Ten in 2014

You may not know this, because I don't talk about it too much, but I ran a few races this year.

I'll wait while you stop laughing.

OK.  Anyway, yes this blog has turned into all-run-all-the-time.  I kind of like it that way too, so don't expect it to change anytime soon!  I did the Diva's Half Marathon today, and will likely do my recap tomorrow (spoiler alery: key words will include "windy" and "walk").  Today though, I just wanted to throw this photo out there for posterity.

My Ten 2014 Half Marathon Post-Race Photos

 

These weren't my only races.  I did a 15K, a few 10Ks, and a bunch of 5Ks as well.  But these were the "big guys" that I trained and planned and even traveled for.  Each was its own battle.  I fought weather, food poisoning, bridges, back-to-back races, hills, small shoes, wind, and my own mental wall.  And I finished every single time.

Besides the struggles and the whining (oh, the whining...), 2014 was the year I ran with friends!  Until I met Jackie at the Orlando Half last December (this weekend is our run-a-versary), I don't think I'd spoken more than a sentence to a random stranger during a race.  But then I did WDW with Cat, Celebration, Marine Corps, Space Coast, and Divas with Jackie, Lake Nona with Scott, and part of Space Coast with June... plus shorter races with Sarah, Carlie, Mark, Daryl, and some other people I'm probably forgetting right now.  And I've met some pretty interesting folks as well.  NEVER did I think running would turn into a social activity for me, and that's certainly been an unexpected blessing.

I thought my goal for 2015 would be 12 half marathons, but then I realized that I have none in January ("only" a marathon and a 15k), and I think only 4 in February/March and that's pretty much the end of spring race season. That would put a lot of pressure on me next fall.  Instead, I'm going to try to find a race every-other weekend while the weather isn't inhumanly hot, and maybe some additional 5Ks as well.  I'm actually very excited that I'm only planning on repeating two of my 2014 races above -- Lake Nona and Space Coast -- next year.  Everything else will be new and interesting.  That's one of the wonderful things about running: you can do it almost anywhere!