2015: A Breakthrough Year!

I love data and numbers and each year I look forward to compiling them all to see just how my year "measured up." I suppose that is the therapist in me, looking for a way to quantify the sweat and work that happens in the days between January 1st and December 31st. That being said, the therapist in me also knows that there is way more to a year than simply a list of numbers.  They provide a great measure for us, but a list of numbers does not tell the true story.  This year was a "breakthrough" year for me as I experienced more growth than I knew was possible.  Just goes to show you that turning 40 does not mean that one has to slow down, quite the contrary! 

Run - my first love, always.
I'm not one of those runners who keeps a daily run streak as it does not fit my training style or purpose.  I think that a daily streak would turn running into a chore for me, and is the last thing that I want to do. I have, however, managed to create a bit of an annual mileage streak for myself. In 2010 I completed my first ever 1000 mile running year.  It felt like a nice base of miles and I decided to keep the goal for the following year.  In 2011 I trained for my first marathon and my mileage got a slight bump up as a result and it put me in the 1100 mile range.  Once again, this amount of mileage felt good to me and I decided to challenge myself to maintain it for another year.  I finished 2015 with 1123 miles which brings my 1000+ mile streak to 6 years and my 1100+ streak to 5 years.  Can you see my love of consistency?!  I am down 38 miles from last year, but my training changed a great deal as I completed my first Half Ironman 70.3 distance triathlon this year.  I need to look back and find my all-time mileage total, I'm estimating that it is approaching 7,600 miles since I started this journey in the late spring of 2008.  

The second half of the year brought growth as a runner.  I found myself in a bit of a plateau after 2014 and during the beginning of 2015.  I just didn't feel like I was progressing as much as a runner and I began to think that perhaps I'd leveled off and maintaining my current level might be the way to go.  My Redman 70.3 training brought a different approach as I trained by heart rate and time instead of pace and miles.  I actually slowed down for a while (which felt like a huge leap of faith on my part!) and ended up getting faster.  The DRC Half on November 1 was my fastest half marathon of the year and the Dallas Marathon Half on December 13 was my fastest half marathon since the Oklahoma City Marathon Half in April 2013.  I had some strong training runs in November and December and I'm feeling optimistic about the coming year! 

Bike - the biggest breakthrough.
My relationship with the bike can be described as complicated.  At first, the bike was all about fun and a way to recover from the long runs of marathon training.  I was "slow" but I was okay with that as speed was never really the goal.  I upgraded my road bike and grew a good deal in 2014 - it felt great, but I knew that I would need to be much stronger on the bike if I wanted to be successful at triathlons.  I also knew that the success on the bike is a huge component in a successful 70.3 so starting in early June I approached bike training like it was my job.  Once again, training by heart rate really helped me to gauge my efforts and know when I should be pushing harder.  Mr K was generous enough to loan me his tri bike and I learned how to ride in aero and how to eat and drink on the bike.  I spent countless hours on the mean streets of Frisco and Plano as each Saturday brought another long ride, I was lucky enough to have Mr K by my side for many of these adventures.  I long and steady and I rode hard intervals, I dreaded the Wednesday morning trainer rides - but I got em all done.  I'll never forget that one August day, dreading the red lights because standing still was unbearably hot and actually made my heart rate go higher than riding.  These moments could have broken me, but somehow I emerged stronger and more confident.  My bike at Redman 70.3 was the strongest ride of my life and perhaps one of the things I'm most proud of for the whole year.  I ended up with 1676.57 miles on the bike in 2015 - that is 535 more than last year. 

I have made it a goal to continue my bike fitness even in the off season.  Mr K and I have joined the Shawnee Trail Cycling Club and have been making it out to weekly group rides consistently.  It was on one of these Thursday night rides when it hit me how much I was enjoying my bike and that I had truly experienced a breakthrough year. 

Triathlon - my new love.
On December 30, 2014 I signed up for my first sprint triathlon - the St Paddy's Day Tri on March 15.  I had no idea how this simple act would enhance my life, I can honestly say that I fell in love with triathlon in 2015.  Needless to say, my first triathlon went very well - so well that I did my second triathlon in April (and found myself on the podium!) and signed up for Redman 70.3 shortly after that.  Yep, it felt like a huge leap to me too - the girl who ran 25 half marathons before running her 1st marathon - but it also felt right.  You've heard the saying: If your dreams don't scare you, they aren't big enough. I was nervous, but I knew that I could do it...and I did.  And I can't wait to do it again in 2016.  I don't know when or where, but I have plans and goals and I can't wait to get going on those.  I've been working hard to build the base here in the off season, it is going to be great!

I ran 14 races this year, including 4 triathlons, as well as 6 bike rallies.  Race distances include: 6 half marathons (life total of 55), 1 25K, 1 15K, 2 5Ks.  I swam 99.25 miles and I spent 85 hours training in the gym, mostly all at boot camp and Pilates.  My long-time trainer and friend moved away in August as she got the opportunity of the life-time.  You may have heard of Jen Welter, she was the first woman to coach in the NFL.  I miss her and our time in the gym together immensely, but I appreciate the strong "mental game" that she left with me.  It has been awesome to see her do her thing on a national stage and I wish her all the best. 

Like I said, the numbers are fun, but they do not begin to tell the whole story.  I could not do it alone and have run, ridden, and swum many of these miles with my best friend, husband, and training partner Mr K. We constantly push and pull each other and I could not imagine doing it without him by my side (or sometimes just in front of me). It was his gentle nudge that got me into the pool on that hot August day.  It sounds cliche, but I fully believe that I have been given the best group of friends on the planet.  It has been an honor to cheer them on, both in person and virtually, as they have managed to accomplish nothing short of the incredible just this year alone - we are talking 50 mile runs, 100 mile mountain bike rides in Leadville, and so many Ironman triathlons.  They push me (and sometimes pull me) and encourage me to go beyond what I thought was ever possible.