Going Loppy Over the 465 Challenge

I received entry into the 465 Challenge as a part of being a BibRave Pro. Check out BibRave.com to read and write race reviews. 

This year I participated in a new Virtual Challenge designed to kick of the New Year right and get people moving, the 465 Challenge. Basically how it worked is you commit to run, walk, swim, bike, skip, crawl, whatever... for 53 miles between Jan. 1 and Feb. 29. And since it is a virtual challenge, you have the convenience of completing it anytime, anywhere! Why 53? It represents the 53 miles that make up the I-465 loop that circles Indianapolis, IN. 

The cool thing about this Virtual Race Challenge, was that it was kind of a like a Choose Your Own Adventure sort of Virtual. Don't want to run all the miles, walk some. Bike some. Ski some. Heck, swim some! As long as you are moving and can track the distance, it was all good. For me, it meant all of my miles were running miles, but for others, whatever they want. Mix and match, just get out there and get it done! I totally appreciated the uniqueness of the Challenge which opened it up to more than just runners. 

Additionally, there were some Mod Ups if you wanted to challenge yourself even more. There was special recognition for those who completed all 53 miles within a 24 hour period and recognition for those who completed multiple loops, aka Looper Club members. Since I focused all my miles as running miles, doing 53 in 24 hours wasn't something I really wanted to try, I focused on how many loops I could complete withing the 2 months. I was able to complete 6 Loops!! I finished out my 6th Loop (or 318 miles) the day before the Challenge ended. With a few more miles on the final day, I logged 323 running miles for the Challenge time frame. 

So what did you get when you completed the challenge? Well, there were two registration options, Basic and Premium. If you know anything about me, you know I love me some good swag, so I went for the Premium. Here's what each included:

PREMIUM

• 465 Challenger Super Soft Finisher Shirt
• 465 Race Car Slider Finisher Medal*
• Super Cool Bumper Sticker
• Training Program
• Motivational Emails
• Virtual Bib
• Certificate of Completion

BASIC

• Super Cool Bumper Sticker
• Training Program
• Motivational Emails
• Virtual Bib
• Certificate of Completion

I got my items pretty much immediately at the completion of the Challenge. I actually would have received my swag the last day of the Challenge, Feb. 29, but that was totally on my Post Office (my USPS alerts said it was coming on the 29th, but I guess the PO just didn't actually feel like delivering for some reason). Anyway, it was awesome to get it so quick, unlike some other Virtual Races I've done where you wait and wait. And the items were SUPER COOL. Like it says super soft finisher shirt, and they were not kidding. So comfy! And the medal is really cool. It has a tiny little car on it that moves around the medal on the tiny road. Check out my Insta here for a Boomerang of it in action: https://www.instagram.com/p/B9PwtC3nqZM/?utm_source=ig_web_copy_link

And while I love a good Virtual Challenge (see here for the reasons why: https://runnerdgirl.blogspot.com/2019/03/the-benefits-of-racing-virtually.html, I fully admit that not everyone does. There is a certain support and camaraderie aspect that Virtual Racing lacks. Well, that was not the case for this challenge as there was a private Facebook Group for Challengers to join that was super interactive and supportive. By the end of the Challenge, there were 361 members of the group all offering support and cheers. Seriously, each time I posted anything I would get so many cheers and comments, it was really awesome. I met some really great people and now that the Challenge is over, the group is still going strong. I've met some awesome people there that I look forward to remaining in touch with. 

Overall, it was a fun, unique Challenge and I would totally do it again. It is a great way to be stay motivated to move while be flexible enough to do your own thing. Couple with awesome swag and a supportive crew, and I cannot recommend this Challenge enough. I'm so glad that I got to be a part of it's inaugural year and look forward to participating next year.

