2014 in review

It’s safe to say that 2014 didn’t go anything like I expected to. And I truly am thankful for that.

I spent three months seriously injured and another six months or so trying to hack my way through it. Tendonitis is a constant game of ‘can I, can’t I,’ and I like to think that every flare-up is just more information on what I should do differently in the future. Sometimes you just have to test your boundaries, right?

Being injured on and off for so long has been heart breaking and spirit crushing, but a lot of great things have come of it. I dug into my weaknesses, discovered what I need to change about the way I run and train, and ignited new passions. I never would have set aside so much time to explore olympic lifting or hit pie in the sky goals like a bar muscle up. I learned that even while injured my body is capable of amazing things – even if they aren’t the specific things I had imagined. On top of all of that I had two great races that I feel good about and had a blast running.

I didn’t get the 400 miles I had wanted, but I unintentionally came absurdly close. Once I got injured I stopped really paying attention to my total miles. It was too depressing to not see the numbers move at all for months at a time. I finished the year with 395.63, and I honestly don’t regret not tallying that sooner so I could squeeze in that last 4.37 miles (but if I do it today it still counts right?!?).

When I was staring down a new year at the end of last December, no part of me saw myself spending months injured or leaving the magazine industry. While I haven’t totally left (yet another thing I’m thankful for, freelancing), I work full time at a startup. My life is so different, but I know I’m where I’m supposed to be right now. I’m surrounded by amazing people who are passionate about what they do, and I’m seriously learning something new every day.

I’ve learned a lot about myself this year and challenged some of the things I used to think were inherently true, and I want to keep that going in 2015.

Instead of pledging a certain amount of miles or goal weights for my lifts (I would be lying if I didn’t have some figures in mind), I’m making this year about taking risks and following my gut. I’m going to seek out more adventures and still let myself get lost in a book for full weekends.

I’m starting 2015 with the mindset that I’m building a foundation for 2016. This is the year I slowly build my milage, attack my weaknesses, and prepare my body for whatever adventure I decided to embark on. It’s also the year I push my own boundaries outside of fitness and let myself just live.