In only my sixth full year of running (for the sake of running), 2009 has easily been my biggest, most successful and most satisfying. Prior to this year, I had only once experienced the satisfaction of being the first to cross the finish line of a race (Heart Center of the Rockies 10k, '08). This year alone I won a total of seven races, easily beating any and all expectations I had going into the year, so I think it would be fair to label 2009 as something of a break-out year for myself (at the tender age of 34/35). A full break down of my finishing positions in the 23 races (416 miles) I ran go as follows:

1st: 7
2nd: 5
3rd: 2
4th: 4
Other: 5

Much of my competitive success this year has come from running in smaller fields against local runners, but even admitting that, I'll give myself some credit for being consistent across a broad range of distances, while also maintaining a consistently decent level of fitness throughout the year - meaning that when fields were weak I could capitalize.

I am well aware of where I stand in the grand scheme of things on the running hierarchy (especially on roads, where there is no hiding from the black and white of finishing times), but being able to race at the head of a field, no matter its size or talent, has added a new level of fun to the process for me.

Some runners compete almost exclusively against the clock, and that is fine, but truth be told I much prefer the heat of battle than I do the satisfaction of a new PR. With that in mind, I look forward to continuing a few rivalries that have developed this year and last, while also stirring up a few more. In addition, I am anxious to run a few races again in 2010 that I felt went sub-optimally for me in '09, the most notable of which is the race on Manitou's Big Hill - this time up and down.

With regards to times, I set a bunch of new personal records this year, some by hefty margins - suggesting that I am still on the steep section of the improvement curve (for now) - although I suspect the curve will begin to level off in 2010, but I do hope that I have a couple more years of continued improvement before age begins the slowing process regardless of the effort I put into training. Here are the personal records I achieved this year:

5k: 17:19 (split for the 10k at Harrietsham in December. I consider this to be at least 40 seconds soft).

4 mile: 22:00 (Thanksgiving Day Run).

10k: 34:48 (Harrietsham 10k in December. A reasonably solid PR, although it was run on the back end of back-to-back 100-mile weeks).

Marathon: 2:43:35 (Dublin).

50 mile: 7:03 (Collegiate Peaks).

** I didn't win a single one of the races I PR'd at.

My half marathon PR was set three of four years ago in the 1:23 range, so that is a target for 2010, as is my 5k PR which I hope to bring down to 16:30 or lower in the first half of 2010. I would also like to find a fast 50 miler to run (maybe AR50) to set a PR there. Other than that, my races were largely at altitude and on mountainous singletrack courses, where the only real measure is previous course-and-distance times. Those races that I did run for a second time this year were all considerably faster than previous efforts.

At times this year, I have felt a bit short changed at getting into the sport so far advanced into my prime competitive years, but then I think back to the fun I had playing rugby and other team sports as a kid, and I realize that I probably wouldn't change a thing - other than the hatred I had for running as a training tool, and a few years in my middle 20s where I achieved little to speak of with regards to health and fitness. I also try to remind myslef as frequently as possible to quit whining and understand how fortunate I am to even have the freedom, health and desire to get out and do what I do on a daily basis.

I plan to train hard in 2010 to continue to make the most of the time I do have left to run to my body's full potential. As such I have set some pretty lofty goals for 2010, which I won't go into here, but suffice to say that Bandera is one of a few stepping stones towards the goals I have set.

Thanks to all who have offered advice, encouragement (here or elsewhere), company on the trail, inspiration and laughs over the course of the year. Running is a solo endeavor, but I find it to be a whole lot more fun when shared with good friends - old and new alike.

See you on the trail ....

It's now less than three weeks until my first trail race of the season that doesn't involve miles of trudging through snow, although some snow is to be expected.

