2017: A Running Year in Review

2017 has come to a close and it was a great one.   I didn't set any big annual goals in 2017 and I kind of liked it that way.  Instead, I set goals for chunks of time. 

In the beginning of the year, my goal was a marathon PR, shooting for a 3:15.  Nailed it.
For the summer, I wanted to have fun, and try some new things.  I tried a trail race and a duathlon.  Both were fun. 
For the fall, I wanted to PR in the half-marathon.  Nailed it. 
For the remainder of the year, I wanted to keep my monthly mileage above 100. 
When I realized in early December that I could end my mileage on a nice, even number of 1700, that became my annual mileage goal.

PRs
I ran PRs in the marathon, half-marathon and 10K this year.  I definitely set out to do the marathon/half-marathon PRs and ended up with a 10K PR simply because I hadn't run a 10K since 2004. 

In the marathon, my PR went from 3:25:50 (2015) to 3:11:09.
In the half-marathon, my PR went from 1:29:14 (2016) to 1:28:35.
In the 10K, my PR went from 52:08 (2004) to 41:59.

Races
I ran eight races in 2017.

January: Icebreaker Marathon Relay
I always enjoy this relay and 2017's race was no exception.

May:  Cellcom Green Bay Marathon
3:11:09
4th in my age group
8th female finisher
60th overall finisher

June: BigFoot Trail Run 10K
1st female
1st age group
6th overall

July: Pewaukee Duathlon
1:23:27
11th female
3nd age group

July: Big 10K
41:59
18th female
4th age group
107th overall

July: Race for the Bacon 5K
19:32
2nd female
1st age group
3rd overall

September: Briggs and Als 8K
32:18
6th female
1st age group
53th overall

October: PNC Milwaukee Marathon Half Marathon
1:28:35
2nd female
1st age group
17th overall

Thank you to Athlinks for all of this data!

Mileage
Official 2017 mileage count:  1,700

Mileage for 2017 was 40.9% higher than 2016 total mileage.  I was happy with the amount, and credit using Hanson's Marathon Method plans for my marathon and half-marathon training.

Here is my mileage chart: 

The purple line is my 2017 mileage.  The black dashed line is my 100 miles/month goal that I set at the last quarter of the year to hold myself accountable during the months where I typically run out of steam.

Shoes
I retired 3 pairs of shoes this year!  I said goodbye to my Saucony ISO, my Mizuno Sayonaras and my Adidas Energy Boost 3s. 

I will be carrying 3 pairs of shoes into 2017 with me : Adidas Ultraboost, Hoka Clifton 3s, Adidas Supernova.  I am loving all 3 of these shoes.  For all purposes, my Asics GTs are done, but I am using them as my Yaktrax shoes for the winter.

Ambassadorships
I renewed my Oiselle Volee team membership this year.  I also was a Bib Rave Pro, Balega Impi, and Momentum Jewelry ambassador.  I loved all of these and through BibRave Pro got to test out some really fun stuff.

Best Prizes
I won some fun race awards this year!  I won a massage for the trail race (which I gifted to my friend Erica since I don't live in Chicago).  Pewaukee Duathlon sent me a water bottle for an age group award.  I won a COOLER FULL OF BACON and a $25 Performance Running Outfitters gift card at the Race for the Bacon.  2017 was the first year I actually won prize money!  I took home $400 from my 2nd place finish/1st Wisconsin resident finish in the Milwaukee Marathon Half Marathon.

Biggest Takeaway
Consistency pays off.  I took two full weeks off from running in 2017; one after my marathon and one after my half-marathon.  Outside of that, I was running at least 5 days a week, often 6.  I had zero injuries.  I also finally learned not to run fast on every single run and to have more easy runs than not (thank you Hanson's Marathon Method).  I look forward to building on this in 2018!