A look back 2018 & bring on 2019!

A look back at 2018-

If I remember correctly, at the beginning of 2018, I did not have a lot of running plans, but I know I wanted to get more trail races in and do at least 1 ultra event. As always, getting a BQ was on my mind but not something that had to happen.

The end of 2017 did not go great for my running. I just remember feeling worn out, more from other things going on in my life, and not from overtraining. We finished up a big move and still had a house for sale that is over 7 hours away while we rented our home we were purchasing. My mother passed away late in 2017, and the family dynamics changed as that event, and our move hit everyone in a short period.  While we were very excited about the future in our new home, we still felt a little lost……….

A big theme that got stronger as 2018 went on was me opening up and putting more out there and taking more of a risk. Not so much with my running, but more with what I did with Eh Hee Runner. If you know me, you know I have been involved in a lot of businesses from start-ups to established companies. When I took it hard on the chin back in 2008, it made me very conservative with my entrepreneurial endeavors.   I have been very slow to bring Eh Hee Runner along, and in 2018 I made a few significant moves to lay the foundation for growth. I also put my running out there more on social media. Being humble is something I cherish, and I struggle with every post I put on social media. My question to you is, what do you want to see me post? 

My running in 2018 started off with me taking it easy in Jan. and cutting my mileage back for the month. The cut-back was for recovery and just to try to get my head around what I wanted to do with the year. I knew I wanted to run 2600 miles, enter some trail races, do an ultra and run a few marathons. By the end of January, I had a rough plan for the rest of the year.
 
February brought on the start of a marathon training cycle as I planned to run the Padova Marathon in Italy while on vacation there. 

Marathon training went as planned, and I even threw in a 50k to get myself a hard long run. I ran the Fools 50k. That 50k turned out to be a slog and the muddiest event I have ever run. It was a 3 loop course, and after the first loop, most of the trials became slick or just thick mud. That event really tested my will, but I pushed through and finished with a 3rd place age group win. 

Our Italy trip was an extension of a work trip, and by the time I ended up running the marathon, I had 2 weeks of GREAT food and not sticking to my ‘clean’ diet very well (go to Italy, and you will understand). The weather during the marathon was warmer than usual. The combination of food and weather brought on a great adventure. I had a great time but did not hit my goal. One note from Italy, it is not as common for women to run and most Italian runners are on teams. 

Late spring and early summer led to a number of shorter races. I through in a few 5k’s and such and started to train for the Erie Marathon in Sept. to make a last-ditch effort to get a BQ for 2019. 

I have a record of not running fall marathons very well. The summer heat gets to me, and I never hit my training paces. This past summer’s training did not disappoint, and even when it felt good, I knew it was not enough. I went into the Erie Marathon with my plan ‘B’, which was to try to just maintain a constant pace through the marathon, but not aim for my target of 3:10. The first 20 miles went as planned, and if you have run a marathon you know, it starts at mile 20 and my plan went downhill from there. It was a first for me that I had GI issues during an event.

After recovering from the Erie Marathon, I threw in a few more events to finish out the year. I did a few more 5k’s, a half marathon and finished the year with the Bigfoot 50k (see my race report). 

A few things learned this year: 
-    GU gels are not for me! After each time I used one my belly got crampy for the rest of the day. I have used Clif gels for most of my running career. I would like find gels with less caffeine, and I will try a few more in 2019. 
-    When planning to run an event in a distant land, try not to put to much pressure on yourself to perform. Remember the natives know it better. I do recommend if you plan to combine a race with a vacation too vacation first and race at the end. If you do it the other way around, your travel mates suffer if you have pain after racing. 
-    I will not run another fall marathon with intentions of getting a PR. Cold weather training for me is best. 

2018 was not a bad year and was not a super year. A lot was learned, and Eh Hee Runner moved forward. I started to put myself out there in the public media again, and this will continue. All in all, 2018 was a good foundation year to make 2019 exceptional. Stay tuned……

So moving onto 2019 here are a few Goals- 
-    Run the Toledo Marathon and get a BQ so I can get that monkey off my back and run Boston 2020. I will do this by tightening up my training plan and hitting my marks or make adjustments so I can hit my marks. 
-    Repeat a sub 20 min 5k, if things go great, break the 19 min barrier. 
-    Run at least one 50k and if I get my BQ, add in a long distance ultra for the fall.
-    Eh Hee Runner will host its first race event (we have been working on this one!)
-    Move Eh Hee Runner forward in the running community.

What are your goals for 2019?