If you are intersted, be sure to follow the 465 Challenge on socials for updates:

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/465challenge

Twitter: https://twitter.com/465Challenge

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/465challenge/

2019 Wrap Up and Beyond

I'm not going to mince words. 2019 was a lot. Like A LOT. And not just for running, but overall just... well, just a lot. But hey, let's focus on the running for now...
Holy Year of Achievements!! I pulled the following list of awesomeness off:

• A TON of new PRs
  
• New 5K PR - 24:15
• New 8K PR - 40:05
• New 10K PR - 50:37
• New 15K PR - 
• New Half PR - 1:56
• Ran 19 races (placed in 5 of them)
• Ran a Marathon (my first)
• Ran a Ragnar Relay (my first)
• Placed in a Charlotte Race (my first time, 2nd Division)
• Placed Overall in a Race (3rd Overall Female)
• Hit my Milage Goal (and then some)
• Ran 1000 Miles in the Year (1st goal)
• Ran 1200 Miles in the Year (stretch goal)
• Ran 1400 Miles in the Year (even further stretch goal)

• Finally did an unassisted Pull Up and Chin Up
• Became a BibRave Pro Team Captain

Rocking my new BibRave logo gear

And those stats do not even come close to covering how much fun I had this year. I joined a new run club, met so many amazing new runner friends, embraced trail running, ran on a different continent (!), hit just under 200 Burn Boot Camps and so so much more.

Wow! No wonder I'm tired! 

So what does 2020 hold for me? Well, I've got a few crazy ideas planned that I will cover in future posts, let's just say that I had toyed with the idea of having a nice calm year going forward, but then quickly that idea faded as I learned of some really cool races, challenges and just adventures in general. I'll just leave it at, my race calendar is already starting to fill out and I don't plan on slowing down just quite yet. 

In fact, my first race of the New Year is the first DAY of the New Year! I'll be running a very tough and very technical Trail 20K on New Years Day. I did the course preview on Saturday with a few friends and let's just say, please wish me luck. I am going to need it. But if I can stay out of my own head (which is proving to be a bit more of a challenge than I expected for this one) then it will all be worth it. The post-race meal is PHENOMENAL! It's a traditional Southern Lucky New Year's Meal of BBQ, black eyed peas, greens and cornbread. Plus Legal Remedy beer! 

In addition, for the beginning part of 2020, I am participating in the 465 Virtual Challenge, an awesome challenge to help you stay motivated for the New Year. 

Basically how it works is you commit to run, walk, swim, bike, skip, crawl, whatever... for 53 miles between Jan. 1 and Feb. 29. And since it is a virtual challenge, you have the convenience of completing it anytime, anywhere! Why 53? It represents the 53 miles that make up the I-465 loop that circles Indianapolis, IN. 

There are 2 options to register if you want to join me. Basic and Premium. The main difference between the 2 is that the Premium comes with a super soft finisher shirt and a medal. Here are the exact deets:


PREMIUM

• 465 Challenger Super Soft Finisher Shirt
• 465 Race Car Slider Finisher Medal*
• Super Cool Bumper Sticker
• Training Program
• Motivational Emails
• Virtual Bib
• Certificate of Completion

BASIC

• Super Cool Bumper Sticker
• Training Program
• Motivational Emails
• Virtual Bib
• Certificate of Completion

The best part is that you can also kind of do the challenge in your own way to make it even more motivating. Challenge yourself to finish the 53 miles a by a certain date. See how many loops you can do. Do all 53 miles just running, or just swimming maybe. It's really up to you! 

To join, register here: https://www.465challenge.com/ And to sweeten the deal, I've got a discount code for you! Get 10% off either registration with code: BIBRAVE You can register anytime between now and Feb. 29, but heads up, only the first 1000 Premium 

I hope you all have also had a wonderful 2019. Let me know some of your accomplishments in the comments below. Doesn't have to be running, anything you are proud of, just let me know! And thank you for following along on this journey with me. I just know that 2020 is going to kick some serious ass!

2018 Recap

So here we are. The end of another year. Time for a final look at 2018 and see how things went as far as meeting my goals. But first up...

