2018, you were amazing

By | December 31, 2018
I hope that in this year to come, you make mistakes.
Because if you are making mistakes, then you are making new things, trying new things, learning, living, pushing yourself, changing yourself, changing your world. You’re doing things you’ve never done before, and more importantly, you’re Doing Something.
So that’s my wish for you, and all of us, and my wish for myself. Make New Mistakes. Make glorious, amazing mistakes. Make mistakes nobody’s ever made before. Don’t freeze, don’t stop, don’t worry that it isn’t good enough, or it isn’t perfect, whatever it is: art, or love, or work or family or life.
Whatever it is you’re scared of doing, Do it.
Make your mistakes, next year and forever. Neil Gaiman

There’s a reason that’s been a version of my New Years’ resolution, or as close as I come to one, for three years running. It’s so true.

I don’t do any of the word linkups, but if I had to identify one for 2018, it would be: CONSISTENCY and I’m so proud of that

I ran 680.91 miles in 2018, an average of 56.74 miles/month. I logged (an under count, since I didn’t lot if I just ran without a watch) 193 running days. How did those months shake out?

    • January: 56.50; 15 running days
    • February: 50.54; 14 running days
    • March: 62.68; 16 running days
    • April: 62.34 ; 15 running days
    • May: 52.84; 16 running days (proud of this, a lot of travel, sitll ran)
    • June: 59.82 (doh!); 17 running days
    • July: 45.2; 18 running days. Kept the distances down due to PF flare, didn’t stop running. Win
    • August: 56.84; 16 running days
    • September: 69.22; 18 running days
    • October: 50.96; 17 running days
    • November: 52.59; 14 running days
    • December:61.37; 17 running days

WOW.

680.91 wasn’t the 700 I’d hoped for, but is a 208.5 mile increase over 2017’s 472.41 miles.

WOW!

I’m not fast, and I’ll probably never be high mileage in an effort to avoid injury but I’ll take consistency all day any day.

GoTheDist:

Will update this when I log today’s steps, but I’m coming in around 5.5m steps and just shy of 2,500 miles run/walked on the year. I’m thrilled with and proud of pushing through a challenging December, which seems like a theme.

December

  •  400,780 steps
  •  181.26 miles run/walked
  •  61.37 miles run

Q4

  •   1,258,616 steps
  •   559.43 miles run/walked
  •   164.92 miles run

2018

  •  5,570,525 steps
  •  2445.64 miles run/walked
  • 680.91 miles run

I’m really happy with this. It’s not exactly my goals, but it’s close enough. Added up to an amazing year.

Other:

  • 104 books read. No reading time this weekend
  • 1,117 days in a row food logging which is probably why I lost 6.2 lbs on the year. Great? No. But way better than gaining. Baby steps.

I’m very proud of the year I had. Consistency was a huge part of that. At this time a year ago, I was a nervous wreck about my first half marathon. Today? Nervous about that same half marathon, but I know I can do it.

Here’s to an amazing 2019

How was your year? Would you do anything differently?

Weekly turned yearly wrap with Wendy and Holly and Year of Running with Eat, Pray, Run.

30 thoughts on “2018, you were amazing

  1. therightfits

    Congratulations on an amazing year! Consistency is key. Just getting out there day after day, especially when you don’t want to 🙂

    Cheers to 2019!

    Reply
    1. cari Post author

      Yes. I usually know I want to run, even if I don’t think I want to

      Reply
  2. Wendy

    There’s nothing wrong with consistency! I like the idea of routine, too. It all keeps us on track. You had a great year and it’s been so fun following you this year! Happy New Year!

    Reply
    1. cari Post author

      Yes. Definitely easier for me to make something happen if it’s part of my normal. Still amazes me how much more routine/appealing the gym became when I started running. Going on four straight segments of gym reimbursement, which is great for the budget

      Reply
    1. cari Post author

      Likewise! I still think of you when I fly into ROC and see that bench.
      Look forward to more and maybe meeting you in 2019

      Reply
  3. Coco

    That’s a crazy amount of books! I finally finished the one I’d been slogging through for months. It was not a page turner! Consistency is a great way to approach goals.

