2022 Running Review

The biggest change with my running since Covid is that my parents haven't been running races. I ran most of the races I did so I could spend time with them and because I have FOMO when people go to races without me, haha! Left to my own devices, I run far fewer races. Though not as much fun, focusing on fewer races allows me to really target them and train without as many down weeks due to races. In January 2022 I was training for my first official marathon since November 2018 when I got Covid. I had already pushed the beginning of my training cycle back a bit due to getting the flu in December, so after getting Covid and having a hard time coming back to running after it, I decided a spring marathon wasn't going to happen after all. Taking a while to come back also caused me to have quite a few lower mileage weeks. All of that effected my overall 2022 stats, making them lower than in recent years, but still comparable with 2018 and earlier. I've never run a winter marathon before and I'm currently training for the Houston Marathon in January which makes this year's race recap a little wonky. I didn't have any big, goal races this year. I was pumped to get back to the in-person Tulsa Run, but that was the only race that was a big one this year. The rest were smaller races and trail races. Doing this recap I realized I haven't run a 5k race since February of 2020! I guess that tells you how much I enjoy them, haha! But I'm thinking I'll have to throw one in this spring. I'm excited for a big 2023 with hopefully a BQ Marathon in January and then working on getting some speed back in the spring. I've hit a point where I've come to terms with not being as speedy as I was before Covid and I've been feeling really good about where I am and what I'm able to do. Looking back over the past years' running reviews did make me miss being able to run 19 minute 5ks and low 1:30 half-marathons, but I'm hoping some marathon PRs are in my future and I look forward to running a 50k on a better course and lowering my PR there too. I may not be as speedy as I once was, but I know I have some exciting things in my running future! Read past recaps here: 2021, 2020, 2019, 2018, 2017, and 2016.

Total Miles Run:

1,921 miles

For Comparison I Ran:

2,161 miles in 2021

2,020 miles in 2020

2,019 miles in 2019

1,918 miles in 2018

1,546.41 miles in 2017

1,332.6 miles in 2016

Average Weekly Mileage: 36.9 miles

Average Daily Mileage: 5.3 miles

Total Time Spent Running:

289 hours

For Comparison I Ran:

331 hours in 2021

292 hours in 2020

283 hours in 2019

271 hours in 2018

223.5 hours in 2017

191.5 hours in 2016

Total Elevation Gain:

85,344 feet

For Comparison:

91,021 feet in 2021

71,963 feet in 2020

75,483 feet in 2019

70,513 feet in 2018

Total Active Days/Days I Ran:

304 (thanks, Covid)

For Comparison:

319 in 2021

319 in 2020

338 in 2019

308 in 2018

Weekly Mileage:

Weeks with 20-29 Miles: 8 (7 in 2021, 3 in 2020, 0 in 2019, 5 in 2018, 21 in 2017, and 24 in 2016)

Weeks with 30-39 Miles: 17 (14 in 2021, 20 in 2020, 23 in 2019, 25 in 2018, 8 in 2017, and 11 in 2016)

Weeks with 40-49 Miles: 22 (18 in 2021, 21 in 2020, 29 in 2019, 17 in 2018, 9 in 2017, and 7 in 2016)

Weeks with 50+ Miles: 4 (13 in 2021, 7 in 2020, 0 in 2019, 3 in 2018, 7 in 2017, and 2 in 2016)

Highest Weekly Mileage: 55 miles

PRs:

None really, although I ran my first race at altitude and felt great! My 25k was a PR because it was the first non-trail 25k I've run. It was gravel and hilly so not fast, but faster than a trail race. I also ran my first 12 mile race, so that would technically be a PR. It was a trail race, though, so slower than my training runs. My big accomplishment this year was my getting my 6th Tulsa Run 60/70 Mug.

Races:

January

None

February

None

March

None

April

30th- Greater Roadrunner Trail 12 Miler in 1:53:46 (9:22 pace), 2nd overall female

May

None

June

4th- War Eagle Trail 25k in 2:17:09 (9:41 pace), 1st overall female

July

20th- Rocky Mountain Half Marathon in 1:46:23 (8:09 pace), 16th overall female/1st age group 

August

None

September 

None

October

15th- Pumpkin Holler Gravel 25k in 2:11:20 (8:17 pace), 1st overall female

29th- Tulsa Run 15k in 1:08:28 (7:19 pace), 10th overall female/3rd age group

November

None

December

4th- Half and Half Paved Half Marathon in 1:35:54 (7:20 pace), 2nd overall female

What I Read: December

I always get so excited to read Christmas books in December. It's fun to read nothing but fun and happy books for a month. That's exactly what I did this month and I ended up with some really good ones! One of these days I'm going to make a list of all the Christmas books I've read and note which ones were the best.