2018 Setbacks

I'll be honest, 2018 was a pretty great year for me overall. I didn't run into any real illness or injuries that kept me off the road. I owe a lot of that to an increase in cross training with Burn Boot Camp. Overall, going 2 or 3 times per week throughout the year I think kept me pretty healthy. If I had to pick a major area that I struggled with, it would have to be nutrition. I got what I felt was pretty lousy advice near the end of 2017 that set me on the path of some pretty unhealthy habits for weight loss (too few calories, too drastic loss). Right before the end of the year, I had lost 12 pounds in just 3 weeks while maintaining full activity. I felt like my body was shutting down. I think I kind of rebelled against that by not following any kind of plan once I realized that I could not keep going like that. Anyway, I need to be more sensible about watching what I eat and making better choices. I will be posting my goals for 2019 later this week, but you can be sure that nutrition will be a big one. I've been very lucky not to bounce back and gain a bunch of weight back, but that won't last forever, plus, esp with heavy training at the beginning of 2019, I just need to eat better to perform and feel better. Again, more on this soon. 

The most frustrating thing that I think happened to me in 2019 was missing hitting a new 5K PR by 3 seconds at Rock n Roll Savannah. 3 SECONDS! And yes, I know I had just set a new Half PR the day before, and I know I ran a good race, but missing by that little is super frustrating. And now that I've switched focus away from speed training, looks like that 5K PR will hold for a while. 

I also did not follow a regular planner like I had set out to do. This is one I am going to try as a do over goal for 2019, so I will be talking more about this in my upcoming 2019 goals. 2019 is going to have a pretty consistent theme of getting organized. I seriously cannot keep going on like a chicken with my head cut off. The chaos will be tamed in 2019! 

Otherwise... 2018 was kind of awesome! 

Let's take one last look at my goals and how I did. (Goals are listed in orange). Less than a month to get everything checked off! 

• Run 1009 miles - me and a friend are splitting 2018 miles
• BOOM! Mission accomplished a full MONTH early! I ended the year with 1,140 total miles! 

• Run 18 races
• Grand total of 21 races for 2018! Wow! I'll admit, I kind of got carried away at the end of the year. I will not be racing this much in 2019, but I do have a few important races lined up (see below). 2018 was EXHAUSTING! Here's what I ran - 

Baxter Trail NYD Gnome Run 5K, Joe Davis Run for Recovery 10K, Hot Chocolate 15K Atlanta, Hot Chocolate 15K Charlotte, Tobacco Road Half Marathon, Come See Me Road Race 5K, Kings Mountain Half Marathon, Warrior Dash 5K, Moonlight Bootlegger Trail 5K, Insane Inflatable 5K, Common Heart Firecracker 10K, Summerfest 5K, Color Me for Life 5K, Great Pumpkin Run 5K, Rock n Roll Savannah Half Marathon, 5K, and 1 Mile races, Run Hard Lexington 10K, Gobble Wobble 8K, Huntersville Half Marathon, and Santa Run 8K. Whew... 

• Place in 4 races
• Y'all this is one goal that I was super excited about exceeding. I managed 7 placements in 2018!! Here's the stats - 
• 3rd Place Baxter Trail NYD Gnome Run 5K
• 1st Place Come See Me 5K
• 2nd Place Kings Mountain Half Marathon
• 2nd Place Mooonlight Bootlegger Trail 5K
• 1st Place Common Heart Firecracker 10K
• 3rd Place Summerfest 5K
• 1st Place Great Pumpkin Run 5K

Here's a quick visual of all the medals and awards I brought home. Missing is a pint glass for the NYD Gnome Run 5K because the decal washed off.

Bling for days... 

• 1200 Twitter followers
• Done and Done! I just surpassed 1500 followers! 

• 1000 Instagram followers
• Did not make my original goal, but in my last update post, I said I would be happy with 900. I hit that. Currently at 926. This will be a bigger focus in 2019.

• Run 4 Half Marathons with a new PR in at least 1
• 4 Half Marathons accomplished. And 2 new PRs! Here's what I raced:
• New PR at Tobacco Road - 2:07
• Kings Mountain Half Marathon (no PR, but improved over previous year)
• Even newer PR at Rock n Roll Savannah - 2:05
• Huntersville Half paced a friend who got a new PR for her!

• Do an Obstacle Race (Warrior Dash) 
• Done and done! This was a total blast. So much fun! I can't wait to run it again Although one of my friends is trying to convince us to upgrade to the Spartan. We'll see...

