2023 Year-End Wrap Up

Finished up the year with a road run aroun d the Georgetown block on Sunday morning. Always enjoy running out through the marshes. Nice morning and glad to get out and have it not be rainy, but definitely feeling the week of holiday cheer 😜!!! (8.6 miles)

Then after packing up and saying our goodbyes, we headed for Old Orchard Beach, where we dropped Sam off to hang out with Lauren and Rohan for the night before making our way home. After getting the laundry started, things put away and having lunch, we headed out for an afternoon walk. Ryan was not feeling the best, so he was not entirely thrilled that I was dragging him out to finish up my 2023 walking miles, but it was nice to get out and move the legs a bit before spending the rest of the day on the couch 😉😊(3.5 miles walked)

I picked up noodles for us for dinner and we watched the remaining episodes in season 1 of Ted Lasso (again) before I headed to bed around 9:30. Happy New Year indeed! I see no reason to stay up until midnight 😉😆

The morning's run brought my run mileage to a solid 2,204 miles for the year, while the afternoon walk put me right at my 200 mile walk goal. Happy to hit both goals, and to get over 2,200 run miles again this year. I recognize that these goals are completely arbitrary and that I am privileged to be able to not only set them but achieven them. In the end the numbers don't matter, but it is fun for me to set a challenge and work to achieve it. As always, I am grateful that my body and legs allow me to continue to get out and explore on my two feet and spend time out in nature. I know it is not a given. 

December wrap-up:

144.89 miles run
21.55 miles walked
6 zero days

2023 Totals:
2,204.0 miles run
200.0 miles walked
18.1 miles xc skied
293 days active

But of course, running is just part of the picture, and while there are always challenges and grief and things that are not highlights in every year, it's fun, and one of my favorite traditions, to look back on the pictures and posts and reflect on the highlights of the year. 2023 was a busy year, with Sam graduating from middle school and transitioning to high school, Ryan returning to work travel, a lot of swimming, our trip to WV for Rim to River 100, a few good camping and hiking adventures, fun with family and friends, Taylor Swift concert in the rain💃, and some fun time spent together 💗

A few of the highlights:

 

Looking back at my goals and hopes for 2023, I'd say I did a pretty good job meeting them and enjoying them:

✔Stay healthy, happy and reasonably sane. All of this is relative of course! 😆😆
✔Time spent with Ryan and Sam. Ryan spent some time injured this year and with a teenager who is much more interested in spending time either in her room or with her friends, we didn't get in quite as adventures together, but we still had some good times outside together with lots of hiking during our Baxter and Acadia trips plus a weekend up at Great Glen to xc ski in February as highlights. Sam and I also had an amazing Taylor Swift concert adventure with Anne in May, which was definitely a once-in-a-lifetime experience! Sam also went on the Freedom tour in April down to DC, NY and Philadelphia for her own adventure!
✔Time with my parents. Once again, not quite as many walks with Mom and Dad as during the pandemic but we still saw them almost every week and are so grateful they are now close by so we can spend time with them!
✔Visits with Irene, Dana and the rest of the family throughout the year. We were able to coordinate a trip to MA in August to spend time with Irene, Dana, Meg, Chris and the boys as well as see them over the holidays, which was fun!

✔More time with friends, both on the run and elsewhere. Definitely need to do more of this, but did enjoy some good Friday runs and walks with Val, Mindy, Anne and Keri, met up with Emily multiple times, joined Emma on some long walks, and got in a fun run with Vicky and Laurie in August at Chalk Pond. 

✔Some running/hiking adventures. Ran a lot from home this year once again, but also had some fun solo run/hikes up in Baxter and Acadia, joined friends at Riverlands for Val's birthday, had a rainy run up Pleasant and a few excursions on the West Side Trail with Emily this summer, got in a fun loop over in Sunapee while visiting at Neal & Kendra's, and ran at Bradley Palmer and Vineyard Hill down in Massachusetts. I got up to Camden a few times but did not get back to the Pemi as I had hoped, so I'll put that on my 2024 list.

✔2,000+ miles run. Managed to exceed this goal and get up to 2,204 miles for the year. Proud of my consistency and to be able to run over 2,000 miles for the 7th year in a row.

✔200 miles walking/hiking. I had originally set this goal as 250 walking miles but it became apparent early on that that would not happen so I modified it to 200 miles. I wish I had managed to get in more walking/hiking miles this year but am glad to have been able to reach 200. Definitely something I plan to continue and a nice additional movement goal! 
✔A 100 mile race run. Rim to River was a fun race. Grateful to have been able to get buckle #6 this year and enjoy the beauty of the trails down in West Virginia.
✔50 books read. Managed to read 87 books, although many of them were quick and easy mystery reads this year. I have always loved reading and it is a nice change from scrolling on the phone all the time.

So what's next for 2024? 

I realize I never followed up on my early December post to say I did not get into Western States - no surprise there! There was a huge field in the lottery! - and that I signed myself up for Twisted Branch 100k in August. It's a race that has been on my radar for a few years now and I am excited for us to spend a few days up in the Finger Lakes and to explore a new area. I'm still pondering what else I might want to add to my race calendar for 2024.

Overall, my hopes and goals for the new year remain reasonably similar to those in the past as my intent is to keep myself motivated with these goals but truly to keep it all in perspective, stop and smell the hay scented ferns and move the red efts off the pavement, explore as much as possible and spend time with the people I love:

Continue to stay healthy, happy and reasonably sane.
Time with Ryan and Sam, including some outdoor adventures together.
Time together with my parents.
Visits with Irene, Dana and the rest of the family throughout the year. Hopefully we will get to see Kristen and Morgan in 2024.
More time with friends, both on the run and elsewhere. Hoping to get together with Corie and Kris this year for a girls weekend again!

Go on some running/hiking adventures. Get back to the Pemi and do more running up at Ragged and Camden.

2,000+ miles run. with a goal of 2,200.
200 miles walking/hiking.

Be able to race the final 20 miles of Twisted Branch 100k.

Strength work 2x a week plus hill/speed work 1x a week during training. I let these things slack in 2023, and want to work this stuff back into the routine in 2024.
60 books read.

Looking forward to a 2024 filled with more miles, time spent with family and friends, and fun on the roads and trails 💗

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Running Log Files:
2023 - 2,204.00

2022 - 2,157.00
2021 - 2,200.00
2020 - 2,200.00
2019 - 2,116.00
2018 - 2,112.00
2017 - 2,002.00
2016 - 1,900.00
2015 - 1,963.60
2014 - 1,702.00
2013 - 1,557.75
2012 - 1,400.00
2011 - 1,375.00
2010 - 1,100.00
2009 - 675.50 *pregnant/Sam born
2008 - 1,112.00

Walk/Hike Log Files:
2023- 200.00

2022 - 270.00
2021 - 332.00
2020 - 362.00
*still need to search down the stats for these in-between years
2009 - 104.50