Everybody's doing it

Everyone's doing it, so why shouldn't I? My year in races post. This year has been a big year for me in terms of running. I've come a long way. Seriously. At the end of 2008 it hadn't even crossed my mind that I would be training for a marathon in just a few short months. Didn't think it was possible.

Anyway, 2009 was good for me in mileage, too. i suppose marathon training will do that to ya, right? I didn't start keeping track of my miles until March 1st, so this number is slightly inaccurate. I didn't do a whole lot of running during January and February, but I'm thinking we can add about 100 miles or so to this number. (Resolution #1: Keep track of all miles during 2010)

Total miles in 2009: 867.65

I ran nine races in 2009.

In January I ran the Matanzas 5K in St. Augustine. This was my first race in Florida. I remember showing up at 8 a.m. in 40 degree weather wearing a short running skirt and long sleeved cotton shirt. Everyone around me was wearing full-on winter gear. Hats, gloves, ankle-length running tights, long-sleeved jackets. I remember laughing because 40 degrees wasn't cold enough to be THAT bundled up (keep in mind that I just moved from Utah about 3 weeks before...). Forty degrees felt so nice! (How quickly I've acclimated to the weather. 40 is COLD!!!) Anyway, I finished the race in 30:31. Not my best race.



Right after my poor showing at the Matanzas 5K, I decided I needed to find a race to train for. I needed to get my butt back in gear. So I signed up for the Gate River Run 15K (the national USA 15K championship!!!) and in March I ran it in Jacksonville. This was my first and only 15K and I loved it. The weather was perfect. It was overcast, slightly humid, and included a giant bridge to conquer at mile 8. I finished in 1:38:44. It was a blast and I hope to run it again in 2010. I definitely plan on smokin' my time!



My next race wasn't for a couple of months, but I spent those months training hard for it. In June I flew home and ran the Ragnar Relay Wasatch Back with my team from the previous year. Unfortunately I got pretty sick the day before the race and ended up running it with the flu. I was bummed because I had trained my ass off for that relay (many hill runs and intervals on the tready...no mountains to run in here!). Despite running with the flu, I did great. I ran a total of 18.1 miles. A little slower than expected, but considering the circumstances I was happy with it. Plus, it's always a good time with Ragnar. My team finished the 188 miles in 28:54:53. I've already paid my entry fee for the 2010 WB Ragnar!



In July I ran the Bridge of Lions 5K with my husband here in St. Aug. This is when I first came face to face with the Floridian summer heat. GAH! It was hot! Nothing much to say about this one except that I finished in 29:04, and felt like I was going to pass out at the end. I hate Florida summers with a passion...


My next race (and best personal accomplishment of 2009) was the Top of Utah Half Marathon in August. As you may know, I rocked a new PR! Not just by a little, but by 32 minutes. The course was beautiful, and it was the perfect moment to see my mom and husband at the finish line when I crossed at 2:05:45!!! That was the first race that my mother ever came to. Perfect. Moment.



In September I ran the Pink Up the Pace 5K with a teenage girl from my church. She wanted someone to pace her and keep her going strong to the finish line, so I told her I'd run with her. It was a lot of fun to run with someone else, and to be her motivator. The race benefited breast cancer research, so I made sure to wear my hot pink skirt and pink tank. Oh, and a pink ribbon in my hair. We crossed the finish line in 32:42.



In October I signed up for the University of St. Augustine 5K and was in it to win it. No, not really, but I WAS in it to smash my 5K PR (27:52) in the ground. And I did. I ran as hard and as fast as I could until I didn't think my lungs would keep up. I finished in 26:40, beating my old PR by over a minute! Little did I know that that PR wouldn't last long...

My next race was the Ragnar Relay Florida in November. I've mentioned it before, and I'm sure I'll say it again and again, but I'm IN LOVE with the Ragnar Relay series. I think relays are for certain my absolute favorite type of race to run in. I don't know a lot of runners out here in Florida so I randomly signed up with a team that needed an extra member. Until the day before the relay I didn't know single person on my team. But the race still kicked some serious ass! My team ran from Tarpon Springs (on the Gulf Coast) to Daytona Beach (on the Atlantic coast) in 33:04:15. I ran a total of 21 miles, and as the last runner brought my team through the finish line. Pretty cool.



Just 5 short days later I ran the Shut Up and Run XC 5K on Thanksgiving Day. I ran it because it's a new tradition of mine to run a 5K every Thanksgiving. I didn't really want to run a XC race, but it was the only race close to home. Never in million years did I think I'd get a new PR, especially because I was still recovering from the Ragnar, but I did. I finished in 26:21, beating my old PR by 19 seconds. It was a great finish to the end of my 2009 racing year!


And that's all, folks! Stay tuned for my Christmas gifts post...coming soon.

HAPPY 2010!