I’ve always known that I’m a sucker for cute furry animals and have resisted having any since I didn’t want them tying me down. However, last December my daughter finally wore me down and we adopted 2 kittens. As I write this from Lake Placid where we are vacationing, we are all missing the cats. On the kitty-cam, I just watched one of them drinking water from the fountain and have been waking up at 5AM to watch them eat. Ridiculous! They have made me question all of the adventuring I had planned for next year. There will still be adventures, but maybe not as many as I now just love sitting at home with a cat on my lap. I love the routine of a quiet morning with my one cat jumping on and off of my lap and sometimes settling in to make biscuits on my stomach while purring. Sipping my coffee and watching them play is one of my favorite parts of the day.
As far as running goes, 2024 was a year of mostly base building. I had a plantar fasciitis injury for about 6 months so had to keep the training pretty mellow. The foot injury resolved, only to be replaced by a mild hamstring strain in the fall, so again, I could keep training but had to be careful. I was lucky that both injuries were mild enough to train through.
I ended this year with more miles than last year but less overall vert. Although, I may have had more vertical miles since I was consistent with climbing at the gym and got in a few outdoor climbing trips. I exceeded my running mileage goal for the year with 1,113 miles. I would’ve been happy with 1,000 miles for the year. My main goal was to be active every single day and I achieved this.
Through the winter months, I continued a running group for some 7th grade girls to keep them in shape for cross country. I really enjoyed hearing the laughter and chatter between the girls as we ran local trails and did easy workouts.
I loved visiting Zion and Bryce Canyon with my family. With no races on the calendar, I was able to just hike with them and not worry about getting in runs while on vacation. We hiked and waded the Narrows and took in some spectacular views on the Canyon Overlook hike. Chris and I traded half days and got in some climbing at Lambs Knoll with breathtaking views. It was also quite the experience staying in Cedar City, UT. Sleeping at high elevation was a challenge.
One running/exploring highlight of 2024 was a summer trip to Boise to visit my daughter’s good friend and her Mom. I got up early every morning and explored trails minutes from their home. The trails there were so runnable and accessible. It was great to see so many folks enjoying hiking and running around Boise. Everyone was super friendly and on one of my runs someone even stopped to warn me of a rattlesnake on the trail below. A trail right next to the Boise River was literally a few minutes walk from where we were staying. I was also able to get in a half day climbing trip on gorgeous basalt towers with a guide.
I signed up for Brooklyn Prospect Park Track Club 50K in the fall, so had many months to train for this race, which took place early December. I decided to make my training repetitive to mimic the looped format of the race and found out that I actually don’t mind repeating the same loop over and over and over again. It’s kind of freeing actually- knowing the mileage and then just being able to enjoy music or a podcast while running. I also trained myself to take in all of my calories and hydration at once for each loop. It meant not having to wear a hydration vest or carry a water bottle while running.
I had a few big breakthroughs in training and racing during the training block and the PPTC 50K. During training, I achieved PRs for the half marathon distance, 20K and 30K distances. During the race, I PRed my marathon and 50K times. Given that these were all road miles, they don’t really compare to trail or mountain running miles, but I was still proud of myself for pushing the pace and staying uncomfortable for longer than I would’ve liked during these training runs and the race. It’s very funny to me that I even ended up on the podium at the PPTC, placing second in my age group. There were only 5 women in my age group, but it was an accomplishment nonetheless. I also stayed firmly in the middle of the pack throughout the race and was proud of myself for pushing on the last loop to pass several runners.
The reality of being an aging runner is that the aches and pains seem to be a consistent theme. One resolves and another pops up. Currently, I’m dealing with what feels like a calf strain. It feels fine when I’m walking but starts to feel a bit weird when I start to run. Similar to other minor injuries, I know it’s okay to run on it because it feels okay after 1-3 miles. It has been a very relaxed few weeks throughout the holidays. I’ve been trying to eat better and trying to just focus on time with my family. Running mileage has hovered around 10-15 miles a week. Climbing has scaled back to a couple of times a week and I’m still maintaining strength and mobility once a week.
In 2025, I plan on adding in fast walking or hiking miles to my training in order to have overall more time on my feet. The big adventure for my 50th birthday will be the double crossing of the Grand Canyon in May. I’ve developed a training plan loosely based on the Some Work All Play 50 mile training plan. I’m going to add in short uphill treadmill sessions on top of easy runs. Apparently, walking backwards is supposed to strengthen the muscles needed to run long downhills, so I will add this in as well. The training plan will officially start at the end of February, so between now and then, I’ll just keep maintaining aerobic fitness. I just need to be at a base mileage of about 20 miles per week by the end of February. I’ve been trying to bike at least twice a week with Zwift- one longer session and a shorter session. Thinking about the R3 is quite intimidating, especially given that it might be very hot in the box in May. I'll also be adding a hot bath once a week for heat training.
Another fun trip I have planned for 2025 is a trip to Boulder in September. My older sister wanted to take me on a trip for my 50th. She suggested a spa to begin with, but I let her know that I wanted something more active. We are planning on climbing the Third Flatiron. She has never climbed outside so this will be her misogi for the year. I already took her climbing once and she took the initiative to get belay certified at her local climbing gym. She will be climbing on the regular at her gym to get ready for our trip. I love that she is trying something new that scares her. In addition to the Third, I also have a day of climbing booked with a guide which I’m excited for. We’ll also definitely do some hiking while in Boulder.
I’m super psyched for the coffee origin trip to Colombia that I’ll be going on for work in April. I have no idea if I’ll be able to run outside. I might be making friends with the treadmill during that trip.
Other than those two trips, I don’t have anything planned yet, but we are considering a family trip to Costa Rica. Seems like that would suit everyone. It’s a destination that has natural beauty, with a lot of different wildlife as well as coffee and cacao plantations.
All in all, I'm feeling very lucky for my 2024. I'm blessed with my health and my family, which now includes two adorable cats. Wishing you all a happy, healthy 2025!
Not pictured: my older son who was at college the day we adopted Boo and Enoki
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