At the beginning of today, I needed 7 miles to reach 2000. So this afternoon I went to the treadmill and started my normal hill workout. I didn't feel very good, so I decreased the incline a lot to get through it. Towards the end, I came up with a "bright idea." I shortened my run to 6.9 miles, giving me an official total of 1999.9 for the year. My reasoning was that it would give me something to shoot for next year! So I went home and told my wife this, and she said it was a pretty silly idea. So at my parents' house tonight, I ran 0.1 on the treadmill. So I reached exactly 2000 miles for the year 2009. Pretty good milestone for me, especially considering I did about 0 miles last year. The year has been really nice. I've been fortunate to stay mostly injury free, ran 5 days a week without fail, qualified for Boston, met some great people on the blog, lost 25 pounds, and gained confidence in my ability to set and keep rigorous goals. Thanks to those of you who read my blog and have given me encouragement throughout the year. I'm not sure what 2010 will bring, but hopefully I don't lose another 25 pounds or I'll get blown away by the wind. I'm seriously considering the Buffalo Run 50 miler just because I've wanted to do 50 miles since I was a teenager, and the scenery should be beautiful. Besides that, I'll probably do some shorter road races and possibly a marathon or two. The plan for Boston is 2011. Happy New Year to everyone, and I hope your 2009 has been great and that you're excited for a fresh start in 2010! | 