Top Fives of 2011

The year is drawing to a close and 2011 has been a darn good one, both with running and other life events. I thought it'd be fun to recap things a bit with a series of Top Five lists based on some of my interests.

Oh yeah, the foot is feeling much better. 100% since yesterday, in fact. I'm planning a test run tomorrow and don't anticipate any problems. And now...the lists!

Most Rewarding Races:

1. Boston Marathon (April) - Finally getting there and setting a PR. Unforgettable experience.
2. MDI Marathon (October) - Ran a smart race, surrounded by friends and setting another PR. Just a fun day.
3. Brookvale 50K (July) - My first international race and getting third place overall and a great time spent with Kate during our trip to Prince Edward Island.
4. Bradbury Bruiser (September) - For taking 10th place on a tough race, utilizing sound strategy and setting a course PR.
5. Turkey Trek 4-Miler - My first overall win ever, even if it was an informal race. The pie I won rocked.

Best Books Read:

1. "11/22/63" by Stephen King - His best yet. I wish I could give myself amnesia so I could read it again fresh.
2. "The Hunger Games" by Suzanne Collins - Holy schmokes, I could not put it down.
3. "Bag of Bones" by Stephen King - The A&E miniseries sucked. The book did not.
4. "Hyperion" by Dan Simmons - Epic science fiction. The Shrike gave me nightmares.
5. "Moby Dick" by Herman Melville - I must admit, it made the list in part because of the stoked factor because it was too difficult for me to read when I was younger, but I finished it on this attempt and sincerely enjoyed it.


Best Albums Listened To:

1. "King of Limbs" by Radiohead - Haunting and deep, what Radiohead does best.
2. "Green Naugahyde" by Primus - Fun album. Makes me want to do silly dances.
3. "Strawberry Jam" by Animal Collective - Very different. Very awesome.
4. "Them Crooked Vultures" by Them Crooked Vultures - Simply kicks arse.
5. "What Will Be" by Devendra Banhart - Trippy folk music at its finest.


Epic Training Runs:

1. Boston Recon (April) - Joined by Jeff, Maddy and Brendan. Last 16 miles of the course. Ran two weeks out from the marathon so the excitement level was high.
2. Acadia National Park, Park Loop Road (December) - The full 18.4 miles of the road, all to ourselves under a full moon.
3. Mile Repeats (September) - 5 X 1 Mile repeats w/ 400M active recovery and averaged 5:50/mile. My fastest session yet and I was really pumped afterwards.
4. Boston Recon (February) - Ran solo, but Kate helped with transportation. My first taste of the course in the daylight. Just a very fun day overall.
5. Val's Birthday Fat Ass Run (February) - Ran 26.2 miles with Ryan at my side for the whole way. Great time!

So there ya have it. Pointless, but fun to write and think about. Looking forward to 2012!