Every year Miss Zippy poses the question, how was your year of running? Today, I am joining the link up to share my favorite parts of 2013.
Best race experience?
2013 was a really special year of running for me. I completed my first marathon and took ten minutes off my half marathon PR but my BEST race experience was Hood to Coast. Running with Team Lemonade for Nuun Hydration was one of those once in a lifetime experiences that I will cherish forever.
Best run?
This is a TIE. The Gulf Beach Half Marathon was honestly one of my best runs to date. I felt comfortable yet pushed the pace to a half marathon PR. Plus, the flat seaside course was beautiful despite a difficult push to through the sandy finish. And, I have to mention the Marine Corps Marathon. It was one of the most physically challenging things I have done to date. The sense of pride and accomplishment that I felt at the finish line is incomparable to anything I have ever felt before.
Best new piece of gear?
I’m still in love with the Garmin 610 and heart rate monitor that I received for my birthday. It’s very user friendly and the heart rate monitor continues to help me run a bit smarter.
Best piece of running advice you received?
I received a lot of great advice from a lot of amazing runners over the course of this year. I took away the most from Tere Zacher during our brief time together at Hood to Coast. You are a runner and you are “good enough”. As Tere put it, we are ALL runners regardless of what pace we are running. The distance we cover and the effort we put in is the same regardless of the result. As I prepared for my marathon after Hood to Coast, this was some serious food for thought. I ran some of my fastest half marathon, 10k, and 5k times this fall because of my change in attitude. I believed in myself and knew I put in the work to run faster. I finally felt as though I was a “good enough” runner. Thank you Tere!
Most Inspirational Runner?
I am inspired by so many runners out there and am happy to call so many of them friends. So, thank you to everyone that has helped push me to be a better version of myself this year!
If you could sum up your year in a couple of words, what would they be?
Believe in yourself.
So tell me, how was your year of running?
Lisa
