Total Miles: 1721.36
Introduction
So, I'll start off by saying 2024 was a total s**t show as far as running and racing went. I had very high hopes and the season started really well. My first two races came out strong and I figured I was going to build off of 2023's successful year and turn it up a notch.
Boy, was I wrong.
After the first few races, I started to experience some nerve issues. I had a lot of numbness in my hands and back. It didn't really impact my running, but I suspect it did. Also, in my opinion, it wasn't a running injury. It was from stress and too much sitting.
I remember before the start of the Las Vegas half marathon I was really worried as to whether I was going to be able to run it at all.
As the season I wore on the nerve issues got pretty bad. I wound up seeing a doctor and actually getting a check-up, which was one of my goals of the year. I hadn't really been to the doctors in over a decade and as someone well into their masters, I knew I was playing with fire.
Eventually the nerve issue did get better. It took some time and I had to work on stress management. However, another issue came up.
By April, I noticed that my times were falling off a cliff. I was having constantly tingling in my arms and legs and I wound up getting a ton of MRIs, and more doctor appointments. For the most part, I was passing all my tests and the only thing they could find wrong with me was that I still had a pinched nerve in my back (spondylitis) that was likely causing the problems.
It also seemed at about this time that I lost all my 5K speed -- almost overnight. I wanted to estimate that I lost about 90 seconds -- for no reason at all. I was still training hard, putting in the miles, doing my strength work. But for some reason my times fell off a cliff. You can see the steady decline by going to my AthLinks pages.
Then, my blood pressure became elevated. I was hitting 150/90 or so, which I definitely felt. Suddenly I was seeing a GP, getting blood work and having more CT scans. My heart health has always been excellent -- or at least so I thought. It was maddening and baffling.
I was put on high blood pressure medicine, which almost made me feel worse. I had a hard time functioning and running -- well I felt like I was going to pass out. Doing any sort of speed work was almost impossible.
I was ordered to shut down running around the July timeframe until I could get more tests done.
Eventually, I did complete all tests. And just about every test came back clean. The one gotcha is that I did have a hole in my heart - that I was likely born with. I was struck with a lot of fear with this knowledge: you mean I've been doing athletically and aerobically challenging activities all my life with this handicap?
I did wind up talking to a surgeon who didn't think my "hole" was causing the problems I was experiencing and sent me on my way.
And then around September or so -- all the symptoms of my heart issue vanished. My blood pressure was 100% normal. I was able to quit all the medicines and for the most part, I was symptom free. My times improved slightly, but they were way off from where I was at the start of year.
As I write this, it's been about 3 months since I've had any sort of high blood pressure issues. I've had a few iffy hours where something didn't feel right, but nothing like what I went through this summer.
And to complicate matters, I really don't understand (and I don't think my doctors were willing to weigh in either) on what exactly happened. What happened to my fitness? Why did my heart give me problems for the last 5 months?
Suffice to say, 2024 has been a rough year for running. In April and July, I had very low miles and so my total is going to come up a bit short.
But keep these events in mind as I catalog 2024 and given everything I went through (both health and life challenges) I soldiered on and turned in a decent year.
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Races Run:
- 5K - 18
- 10K - 6
- Half Marathon - 5
Best Race Performances
The Sun Half Marathon (1:53:51)
Eggs Legs 10K (49:55)
Virgin River Half Marathon (1:54:14)
So, the start of the year came in strong. The first two races were half marathons and I was shocked. At the Virgin River race in 2023, I didn't run particularly well and I wanted revenge. I came into 2024 ready to do better and I did.
I thought it was a fluke, but even did better while running the Sun Half Marathon.
Both races led me to believe that 2024 might be a break out year. Things were coming together.
The Eggs Legs 10K -- although apparently a short course -- was still a fantastic time and probably the last really fast race I had for 2024.
