This is my favorite post that I write each year. Not so much the actual writing of the post, but because I have so much fun re-reading many of the posts I wrote the rest of the year. It’s always a good way to remember that I live a pretty awesome life and that my running life in particular is a ton of fun! One of these years I’ll have a post about some PRs (even if it’s just post 40 PRs), but this is not that year. This year I’m writing this as part of our Tuesdays on the Run Highlights of Running!
I wrapped up 2014 by running one last race – the Jacksonville Half Marathon – rounding out the year with 17 half marathons. Then I took a nice little running break.
January
January kicked off with a return to regular running and the beginnings of some plans for 2015. Somehow I came up with the brilliant idea to run two marathons in the same weekend to become a Marathon Maniac. Looking back, I still wonder what I was thinking. I also got the great news that I was chosen as an Altra Running ambassador. Given how much I love their shoes, this was pretty awesome.
February
In February, it was time to start training for the crazy marathons AND the Ragnar Cape Cod race that would be a few days later. I ran in the cold, I ran in the snow, I ran 8 miles in teeny tiny laps at an indoor track (not something I ever intend to do again.) When I wasn’t running, I spent my time organizing my running clothes and researching a new treadmill (which I promise I will finally get in 2016).
March
March continued my training, including a 17 mile training run, followed by Rock ‘n’ Roll Half Marathon the next day. It was crazy cold for that race and I ran the entire thing without ever removing my heat blanket. At the end of the month, I ran a super cold 17.75K as well to guarantee my entry into the 40th annual Marine Corps Marathon.
April
April was my peak training month. I ran and ran and ran, including back to back 18 mile runs. I feel like there was nothing to that month other than running, but I did get my reward for my 2014 races – a gorgeous quilt from Katie Mae quilts.
May
May was an amazing month. I ran a full marathon in New Jersey. The next day I ran a full marathon in New York. Five days later, I headed to Cape Cod and ran Ragnar Cape Cod. After that, Beer Geek and I celebrated our 20th anniversary with a week in the Cape Cod area and then capped it with a celebration at Mad Fox Brewing.
June
June was the great rebuild. I went from barely running after Cape Cod to 37+ miles per week by the end of the month. I also ran my first 5K in a while at the Fit Foodie 5K and it was confirmed that my legs had forgotten how to run fast. I started in on the Hansons Marathon Method for my upcoming Marine Corps Marathon and Center of the Nation Series.
July
In July, we headed to Asheville, NC for a week of hiking and beer. We hit around 15 breweries in the week and I ran a bunch of hilly miles. I managed to wear Skirt Sports for the entire vacation, thereby justifying my huge collection of skirts LOL.
August
August is always a good month, even though I am not a fan of the heat. The boys and I spent a good chunk of the month in Wisconsin, I ran a lot lot lot of miles for Hansons training, and Beer Geek and I went to our favorite beer festival.
September
September was amazing and awful. I finally got to run the Center of the Nation Series that I’d been planning since I first discovered the Mainly Marathons. This one was 6 states: North Dakota, South Dakota, Montana, Wyoming, Nebraska, and Colorado. I had a great time, but managed to get bronchitis part way through. This shut down my running for the remainder of September and the early part of October.
October
October started out rough. When I finally started running again after the bronchitis, I discovered that I’d injured my hip. MANY trips to the chiropractor later, I manage to make it to the Runner’s World Half and Festival. I ran the trail race, the 5k, the 10k, and the half marathon for a total of 26.2 miles. It was such a fun weekend! The very next weekend, I ran Marine Corps Marathon. I knew it was going to be rough, but I ran a well executed race. Slow, but well executed.
November
November was the month of not a lot of running. I joined Gold’s Gym and signed up with a trainer. I did everything but run for a few weeks. My body needed the break from running and I wanted to get in some cross training. I ran/walked a Turkey Trot at the end of the month for my last race of the year and a kick off to the Runner’s World Run Streak. Yep, time to get back to running!
December
December has been a good month so far. We got to tour the White House holiday decorations. I got invited to be an ambassador for ZOOMA, Skirt Sports, Altra Running and Nuun. Now I only have a few more hours to work this year, so I’m relaxing and planning an exciting 2016. (Spoiler: there will be a new treadmill AND 7 half marathons in 7 days. And that’s just in the first half of the year.)
What were some of the highlights of your year???
I’m linking up with SD Running Mom and Weight Off My Shoulders for a year in review.
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I always get tired reading your posts & feel like such a slacker!
What’s the plan when you finish all the states?
Judy @ Chocolaterunsjudy recently posted…Running 2015, Part I
Don’t feel like a slacker! I have no plan on what I’ll do when I finish – probably stop blogging LOL.
