To Marathon or not to Marathon

 

Sometimes our goals cloud our progress. - Jen Kirkpatrick, Team Dirt & Vert

What's Jen saying?  It's easy to look at a goal that you're struggling with or even missed altogether & completely forget about the progress that you made.  I often have to be reminded of that. I'm a goal-focused person and as you've noticed if you been around my blog much, I reflect a lot.  I have to remind myself that I'm making progress with every step.   It's like "they" say, it's about the journey not the destination.

Months ago I decided to sign up for my first marathon.  I had come off a great running year & was feeling strong.  I was feeling confident.  I cut my race pace back to tackle the extra distance... mistake.  Now I'm slower than I've been in a while.  I have got up to 17 miles, but I was running farther faster in the last cycle.  That in itself has been tough on the ego.  Don't get me wrong I'm still having fun. So let's look at some good times!  Half Marathons #6, #7, & #8 for 2021.

Big Ole Medal Half with Stud Nation

My teammates from AR joined me for this race.  We signed up for one reason.  That big ole medal!  Winding through parks and neighborhoods of McKinney, TX makes for a nice run.  We earned that medal for sure!  Texas has a way of turning a cool start into a blazing inferno.  So, by mile 7 or 8 we were cooked.  Which made my idea of doing threshold intervals at the beginning an even worse idea.  Nonetheless we pushed through and collected that metal mammoth!

Look at the size of that thing!

Hope for the Holiday Half in Memory of Garrett Yeager.

I've ran this race 5 years in row.  It's a nice small-town race.  If you're looking for a change of scenery, check out this half in Arkansas. You won't get bored!  It’s a mixed terrain course. Street, technical trail, & gravel. It’s small & challenging with a finish that will leave even the most seasoned runner with a feeling of accomplishment.  It's nestled in the foothills of the Ozark Mountains.  If you're looking for a race with a huge heart this is the one!  It benefits Overdose Awareness, local recovery groups, & local charities.  Can't make the drive they have a virtual option as well!  Check them out on Facebook!

If you’re a fan of Nascar, it’s also the hometown of Hall of Famer Mark Martin. He has a sweet museum there to visit while you’re in town. 

Dallas Marathon Half Marathon

So, I signed up for the Dallas Marathon.  I did not meet that goal.  I ended up getting Covid and didn't recover until 6 weeks before race day.  So, I decided it was best to back down to the half.  I still had a great time!  The course ran by Dealey Plaza.  Being a JFK buff, that was the reason I signed up in the first place.  The coolest moment for me happened when we were passing Dealey Plaza!  A runner in military fatigues and carrying a US flag left the course, ran across the grass median to the spot where JFK was assassinated.  He then stopped, saluted, and ran back onto the course.  I made sure to catch up to him, thank him for his service, & give him a fist bump.  So how was the race?  First off it was cold.  It had been in the 70s earlier in the week, but not today.  Upper 30s were on the menu for the start.  Once I got warmed up, I really enjoyed the course.  I love running through skyscrapers!  The course meandered around downtown Dallas.  It was a challenging course, but it had a ton of crowd support.  I'll plan to do it again!

Some of our training group!  #werunfrisco

I plan to squeeze in one more 2021 post to recap my achievements & plans for 2022.  It was a huge year for me & I'm excited to see where these roads lead me.

Come back & check it out!

Pikes Peak Ascent - race report

I've been talking about Pikes Peak for about 6 months now.  The week finally came!

For reference, here's the course.

My friends have ran this race; both the Ascent & the Marathon.  I am now convinced that I never actually understood just how hard it was.  Don't get me wrong.  I knew it would be tough, but not on this level.  Judging by this race, I'm not sure that I ever really challenged myself before.  This was by far the toughest thing I’ve ever done in my life!  

One of the things that makes it tough, besides the fact that you're going up a mountain, is the cut-offs.  There were multiple checkpoints that you had to make or else you were turned back.

No Name (4.3 mi, 8,800') 1:40:00

Barr Camp (7.6 mi, 10,200') 3:10:00

A-Frame (10.2 mi, 12,000') 4:30:00

Summit (13.3 mi, 14,115') 6:30:00

Think about this... you get to A-Frame at 4:31:00.  You missed the cut-off.  You have to go 10.2 miles back down.  That's 20.4 miles in a 13.3 mile race.

