My Year of Running

I know it’s a week late…but this was too good to pass up! 2014 was a very busy year for me running wise so these year end recap questions I found on Abby’s blog (thanks to Miss Zippy) were too tempting to pass up. I started the year with an ankle sprain and recovered in time for a lackluster marathon at Phoenix, trained hard in the Spring for a great race at RnR SD, had fun in the summer with triathlon, travel and Bird Camp and came back in the fall for a very rewarding marathon training season that was worth the disappointing finish at CIM. I learned a lot about running this year and I’ve come out of it a stronger, more well-rounded athlete.

Best race experience?

San Diego Rock n’ Roll Half Marathon. Mike and I both rocked major PRs and we had runner’s high all day. Several friends came out to cheer us on (thanks Allison, Brooke, Asia and Jeremy!) and I had a blast running the race. I had a smile on my face for almost all of the race, but particularly when I got a crazy second wind about half way in and cranked it to the finish. Mike even ran with Meb for about 9 miles which was pretty exciting!

Best run?

During CIM training I had several long runs with segments at goal pace, but it was definitely the 20 mile with 15 @ 8:05 average that really rocked. It was a beautiful solo run and a total confidence booster! I was giddy all day afterward.

Best new piece of gear?

I love my grey Oiselle Lesley Moto Tight. I’ve worn them all over the place this year – running, Pilates and hiking volcanos in New Zealand!

Best piece of running advice you received?

This is a hard one! I’m definitely the type of person who reaches out to others for advice, so I’ve gotten a lot of it this year. During CIM someone commented on my blog with a tip for marathon racing involving breaking the race into smaller segments to make it easier to handle mentally. I used this tactic in CIM and it worked well!

But on a less technical note, some great advice I’ve received is to run in the moment. To not focus so much on the end goal and instead enjoy the journey. Although I’m not always good at following this advice, I certainly see its value.

Most inspirational runner?

She’s not just a runner (although she’s damn good at it), but my former coach and now Kona finisher Maria Simone is my inspiration. She  worked really, really hard and suffered some disappointing setbacks on her journey to her Kona qualification but kept pursuing her dream and eventually achieved it. She truly has taught me to never give up!

If you could sum up your year in a couple of words, what would they be? Fall down 9 times, get up 10.

What was your favorite running moment of 2014? What running advice did you receive this year?