My Running: 2022 vs 2021

2020 was one of my best years ever for running. Yep, COVID created a fantastic environment for me to run more. Most (if not all) entertainment options were closed, I was working from home, and there were no races. Just running. Kept me stress free and healthy. At some point, I got bored and set up "fake" races to test myself. Those time trials were fun and I ran fast! Then 2021 came and COVID started to recede. It was not a normal year, but races started again and I returned to the office. Less free time and more distractions. I ran well, but not great. And nothing close to the total miles and fast times of 2020. Now 2022 just finished. Again, COVID was still here, but in general, things were more "back to normal." Regular races were back, work was in-person, and I ran well. For some reason, I focused on 5K races and shorter (faster) training runs. I ran and raced well (not as fast as 2020), but never accumulated that many miles or long runs. Did manage one marathon and two ultramarathons. Just missed a third ultra at the local Backyard Ultra ("Last Man Standing") where I stopped at 24.6 miles (4.1 x 6 loops). Oh well, I was training for 5Ks not ultras. Here are my running statistics from 2022 with a comparison to 2021:

	2021	2022
Run Activities	262	295
Total Distance	1,352.02 mi	1,303.22 mi
Average Distance	5.16 mi	4.42 mi
Max Distance	32.48 mi	29.21 mi
Total Activity Time	228:54 h:m	226:18 h:m
Avg Run Time	52:25 m:s	46:02 m:s
Total Elev Gain	52,969 ft	60,570 ft
Average Pace	10:10 /mi	10:25 /mi
Average Heart Rate	134 bpm	127 bpm
Average Run Cadence	160 spm	160 spm
Longest run break	3 days	7 days
Longest run streak	35 days	44 days

Did not improve on many run stats! More elevation was nice--credit one trail marathon and two trail ultras. Lower heart rate tends to go with slower paces. Streaking for 44 days was not intentional, but I'm glad it happened. Wish I didn't take a full 7 days off for my twisted ankle--the ankle didn't really heal with the time off--just needed relaxed running. Live and learn. Not sure what 2023 will bring, but I'm hoping for more miles, more ultras, and a couple of fast 5Ks.