2014 Year In Review

I was in the contemplation stage of my 2014 Year in Review post when I saw that Miss Zippy (one of my favorite bloggers) was having a Year In Running link up.
Perfect timing.

Thanks Miss Zippy, without you my year end review would have been in March.

Best Race Experience: I must confess that 2014 was not the year of races that felt fabulous and easy. I worked really hard for every fast finish, often with lingering unpleasantness of the GI sort once the race was over. Not my favorite.
I really enjoyed the Pineland "50K" 30 miler :-) I felt like I ran a well executed race and I finished feeling good and healthy. After the utter collapse that was Boston I really needed to finish feeling decent and I did.

Pineland Stupidity. I mean awesomeness.

Despite finishing with no gas left in the tank- I have to pat myself on the back a bit for managing a decent marathon at LOCO this past October.

At LOCO, where I managed to run the whole entire race. #miracle

I spent some time questioning my abilities this year and after a confidence building race there, I feel a renewed sense of  relative competence. I'm extremely excited for Boston 2016- if anything is going to be a giant motivator for the next year and a half it's knowing that this will be THE year at Boston! This has little to do with me and lots to do with my friends who have qualified or will qualify in the Spring. It will be the party of the Century!
(and I am already "in" for Boston 2015- the excitement that is '16 continues to overshadow that, whoops!)

Best Run: I had a lot of good runs this year, once I was able to get off the treadmill after the winter of death last season.
I was injury free in 2014 which is a big deal, and I'm very thankful for that and it certainly makes my running that much more enjoyable.
I had a really amazing final long run pre-Boston (which makes me verrrrrry suspicious of future good long runs: believe it!!!!) It was a damn good 21 miles of perfect chilly weather, no issues at all, it was FUN and the kind of run where you just want to have a little dance after.

I did.

And THEN once I was home and clean and in compression pants we totally had a taper party and ate all of my mom's olives and cheese and almonds. Sorry Mom.

TAPER PARRRRRRRTYYYY!!

 I'm adding one... WORST RACE (or run)
I had a terrible terrible Boston.
I was happy to be there, happy to see my wonderful family and enjoy time both before and after the race with them. And it's BOSTON!!! Totally the best!
Honestly though, I had a lousy day. Really terrible.

Shit show right here.

The badness that was Boston made me question all of my running life choices for a while. I seriously considered pulling back from the marathon distance. At mile 22 of Boston I most definitely said "never again, I do not need to do this to myself!" (I legit stopped and said this to a human, who kindly offered me a beer, gotta love those college kids.)
Usually within an hour of the race finishing I can get over those feelings but I was pretty wrung out...
I got right back to running but in the back of my mind was doubt. "I'm just not made to do this.. I'm not good enough to be better than I have been... I don't want to feel that awful again.... Why work so hard and give up so much and spend all the money for complete and total suffering???"
I realized, over the course of the summer that I DO NOT have to marathon.
But I want to. I want to be better, I want to feel stronger, I want to finish feeling confident.
So basically, in 2015 (despite a confidence building Fall race) I'm running away from 2014's confidence crushing issues and running towards a stronger, better and possibly slightly more pissed off me. Don't fuck with me marathon, I will crush you!! (or.. I'll actually drink that beer at mile 22)

Best new piece of gear: That's easy. I snagged a super discounted pair of Hoka Kailua's back in
October and haven't looked back. I had to modify them a bit but that is how I roll my friends.
This merits a post all of its own, which is coming soon!

Best piece of running advice received: 
"Please just run fast and BQ but don't vomit" -Eric
"Hard work never, ever, EVER pays off" -My mom, said with a straight face and a lot of sarcasm.

 Most inspirational runner: Without a shadow of a doubt the winner this year is Danielle.  She worked her butt off this year, PR'd at every distance and snagged a BQ for 2016 in the process! I'm so excited for her and happy that her incredibly hard work has paid off! She is a new Mom, has a busy life and job and still manages to run a ton of miles and be a complete badass. And if that's not inspirational than I don't know what is.  She also gets up at like 3AM to run which is completely insane and something that I can not imagine. (I also have a feeling that she is going to PR the marathon distance again soon... Like this winter. I'll put money on it!)

Danielle!!! The toughest lady ever!

 If I could sum up the year in a couple of words, what would they be?
This was a year of change, growth and learning.
What? That is such an adult answer, I'm vomiting in my mouth a little right now.
OK. So it was a year of change, growth, learning, marching to the beat of my own drum, wearing outrageous outfits because I can, changing my hair color 45 times, trying to run fast but sometimes vomiting, high fiving strangers,  singing "turn down for WHAT" out loud everywhere, not accepting "I can't" from myself, running a mile race for shits and giggles, trying new things, and having a hell of a time.

(those are all true)

Moving on to 2015 I see more of the same amazingness!!!
I'm trying to iron out my actual goals but I feel that I've built a pretty decent foundation so hopefully now I can build that infamous house that everyone is always talking about.
Maybe I'll start with a single wide or a small ranch something...