2013 in Running

I’m a few days late to the party, but Miss Zippy is asking us to share what our running in 2013 looked like.  2012 was a pretty great year, so how did 2013 stack up?

• Best race experience?  With so many races in 2013 this is a really tough one to pick!  It feels like so long ago but I really loved the Disney Marathon back in January. I had trained so hard for the Goofy Challenge and I was really happy with how I executed my races that weekend.  There is always something so magical about running at Disney World that makes me forget about how hot and humid it was that day and how crowded the course was.  I can’t wait to go back in 2015.
• Best run?  My sub-30:00 5K on my lunch run the other week.  I haven’t done that in over three years and it felt like such a great accomplishment!
• Best new piece of gear?  I’m most happy I purchased the Amphipod Xinglet.  I feel a lot safer running around my neighbourhood in the dark and I know that it will continue to get a lot of use!Perhaps a second favourite piece of new running gear might be my Oiselle singlet??  I feel so lucky to represent such a great company that works so hard to support women in sport!
• Best piece of running advice you received?  I don’t think this is necessarily specific to running, but the idea of picking a few key words to motivate you when the going gets tough has really helped me lately.  I have a tendency to fade mentally at the end of a race and I really want to improve my mental toughness!  Having a couple of key words has helped a lot when those negative voices want to creep in.  Believe and focus are my two keys…and I just happen to have a pair of Endorphin Warrior bracelets with those words on them.
• Most inspirational runner?  This year my friends Kelly, Shannon and Tara have been so inspirational to me!  Kelly is so supportive and positive and she has picked me up when I’ve been down more times than I can count.  She ran the Goofy Challenge this year along with the Double Dumbo Dare.  Plus she’s going to race two Ironmans next year!  Shannon has to be one of the toughest triathletes I know.  She pushed through training and had a great day in Kona this year.  She’s also going to race two Ironmans next year too!  Tara has the strongest will of anyone I know.  She sets a goal and works so hard to achieve it.  She trained her butt off for the Hamilton Marathon this fall and got her BQ (with room to spare)!  These ladies inspire me every day and I’m so lucky to have them as friends!
• If you could sum up your year in a couple of words, what would they be?  If I have one thing I want to take away from my running in 2013 it would be to not overlook tiny steps of progress.  Don’t get caught up in wanting to see big improvements.  Change can happen gradually and don’t forget to celebrate those achievements, even if they may feel small.  They matter.