2013 Running Highlights

I reached out to runners on Twitter and asked them to share their running highlight(s) from the year. Below are their inspirational responses. Looks like everyone had a great year! Here's to another good one in 2014!

I completed my 6th and 7th marathons.  Ran a marathon with my aunt and cousin (their firsts), and ran Nikewomen's Half Marathon in San Francisco with Team Turtlez.

Elizabeth, @turtlegirl00

My highlight was definitely the half/full combo I did back in May. Ran the Cap City half, then did the Flying Pig full the next day. However, there is a second highlight: doing the Detroit half with my wife in October. We had the exact same start and finish time.

Don, @dmorris614

I've had a good year. 2013 was my first "post ultra marathoning" year, where I've gone back to focusing on improving myself at the 5k to 13.1 mile distances before moving back up to the longer events. It took me 55 weeks to get back to my pre-ultramarathon 5k pace and I ended up with a new 5k PR of 17:41! I also broke my old half marathon PR by three minutes along the way with a 1:23. 2013 may also be my highest mileage year ever, with about 2500 total!

Kyle, @KK_SKORA

Our happy and healthy girl joined us on July 23rd. I am easing back into running but I feel strong and happy. I am thankful to be able to run again even if only for short distances. My highlight this year has been every single run as I just keep getting better. If I had to pick one it would have been last week when I braved the cold with what little fitting gear I had and went outside. I ran through the neighborhood and looked at all the Christmas lights. My lungs burned the whole run and my legs ached the next day but I really felt like a runner again.

Kourtney, @KourtBranagan

My 2013 running highlight is probably cheesy, but I ran Boston, which was impossible for me to even imagine when I started running in 2009. 2 marathons and 3 years later I started adding speed work and qualified with a 3:32. Being in Boston this Spring with all these amazingly dedicated runners was an experience I'll never forget! It was also the hardest race experience I ever had with limited hill training in cold, flat Chicago. It was the most mentally challenging and physically challenging race I've done. I had to force myself not to walk the entire last 6 miles, which ended up being critical to me finishing well before the bombings.

Jessica, @BibRave

2013 was actually a pretty big running year for me (two half marathons, two full marathons, two ultra marathons). I ran the Boston Marathon in (a few seconds over) three hours and, more importantly, escaped the bombings with my family and friends unscathed. I also completed my first two 50-mile trail ultra marathons, and the second one I came in first place overall! This was incredibly exciting for me, as I'd never won a race of any kind before. Launching BibRave.com was a huge running event for me and my wife. With SO MANY races these days, we really wanted to give runners a voice when it comes to race feedback. Seeing reviews come rolling in has been really exciting, and we're stoked for 2014!

Tim, @BibRave

Throwing out my run streak. Since taking one day off a week (and more time off if I'm sick or feeling an injury sneak up on me), I've noticed a dramatic improvement in my times and overall mental health. Training smart and avoiding burn out has made me wonder why I even considered a run streak in the first place! 

Jamie, @DCRunster

My running highlight from 2013 was the Philadelphia Marathon. I have run more than thirty half marathons since 2007 but just started tackling the full distance in the last year. The Philadelphia Marathon was my second marathon and now I am hooked on this longer distance. I have run so many half marathons that I can do them in my sleep with zero training. I am not saying they are easy, I am just saying that they are no longer challenging. The full distance is very challenging because I am one of those people who dislikes training but who LOVES racing. So I race almost every weekend from spring to late fall. As a result, I don’t spend much time training because I am taking a (brief) recovery from whatever weekend event I did. The full marathon distance is challenging because the last 10K is difficult...just like the last 5K of a half marathon used to be. I love that feeling of being challenged and trying to get my race times down. I cut off 20 minutes from my first marathon so I am making progress! 

Jasica, @JasciaRed

I tried (and completed) the three way challenge at the Flying Pig in Cincinnati. I ran the 10K immediately followed by the 5K on Saturday and got up and ran the half on Sunday. I was in only my 4th year of running and doing multiple, back to back events was definitely a different challenge than the full marathon I ran the previous spring. Some of the difficult elements were - pacing, not just for the immediate event but keeping in mind there would be another. Ending the 10K and not getting cold while getting back around to the 5K start. Replenishing was a big one! What to eat and drink and when so that I'd be fueled and hydrated for the current and upcoming events.