I've been training & I thought I’d be faster, but the mountain has a way of checking your ego in the first mile. 

I felt that I was doing fairly well until after Barr Camp, mile 7.6 at 10,200ft elevation. Not long after I made the checkpoint (1hr ahead of cutoff) I really started feeling it. I made it to A-frame, mile 10.2 at 12,000ft elevation, a mere 20mins before the cutoff. I lost 40mins in that section.  From there it was an all out battle of the mind & body. 

With about 2 miles to go I decided that I wasn’t going to make the finish before the cutoff. My miles were slowing & I had all but lost the battle of the mind. 

But I kept pushing. Pushing is an exaggeration. It was more like slinking... Just plain surviving. With just a couple of turns left I heard the announcer say, “we have 10mins left in the race!”  I couldn’t believe it!  I was going to make it! I pushed myself hard. (I think this actually qualified as pushing) 

I crossed the line at 14,115ft with just 4 minutes to spare!  (after recalibration of the race clock I only had 1m 49s left to cross!)  I was so tired that I could barely walk to the aid station for an orange & banana. 

I have never really been emotional running races, but today, at that moment, as I walked toward that table alone, the emotion of me thinking I wasn’t going to make it & then barely making it, I started crying. 

I literally left everything that I had on that damn mountain. After all was said & done 13.32 miles & 7,815ft of vertical gain!

Dare to see what you’re capable of.  You just might surprise yourself!

A Year Long Streak & a New FRC Season!

“Without reflection, we go blindly on our way, creating more unintended consequences, and failing to achieve anything useful.” – Margaret J. Wheatley 

“We do not learn from experience. We learn from reflecting on experience.” – John Dewey

Reflection time.  Finishing up June will be my 12th month in a row in with 100 or more miles.  Prior to this streak I had only ran 100 miles in a month twice my entire running career.  I may not be running a 7 min mile, but I'm out here crushing it!  Here's a recap. (more for me than you)

2020 was a terrible year, but it was my best year of running!  Of the previous 7 years my highest mileage year was 2017 with 585.9.  I ended 2020 with 912.8!  After my 5 miles tomorrow (to hit 100 for June) I'll be just over 663 miles!  Already about 2/3 of the way to my 2020 mileage.

Using the first 6 months to calculate an average, I am on pace to hit 1,326 miles this year!  That right there is why we reflect!  Why am I getting faster?  I'm running more.  My highest mileage years were the years that I was the fastest (2014, 2017, 2020).  It makes sense now that I'm looking at it. I PR'd my half marathon time in January after logging the most yearly miles ever.

Now here I sit in the midst of my most epic year of running yet!  I did half marathons on back to back days.  Capping a 3 in 9 days adventure.  I am signed up to run up Pikes Peak in 8 short weeks.  I am signed up for my first full marathon in December.  Bringing my 2021 totals to 8 halfs & 1 full for 2021!

So I'll end this little parade with...  Consistency is key!  

Now we're in a brand new season of the FRC training plan & I'm a pacer this year.  We'll have workout as a group each week.  Tuesday Track, Wednesday Social, Thursday XT, & Saturday Long Run.  Depending on what mileage you're targeting there are multiple plans to follow. The weekly mileages are 25, 35, 40, or 50.  Super excited to see what the plan does for me & through me this year!

Until next time...  Here are some shots from the last few weeks!

Shoes from Atreyu in Austin, TX.

Had some fun with a T-Rex costume at Track Tuesday!

It was was also pouring down rain the whole time...

1,500+ ft of AR gravel elevation at Love Hollow.

A small cave at Waterloo Park in Denison, TX.

Conquered Salado Mtn twice in AR.

Pikes Peak, marathon pacing, & back to back half marathons!

 "Your work is your own private megaphone to tell others what you believe." - Simon Sinek

So I took a little break from blogging.  Sometimes it get daunting to keep up with a journal, but it's a rewarding thing to look back and see how I've progressed.

I'm going to try & keep at this thing.  Maybe not weekly.  Perhaps monthly, but periodically to maintain some sense of history.

What did I miss...  Well, March 1st meant that opening of general registration for the Pikes Peak Marathon & Ascent.  As I mentioned before, Brian asked if I wanted to go with them this year to run it.  Being a glutton for punishment I said yes.  I actually got registered even though both races sold out within an hour. No turning back now!  

