The 7 of '07

I'm taking a page (or stealing an idea) from fellow runners as I reflect on the year that has passed. In a number of ways, 2007 has exceeded my expectations. To say that 2006 was a rough year for me would have been a grave understatement. I knew 2007 had to look up, and, indeed, it did. This was true of my running as well. I know some runner/bloggers go for the Top 10 running moments when they compile a list such as this. I'm not sure I have ten, but we'll see how far we get. In no particular order:

1) Discovering the joys of Tinicum. It really wasn't until 2007 that I came to realize how fortunate I am to have this wonderful place to run. One run stands out for me in particular. It was late May and Amy and I ran the figure eight loop counting along the way the number of turtles (most of which were actively laying eggs) and the number of bunnies. It was a close contest. Amy was pulling for the turtles, but in the end, the bunnies with their reproductive zeal took the prize. Turns out bunnies and turtles aren't the only things that procreate in Tinicum - that I will never forget either.

2) My first real run with Seebo. Yes, as mostly everyone knows, he is SPRNTC fast and I, well, am not. I was nervous about it and fought dozens of inner demons along the way. I survived, but the scene has not recurred since then. Hmmm. Maybe in '08.

3) Not running the Stone Harbor 10k. How could not running a race be memorable you ask? Well, I thought I was going to have to run it. As an honorary member of Philadelphia Athletic Charities running club, I was going to 'take one for the team' if they needed a female entrant (other team members' performances don't count if there is not at least one female member). It was August, it was hot and sticky and sunny - as bad as it can be, or worse, on a late summer late morning. I was thrilled to see some of the other PAC women in their running gear... which meant that in no time, I was changing into my bathing suit and ready to swim in the ocean. Of course, I had to be polite and cheer the other runners on, but eventually, I did get to play in the waves.

4) PR-a-palooza 2007. I was consistently surprised throughout the year, especially during the second half, when my race times improved one after the next. I'm not going to rehash each one, but suffice it to say that it was nice to see that pushing myself in my training runs paid off during my fall racing season. I PR-ed at 5k, 15k, and half marathon distances. I felt most pleased by my Distance Run performance; it was just one of those perfect days where everything seemed to come together and the fact that I forgot my watch actually seemed to help me.

5) Using my health insurance plan. There were certainly times in my life when I didn't have health insurance and really could have used it. Mostly, I'm a healthy lass and require little to no medical attention. This year, my hip was giving me some issues, so I decided to enlist my trusty HMO (yes, that was a joke) to investigate the problem. I had X-rays, an MRI, Physical Therapy, the works! And, yes, the hip seems like it's doing much better.

6) My First Schwag! Indeed, an exciting occurrence for me, and I didn't even do it on purpose. In fact, I wouldn't have even known that I had won 3rd place in my age group if it hadn't been for a nice woman I met during the race (who, incidentally, won 2nd place in the same age group). It was an unseasonably warm day and I was disappointed that Seebo wasn't running it due to his hobbled condition, but the race went well and I got to sip Mimosas with my sweety to celebrate the race where we originally met the year prior.

7) Running with the Canna-Clan: There were a few occurrences throughout the year where I had the opportunity to run with my family - some configuration of my sister, Tammy, my brother, Scott, and my sister-in-law, Sarah. They all live in Denver at the moment, so these opportunities are rare. Tammy was out here last January for a convention and I took that opportunity to run part of Tinicum with her. I was out in Denver in March and Sarah and I ran a good 10 mile stretch of somewhere. Then Scott and Sarah were here for Thanksgiving and we again ran Tinicum. Finally, exactly one week ago from today, we ran a bit out in Denver. I miss my family and love that we can share in running together.

I think that about sums it up for 2007. I'll stick with seven entries as that seems to be a lucky number and I can use all the luck I can get heading into 2008 as I have a lot to live up to in terms of my running and in other areas of my life. Best wishes to everyone for a happy and healthy 2008.