2013 - The Year of the Incredible

It's time for that bittersweet blog post...my 2013 race year has come to a close. That means I get to recap and discuss some thoughts and share some insights from this amazing year!

First, let me start by saying THANK YOU to each and every one of you! The readers of the blog and followers on social media! Without you guys, this would not be as much fun! I started blogging in 2012, and in June of this year I moved my domain and blog over to Blogger. The page and post views have been unreal and absolutely surpassed my own expectations! So thank you very much for continuing to support the blog and my efforts as I run all the races and hopefully inspire you to keep going or even to try something new.

To help illustrate what kind of intense year I have had, I created a small info graphic. Now, when I actually did the math on the miles I've traveled this year...well...you'll see what I mean haha.

Incredible! I am so blessed and thank each of you for all of your support and love this year! You have helped me grow as a runner, blogger, and as a person. Now, I want to shout out the awesome folks over at INKnBURN and EnergyBits for being such wonderful companies! Their support has really been nothing short of incredible and I hope to continue the relationships with them in the coming years! I would also like to take a moment to stop and thank one of the sweetest Race Directors I've had the privilege of working with, Keira Henninger! Keira has an amazing spirit, is always smiling, and is one hell of an ultra athlete. She began following me on Twitter and asked me to help her promote her trail races. It has been an awesome experience to run her races and work alongside her! By the way, Griffith Park trial marathon registration is open! (plug).

So, I put a lot of miles on my shoes this year as you can tell from the image above. But of all those races, which ones were my favorite?

I have 4 I selected and I want to share with you why!

1. Walt Disney World Marathon! This was my first attempt at the marathon distance! I was undertrained, scared, and anxious! Luckily, thanks to social media, my very good friends (they are more like family really) #CorralG was born! The memories, laughs, frustration, and smiles will ALWAYS be one of the brightest moments of my life! The moment we all joined hands and jumped over the mile 20 timing mat, the conga line to the finish line, my Grumpy Cat mile at mile 24, finding Perry at mile 26. This race had everything, and I am so happy to fortunate I gained some awesome friends out of it!

2. Bank of America Chicago Marathon! My first World Marathon Major! It doesn't get much cooler than that! I was very excited for this race! #CorralG sisters Marcia and Katie met me in Chicago! Katie also ran the race, so the night before we went to Gino's East and ate all the pizza! Being in the start corrals was one of the most intense experiences of my life. I was intimidated and excited to take on the race! I enjoyed everything about this race and the weekend! Great friends, including my wonder twin Christopher who came in from St. Louis to support me. I also PR'd this race and ran my first sub 5 marathon!

3. The San Francisco Marathon! Probably one of my favorite marathons! Running across the Golden Gate Bridge was ALL I needed! It was perfect. I felt free, I felt amazing, I felt inspired! I connected with the air, the ocean, and the energy the runners were pounding into that bridge. There is NOTHING like it. Especially being born and raised in California...this was SO special.

4. Wine and Dine half marathon! This weekend was MUCH needed. I reconnected with #CorralG and ran my favorite half marathon. I ran the race with sisters Jill and Marcia and I crossed the finish line giving Chef Mickey Mouse a HUGE hug and cried at the finish. My spirit was renewed this weekend!

All this to say, this year has been incredible! Each and everyone of you is to thank! I can't wait to see what 2014 brings! I know it will be amazing!

What did you enjoy about 2013?