2,017 Miles, Done!

By | November 30, 2017

2017 Run the Year medal

When Caryn first told me about the Run the Year challenge late December/early January, I was curious but knew I’d need to pair up because there was “no way” I could do it on my own. I was just coming off my best ever year for #GoTheDist and I was worried about duplicating that. With a little goading, I signed up for the basic version since I really wasn’t sure about this happening.

But if I’ve learned one thing through all these years of #GoTheDist it’s that I love spreadsheets and tracking so I can see my progress and at some point I decided to order the medal. It’s an awesome two sided medal with ‘Make Fit Happen” at the top of the rim, and the months of the year at the bottom. And somewhere in this challenge, “make fit happen” began to happen.

I…

  • began to run
  • transferred my love of spreadsheets to running
  • graduated C25K despite “quitting” C25K
  • ran my first 5K
  • ran away from “I can’t”
  • ran a 10K and 4M race with Road Runners
  • decided to pair Run the Year with Joyful Revolution Athletic Club to raise money for Joyful Heart
  • ran four 5Ks within the month of June
  • (we) hit 2,017 as a team and I decided to try to do it solo while trying to hit 500 miles run on the year
  • ran 10K just because I wanted to, not because it was a race distance
  • joined the Amerithon challenge
  • spent the summer falling in love with and chasing PRs (and learning math!) while fighting injury and not quitting
  • found a new gym so I could keep running when outdoor, weekday running wasn’t an option
  • ran the Harlem Hills because I wanted to, not because it was part of a race
  • made running Facebook official
  • started following a training plan
  • tried and loved a class even though I’m not a class person and thought I couldn’t do it
  • ran five miles on the treadmill in 55m at 5.5 speed
  • RAN THE YEAR!

 

Shazam!

 

I thought I could hit it by year-end. A couple of weeks ago I realized it was a definite. It was only this past week that I realized I could pull off November thanks to a(nother) insane steps month. Details on that TK this weekend when month end numbers in) so I pushed hard. How was I rewarded? With 60 degree weather in November and to quote a friend:

What a beautiful day for your 2017th mile!!

One unexpected bonus to this challenge is how much I learned about myself.

I learned:

  • what you eat matters as far as how you run
  • sometimes fun runs mean more than the watch
  • that I actually do like running for the better part of an hour but still have no idea what pace I’m capable of
  • my body reacts differently to running in different seasons. My exercised induced asthma isn’t gone, but seems to be only the occasional flare
  • running makes me want to write again and rereading these posts is a great look at this amazing journey
  • I AM A RUNNER
  • that I’m capable of so much more than I thought

The last is really what this (ongoing, it’s definitely not ending with the end of this challenge) journey is all about. I am going to finish 2017:

  • lighter than when I started
  • having run more than 450 miles! (I’m at 417.4 now)
  • with about 10 NYCRuns, NYRR and other races run where I didn’t finish last in nine. (Yeah, about that not going to race thing….)
  • raising more money for Joyful Heart

Has been an amazing year and I can’t wait for 2018

I can finally turn the medal over. Crushed It!

3 thoughts on “2,017 Miles, Done!

  1. Liz Dexter

    Whoo hoo! I loved your learning points the best. You ARE a runner! I’ve loved watching your journey (and finding the excuse to share even more books).

    Reply
    1. cari Post author

      I’m so glad I renewed blogging regularly this year because looking back on some of those posts had a lot of “ooh!” moments. And yes, absolutely. So many new to each of us authors. So glad Facebook actually showed my Frozen Penguin post that day

      Reply

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