A Year in Races

This year has been a good year, running wise. After not running very much last year (1 race and probably a few miles a week on average), I am glad that I made the time this year to run more and to be healthier. I feel better overall and I like having goals to strive for. Here is a quick recap of the races from 2011.
September:
City of Roses Half Marathon, Cape Girardeau, MO: Thanks to my friend G-man, who backed out of this race but was the one to suggest it, I had a reason to train through the hot summer in Missouri. I started running 2 miles and worked my way up to half marathon shape. This race was a big PR for me. I finally broke the 2 hour mark!
Women Run the Cities 10 Mile, Minneapolis, MN: Thanks to Lisa, this was a fun weekend! We toured around Minneapolis before doing the run on Sunday. I had never run a 10 mile run before, so it was an automatic PR! Gotta love that!
October:
Green Stride Half Marathon, Newburyport, MA: I met up with my friend M, who lives in Boston, and we drove up to Newburyport (with Mr. L, who was our complimentary cameraman) for a beautifulrace through the New England fall colors.
November:
Almond Bowl Half Marathon, Chico, CA: My mom accompanied me to this race and took photos of my struggles. It was a chilly morning run, and part of it was on a dirt (rocky) road, but it was not too hilly and therefore netted me another PR.
Turkey Trot (5k), Fairhaven, MA: I roped Mr. L into doing this with me and we both had a great time! I think no matter what distance races you normally do, you should throw a 5k in from time to time in order to remind yourself how fun it is to run shorter distances!
December:
California International Marathon, Sacramento, CA: This is the big one, Elizabeth. I am so glad I finally buckled down and signed up for a marathon. It has been on my life list for a long time and I admit to putting it off, year after year, because I was afraid that afterwards I would be done with running. Quite the contrary, I am ready for the 2012 season! With gusto!
So, all in all, it was a good running season. I can’t wait to see what next year brings!
Also, here is a quick recap of the HBBC activities for the last week.
Week of Dec 10 – 16: 30.6 Points total (23.6 miles run / 7 days of veggies) Week of Dec 17 – 23: 30 points total (23 miles run / 7 days of veggies)
Did you run any races this year? Which one was your favorite? Are you having any success in keeping your cookie weight off?