Top 10 Running Lowlights from 2010

10) Mile Repeats - These are never fun, but I guess training is not supposed to be fun.

9) Missing a turn at the Santiam Canyon Scramble - This would have been my best scramble ever...luckily, I still held off Sean Meissner.

8) Shotgun Creek Trail Blast 50K - I did have a great race here, but I wore the wrong shoes. I had heard the course would be mostly road, so I decided to wear my old Lunaracers. Unfortunately I had absolutely no traction going up the one long muddy hill and my feet got totally hammered going down the gravel roads...there just wasn't enough protection. And one foot is still bothering me today.

7) Missing the Where's Waldo 100K - I can't wait to run this race again...I think it's one of those races that will take me several years to get right. Realistically, my next shot will be in 2012.

6) 5:00.7 at the Capitol Mile - I think my time speaks for itself.

5) Missing the 2010 Boston Marathon - I had run in the race 5 straight years and was a little bummed that my streak would be broken, but it was somewhat out of my control. The race filled so fast I didn't have time to decide if I wanted to run it, so I just figured it was meant to be. In 2009 I had finally run sub-3 hours and I guess I didn't feel like I had anything else I really needed to prove there. Otherwise, I would have registered right away. The good news is my sister and I got in for 2011.

4) Sauvie Island Marathon - The Eugene Marathon was my number one highlight from 2010, but I had a dream shortly after that race of running an even better marathon just two months later at Sauvie Island. The key word here is dream. I tried to get back on track training-wise after Eugene, but it wasn't happening. All the workouts I was doing before Eugene felt so much harder before Sauvie Island...there were a few I even cut short because I couldn't get through them. In the race I managed to keep up with the leaders for the first 4 miles and then I watched them slowly pull away. About halfway through the race I even had to stop and take a crap which I've never had to do in a marathon before. By this point I'm laughing at myself and wondering if I'll even break 3 hours. As for the rest of the race, the miles kept getting slower and the pain kept getting worse. It wasn't much fun. Pretty amazing that I feel like I had a terrible race and still ran 2:54:48...makes me think that with the right preparation and good conditions this would be a fast course. I'm only smiling because I'm done.

3) Mustache for a Week - The Pain Train beat me at the White River 50 miler and we had bet that the loser would wear a mustache for the 2 months following the race. I didn't realize how much I would dislike wearing a mustache. I couldn't believe how self-concious I felt for the week that I had it. I was actually very happy that prior to our third baby being born, Tonya asked me to get a haircut and be clean shaven. I figured it was in my best interest to comply. The Pain Train understood and at some point in the future I will finish paying up on this bet. I did get to rock the mustache at the first week of the Bush Park Cross-Country Series.

2) McDonald Forest 15K - Without question, this was my worst race of the year. I guess if you race enough you're going to have at least one race here or there when you feel absolutely terrible and want to quit. The worst part was I didn't see it coming at all. A few weeks later I went out on my own and ran the course faster than I did in the race. Maybe because I didn't stop here and consider turning around.

1) Injuring Eric Jensen - I'm not sure if I really let him know how bad I felt about this. I know what it feels like to be injured and not be able to run like you want...it's the worst. He expresses an interest in trail running and I go and take him on some of the toughest runs around! Let's see...Mary's Peak, Dome Rock, a mid-week 13 miler in McDonald Forest...sorry for pushing a little too hard a little too soon. Looking forward to running with you in 2011.