I'm writing the blog a few days early since I'm taking the rest of the year off. The new record has now been set and I'm looking forward to taking a few days off to rest the feet. I'm happy to say I reached an all time annual high total of 2222.22 miles which breaks my shod record by a full 11%.
Once I hit the 2000 mile mark back on Nov. 15, I kept thinking about where I would try to set the final total for the year. A couple of weeks ago I landed on the notion of shooting for the 2222 mile mark and kept watching the weather forecast to make sure I could get it done. The forecast originally called for very frigid temperatures the last week of the year so I planned to get to the goal completed by the day after Christmas. Even though the forecast has eased considerably, I'm not planning to change the total at this point. I'm just happy to be done and resting (especially as I look out this morning at the wet and gray conditions.)
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| My biggest total EVER in one year. |
Right now I'm enjoying a full two weeks of vacation here at the end of the year and the next few days will be spent visiting family in northern Indiana. I normally enjoy doing some barefoot running up in Amish country, but here again, the feet could use a few days off. I'm also resting up for my overseas mission trip coming up at the end of January. God willing, I will be traveling with Crossworld to join my Mission Marathon team in the Canary Islands on January 20th. I will spend several days on Tenerife Island with team members before travelling by boat over to Grand Canary Island. The team will then run the Gran Canaria Marathon on January 25th. I will be running the marathon barefoot and this will also represent my first ever international marathon (other than the Detroit Marathon back in 1995 which was technically considered international since it started over in Windsor Canada!) I'm also teamed up with Free Wheelchair Mission and so far, thanks to everyone's generosity, we've been able to purchase about half a dozen wheelchairs for those with mobility issues. Since I'd never been to the Canary Islands, this seemed like a great opportunity to combine my missions work and my love of barefoot running at the same time. God has blessed me greatly in my running and this is yet another example of His provision.
And since it is the end of the year I'm also looking back at the "TOP TEN" milestones of 2014 with thankful celebration:
1. Coldest Barefoot Run Ever, Feb. 6th = 5 degrees
2. Fastest Barefoot 5K Ever, March 22nd = 21 minutes 49 seconds
3. Fastest Barefoot Marathon Ever, Colorado, May 18th = 3 hours 56 minutes
4. Biggest Barefoot Month Ever, June = 260 miles
5. Barefoot Running in Liberia (2nd Year in a Row) in June & July
6. Biggest Barefoot Week Ever, July 26th = 102 miles
7. Fastest Barefoot Marathon Ever, Wyoming, Aug. = 3 hours 50 minutes
8. Biggest Barefoot Month Ever, Sept. = 265 miles
9. Biggest Barefoot Month Ever, Oct. = 280 miles
10. Biggest Barefoot Year Ever = 2222 miles
Have a Happy and Prosperous 2015,
Barefoot Dan
December Mileage = 160 miles