What a great year, apart from the bronchitis
It was a good year – the bronchitis did suck though.
What a great year, apart from the bronchitis.
I mainly ran 10k races this year which I like as a distance but I want to do some more halfs next year.
Nicola @ Running Happy recently posted…2015: My Year Running
I need to run more 10k races. I’ve only done one in the last year or so.
Congrats on an awesome year! You ran in so many different states, awesome! I so admire the way you can run back-to-back races…I’ve realized it’s just not for me! Can’t wait for Zooma fun in 2016!
Janelle @ Run With No Regrets recently posted…My Year of Running – 2015
ZOOMA will be a blast if I can actually manage to get there…
You had a great year! I love that quilt. I think its awesome that you ran in so many different places!
Lisa @ Running Out Of Wine recently posted…Running Highlights of 2015
It was a pretty awesome year. I love that I was able to commemorate the previous year with the quilt.
What a fun idea! I will have to add this to my list of review posts. A picture a month is perfect!
Smitha @ Running with SD Mom recently posted…#YearInReviewLinkup Announcement!
It’s a lot of fun. I did have trouble limiting it to one picture on some of the months.
The Center of Nations Marathon sounds so cool! One of my goals for 2016 is to run some new, unique races. How do you fill your race calendar? Your pictures are fantastic – makes me want to go through mine for a post like this next week 🙂 Oh, and your skirt collection gets a shout out – they are clearly versatile as they are in every single picture! Kudos 🙂
Love my skirts LOL.
As far as my race calendar, I fill in the races I’ve been thinking about for the year and then figure out if there are other ones that fit with trips or friends. Sometimes I don’t really plan and just race when I feel like it.
What a great year! And that quilt is really beautiful. Sounds like your 2016 is going to start off strong too! Happy new year to you!
Thanks! And I hope 2016 is awesome.
7 half marathons in 7 days? Holy cow! It looks like 2015 was great and 2016 will be even better. 🙂 Happy Holidays!
Jessica S recently posted…Weekly Wrap-Up: Fell off the wagon a bit
It should be interesting – 5 seems doable, 7 seems crazy.
So many races! I couldn’t imagine doing all those races back to back. What are the next states?
Lesley recently posted…2015 in Review
Maine, New Hampshire, Connecticut, Rhode Island, Massachusetts, Vermont, and New York.
What an awesome year you have had even with a few bumps in the road!! Love the pictures! The pool splash one is awesome!!
2016….7 halfs in 7 days…you go girl!!!
It felt so good too! It was a really hot day.
I think you have me beat on traveling this year and I thought I did a lot. What a great year! I did not know you did back to back marathons! Holy Wow! That’s awesome! Thanks for the link up!
Yeah, it was kind of crazy, but a lot fun.
Hey there, I’m interested in joining Tuesday Runs in the New Year. Where do we find the weekly prompts?
We’d love to have you join. Next week is all about the bling (AKA show us your medals from 2015) and then the first Tuesday in January we want to hear about your goals. As soon as we decide topics past that, I’ll add it to the Tuesday linkup button on my site. (If I don’t, watch twitter, I usually tweet about it…)
I love how you documented your year! Even though I did lots of races the first half of the year I was very injured so running wasn’t that fun!
I love writing this post. It’s so much fun to look back.
You had an amazing year! Can’t wait to see what 2016 looks like for you.
Thanks!
I have SO enjoyed following your journey this year! What an inspiration you are. And a fellow beer lover. I hope we can connect in Madison next summer!
Wendy@Taking the Long Way Home recently posted…Motherhood and miles and cookies
Yes, yes, yes to Madison! I’ll definitely be in the area in August, but I may also be up in June or July. I’ll keep you in the loop.
Wow! An amazing year with lots of running! To run two marathons in the same weekend and then run a Ragnar race 5 days later is incredible!
Sherry recently posted…2015 – Year In Pictures
It was a ton of fun, but I was may more tired at Ragnar than I expected!
Love this month by month recap, what a fun way to do it ! You had a great year and I am amazed that you ran back to back halfs or marathons so close together. My knees would never forgive me ! Thanks for the linkup and hope you have a great holiday.
Karen @ Fit in France recently posted…2015 running : numbers, favorites & firsts
My goodness, you had the most epic year ever!! So much to be proud of! Congrats!
Sue @ This Mama Runs for Cupcakes recently posted…5 Tips for Planning your 2016 Race Calendar {Guest Post}
You’ve had an awesome year – what fun! I’m super jealous of your Center of the Nation series – that’s totally a bucket list item for me! I got two new states in this year, which I’m stoked about and can’t complain. 🙂
Happy New Year!
– run megan run.