Quick look - Runderdog's 2017 race roundup

This was a good year for running, as far as I’m concerned. I didn’t break any records, but I didn’t break any bones, either. I did manage to rack up a 5K PR, and I need another race medal rack to hold the new hardware. 

So there’s that.

Here’s an alphabetical list of some of my favorite races of 2017:

Chicago Fall Half Marathon

Chicago Spring Half Marathon

Cupid Shuffle 5K

Elf Run 5K

Evil Smiley Vets Day 5K

Fort 2 Base 10NM

Luck of the Irish 5K

Pike River Cani-Cross

Progress Days 5K

Pumpkin Run 5K

Run into the New Year 5K

Summerfest Rock ‘n Sole Quarter Marathon

Team RWB Run as One

The Big Chill 5K

This list doesn’t include every race I did, and it doesn't have several smaller trail and track events or untimed theme and fun runs. But these were highlights -- for various personal reasons.

What’s on the books for 2018?

I’m already committed to a winter race series, a spring half marathon, and a fall full marathon. As the new year approaches, I’m plotting out the calendar to fill in with several 10Ks, a 10NM, and a couple more half marathons.

Raise a glass – or a sports bottle – to 2018. Here we go!

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Adapted by this user from public domain image

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Done! I ran 2,017 miles in 2017

Phew! Did it, and with about a week to spare. I finished this 365-day goal on December 23, breathing a sigh of relief. It sure sounded like a lot of miles, when I committed to the thing at the beginning of the year.

UPDATE: My year-end total for 2017 was just over 2,050.

This was a virtual race challenge, organized by Run the Edge. And I don’t usually sign up for virtual races. But I liked the challenge. I needed the motivation. So I did it.

Several snags tried to trip me up:  an ankle injury, a bout with bronchitis, shin splints, a couple of flu incidents, more than a few back spasms ("Hello, kinesthesiology tape!") and a whopping multiple sclerosis exacerbation that lasted a few weeks. And there were these two pairs of pricey (but ill-fitting) sneakers that didn’t work out for me in midsummer. (Yup, I donated them without a blink.)

But somehow, the miles got done.

Here’s what I counted and logged:  race miles, road running miles, training run miles, trail hike miles, dog-joring/canine cross-country miles, treadmill miles, elliptical miles, and track miles. I did not count routine Fitbit or Garmin steps (I switched devices in the fall.). 

Nope. these were intentional “lace-on-those-sneakers-and-sweat” miles.

So there it is. And I burned up three pairs of running shoes in the process. Workin’ on the fourth pair now.

Did I re-up for the 2,018 in 2018 challenge? Not officially. I’m gonna try to reach that total, but my bigger goal for the year is to train and run my first-ever full marathon. If I can rack up 2,018 miles in the process, all the better.

Happy New Year!

Images:

Adapted by this user from event promotion graphic - fair use

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Product photo by LAN/Runderdog

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