one hell of a way to celebrate the new year. Happy runversary to me! Weekly Run Down and celebration of running with Kim and Deborah, but so grateful to have each and every one of you in my life courtesy of running and blogging.
I have only one goal for 2024: be consistent. 2023 was a challenge, but I’m looking forward to the clean slate as cliche as that is. Maybe I’ll write about some goals later in the year, but probably not. But this is an old Facebook status from a source I can’t remember, and it always symbolizes the new year for me.
Field of Light
revisiting a great racecation
- never miss a Monday, especially not when it’s the first day of the new year. I’d intended to run on the way home from Rochester on Sunday but I ran out of time, and that worked out for the best as I ran to meet Darlene for dinner. The plan was to hit the new East River park, but I got distracted by the new public art installation. My watch also weirdly gliched so I don’t know if I got 11.24 KMS (for 1/1/2024) or not, but close enough! The tiles on the Queen Elizabeth II/September 11 Garden recognize the commonwealth and it was a fun moment as we’d just talked about our trip which was somehow four years ago. Those ASICS that were still TBD last run down? They’re firmly in the keeper pile and have been joined by another pair. Happy Feet indeed.
- Tuesday: back to the office after some much-needed time off. Got out on time to do a Butt, Legs & Thighs class at the gym and OUCH! Is there cardio in finding the end of my inbox?
- Wednesday: colleague in town from overseas for the holidays and an off day was well spent catching up over drinks and pretzel bites.
- Thursday: office run group took a hiatus in November and December between the holidays, the gala, work travel, etc. and it was so good to regroup and catch up on life. It was cold and our pace was “forward”, which really is all it ever is.
- Friday: mani/pedi. Start to an apartment organization project
snow!
- Saturday: So I runfess that I’ve mixed up my runversary. I always thought it was January 6, but then some years ago I saw that was the day I traveled home from Florida. Oops! But in the mean time I grew attached to the date. Luckily this year, both Jan 6 and 7 fell on the weekend so I could call it an anniversary weekend. Oddly, the weather when I first sped up the treadmill was about the same as it was this weekend. I wasn’t entirely sure the Frozen Penguin would go forward given the forecast, which meant I’d run Saturday. My usual weekend procrastination hit (no regrets) and I ended up heading out as soon as the snow from the n’oreaster came in. It was a wintry mix and I came in wet to my bra but all smiles. 7 miles. 7 years. The run felt really good and I took it easy and enjoyed the snow. Grateful to start the year strong.
Sunday, muddy Sunday
happy wet runner
- Sunday: because I ran Saturday, of course I woke to the news that the forecast was safe for the Frozen Penguin. I runfess that if I’d realized it was my runversary weekend, I probably wouldn’t have dropped down from the Half to the 5K because I’m stubborn like that. Thankfully it was moot because the Half was cancelled and I think I came out ahead by cancelling because I got the race credit which I used part of to pay for the 5K whereas the 2022 cancellation was just a bib transfer to another race. Until I read my 2023 post, I had no recollection that the Frozen Penguin was this weekend last year, so I was a little giddy at this confluence. If I’m being honest, it’s also the only reason I ran a 5K in a wintry mix. This otherwise would have had a DNS all over it. I was wide awake way early and timed it well to get to the start just before we crossed so I didn’t have to cool down. I intended to run this as a recovery run. While that was the pace I ran to the start, that was not what happened when I bounced across the start line. I think tank tops are a ridiculous giveaway for a winter race, but I was oh so grateful for the heat shields and medals, even though I don’t need a medal for a 5K. I’ve never had one for a Frozen Penguin! The outfit was a little warm, because I’m me: t-shirt from my first Frozen Penguin therefore I needed a base layer-my first Ted. Because I didn’t want to be soaked to my bra (again), the windbreaker from a Fred with similar weather. Unpictured because it was soaked, the hat from my first Fred. It’s hard to dress for low 30s and wet! I stopped on the way home for a hand warmer (coffee) and at the gym to stretch, but not before popping into Super Runners Shop for a pair of Merino Feetures. Balega kept me from blisters, but cold wet feet are gross.
I won’t keep up this week’s ~24 mile, but here’s to 51 more strong weeks of strong and fun running.
