2015--Kinda Weird

cheers to the new year!

I've grown to feel like end of the year posts give me closure on whatever might of happened in the past year.  2015 in particular just had some strange stuff: some good, some not so good so a nice "see ya later" post is in order. 

So what exactly happened in 2015??  Like I said, some weird stuff.  I'll break it down in a list format.



January--PHUNT 50K-- had the flu for two weeks leading up to it.  Totally bonked after about 8-10 miles then it started pouring the second lap which turned the course into a mud pit.  It was an awful run for me, definitely worst 50K ever but I love Carl and it was still a fun time. 

Phunt 50K

Me and my buddy

March--Ocean Drive Marathon--I spent the rest of Jan and all of Feb/March training for the OD Marathon to try to drop 1-2 more minutes off my Philly time.  I had a BQ by only 17 seconds, definitely not enough.  There was a strong headwind the ENTIRE race.  I bonked around 11-12 miles in.  Just not a good race for me but I finished holding hands with my Niko :-)

Cindy ran OD 10 miler

April--Hot Chocolate 15K-- was the week right after OD so just did it as a fun race.  Ran a nice progression run and had tons of fun with Emir and the kids.

Double Blue Ridge Marathon--Great race for Emir and I!  We had an absolute blast and beat our 2014 double time.  AND I met my #brf Angie for the first time in person, yay!


second marathon of the double blue ridge

#BRF ANGIE!!!!

May--Dirty German 50 miler -- bonked at mile 13 but regrouped and recovered.  Did the best we could.  It was VERY HOT and HUMID especially for May.  We didn't break 10 hours like we hoped but still respectable under 10:30.  with so many people dropping from the conditions, we were proud to finish.

it was so freakin hot!

June--Things got SUPER weird.  Out of nowhere, I started having severe abdominal pain.  After putting it off for a day or so, I went to the hospital and ended up having surgery to get my appendix removed. 

While it's not a huge surgery and I was ok enough to do a shorter (22 mile) distance at Velebit in Croatia about 18 days later, I think it did affect my running more than I thought.  I struggled a lot the rest of summer and fall.  I know some was just the crazy training and some of the crazy conditions but I do have to wonder if some of it was my body just trying to recover from that trauma. 

Velebit was a super hard ultra

July--I signed up for a trail marathon in Croatia and never made it there.  Long lines at the border then we got lost.  It was my first DNS.  I felt like someone punched me in the gut, did not like that feeling. 

going crazy in the car trying to make the race

August-- The first weekend I was back from Europe, we ran a 6 hour race that I totally tanked.  I was having major GI problems and just not feeling well. 

At least I helped a lot of people in the Altra tent since running was not so good!

A couple weeks later I crewed/paced Emir at Eastern States 100.  It was his first DNF.  He totally rocked it and I just couldn't believe he got cut off.  Afterward, I felt like there was no way that would happen at TARC.

Eastern States 100

September--Labor Pains 12 hour-- I was really just doing this to prepare for TARC 100 but of course I always end up getting competitive.  During the first lap, I was just following a group of people (I know, I know!) and we got off trail.  I ended up running 50 miles on the day but only got credit for 45.  Had I not gone off trail and officially run 50, I would have gotten 2nd in my age group and top 10 overall.  It's not a huge deal but would have been cool to get an award at a race that my kids and Emir were crewing me at. And another first for me, getting lost during a race.

by far my most treasured finish line photo

October--TARC 100-- I convinced Emir to run with me and we both DNF'd.  It was the most miles I've ever ran and the longest time ever I've run for but it was still pretty depressing.  It was my first DNF. 

TARC 100

Luckily we followed that quickly with Runner's World Half Festival the following weekend.  We didn't set any PRs but we had a fantastic time and did reasonably well considering we just ran 70 miles the weekend before.   Oh and we hung out with our awesome Altra friends and Bart Yasso!

best time with our Altra family

November--Philly Marathon--after the october races, I focused on Philly and tried to get my speed back.  I was struggling really hard during the workouts so I knew a PR was a long shot but I still had a little hope maybe I would be wrong.  The first half I was able to run with the 3:35 group but totally bonked after that.  Just didn't have it but I turned my second half into a really fun experience.  I didn't want to end 2015 on a bad note. 

story of my life ;-)

yeah so that was pretty much it.  2014 was so incredible in the fact that I PR'd in the 5K, 10K, half and marathon including a BQ.  Plus it was the first time I ran anything further than a 50K.  We ran double blue ridge, Born to Run 100K and I ran sloppy cuckoo 12 hour.  Both the 100K and the 12 hour I placed 3rd overall female.  So then when 2015 came along and wasn't as amazing, it's a bit of a let down.  Especially to have your first time dropping down in a race, DNS, a couple major bonks, getting lost in a race and DNF all in the same year.  But not every year can be all PRs and amazing finishes.  I really led a charmed running life without a major injury, never a DNS or DNF and always seemed like lots of PRs.  At some point, it's going to get tough, real tough to make major progress.  2015 I definitely reached that point.  But instead of getting frustrated or giving up, I'm ready to make some changes, as I mentioned in my Run to Lose post.  I've already been using the MyFitness Pal app for over 3 weeks and things are going well with that.  I definitely was eating more calories than I should have been before I started tracking.  Also I've altered the types of foods I'm eating.  I would always eat a lot of salads but now I'm adding more fruits and greek yogurt and protein filled foods as well instead of other types of snacks that maybe weren't as helpful for my running.  I'm feeling a difference already which is very motivating to keep on with it.  I also made changes in the races I have chosen so far for 2016.  For example I'm running the Febapple Frozen 50 miler in February which is a 10 mile loop course.  It's not overly technical and I seem to do well on loops like this.  I also wanted a 50ish race in Feb to help me train for my next hundred attempt.  I decided to go with the C & O canal 100 which is April 30th.  Yes it's very flat and boring to some but I know I can handle boring.  Due to time constraints, I run the same freakin routes day in and day out and I'm totally fine with that.   It's the super tecnical rocky courses that I just don't move fast enough on especially with strict cutoffs during 100, so I think a flat, boring towpath is a good choice for me. I'm also going to continue with the strengthening I started in 2015 and now I've actually started to build on that by adding resistance bands and am using heavier dumbbells.  I definitely think I stopped getting as much out of it as I could as I was doing the same exercises and not increasing the difficulty at all. 

I'm going to keep being coached by Caleb.  His guidance has been invaluable to both Emir and I (Emir joined #teamwickedbonkproof in 2015).  I know he will help get me to where I want to be in my running life.  I've also been invited back to Altra and Zensah as an ambassador to both companies and as a BibravePro.  Being a part of all 3 was definitely a major highlight of 2015 so I'm honored and excited to be back. 

Lastly, 2015 was another year of just adding to what seems like now to be an endless list of running friends.  I've become so much closer to some that I already knew and added a lot of new ones.  I can't wait to see which old friends I will see at races in 2016 (I already know one will be #brf Angie at One City Marathon in March!!) as well as who the new friends will be.

I'm looking at 2015 as a solid rebuilding kind of year and looking forward to a solid 2016! :-) 

Also how bad could a year be when you have these two in your life <3 <3<3<3

HAPPY NEW YEAR AND HAPPY RUNNING!!!!!!!