Favorite Moments of 2020 | Blogmas Day 31

It's the last day of 2020! Despite the insanity of this year, I still think there were plenty of positive moments in the last 12 months that I am so happy that I had the chance to experience. I think it's always good to look back and appreciate the positive moments of each year, and when I think of 2020 in the future, I hope I'll remember all of the wonderful memories that came along with the curveballs that this year has thrown at us. Here are some of my favorite moments of this wild and crazy year! 💜

January

The first month of the year was the peak of my Rock n' Roll New Orleans training! This was really the only "normal" month out of the year for me, where I spent my weeks working at the office, going to the gym, running, coming home and cooking dinner... rinse & repeat! No major trips or major world events directly impacting my day to day life, just a normal gal training for a marathon. It's so crazy to think that the 20 mile run posted above was this year (January 11th)!

February

February kicked off (what I thought was going to be) a year packed full of travel and races! I had the opportunity to travel to New Orleans with the Doodie Gang & Disney for Princess Half Marathon Weekend with Cassie and my mom! Both trips were an absolute blast and I feel so lucky to have gotten the chance to travel so much before the pandemic really took off.

March

The first half of March and the second half of March were polar opposites! COVID-19 was starting to spread around the US, major events were getting cancelled left and right, and the world as we knew it was changing so rapidly. Brett and I had a trip to LA planned for early March to visit family and for me to run the LA Marathon. Similar to February's travel, I feel SO lucky that we were able to take this trip. I'm still kind of shocked that the marathon still went off, but I am so thankful that it did and we were still able to safely travel to California and spend time with some of our favorite people. 

The week after we returned from our trip was the start of quarantine. March 16th was my first day working from home, and I haven't been back to the office since. So strange!

April

The biggest moment of April was moving into our new place! Brett and I had been waiting years to finally be able to move into our own place, and in April of this year we were able to do it. We weren't expecting to be moving during a global pandemic, but when the time is right, the time is right! We absolutely love our apartment and this will always be considered a highlight of 2020 for me. 

May

I can't think of May 2020 and not think of BIRTHDAY MONTH! I turned 30 this year - a major milestone birthday - and before we entered into a pandemic Brett and I had dreams of maybe going to NYC for the weekend and seeing a show, or maybe even going to a concert to celebrate the big 3-0. Needless to day, quarantine kind of threw a wrench into that plan. Brett was incredible, though, and coordinated an entire month of celebration, featuring a new gift every single day of the month of May. I am still in awe of the outpouring of love I received from so many wonderful people during the month of May, and I'll never forget it!

June

June was a tough month for the United States. With the rekindling of the Black Lives Matter movement in the wake of the death of George Floyd, I focused a lot of my attention to my own racial justice education and anti-racism action. Of course, that is extremely heavy work, and it can be tough to find the silver linings when you're taking on social justice work. However, this was really the month where BibRave really became a community of folks I could rely on to have honest discussions about the world around us and our role as ambassadors to the running community. Other running organizations that I was a part of earlier this year really fell short in stepping up to the plate of confronting racial injustices, but BibRave showed that this was an important issue as a company and as a community, and because of that I am truly proud to wear my BibRave Orange. So glad that this was also the month that I attended the virtual BibRave Pro Summit and ran my first race as a BibRave Pro - the Run for the Zoo 10k!

July

In July we were able to travel to Pittsburgh to visit our pals over the 4th of July weekend! We mainly stayed in during this trip but honestly we don't have to go out to have a good time with this crew. As usual we made so many great memories, like watching the fireworks from the bridge, eating all of the deliciousness, and having out own lil backyard barbeque and lighting sparklers.🎆🎇 We always have so much fun when we travel to Pittsburgh and I hope that we can make another PGH trip in 2021.

August

Arguably the biggest highlight of 2020 - Snowy came home in August! ❄ This little girl has brought so much light into our lives and we feel so lucky every day that she is part of our little family. It honestly feels like she has been with us forever, in the best way possible!

September

September was honestly a little bit of a hodgepodge, and I don't quite remember what happened?? 😂 I think with the start of a new academic year, a lot of my attention was probably invested in work, which is likely why I can't remember a lot of it. However, I do remember that Brett & I voted in the MA State Primary and that we celebrated Snowy's first birthday - both huge positives of 2020!

October

October brought early voting in the Presidential Election, celebrating Brett's birthday, and having an at-home Halloween, complete with a Snow White theme group costume! (I just really wanted Snowy to be Snow(y) White for Halloween, and went from there for the rest of our costumes 😂) Another busy work month, but this is the month that this stay at home business has really felt like the norm, which is so wild to say!

November

 

I mean can you really think of November 2020 and NOT think of the Presidential Election? If results had gone the other way I probably wouldn't be including it in my favorite moments 😂, but I am just so thrilled that the outcome was what it was. I'll always remember where I was when I found out. It's definitely a moment in history that I'll never forget! I also was able to visit my parents this month, which is always a highlight whenever that happens! Being so far apart is hard - especially during a pandemic - so when we are able to see each other it is truly special.

