2014 in review

2014 started with tons of goals and expectations. I was signed up for my 1st Ironman post cancer. We were headed to our first race outside of the US. I entered the first full year without cancer treatment since 2012. There were high hopes for 2014! 2014 lived up to all of the hype. I became a television star!! Ok, not quite a TV star but I was in a commercial, a print ad, and on a billboard!

A PR in the BAA 5K in April!

Then Joe PRed at the Boston Marathon. Then I PRed in the half marathon as part of the Vermont City Marathon Relay with Joe. We had a great time at the Lake Placid Half marathon. Training with my team! There were highs and lows, laughing, crying, worrying, hard work and determination. We had a lot of fun while training!

Joe and I raced Ironman 70.3 Mont Tremblant in June. This was huge for Joe - he qualified for Ironman 70.3 World Championships and PRed at the race. Mont Tremblant is a beautiful place to visit and race and we can't wait to go back. Then came Ironman Lake Placid. This was the race I waited for ever since February 13, 2012, when I found out my 2012 race wasn't going to happen. This race meant the world to me. All day I had a smile on my face. It wasn't the perfect day - getting pulled from the swim while I was on target to swim the best 2.4 miles of my life, the thunder storm that just followed us for the 1st 30 miles of the bike, and the need to push harder than I had planned on the bike because of the cold rain... But it was a phenomenal day with another PR for the year. I took my finish line back and felt like I was finally back to being me.

We enjoyed some time on vacation together in the sun in celebration of our accomplishment!

We went back to Mont Tremblant in September for Joe to compete in the 70.3 World Championships and saw amazing accomplishments there. What a blast to watch! I loved cheering on my super fast husband in a race most people will never get to race in. Those pros were awesome! The entire experience was fantastic. What a great way to end the summer! The PRs kept coming: 15K at Stockadeathon, 10K at the Troy Turkey Trot, Half marathon at Philly Half! I became obsessed with hot yoga. I have embraced barre classes. I watched my nieces become IronKids. I loved that it was a family affair at the Turkey trot with Sierra and Kaelah doing the kids race, Joe and I doing the 10K, and Lila, my dad, and I ran the 5K together while being cheered on my my mom, Joe, and my sister! I wanted this crazy, athletic, lifestyle back and I went out and took it back! I had a fantastic year. I struggle with the idea that I didn't get to finish the swim at Ironman and, thus, never really did the 2.4 mile swim necessary to be called an Ironman. I did run the extra distance barefoot and survived the elements but I didn't finish the swim... I struggle with the idea of not doing another Ironman this year because of that and because last time I decided to take a year off from Ironman, I didn't get to do that Ironman due to cancer. Although we do have a plan! Rock N Roll Marathon in Washington DC for me in March. Ironman 70.3 Syracuse in June. Hopefully, Ironman 70.3 Princeton in September. Potentially an ultramarathon in October or a marathon in early November. I have found that life is pretty complete with Joe. Here are the year end totals!!! Swim: 128,321 yrds in 54 hrs 46 min Bike: 1,622 miles in 134 hrs 1 min Run: 755 miles in 135 hrs 22 min Racing: 263 miles in 31 hrs 25 min Hot yoga, barre: 37 hrs 36 min That is a pretty solid year! I can only hope that 2015 can hold as much fun and excitement as 2014! The miles along the way will be fun!