So exhilarating that I haven't gone out since. Which brings me back to last month's monumental drop-off in running.

Here is December's statistical rundown:

• Total Miles: 28 miles (5 runs)
• Highest Weekly: 20 miles
  
• Average Weekly: 8.5 miles
  
• Average Pace: 9:41.71 per mile
  
• Longest/Fastest Run: 8 miles, 8:49 pace
  
• The Monthly Dif: -44 miles (72 miles in November)

Check out that Dif! December was easily my lightest monthly mileage, leaving me 30 miles shy of my 1,000-mile goal.

Moving right along: It's 2010 now. Happy New Year! Here's to forgetting the failures of last year and setting our sights on new failures goals for the next 12 months.

Press the "Reset" button.

So, is this the part where I post some New Year's resolutions and goals for 2010? Why, yes, it is.

PRs I Want: All of Them
In 2009, I set new PRs in the 5-K, 10-K, 15-K (a new distance for me) and the marathon. I sacrificed a PR in the half marathon in favor of running a disciplined race in preparation for my failed attempt to break four hours at the Akron Marathon.

This year, I'm sacrificing nothing. Greed prevails. I want it all! I'm shooting for PRs in every distance I race, and I will once again attempt to break the four-hour barrier in the marathon. I will announce my racing schedule at a later date.

Yearly Mileage
OK, so I fell short of 1,000 miles this year. That's no reason to not set the bar higher for 2010. I averaged 18.6 miles per week last year, and I learned that running more during marathon training helped me edge closer to my racing goal. That's why I will try to average 20 miles per week this year. That jumps my yearly mileage goal up to 1,040. Time to get to it!

New Teammate
This year, I also will be breaking in a new running partner. Check him out here. Any suggestions are appreciated on how to best get him started in his running career.

These are the potential failures you have to look forward to in 2010. Stay tuned. Cheers!