12.17.2013

The Year in Running - 2013


I love Miss Zippy's idea of reflecting on the year in running, so I'm joining in the fun.  Without further ado, here are my thoughts on the year, thanks to her prompts:


Best race experience? Ragnar Relay Northwest Passage, no question.  I don't know what more to say about it, since I said A LOT already in my epic race recap.  It really helped me get back my running mojo after an injury and the disappointment of a bummer race in Eugene.  If you've never run an overnight relay, I HIGHLY recommend it!




Best run?  Ah, as I've said before, I think my favorite runs are training runs.  That's when I feel the zen, the stress melt away, and just enjoy.  But, my second leg of Ragnar was pretty darn awesome.  I wasn't super stressed about my time, I was immersed in the sense of camaraderie that Ragnar fosters, and just had such overwhelming run-love as I watched the sun set and crested a hill towards the exchange where all of my teammates were cheering.
 
Best new piece of gear? I bought my first GPS watch this year and really LOVE it!  I got the Garmin Forerunner 210 and, of course, I'm already thinking the new 220 that just came out (with the touch screen and all the whistles and bells) looks pretty awesome...  I also love, love, love my Oiselle strappy bras that came out this year.  They are super supportive, compressive, comfortable, and look really stylin' - I get questions and comments on them ALL the time at the gym.



Best piece of running advice you've received?  I was really inspired by Lauren Fleshman's talk at the Eugene Marathon expo, which she expounded upon in this Runner's World article.  She also talked about how she's had struggles with negative thoughts and fears during races.  Hearing her talk about changing the conversation in her head was really great food for thought.


Most inspirational runner?  Gosh, that's hard.  I mean, given that last bullet point - Lauren Fleshman (pictured above) is at the top of a long list!  I'll just add her to my great big family of Oiselle teammates, who inspired me in Eugene, at Ragnar, and inspire me daily on Twitter!

If you could sum up your year in a couple of words, what would they be?  Fun and adventurous!  No, it was not a year for PRs, like 2012.  However, I had more fun than EVER running this year.  Like I said, Ragnar was just amazing fun with teammates and an adventure to a part of my state I've never seen before.  Eugene (despite a disappointing race) was also such a great time with teammates and an adventure - the first race I traveled for, even if it was just one state away.  And getting to travel to Chicago for Hot Chocolate was the highlight of my year, being able to run AND go home.  It was the first race I've ever run alongside a friend the whole way.  Ridiculous, right??  I need to do more of that, the time went by so fast.

"Are you sure we ran 3.1 miles? Felt like .1"

That was really fun, recalling all the run memories of the year.  I'm looking forward to more great memories in 2014!





5 comments:

  1. What a great idea for a post! I love that Ragnar made the list. :)

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  2. What a nice recap of your running, Andrea!

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  3. We are runners alike in so many ways! I love relay running and I love Oiselle an Lauren Fleshman. So glad you had a good year and that you linked in!

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  4. Great recap! I am so exicted to do my first Ragnar this year and hope my experience will be as epic as yours was.

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  5. What a great year! I hope 2014 is even better:)

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