Well, my fellow Aggressives, 2011 is coming to a close and with it a multitude of stories, experiences, wins, and losses. OK, so more losses than wins... fine, no wins but plenty of "Thanks for Racing with Other People Who Also Did Not Win" medals. Whatever, lots of stories created, lots of experiences made, lots of character building built... you ever notice that the only people who are busy building character are those people, let's call them "Us," who never, ever win? Winners must be very boring people because they lack all that character we were busy building while losing to them. Apparently character building makes you slow.
I digress.
I figured that before we take ourselves into the 2012 race season, a season to which I am already booking events (heck, I already have races planned for 2013, which shows a level of dedication I was unaware I had, or a certain level of psychosis which my doctor keeps warning me about... hmmmm), we should look back at the past 12 months of racing with a final...
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That's right, folks. You asked for it and we (we being me, there's no one else, unless you count the voices in my head) here at AgeAggressively aim to please. Well, no one really asked for this, but I did ask my dog if it was a good idea and she wagged her tail. Confirmation enough for me! Let's review what we liked, disliked, and learned in 2011!
*The following ratings are on a scale from zero - ten: 0 being pure suck, 10 being unadulterated awesomeness, with a average of 5, which I guess could be called purely unadulterated or, maybe, awesomely sucky? Either way, these ratings are based on a highly scientific ratings methodology which took nearly tens of seconds to create. The score will be an aggregate of ratings based on race organization, course, food, agreeable weather, personal opinion, and whether or not I was "pissy" that day.
JANUARY - 30TH Annual Hangover Classic 10K
RATING: 2.0
FEBRUARY - Half at the Hamptons
February is cold. The beach is windy and cold. People who run in windy, cold weather are insane. That being said, this was a good half marathon. The course was very well marked; the organizers were very organized; the volunteers were very volunteery. Plenty of food and drink at the end of the race. Professionally timed. All-in-all, a great half which I look forward to repeating in 2012, but without the agonizing, performance-reducing ITB issue. Made my very bitchy and, although the course is not at fault for my injury, bitchiness makes me irrational. So I am forced to blame everything but my own lack of training preparedness. Rule number 1: It's someone else's fault.
RATING: 7.0
MARCH - The Traditional Hynes Road Race 5-miler
Lessons learned: Do not go out drinking the night before a road race, even if it is an Irish road race. Flat and fast course = good. It's through Lowell = bad. Well organized with timers at each mile = good. Each mile is in Lowell = bad. The finish line is at a bar = good. The bar is in Lowell = bad. Summary: Fun day of racing even if it was Lowell.
RATING: 5.0
APRIL - Groton Road Race 10K
I love Groton, and now I love it even more. This race was well organized with lots of vendors. Vendors means free stuff, chotsky, schwag. Free stuff = good. They also had bands playing. The race organizers closed all the roads to vehicular traffic (read "drivers") for this 10K which left us runners with 6.2 miles of uninterrupted rolling hills. I am looking forward to repeating this race. I would have given this race a better rating but Stroller Man passed me on the hills. I deduct points for a wounded ego.
RATING: 8.5
MAY - Tough Mudder at Mount Snow 10+ miler
WOOOOO!!!!! I. Am. A. Mudder! I have an orange headband! I had not had this much fun in a looooong time! So much fun that every sentence will end this way! Excited! Pumped! Ebullient?! Um.. um.. WOOOOOO! Where else you gonna go to enjoy ten miles of muddy mountain climbing, muddy trail running, and muddy obstacles mixed with freezing cold water?! I LOVED this event! Organizers get a 10! Racers get a 10! The mountain gets a 10! 10's for everyone! Bring on Tough Mudder 2012!
RATING: WOOOO!!!
MAY - Hoppin' Mad Mud Run 10K
2011 was the first year for this event so I will try to be cognizant of this fact. The combination of road and trail was very nice. The surrounding area was very nice. Running in this area was very nice. It was all very nice. Um.... they should have left this race as a very nice 10K instead of trying to make it an obstacle course. The obstacles were meh. A few were fun but most were meh. The final mud pit was fun but mud pits are suppose to be fun. You would have to fill it with leeches for it to be not fun and even then you would still be splashing in mud, which is fun. Worst of all, some of the timing chips did not work. This means I was not in the results for the race, which is like saying I did not race, that I was DNF. I called them with my bib number and time, but I am still not in the results. Ignore racers at your own peril.
RATING: 2.5
JUNE - Ruckus Boston Obstacle 4-milerFun 4+ miles = good. Some obstacle nets were ripped = bad. Some obstacles were original = good. Some obstacles were dumb = bad. I lapped people in the heat ahead of me = good. I was lapped by a 60 year old woman = bad. I made it into the Champion's Heat = good. I was lapped by the 60 year old during the Champion's Heat = bad. They had plenty of snacks post race = good. The Junior Ruckus, according to my kids, was too easy = bad. Will I do this race again? Probably. It was still loads of fun, and that = good.
