Monday, December 12, 2016

Goals. I always have them. Always chasing them.

Wow.  It has been over a year since I've written.  Over a year!!! So much has happened.  I guess it all kept me from writing.  

Let's recap.  I ran my first marathon.  How did I NOT write about that?!  In October 2015 I ran in the Wineglass Marathon in the Finger Lakes Region in New York.  If you know me, you know I love wine and I love to run so I thought let's mix the two of them.  The Finger Lakes is one of New York's Wine Regions.  

The Wineglass.  I beat my goal of 4:30 by finishing 4:27:57.  I used the Run Walk Run method, specially I ran 4 minutes and walked 1 minute.  Actually I ran with a few friends and we stuck together the whole way.  I felt great at the end.  My legs were a little tired but I could walk to the wineries just fine!!  Ha! 

I felt so good in fact that I signed up for a second marathon for 15 days later.  I ran the Empire State Marathon in Syracuse, New York.  I drove through snow to get there and let me tell you I was determined to run it.  If I finished I'd qualify for the Marathon Maniacs.  I ran it with a friend who also ran the Wineglass with me.  We are crazy.

We woke up to temperatures of about 30 degrees and black ice.  I packed capris.  It wasn't supposed to be that cold.  I struggled with this one.  The beginning was tough since I felt like I had ice blocks for feet.  The end was tough since my legs felt like...lead blocks.  But I finished with a time of 4:35:38.  12th in my division.  Not bad considering I had to make a pit stop at a porta potty!!!  I qualified and applied to the Marathon Maniacs.  I am a maniac and I might never do a full again, lol!!!

I ran a few more races and a few more Ragnar Relays.  My Ragnar in the Florida Keys was canceled since they couldn't get a permit.  I was so bummed.  I ran a Half Marathon in New Jersey in April with 50 mile per hour winds.  I ran another Ultra Ragnar in Cape Cod and now I get blood blisters whenever I run in humid weather. I even went out to Utah to run the original Ragnar -- Wasatch Back.  Awesome experience in a beautiful part of the country.

In September I drove to Rhode Island with the family to run another Half Marathon then the next month drove to Hartford, CT for yet another.  That was seriously a great race.  I was 30 seconds slower than my PR (personal record).  Ugh.  If I didn't stop to take my fleece off...hmmm....oh well.  Finally I ended up driving to Delaware with a friend to run a Half Marathon in my 8th state. Probably one of my favorite races only because it flew by.  Normally at mile 9 I am starting to think about the end.  I didn't PR, I wasn't trying for one but I did come in under 2 hours. 


A lot of traveling for races.  So I might as well make it official.  I signed up for the 50 States Half Marathon Club.  I was talking with a friend saying that some people just don't have goals.  I can't imagine my life without them.  So my new goal is to run a Half Marathon in each state.  I can't wait to continue on this adventure.  I can't wait to see everywhere it takes me.  


My next state is Pennsylvania.  I've wanted to run the Pittsburgh Half Marathon for some time now.  I went to Pitt for my freshman year in college so I'm looking forward to going back there.  My sister and her family also live there so it will be a good visit.  Other than that, I don't have my next states planned yet.  It will be either Washington, Maine,  or Virginia.  Or maybe all of them!  

I will do a better job at writing about my fitness and running adventures.  Part of the excitement of exercise and running is to be able to share it with others!!