My 2024 Recap

 

 A look back... 2024

Run Miles = 912.6

Bike Miles = 789.4

Swim Miles = 40.5

Total Miles = 1742.50

1/2 Marathon = 4 (Should of been 5 .. dang Kidney Stone)

Marathon = 4 (should of been 5.. dang Kidney Stone)

Bike Ride - 1 Farm To Fork 33 miles

Several smaller races (5K, 12K, 25K)

2024 Started off great.  I was feeling strong and excited for what I had on the calendar.  I was pumped to be doing 3 new states... TX, MI, & MA... BOSTON....  What a dream come true!  I won't go into details here because I have a post on that... but it was FABULOUS except for the HOT race. 😂

I got to do Texas and Michigan with the PPRF girls. 💓  

Penny's  husband ended up not being able to go to Greece so Penny invited me.  We planned and looked forward to that trip in November for months..... and then .... on the day we arrived a kidney stone decided to show it's head and I spent 5 days in the Hospital.  I won't go into details on that... got a blog post on that also.. 😁  I'll just say that was the HUGE disappointment of my year!  I didn't get to do the Athens Marathon nor the St. Jude race due to a kidney stone! 😢

When I think back over the year, my highlights are the time I spent with my grandkids, kids, and basically all of my family, and the training time I spent with my running group.  Life is sure different these days with the new little grand girls!  Neely and Lydia keep me on my toes that for sure!  We have so much fun.  The Clayton grands are much older now and it's like I'm getting to do the baby / toddler stuff all over again with new grands.  Life is truly GRAND.  

However, life is not so grand when you lose a love one.  We lost Kyle, my step son in July.  It's been extremely hard watching my husband lose another son.  We've already had a long sad 7 years and then bam.... Kyle is gone.   My husband will truly never be the same.  Which neither would I if I had lost my only living 2 children.  It's A LOT.  Gary and I use to have fun.  Now we are just two very sad old people living in the same house.  His health has declined a lot the last several years.  I say it's all due to depression, but some say it's Parkinson.  Could be both... which depression can lead to symptoms of Parkinson.  All I know it's so sad to watch someone you love change so much.  It breaks my heart.  I try not to say anything to him because I don't want to upset him, but deep down it's worrying me so much.  I feel so alone and helpless most days.  If I didn't have my kids, grandkids, and my run group to brighten my day, I'd be lost

Whenever I get over this kidney stone / stent business... I have follow up in January.... my goal is to start back training full time and try to get strong again.  Not running for several weeks really has put a damper on my training at the end of this year!  I should be heavy into training getting ready for Tokyo in 2025 and instead I'm slowing building back up with jog/walk intervals.  

Sometimes I feel these obstacles are thrown at us to see what we will do.  Will we lay down and quit or will we push forward and not let it defeat us!  I choose to push on.  That's always been my motto.  DON'T QUIT.  I firmly believe that my strong faith in Jesus helps me to NOT QUIT.  I know he's right there beside me through the bad and good.  🙏💓

One of my favs.... Friends pushing friends to the finish line! 

So on to 2025!  Let's do this!