Thursday, January 3, 2008

2007: The Ups, Downs, Bumps and Bruises

I'd like to say that I consciously decided to delay my year in review until after the new year so that I could stand out among the others. I'd like to say that, but that'd be a lie. I just couldn't get to a computer during the holidays and didn't want to skimp on the reflections of a very important year in my running career and in my life.

I don't talk about my non-running life on purpose. But a large change occurred in my non-running life this year--I decided to enroll in law school. That meant moving 7 hours away from my closest friends and 8 hours away from my family. I sold my townhouse, quit my job and moved up to New Hampshire to do something I've wanted to do for as long as I can remember. It has been the right choice--certainly not the easiest choice--but it's been the right choice and I'm happier every day that I made it.

My blogging started in July, but my tracked progress started on May 18 when I started to use my iPod/Nike+ system.

Since that time, I have logged 605 miles. That averages to about 86 miles per month. Looking at a year, I'd run about 1,030 if I kept up that pace.

And, since I needed a more concrete measurement of what the mileage was, I synced that up with a map of the US starting in Philadelphia (at the airport) and ending in Los Angeles (at LAX airport). That translates to running through Pennsylvania, a small part of West Virginia, all of Ohio and into Indiana. (See the map below.)


This idea has kept running interesting even though I'm running similar routes every day during my training for a race. It's also added a lot of fun. It's quite cool to see where I'd be if I were actually running across the United States. Look at that map. I've run that far since May. That feels amazing.

The goal is still to reach LA by the time I graduate from law school (May 2010). It requires me to run close to 900 miles per year to make it happen. Based on my progress so far, I'll make it with some room to spare.

My favorite holiday of the year is New Years. For most people, it's their least favorite, but I just love it. It allows you to end things that didn't work for you in the old year and start things new as the clock turns midnight. More importantly, it makes you reflect on your year and who you are and how you've changed over the year.

Looking back over my posts from this year, I couldn't help but smile at what I've accomplished and how far I've come. For your entertainment, here are my favorite posts from 2007:

1) Why I Run (September): It's first because it's the most important. It's the reason I got started and the reason I continue running, despite the freezing cold weather in NH.
2) Sandown 5-Miler (August): I had no idea the race was as hilly as it was until I looked at the t-shirt that morning. After a brief freak-out and call to my father (a former runner), I decided not to psych myself out and ran a strong race. This was a "you can do it" kind of race.
3) Moose On The Loose (August): My first competitive race was the Broad Street Run in Philadelphia (in May). I completed the 10-mile race in 1:29:47. I finished this 10-miler in 1:21:54--almost 8 minutes faster than my first race. This was a "look how far you've come" kind of race.
4) The Shoulder Injury (August): Though I wouldn't call this a highlight of my year, it was very important because it reminded me of how important running is in my life. I was chomping at the bit to get back out and counted down the hours until I could hit the road again.
5) Signing up for my first marathon (September): This is a highlight and very scary at the same time. Even before I was out of the brace, I signed up for the Mardi Gras Marathon in New Orleans at the end of February. This IS my motivation.
6) Concord 5K results (August): This was an important post because it was the first time someone from the running/blogging community commented on a post. Until that time, I hadn't done a thing to promote the site because I wanted to establish the content and flow first and then ask people to join me on my journey. Like Vanilla at Half-Fast, I'm very blessed to be a part of this community and I continue to appreciate the support it provides.

So, there you have it, folks. 2007 was a wonderful year and 2008 shapes up to be the same. I wish everyone the best as you begin the new journey.

1 comment:

Petraruns said...

It's been quite a year for you then, in a lot of ways. It's been great getting to know you through your blogs - keep it up.

It all sounds really positive though so may 2008 be as succesful!