My running goal for 2018 was to find the joy in running again. My running in the second half of 2017 was pretty rough. Last December, I skipped the California International Marathon after riding the struggle bus through the 2017 Milwaukee and NYC marathons. I’m happy to tell you, I nailed it. I had so much fun training and racing this year. I really appreciated and enjoyed the miles in 2018.
You can see my quarterly reviews for race summaries and products I loved (Q1, Q2, Q3).
Here is my 2018 running year in review:
# of Miles Run – 2,045. Average 5.6 miles/day and 39.3/week. [Note: I don’t run every day.]
# of Races Run– 18 –one more than last year! 18 races broke down to: marathons (2), half marathons (4), 10 mile (2), 8k (2), 10k (1) , 6k (1), 4.1 mile (1), 5k (4) and 800m (1). I also did a 6K fun run and a 5K fun run (untimed races).
# of Miles Run in Races –150.4- 10 miles less than last year.
# of Age Group Awards– 8. I won the local CARA circuit for my age group this year. I was pleased with my times but also have to admit that some of my main female 45-49 competitors were no where to be seen this year!
Fun Race Destinations– NYC (2), Seattle (Snoqualmie), Madison, WI and Ojai, CA
Coolest Non-Race Runs: – Rome, Boulder, Zion, Los Angeles and San Francisco.
Best Race– Tie – NYC Marathon and Mountains2Beach Marathon. I had so much fun in both of these races and met my goal of running with joy full on!
Worst Race– I didn’t have any truly bad races this year – YAY! Well, the heat in the Race Against Hate in June was pretty epic. That said, it was a really great cause and fun event and I won my AG, so I can’t complain too much.
Personal Records (PRs)- 1. I ran a 4.1 mile race this year the first time – automatic PR!
Star Sightings: I met Alexi Pappas and Elyse Kopecky at Chicago Marathon events.
Most Inspiring Runner: Lynn Rogers! My friend Lynn has CIDP – a chronic debilitating illness. She was paralyzed during the 2017 Chicago Marathon. She not only completed the 2018 Chicago Marathon, but she did it in 4:18 with a smile on her face. Running part of this race with Lynn is one of my best running memories ever. And that’s saying something! Check out her story here.
Number of Sidelining Injuries– 1. I pulled a hamstring in June and had a few DNSs. I was happy not to miss too much NYC Marathon training.
Best Running Advice I Received This Year: Don’t forget to smile!
Best New Running Product(s) I Tried: This is SO tough – like picking a favorite child, friend or pet. The list is long and I recommend you check out all of the awesome products I checked out this year! Go to giveaways and check out my reviews. I will put in a word for the Fluid Running H2Go Running System. This is an awesome workout package for water running. It’s great to cross train and train through injury. I also am a big fan of SoleHealers for stretching the feet!
Popular Running Posts:
- Quarterly Round Ups (Q1, Q2, Q3)
- NYC Marathon
- Mountains2Beach Marathon Recap
- Running Gift Guide
- Cold(er) Weather Running Tips
- Tried it Tuesday: Fluid Running H2Go Running System
- Tried it Tuesday: SoleHealers
- Summer Running Must Haves
For a blogging runner, that’s a lot of running blogging! I’m hoping to continue running with joy and gratitude in 2019. I also have some marathon and half marathon time goals in mind. I’m running the Carlsbad Half, NYC Half, Mountains2Beach Marathon, Chicago Marathon (what!? #neversaynever) and the NYC Marathon again. I also hope to get to the start of CIM with my run crew in December. I’ll keep you posted on anything else I hatch. Let me know if you have any ideas for me, too!
How was your year in running?? Please tell me about it in the comments.
Here’s to a healthy, speedy and happy 2019!