Our crazy messy crew

• Renew as BibRave Pro

• So exited to say that I have achieved this goal! I have absolutely LOVED being a BibRave Pro and am stoked about being on board for another year. I've been able to test out some really amazing items this year (my favorites probably being Aftershokz and OOFS) and run some really fun races (2 Hot Chocolate races, Tobacco Road and Rock n Roll Savannah). But more than that, I am so thankful for the community of runners that I have gotten to meet over the past year. I cannot wait for the amazing opportunities that 2019 will hold for me with BibRave. I already have my first 2 2019 BibRave races scheduled, Hot Chocolate Charlotte on Jan. 19 and Tobacco Road Marathon (my first ever) on Mar. 17. Check out the notes at the bottom of this post for details on how you can join me at these races including discount codes! 

• Blog more - 4 per month at least 
• Some month's have been better than others (I'm looking at you, May and August) but I can say that I have overall done a much better job of blogging than in 2017.  This post will bring me to 50 for the year, which averages out to 4.2 posts per month which is so I'm calling it a win. I am going to be focusing even more on Blog building in 2019.

• Keep a consistent training plan/journal (Using the Believe Training Journal) 
• As you read above. This was a big ol' fail for me. Hey, if you met all of your goals, that means you didn't aim high enough, right!? That's what I am going with at least. This year I am trying the Simple Elephant planner. I have it already set up, ready to go. 

Here a a few other 2018 Successes that I did not specifically have as goal, but wanted to mention:

• New PR in every distance I raced in 2018 - 5K, 8K, 10K, 15K and Half. Now I didn't PR every race, I did at one point in the year PR each distance
• Was consistent with Burn Boot Camp. Sure, I may call it Torture Camp, but it is all with love. I have gotten loads stronger, which has really helped my running and made some amazing friends. Love my #BurnSisters
• Also, earlier this year, my Burn Boot Camp Rock Hill location had a location shirt design contest, and I won it! In fact, that pictured to the right is me wearing the shirt that I designed! 
• Signed up for a Marathon. I may have mentioned this one or two (or a billion times). Signing up was one of my scariest moments of 2018. So far, I am on track with training. I just started Week 8 of 18 of training. 

Looking Forward - Join Me on the Road in 2019

As I mentioned above, I already have a few 2019 lined up. 

I'm so excited about running my 3rd Hot Chocolate 15K (2nd Charlotte one) on January 19th. Not only do I think that 15K is the perfect distance (right around the 10 mile mark, I start to think to myself - Why am I still running? - but there is CHOCOLATE at the finish. Not just Hot Chocolate mind you, but all manner of yummies! Plus, their swag is legit some of the best race swag ever (see the pic to the right) Join me and register with discount code BRHCCharlotte and you get not only the medal, the jacket (so worth the registration fee alone) the chocolate and goodies (YUM), but also a really cool branded arm band for holding your phone while running. There is also a 5K option, but heads up that you do not get a medal for this. You still get the jacket, goodies and the arm band (with the discount code). 

Tobacco Road Marathon on March 17th will be MY EVER FIRST MARATHON at Tobacco Road!! I have already started training with the BibRave and Aftershokz #262Squad and am on Week 4 of training. You can join me at Tobacco Road, register with discount code trmrave19 for $20 off either the Half or the Full - https://tobaccoroadmarathon.com 

You can also join the #262Squad Marathon Training Program here: 262squad.aftershokz.com/
Download the plan on the Motigo App and join in anytime. You will receive a full 18 week training plan that consists of 4 running days per week, many of which have helpful audio cues that play throughout your run. I'm loving it so far!. 

How about you? Tell me how your 2018 went. What were your major accomplishments? Feel free to follow me on Twitter or Instagram if you haven't already.

Are you looking at 2019 yet? If so, what do you have planned?

** Do note that I am right on schedule for the 2018 recap, unlike last year when was 3 days late 😊 See, already getting the jump on that getting organized thing for 2019. 

The End is Nigh - The End of the Year That Is!

Here's a quick update on my 2018 goals along with the current status (Goals are listed in orange). Less than a month to get everything checked off! 

• Run 1009 miles - me and a friend are splitting 2018 miles
• BOOM! Mission accomplished a full MONTH early!

Accomplished on Nov. 29!

