2015 Year in Review

Ah, another year on the books. 

Having run this blog for a few years, it's weird to think I've done a year end recap three times now (including this post).  But, it's a cool thing to think that I've had this journal of sorts going since 2013 ... even if it is a somewhat eerie feeling to know I've been documenting my "healthy" lifestyle in the public eye for so long. 

Somehow, the end result leaves me feeling a bit of deja vu. 

Anyway, enough psycho babble.  Let's get started, shall we?

2015, a year in review!

Races

I know I've kept you pretty updated this year with my running progression - or lack there of, technically, since I never really got up to speed after my set back with plantars fasciitis late 2014.  In fact, since then, it seems like running just wasn't the same for me. Mostly because ... well ... it hurt.

I did try to tough things out for the first few months, thinking eventually things would get better.  And it seemed like things were finally starting to shake loose this summer.  Of course, that was just in time for me to find out I was pregnant mid August, after which I was forced to suffer through some horrendous runs with morning sickness strong enough to kill a horse.

But when all was said and done, I was glad I raced what I did.  And it left me with a new all time race record - 17 races, with 16 bibs earned.  That's one more than I've ever done in a year before ... all with many being completed while pregnant!

Plus, I finally put my swimming fears aside and did my first real outdoor tri.  That's nothing to shake a stick at.


Feb - Tri-U-Mah, Indoor timed tri, no bib provided
April - Hot Chocolate 5K
May - Lake Minnetonka Half Relay, Cinco de Miler 5 miler, Run the Inferno 5K
June - Carlyle Sherstad 5K, Rainbow Run 5K
July - Freedom Five 5K, Gandy Fly-In 5K, Chase the Police Tri
August - Webster Education 5K
September - Lake Run 5K, Suds Run 5K, Women Run the Cities 10K
October - TC 10 mile, Patriot Power Run 5K, Mankato 10K


Total miles raced - about 78 miles
(Not too shabby considering I didn't run any half marathons on my own to really bank miles...)

Cumulative info:
     Races 55 - 71
     Bibs 53 - 68

And of course, don't forget the ever growing medal collection:

Heh!



Costumes

With my ever growing belly this fall, costumes seemed to be a bit more of a challenge for 2015.  But, none the less, I did my best to keep the tradition alive.

And of course, being an InkNBurn Ambassador helped in that category just a bit.  *wink*

Check out www.inknburn.com

 

           

 

 

 

Keeping Healthy

With my pregnancy progressing in September and morning sickness being my foe, I found that running wasn't exactly a great fit for me anymore.  Though I did try to tough out running through October, since I had paid for a handful of races in advance (and with my doctor's encouragement, might I add), I decided after my last race in October to take a break from running until after the baby arrives.  That's not to say I don't run AT ALL, since obviously I am active teaching and doing other things, and I still find myself sprinting from here to there on occasion. But longer runs were giving me weird stomach cramps and other things, so I decided for me ... other cross training methods were enough for now.

I know I'll likely pay for this come May of 2016 ... but whatever.  I will have 3 months of maternity leave to work that out, and I already have a jogging stroller for the occasion.

Besides, you imagine running with a belly that's gotten this big:

 

 

And to be fair, running hasn't exactly been my gig at all in 2015.  Which is why earlier in the year I decided to focus on cross training as much as possible.  That meant starting out my year with Class Pass, which I eventually dropped (for various reasons, mostly cost and convenience ... and the fact that I already had a paid gym membership closer to home).  Regardless of my dropping, I did still have fun making an ass of myself in the process.  I mean - when else would you EVER try Jazzercise?  Am I right?

Although I did drop my ClassPass membership, I found it opened me up to the habit of using other exercise methods as a way to stay active.  Technically, I was already open to swimming, biking and yoga - but ClassPass reminded me that I should be doing those things more often.  So I did get back into those disciplines quite a bit more in 2015. 

Cross training is always a good thing, right?



Changes


Aside from the obvious thing - pregnancy - I didn't have any real major changes this year for me from a fitness or physical perspective.

However, from a blogging perspective, this was quite a year for changes.

Not only did you see me celebrate my 10 year wedding anniversary, you got to see me open up about some of my more personal adventures.  That included a long European holiday in March and an extended review and recap of my brewery adventures throughout Minnesota (and some other locations as well).  Although inclusion of these stories may have seemed a little off topic, given this is more a fitness based blog, I decided to include them anyway.  Why?  Because I think it's important to show that while I do encourage a healthy lifestyle, it's OK to do things that aren't traditionally known as "healthy" or "good for you" once in awhile ... as long as you keep yourself active and healthy along the way.



Finally

Hm.  I guess this is where I'm supposed to draw some sort of big conclusion about life and what I thought of 2015, since that's what I did in 2013 and 2014.  But to be honest, those were very different years.  And when I think of 2015 ... well ...

2013 was when I was peaking in my physical fitness, my life was finally coming together, and I was feeling great about things.

2014 was a year of struggle where I tried to cope with a miscarriage, some physical setbacks, and I still tried to maintain a healthy attitude and life balance.

So what about 2015? 

I can't really say 2015 was an AMAZING year.  But I wouldn't rate it as bad, either. 

I say this because I think coming into my mid 30's (yikes, that makes me feel old, lol!), I've finally settled into a happy place in my life.  Some time around 2012 or 2013, I finally learned to accept things in my life for what they were, and to eliminate things from my life that didn't make me happy.  And somewhere in that process, I found an authentic me that I've just become ... happy with. 

Which means, I don't really go into a year expecting it to be AWESOME or BAD anymore, I just hope that I can continue to maintain that authentic me.  And have a good time while I do it.

And in 2015, I did just that.  So I think that's just fine.