Sole Sisters

Sole Sisters

Monday, December 31, 2012

2012 year in review

Well, it's officially the very last day of 2012. Since I've been meaning to update this blog for the past... oh... 3 months, now it's time. So here we go.

2012 started off with a BANG! Back-to-back marathons on January 7th and 8th. Danielle, Tracy and I (with Chad as the support/driver, of course) raced "casually" in Jackson, Mississippi on Saturday then drove to and raced even more "casually" in Mobile, Alabama on Sunday.  We knocked out two states, met some great people, had lots of laughs - and groans- and earned our way into the Marathon Maniac club (yes, there's an actual club for crazies like us, so there).  A wonderful experience that I'd do again in a heartbeat (in 2014 maybe).

February was another whirlwind as Danielle and I completed three marathons in just four weekends - Donna's, FPOL, and RNR New Orleans. Each one was better than the last.  We ran with other friends at each race and made more memories than I can even begin to recall on paper.

March was the Tobacco Road Marathon in NC which was a true test for me, both physically and mentally. Thankfully my best friend - and running partner - is a patient one :)

April had a big group of us, both family and friends, head out to run the Big Sur International Marathon. Best. Marathon. Ever. Seriously, if you have "run a marathon" on your bus met list, you should really do that one. Perfect organization, perfect (challenging) race course, and unforgettable sights. It still gives me chills to think about the winding road up the California mountain coastline.

In May I went to run the Run for the Red marathon in Stroudsburg, PA - my birthplace. While I traveled with my mom and college friends, my father came up and surprised me on the street, ready to run the race as well. By far, this was my favorite memory from the entire year. Despite the fact that I crashed and burned during the actual race, running alongside my dad and best friend Meghan, the tame-home memories are ones I'll never forget. Thanks again, to both of you. If not for you, I'd probably still be up there ;)

Following my Red debacle, I wanted a few months off from long running. This summer you could find me most often in the weight room. I managed to increase several PRs including my bench press, strict press, deadlift, and TGU. It felt great to be working out a different system and to be able to just "run for fun" for a couple months.

Despite my time off from long running, I managed to PR my distance at the Hinson Lake 24 hour run in Rockingham, NC. A race that my family has participated in for the past several years was everything I hoped it would be and I cranked out 55 miles in about 10 hours. Mom and dad both PRed as well, Matt had a great effort, and Brad made an appearance :)

October was my toughest race out of the entire year. The Trilogy, a stage race in WV, includes a 50k Friday, 50 miler Saturday, and a 1/2 marathon Sunday, all through the highest peaks in the mountains. It was freezing cold.  Thankfully I was around amazing family and friends (including my brother Matt, who raced all three and Michelle, who ran her first 50 miler) and spent "quality time" with my father on the 50k and with best friend Jenny during the 1/2. I was very happy to have had Saturday off in between! WV: check.

November I turned 30 (yikes) so I ran the Crooked Road 24 hour run in Franklin County, Va.  Danielle and Michelle came up with me as did both parents, and we all had a great time. I wanted to run my age and squeaked out almost 35 miles before calling it a day. Another great race with wonderful people that I hope to do again next year.

December has seen me dial back my mileage. I've been in the weight room 5 days a week and have been running for fun (which is really nice!) about 3 days a week. Now I'm creeping back up for my spring season.

My first event is the Delerium 24 hour run in Blufton, SC on February 9th where I just hope to run a solid 22 then walk/jog till my other friends finish. It'll be my last long run before running RNR New Orleans (2/24) again with Danielle then the Umstead Marathon the next weekend with Dad. The rest of the year is undecided but will hopefully include knocking out some other states and setting some PRs along the way.

2012 has been a great year. 11 races of marathon+ distance, 9 different states, and lots of lessons learned. Coming up next: the top 10 (or thereabouts) things I learned this year. See you on the road!

Run Happy :)

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