Thursday, December 19, 2019

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).
Image may contain: bicycle
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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27 comments:

  1. What a great 2019 you had!19 races and plateau busting to go with it! Fabulous!
    I've wondered whether the fasted workout would work for me.... might be worth a try. Do you measure your fat percentage with a scale?
    2019 was a frustrating year running-wise... I was out with Achilles tendonitis most of the time. But the highlight is that I am back! So happy to be running again.

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    1. I don't measure my fat percentage other than noticing my clothes fitting looser LOL The fasted cardio works well for me, but I'm a natural early-riser. Most of my early-morning workouts are less than 40 minutes, so the time commitment isn't too severe that I'd need a meal or a snack beforehand.

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  2. you DID have a great year this year, Kim. Your running is going really well. It's probably your wonderful sense of gratitude propelling you to faster times. That ans hard work! What??? 30 below??? That's just crazy cold. I am hoping for no polar vortex this year!

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    1. Thank you, Laurie! Honestly, I think it's the gratitude, too. The 30 below was just the air temps...the windchill dropped the feels-like another 25 degrees LOL It was crazy cold!

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  3. What a great year! It's so much fun to follow along on the journey with you.

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    1. It's been an exciting year, certainly one I could never have predicted :-)

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  4. It was fun to see you get so into your bike this summer. I think it really served you well with your fitness

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    1. The biking was such a game-changer for those 3-1/2 months! It really aided in my recovery, and enhanced my running a lot.

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  5. Congrats on such a great year Kim. I am so happy for you. You know my 2019 wasnt great. Having to take care of my Baylee for the first half of the year gave me very little time to run ( which was okay with me) and then after her passing, my heart just wasnt in it all that much, so it wasnt a good running year for me. On the bright side, no injuries though..lol

    We are head to Iowa this afternoon, and now I will be praying we dont encounter temps like you described above! -M

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    1. You're coming to Iowa at a great time...it's unseasonably warm!

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  6. You’ve had such an incredible year! I am inspired by you! I’ve been experimenting with fasted cardio as well - There are times in the morning when I don’t have the appetite to eat but still want to get a workout it. Congrats on this year’s achievements!

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    1. A lot of people do intermittent fasting (going for 10-12 hours at a time between meals), but I don't. I just get up and do my thing in the mornings LOL If I'm going to be running longer than an hour, though, I will have a snack or a small breakfast.

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  7. What a fantastic year you have had! I got braces for the first time when I was 47 years old. I wish I had done it earlier-I was always so self conscious about my teeth. You will be so happy you did the Invisalign!

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    1. This is my first-ever experience with orthodontics....it's been much easier than anticipated, and I think I'm almost done (after only six months). Yeah, I'm wishing I would have done it much sooner, too LOL

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  8. Gratitude makes you have more than enough. What an amazing year. Hoping it just gets bette

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  9. You had a stellar year of racing Kim! I hope that 2020 brings even more good things your way.

    I do think doing all the things that most runners hate -- the warm ups, cool downs, foam rolling -- makes a huge difference. Which is why I preach it loudly & often!

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  10. You've been such an inspiration to me this year and I plan to work on my at-home workouts again next year, following your lead. My major achievement was running an ultra and I was pleased enough with how it went that I never have to do another!

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    1. Thank you!! I love my at-home workouts! I'm just not a gym gal, and I'm thankful I don't struggle with the motivation.

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  11. It looks like you've had an awesome year! :] I like that you named your bike! I'm still trying to figure out a name for mine, haha. I also need to actually get a bike lock so I can actually go biking again! I'd like to start doing fasted cardio again too!

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    1. The fasted cardio just kind of happened for me, mainly due to my work schedule but also due to my lifestyle (early-riser LOL).

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  12. Such an incredible year for you! I'm not snacking much at all either (for different reasons), and it's amazing how that makes such a difference.

    I had some great times this year. We are ending on a bit of a down note, but that just means 2020 will be even sweeter.

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    1. I wasn't a huge snacker before, but I'd grab a piece of candy or a handful of nuts, etc. if they were available. Now, it's much easier to take a pass if I have to brush/floss afterwards.

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  13. What a great way to frame it - you've had an amazing year.
    I love GumbyYou in the prehab/cool down section
    I miss Invisalign's no snacking. Was so good for that habit. I also love the results, but wow.

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    1. Invisalign has been a bit of a lifestyle adjustment, but in a good way. I'm hyper aware of all the people snacking around me, and all the sugar-laden beverages people consume throughout the day (and I was one of them before).

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