2015 Running Accomplishments

I said I would run fewer races this year, and I meant it. I wanted to work on quality over quantity. While I didn't really make any inroads with speed training, I did enjoy not feeling obligated to run so many marathons. And taking more breaks in between races felt great.

January: My first marathon of the year and also my Marathon Globetrotters qualifying race: Marathon Bahamas

Here's how my year of running looked in 2015:
  • I qualified for the Marathon Globetrotters at the Marathon Bahamas in January.
  • I ran marathons in my 49th and 50th US states, finishing my 50 states goal in May at the Newport Marathon in Oregon.
  • I ran marathons in three new countries: Bahamas, Germany and Jersey.
  • I completed my second World Marathon Major (Berlin Marathon).
  • I was a pacer for the first time (at Georgia Half Marathon).
  • I ran a total of 7 marathons.
  • I ran a total of 7 half marathons.
  • I ran a total of 7 shorter races ranging from 5K to 17.75K.
  • I ran one marathon relay, though the race was called for weather and my teammates didn't get to start their legs.
  • I kept my blog current and also wrote several "throwback" race reports from 2013, when I was blogging less.
  • I was elected as the second Director of Publicity for the Marathon Globetrotters in October.

May: After finishing my 50th State Marathon in Oregon: Newport Marathon

And here's what I did not accomplish:
  • I did not PR in the marathon. I didn't even come close. I didn't train hard enough to meet that goal.
  • I did not start every race for which I was registered.
  • I did not finish the full distance of every marathon in which I was registered, dropping from the marathon to the half in a couple cases.
October: Marine Corps Marathon, my last of the year
There's a lot of room for improvement. First, I need to find the motivation to train more consistently, and to challenge myself more during training runs. Then I need to add some cross training into the mix. This year I tried to do some yoga, strength training and various other things, but I didn't stick with them. I need to do some thinking about my 2016 running goals. For now, I will celebrate the things I did accomplish in 2015. By a normal person's standard, it's still a lot, and I am thankful that I can do it.

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