What happened to the rest of 2011?

It blew up.

But the running was still good. Better than ever, actually. Not just faster - oh, yes, I did manage to get faster - but better too. The running has been all mine again, a great outlet for joy and frustration.

I feel like I don't really deserve the speed I've found. Or maybe it found me, I'm not sure. Maybe it was lurking there the whole time, waiting and watching from some dark alley. But for whatever reason it sprung itself on me this fall and is holding tight. I still don't think of myself as being able to do some of the things I've done.
I PR'd my 2.5 mile handicap by a minute.
I ran Run Rabbit Run 50 miler (on short notice with little specific training) and finished in 10:08. That's a 2 hour PR.
I ran a Rim-2-Rim-2-Rim Grand Canyon trip and got to experience that immense beautiful awesome ditch while doing my favorite thing. One of the best running experiences ever.
I ran the Rehoboth Beach Marathon in 3:27. That's a 26 minute PR. I qualified for Boston, something I thought would be really hard for me to do.
And in the first part of 2012, I ran the Bandera 100K in 13:20. The first 50K lap I did in 5:50, which is my 50K PR by ~18 minutes. And it's a PR on that course by 40 minutes.

So, as the repository for my running, I'm now up to date. I may come back and write race reports for myself, maybe not. All of those race experiences were stand outs, with great memories every single one. I can't believe how much fun this running faster thing is. I'm freer now to see running wholly in the way that I've only struggled to catch glimpses of before. The expression of being something small in the midst of something great, the wonder of being able, the honesty and un-pretentiousness of lacing my shoes.

Here's to more of that!