Welcome to my yearly self-indulgent blog post when I share the highlights of my year! I began this tradition way back in 2008 on my first blog. It was my year-in-review posts that kicked off my blogging journey all those years ago. What a ride it has been!
2021 was another exciting year in the sense of adjusting to this changing world around us. Of course, there have been good and bad, but I choose to focus on the positives of the year!
For me, it was a year of feeling intense gratitude for my many blessings, a year of training hard, and four (count 'em) running personal records!
2021 started with strange weather for Dallas, TX. We had an unprecedented snowstorm, cold weather, and power outages in February. I moved to Texas from Pennsylvania in 1998 because I thought it didn't snow here. Of course, it snows a lot less than in Pennsylvania, but this February was the worst I have seen in 23 years. It was fun to throw snowballs, make snow angels, and attempt to run on the snowy streets, but I will be happy if we don't have a repeat of that this year. I am still working from home, so I didn't have to drive in that weather.
Life was quiet until April, when Russ and I celebrated 23 years together. I met him in 1998 when I first moved to Texas at 23 years old. It's funny to think that I've known him half my life, and I'm grateful for this life we built together.
I ran the Cowtown half marathon in May and set a new running personal record. Due to Covid restrictions, the race was pushed back to May from the regular date in February. In Texas, summer weather starts in May, so I set my expectations accordingly. It was a challenging course, with less than ideal weather, so even though I beat my previous half marathon time, I knew I could perform a bit better with improved conditions. It is always fun and rewarding to run a half marathon.
In June, I went to California to visit my good friend and travel for the first time since the summer of 2019. It was a small pocket of time with loosened restrictions in California before the new variant ushered in and life got weird again. Running in the cool California weather along the beach in the summer was nothing but pure bliss! I set some unofficial personal records on the flat ocean view course that day! Spending time at the ocean and connecting with my old friend was just what I needed to rest my soul this summer! I love stand-up paddleboarding, it’s fun and hard!
August was our 16th wedding anniversary! Where does the time go? We were just kids figuring out life together; now we're old people still trying to figure it out!
In September, life started getting busy and fun! I wanted to run a 10K for my birthday, and the biggest race that weekend was the Plano Balloon Fest, which is on the other side of town from Fort Worth. My ultimate goal was to run the race faster than it would take me to drive there! I was up at the crack of down to drive an hour to run less than an hour on a humid September morning. I was delighted and surprised to win my age group (old ladies, 45-49) and set a new 10K personal record.
Then I enjoyed my 47th birthday! It was a low-key celebration with my favorite cake, German Chocolate! My husband's favorite birthday joke is to turn the number candles around on the cake. I look great for 74 if I do say so myself!
I began my half marathon training again in October. My amazingly talented, creative, and artistic BFF carved this pumpkin for me, and I kept her company while she worked her magic. I had no part in the creation of this jack-o-lantern. However, it's still hot in October in Texas, so it didn't survive very long in the warm temperatures, but at least I have this picture to memorialize the memory.
And just like that, it's November. I don't know why I continue to be surprised at how quickly time passes these days. I ran a cold Turkey Trot 5K at Trinity Park with Cox Running Club and was delighted to win female masters, which means I was the fastest lady over 40. Granted, it was a small field of competition, but I was delighted with my win! I was the fourth overall female, with two of the ladies that ran faster were teenagers!
Can I take this moment to say how much I appreciate the term masters runner? It sounds like it means expert or experienced, but it just means old(er). This race may also be a 5K PR. If I ever ran a faster 5K, I was much younger. I don't remember because I don't run 5Ks that often, except for on holidays for fun.
And December brings so much excitement that I can barely contain myself. I coached a fantastic group of ladies for 12 weeks for the Dallas Half Marathon on December 12; many of them it was their first half marathon. I cried after my finish, but not because of my new personal record, but the emotion welled up as I experienced all these ladies crossing the finish line. Coaching is rewarding as I help guide people to break through their mental barriers. Many said to me, “I never thought I could do this!” Training for a half marathon is not easy, we had our share of setbacks, but every lady overcame their obstacles and crushed their goal, and my heart is so full and grateful for the opportunity.
As I mentioned, after Cowtown, I knew I could set a new personal record under better conditions. The weather was cold, with a relatively flat course, and I was well-trained. I was thrilled for my second half marathon PR of the year, even though I slowed down significantly on that last mile (which leads me to believe I still have a slightly faster half marathon in me yet).
Although I admit, I got spoiled running small races this year and pulling out age-group wins. With the large field, probably the largest race of the year, the competition was stiff, with many speedy ladies blowing me away! I placed 27th in my age group (out of 383). I'll take it!
What a year! The best way to end a year is with something to look forward to in the new year. I bought concert tickets to see Jack White in May of 2022. Russ overheard me say Jack White was my favorite musician and expressed that my husband should be my favorite musician! So I rephrased it to say Jack White is my favorite musician that plays stadium shows! My husband will forever be my favorite drummer.
With so much excitement at the end of this year, I'm grateful for the opportunities, experiences, and people that made this year special!
After the last couple of years of uncertainty, I am hesitant to claim 2022 as my best year yet, but I look ahead with hope and positive expectations, and I wish the same for you.
Merry Christmas!
Happy new year, friends! Thanks for being here with me! If you are new here, don't worry, I don't usually talk about myself so much on this blog! I strive to provide you with helpful, actionable running, health, and fitness tips all year long. Hope to see you around next year.
Lea
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