• Run 18 races
• Well, even if I just count the Savannah Rock n Roll races as 1 race (when I actually ran 3) I would be at 18 races as of right now and I still have 2 more this year. I will be running the Huntersville Half Marathon this coming weekend and The Santa Dash 8K the following weekend. So I'm calling it 20 races for the year.  

• Place in 4 races
• Y'all this is one goal that I was super excited about exceeding. So as of last check in, I had hit 6 placings. And guess what?! I managed one more since then! I placed 1st AG in the Great Pumpkin 5K!!  I went in with the goal to bring home a pumpkin and I DID! Total of 7 placements for 2018. Not too shabby! 

I came, I ran, I achieved pumpkin

• 1200 Twitter followers
• Done and Done! I just surpassed 1400 followers! 

• 1000 Instagram followers
• Not sure if I am gonna make this one. Currently at 879. I've upped my Instagram game a bit, but it is still slow going. Will be happy if I can get to 900. If you have any Insta tips, please post in the comments. This will be a bigger focus in 2019.

• Run 4 Half Marathons with a new PR in at least 1
• 3 down, with 1 more registered for: 
• New PR at Tobacco Road - 2:07
• Even newer PR at Rock n Roll Savannah - 2:05
• Running Huntersville Half on Dec. 8th, but not racing it. Gonna pace a friend.

• Do an Obstacle Race (Warrior Dash) 
• Done and done! This was a total blast. So much fun! I can't wait to run it again Although one of my friends is trying to convince us to upgrade to the Spartan. We'll see...

Our crazy messy crew

• Renew as BibRave Pro

• So exited to say that I have achieved this goal! I have absolutely LOVED being a BibRave Pro and am stoked about being on board for another year. I've been able to test out some really amazing items this year (my favorites probably being Aftershokz and OOFS) and run some really fun races (2 Hot Chocolate races, Tobacco Road and Rock n Roll Savannah). But more than that, I am so thankful for the community of runners that I have gotten to meet over the past year. I cannot wait for the amazing opportunities that 2019 will hold for me with BibRave. I already have my first 2 2019 BibRave races scheduled, Hot Chocolate Charlotte on Jan. 19 and Tobacco Road Marathon (my first ever) on Mar. 17. Check out the notes at the bottom of this post for details on how you can join me at these races including discount codes! 

• Blog more - 4 per month at least 
• Some month's have been better than others (I'm looking at you, May and August) but I can say that I have overall done a much better job of blogging than in 2017.  So far I am at 46 (including this post) for the year, which averages out to 4.1 posts per month which is so I'm calling it a win. I am going to be focusing even more on Blog building in 2019.

• Keep a consistent training plan/journal (Using the Believe Training Journal) 
• Ummmm... pass. Yeah, I suck. Said amazing training journal has sat in my desk drawer, cold and unloved. I am having a bit more luck with the pocket calendar, but mostly for scheduling BibRave stuff, not training. Training is mainly on an Excel spreadsheet. Recommend a system that you love for me to try in the comments below to help a girl out. 

Looking Foward - Join Me on the Road in 2019

As I mentioned above, I already have a few 2019 lined up. 

I'm so excited about running my 3rd Hot Chocolate 15K (2nd Charlotte one) on January 19th. Not only do I think that 15K is the perfect distance (right around the 10 mile mark, I start to think to myself - Why am I still running? - but there is CHOCOLATE at the finish. Not just Hot Chocolate mind you, but all manner of yummies! Plus, their swag is legit some of the best race swag ever (see the pic to the right) Join me and register with discount code BRHCCharlotte and you get not only the medal, the jacket (so worth the registration fee alone) the chocolate and goodies (YUM), but also a really cool branded arm band for holding your phone while running. There is also a 5K option, but heads up that you do not get a medal for this. You still get the jacket, goodies and the arm band (with the discount code). 

Tobacco Road Marathon on March 17th will be MY EVER FIRST MARATHON at Tobacco Road!! I have already started training with the BibRave and Aftershokz #262Squad and am on Week 4 of training. You can join me at Tobacco Road, register with discount code trmrave19 for $20 off either the Half or the Full - https://tobaccoroadmarathon.com 

You can also join the #262Squad Marathon Training Program here: 262squad.aftershokz.com/
Download the plan on the Motigo App and join in anytime. You will receive a full 18 week training plan that consists of 4 running days per week, many of which have helpful audio cues that play throughout your run. I'm loving it so far!. 