Back when I was focused on running road marathons, the three-week-until-race-day mark was always important because conventional training wisdom suggests that athletes implement a gradual cut back in mileage from this point until race day - the so-called 'taper'. I say 'conventional wisdom' because not everyone subscribes to the efficacy of a three-week taper, and in the world of ultra running it is generally pooh-poohed, especially for a race of marathon distance or shorter. However, I have always had success with the three-week taper, as long as it is not too extreme. I would typically implement a 75-50-25 approach, i.e. 75 percent of max miles in week three, 50 percent in week two, and 25 percent in the week leading up to the race, making sure to maintain intensity on mid-week quality workouts.

My original thinking in signing up for the Salida Marathon was that it would serve as a solid training race for April's Spring Desert Ultra 50 in Fruita, which I had targeted as one of my goal races for the year. Therefore, if I was going to taper for Salida, it would probably be a taper of the 'mini' variety, i.e. cut back on the long run the weekend before and take it easy in the days leading up to the race. Now, with my body somewhat beaten up, I am thinking that I will adopt a more traditional approach to this marathon and take a full three weeks of easing and healing with 55- and 40-mile weeks upcoming.

After almost two years of struggling with pain in my right groin (it first flared up at Fruita in '07, causing me to drop), I finally think I have a diagnosis I can believe in. Two doctors and two chiropractors have given me varying theories as to the cause of my pain, but I have had a hard time reconciling those opinions with the pain I have been dealing with.

The chiropractors, not surprisingly, wanted to get me to sign up for three months of two visits a week ($40 a pop with my specialist co-pay) to get my head back over my body (apparently I carry my head too far forward, exerting unnecessary pressure on my lower back), believing that would help sort things out. Maybe, but I doubt it. This has always felt muscular. The first sports doctor I visited had me take an MRI and concluded that I had a stress fracture in the front part of my pelvic bone. Hmm, I had strong doubts about this diagnosis. Another doctor put it down to a bulging disc!

It wasn't until last week when I received the latest copy of Trail Runner that I finally found a plausible cause of my pain. The Colorado-based magazine ran a lengthy piece on common running injuries occurring below the belt. Under the groin section, they described perfectly the maladies I have been dealing with, and also offered up a series of stretches and strengthening exercises to help reverse the pain. If I am right, then I am dealing with something called adductor tendinopathy, which is essentially the tightening and injury of tendons and muscles on the inner thigh that attach to the pelvic bone where they cause inflammation (which I believe was shown on the MRI). It is especially common among runners and athletes who participate in sports that involve a lot of kicking. Considering I played rugby as a fly half (which involves a lot of punting and place kicking) for close to 20 years, and have since taken up running, this diagnosis makes a lot of sense.

If this is the case, then the doc who sent me for the MRI misdiagnosed the results and sent me running down the wrong path to recovery for over a year. How he could listen to my symptoms - classic adductor tendinopathy red flags, as it turns out - and suggest I have a stress fracture is beyond me. I suspected from about two minutes into my first meeting with him that he was incompetent, but I still went with his conclusions.

Anyway, the long and the short of it is that I finally feel like I am making headway with a simple regimen of daily stretching and strengthening exercises. Just one week in, I am feeling significantly less pain. Combined with a reduced stress load of running over the next three weeks, I am now hopeful I can accomplish some of the goals I have set for myself this year, culminating with a successful 100-mile run in the Big Horn Mountains.

As for doctors, chiropractors and physical therapists, maybe I have just had bad luck, but I am yet to meet one I have faith in. If anyone in the Fort Collins area happens to read this and has a sports doc who they trust, then please recommend.

It's hard to decide which races I want to target as goal races this year, as goals come in different shapes and sizes. One definite goal is to get to the start line of a 100-mile race fit and healthy, and do what it takes to get that race finished. From there, I'll be able to decide if the 100-mile distance is something I enjoy and want to pursue.

That, minus the healthy part, was my goal for 2007. Unfortunately, it was the healthy part that was my undoing, and by the time Leadville rolled around I was barely able to walk - not the kind of shape you want to be in when toeing the line for your first 100 miler.

After an eight-month lay-off and a lackluster return in early '08, I am once again feeling like I am ready to race. I really think I can bust out some solid performances this year. Just got to stay healthy.

