Six years running…

By | January 8, 2023

so I runfess, that I missed my running anniversary. Strava told me when it showed last year’s celebration run, and then I saw Facebook memories marking the trip back from Florida that launched this running journey. But that’s OK, because it has always been an anniversary “season” because I had the date wrong the second year and well, it’s not belated says me.

Part of me still can’t believe that gym whim turned into a six year journey, the rest of me can’t believe it’s only six years. Here’s to the next six or sixty…. or at least 57 (I’m 43… not sure about that living to 103 thing!)

unfrozen African penguins at the Seneca Park Zoo

So how am I celebrating? Accidentally in the best way possible. After posting my 2023 goals, I was looking around to see what 5Ks were coming up and what did I find? My beloved Frozen Penguin, my first race! I don’t know if I missed the email or deleted it assuming I’d be out of town this weekend, but I found it earlier this week and it wasn’t too late.  I ran the 5K in 2017 and 2018, and the 10K in 2019 and 2020, all in Riverside Park. In 2021 it was cancelled due to snow and ice, eponysterical! and in 2022 the Half was reduced to a 5K and I opted to transfer the credit to the Central Park Half. So it has been a while.

As this posts, I should be on the course or at brunch with friends. No goals, just a celebration of this running journey.

Linking up with Kim and Deborah for a quick look back at the last couple of weeks in pictures.

 

running through history

and in all the layers

I love running at mom’s, but the trails were not an option due to the rain so I ran a 5K streets loop a couple of times. Somehow there’s always a new historical marker that catches my attention. Christmas morning? Well there was a themed shirt under all the layers. It didn’t feel bad when I was out there, but was definitely the first time I had long underwear under leggings in a few years. I wasn’t intending to run Christmas morning if it was too cold, but we needed something from the market and running > parallel parking any day. If I’d paid a little closer attention to my mileage I could have hit 1K on Christmas day which would have been a fun “gift”, but instead I hit it with Fred, which is also the best.

Fred is so judgy!

just chillin’

nothing like the southern tier

in a tee shirt, on New Years Eve!

hello lower Manhattan

There were a good number of runs. Kept them short due to holiday schedule, but short > nothing, and they were good. Distance wise, the most meaningful was 3.66 on New Years Eve in Corning where I broke up the drive from Rochester. One hundredth for each day of the year, and one for good luck. Longest? The run to DUMBO on Monday to kick off the year and NYC Half training. It really is the fastest way from the Upper East Side to DUMBO.

sugar cookies

insanely amazing peppermint brownie

and guess who forgot the bubbles on the porch overnight?

On a non running note, so much good food. Focusing on the baked goods but there was also amazing Italian Wedding soup, Jiffy corn casserole and of course Albany Claus brought me some Peppermint Joe Joes. I love visiting friends and family, but oh I do not run well on crap. Grateful for the re-set of the last week. Note: crap is entirely subjective and the re-set is not necessarily healthy, but more protein and less salt. Well until today’s sushi. But I didn’t have toes on Sunday night, I had sausages and that was gross.

should I buy the suit? 🙂

I did buy new shoes

begging for her dinner

while her brother helped me play cards

Further on non running, well not directly. Remember Dewey? The peanut of the kitten? Well I did some of the same runs while in Rochester… and he’s not so little anymore. I was grateful to have my sneakers at the office Thursday when my shoes gave up. They owed me nothing as they were mom’s before I inherited them when she no longer wore them and I have worn them to death since they work so well with dresses when it’s not flip flop season. Luckily Zappos meant one of the two new pair I ordered is already here. I wear dresses way more than pants in the office, but shoes can be so hard in that window between flip flops and boots. Did anyone else think we missed jean jacket season entirely? And that suit, tree were on my run Thursday. Oh holiday decorations, never be normal.

Hope everyone’s reentry went relatively smoothly.

 

19 thoughts on “Six years running…

  1. Darlene

    Happy Anniversary!

    A race. A perfect way to celebrate in my book. You’ve accomplished so much in 6 years. Happy to have played a party in your journey. And continue to.

    I always say a short run is better than nothing. I always feel rushed in the work run struggle.

    I’m leaving home to work and need new shoes!!!

    Have a fun time today.

    Reply
  2. Deborah Brooks

    Happy anniversary! What a perfect way to celebrate your run anniversary. Wow you have accomplished a lot in 6 years. I wonder when my anniversary is? Hope you had fun this morning!

    Reply
  3. Susanne

    Congrats on 6 years running! How cool to celebrate it with a race! Well done running to the market in the cold.

    Reply
  4. Wendy

    Happy anniversary! I hope your penguin run went well. How cool that it came up for you. And congrats on 1000 miles last year!

    Reply
  5. Jenny

    Aw, a running anniversary! Yay! You celebrated it in the most perfect way. I like your New Year’s Eve run as well- great idea. Happy New Year!

    Reply
    1. cari Post author

      I was going to just run 5K and then it occured to me mid run.
      Look forward to celebrating with you in person later this month!

      Reply
  6. Kimberly Hatting

    A running anniversary is worthy of a big celebration or a race, LOL (and a favorite race, none the less). I think it’s always denim jacket season because I wear mine at work year-round. 😉

    Reply
    1. cari Post author

      Yes, it’s like they scheduled the race especially for me! This is definitely the earliest in the year it has been since 2017.
      ooh, I need to do that with mine. I definitely need it in summer there

      Reply
  7. Debbie

    Happy sixth runnerversary! I’m so happy to be along on the journey with you.

    Yummm… peppermint brownies! You know, the York Easter bunnies will be on shelves soon!

    Reply
  8. Coco

    Happy runversary! And yay on the Penguin race!

    I have no idea exactly when I started running (what day/month) — I didn’t have a Garmin or Strava back then.

    Reply
    1. cari Post author

      I inherited my brother’s TomTom at the end of March 2017, which was handy since we all know iPhones+cold don’t work and I couldn’t time my race on Strava app. I always thought it was the 6th that I first ran, but it was the 6th that I flew home and the 7th that I went to the gym so.. season it is 😀

      Reply
  9. Marcia

    Happy Runnerversary and cheers to 6 years! The penguin race is the PERFECT way to celebrate. Gotta love kismet! I feel like total re-entry to the new year won’t happen here until tomorrow, when Thing 2 finally returns to school. Until then friends are in and out, way too much incredible baking (hers) is going on, Crumbl cookies etc. OMG peppermint brownies? Hello lover! lol!

    Reply
    1. cari Post author

      Seriously. Crumbl being closed yesterday saved me slightly, but the siren is irresistible in the long haul.

      Reply
  10. Kim G

    Happy running anniversary! It’s amazing how fast time goes by when you’re having fun 🙂

    Reply
  11. Shathiso

    You’re better than me as I don’t remember the exact date in January! But it was six years ago in January that I started running! So, I will do an anniversary run on Saturday to celebrate! 🙂 I spent the first week of January running on holiday in South Africa – it was up in the mountainous so even though they were tough runs, the fresh mountain air made me feel so good! It was hard coming back and my run yesterday on the hot streets of Gaborone was a very rude wake-up call!

    Reply
  12. Jenn

    Haha! I missed mine, too, this year! That’s ok. We can do extra big celebrations next year!

    Reply
  13. Zenaida Arroyo

    Happy Running Anniversary. I have no idea when mine is. I know it was in 2005 when I took a beginner running class with CARA. But something happened because I took that class again.

    Reply

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