2019...Looking back; Moving ahead

Gratitude.

Yes, gratitude. It has been a predominant theme, mantra and state of mind for me these past two years.

I made it through an unexpected 3-month sabbatical from all things running in 2017. In 2018, I was  rewarded with a renewed sense of gratitude for the simple act of running, and being able to CHOOSE to do it (in all conditions).

Enter 2019...and things got even better.


It was a year of comfort zone violating. Anyone remember the Polar Vortex, back in January? Iowa saw temps 30F below ZERO range... and with the crazy windchill, we were rocking sub (negative) 50F's. It wasn't just a single day, either. These  temps were some of the lowest we've ever seen, and certainly were not conducive to outdoor running. Hence, the treadmill. There was a lot of treadmill time. A lot. Although I never grew to love dear ((old)) Milly, I did become a tiny bit more tolerant.

many, MANY miles with Milly

It was a year of focused TLC. We're talking pre-hab, recovery. consistent warm-ups (as well as cool-downs) and foam rolling. Although there were a few aches and pains along the way, for the most part, I didn't have much for injury or discomfort. Coincidence? I don't think so.

post-run stretching happened a lot more

It was a year of new things. Enter Gustavas (he's my bike, by the way). Although I'd had my dear Gustavas for many years, he really had  not seen much action. Well, that all changed in 2019. Mid-summer, I was eager for mixing up my cardio a bit. There's a 15-mile out-and-back trail to a lake west of town, and I started riding that at least once a week. It's a hilly route, so my legs (and lungs and heart) definitely got a great workout. A co-worker started joining me on Friday mornings as well. I discovered not only was biking a great workout, it was a fantastic recovery vice for my legs. All told, I logged almost 500 miles in the saddle, most of which was during July through September. When the early morning daylight dwindled, so did the biking (but I plan to make it a regular in my fitness routine next spring/summer again).

new hashtag #mileswithGustavas

It was a year of transition with my eating habits. I had been doing fasted cardio workouts intermittently for several years before I ever realized it was a legit means of combining diet and exercise for fat loss. I made more of a conscious effort to incorporate some form of exercise first thing in the morning (while still in a "fasted" state), and I saw some serious results. I didn't particularly lose much in terms of weight, but I did lose a substantial amount of fat.

There were a lot of #fastedcardio sunrise runs

Also, at the end of June, I began an Invisalign orthodontia treatment. Basically, it's like wearing a clear retainer on my teeth, and I have to brush and floss every time I eat (or drink) anything other than plain water. As a result, my in-between meal snacking came to an abrupt halt, and I'm drinking plain water more than ever...not a bad thing, right?

It was a year filled with racing. Nineteen races (and a 76-mile team relay), thank you very much. There were tough conditions (18 miles of rain at Marine Corps Marathon), fast & furious finishes (Drake Relays Grand Blue Mile), and even my first-ever first place overall (female) win (Jingle for a Cure 5K). Links to all of my race recaps can be found on my Let's Race page (HERE).

Racing Totals:
1-mile - 1
5K's - 5
8K's - 1
10K's - 5
7-mile - 1
10-mile - 1
20K - 1
13.1 - 4
26.2 - 1
Team relay - 1

It was a year of plateau busting. While I only set a few significant PR's (Run for the Roses 10K, Quad City Bix-7, Grand Blue Mile), I had numerous races (of varying distances) that challenged some of those old PR's from many years ago. In fact, my 2019 races were run faster than most of the ones pre-Voldy (he's the 6-inch scar from my surgery in 2017). Maybe I've gotten a bit faster, or maybe I've just been training better. None the less, I'm pretty happy with how the year played out.

This fast mile took me several minutes to catch my breath afterwards, a few hours of coughing before my dry throat was better, and I had DOMS for almost a week LOL

 I say all of this not to brag. I'm simply basking in what has been my best year of running thus far. Running is fickle, and we never know when that next injury will hit us between the eyes (or wreak havoc on our legs, knees or feet). All of these great moments from 2019 may not happen again. I'm choosing to enjoy what's happened rather than dwell on what didn't. And, I'm eager to see what 2020 has in store for me!

Enough about me...How did 2019 treat you? Breakthroughs in your training? Fun races? Any PR's?

I'm linking this with Meranda and Lacey for the Friday with Fairytales and Fitness link-up. 

 

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