Now comes the attempt to hill train in the flatlands of Texas.  I started out on a incline treadmill plan, but I didn't feel like it really helped a great deal.  The treadmill gave me the temptation/option to hold onto the side rails or lean forward and hang on.  Which is why I ordered this puppy.  They say that it helps simulate hill climbing.  We'll see... I decided to start out easy until I build some strength.  I did a 2 mile walk followed by a 1 mile run.  The run portion felt similar to the end of a half marathon.  Everything just felt heavy. As it should carry 20 extra pounds.

What else happened?  My Texas buddy, Leo from the Turtles, decided to run his first full marathon.  I volunteered to work the course so that I could be around to cheer him on. I was posted at a turnaround section.  Once all of the runners were through that portion they would go into, if I remember correctly, 2.3 mile loops.  As I finished my post & walked back to the start/finish area, Leo came along.  I ran with him for a minute or two and then stayed at the finish area cheering runners on.  After a little time passed I see Mark come by.  I decide that the next time he comes by I'll run a loop with him.  I'm not really dressed to run, but I thought it would be encouraging for him.  I'm wearing sweat pants, a t-shirt, & an old pair of shoes that I retired months ago.  

A few minutes later he comes by & I join in.  He has just under 9 miles to go.  After a couple of loops I decided that he needed me to keep running with him.  So I start telling him every part of my life story that I can think of.  Anything to keep myself talking & try to distract him from the pain he was in.  We kept on going & he finished his first marathon. 26.2 miles!

Another exciting bit of news in the last month or so.  The city of McKinney accidentally double booked 2 half marathons on the same weekend.  I've always wanted to attempt two halfs back to back.  This seemed to be my chance!  I put a text to the Turtles to see if anyone wanted to double up... No takers.  I asked Brian (the guy who invited me to Pikes Peak).  He's equally as crazy as me.  So he said yes.  He was signed up for another race the weekend before.  A trail race in Arkansas.  I figured it was the least that I could do to run with him since he was running with me.  If you do the math that's 3 half marathons in 9 days.  So we signed up.

Race #1 like I mentioned was a trail race in Arkansas.  It was gravel backroads with about 900ft of elevation gain.  I needed the hill training anyway.  It was hard.  I had also made the mistake of taking some multiple gels during the race that had a shot of caffeine.  I was thinking that it would help push me onward.  Unbeknownst to me, what it actually did was push my heart rate to the limit.  I was completely trashed about mile 9 and beyond.  Afterward I looked at my hear rate data & it had peaked at 211! Lesson learned.

The following weekend Brian came to town to prepare for our back to back races.  I forgot to mention that the sponsoring race companies joined together to create a challenge.  They were hoping that it would help with attendance.  In our case I guess it worked.  The races were on the same course.  They were slightly different.  One starting at one end of the trail & the other starting at the opposite end.  Nonetheless there was a lot of repeated scenery.  That definitely keyed up a mental game on day 2.  We were up to the challenge & earned that hardware!  My second race time was only 8 minutes slower than the first.  I'd say that was a win for my first double.

That double also qualified me to join Half Fanatics!  I've been thinking about it for sometime, but never have pulled the trigger.  This weekend also wrapped up my 20th half marathon.  I'd say I'm classified as a fanatic.

Lastly, here’s a shot of my new Half Fanatic racing singlet! The boys from Stud Nation & I decided we would use them as our team shirts.  

God bless America!

Running for fun? Are you sure?

Obstacles are those frightful things you see when you take your eyes off your goal. - Henry Ford

I saw this quote a few weeks ago and saved it.  It's hitting home with me lately.  I kind feel like I'm wandering.  The races that I was training for are done.  The FRC plan is pretty much done.  Mentally, I told myself that I would rest after these races.  Honestly, I'm not sure that I can. I thought about working some weights into my routine, but then I wonder, am I getting to greedy?  Am I looking for the next thing?  What I am doing is working & it's not making me too miserable. If it ain't broke don't fix it, right?

I was talking to someone recently that was saying that they had tried running.  They decided that it sucked & it was painful. I tried to explain that I agreed completely.  Running is not like laying by the pool.  It takes physical exertion.  Even when it's an easy run there is an element of uncomfortableness.  At least I know it is that way for me.  So why do I run?  I run for the feeling of accomplishment.  When I finish running I feel good about what I have done.  When I finish one of our tough XT workouts & I can say I just did 80 or 100 burpees, I feel like a badass, like I can accomplish anything.

