Happy New Year 2020!

Do you record the miles you've run over the year?

I love having a training log, which I've only had for the past 5 years - before that I had no clue how much I was running. I partially use it as a journal to record my rambling thoughts and feelings, and it's really reflective to go back and read how I felt on certain days, what particular workouts were better than others and what was working to improve my running and racing skills. I didn't race a lot in 2019 (one marathon in February, which is my current PR, a beautiful Lake Tahoe high altitude half marathon in June, two 5ks -one in April and one June, a track race in Santa Barbara in July, and an awesome relay race in August with my running friends, where my total miles were about 17 spread throughout the day) and yet my theme of the year was speed - how much can I push my body without falling into a danger zone?

Each year we run can be a year of growth and I have grown so much this year.  Not only did I work on the running, but I did more weight training and core workouts than I ever have. This picture was from the New Year's Eve track session that I did - speed is your friend!

Doing a series of strides before the actual hard work.

To look at the nuts and bolts of the training for the year, my highest mileage month was in January, where I ran 323.75 miles in preparation for the Phoenix Marathon. Second highest mileage month was in May at 315.49 miles to start and build a solid foundation for a fall marathon. The lowest month was in September at 111.99 when I was forced to take two weeks off due to an injury. The dull ache in my left calf that wouldn't go away was misdiagnosed as a stress fracture and two weeks of rest later, was revealed to not be a stress fracture. I'm actually super thankful for this in a weird way, because it forced me to take two weeks completely (no cross training) to heal and I know I wouldn't have done it on my own.

Total miles for 2019: 2,790.91

Got down to 4:30 pace on the 100 meter reps. So much respect for the men who run a marathon at this pace...

That number doesn't excite or disappoint me at all - it just shows that I worked hard on running in 2019. The work stacks up over time and makes us stronger and ready for big breakthroughs. I believe that as long as you are loving the process - that you truly enjoy the sport, you will patiently allow yourself the time to absorb all the work and let it unleash when it's time. On New Year's Day, I had the day off from running and it was glorious. Lots of time with my family, lots of delicious, healthy food (I have a marathon in 2.5 weeks! I swapped champagne for sparkling cider - champagne after the marathon) and a huge afternoon nap. As much as I love running on New Year's Day, this was beyond perfect...

How are you feeling about a new year and a new decade? I'm excited to share running tips and info with you and help be a resource to improve your running. If you are brand new to running - welcome! Give yourself a whole lot of grace as you step out the door on your journey and let me know if you have any questions. I feel like running is so easy (repetitive jumping movements that entail putting one foot in front of the other) and yet there are so many details that can improve your performance.

My last blog post was at the end of July (a brief, unintended hiatus - I let parenting 3 kids, working from home and training get in the way...) and I'm looking forward to writing and connecting with you guys in 2020. If you have any topics that you would like for me to cover, please let me know (my e-mail is: natalie@natrunsfar.com - I love hearing from readers!). I'm so passionate about this sport and my goal is to help you become a better runner! Lots of great new content coming in 2020 - let's do this!

What are your running goals for 2020?

Do you record your miles for the year?

Happy New Year friends and happy running!