Anyway, after careful consideration and considerable sticker shock when receiving the Leadville application earlier this month, I have decided that Big Horn will be my big day out in '09. From what others have told me, the Big Horn Mountains of northern Wyoming are a great setting for a trail race, and while Leadville is certainly a higher profile race, I think the Leadville Marathon and Silver Rush 50 will give me enough of America's highest incorporated town for one year.

The 100-mile race will be about getting it done and little else. Every other trail race I run this year, of marathon distance or longer, I'll be running for the win or for a place.

That's the great thing about ultra trail racing: if you're prepared to put in the miles, hills and intensity, and you have a modicum of talent then you can be competitive as the talent pool in this marginal but growing sport remains shallow. Of course, there is so much more to racing trails than competition, but it sure adds an extra element of fun when you can be in the mix towards the end of a race.

Race goals:

Salida Marathon (Salida, CO) - This is a small event that attracts a solid crowd of runners looking to get an early season read on their form. The course record is 3:09, which for a course that climbs more than 4,000 feet is pretty impressive. I'll be happy to go under 3:30 here. If I can do that, it should be good for a top-three finish.

Spring Desert Ultra 50 (Fruita, CO) - This was the beginning of the end for me in '07. I was signed up for the 50, but pulled up lame at the 25 mile turnaround after taking a major wrong turn a mile from the finish. Like Salida, a lot of runners use this race as an honest early season read on fitness. It climbs about 8,000 feet in total. Duncan Callahan, the winner at Leadville last year, holds the course record at 7:41, and according to his blog he plans to race it again this year. Although a listing of this year's entrants is not yet up, I know there will be other strong runners in the field, so again I'll be happy with a top-three, sub-8-hour finish.

Collegiate Peaks 50 (Buena Vista, CO) - This is a low-key race from what I understand. However, this being Colorado, you never know who'll show up on race day. Regardless, I'll be gunning for a win here. The website suggests to expect more than 9,000 feet of climbing. Looking at previous results, that seems unlikely, or if the climb is accurate then the course is probably short. Anton Krupicka holds the course record at 6:53. I'll be happy to run under 7:30.

Big Horn 100 (Sheridan, WY)- Just looking to finish. To get it done in less than a day would be a bonus.

Leadville Marathon (Leadville, CO) - This was one of my better finishes in '07. I ran 4:16 for a sixth-place finish. The climb up to Mosquito Pass at 13,200 feet is a classic, and with over 5,500 feet of climbing and some jarring descents on loose trail, anything can happen. I'm shooting for a sub-4-hour finish, which in years past would be good for a top three or a win in weaker years. Anton Krupicka holds the course record at 3:41.

Silver Rush 50 (Leadville, CO) - I beat Nick Pedatela, the '08 winner of this race at the Steamboat 50 last year, but came in 10 minutes behind Ryan Burch, who was second at the Silver Rush. If the same cast of characters shows up this year, I'll be shooting for a win and course record. The current course record was set last year, the first year it was run: 7:26.

Pikes Peak (Manitou Springs, CO) - I'm not 100 percent sure if I'm going to run this one, but if I do, a top-ten finish seems like an achievable goal. This famed race climbs a massive 8,000 feet in just over 13 miles and then you have to turn around for the brutal descent. Matt Carpenter is the undisputed king of this hill, setting the course record of 3:16 (surely untouchable) in 1993, and he is still winning to this day. If I do run the marathon, then I'd probably shoot for something under 4:30, and certainly a top-10 finish.

Breck Crest Marathon (Breckenridge, CO) - After being sent miles off course by aid station volunteers while running less than a minute behind first with four or five miles to the finish last year, I feel like I have a score to settle with this race. The win, and a better time than last year's winner (3:48), are the only things I care about here. This race is all about climbing, so I should be in good shape.

Blue Sky Marathon (Fort Collins, CO) - This one is right in my backyard. I had a poor race last year so will be looking to improve on my time (3:47).

And there it is in black and white. We'll see.