RATING: 8.5
JULY - Take the Lake 5KWill my grading system be unduly influenced by stroking my ego? Do I play favorites if I happen to set a new PR? You betcha. This race had all the makings of a great run. The weather was perfect (well done organizers). The course was extra flat (kudos organizers). You had timers at each mile celebrating my Olympian-like speed (congrats organizers). I set my best 5K PR (yay me). I will have to take a few points away due to the young runner vomiting all over himself in front of me (gross organizers).
RATING: 8.0
AUGUST - Spartan Sprint 5K
I have nothing to say to you. I spent a year waiting for you and you leave me because of a silly hurricane. You always said that nothing could come between us, that we would always be together, but the moment Irene comes blowing into town you cancel our date without a moment's hesitation. Sure, you said it was for my own good. Sure, you said it was to protect me. I know better. I've met races like you before, fill my head with dreams of glory only to dash them to the rocks when something big comes to town. You and me are through. Through! We'll never... what's that? You can't wait to see me in August 2012? You love me, you really love me!
RATING: N/A
RATING for hurricane: 0.0
SEPTEMBER - Wallis Sand Sprint Triathlon
Shall I regale you with tales of sheer fantasticness? Shall I shine upon you the greatness that is me? No? Good, because I have absolutely nothing with which to back either of those up; but, what I do have is a new love: triathlons. Where did I find this new love? No, not in a dark alley. I found it at this race. I found nothing wrong with this triathlon. Nothing. Weather was perfect. The course was fun and pretty. The organizers and volunteers were helpful, informative, supportive, and friendly. There was LOTS of food to enjoy post-race. Oh, I must not forget Nuvision Action Image who provided excellent photos from the day! This race was what the 30TH Annual Hangover Classic 10K in January was not; simply put, Organized Awesomeness!
RATING: 10.0
OCTOBER - MetroDash Boston
This event was almost great. The obstacles were almost original and fun. I almost gave you a good rating. Almost. Almost because of two reasons: First, your champion heat was only for contenders who could sign up for the earliest heat. Therefore, the champions heat was not for champions, but for people who could get there early enough to run that heat. Second, the 2012 race will not have any heats open after 12:00 for people who can't make it to the morning heats, namely me. It will only be for service people. Don't get me wrong, I think it's great that you are dedicating heats to our heroes. Kudos! They deserve it. But to not have any afternoon heats for the racers who want to support your event? See? Just almost, that's all you'll get. Rule number 2: It's all about me.
RATING: 4.5
NOVEMBER - Windham Turkey Trot
This is becoming a tradition and a good one. Sometimes helping others takes precedence over pace and place, especially when 100% of the proceeds goes to charity. Happy Thanksgiving everyone!
RATING: 11.0
DECEMBER - Santa's Toy Trot 6-miler
Have I mentioned yet how my grading system is directly impacted by how well I do? Cuz it is. Have I stated that near perfect weather will sway my grading decisions? Cuz it will. The race was on a sunny, breezy, 40-ish day, and I set my best 10K PR. That's like doing extra credit. Plus, and this will always bring up your grade, the event was gathering toys for needy children. Needy children will always garner points with the Awwwww factor. Throw in timers at each mile and you're golden. I will be forced to deduct points on the post-race snack factor, though, because they were not snack-tastic.
RATING: 7.5
There you go, Aggressives! Twelve months of racing with twelve months of in-depth, well thought out reviews, observations, and advice drivel and nonsense. I hope you found 2011 motivational because a new year of training, cycling, swimming, climbing, running, falling, hurting, and loving it awaits you in 2012!
I would like to extend my warmest thanks to our fellow Aggressives who willingly joined me on this blog to read about my ongoing adventures. I am overwhelmed by your support and undone by your Aggressive Aging! When I started this blog I never thought that it would have such a fan base. Who knew that this fun, little blog would garner so much support? We started with maybe five fans at the beginning of the year and by years end we have almost tripled it, not counting those people who accidentally clicked on "subscribe here." That's a 200% increase in readership! Silver lining, baby, glass half full! Thank you one and all for a fantastic year and I hope to see you out there with me for the 2012 racing season! Seriously, no excuses this time. Try something new. Climb a wall. Jump through fire. Anything. I'm lonely.
Stay Aggressive, my friends. Stay Aggressive!
Oh, before I forget. Look for me during your races. Come over and say, "Hey." I love to meet like-minded Aggressives. I will be the one wearing this for every 2012 race (rules and functionality permitting, of course).
Who's ready for the 2012 season?
Me.
** If you missed past Aggressiveness, click around ageaggressively.blogspot.com and be up-to-date. If you want to be in the know, sign up to get my words of wisdom e-mailed to you. It's like having your own personal training coach and training partner, except without the professional training, knowledge, and expertise that is usually expected with those things. I like to call them incidentals.
