It's not how you start the race, it's how you finish it

As the end of the year approaches, now is a good time to reflect on my year in running.  Last December, around this date, I decided to embark on a new journey.  Unlike many others, I didn't have a real reason for this journey.  There was no major life change that I was trying to get through and I was already mostly in shape thanks to walking the dogs.  Yet I felt like it was necessary to do something new.  So I ran.  My goal was to be able to run the 2014 WDW marathon.  If we're going off goals alone, then technically, no, I did not meet my specific and set goal.  I will not be running the Disney marathon in a few weeks.  However, since I started running for real last December, I have made it from just a few 5Ks up to a 5K or more every month and completed two full marathons.  Along with those full marathons, I have completed four half-marathons and countless other distances as part of my training runs. So I think it's safe to say that even though I didn't make it to Disney, my running goal for the year has been accomplished.
Looking back, I'm still amazed that I went from 5ks to marathons in less than a year.  When I started running I flat out told Cynthia that there was no way I was ever going to run a marathon.  "That's crazy!" were my exact words.  I felt like I could barely make 4 miles, how could I ever make 26.2.  But then I signed up for a 15K.  At that time, 9 miles seemed crazy, unthinkable, out of reach.  But I did it.  After that, I though, who needs to go any further, 9 miles is more than enough, I would never want to run for more than 2 hours, no way am I running longer.  (For proof, see my previous posts, you can easily follow my progression from NO WAY, to LET'S DO THIS!)  Then some how, Cynthia convinced me to sign up for the Run to Remember half-marathon in May 2013.  I'm really not sure how that happened, but it did.  Of course I decided that a half was fine, but there was no way I was going any farther with that.  I did my training and got my miles in, and I was content with a half.  Until April.  Maybe it was the events of marathon Monday that changed my mind, or maybe my mind was changed already and I just don't remember.  Either way, after that, I started to think, if I can run a half, maybe a full isn't so crazy.  Then we ran the half, and ran it so close to under 2 hours, that I really thought, a full is something I could do someday.  I still wasn't planning on doing one this year though.
Then over the summer, Cynthia procured a transfer bib for the Marine Corps Marathon in October.  Even though I wasn't sure I wanted to run a full, I was in it now.  As we all know, I ran it and mostly enjoyed it.  So much so that three weeks later we were all signed up for Philly and lined up at the start line, once again, at 5 a.m.  Then there was another half just a few weeks ago in Gloucester.  That's the last race I've run recently, but I like to leave on a high note.  I crushed my previous recorded time of 2:01, with a new time of 1:58.
Sure, there will be more halves and fulls in the new year, and even some 5ks and 10ks. Of course I will continue with the boxing club and I have plans to stick with the Lynn Woods Running Club in the summer time as well.  I'm even throwing caution into the wind and applying to be a girls track coach at a local high school.  I have no idea where 2014 will take me but I know that if I can do all of this is one year, I can do so much more next year.

Some pictures from the Gloucester half, because I'm not sure I ever shared any.

Pre-race porta potty shot

Staying warm before the run

Finishers!

Race swag

And a pair of brand new shoes for the new year.