A year of running...

Well, it's been somewhere around a year that I've been running.

I know my first race was the Chili Challenge right about the first week of November.  Won't be doing that one this year since we'll be in Wisconsin for my cousin's wedding.

The Wineglass marathon was pretty much the end to a year full of a running.  Well...  The first year.  At the moment, I think I'm still planning on the Turkey Trot and Christmas 5K's and there's a half in January I'm eyeing...

So, now that I've experienced most races below Ultras, what do I think?  Am I ready for an Ultra?  NO.  (:  At least not at speed.  The Wineglass was the first/only race where I was trying to keep up some speed and found out where my physical limits were at least with barefoot form.  Never before have I tried to keep running while in agony.
And yet...  I think I'm going to sign up again for next year.

Was it my favorite?  Definitely not.  I mean the Wineglass was a great race, I'd say the best road race I've done, but 26 miles is about twice as far as what sounds nice.  Yes, as far as road races go, I think I like the half.

But road races are pretty much my least favorite.  Not that I don't like them, but I like trail races better.  And better than that are obstacle races.

Definitely what sits foremost in my race desire for 2015 is another Spartan Trifecta.

THOUGH....
MOST FUN?  I really have to say that was the Color Run with MaKenzie.  I didn't really run at all for that one, but seeing my 2 year old running a 5K and playing in the colors was definitely the most fun I've had at any of my races.

But after that one, the Spartan Beast World Championships in VT was my favorite.  Yeah, it was 9 hours, almost twice as long as the marathon with only 16 miles, but about 9000 feet of climbing up...  And yeah, heading down to the last 5K of obstacles at dusk was really dang tiring and I was more of a floundering fish trying to do any of them than I was an obstacle racer, but dang it I MADE IT THROUGH!  And while I was tired and sore, I was not in NEAR the pain I experienced for the last 6-10 miles of the marathon trying to run.


So what now?  I'm still working on that...  I'm gonna give blood again and see how that goes with trying to run.  I recall being more tired when I tried once last year, and looked it up to see that I am essentially reverse blood doping so yeah, it's probably going to have an effect, we'll see how much.  I'm also re-focusing on taking off the 10lbs I put back on this year and the other 30 that still need to come off.  I'm logging those intake calories again.  Tried that a few weeks ago and the morning runs were rough.  So we'll see just what this brings and maybe I'll ease up on some runs.  Oh, and more barefoot runs.  The barefoot group tells me that's my problem with the marathon.  It was always on my list, it just didn't seem to get done.  Though my feet and hands are the weak points when it comes to cold, so it may be Spring before I get any more barefoot runs in.

I'd like to get more runs in with Kenzie and/or Bella, but we'll have to see how that works out.
I think I'll keep up my Active account and hopefully score some more free races.
I want another Spartan Trifecta so I'll have to see about trying to volunteer for those or something, cause they ain't cheap.
I'll probably do Tough Mudder again since it's just down the road.
I kinda feel obligated to do the local races, though it seemed like last spring was pretty bogged down with races every week, so I may have to re-evaluate that.  Most of those are just 5K's as well.
I might go do the Humdinger again, that was my first over a 5K and before the snow was gone and a trail/minor obstacle race...
Probably some trail races, though at the moment I'm not feeling as much pull for them...  I think I need to find some closer and/or winter ones...

Dunno, we'll see!