2019 Crunching the numbers

I know i have said this before with all of my other year end posts but I LOVE doing these posts!  I love looking back and seeing what progress was made during the year and what I dropped off on and need to pick back up.

How many races did you do in 2019?

Well, this was the year I cut way back.  I didn't pace as much and I didn't race as much, but that is okay. I think my body liked the lack of events better anyway.  I do miss it and I will continue to use races along the way for my long runs for sure if they fit.  I did 6 total events and had two DNS, one due to a death in the family and one due to running fever in the middle of summer (who would have thought).  I had two fairly technical trail marathons, 2 road halfs, one 50 and one 10 miler on the trail.  Other than the two road half marathons, all of the other races I did with my stella ella by my side.

Total miles:

Garmin Connect: 1571
Strava: 1640

Again this depends on who you ask and I have NO clue why these numbers are so different this year.  I import my data using Garmin Connect since I have a Garmin 235 that can do indoor miles now using my watch and that dumps into Strava.  I have had lots of fun with Strava this year and will continue to use both to log my running, occasional biking, and to see my training effect.  I do occasionally if my watch dies mid run log the miles in strava only which is probably why Strava has a little bit more.  Plus sometimes my watch and my dreadmill get so off that I will get rid of my garmin data and just log it per the treadmill data straight into strava. But still, I have no clue why the huge disparity in mileage.

2018 Goals met?????

Let's revisit my 4 goals and see how I did per my 2018 number crunching goal post from last year.

1.  50 miler.  A+  Done and done!  I had a wonderful experience both training and racing this race and can't wait to tackle my next 50 miler!!!!

2.  Get on more technical trails and do a technical trail marathon.  A+  Again, done and done!  While I don't always train on technical, I did do a better job of getting more time on trails this year the first part of the year and I did 2 technical trial marathons in the Rockin K and the Hawk.

3.  Keep at Crossfit.  C- I had started Cross fit the year before and LOVED it.  Then my coach graduated and moved and I started running 5 days a week and craved sleep more than lifting on my rest days.  Wah wah.  Excuse, excuse, I know.  I even attempted to purchase a women's bar and some weights and that fell through.  Oh well, I LOVED lifting and I will be back to it soon, just have to figure out what that is going to look like.

4.  Learn to fall in love again with speed work.  B.  I am going to give this a solid B.  I didn't exactly fall completely head over heels but I did do every other week once a week work and I am currently doing some mile repeats that I don't totally hate so there is that.  I don't think I will ever go back to speed work twice a week as my goals are not to PR at any distance (although I do have to run my next 50 in under 14 hours so there is that).     

2020 Goals:

1.  To stay injury free another entire year.  Shit happens, I know, but I had a mostly injury free year this year and it was so nice to be able to run and just enjoy it instead of thinking how bad this hurt or if I was doing damage to something.  I need to stay on my massage/strength training/nutrition this year again.  Yes, it cost money, but it is either money for prehab or money for rehab.

2.  To train smarter.  I want to have more great races so I have to stay smart.  Smart with mileage volume, races entered, and strength.  No junk miles, just good mileage at proper paces.  Plus, work with a coach again to make sure I am doing everything right.

3.  As always get my nutrition dialed in and under control.  I have let my weight creep up again past the point i am comfortable with the way my clothes are fitting and the number on the scale, so I need to get back to food logging and cut back on eating out for lunch. 

2020 Races:

Goal races 50 miler Flint Hill's 50
100k TBD

Other races I will do as part of training for my 50 miler:
Run Toto Run distance TBD
Pi Day at Clinton Lake distance TBD
Cindy's FatAss Race distance TBD
Wicked Marathon (road race)

Races that are possible in the future dependent on my fall goal race and how I recover post 50:

The Bill Snyder or Running with the Cows Half marathon (both road races)

Kettlemoraine 100 as a pacer

The Hawk distance TBD

Hennepin 100 as a pacer 

Dark and Dirty  distance TBD

Night Hawk distance TBD

Thunderbird 100k ?? possible goal race

I am still so amazed at how well this year has gone and am thanking my lucky stars that everything aligned and worked out well for me.  I can't wait to see what 2020 has to offer!  Bring on the miles and smiles!

Cutback Week 4: Training for the Flint Hill's 50

Christmas week is here!  So excited for one of my favorite holidays of the year. I  always get really caught up in the excitement of having a kiddo that still loves Santa and his little elf Peanut.  Holidays are so different now with a kiddo and the magic that comes with seeing it through the eyes of a child, and I feel so blessed.  Yes, still a bit stressed right now with life fun, but trying to understand I can't control everything and trying to be like Elsa and Let it GO!  Glad family is here to lean on this week as well.

post wrestling date

Monday:  Rest day.  Thank goodness my MIL took Andrew over for me so I could get work done at the shop sans kiddo.  We also had wrestling practice early in the week and Andrew had a really really good practice.  It's so nice to see him hustling, working hard, learning, and putting into practice what he is learning.

it was hot!

