I started 2010 in a job that I loathed, to the point where I would come home and cry because I worked with people who were horrible to each other and at times horrible to the patients. Luckily I found another job which I love and continue to love. Also in 2010, A and I made some very mature, grown-up decisions. They were the right decisions to make but meant letting go of certain dreams. A was laid off at the end of 2010, and we started 2011 with a great deal of uncertainty as to what the year would hold.
I didn't go into 2011 with any concrete goals. And I tend to define goals very specifically, where the culmination of that goal is that something has changed dramatically. I know it doesn't have to be defined like that, but it's how I've tended to do it in the past. Since 2010 and the beginning of 2011 were rather tumultuous, I felt like I needed 2011 to be a time of stabilization, rather than bringing more dramatic changes.
So what did I do? I ran (of course) but raced less. I focused on quality races rather than quantity, with a great deal of success. I had a marathon PR, a 5K PR in which I received 2cd place for my age group (I'm pretty sure there were only 2 of us in my age group as it was a tiny race) and my sub-2-hour half marathon!
I completed my first triathlon and my first overnight relay race. I had one of my favorite Team in Training seasons with the awesome Team Driven, and made lots of new friends who I hope to keep in my life. A and I traveled to Wisconsin for a family vacation, and we spent a long weekend in Las Vegas with some of my college friends. We prepared ourselves and started to prepare our home for some life changing events that we hope to see in 2012 (more on that below).
2011 was pretty awesome, even without having any goals defined at the year's start. Going into 2012, I'm trying to keep that openness, and allow for exciting opportunity to come my way. Yet, as A pointed out to me the other day, I get bored when I am not challenged. Thus, I have created a big challenge for myself, which will take place during the first part of the year.
I have some big, crazy goals in mind, but that deserves its own post. Also, my parents are going to walk the 5K!
That is going to be my sole athletic goal for the first half of 2012. I have some shorter races earlier in the spring, but they will be run as training for Pittsburgh. I haven't registered for anything after Pittsburgh either, but would like to do some trail running in the summer/fall. I am a city girl who hates being alone in the woods, so that will be a challenge!
I'm not scheduling much past May, as we are hoping to add to our little family by the middle of the year. And I have no idea what our lives are going to look like when that happens, but I'm pretty sure it will be amazing.
I'm kicking off this holiday weekend with a back to back 5K and 10K, followed by my very first Raiders game!
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