Jumping into 2024

 Well, here I am the day after Christmas pondering.... 😀 Usually this time of year people (including me) are looking back and thinking of what they accomplished during the year, what was their highlight, what was their disappointment, etc.  As I sit here thinking about my 2023, I remember starting out the year in a bad FUNK.  I was physically and mentally down.  Physically I was worn out and I was having so many issues with my back and hip.  I could barely run without pain.  It was so bad I was going for shot after shot and doing lots of PT.  The doctor finally told me that the shots didn't seem to be working and the next step would be to burn my nerve roots in my lower back. 😓😕😖  I talked with a couple of people who had that done and they both said it was very  PAINFUL.  So I decided I really didn't want to do that.  Instead I lowered my run miles and basically took a little break.  Mentally I was like so sad.  I had no major races on tap....  no big travel plans.... It just kind of felt like a big let down after the blowout year I had in 2022 when it came to travel and running big races.  Penny and I often complained about not having any major races to plan a trip around.  Basically I was having a pity party.  and I know not every year can you travel to places like Europe to run.. but my mind sure wants to!  😁

I had to SNAP myself out it! I was like ...  oh no... you aren't going down this rabbit hole.  I started enjoying running less miles and my body FINALLY started to respond and heal.  It's hard to take some downtime..... but WE NEED IT.  😍  I started back biking more and signed up for a bike ride in May.  I knew the route would be hilly and challenging so I increased the bike miles and slowly built back in running miles.  I had a great bike ride back in May at Farm to  Fork event, but afterwards basically stopped riding outside.  I would still hit my peloton during the week for a short ride inside, but no long rides on the weekends outside.  I kind of regret this... I should of kept at least one ride outside once a month.  Now it feels like FOREVER since I've been on my bike.  

I had a new grandbaby born in August (my highlight of 2023) so I tried to focus more on family and not worrying that I was not getting that long bike and long run in on the weekends.  💓 it literally takes Saturday AND Sunday to be able to get both those in... that's why training for an Ironman is so hard ... it's very time consuming.  

Only through God's grace and strength was I able to complete 5 marathons in 2023! along with a couple of half marathons and a few shorter distance races.  Looking back .... maybe I didn't take too long of a break to be able to do 5 marathons! 😂 2 of them were early in the year and the last 3 at the end of the year.  No majors... but each one that I did was unique in that I ran with friends and each one had it's on difficulties... 

1. Mercedes, Alabama (Penny, Felicia and I ran this because Felicia never had and it was also the last year for this race after 20 years! oh and HILLY race!)

2. Little Rock, Ark .. NEW state for me (again.. Penny, Felicia and I) ran this very hilly race! It was a bucket list to get that HUGE medal and we got it. 

3. B.O.B., Alabama -- Boston or Bust - Ran this with the PPRF girls.  7 of us traveled together and Felicia had her first experience of taking a shower at a camp site. 😁

4. Poconos -- Got me a new state! PA  ... ran this one alone.... Gary and I were in Pa visiting his mom.  Beautiful scenery... challenging course

5. St. Jude, Memphis - My heart race! Traveled with mom and ran with Felicia, Penny and Tammy.  Virginia and Susan did the 5K and we all went to eat afterwards.  

I did NOT do a single FLAT race. 😂 All these marathons were hilly! What the heck was I thinking.. 😏 and I have 3 toes missing toenails to prove it. 😕

There were many, many Saturdays of long runs with the PPRF girls.  Some boring and some were adventures.  The boring ones were the ones we stayed mainly on the trace and ran.  The adventures were ones where we ventured off the trace and toured Hattiesburg and even the coast one time.  It's been a great year training with these girls.  They'll never know how much each one of them inspires me! 

So now the year is closing...  No more races for 2023! What's on tap for 2024???  WELL, I'm going to BOSTON!  It still seems like a dream to me!  I've been given the chance on a charity bib.  I'm super excited!  I've already book mine and mom's plane tickets.  YAY!  I'm so grateful she loves to travel with me.  Gary is just unable to and honestly doesn't want to. 😔  I have 2 other marathons that the PPRF girls will be traveling to that will get us all 2 NEW states!  We will be going to the Houston for the Chevron race in January and to the Flying Pig race in Ohio in May.  Both of these races come highly recommended by other runners so we are looking forward to traveling together and making memories.   AND.... I'm considering do Ironman Chattanooga again...  Going to see how the first of the year goes with getting back in the grove of riding outside and more swimming.  I told the girls that if I can build a good base in the beginning of the year that after Flying Pig in May ..... it's game on for Ironman and I won't see them as much because I'll have to focus on Ironman training, which will mean Saturday bike rides with the Hattiesburg group so that I have people to bike with and then I'll have to do my running on Sunday mornings.   That DNF at Chatty in 2019 has haunted me even though I went on in 2019 to finish Florida.  There is just something about having a DNF that bothers me.  I want to go and finish that dang thing!! We'll, see if 2024 is the year.... 

I'm so grateful and thank GOD that my pain I was having in the beginning of the year has gotten so much better!!! yes, some days I still hurt somewhat after a long run, but nothing like back then.  Now it's more like the typical hurt any runner has after completing some hard. 😉  I mean we all know there is some suck to it! 😁  It's that accomplished feeling afterwards that keeps bringing us back.. 😍   I NEED and WANT to get back to more strength training like I use to do in the old days.  My body needs it and I think it will help me.  I've just got to get it figured out how to work that in and not overdo....   I hope to start going to our gym at the office at lunch a couple times during the week and work on that.   Maybe if I can get in a habit of doing that... It won't hinder my run, bike and swimming I do prior to work.... and I'll still have some downtime after work. 🙏  It's very hard to fit it all in when you want to training for a triathlon.  

My prayer is that God will lead me down the right path in 2024.  He is my anchor in all that I do.  💗

So far as of 12/25/2023 ... Miles are:

Run = 971.9

Bike = 751.9

Swim = 34.6

for a total of 1,758.40 miles ... not to shabby for a year... not 2,023 miles like several of my friends have accomplished... But moving is moving... and also MOVEMENT IS MEDICINE.   So let's move in 2024.

update:  miles as of 12/28/2023

as you can see I started out swimming in the beg of the year then slacked off...but getting back to it. 

As I mentioned, I kind of took a step back on run miles the beginning of the year ... 

and as I mentioned I did some biking early in year... and then totally slacked off! Got to get back to it! 

I looked this up today to see my swim miles the year I did Ironman... for your reference that's over 100 miles of swimming in a year.  Wonder if that's what 2024 is going to look like??  😁