Bangle's 2013 Year in Review

In the gloomy despair of injury downtime, it is easy to forget everything that happened before it all went to ****. But despite a hobble to the finish line, 2013 was actually a pretty freaking amazing year!

I started out in January on the rebound from a long bout of runner's knee. But the knee was strong and allowed me to ramp up to marathon mileage just in time for Boston training. In February the Loop came to California for Surf City.
 
Since I was not in racing shape, I agreed to join the PegLeg pace crew with Mild Sauce and Atom Buddy, and we coaxed Peg to her first sub-2 half. The usual loopfestivities followed...
  In March I found a little 5K to test my speed, and found I was only good for a 21:01. Not bad, but work to do.


In April my dreams finally came true and I got to run the Boston Marathon after 35 years of running. I was a little nervous. It was exciting and fun and everything I hoped for. And sharing it with a bunch of loopsters helped make it even more special. I ran well for 20 miles, and then hit the wall as expected and shuffled in happy as a clam anyway. 3:45 was just fine.
 
I took that marathon training and went and signed up for my first ultra - a 50K on Portland trails with the Matz and the Sauce to keep me company. It went perfectly and I cruised the whole way to a solid 5:39 debut and felt like I could have kept going for miles!
 
In June I met up with the same crazy trail folk and conquered Double Dipsea for the 2nd time, crushing the spirit of young Mr. Bacon in the process.
 
July meant more speed work, starting with a 4th of July 5K in 21:07. Which was just fine considering it was only 5 days after the quad-crushing double dip.
 
Then I moseyed up to Santa Cruz to see Medievalist and do the Wharf to Wharf 6 mile. Goal accomplished - Sub 7 minute pace and a PR of 41:45.
 
August I took a few shots at a sub-20 5K. First I had 5 minutes of glory in Cincinnati before a 5K became a 2.4K.
 
 Then I had a good race at the beach, but could only manage 20:16.
 
September I knocked off another bucket list item and did the Mt. Baldy Hill Climb with Atom Buddy, climbing 4000 feet in 7 miles.
 
and then took another shot at the 5K, but flamed out and only managed 20:59.
 
In October I bounced back for a 10K, and managed an over 40 PR of 43:14 in Manhattan Beach.
 
My Grand Canyon Rim to Rim run was cancelled by the government shutdown, but by then my plantar fasciitis was really getting to me anyway, so I was grateful.

I still had races signed up for though. So I did a little 5K in Texas,
 
finished a half in Savannah.,
 
and a half in Rehoboth to cap off my first year of coaching.
 
So with that I am calling it a year. 1,103 miles. 14 races. 5 PRs. Literally infinite happy memories.

(and by literally I mean figuratively).

Merry Christmas to all you Loopsters who have made my life much happier. Looking forward to another epic year in 2014. Life is good.