(Actually it wasn't that bad-It had its good, bad and ugly moments though!!)
I ran a total of 33 races in 2017, one more than last year!
Here is brief breakdown of races
28 5k's
3 HM
1 10k
January- 2 races
February-0
March- 4 (including 1 HM)
April- 2 (including a 10k and 1 race in TN)
June- 5 (including a 5k in ICELAND)
July- 2 ( 1 race in TN)
August- 2
September-2
October- 4
November-3 (including a HM)
December-3 (including a HM)
The good, the bad, the ugly!
2017 had its challenges and set backs. I started the year off strong despite a couple races in January that didn't go how I thought they should have gone. I was sure I could see 18xx on the clock but it didn't happen in January. So I focused on the upcoming HM. I trained hard and strong in February and was on track to hit my goal of a 1:30-1:33 half marathon in March. I was nailing all of the workouts, I was motivated, I felt strong...and then I came down with (what I now know was) the Flu a few days before the Myrtle Beach half marathon. I thought I could run a PR despite 5 days of feeling like dog mess and of course 5 days of poor nutrition,sleep and hydration. I also didn't think I would have any side effects of all the cold meds I had been taking....
Long story short, I was an idiot and decided to run the race anyways. It was a horrible race and I finished in a time of 2:0x. My slowest half ever. I felt sick the entire time. recap of that dreadful day is HERE
A couple weeks later I was feeling better and ready to start training hard so I could try and hit my goal of a sub 19 5k before the heat and humidity of the southern summer started (which is about April here in the Charleston area). I had a couple 5ks in March that I used to help me regain my fitness that I lost while I was sick with the flu. I tried to stay positive that April (maybe early May) I could still reach my goal. I had 2 goal races lined up that would help set me up for a PR based on the fast and flat courses and lack of the sweltering summer temps.
In a nutshell, I failed at reaching sub 19 at my goal race the Green and Lean 5k.I even failed my attempt at the cooper river bridge run 10k. I had set my goal high (40-42 minutes on a bridge run,lol!) and fell short. I was starting to feel discouraged and burned out. I took a week off a running in May in hopes it would help me regroup and refocus. I was dealing with not only frustration and burn out but I was having health issues that I had been battling as well.
I ran and trained during the summer in order to keep some level of fitness. I raced a few times as well. June was my highest racing month! (I even ran in ICELAND ). I still felt like I was on the edge of a full blown burnout from April until October.
During this time, I kept hoping for just ONE good race. My focus shifted from chasing a PR, to finding the JOY of running again.
Lo and behold I found my joy again!..... in October. Right in time to focus on another half marathon in November. I needed redemption!
Well...... I got sick AGAIN days before the days. I was so worried it would be a MB repeat! But thankfully it wasn't. I managed a PR, but not a documented PR so I decided to give the HM another shot. I knew I could pull a 1:33!! The next month I raced the HM again and while I landed a legit PR, I missed my 1:33xx by 16 seconds. I then closed out the year with what was supposed to be my goal race, the 5k I would break 19 at. While I barely broke 20 minutes, I still placed 2nd OA female and even better, I pulled a fellow runner to land a PR. if I'm not able to have a good race, what's better than helping someone else have a great one?
THE GOOD
While I didn't have the best year, I cant say it was horrible. Here are the GOOD things of 2017:
To begin with I stayed injury free!
I also stayed consistent,despite health issues and even when my heart just wasn't in running.
I ran 3 Half Marathons this year. I have NEVER done more than 1 half marathon a year.
This distance is my LEAST favorite distance, yet I ran it 3 times and had a 50 second PR!
I helped 3 people reach 5k PRS this year. (HERE, HERE and HERE)
Even though I didn't reach my time goals, I still had a few GOOD races. The Nashville Rock N Roll 5k was amazing, despite the heat, humidity and hills. It was my grandfathers 90th birthday and I promised him I would make top 3 just for him. I made 3rd OA female and it was a duel to the finish! (recap is HERE )The next day I raced again and literally ran into my running mentor from my high school days. Even the race I ran in Iceland was "fun".
I also ran several races that meant so much more than the time on the clock. recaps are HERE, HERE HERE and HERE.
In general, 2017 wasn't as bad I had imagined it to be in regards to running. While I missed my marks most of the year, I was able refocus on finding joy in running again. I shifted my focus from chasing PRs to simply being faster than I was the last race, even if its only by a second. The most important take away from 2017 (aside from digging myself out of burn out) is understanding that success in running in NOT linear.
Now that 2018 is here, I feel I am ready to apply 2017 lessons and pave my way becoming faster than I was at 20.... I have some BIG scary goals which I'll share later on....
Oh, and I started 2018 off on the right foot by running a 5k. Recap will be up later this week....
any big goals for 2018?
I'm linking up with Holly and Wendy for the Weekly Wrap. This weekly check-in is such a great place to connect with fellow fitness-minded peeps. Please join us!
