2015

In 2015, a lot was accomplished. Probably I will look back on this as a very favorite year. The highlights are amazing. But it also has included some quiet frustrations.

In recent years, the in laws shared some photos of Zion National Park. This park was also mentioned positively and repeatedly by a coworker. So in January, we visited Las Vegas, Zion, Grand Canyon, and Phoenix. Any visit to the Grand Canyon is a life highlight. It might be one of my favorite places on earth. But Zion - oh my - we were awed by the beauty of this place. Mark my words, I will run a Zion race. This probably won't be in 2016, but it will happen. I also decided that a hike into the Grand Canyon needs to be a priority. No more waiting and putting it off until later - I need to do this. So I started the research.

In April, a famous Nova Scotia Duck Tolling Retriever dad and a beautiful Nova Scotia Duck Tolling Retriever mom had a big litter of puppies. In June, we drove to New York State to bring home our little toller dude. He is energetic as tollers are, exudes cuteness and athletic ability, and somehow fits in well.

In March, I ran the Black Swamp 25K in Ohio and was harassed by a loud sag wagon. I like it better when the focus is on having fun at these events. I got some good swag and the last mile of this event was very moving. Ironman Merle ran this race and can corroborate this account. Thanks for the miles and open water swim guidance, Merle!

Also in April, I finished the Running Fit No Wimps Challenge. Last place WOO! But who cares: these are tough technical uphill trail marathons. I loved every second (almost!). I ran the half marathon April 25, and just enjoyed the quiet beauty of the course. I ran the full on Sunday April 26 and was staggering by the end and would have accepted a ride and DNF from any passing crazy. But I finished, and (hold onto your seat) - EARNED AN AGE GROUP AWARD. My marathon wasn't good, but my high level of effort was rewarded, and I will cherish this.

In July, I started work toward an MBA, and from that point on, my schedule got crazy and my already nonexistent training slowed to nothing. Running a 5K became a rare treat. I also moved to a new working space in July with a standing desk. I now stand most of the time. The jury is out on how this will impact sports, but I appreciate it a lot. If given the choice, I am not one who loves being in the sitting position for most of the day. I noticed that many of the runners stand at their standing desk. Those runners convinced me to register for the Detroit Marathon (you have to register way ahead for this one).

In August, I had the pleasure of running The Legend (again) and the North Country Marathon. Since I dislike running in the rain, the weather for these was perfect and they were just two perfect days. My daughter joined at the Legend and enjoyed the trails as well. Small Steps Serious Chafing Jess, who is always a BAMR inspiration, provided help and food and great company for the North Country Run. Thanks Jess! For both August trail races I took it easy and finished injury free. For me, this is a huge accomplishment. I also got to meet some new runners (Ashleigh and Erinn), members of a local running club. Both did amazing and it was awesome racing with them.

On August 30, the dogs accompanied us on a picnic in a park and must have eaten something funky, because the puppy was up all night with a tummyache every hour on the hour. One of these hours, I was sleepwalking and taking care of the sick puppy and I twisted and badly sprained my ankle. I returned to sleep trying hard not to focus on a possibly ruined race season.

That day, my ankle swelled to double or triple size. I gave it some time and eventually got an x-ray, which didn't indicate a break. But the healing was slow.

Starting off September full of angst, I frantically flipped through all the Run Woodstock race distances in my mind. Obviously to anyone, attempting the 100 miler would not have been a good choice. On September 11 I finally decided to run the half marathon. Everything was perfect for the day and the half was beautiful and pleasurable. I got to run with Fritz's pack for a while...good people (that description covers almost everyone at Woodstock). When I was once again running solo, I mentally reviewed plans for future days..."I will run this, this, and this." But post-race, my ankle swelled up and became angry and achy again. I took more entire weeks off to rest it, per doctor's instruction. For a distance runner in September, this was not the most happy situation.

Next, the whole house had something pretty close to the flu in late September. The flu superseded any questions about my ankle, and I missed the Hungerford races. This was disappointing.

Soon October was here, and it flew by. I participated in a project management cohort through school. The 12th, 13th, 14th, 15th ticked by on the calendar. What to do about the Detroit Marathon? At best, my training could be called non-traditional. I decided to go for it, and was rewarded with a perfect day. The Detroit Marathon was a total blast and I recommend it to anyone considering. Lots of old and new friends were there and there are many positives to this race including wonderful crowd support. I completed a long run without any ankle problems during or after (huge sigh of relief!).

There's one other quick note about October. When I started school, I noticed myself making a few terrible food choices (for example, cheese and tortilla chips for dinner). I've spent way too much time talking with plant-based ultrarunners and nutrition advocates to ignore the potential and possiblities of plant-based diets, and it turns out that I like plant-based food. So in early October I made just a few adjustments and decided to try an almost all plant-based diet. This was so much easier than I expected it to be, and I'm sticking with it for a while, at least until bloodwork is done in early 2016.

November had me scrambling to meet end of year deadlines for family and school stuff. I participated in a training run at Chain O Lakes State Park. The event was awesome but the weather was not. Running in the rain makes me cranky! This may have been the first time in 2016 I ran with my superhero runner friend Jen S.

November also brought a surprise treat in getting to run the Tunnel Hill 100 in southern Illinois. Yes - I was and am crazy enough to attempt a 100 on a whim. I made it around 40 miles and dropped due to technical errors related to the weather, but I learned that this event and organization are some of the greats. I plan to come back and run a lot more. What a privilege and a pleasure. This event deserves its own blog entry which hopefully will be forthcoming.

In December, a household member had pneumonia. This was my first experience dealing with this in my own house and I didn't feel prepared. Thankfully it was dealt with quickly and family member seems good as new. 

Once that episode was over, we all ran the Holiday Hustle together (perfect, but 60 degree weather in December in Michigan was weird) and I had the privilege of running a third HUFF 50K (again perfect and packed with Marathon Maniac friends - it's always wonderful to see every one of you). These were completely pleasurable days. 

This year I focused on what I really wanted to do with great results:

• My family is healthy and had a successful year at the things they do. There were no major snags.

• I worked hard and juggled a crazy schedule to finish a semester of business school and was rewarded with nine credits.

• I ran a lot more beautiful trails and was very selective about road races. I tried to be more careful with form and pacing and seemed to be rewarded with no running injuries.

Now it's New Year's Eve. I'm so happy about and grateful for the running organizations, the hard work they do to make a great events that they make, the beautiful spaces we get to run, and runner friends!