How about you? Tell me how your 2018 is going so far. Feel free to follow me on Twitter or Instagram if you haven't already to help me meet those 2018 number too. 

Are you looking at 2019 yet? If so, what do you have planned?

3rd Quarter Check In

First of all here are my 2018 goals along with the current status (Goals are listed in orange). 

• Run 1009 miles - me and a friend are splitting 2018 miles
• I'm a bit ahead on this goal as I've banked a few miles here an there each month just in case something comes up. Luckily this year I have yet to run into any extended breaks (please don't have just jinxed this!!) so as of today, I am at 813 miles of the 757 I needed to be on track for 1009 for the year. My partner is training for an Ultra (it's this weekend, wish her luck!), so she's well ahead of schedule at 892 miles. Combined we are sitting pretty at 1705/2018. Each of us only need just over 150 miles each to finish out the year which will be no problem, esp with me training for 2 more Half Marathons and starting training for my first ever Marathon.

• Run 18 races
• I'm well and good on the 18 race goal. As of Sept 30th, I have run 11. Currently, I have registered for 5 more (Color Me for Life 5K, Great Pumpkin Run 5K, Rock N Roll Savannah Half Marathon and 5K, and Huntersville Half Marathon. I know for sure doing 2 others (Gobble Wobble 8K and Santa Run 8K), just have not registered for yet. I also may do another 10K in Nov but haven't fully decided. (You can join me at Savannah and save $15 on the Half or Full with discount code- RNRBRP2018).

These are the 2018 Savannah Rock n Roll medals. Pleased to say I'll be earning 3 of these beauties! 

• Place in 4 races
• This goal is already met and then some! I'm now at SIX placings! 3rd at New Years Gnome Run 5K, 2nd at Kings Mountain Half Marathon, 1st at Come See Me 5K, 2nd at Moonlight Bootlegger, 1st at Common Heart Firecracker 10K and 3rd at Summerfest 5K!!!  I'm half hoping for one more at the Great Pumpkin Run in October, but it's kind of a long shot, so we'll see... 

• 1200 Twitter followers
• Done and Done! Current follower count is 1,284

• 1000 Instagram followers
• Not sure if I am gonna make this one. Currently at 793. I've upped my Instagram game a bit, but it is still slow going. If you have any Insta tips, please post in the comments. 

• Run 4 Half Marathons (Tobacco Rd., Kings Mtn, Run & Ride, Rock n Roll Savannah) with a new PR in at least 1
• 2 down, with 2 more registered for 
• New PR at Tobacco Road.
• Running Rock n Roll Savannah Half on Nov. 3rd
• Running Huntersville Half on Dec. 9th

• Do an Obstacle Race (Warrior Dash) 
• Done and done! This was a total blast. So much fun! I can't wait to run it again Although one of my friends is trying to convince us to upgrade to the Spartan. We'll see...

Our crazy messy crew

• Renew as BibRave Pro

• This doesn't happen until late Fall, so no update on this goal, but I *think* I am doing a decent job as a Pro. I've met all my requirement and try to post quality content. And I have been LOVING some of the awesome things I've gotten to test! Some of my favorites include Aftershokz Trekz Air bone conducting headphones and my Bedgear Performance Pillow. Love getting to try out such cool things and tell others about them!  

• Blog more - 4 per month at least 
• Some month's have been better than others (I'm looking at you, May and August) but I can say that I have overall done a much better job of blogging than in 2017.  So far I am at 33 (including this post) for the year, which averages out to 3.67 posts per month which is ALMOST 4, so I'm calling it a win. 

• Keep a consistent training plan/journal (Using the Believe Training Journal) 
• Ummmm... pass. Yeah, I suck. Said amazing training journal has sat in my desk drawer, cold and unloved. I am having a bit more luck with the pocket calendar, but mostly for scheduling BibRave stuff, not training. Recommend a system that you love for me to try in the comments below to help a girl out. 

