Happy New Year!

Welcome, 2013!

I am hoping this year is better than last.  Overall,  last year was great (epic, even) but was notably marred at the end with the crisis of my daughter breaking her neck.  (I need to write a post updating about her, but in a nutshell: she got her halo off last month and is currently in a neck collar for a few months. So happy, so grateful).  If my family can get through this year without any health crises or unplanned hospitalizations, we'll be golden.

I finished 2012 by running 4 miles on New Year's Eve Day, putting me at 651 running miles for the year. I had run 600 miles in 2011, and had wanted to run 700 last year....but between throwing my back out during most of July and dealing with my daughter's broken neck and hospitalization in October/November, a lot of long runs (and some short runs) didn't get done.  Life got in the way, and that's ok.  I'm thrilled to be over 650 for last year.  Maybe I'll get my 700 miles in 2013.

My fitness 2012 achievements looks like this:

--I PR'd in a 5k

--I ran first 10k
--I PR'd in the half marathon (and finally broke 2:30 after chasing it for 18 months!)
--I did 5 half marathons (not counting the one at the end of the half-Ironman)
--I did my first open water swim in the ocean (instead of the usual bay)
--I biked my longest bike ride (60 miles)
--I completed my first HALF-IRONMAN (70.3 miles of fun and hell!)

Mile totals:
ran: 651 miles
biked: 1130 miles
swam: 68 miles
Total miles: 2076 (which also included various walks with the puppy and the elliptical)
Plus weight work, other 5ks, a sprint triathlon and yoga classes

Not too shabby, if I do say so myself!

Now I'm looking onward to 2013.  This is the year where I'm doing thing that scare me.  This month alone I have three half marathons (including one at night this weekend).  If all goes according to plan, this year I will complete 6-7 half marathons, my first trail race (a 15k), a century ride (103 miles) and a 2.4 mile swim.  I may or may not do a triathlon, we'll have to see how I'm feeling and how my race budget is.

Of all the scary things I have planned, the one that is freaking me out the most ( by FAR) is the century ride.  I've already signed up and paid, so there is no backing out.  There IS an option to drop down in mileage (the ride also offers a 37- and 66-mile ride option) but I want to do the big kahuna.  I don't even LOVE cycling, but I desperately want to enjoy it more.  The longest ride I've ever done was 60 miles, and that was back when I was training for Super Frog.  I have my work cut out for me.  Yesterday, to kick off 2013,  I went on a 40 mile bike ride, riding part of the Oceanside 70.3 course (which I'm eying for 2014) and was humbled by the hills. And the hills I rode are nothing compared to some of the hills I'll be tacking during the century.

The good thing about the ride is that it's just that--a ride. It's not a race.  I can stop, and I plan on stopping often.  There are 6 aid stops.  The course is open for 12 hours, and while I anticipate taking 9-10 hours to complete the ride, it's nice to know I have 12.  Although truth be told, the thought of biking for even 9-10 hours is making me ill.  I really need to get stronger on the bike, and the only way to do that is to bike, especially hills. Unfortunately, my schedule this month is awful, as I had already committed to running 3 half marathons (and I'm not biking long rides the day before a half marathon) so I need to do some long rides in the week while the kids are in school.  I am also considering getting a new bike for my birthday (when I say "new", I mean new to me....I can't afford a new bike but am sure I can find something good on Craigslist).  My current bike, True Blue, is a good little bike, but I'd like one with more gears to help me get up those hills.  IF I get a new bike, it will be in March, for my birthday. But I may not even get a new one; so far I'm managing just fine on what I have.

I really need to get used to this view:

my view for hours on end

Here's what I know for sure---that finishing the century, even if I'm the last biker in (a real possibility) will be a huge accomplishment for me and one of my proudest moments. I will treasure that medal.  And finishing everything else I have planned---an Ironman-distance swim, the trail race, more half marathons--will be so sweet as well.  I have learned this past year just how tough I can be, and I will meet all my goals this year.