A picture of me with Run Leader Jen Dawson after one of my first runs in 2011 with the (now extinct) Nike Runner’s Lounge in Toronto.
I started running in 2011. For a while, most of my race results were easily searchable via SportStats online and my PBs were memorable. Since then, I’ve run 27 races, changed my last name after getting married and moved to another continent. As a result, my race results are getting harder and harder to find in one simple location and I’m also starting to forget some of the races I have run.
So I finally collected up all my race results for the last four years and made a list. Well overdue, it took me a while to document my race history. Luckily this blog served as a great reminder and I was able to find most of the results online, or through old posts.
My biggest running year was 2013. That year, I ran 10 races which included two 30K races and my first and only full marathon. Not surprisingly, that was also my biggest year in terms of overall mileage. A total of 1,070 kms from January – December 2013.
This year is shaping up to be much more relaxed. With only 375 kms logged to date, I’m on track for my lowest mileage since I started running! But it could be the calm before the storm. My husband and I entered the lottery for the London Marathon and we’ll find out by October 7 whether we’re in!
Creating my race history also made me realize that I really haven’t run that many 5K races and the ones I have run have been pretty slow. As a result, we have just signed up for London’s Park Run – free, weekly timed 5K runs. We will be doing our first one this weekend and I’m excited to see if I can beat my time from the recent Yorkville Run we did in Toronto.
So basically I have realized that I love numbers and data ONLY when it comes to running. In all other aspects of life, I try to avoid them.
Do you document your race history?
In the States, we use Athlinks.com. It’ll track any race, even international, as long as you submit the official online race results. They try to make it like a social media platform by having people follow each other, but I don’t know anyone who really uses that feature. I like it because on one site, it has not only all of my race info, but info about the other competitors of that race too and you can easily do a search to see what the results were like in other years.
That’s quite cool! I have never heard of athlinks.com. It’s nice to have everything in one place!
Awesome. I love tracking my races but I’m definitely behind with this year. I’m kind of addicted to races!! I think I’ve run like 10 this year so far! https://aprilcunningham.wordpress.com/races/
10 this year already?! I’ve only run 5 and no more on the horizon! You are awesome!
Hi Miranda – I do document my running history, too! I save all my bids and brochures from the races, including route maps, etc. I write my times and run comments in a run journal (only for races, of course, not every run!), and have my medals hanging up with my times and placing written on the back with a sharpie pen! My history started in 2013 and is at around 20 runs, 8 of which are half marathons, several 10 milers, but, I, too am short on 5km. I do aim to do more 5kms in the future as I have developed sore heels and arches which I need to cure before any more long runs!
Kathy
Wow! You are so organized! I love the idea of writing times on the backs of medals. My medals just sit in an old jewelry box!