And I am not sure of you noticed me slip it in there at the top, but I already have my MAJOR 2019 Goal lined. I'M RUNNING MY FIRST MARATHON at Tobacco Road in March!! That's crazy! I'm still not ever sure why crazy me has decided to do this, probably so I can answer yes once and for all when people ask if I've run a marathon. Feeling like it will totally be a one and done kind of thing, but I have to get that one. I ran the Half at Tobacco Road this year and loved it, so I think it will be a great first Full. Training will officially start in Nov. after Savannah. You can join me at Tobacco Road, register with discoutn code trmrave19 for $20 off either the Half or the Full - https://tobaccoroadmarathon.com/

How about you? Tell me how your 2018 is going so far. Feel free to follow me on Twitter or Instagram if you haven't already to help me meet those 2018 number too. 

2018 Half Year Check In

So, keeping in step with my check-ins being a few days late (again, I know who I am), here we are with a quick recap and review of the first half of 2018. 

First of all here are my 2018 goals along with the current status (Goals are listed in orange). 

• Run 1009 miles - me and a friend are splitting 2018 miles

  

  Shoe pic w me, my partner, another friend & pacer

• I'm a bit ahead on this goal as I've banked a few miles here an there each month just in case something comes up. Luckily this year I have yet to run into any extended breaks (please don't have just jinxed this!!) so as of the last day of June, I was at 555 miles of the 504 I needed to be on track for 1009 for the year. My partner is training for an Ultra, so she's well ahead of schedule.

• Run 18 races
• I'm well and good on the 18 race goal. As of June 30th, I had run 10 races with an 11th run on July 4th. Currently, I am not signed up for another race officially until Nov. 3rd - Rock N Roll Savannah Half Marathon, but I know for sure a few I am doing, just not registered for yet. (You can join me at Savannah and save $15 on the Half or Full with discount code- RNRBRP2018.

• Place in 4 races
• This goal is already met and then some! I've had FIVE placings as of current! 3rd at New Years Gnome Run 5K, 2nd at Kings Mountain Half Marathon, 1st at Come See Me 5K, 2nd at Moonlight Bootlegger and 1st at Common Heart Firecracker 10K!!!

• 1200 Twitter followers
• I should hit this fairly soon actually. Current follower count is 1,173

• 1000 Instagram followers
• Going a bit slower than the Twitter, but still attainable. Currently at 725. I need to post more the IG for sure 

• Run 4 Half Marathons (Tobacco Rd., Kings Mtn, Run & Ride, Rock n Roll Savannah) with a new PR in at least 1
• 2 down, with 2 more registered for with a new PR at Tobacco Road. A slight change on this goal as the Run and Ride race is not being held this year, so my 4th Half will be the Huntersville Half on Dec. 9th, a new race for me. The Rock N Roll Savannah is also a new race for me and I am really excited for it! 

• Do an Obstacle Race (Warrior Dash) 
• Done and done! This was a total blast. So much fun! I can't wait to run it again Although one of my friends is trying to convince us to upgrade to the Spartan. We'll see...

• Renew as BibRave Pro
• This doesn't happen until late Fall, so no update on this goal, but I *think* I am doing a decent job as a Pro. I've met all my requirement and try to post quality content. And I have been LOVING some of the awesome things I've gotten to test! For example, I am currently breaking in my 2nd pair of Under Armor HOVR Sonic shoes and let me tell you, I love them! Super light, super fast, they are my go to racing shoe. Disclaimer: I received a pair of the Under Armour HOVR Sonic Shoes 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! 

• Blog more - 4 per month at least 
• Some month's have been better than others (I'm looking at you, May) but I can say that I have overall done a much better job of blogging than in 2017.

• Keep a consistent training plan/journal (Using the Believe Training Journal) 
• Ummmm... pass. Yeah, I suck. Said amazing training journal has sat in my desk drawer, cold and unloved. I just picked up a pocket calendar to see if I have more luck with that. If you have a system that you love, let me know, cause I guess I'm still searching for that one thing that I will stick to. 

So there we are. Not a perfect 2018 by any means, but I am super pleased with it so far. And I ready to take on the next half just as hard! 

How about you? Tell me how your 2018 is going so far. Feel free to follow me on Twitter or Instagram if you haven't already to help me meet those 2018 number too.