Back to the topic at hand, without a goal, what's next?  I'm going to stay the course.  Keep running with by friends.  Throw in some old track & hill workouts like last year.  A couple of the guys have marathons coming up very soon so I'll have plenty of miles to log.  And just like that I have another goal!  In the FRC XT challenge I won a free entry to the Texas Big Star Half Marathon in April.  Now I have 3 months to get 34 seconds faster & go sub 2:00

TUESDAY was an attempt at an easy run after resting on Monday.  My legs were still a little tired from the race.  I ran by this tree & I saw a little bird's nest.  So I thought that would be a neat photo for the blog.  Ends up it was not.  So I propped my phone up on a fire hydrant & got this one.  I thought it was perfect for the status of my legs.

Also a friend of mine in KC was having a real good time with my finish line photo from the race.  So, of course, I had to share.

Enjoy!

WEDNESDAY we run long runs.  People think that we're insane, and we may be a little.  Before moving to Texas I had a rule of no more than 5 miles on week day.  Well, we have smashed that many time as you may have noticed.

Anyway, last night was one of those nights where I just couldn't sleep.  I kept waking up.  Finally about 2am it was over.  My workload for the day started running through my head.  I tossed & turned until 3am and finally just got up.  I was setup to run with The Turtles at 5am, I thought well, I'll just get up and go run now since I can't sleep.  It was raining.  Blah.  So I decided to eat some ramen (my pre-long run meal), drink some coffee, & just wait till run time.

The rain had passed by the time I went to meet the guys.  We took off on another 10-miler.  We decided on a nice easy pace.  With 2 of our squad training for full marathons the pace would generally need to be a little slower.  It was a real good time; a lot of talking.  We haven't been able to do that much lately with the intervals & quicker paces. With the exception of nearly being mauled by Chupacabra that was lurching around in the woods along the trail, it was a nice run.  

XT THURSDAY is here again!  Another empowering workout from the mind of our cross training coach!  Not a whole lot to say about it.  4 rounds of the workout listed below.  I did start to dry heave during round 3, but I finished it up in less than 30 minutes.  

It's SATURDAY!  That means we're going long!  There had been talk of 15 miles today. While I wasn't really looking forward to 15, I was down to support my friends.  So I was in.  I've been trying out some new nutrition & I have it all prepped & ready go.  

• Body Glide to prevent chaffing.
• Salt Stick capsules to replace electrolytes during the run.
• Karbolyn Fuel in the Maurten bottle for gradual carb intake during the run.
• Huma energy gels for a boost every now and again.

It was raining again and it was really windy.  I mean really really windy. Like I mentioned earlier, we're a little crazy.  With a little reservation we press on with the plan to meet at the store.  Once on the way I realize that the wind is blowing a lot harder than I thought.  The weather is saying 35-40 mph gusts.  We get out of our cars & can barely stand up to the gusts.  For our safety we decided to postpone until later in the day.  One brave Turtle, Donatello, who had plans for the day actually went out an hour earlier & logged 8 miles. See... crazy...

Being Saturday, I jump back in bed & nap for a bit.  About 9am I get back up & head out for my solo run. It's still windy, but it's died down to about 14mph,  With no particular route in mind, I just wing it.  I think the most I've ever ran in my neighborhood is 7-8 miles.  I feel like I want to do at least 10.  

Off I go!  I try to go to the farthest points in the neighborhood that I can think of.  Out to Hwy 1385 on the East, up around the clubhouse, past the school & up to the stoplight by the DollarGentral on Hwy 380.  I zig zag through a couple of streets & back on a common route around by Rowdy's house.  Instead of going back home now, I keep going down to the roundabout & up past The Kitch.  There apparently having a 5k or something.  A lot of people are stagger starting as I run by the start line I'm just over Mile 4.  I go through the 2nd roundabout by the flagpoles all the way up to the 7-Eleven that's also on Hwy 380. Here I have to turnaround. I take the other side of the street & loop back by The Kitch on the other side, down around the lake & up through the outside loop.  

About Mile 8 or so, I touching Hwy 1385 again, & I start to get tired mentally.  I turn back North toward the house at Mile 9 & I am welcomed by the 14mph headwind.  Yea!  Nonetheless I slog on back to village, around the block & we're done.  10 miles on the money.  Honesty it felt like 13 or more.

