Top 5 Running Highlights of 2017

It was pretty easy for me to choose my top 5 of 2017, although some might say I double dipped on #1-3!

1. Running two marathons in the 2:40s.  It boggles my mind to think that I ran 2:47:14 and 2:49:20 marathons.  Many women have run many more marathons much faster, but I never thought I would do this or anything close!  I thought I was doing good in 2016 with two sub-3:00s.  I haven't run a marathon over 3:00 since 2015 (darn you, 3:01).  My mind hasn't caught up with my body because it seems like some sort of fluke, but on the other hand faster paces have become the new normal...it's hard to explain.  I am extremely thankful for both of these races and even if I don't run another fast marathon for the rest of my life, I ran 2:47 and 2:49!

   

   2:49

   

   2:47

2. PRs.  Thanks to my running club's Runner of the Year competition summary, I realized I ran 8 PRs in 2017.  It's not as good as it sounds, because some were bettering the same distance PR (e.g., 2 marathon PRs, 2 half PRs, track 10K + road 10K) and one was the first time I ever raced the distance so a PR was a given (12K).  My PR races were the Rock 'n' Roll Arizona Half Marathon, the BMO Mesa-Phoenix Marathon, the Big 12 12K, the Wash U Distance Carnival 10,000 m., the Bradleyville Scholarship Run 5K, the Plaza 10K, the Indianapolis Women's Half Marathon, and the California International Marathon.

   

   Half PR in Indy

3. Racing trips.  I was blessed to able to travel to several races this year, and that contributed to highlight #2 because I've learned that it's typically better not to run marathons in the Midwest -- our weather is often not conducive to fast racing!  Not to mention that generally races in my immediate area are not competitive and not certified/not the correct distance.  I traveled to Arizona twice (Phoenix/Mesa/Tempe area), Des Moines, Indianapolis, and Sacramento, along with shorter trips to Kansas City and St. Louis.
4. Exceeding 3,000 miles for the year.  I have only tracked my yearly mileage since 2010, and I've never done it with a yearly goal in mind (this year I just followed my coach's plan and this is where I landed).  I'm confident that I never ran more mileage than this before I began tracking it, because I have never before done mileage like I did during my CIM build, nor have I ever had a year that I didn't have some time off with injuries between 1999 and 2016! (!!!!!)
• 2017 - 3043
• 2016 - 2294
• 2015 - 1942
• 2014 - 972
• 2013 - 595
• 2012 - 1373
• 2011 - 1539
• 2010 - 2106
5. No injuries.  I had a niggle here and there, but never anything I had to miss a single day of running for.  I received ART three times for a hamstring niggle, and also had a little tendon niggle I was able to work through with rolling and eccentric calf raises.  This is HUGE for me and is the first time since my first injury between high school and college (1999) that I have had zero time-off injuries in a year!  Wahoo!  This is clearly linked to all of the other highlights so should probably be #1.

2017 will be hard to top, and maybe I'll never top it and that is okay.  But I'm ready to give it a try - bring on 2018!  God's plan for 2018 is the best plan, which means my main goal should be to trust Him always.

Here's hoping!