goals for 2017

2017 (Running) Year in Review

- Mel

Probably the biggest move for the blog was my inevitable exit from my 30s — and growing out of this blog a bit. I’m still trying to find my peace and place in it, but it’s likely 2018 will bring with it another rebranding and change in URL.

30something miles three marathons header blog review

That said, I covered 942 miles in 2017 — so close to 1,000! And 429 miles over my previous mileage total! I had 5 months of over 100 miles. I finished 3 marathons and my first ultra-marathon (50k); I also finished 5 half marathons. I crossed off 6 new states. In 2017 I traveled quite a bit, which is not something I plan to continue at the same frequency or voracity next year. I’m only registered for two races in 2018 so far and confirmed my deferral transfer to this year’s Night Hawk 20-miler in Kansas (in June). I don’t want to train for a marathon for the first half of the 2018, and I’ll reassess at mid-year if I want to run any road races at all after Drake. I realized that trail running is really my happy place, and I want more of that joy in my life.

January: The year started off with the Capital Striders (our Des Moines running club) Mitten Run, and kicked off marathon training for me. And then my treadmill broke on January 2 (and was inoperable for over a month). Grrrrr!

February: No races, and a LOT of outdoor winter running! And then that one time I tried to run on a cruise ship.

March: I got married! And then at the end of the month, I traveled down to Texas to do my first Ragnar race with Internet “strangers.”

April: I road-tripped to do the Illinois Half Marathon – where I PR’d my 5k – and had my second fastest half marathon time (it was a great weekend!). I ran the Hawkeye 25k (which I don’t think I’ve reviewed?). I took a DNS on the Drake Half because I was over the weather. I’m signed up for Drake in 2018 and plan to make it my half marathon goal race (despite the course); it’s where I’ll be training all winter long, so I should be used to those hills by April.

30something blog miles 2017 review running

May: Ran the inaugural Women’s Half here in Des Moines as part of my 20-mile long run. It was my last race in my 30s… and then I turned 40. And then we traveled to Burlington over Memorial Day so I could run the Vermont City Marathon — and achieved a shiny new marathon PR!

June: Deferred Night Hawk and took most of June off to recover.

July: I proved that I was TOTALLY NUTS! in the Nuthouse Challenge in Minnesota (a 10k, 5k, and half marathon over two days), and then traveled to Chicago the following weekend for the BTN Big 10k. I found a wonderful July 4th 5K in Earlham and ran with friends.

August: No races in August!

September: I had another big PR at Capital Pursuit – beating last year by 9 minutes and having a really kickass race overall (averaging 9:32 pace and ran the last two miles of the race sub 9-minute). I took another road trip to do a Labor Day double-header Half Marathon Weekend (Rockin’ Chocolate & NewBo half marathons). AND I started Grad school (hello, stress!). September was also my highest mileage month of all time – running 137.2 miles!

October: October was kind of a bummer month, as I started feeling the effects of overtraining and stress both mentally and physically, and I couldn’t keep up with the imbalance of work/school/training. HOWEVER, I finished the Chicago Marathon, and completed a 50k with the GOATz in Omaha — my first Ultra. Both races I still need to recap. I also celebrated my one-year anniversary of trail running by running To Grandmother’s House We Go 10k again (and beating my finish time from 2016).

November: I finished my final marathon of the year at Route 66 Marathon in Tulsa. I also returned to my Thanksgiving tradition of running a morning Turkey Trot.

December: I took a DNS on Hitchcock Experience 50, since my training took a nosedive and I felt terrible running Route 66 and didn’t want to risk injury. While I finished Sycamore 8 trail race, I was feeling many of the aches and pains that I had at Route 66, and knew I made the right decision to stop training.

30 something blog year in review new year

For most of December, I have been doing a whole lot of NOT running, and it’s been really good for me mentally – I feel like I’m ready to start running regularly again in a couple weeks. In the meantime, I have been doing ALL OF THE CROSS-TRAINING and enjoying the change of pace.

My Race Calendar for 2nd Half of 2017 + Mid-Year Check-in

- Mel

Today seemed like the perfect day to reflect a bit on the first half of the year (thanks, Holiday PTO!). I’ve got my tracking spreadsheet updated from January-June, and my training plan set for my first Ultra race (more on that in another post).

30 something miles iowa runner blogger
I like running and chocolate milk. I estimate that I’ve probably had at least 65 chocolate milks since the beginning of the year.

Here’s what I’ve accomplished so far:
I participated in my first Ragnar relay.
I ran my first race as a BibRave Ambassador.
I colored in 3 more states on my U.S. Race map.
I also took 2 DNS (Did Not Start) on registered races.
I added 2 more half marathons and another full marathon — bringing the totals to 11 and 2, respectively.
And I’ve run 456.2 total miles as of the end of June.

I also took THREE GLORIOUS WEEKS off running in June.

