2014 in the rear view mirror

I have always enjoyed heading into a new year.  It feels like a new beginning, a new start, a clean slate.   I like looking back at the year coming to a close, thinking about all the memories and accomplishments.

Unlike most years, 2014 felt like I was perpetually in limbo.  Nothing was quite right and I was always working to get out of where I was...  Never quite happy with the way things were.  Before surgery, I was waiting to get fixed.  After surgery, I was anxious to get back to "normal".  And I'm still chasing that "normal" feeling.

My one major running accomplishment for 2014 was successfully running a 5k, after a full year off from racing.  Just saying I ran a 5k, though, seems to leave out how much work it was to get there.  Seriously, not running for 8 months puts you way behind in terms of running fitness!

The 5k wasn't even much of a race worthy of a race recap.  It was my longest continuous run since Feb, so there was no glorious fist pump in meeting my goal at the finish line....other than I made it to the end.

Before the race I told myself to just take it easy.  HA HA HA.  Does anyone ever do that when they say they will?  I ran as hard as my body would let me, which was frustrating because it was &^%$ hard and slower than I felt I should be for the amount of effort.   But I had no hip pain during so that was good.

I was really, really achy afterwards.  I don't think my hip much appreciated the push of speed and pounding.  I won't be signing up for any more races anytime soon.

Since then, I've been running 3-5 miles without that nagging groin pain that plagued all of my runs before surgery, and I am still doing a lot of crosstraining and PT work to maintain hip strength.  My hips like having one rest day, sometimes two, in between runs.  This schedule works because it's very rare to get good weather multiple days in a row in the winter!   And I'm all over running in crap weather for the moment.

I usually set goals for myself for the new year.  I have no real desire to set goals this year, though.  I just want to be happy in the moment, happy for where I am.

Do you usually set new years goals, running or otherwise?

Race Day Eve

It's been a long time since I have raced.  A year exactly, as a matter of fact, as of tomorrow.  I participated in a Turkey Trot on Thanksgiving, but that was more like a laid back rolling party than a real race environment.  Tomorrow will be the first race post-op and the first in a year.  365 days.  I'd like to say that time has flown but it hasn't.

I'm not planning on really racing it, though - I mean, I just graduated from the run/walk so while I can cover the distance, there's really no point in pushing the speed.  But I'm still working on my pre-race "stuff" tonight, for old time's sake:

-Made sure I ate some good carbs.  Ok, let's be honest, it was more that I wanted an excuse to eat pizza.  It's just a 5k.

-Made an iTunes playlist.  I normally don't race with headphones on but I'm feeling that a little music will help keep me focused on not watching my Garmin the entire time.  Lead song:  Happy by Pharrell, of course.

-Charging the Garmin.  Mostly to record that it actually happened.  Like, for real.

-Picking out the outfit.  It's going to be in the 20s and windy at race time.  Somehow I need to figure out how to wear my InkNBurn holiday long sleeve and layer enough under it to stay warm.  The struggle is real, people.

-Foam roller everything.

Game on.