2013 Year in Review

And thus, the end of another year is upon us again. 

Martian 10k in April (Dearborn)

As much as there is to reflect on personally and professionally, my gut reaction is to say that there is equally as little to reflect on in terms of my running. While Ryan and I did run a 10k together in April, this is the first year, since starting to run in 2010, that I didn't run a half-marathon. 

Color Run in May (Ypsilanti)

Memorial Day Weekend (DC)

Oddly enough, that leaves me with something different to be proud of - despite not having a race to keep me on track for much of the year, I was able to maintain some semblance of a routine. In some ways, I enjoyed it more. Since I don't have the proof of a half to assess my year, I looked back at the calendar I keep as a loose record of my workouts. In addition to running, I started going to yoga (wow - it's really been a year!?) and had a sprinkling of barre classes in there as well. Looking back on the year now, I can appreciate the positives that come along with not feeling the pressure of a big race. Instead of solely focusing on mileage, I was able to really incorporate fitness into my life overall - something I'm constantly striving for long-term, so it becomes a seamless part of life. 

Incredible BBQ (Birmingham, AL)

While we haven't used them as much as I'd like, we received camelbacks for hiking and took advantage of them when we went up to Traverse City for our mini-moon. I enjoyed runs with friends as an excuse to spend time together and even see places.  A reflection of my running life in 2013, I managed to use three different apps to track my stats, so while I can't pinpoint the exact number, it looks like I ran about 175 miles this year, which is certainly a number I can be proud of. 

Rebuilding with SBP (New Orleans)

Of course, there's so much I could say about the events of 2013 - I was blessed with the opportunity to spend time with my family and friends in leading up to our wedding; 2.5 weeks of service learning, perspective, and community building in New Orleans; a wedding that was more  than I could have ever dreamed of; a birthday back in New York with some of my oldest friends;  a breathtaking bridal shower and bachelorette party filled with thoughtful surprises and a crazy amount of laughter. I'm not sure exactly what 2014 will have in store - while I'd like to run 

Hike on Our Mini-Moon in August (Traverse City)

another half-marathon, reflecting on a year without one makes me see that I don't really need one as much as I thought I did. After a year of wedding planning, it's exciting to think about the possibilities of the blank canvas of a new year. Regardless of what this next year has in store, I'm confident running will in some way 

Visit to the White House
(July)

be part of it. It's something that will continue to keep me grounded, appreciatative, and grateful, which is something I wouldn't trade for anything.

Reflecting on 2012

Before this morning's run, I spent some time reading through all my blog posts from this past year. I would definitely consider myself to be a sentimental person and I appreciate the opportunity to pause from the daily grind and reflect on the blessings and lessons from the past year. Each year, it's always easy to pick out and remember the big events. Several New Year's ago, some friends took turns toasting to a different favorite memory from the year. There were many "oh yeahs!" spoken, as others helped me to recall some of the smaller but still special memories from the year. Rereading through my blog, I was able to do the same.

It's true that the days are long, but the years are short. When I reread blog posts for the beginning of the year, it feels like it was just yesterday. While I've done a good job at weaving my outside-of-running life into my blog, there were still a few big events from the year that were left out - the beautiful weddings of so many close friends, three incredible weeks in New Orleans, the beginning stages of planning a wedding! Having this forum serves many purposes for me - a chance to reflect, to digest, to track, to document. 

I just signed up for an eight-week yoga class, which I'm really excited for. Over the years, I've tested the yoga waters and have struggled with my feelings towards it. For so long, I've thought that it's not a justifiable work-out because I'm not dripping sweat and out of breath. A few weeks ago, I bought a one-day pass to try out yoga at my gym and it was amazing. I've been so focused on how slow yoga is that until now, I haven't been able to appreciate that that's a huge benefit of it. We live such busy, go-go-go lives and what a gift to be able to etch out time for no one but yourself, to truly slow down (And with regards to it being a work-out - when you're shaking, you're definitely working those muscles). 

While running is a different kind of work-out, it is certainly time that I can carve out for me. It's easy to skip out on a run because there's just too much to do, but once I start, it's uninterrupted time for me. After Hope Express, I struggled with my motivation and reason for running. It was a tough adjustment, because I felt like I no longer had a good reason to run. I felt like it was an interruption to my life at times, instead of a gift of carved out, set aside time....which it is. 

All relationships change over time, so naturally my relationship with running has changed too. I still struggle to believe that I ran 18 miles as part of Hope Express and that there was a point in time that I was running 2x some days. I just today realized that this is the first year I ran 2 half-marathons. Ryan and I trained and ran our first race together - proof that love does conquer all. While living further from home, I feel closer than ever to many of my family and friends back East. My definition of family has grown immensely and my friends now include a group of people in Ann Arbor who make it really feel like home. 

Carrie Bradshaw taught us long ago that as we balance our relationships - with commitments, family, friends, work, passions, and goals - perhaps it's most important to remember the relationship we have with ourselves. It's easy to lose ourselves when we feel pulled in so many different directions, but we owe it to ourselves to un-gumby at times and  find ways to put ourselves first. Whether it's experimenting in the kitchen, reading in the bathtub, or running through the park, may we all remember to treat this most important relationship extra special.

Happy new year and here's to a wonderful, beautiful, special 2013!