What’s Next:
July: Earlham 5k; Clive Running Festival (10k); Minnesota Nut House Challenge — Totally Nuts! (5K, 10K, half marathon); BTN Big 10k (Chicago)
August: Not registered for anything; and if Iowa is anything like last summer, I probably won’t!
September: Rockin’ Chocolate Half Marathon (Madison, WI); NewBo half (IA); Pleasant Creek trail run; Capital Pursuit (10-miler); Heartland Half (Omaha, NE)
October: Chicago Marathon; GOATz 50k (Omaha, NE)
November: Hillbilly Hike half marathon (Indianaola, IA), Route 66 Marathon (Tulsa, OK)
December: Hitchcock Experience 50 Miler (Honey Creek, IA)

I’ll also color in 3 more states (all road trips!), finish 2 more marathons — and a 50k AND a 50-Miler, and add another 800+ miles to my yearly total by the end of the year. NEAT!

30 something miles blog iowa running goals
A mix of old and new… I retired a couple old pairs of running shoes this year.

I’ll likely add in a couple of the fall trail races that I did in 2016 to this year’s calendar (Sycamore 8, To Grandmother’s House).

What’s on your schedule for the second half of 2017? Looking to add any races to your list? Check out my Race Discounts page!

Looking Forward to 2017 (and the Big Goal Failures of 2016)

- Mel

Hooray! Marathon Training Week has arrived! I’m starting off my 20-week training cycle with a Rest Day (duh) after a few weeks off of training (two weeks off running altogether) and working a lot on strength and attending regular weekly yoga classes. This seemed like a good day to reflect more on last year’s goals, as I set off for new achievements in 2017.

A lot of things changed in 2016, including the goals that I set for running. For starters, I had no idea in setting these goals that I would be living in a different place; so by March when we made our big move to Des Moines, I knew it would take some time to not only adjust but also get back into a running grove. Strangely, I spent the early part of 2016 dealing with some weird knee pain during my runs and then another 6 months or so of a foot issue – I was convinced it was a stress fracture. Though an x-ray showed nothing… and it basically stopped bothering me after that same doctor’s appointment. WEIRDNESS. In any event… these were my 5 Goals for 2016:

Run a 2-hour half marathon
700 miles for the year
Run another full marathon
Do a Ragnar or 50k
Run in costume

WELP.

I did PR my half marathon, but I have another 12 minutes to shave off before meeting that 2-hour goal.
I ran 512.97 miles in 2016, and while an increase over the 28.18 miles I completed in 2015, it was not anywhere close to 700!
Maybe if I trained and ran that full marathon. ¯\_(ツ)_/¯
There were no ultras or Ragnars for me — but I did discover trail running!
And I never had enough confidence to be in costume during a race (though I did have a lot of fun this year).

I didn’t feel like this year was one big failure though AT ALL. I really enjoyed most of my race experiences and the challenge of trail racing completed a really awesome year for me. I left 2016 feeling REALLY accomplished and ready to take on bigger challenges this year.

So what’s next?
What’s that saying: If at first you don’t succeed, try try again? I had a lot of fun getting faster this year — when a PR slaps you in the face multiple times, there’s no way to not feel a sense of accomplishment from all the hard work. This year while I’m not quite so focused on time goals, I do want to be sure that I realize my full potential.

And that’s what I plan to do: TRAIN HARD.

Oh yeah, and in 2017 I’ll find myself in a new age group and being called things, like, a Masters runner.

That said, my 2017 goals look pretty similar to 2016:

running-goals-for-2017

I have a pretty full running schedule for the year (with accompanying PTO already requested), and I’m really excited about how this year will unfold — particularly the destination races that I’m registered for. I’m running 2 marathons in 2017 (Vermont City and Chicago), so there’s a good chance of maybe possibly getting a marathon PR (Though it’s not really my focus this year, I know sometimes these things happen organically).

Chicago will be something of a training run for MY FIRST 50K. Yep, I signed up for the GOATz 50k that happens in October. Several people in my trail running circle have said it’s a great beginner 50k. Plus there is a really amazing trail running community in the Omaha area!

I’m signed up for my first Ragnar race in March — with complete strangers (well, with internet friends who I haven’t met yet IRL)! I have a lot to learn still about these races and I’m sure the experience will push me out of my comfort zone in a completely new way.

Another goal this year is to volunteer and continue supporting the running community in different ways. I intend to sign up for a race day Cheer or Aid Station to support my fellow local runners and be more involved with organizations like Girls on the Run and the Courage League. I participated in Girls on the Run this fall as a Running Buddy, and it was an incredible experience; I really want to focus on giving back even more next year.

Mileage goals? Meh. The miles will come, and I know a year with two marathons and a 50k will likely push me over the 1,000 mark in 2017. But I’m going to let all that come naturally. I was intentional with my race scheduling to allow for some down time, with plenty of recovery weeks to prevent burnout and injury.

I may or may not gain enough confidence to wear a costume in 2017, but I want to encourage those who do. I want to be surrounded by people who challenge me and who can also make me laugh and help pass the miles — because there will be a lot of them this year! I’ve already made some amazing connections being part of the BibRave community as an ambassador in 2016, and I get the opportunity to continue that partnership in 2017. Likewise, I’m already looking forward to exploring more trails with the CS Turkeys and gaining All The Knowledge about running an Ultra.

This is going to be an awesome year! But first… MARATHON TRAINING.