Living, Loving, and Running : 13 in 2013

11 months ago I began this little blog and I wrote about my goals for the coming year.
Then in May I wrote an update on the activity leading to my goal of "13 in 2013". Today, I am happy to say I did it! I completed 13 races in 2013. I knew from the beginning that 13 Half Marathons would be really hard so I decided to incorporate a 15K and a few 10K's to help me reach my goal. I learned quite a bit about myself during all these races. I am very happy to have shared this experience with the Badass Babes, Shannon and Allison. We were joined by several other friends at some of the races, each race has it's on "story".

January took us from the St. Marks Trail to Amelia Island with three races.

MRTT Half Marathon in St. Marks, FL - 2:30 something -This was our first very cold race of the year with a beautiful finish line by the water. Unfortunately, I can't find my exact time for this one.
The Gulf Winds Track Club 30K/15K - 1:37:24 - The first 15K I had ever ran. This was a tough course for me but I survived!
The Zooma Half Marathon in Amelia Island - 2:30:53 - Cold doesn't describe this 14 mile course with a finish on the beach! The overall weekend was a complete blast even if the course was tougher than expected!

February was a month in which I learned to be thankful for warm running clothes, good laughs for 13 miles with great friends and walking a half marathon is just as good as running one! Allison and I become official members of the Half Fanatics during this time, too!

Rock n Roll St. Pete Half Marathon - 2:52:44 - My passion for the RnR series began at this race! Entertainment for 13 miles and an awesome finish line party helped me forget the pain of the IT band giving out on me at mile 7!
26.2 with Donna - The Nat'l Marathon to Finish Breast Cancer - 3:59:53 - YEP, we walked 13.1 miles in the 30 degree windy weather! Allison, Crystal and me laughed and danced the whole way!!

I spent March and part of April trying to rehab and strengthen my legs. I ran several local 5K's and cheered on my friends at a few 10K's. In the midst of the training I did get a 5K PR of 28:51 at the FSU Austism 5K. That provided a little encouragement for the end of April as I felt strong and gave it a try, again!

The Red Shoe Run 10K - 1:01:21 - Rehab worked! I ended that race feeling great and loved seeing so many cheering friends at the finish!

We took some time off from traveling in May and June. Our bodies needed a break and I needed to focus on my cross training to strengthen the legs even more. During July we turned it up and pushed hard for a good finish to 2013!

July was hot but it didn't stop us!

The Peachtree Road Race 10K - 1:07:21 - We didn't let a little rain dampen our patriotic spirits! This is by far our favorite weekend. From the shopping to the eating to the racing we had a ton of fun.
MRTT Running Mad 10K - 1:04:27 - Rain, again! The course was tough but again we didn't let a little rain keep us from enjoying a great run!

In August the Florida heat was brutal and we focused on training in the early mornings to get us ready for the upcoming half marathons. The Badass Babes had new goals to reach, regardless of that heat!

September gave me another 5K PR at the 5K at Fifth and the Badass Babes took an epic road trip ! I am pretty sure this trip goes down in history as one the best vacations for all of us!

Women's Running Series Nashville Half Marathon - 2:18:30 - I pushed hard to break 2:30 for this race! Running for a cause you are passionate about helps push you harder than imaginable!

October provided a little heart break on the coast in Panama City Beach, FL after such an amazing race in Nashville.

Run for the Treasure Half Marathon - 2:32:22 - (There is no post recap link for this one, oops!) Running alongside the beach is tougher than you'd think. This course was a mental battle and a strength battle both of which I lost that day. Yes, I am still kicking myself over this one :-)

November provided a chance to close out 2013 with a bang! I didn't break the 2:18 PR but I came pretty darn close!!!

Rock n Roll Savannah Marathon and Half Marathon - 2:20:46 - I ran this beautiful course alongside my friend Jenny knowing that my hubby at the finish. It may not have been a PR but it's a special memory to me! RnR has won my heart!
Women's Running Series St. Pete Half Marathon - 2:21:45 - This race brought us back to beautiful St. Pete and the Vinoy. Enough said! Another epic race weekend with the girls!!
Turkey Trot 10K - 57:16:00 - I just realized I never posted the race recap, eek! This race provided a 10K PR on an extremely cold Thanksgiving morning where my trainer/friend and my husband were both waiting at the finish. Life could've only better if my son and BRB had been there, too!

Like everyone else December brought a busy personal schedule. There hasn't been much running or blogging about running with all the holiday business! I did participate in one final 5K for the year in Charlotte, NC where I ran the ACC Chase 5K. Again, there is no post race blog, I need to get better about posting those blogs!!! I didn't PR with a 28:41 time but I did get 3rd in our age group! Two of us from the Tallahassee chapter of MRTT brought home 1st and 3rd in our age group.

Whew! That's a lot of fun to remember for one blog! This year was amazing, I wasn't entirely sure I could pull off this many races and/or trips in one year. Having completed all these races with such a supporting family and an amazing group of friends makes my heart extremely happy. I do not know what 2014 will hold but nothing will come close to fun of completing the 13 in 2013 challenge!

Just a few of my favorite photos from the year: