Oh 2014, What a Ride!
“You take the good, you take the bad, you take them both and there you have the facts of life, the facts of life…” – Alan Thicke
No truer words have ever been spoken in theme song format!
I don’t think I’ve ever had a year with so many incredibly monumental ups and downs! I’m more of a glass half empty kind of girl, but I thought 2014 was going to be something special. And maybe it was at the beginning, but then all of a sudden it wasn’t!
The greatest moment: crossing the Boston Marathon finish line. It encompassed so many things for me personally, and honestly without the support of my friends, family and the city of Boston, it never would have happened.
Photo Credits: Amanda Dezak
Photo Credits: Mike Bufano
The worst came less that 6 months later on October 12th when I lost my Dad. I don’t care what anyone tells you, you truly have no idea what that feels like until it happens to you. It’s an indescribable, awful, gut wrenching feeling. And saying goodbye was the hardest thing I have ever faced.
Thankfully, we are entering a new year, turning a page if you will. And despite my pessimistic tendencies, I’m going to try to go into 2015 with hope, repeating my Dad’s words as my new mantra…”There are no what if’s, it is what it is”
A look back at 2014 through photos…
Run to Remember – My first sub-2 half marathon!
Celebrating my birthday with November Project!
My November Project #traverbal road trip.
Phoebe the #PR_Pig!!
Meeting the Mayor (and taking a selfie)!
I basically took a bath with all of November Project!
I was FINALLY talked into doing Reach the Beach.
Marine Corps Marathon
Running hills with Shalane Flanagan!
What’s on the horizon for 2015 (aka New Year’s Resolutions)?
In terms of fitness goals, I want cut my half marathon time to 1:50 (my current PR is 1:58:53). I’ll have several chances in the first few months of the year, so we’ll see how that goes. I’m also going to challenge myself to do 2,015 miles in 2015. I’ve never really tabulated how many miles I’ve run in a year before, but I think with all the half marathons and a possible fall marathon, it’s totally doable.
As for food blogging/nutrition goals, I’m going Vegan! Ok, that’s not completely true, I’m just doing a 30-Day Vegan Challenge. Over the years, I have cut out a lot of processed foods to reduce the number and severity of my migraines. It has certainly helped, but I still get them way too frequently. Because cheese and dairy products are often found on migraine trigger lists, and they are a huge staple of my diet, I decided cutting those things out for 30 days might make a difference. This will also open the door for trying out some new and exciting recipes in the year to come.
Happy New Year!