Sometimes it's easy to under estimate the power of running in groups.  One of the main things that attracted to running was the relationships.  Runners are one of the most inclusive group of people that I have met.  Whether you're the fastest, the lowest, or somewhere in between you are cheered for & cheered on.  I've seen it in multiple states.  

I'll leave you with this.  You don't have to be lonely.  You don't have to exercise alone.  Whether you run a 6 minute mile or 20 minute mile, reach out to a local running group.  I'll wager dollars to donuts that you'll be welcomed with open arms.

Consistency = PRs! (plus a race recap)

Success is neither magical nor mysterious. Success is the natural consequence of consistently applying basic fundamentals.” - E. James Rohn

Consistency.  That's what I believe in.  You don't have to be perfect.  You just have to be consistent.  That goes for anything in life.  For running, I believe that you will get better & faster the more consistently that you do it. Yes, cross training & speedwork helps increase that development.  But if you go out & run 3 times a week every week for, let's say a year, you will get better & faster.  I have no doubt.  Give it a try & let me know how it goes.

TUESDAY

It’s race week!  Just three 3-milers planned prior to Saturday.  Today I took an old out & back route to Union Park for lunch. I passed some guys putting in work just like me.  Well not quite like me but, we were both working.  

WEDNESDAY

I traded the usual 5am 10-miler for another lunch run.  I thought that might have been a bad choice.  It rained most of the morning.  I figured that I would be running in the rain.  I actually like running in the rain. So I wasn’t too worried about it.  The lunch bell rang & off I went.  Just a light mist, but a lot of puddles.  I took a frequented route through the neighborhood. I had to stop for a couple of minutes for a work phone call that I had to take. Back to the run. Needing to burn off a little steam I decide this is the perfect time to go into a progression run.  

What’s a progression run you ask... It’s running each mile faster than the previous.  Also called negative splits. Let’s do this. On this familiar route I pass by my buddy, Rowdy again.  No picture this time.  

Final pace numbers - 9:07, 8:49, 8:12.  A solid progression run!

THURSDAY

After a nice progressive run yesterday I decided I would take it fairly easy today.  This would be the last run before race day.  Work was pretty busy today. I couldn’t make it out for a lunch run. I knew I needed to get my run in, so a supper run it is. 

Early evening runs are my least favorite. I’m usually hangry & it ends up being bedtime before I can get in my wind down time. I take off with no route in mind. About a quarter mile in I check my pace.  8:45!  What the heck?!? Slow down, mister!  I venture past a boy on a scooter.  I give out a “what’s up dude”. He returns the gesture exactly & lets out a little “what’s up dude”.  I love those little moments on a run.  There are a lot of people on the trail at supper time.  Should these people be eating... supper??

Not too long later I come up on a mom with a small girl parked behind her in an Escalade power wheel.  As I whip around she floors it & hear that familiar spinning sound accompanied by the whir of the electric motor screaming away.  With all these pleasant interactions I continue to struggle slowing down.  Maybe that’s why the Brooks slogan is Run Happy... I run past the ballers at the ball court, around the clubhouse, down through the heart of Savannah, and around the neighborhood elementary. I meet couples walking, couples walking dogs, & other runners.  I head back to the house through some streets I haven’t ran on before.  Another 5k in the books just in time for sunset.  

SATURDAY 

RACE DAY!!!

It's misting rain & in the upper 40s.  Sounds like perfect running weather to me!  I meet up with my friends in the parking lot at Town Lake Park in McKinney.  The site of the Frisco Running Co Half Marathon & 5k . Getting out of the car I realize it feels a little colder than I thought it would be.  Nonetheless, we're going with it; shorts, short sleeve short, & gloves.  There are a lot of Covid protocols in place.  So our first stop is the medical tent to get our temperature checked.  A quick scan & beep, we're good to go.  Now for a few laps around the parking lot to get warmed up.  

The announcer urges everyone to the starting corral.  They have us setup in socially distanced waves.  The 5k & half runners are intermingled.  This is one of my favorite parts of races.  The anticipation of the start.  The music is playing. People are bouncing & stretching.  Last minute checks of your race gear.  For me, I'm just taking it all in. Race Day playlist cued up & ready.  A Warrior's Call by Volbeat is my go to jam for getting pumped up for  run.  A quick review of the Drader-designed race plan to get me focused.  I scribbled it on my bib.  It's broken out by 5k segments.  Every segment I'll evaluate how I feel & either speed up or maintain my pace.