    Reply
    1. cari Post author

      I had a similar moment with a book a few years ago — when done I asked myself why I’d hung on it so long. I’m a bookworm, but haven’t been reading much this month. Too crazy. Will get on track this weekend with a train ride, I hope.

      Reply
  4. Darlene

    Wow.

    Great year.

    Consistency is very important. I think I was consistent which is why I stayed healthy all year.

    What would I have done differently?

    Not sure. Pushed harder to get faster? Run longer on weekdays? But maybe I’d be injured.

    Hope we are both successful in 2019.

    Reply
    1. cari Post author

      we really are the same person. I look at some of my weekday runs where I bailed and I know 700 would have been there — but I don’t think I’d have fared well if I pushed through
      We’re going to kick ass

      Reply
  5. Marcia

    This is fantastic! Consistency is HUGE. Congrats on a great year. It’s been 11 years since I signed up for my first half marathon. I’ll always consider that decision a pivotal point in my life. All the best revisiting your first one!

    Reply
    1. cari Post author

      11 years, wow.
      Lebow will always hold a special place for me. I wasn’t sure I could do it, and a year later it’s still surreal to believe I did. Plus, Central Park. No place like home.
      Thank you!

      Reply
  6. Janelle @ Run With No Regrets

    Great job! Your running mileage is so consistent.I had a couple of 100+ miles for marathon training and once I got injured I had a lot of < 10 mile months, just barely getting over 500 for the year!

    Reply
    1. cari Post author

      A sidelining injury is what I fear. Between your posts & Becca and Jessie’s I realize how easy it is for that to happen and I’m not confident I’d find a way to restart from zero running. I love it – but would I catch that bug again? So content to stay consistently but relatively low mileage for now. Not sure how that & marathon training would work but I think I’ll find a plan.

      Reply
  7. Chocolaterunsjudy

    6.2 lbs may may not seem like a lot, but losing slowly is more conducive to keeping it off. I should definitely know (although I’m in maintenance).

    680 is damn close to 700. I don’t know how many miles I ran, I’d have to do a little math & I don’t care so I’m not going to bother. Somewhere close to 1000, I think.

    Consistency is an awesome word, and quite frankly, the key to many things in life. Here’s to a great 2019!

    2018 was challenging for me, and I really don’t see that changing in 2019. Running helps me handle those challenges.

    Reply
    1. cari Post author

      I feel like you said somewhere that you had a solution rendering a spreadsheet unnecessary but not wanting to math is exactly why I have my spreadsheet. It spoils me. I’m not unhappy at falling short, it’s just tantalizingly close.
      I didn’t set a weight loss goal, so I’m happy with ending the year lighter than when I started. Time to finish what I started in 2010 though. I’ve generally kept it off, which makes me happy.

      Reply
  8. Liz Dexter

    Yay consistency! What a great year you’ve had and how I’ve enjoyed watching you have it (and meeting you and running with you, of all things!!!). Have a great 2019 xx

    Reply
  9. Shathiso @thegaboronerunner.com

    What a great year! And the best part for me is that you stayed so consistent! It has been amazing following you and watching you grow as a runner. I relate to you so much because we are at such similar stages in terms of our running and as I said in a comment on my blog, if ever you are in this part of the world, we will just have to run together at least once! Wishing you all the best in 2019. I can’t wait to see you grow from strength to strength.

    Things I would have done differently in 2018? Definitely more gym work… and also been a bit more consistent. Have to work on both those things in 2019.

    Reply
    1. cari Post author

      Yes, completely on more gym work. I need to find that routine the way I have with running

      Reply
  10. Deborah Brooks

    You should be so proud of your year! Consistency is key in running as so much more. Way to go on the book reading as well. I used to be much better about that

    Reply
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