Happy New Year! I hope you’ve gotten 2015 off to a running start (ha ha)! I got out on New Year’s Day for a speed workout — 8 x 800m at 10K pace (in the 7:30s). Training for my next full marathon is going well. There are just over eight weeks left until the Phoenix Marathon on Feb. 28. Two months seems like a long time away and a short time away all at once.
I have set some loose goals for 2015 — more “things to work towards” rather than resolutions. For January I intend to work on meal planning, both to save money and to work on maintaining good nutrition leading up to the marathon. My exercise-related goal is to qualify for the Boston Marathon with time to spare, so I actually meet the cutoff for registration for the 2016 race.
Looking back on 2014 makes me grateful for what a fantastic year it was. I didn’t realize it at the time but I nearly sampled the whole running menu! In addition to the running relay at Ragnar Napa Valley, I did eight races at almost every distance: one 1-miler, two 5Ks, one 8K, one 10K, two half marathons and one full marathon. (Ultra in 2015??) The really surprising thing is that I got on the podium in my age group in 4 of those 8 races (the mile, 5K, 10K and 13.1). To go from not being a runner at age 39 to getting on the podium at age 43 makes me appreciate all of the wonderful, positive changes that running has brought into my life in the last four years.
My favorite race of the year turned out to be the inaugural REVEL Canyon City Half Marathon in September. Just a gorgeous course and a really positive experience for me to end the year on.
Some more number crunching (perhaps only interesting to me but I like to document it):
Miles run in 2014: 1,084.39
Miles biked in 2014: 1,644.78
Miles of swimming in 2014: 2 (can I even call myself a triathlete anymore?!)
Miles walked on warm-ups or cool-downs: 75.84
If you add up all the running, biking, swimming and walking, I covered the driving distance from Los Angeles to New York City — over 2,800 miles! And what helped me get through a lot of those miles? Reading!
Number of books read: 76
Number of those books that were audiobooks listened to while exercising or cleaning house: 39 (over 50%)
One of the best changes I made in my training over the past year was to add in 40-60 minutes of strength training each week (for a total of 33.94 hours for the year, to be exact). Not only did that change my body shape, more importantly it gave me some core strength to draw on when I get tired toward the end of a race and I’m tempted to let my running form fall apart and my pace drop. Strength training offers a lot of returns on a small investment of time.
What about you? What strikes you when you look back on your year? What’s one change you were glad you made in 2014?
I should count my books one year:)
I had my highest mileage in years (1685) but wish I could have done it without ending up with a bum leg now:)
I feel sure that you will drop your marathon time even further!!!
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If you want to keep track of your books, Goodreads is great! Add me as a friend if you join it. 🙂 1,685 is an amazing number of miles!
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You’ve had a great year! I think this is the first full year that I listened to audiobooks while running. I’m sure that’s the reason I was able to read/listen to a number of books, too. I like blending the two hobbies together!
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Me too. Audiobooks help me look forward to a run even more, they entertain me, and they make me feel like I’m taking advantage of the time on those long runs!
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Happy New Year!
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Happy New Year Jill!
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Pretty impressive numbers!
What do you do for strength and core training? That’s something I want to add this year myself, and I’m on the hunt for a program or routine that really works for me.
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Thanks Holly! I have loved adding in strength training and I notice a huge difference in how I feel — and it just takes a minimum of 20 minutes twice a week. I started with this video: http://anothermotherrunner.com/2012/08/06/getripped/ and then I ordered this book: http://www.amazon.com/Quick-Strength-Runners-Weeks-Better/dp/1937715124 which is great for beginners and even intermediate athletes. It taught me a lot of moves that I can now do from memory, although I sometimes look back at the book. And then I bumped up to this really advanced workout that anyone can do, just modify the length of time that you do each move (start at 10-15 seconds instead of a full minute, say). It’s very efficient in just 13 minutes. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EvwuTw6rjTY
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Oh I forgot to add that I also occasionally do workouts from the set of Insanity DVDs. Those are a nice combination of cardio and core strength. They are killer though — expect to be dripping sweat on the floor and stopping to catch your breath!
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