2015 Year in Review

Most Memorable Races

1. Ragnar Cape Cod.  The camaraderie I have with this group of women is so special to me.  And, we’re still asking one another, “Do you want a salt pill?”
2. The Boston Marathon.  The hills did not defeat me this year!  I’m still so proud of how well I ran this race.  I have a lot more confidence in my ability to run hilly races.
3. The New York City Marathon.  This is my favorite marathon, so I ran it even though my goal race for the fall was the California International Marathon.  This year, the race taught me that I still need to respect the marathon distance.

Most Memorable Training Runs

1. February 21st – The Fall.  I fell hard about a mile into my run.  I can’t remember the last time I fell during a run!  It left a few holes in my favorite tights and my knee was pretty scrapped up.
2. September 23rd – The Pope.  Officials were advising commuters that the traffic would be terrible in the area during the Pope’s visit.  So, I decided to run into work during those days.  The streets were deserted!
3. August 8th – The Shock.  In the middle of my long run, I saw a group of maybe a dozen people walking on the Mount Vernon Trail carrying Confederate flags.  It was scary.

Favorite New Gear

1. Saucony Swift Long-Sleeve Shirt.  ($58).  I love this shirt so much!  It’s warm but comfortable.  I liked the first one I bought so much I bought another one.
2. Saucony Impulse Short.  ($45).  These are my new speed work and race shorts.
3. Nathan QuickShot Plus.  I thought I would find carrying it annoying but I don’t.

Favorite Running Pictures

1. Freedom Four Miler.  From a running perspective, I like how focused I look.  But, I also like the art of it – how the photographer blurred the background.
2. Parks Half Marathon.  I think this photographer also got a good shot.  I like the contrast of me and the three runners in blue in the background.
3. Ragnar Cape Cod.  The photographer is my teammate from Ragnar.  I like the angle and colors she captured in this photograph.  Plus, both my feet are off the ground.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Favorite New Running Songs*

1. “Renegades” by X Ambassadors.  I listened to this song on repeat during most of my Ragnar Cape Cod legs.  The rhythm is hypnotic.
2. “I Bet My Life” by Imagine Dragons.  I really like the beat to this song.
3. “Fight Song” by Rachel Platten.  This was my anthem while I was training for the California International Marathon.

*I only included song from this year but there were a lot of songs I only discovered this year.

Favorite Podcast Episodes

1. RunnersConnect Episode with Fernando Cabada.  Everyone struggles in their own way, but there was something powerful about his path.
2. This American Life, Abdi and the Golden Ticket.  I listened to this on my drive to the Poconos and I was on the edge of my seat the entire time.
3. Pace the Nation, Episode 11.  I look forward to listening to this local podcast every week.  Of all the episodes, I think the interview with Kerri Gallagher was my favorite but the episode with Matt Centrowitz Jr. is a close second.

Favorite Running Stories

1. Boston Marathon Dad.  Watching this story unfold on LetsRun was good reading.  I even checked for updates while I was running Ragnar Cape Cod.
2. Scott Jurek’s Appalachian Trail Run.  It was fun following his trip on social media.
3. Meb and Deena Breaking U.S. Masters Records.  As a masters runner myself, I was happy to see these elites are still running fast times – 2:13:32 at the New York City Marathon and 2:27:47 at the Chicago Marathon, respectively.