Such a pretty cover!

Books:

• Our Missing Hearts by Celest Ng- As I was starting my post for December, I realized I accidentally added this one to my November list, even though I finished it in December, so I'm moving it on over to the correct month. This was by far my favorite of Ng's books. It was so good. I loved the poem and how she wove that through the story. I loved the borrowed snippets of things that have happened in history she used from to make the story feel relevant and real. I also loved the underground work the librarians did to help people. The ending was heart breaking and I didn't realize I was reading the last page until I turned it and saw I was at the Author's Notes. I immediately began to cry. Ty was caught off guard and, honestly, so was I. This one really hit me in the heart as a mom.

• So, This Is Christmas by Tracy Andreen- The author of this book grew up in Tulsa and the book was set in Oklahoma so I was super excited to read it. It was cute. Not super good, but good enough to hold my attention.

• A Merry Little Meet Cute by Julie Murphy- I absolutely loved this one. One of my friends and I were talking about Christmas books and both realized we both had this one to read this year. We read it together which made it really fun because we texted back and forth about it as we were reading. There was never a meet cute which I was a little bummed by, but I get that the title referred to the Christmas movie moments that would be in the kind of movie they were filming.

• Amor Actually by Mackenzie Walton (editor)- You know my love for Love Actually and fitting a bunch of characters together in surprising ways. When I saw there was a Christmas book of short stories written by Latinx authors, basically re-imagining Love Actually, I was on board. This was way more steamy than I was bargaining for, but I still really liked it! I especially liked that the story of the wife getting cheated on started with her after the divorce (which she stood up for herself and pushed for) and her happy ever after (at least for the moment).

eBooks:

• The Holiday Swap by Maggie Knox- This was absolutely adorable and I loved it. I would have given it 5 stars but the ending was a little bit over the top and cheesy for me. I still loved it though!

• A Holly Jolly Diwali by Sonya Lalli- This was cute. The characters were a bit annoying and immature, but still loveable. 

• The Thursday Murder Club by Richard Osman- This book was really disjointed for me. There was a long holds list so when it was available and I was still reading a different ebook, I went ahead and downloaded it. When I got around to reading it, I only got halfway through before it returned to the library. Then I had to put it on hold again and it took me 2 months to get it back. I remembered the main details from reading it before, but it would have been a lot more enjoyable had I gotten to read it without a huge gap in between. I still loved it and am looking forward to reading the next 2 books in the series. 

Audiobooks:

• Boy Swallows Universe by Trent Dalton- This was our December book for Book Club. I HATED it when I started it. The book grew with the narrator and it started as stream of conciousness and didn't make much sense. I had a hard time following it and almost gave up on it. About half-way through it picked up and it was really interesting and action packed. The narrator started telling the story with lots of color and beauty. Had the book just been the 2nd half, I'd say it was okay, but with the first half in there, it kind of sucked. I definitely wouldn't recommend this one, but I could see it being a really good movie.

• The Slippery Slope by Lemony Snicket- #10 in the series. I felt the same about this one as I have the last few. I was waiting on a Christmas book I had on hold to come in to I picked this one to listen to while I waited because it was short.

• The Christmas Train by David Baldacci- I really didn't like this one and only finished it because it was short. The main character was an entitled jerk and the story was just pretty dumb. There were all these little sub-plots that were just too much and I couldn't stand the main character which made it hard to deal with.

• The Christmas Sisters by Sarah Morgan- This was really sweet and I loved that it followed the 3 sisters along with their mom so the story was from 4 different perspectives which always keeps things fun and interesting. There was a moment in the book with a missing special stuffie which reminded me what we went through with Big Al and Carter.

• Written in the Stars by Alexandria Bellefleur- I loved the little nods to Pride and Prejudice in this book. I love retellings of Jane Austen novels, but this one wasn't a retelling, there were just little details borrowed from the book. I got really excited part-way through when I realized there are 2 more books in the series, each following a different character that had a supporting role in this book. I'm excited to read them, but need a break from romance books after December.

