2024 Running Recap
What a year for running and for giving myself a ton of grace as I made/make my way back to feeling strong as a runner.
My year started with my annual tradition at the Miami Half Marathon. This was my twelfth straight year of running this race and, while it felt great to keep the streak alive, it feels harder and harder to run this race when I’ve seen and experienced its financial evolution (so expensive now). I followed this race up with a set of half marathons, which helped me see the pattern of a winter/spring full of half marathon races across the years. The summer was dedicated to training for a pair of fall marathons: Chicago in October and Every Woman’s Marathon in November. Sprinkled into that training was the fourth edition of the Great Smoky Mountains Experience retreat and its accompanying 5K race in September and the Halloween Half Marathon in October. My 2024 season ended with a Turkey Trot and, let me tell you, I was happy to let the season end because it’s been one of the most challenging years of running for me.
Miami Half Marathon finisher! (January)
I spent the bulk of the Chicago build not feeling my best and desperate to find answers that would help me feel strong once again. I focused on my health by getting everything checked out (10/10 recommend Midi) and by working with a sports dietician (check out Stevie Lyn Nutrition to have your life changed). It’s been an interesting road to travel because (a) few people talk about what it’s like to be an aging woman, (b) even fewer people talk about what it’s like to be an aging female athlete, and (c) just because I think I know how to feed myself, it doesn’t mean I actually know what I’m doing.
At the Chicago Marathon Expo (October).
I spent much of the year going through the motions of running and working on putting together a puzzle that allowed me to best see the pieces of myself as I am right now. Honestly, I spent a lot of time feeling angry that I wasn’t improving/getting stronger; why isn’t my body capable of doing what I know it can do because it’s done it before? I learned the hard way that fatigue and brain fog are going to win that battle every single time. As a result, my mental game had to change for me to continue running in a sustainable way. Speed work was put on the back burner (speed workouts killed my energy faster than anything else) and I returned to my trusty run-walk-run method.
Best Damn Race half marathon finisher (March).
In many ways 2024 felt like the year of “Get Through It and Try to Have Some Fun.” No speed work, no time goals, no race goals, nothing-nada. Just running because I can still do it. There is joy in showing up and empowerment in choosing to show up when things feel hard.
2024 was a lesson in expanding how to be a runner and a journey through self-hatred (I was really mad at my body!), self-acceptance, and self-love. 2024 was a reminder that it’s never “just” running when running is a tool and an outlet for moving through life.
On the course at Every Woman’s Marathon (November).
So, 2024 was a year to remember for how it forced me to question everything and how it forced me to grow from those discovered answers. I’m not sure what 2025 holds, but as long as there is space for gratitude to grow, then I’m ready to lace up and face the next run.
2024 Racing Season
1/28/2024 - Miami Half Marathon (Miami, FL): Race Review
2/11/2024 - Florida Half Marathon (Melbourne, FL): Race Review
3/2/2024 - Best Damn Half Marathon (Orlando, FL): Race Review
5/5/2024 - Pittsburgh Half Marathon (Pittsburgh, PA): Race Review
9/6/2024 - Great Smoky Mountains 5K (Townsend, TN)
10/13/2024 - Chicago Marathon (Chicago, IL): Race Review
10/26/2024 - Halloween Half Marathon (Miami Beach, FL)
11/16/2024 - Every Woman's Marathon (Savannah, GA): Race Review
11/28/2024 - Space Coast Turkey Trot 5K (Melbourne, FL)
Next up for me: returning to my 13th Miami Half Marathon on February 2nd!
