2015 check in

happy new year! a little over a week ago, when the holiday's were really kicking into high gear, i realized i may have picked the wrong time to start a blog. i was so darn busy getting things together, i had no time (or energy, once all was done) to sit down and write. i barely had enough time to sit down and make a list of all the things i had to do. i certainly made time for running though and i even got in a few outdoor runs over my vacation. normally in new england running outside at the end of december would be absurd, but mother nature has been treating us kindly (so far) with little to no snow and no ice. 

my running goal for this year is to just keep up. i've been happy with my race times all year and i've moved on from setting goals of finishing races, to finishing races in times that i can be truly proud of. i want to focus on getting faster and stronger. i would like to cut some time of my 13.1 mile run as well as start getting into longer distances. the most i have ever ran so far is 15 miles. this year i would like to complete a 20 mile run. i don't have any time goals for this run, the first time my goal will be to finish and from there i will set timed goals based on how it goes. for now, though, through the rest of the winter my main focus is to get stronger and faster at the distance i am currently focusing on. the spring/summer is a time in my life where things slow down and i have more time to get out there and run for 2 hours if i feel like it. 

i am very pleased with my performance over the past year. i got over my fear of racing, although i still get race day jitters, it's a lot less crippling than it used to be. i feel as though running and racing has made me become more confident in my every day life. running gives me something to look forward to at the end of a good day or a bad one. no matter how crappy of a run you have, you know you can always get back out there the next day and try again. you can push yourself to the limit and see how strong you truly are. running brings out a strength in yourself that you may have never known was there. it helps you grow as a person mentally and physically. 

i hope everyone had a happy holiday season with loved ones. i am looking forward to getting more into blogging this year and running some more races.

happy 2015!!