Tuesday:  Christmas eve.  5 mile run  with Rockin Robin, Ebby, and boom boom.  Ran in short sleeves and shorts.   So nice to have a run that felt great from start to finish.  Finally getting better sleep thanks to some stress management techniques and I can tell during my run.

TARGET!

Also spent most of the day with the hubby doing some errands and it was nice to have some alone time.  Oddly enough, when we were out getting some last minute gifts, the stores were not bad at all.  My mother in law cooked an amazing dinner for Christmas eve and we celebrated by watching The Mandelorian and playing Apples to Apples Jr.

Wednesday:  Christmas day.  I always feel like I haven't gotten my kiddo enough for Christmas and I always panic and add more.  This year I did still add a tiny bit (underwear and stocking stuffers), but overall Christmas was a little smaller than usual.  He got a lot more useful toys that we can all play with including art supplies, board games, and some books we can all read together.

lots and lots of lego sets this year

I felt so much better about the whole experience this year and I feel like he was pretty happy with everything he had received.  Of course he tried to put together many of the Lego sets he got immediately, and we had to limit him as he got very tired trying to do too much.  We also had a different type of Christmas dinner of steak, green beans and homemade rolls.  I kind of enjoyed the mixture of the two different kinds of food this year.

Thursday:  5 mile run.  Another good run.  I felt like I was flying for some reason and I guess my pace was a bit faster than normal.  Stella was in a very pully mood and I just let her and we went. My tummy and bladder were a bit off, so lots of stopping to go into the ditches, but over all a good run.  Of course I didn't have my Kula cloth to try out, but I will have it on my long run this weekend.

Friday: Rest day.  Stella chiro day. I love Dr. A and love the fact that she comes to me so that Stella is in an environment that she is most comfortable.  Stella defiantly had some ouchy spots this time and both of her hips were really locked up including her SI joint again on her right side.  We discussed maybe starting Stella on some sort of strength training to help her to stop compensating.  Her right TFL was also tight (sounds familiar) so she showed me some stretching exercises to do with her when we are just sitting around.  I am currently looking for a canine fitness class to get her enrolled in.

The space lego set.  This is just a tiny part of it but super cool!

Saturday: shorter long run day.   Woke up to storms on the way.  Decided to try and beat them but by the time I dropped andrew off at uncle cayce's house for babysitting, the bottom fell out.  I decided to just get on the mill, pop on some Great British Baking show, and get the shorter of the two runs done.  I will confess I got off several times for potty breaks but other than that it was a pretty uneventful run.

Found this when putting up ornaments.  Apparently our advent calendar needed a mario star!

Sunday:  long long run day.  Since it's a cut back week, the long run was only 10 miles, but my angry hammy and I will take it.  Apparently running on the treadmill angers it as it has been super quiet, so i woke up a little sore, but nothing horrible.  I was blessed to get to meet up with not only rocking robin but Melly, and we got 10 done very quickly.  My hammy only complained a little at the very end.  I didn't get any pictures because it was super cold and windy and I knew it would kill my phone, but my heart was so happy to run with both of my BRFS.  Stella ran back and forth many, many times and did not have any hoppy skippy.  She was definitely full of herself.

With my long run on Sunday, I put myself over 1600 miles for the year!  I should have at least one more run before new year hits, but wow!  I am so blessed and happy that my body took me that far in 2019 and can't wait to see how far we can go in 2020!!!!!  Have a safe and wonderful new year!

Andrew 2019 a year in pictures!

This is one of my most favorite posts to do at the end of the year because I get to see how much my little man has grown!  2019 the year of Andrew in pictures!

January:  Wrestling, baseball camp, and 1st grade!

February:  More wrestling, first pin, and my valentines dates.

 

March:  Spring break, fun with the grandparents, and NEED FOR SPEED!

April: First race, Tulip festival time, and first track meet!

May:  Baseball and racing!

June: Sick on the birthday, baseball, and yep, more racing!

July: Family and fireworks, no training wheels, and new pool for the city!

August: Back to school hair cuts, first day of 2nd grade, and Back to school bash 1 miler

September:  Fall baseball league, moving up to Jr Honda, and one proud mom of one racing kiddo!

October: Visits from Grandma and Pops, more racing, and Woody!

November:  Racing awards, 2nd grade school pictures, and walking to school!

December: Cat cuddles, snow, and Christmas!