Yay congrats on 7 years of running! Wow you have come along way! Great kick off to the year. Yes, cheers to 51 more weeks of running injury free and happy
Congrats on the Big-7!! That’s a great accomplishment, and the timing was perfect with the weekend dates 😉
Congrats on your runversary! I’ve been running so long, I don’t even know when I started–just the approximate year. You and I have the same goal for this year–consistency. I’m enjoying tucking into a pace and chugging along. It’s a completely different mindset for me, but if i want to continue running, it’s the only way.
Great job on Frozen Penguin and how fortuitous that you dropped down to the 5k!
Congrats on your runversary! I’ve been running so long, I don’t even know when I started–just the approximate year. You and I have the same goal for this year–consistency. I’m enjoying tucking into a pace and chugging along. It’s a completely different mindset for me, but if i want to continue running, it’s the only way.
Great job on Frozen Penguin and how fortuitous that you dropped down to the 5k!
Thank you! Consistency is the key to sanity. I know what I need to do, just need to do it. We’re going to have a great year!
Congrats on 7 years of fun and running/racing.
Glad the weather cooperated for your runaversary and also super happy we could meet up.
Can’t wait to see you again.
Maybe my goal for 2024 should be RUN WITH YOU!!
But basically it’s now just RUN – anywhere, any pace, any race.
I was laughing at a post from last year where I said we PRed in not running together. We’re good at that. But yeah maybe one this year.
Yay on your runniversary! I’d have to dig deep to figure out when I started running …. sometime in 1999. Of course I over-trained myself right into an injury and my first chiro visit—that much I remember.
LOL on the tank for the winter race. I did like that the Jingle All The Way (that I skipped this year) had a knit pom pom hat.
Here’s too a great year!
I want to do Jingle one year. It’s right after our 15K so theoretically doable.
With that one week clloser, it’s pure holiday magic from pics I’ve seen. I’m all for the hats, we have enough shirts
No more chiro other than preventative for either of us in 2025!
Congrats to your 7 years of running! That’s fabulous! That’s so cool too that you still went to attend the Frozen penguin also after the Saturday run. I sort of miss running – the planning, goal-setting and organising in a way, but not the actual running! (I know it sounds weird)
You must be a big fan of snow!?
Consistency is a great goal for the year.
I’m the opposite in some ways, I love putting on my sneakers and getting out the door but the planning and logistics for race morning can be A LOT.
I’m not a fan of snow, but I prefer it to the wintry mix You get less wet.
A great start to the year! And happy run anniversary! So funny about the tank for a winter race. Cheers to a great 2024!
Thank you! I mean Global Warming, but we’re still thankfully a long way from tanks in January being the standard
Congrats to seven years of running and celebrating with a race! I agree, a tank as swag for a winter race in the north is a real head scratcher.
Thank you! Best way I can think of to celebrate
wow — happy runiversary! I love that you have kept track. And how fun to celebrate with a race. Great way to start the year!
Also – agree about the tank top for the winter race. Though maybe when it gets a little warmer you’ll appreciate it? I don’t think I’ve ever gotten a tank as a race shirt before at all!
Thank you! NYC Runs gives plenty of tanks if you ever sync up with a race when you’re back east in summer. I feel like this went from ironic to now annoying, but the heat shield made up for it.
I try to keep one as a favorite pool shirt, but otherwise donate them as I don’t much run in tanks. I like the cut of the Brooks ones, but not these which are generally too racer back for my liking.
It’s interesting to have such a specific run-versary date! I think my first official race was a breast cancer fundraiser (Susan B. Komen- is that still around?) when I was at university but I did run before that, just never a race. I guess I could count that!
You’ve done a lot in 7 years and it seems like running has expanded your world, don’t you think? It’s the best…
I think I picked this date since it was the beginning of sustained running. Like you, I’d done charity events (although I more often walked them) and I did run indoor track as cross training in high school but mostly did field events. The fact that I didn’t expect it to stick is probably part of why Inever quite knew the date.
It totally has. Without running I wouldn’t have gone to Alaska, nor would I have become more of an active person — hiking there, Yellowstone was definitely not the old me. Plus all the amazing people.
I’ve loved being there for your 7 years of running and yes, here’s to us both getting some consistency this year!
You were there from the very first post, and I so love it. I also think it has lead us to chatting more which double win!