Running Highs and Lows of 2019

If you aren’t already aware, I’m on a quest to run a half marathon in all 50 states and as such I currently only run three half marathons a year. I know that’s a paltry amount of races compared to some of you but since I travel to my races and make a race cation out of them, I have to limit my races. In 2019 the three half marathons I ran were in the states of Delaware, Wyoming, and Nebraska and the three races plus our race cations couldn’t have been any more different from one another.

As you can read in my post Running Resolutions for 2019 pretty much my only resolution or running goal for this year was to finish in the top three in my age group at one of the half marathons I was going to run in 2019. I thought I would have a good chance at doing that at the Seashore Classic Half Marathon in Delaware because it was a small race. As you can read all about here, Seashore Classic Half Marathon, Lewes, Delaware- 45th state I did indeed finish second in my age group and won a nice trophy.

My trophy from the Seashore Classic Half Marathon in Delaware

The race in Delaware was a nice start to my races in 2019 and bode well for me. I pretty much didn’t have much time off from running between the race in Delaware until my next race in Wyoming in July. Well, I was supposed to run when I was in Peru but once I got there I quickly found out that wasn’t going to work given the altitude and the terrain. Even though I wasn’t running, I was hiking at high altitude and I think that helped prepare me for the race in Wyoming, which was around 6,000 feet.

Despite an especially hot and humid summer (aren’t they all, though) I managed to push through and get in my training runs outside. I believe between my two week altitude training in Peru and training in the heat they both definitely helped prepare me for the Star Valley Half Marathon, Thayne, Wyoming- 46th state. I surprised myself and finished in my fastest time ever for a half marathon, at 1:54:00. Honestly, I was shocked given the altitude and how much slower I was at the Boulder Rez Half Marathon in Colorado even though the race in Colorado was slightly lower in altitude than the race in Wyoming. I absolutely loved the Star Valley Half Marathon and this was a running high point for me, not just for 2019.

After the Star Valley Half Marathon in Wyoming

For the next week after the half marathon in Wyoming, I hiked all over Grand Teton National Park and Yellowstone National Park. Just one week later, it was again time to dive back into half marathon training for my next race in October. As if it wasn’t hot and humid enough where I live, we took a vacation at the beach in Hilton Head Island in South Carolina and I ran several times while we were there. However, despite the truly sweltering heat, I enjoyed running on the various running paths and boardwalks in Hilton Head. I’m always up for a run in a new place because I notice things I don’t otherwise if I’m just driving by in a car.

I didn’t feel like it cooled off much where I live until sometime in October, but I wouldn’t say running through the heat was a low point for me. As I’ve mentioned before (My Running Super Power and Kryptonite), I can deal with the heat better than most people and on the flip side, I struggle with cold weather. Breathing in cold air is often painful and makes me cough so when I’m running I’ll have to make sure I breathe through my Buff to pre-warm the air. Even then, I don’t exactly enjoy running in cold weather.

Finally, what I would call ideal running weather came to my neck of the woods and I got a couple of weeks of running in perfect weather in October. I also love all of the colorful leaves on the trees in the autumn and I enjoyed that immensely while out on my training runs. I felt like my training cycle for the half marathon in October went well and I went into the race feeling prepared and ready.

As you can read about here, the Hot Cider Hustle Half Marathon in Omaha, Nebraska, my 47th state was also a fun and scenic race, like my previous ones this year. A cold front moved into Omaha the day before the race and race day was completely overcast with a quite cold wind but the temperature remained amenable for racing. I had a glitch happen on the course which I will always question whether that cost me third place finish in my age group, but still, I happily took fourth place in my age group, for my second-fastest finish time for a half marathon. EVER. This wasn’t even a downhill course like in Wyoming but in fact had some pretty decent hills going up, including ones at the end, which normally would take so much out of me I can’t finish strong. Out of the 49 half marathons in 47 states I’ve run, this one was my second-fastest. Let’s think about that for a second.

With my hot cider and caramel apple after the Hot Cider Hustle Half Marathon!

I started running half marathons when I was in my 20’s and I’m now in my 40’s. I ran both of my two fastest half marathons in 2019. The Star Valley Half Marathon was a fast course with a net downhill so that one seems understandable to me, even though it is at altitude, which makes it harder for a person who lives at low elevation like me. However, the Hot Cider Hustle Half Marathon wasn’t a net downhill course and had some decent climbs. How is this possible?

The only thing I can say is my training plan must be the reason why I’m suddenly seeing such big strides in my race times. As I’ve mentioned before, I switched a couple of years ago from a three-day a week training plan with only hard runs on those three days and cross-training on other days to a five-day a week training plan with a couple of easier runs along with hard runs and cross-training on other days plus one over-lap day where I’m running and lifting weights. There’s no doubt it’s made me stronger. Like a friend of mine mentioned, who knows the gains I might have seen with this plan had I started it years ago. Regardless, it’s working for me now and I’m definitely going to stick with it.

So honestly I can’t think of any running low points in 2019. I feel like I had a pretty amazing year for running and am truly in shock about it all. Never would I have believed I was capable of pulling out a PR at a half marathon in my late 40’s. There goes the idea that you hear about runners hitting their peak 10 years after they start running. I’m way beyond that point and am still going strong! Bring on 2020!

How did your running go in 2019? Tell me about some of your running highs and lows!

Happy running!

Donna