December

The final month of the year brought our 8 year anniversary, our cross-country road trip to visit my parents for the holidays, and two final in-person races which were an absolute blast! I think that December was an incredible way to cap off such a strange year. It's so wild the things we took for granted before the pandemic (traveling, eating at restaurants, seeing family regularly, attending in-person events), so now any time that I'm able to do the things I was able to do this month, I feel truly so lucky!

Cheers to a new year full of new possibilities! 🥂

Happy 2021, y'all! 🎉 

2021 Race Plans, Including My First Ultra??? | Blogmas Day 30

Disclaimer: I received an entry into the Milwaukee Marathon to review as part of being a BibRave Pro. Learn more about becoming a BibRave Pro (ambassador), and check out BibRave.com to review find and write race reviews!

The new year is right around the corner, which means it's time to talk about race plans for 2021! Obviously COVID is making things pretty unpredictable at the moment, but I have some exciting virtual events on my calendar for next year in addition to some in-person races, so regardless of what happens with the live events I'll be earning some virtual race bling! 😊 Here are my plans heading into 2021:

Virtual Disney Princess Half Marathon Weekend
February 19-21, 2021

I had such a blast at Princess Weekend in 2020 that when it went virtual for 2021 I knew I had to participate! Obviously running around my neighborhood will not be the same as running around Walt Disney World, but I am so excited to dress up and earn my medals! I'll be participating in all 3 races this time around - the 5K, the 10K, and the half marathon - which means I'll be getting 4 medals - one for each race + one for the Fairy Tale Challenge (10K + half marathon)! As a bonus, my mom will be virtually running the 5K with me, so I'm sure we'll try to coordinate and run it at the same time!

Yeti Ultra 24 Hour Challenge
March 13-14, 2021

5 miles every 4 hours for 24 hours. You can't complete the miles all at once and you have to complete the miles within 24 hours. I saw so many of the runners I follow on Instagram take this challenge on back in May and I am so intrigued by it! When I saw folks signing up again for the 2021 challenge, I knew I had to hop on board. This will be my first ultra (!!!) and because it's virtual, I have anywhere from January 1st to April 1st to complete the challenge. I'm thinking I'm going to shoot to run it the weekend of March 13 & 14 because that it the weekend I have to complete my longest run for Milwaukee training anyway. May as well do 30 miles in 24 hours instead of 20 miles all at once, I guess? 😅

Milwaukee Marathon
April 10, 2021

As y'all know, I'm signed up to run the 2021 Milwaukee Marathon with Team BibRave! It sounds like the race organizers feel fairly confident that the race will be in-person for this year and that the City of Milwaukee has been supportive in letting it remain that way. Of course, anything can change at any moment, but I'm hopeful that I'll be heading to Wisconsin this April for marathon & state #15! (If you'd like to join me, head over to runmilwaukee.com and use code "BR10" for 10% off your registration!)

Rock n' Roll Savannah Marathon Weekend
November 6-7, 2021

This is a race that I was supposed to run in 2020 that - of course - was cancelled. I'm hoping that Rock n' Roll is able to host some of their events in 2021 because I really did enjoy my time in New Orleans in February! The Rock n' Roll Savannah race weekend also has a 1 mile race which I may sign up for in order to snag a Remix medal as well (every RnR weekend offers a Remix Challenge which is completing 2 races in one weekend).

Rock n' Roll San Antonio Marathon Weekend
December 4-5, 2021

This is currently the last race I have on my calendar for 2021, and it actually came about it a really weird way. I was singed up to run the Rock n' Roll Seattle Marathon in 2020, which of course was cancelled. We were notified a few months later that Seattle would no longer host a full marathon as part of their race weekend, so we were offered to defer to a number of other cities in 2021. Almost all of the options were either states I've already completed, or dates that I knew were incompatible with my work schedule. The Rock n' Roll San Antonio Marathon Weekend, however, was both in a state I hadn't completed yet AND on a compatible weekend, so that's what I ended up picking! I'll (hopefully) be in Texas next December running another 26.2! Like Savannah, I'll probably end up doing a Remix challenge for funsies (and extra race bling!) 🤩

Other Races I'm Considering...

It's really difficult to commit yourself to a race during a pandemic, because you're just not certain if they will be happening or not. It's kind of like gambling your money! But here are some other races that I'm looking to potentially shoot for in 2021. Hopefully I can do at least some of these!

#RunNH Challenge
Summer - EOY 2021

I've been having such a great time doing the #RunMA Challenge this year that I would love to do another one of Millenium Running's virtual distance challenges! Because I grew up in New Hampshire, I'd love to take on their signature #RunNH Challenge in 2021 (if they're offering it!). There isn't any information available on whether or not this will be happening in 2021 yet, but if it is, count me in!