Worst Race Performances
Sandy City Fiesta 5K (26:24)
Sandy City Turkey Trot 5K (26:01)
Haunted 5K Provo (26:43)
Please note: this is not an indictment against the race or the organizers. Simply put: I did NOT run very well on the given day. Some of these races I've run in the past and have run well at and I would highly recommend them. Do not let my poor race day discourage you from entering the race or racing with the organizer. Many of these races I do year after year.
I could add about half a dozen more to this list, but all of these races left me pretty discouraged. The Fiesta one was right after I started to experience health issues and the other races, I just had nothing. I came in hoping to run well but it just wasn't there.
I was happy to finish, though and 2 out of three I did place in my age group.
Favorite Races of the Year
So, this year, despite my trials and tribulations with race times, I did get to experience some great races. Some new, and some I rediscovered how much I love them.
- Path to Opioid Prevention 5K Simply put I loved this race's course. I had run on parts of the area before, but never this stretch of it. An absolutely beautiful race and I made a mental note to run the half marathon next year.
- Utah County Santa Run 5K -- If you had told me at the start of the year this race would make any of my lists, I would've said no way. I absolutely loved the race, the vibe and the scenery.
- The Sun Half Marathon -- as I was running this one, I asked myself, I absolutely love this course -- why am I not doing this one every year. In so many ways, this one made my race of the year.
- The Cedar City Half Marathon - as tough of a race as this is, I love it. Super well organized, beautiful course, cool party scene at the end. This race also had one of the coolest shirts as well.
- Cole Porter Classic 5K -- a new state and a new race. Absolutely loved the course and racing at lower altitude again.
Training Notes
Despite many setbacks and orders from medical professionals, I got in a very solid year of training. My overall volume was down -- not because of injury but because of whatever medical issue I had.
Generally speaking though, throughout the year I managed to race, get in one harder speed session and some easy, longer efforts. I also found myself running 5 to 8 times a week for a total of 30 - 45 miles per week on average.
I did participate in too many races this year. And now that I am in the offseason, I can concentrate of the race in future. I wasn't really focused on any particular distance -- just getting enough endurance to participate in half marathons. And I think that ultimately cost me. I could really tax myself the way I should in order to peek for a race. That being said, though, I am willing to sacrifice some of that in order to have my social outlet.
As I write this in December, and with no races on the calendar for the next 6 weeks (or so), I am seeing the benefits of being able to train harder and work on specific race distances. I am targeting one of two half marathons in late January (The Virgin River Half or the Sun Half Marathon) and I am now focusing on building my mileage and speed endurance. I think the change of training focus is paying dividends already.
Also, after 18 months, I am beginning to question whether the 80 / 20 approach works and if it offers too little stimulus. I expected at some point to get faster but I found my race times and everything getting slow. I am beginning to open up a little more and push a little harder when the time is right.
Another one of my favorite experiences this year was racing and running in the Midwest. Originally, I was born and raised in Illinois and that is where I more or less started my running career. I was in Kokomo Indiana for a wedding and that offered me an opportunity to do a few new routes. I more or less jumped on a bike trail and explored to my heart's content.
Once my wedding duties were complete, I ventured to McHenry County and got to run many of the routes I used to run back in my prime. I enjoyed running by my old work and the bike trails. Just a ton of memories and it made me quite homesick.
Some runs are simply unforgettable.
Conclusion
All in all, I am grateful I was able to run and participate in races as much as I could. I had more challenges this year than what I've listed here but I never lost my desire to run and race.
I think I missed out on about 5 races this year due to whatever setbacks I was dealing with.
In a future post, I'll be listing out my goals for 2025. Given the way I am feeling as I write this, I think 2025 is set up to be a good year -- and best of all I am starting in a new age group category.
Upcoming Races
03/01: 2025 March Madness 10K - Woods Cross, UT (Confirmed)
03/15 2025 Lucky 13 10K - West Jordan, UT (Confirmed)
04/26: 2025 Salt Lake City Half Marathon - Salt Lake City, UT (Confirmed)
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