Year of Running 2015

I love taking a look back at the year and seeing everything that has been accomplished. Please take a minute to reflect with me and to look back at some of the great running moments from 2015!

Best race experience: 

This year I ran the Maine Half Marathon on my birthday less than a week after running The North Face Endurance Trail Marathon in Utah. My legs were pretty fried so I didn’t have any time goals in mind other than to just finish and to have a solid run. What made this race experience so great is that I ran this race as a part of the Rise. Run. Retreat. weekend with an awesome group of running bloggers. The energy from the weekend was positive and the other women who ran were motivated by their goals for the race. This energy was contagious. I often head to races by myself and do much of my training alone since I live in a very rural area where there aren’t many running groups (if any). I loved the feeling of knowing that the other women were out on the course not only running hard in their own race but also cheering each other on. This was definitely a tough run for me and although shorter than the trail marathon the effort felt way harder and my tired legs felt like lead but I pushed through and forced myself to pick up the pace during the last few miles. Not only was the weekend a blast but I surprised myself by running a 1:42 Half marathon!

Best run: 

Early in June I ran the Skirt Sports 13er (a Virtual Half Marathon). I ran in my tiny New Hampshire town at dusk and pushed hard for 13.1 miles finishing just as the sun fell behind the mountains. It was a gorgeous night for a run. I was proud of how hard I was able to push myself for  a half marathon distance on my own finishing in 1:45! I felt so alive and strong. It was great to finally be feeling strong and ready to run again after 5 months off during the winter due to a back injury!

Best new piece of running gear: 

I received the The Nathan Sports Women’s Zeal Race Vest for my birthday from my Mother-In-Law and Father-In-Law (They know me well). This hydration pack is awesome. It was designed specifically for women with a 2 Liter bladder and 9 Liters of Storage space. There is a lot of room to stow away layers after stripping down when a run heats up. It also has an 18 ounce speed draw flask which I love because I always carry Skratch Labs Hydration mix with me in addition to water. It has plenty of pockets for energy gels and also your phone. There is also a “shock cord” on the outside of the pack that allows you to store other layers. This vest is extremely comfortable and doesn’t slide around when you run. As an added bonus the color is great and it has reflective trim.

• Best running advice you’ve received this year: 

The best advice that I received this year was from elite runner Tina Muir at the Rise. Run. Retreat. She talked to us a lot about her experiences with running and training as an elite. She said that it is good to run without looking at your watch. We have all become so dependent on looking at our watches and the splits that we have lost the feeling of the run. It is important to learn to run your paces and to know what it feels like to run at different speeds so that you can run and listen to your body and find the pace that you are looking for.

Most inspirational runner: 

Andrea Duke. 36 year old mother of two. I recently read about Andrea, an aspiring Olympic hopeful who discovered a talent for running later in life and is now on an Olympic quest. I am inspired by her because I can relate to how she came to find a new love for running after kids.

Favorite picture from a run or race this year: 

This is definitely my favorite race picture from 2015! This year I was fortunate to have the opportunity to travel to Park City, Utah for the North Face Endurance Challenge Trail Marathon (Thank you for the entry #TNFLOCALS!). I rediscovered my love for running in this race. Over the past few years I have felt in a running rut after dealing with some injuries and feeling emotionally stressed about running due to the tragic events at the Boston Marathon in 2013. I went into this race with absolutely no expectations for a finish time. I ran simply for the adventure and embraced the great gift of being able to run in such a fantastically spectacular place. The trails were a runners dream. Smooth switchback trails leading through the Wasatch Mountain Range with sweeping views around every corner. This photo perfectly captures the exhilaration that I felt as I ran through the wilderness in Utah (I even saw a moose!). I was in my happy place and had a run of a lifetime!

Race experience you would repeat in a heartbeat:

If I could repeat any race experience it would be the Lobsterman Triathlon 2015. This was my second Olympic Distance Triathlon. I went into this race with no time goals only a goal to race hard, to have a great time and of course to finish. This was definitely my best triathlon yet. I finally feel like I am getting the hang of racing three different sports and the transitions between each one. At the Lobsterman I felt great on the run after my transition from the bike to the run. I passed a lot of people on the run and ended up as the second finisher on the run leg of the race. I definitely grinned from ear to ear as I ran and just enjoyed the course!

If you could sum up your year in a couple of words what would they be?

My words for this year in running would be:

• running happy
• no more injuries
• stronger
• driven
• goals
• dreaming

Please tell me about your year of running! Also, be sure to join the Link-Up with Eat, Pray, Run DC in sharing your year in running. It’s simple! Just cut and paste the prompts that I used here and write all about your year in running 2015 and add your link to the link-up! Cheers to another amazing year of running in 2016!

Giveaway

p.s. Don’t miss my current giveaway from The North Face happening now! I am giving away a The North Face Thermoball Jacket and a $100 Gift Card. Please visit my giveaway HERE and enter now!

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