Baltimore Marathon
October 9, 2021

The Baltimore Running Festival will be celebrating its 20th anniversary this year, and this is a race I've been eyeing for a while. In 2019, I said if I didn't get into Chicago that I would attempt the Baltimore Marathon/Atlantic City Marathon Double in 2020. Well, I did get into Chicago which was the original plan, and then the pandemic hit and everything got cancelled. Currently I've planned to defer my Chicago entry until at least 2022 (and possibly 2023) to hopefully give me a better chance of running the race without COVID cancellations putting that in jeopardy, so now I have a free October in 2021 and now seems like the perfect time to go for the double! 😱 This would be my first double, but as it's relatively close (Baltimore is ~6 hours driving, AC ~5 hours) I think it's a great one to start with!

Atlantic City Marathon
TBA (Likely October 10, 2021)

The second half of the double! This race has not put out any information about 2021 yet, which I hope is not a bad sign for the fate of this race, but if it works out and it lands on the same Sunday that it generally lands on, then I'll probably sign up for this marathon as well and knock out 2 states in one trip. Obviously it all depends on COVID developments (as all of these races do), but I'd love to see the AC Marathon go off in 2021!

These races are probably not the only things I'll be running next year. I'll probably have a few more virtuals added to my list, as well as some things for BibRave to plan for, but for now this is what my 2021 race calendar is looking like. My hope is to have many more in-person races (as I'm sure it's the hope for runners everywhere!), but if that's not the case next year, I'll still make the best of running in 2021 the same way I have in 2020. Wishing all of you runners out there many more happy and healthy miles in 2021! 🥂

#Sub5orBust: Milwaukee Marathon Week 1 Training Update (December 21 - 27, 2020) | Blogmas Day 29

Disclaimer: I received an entry into the Milwaukee Marathon to review as part of being a BibRave Pro. Learn more about becoming a BibRave Pro (ambassador), and check out BibRave.com to review find and write race reviews!

Monday, 12/21 → 6.05 mile run @ 10:31/mile + 1.46 mile walk

Tuesday, 12/22 → 6.05 mile run @ 9:49/mile + 1.52 mile walk

Wednesday, 12/23 → 4 mile run @ 10:03/mile + 3.7 mile walk

Thursday, 12/24 → 5.1 mile run @ 10:30/mile + 1.71 mile walk

Friday, 12/25 → Rest

Saturday, 12/26 → 10 mile run @ 9:51/mile + 2.44 mile walk

Sunday, 12/27 → 1.02 mile walk

Total weekly running mileage: 31.2

First week of "training" is complete! I put training in quotations because honestly the runs I was completing this week are not at all part of the training plan and were all dedicated to finishing the #RunMA Challenge. Once 2021 begins I'll revert back to the actual training plan and will be running significantly less week to week until I get further into the plan, but overall I'm feeling great about my fitness levels entering this training cycle. Week 2 will be more of the same (in regard to dedicating my runs to finishing #RunMA and not working on the training plan), but I'll be able to get back on track soon.

Because we were traveling last week, I definitely didn't really do much beyond getting my miles in. Once I'm back on track with my actual training, I'm going to incorporate my lifting plan as well. Basically, everything will be back on track (hopefully) at the end of this week! It'll be good to just have this one thing to focus on, especially once things settle down post-holidays!

Finally Home 🏠 | Blogmas Day 28

Aaaand just like that, we are home from our trip! We left North Carolina at 6AM this morning and finally made it home around 4:45PM. We honestly made great time. I think the thought of actually being HOME made us feel more comfortable skipping out on longer stops so we could just get back to our digs as soon as possible. We made one stop for coffee/breakfast right at the beginning of the trip, a stop in NJ for gas, and one last bathroom break in Connecticut before finally getting home. Overall, not bad!

Snowy developed this habit on the trip home here she wanted to cuddle with me, but because I was driving I obviously couldn't let her get too close. So as a compromise, she just laid her head on my arm and fell asleep. She also settled for resting her chin on my hand. 😂 So cute! I think she was the happiest of the three of us to be home. She shot right out of the car and ran to the backyard, and ran around the apartment with all of her new toys for a while once we went inside. She's now completely passed out in bed with me as I type this!

We came home to a bunch of mail, including a BibRave Pro package! My swag for 2021 arrived and I am so thrilled to be serving as a BRP for a second year. Hopefully this year will bring more opportunities for in-person connections, but we'll just have to wait and see. I'll of course make the most of my time as a Pro, regardless of what 2021 brings us! 🧡

I also got a Secret Santa gift in the mail! I'm part of a couple of Secret Santa exchanges and this one didn't have a receipt or gift message in it, so I'm unsure which on it is for, but I'm pretty sure it's for my BibRave Pro gift exchange. Either way, I absolutely love it! Belle is my girl and I've been seriously eyeing this tshirt for a while. Now I just gotta figure out who it is from and thank them!

Now that I'm home, some serious stay-cationing can begin. Tomorrow we'll get COVID tests (because responsibility) and return the rental car, and then I'm not planning to leave my apartment for a while. I'm in some desparate need of introvert time and I cannot wait to take advantage of the remainder of my vacation to do just that! 😊