• 1-3.1 - 9:25
• 3.1-6.2 - 9:15
• 6.2-9.3 - 9:05
• 9.3-12.4 - 8:55
• 12.4-finish - wheels off!

And we're off!  The wet weather has made the paved trail & sidewalks a little slick.  Not to mention the mud.  Several spots along the course have mud on the path making it even more slick.  Not even to the first mile & I can feel mud slinging up and hitting the back of my ankles.  A lot of the course is standard sidewalk so its a bit crowded in the beginning.  It winds through the park, in & out of the woods, and beside ponds/lakes.  We have several club members working aid stations.  It makes it nice to hear someone cheering you on by name or yelling out "Ninja Turtles!". To add to the excitement, these signs were posted along along the path.  I will say I was a little nervous when I saw them.  Especially since there was more than one.  Hopefully the cooler weather will keep us safe...

Don & Raph are running a quicker pace than I want, so I let them go.  After navigating through the race traffic Leo pulls up beside me.  Shortly after mile 2 I hear some guy behind us yelling about the sidewalk.  Next thing I know this Santa Claus looking fellow comes whizzing by.  It's about this time that I realize he was yelling at us.  We were side-by-side taking up most of the narrow sidewalk.  I yell back a friendly, "I guess you should have started in the front!"  That gives Leo a little chuckle. Shortly after, as we expected, Santa exits for the 5k finish.

As we loop the lake we hit 3.1 and I'm feeling good.  I've been spot checking my pace & I feel like I'm right in the pocket at 9:20. In actuality, 9:20, 9:08, 9:10.  In retrospect I think the slow downs from the muddy spots caused me to overcorrect my pace pushing me over my targets.  I give myself the green light to speed up. Now we're on the out & back portion of the race.  It sends us through a disc golf course & a couple of other parks.  This segment goes by pretty fast.  Next thing I know, we're at 6.2 & I'm meeting people on their way back.  System check.  Feeling good.  Increase pace a planned.  By this time I realize that I'm a little ahead of my targets, but I'm thinking, "just keep going".  If I get tired & I'll be able to afford to dial back and rest for a bit.

This segment should be 9:05s, but I start encouraging the runners that I meet. "Good job!  Nice work!"  I'm even more excited when I see our club mates!  Shortly after mile 7 we hit the turnaround point. Other than that I don't remember much about the next few miles. We'll chalk it up to the runner's high.  Miles 6-9 were all sub-9 minute miles.  It was starting to get tough, but this what we trained for, pain.  We had logged runs well over 13 miles during training.  We taught ourselves that we could endure.  So, I just kept on pushing.    Mile 10 I look at my watch.  Overall time 1hr 30mins!  What?!?!  I could actually hit 2hrs!  I'm hurting now, &  slow down a bit.  As long as I don't sink to 10min miles I'll make it.  Mile 12 & 13 are nothing but guts.  The gradual uphill at 12 is punishing me.  Where the hell did this hill come from?!?  I start the self-talk.  You got this! Don't walk! Stay above 10min miles! Explicative, Explicative!  

Finally, I can hear the announcer.  We're getting close now!  My watch beeps for 13 miles.  1:59.  I can see the finish line.  I give it everything I have.  I end up running that last tenth at a 7:27 pace.  Completely missing the last aid station that was giving out whiskey shots.  Finish time 2:00:32!  Wow!  I'm a little disappointed that I didn't hit the sub 2:00 mark, but I just ran my fastest half of all time!  Albeit by 21secs, its a PR nonetheless!  My previous PR was from 2014.  Not to mention besting my last 2 half times in Nov & Dec by a full 10mins!  I typically don’t like race pictures where I don’t look strong, but today I realized that this is a picture of me looking strong. This is me being strong. This is why we run.

We're tired & we're getting cold, but we did it!  We were consistent & we saw results.  All 4 of us set half marathon PRs today!  I'd say without a doubt we have pushed each other to be better. That's Turtle Power, baby!  I don't think I'll have any issue breaking that 2:00:00 barrier this year!

Consistency is key, my friends.  Consistency is key.