Kathleen, @Katrobbr

My running highlight would be running my third marathon (Des Moines Marathon) at goal pace and getting a PR of 4:18. This was the first time I trained with speed in mind and not just worrying about getting the miles in. I finished over an hour earlier than my very first marathon last fall in Wichita!

DeEtta, @DeEttaLBohling  

My 2013 was highlighted by running my local marathon and the Marine Corp Marathon.  I ran my local marathon in a huge PR for the course and a personal PR by a few minutes. My favorite thing about running this marathon is that I get to do it in front of my wife and kids. Marine Corp was so much fun. We took my father-in-law since he is a former marine. We visited so many places that I was glad he got to see and experience. It was a tough training cycle and I had some injury issues with my hip. The race wasn't great for me personally but I got to enjoy seeing DC and experiencing the sights during the race. Getting my race medal from a marine at the finish was first class. I was so proud to be an American. The final highlight to the year was running the local YMCA Turkey Trot with my kids. My 6 year old daughter and I ran the 1 mile.  She was as excited as was I. Running has taught me so many things and I can't wait to teach her along the way. We ran the whole race and had fun! My 10 year old son and I ran the 5K.  It was so cold that morning but it was a great way to start off our thanksgiving.

Chuck, @clswannie

My BIGGEST highlight was running my first half marathon. Of course it wasn't just any marathon, it was the Disney Princess Half. On a more serious note. When I was 15, I was told never to run again. I was a sprinter at the time and loving it. Then issues with my leg arose and I was told to 'hang up' my running shoes and pick a new hobby. Please, like running is a hobby. Obviously the doctors weren't runners. Anyway, I still ran when I could but not very long distances. Then I found out about the Disney races in 2012 and immediately registered for the Princess Half Marathon. Being a huge Disney fan, it was kind of a no brainer for me. I trained for a year, working my way up from running 1 mile to the full 13.1, and finally, at 5:45am that February morning, I ran with 15,000 of my closest female friends. All the support from everyone along the route was amazing - especially for that early in the morning! - and the best part was how I felt at the finish line. I was a smiling fiend. I couldn't help myself. I did what a lot of people told me I couldn't do and I felt great. Probably the best part about the whole race? Getting a hug from Minnie at the finish line!

Elaine, @mrselaineious

I would have to say that the most major thing that happened to me this year, running-wise was my first 10K in June in Grand Forks, ND.  At the time, it was the longest run I'd ever done, and I did it alone.  My friend had just started running again and ran the 5K, but I was shuffling along for 6.2 miles by myself.  The weather was miserable, windy and rainy - the canopy covering the after-race lunch nearly blew over before the race even started.  But, as happens, half a mile in, I was fine.  Great in fact.  The race wound through some really pretty residential streets, probably the wealthiest, quietest area of town, and then down the trail by the river.  The wind and rain died down about a quarter of the way through, and I was able to do the whole thing without walking once.  In fact, the only time I really had to fight the wind was during the last tenth of a mile, as I raced back to the finish line.

Margie, @margie311

My running highlight from 2013 is finishing my first - and my second - marathon! My first will always be a highlight of my running journey as I ran it at Walt Disney World in honor of my grandfather who passed away. It was hot, but I pushed through and finished with a smile on my face! My second marathon was special as I ran in my home state of Michigan underneath the beautiful fall leaves. I worked hard for that 51 minute PR!

Megan, @Megan_Biller

My running highlights for 2013 were The Boston Marathon and discovering trail running. First off, let me start with Boston. This was special for several reasons. My childhood was spent in Boston during the 1970's. My love for running was not evident while I was growing up and did not appear for nearly 35 years. I did, however, acquire a love for The Boston Red Sox and the great city of Boston. Kind of special that it all came to a head this year for many fine folks who share similar loves. It was a short trip that was made even more strange with all that happened. But, I will be back in 2014 to enjoy and create more memories. The discovery of trail running made an impact on my running year. Although I have yet to run a trail race, I did find a unique place to get away, take it slow, save my legs, and begin to meet a brand new kind of people. I believe this friendship will continue to blossom. The slower pace.  The shade. The natural beauty. The workout. All are reasons I am so glad to say, yes, I am a trail runner. 

Curt, @distance66