Good Bye, 2022!

This year has been a wonderful year! Being back to work full-time was much easier this year, we are in a groove now and the bus has been way more reliable. Our bus driver has been amazing. She was out in November and December after knee surgery and we missed her terribly! We were back to the inconsistency we had last year without her. My job was WAY easier without all the Covid precautions and having to keep up with distance learning for the kids in 2 week quarantines. Thomas, Ty, and my parents all got Covid in November and they all did okay. It seemed to hit my dad the hardest. Ty was sicker than I expected since he had no reaction to the vaccines, I figured he would likely be asymptomatic if he got Covid, but he felt like he had bronchitis and was pretty wiped for about a week. The kids and I made it through him being sick without getting it (I tested myself every day and was shocked I was never positive). Carter got the flu but was super mild and I thought he had RSV because he had a cough. Turned out he had croup along with it. I got the newest booster in December, so I'm hoping to make it to the Houston Marathon without getting Covid beforehand. As you'll see in pictures, we've slowly gone more back to normal. The kids got their Covid booster in the summer before school started so I gave them the option to go maskless in school (at this point, if we don't go back to normal, when will we ever?). Carter hasn't worn a mask at school except for the day he returned after having the flu because he was worried he might get his friends sick, sweet boy. Elise started off without a mask and then a boy who sat next to her threw up in class and she has worn a mask every day since. I was a little worried it would make her an outcast or kids wouldn't treat her the same if she was the only kid wearing a mask, but I've gone up to the school to volunteer and everyone treats her totally normally. Her teacher wears a mask which I think helps normalize it a bit. There are also more kids at their school wearing masks than at mine. We have 1-2 per grade level where they seem to have 1-2 per class and I noticed a lot of 1st graders wearing them last time I was there. The biggest factor is that Elise does not care at all what anyone else thinks and is her own strong, amazing person which I love! I do worry about the impact Covid and fear of sickness has had on her sweet, little self. She is super paranoid about getting sick and I hate that for her. When Carter had the flu, she wore a mask at home and refused to sit next to him. I'm sure, with time, she will start feeling safer and more comfortable about sickness, but it's a little niggling worry I have right now. I'm hoping when I read back over this next year I will be laughing that I was worried about that! 

January

We celebrated a friend's birthday at the bowling alley.

Elise had another quarantine.

I got Covid and felt good enough to go for a walk after a few days.

Carter got to sing the National Anthem with his choir at a TU basketball game.

We had a super cold front come through and got some snow. We got down to feels like -20 degrees.

Feburary

Elise started selling Girl Scout cookies.

We got snow and some snow days off school.

I took on the role as cookie manager for our troop the year there was a cookie shortage so there was a lot of driving to cupboards or meeting up with other troops to get more cookies!

We celebrated Valentine's Day.

Elise got to perform in a musical performance at school.

March

The kids got to dress up for book character dress up day.

We did the Zoo Run Fun Run and the kids' school won the team competition.

We visited Topeka and got to say good bye to Great Grandma Shupe.

We took a spring break trip to Eureka Springs.

We had a tea party for Elise's Hurford Birthday Party.

Elise had her friend birthday party at Skyzone.

Elise turned 7!

Carter got to perform in a 3rd grade music program with his choir.

Carter participated in the Pinewood Derby through Boy Scouts.

April

We did an obstacle course run.

We started our kitchen remodel.

We visited the Botanic Garden to see the tulips.

We celebrated Easter.

May

Elise bridged to Brownies in Girl Scouts.

Elise got to dance a traditional Venezuelan dance during her school's cultural fair.

We celebrated Ty's birthday.

I got to go with Elise on her field trip to the zoo.

The kids enjoyed their first school skate night.

The kids has their last day of school.

They got to have field day on their last day of school.

Ty's cousin, Raina, got married.

June

We got a YMCA membership and went swimming at the pool a lot!

We celebrated Father's Day.

Elise and I did a Small and Tall overnight camp at Girl Scout camp.

Ty and I had a weekend away for the War Eagle Trail Running Festival.

Elise went to Day Camp, I was a leader of a 5th grade group, and Carter got to go as a tagalong.

The kids did a couple weeks of swim lessons which really improved their confidence.

Ty and I had a date night at the Zoo for a 21 and Over event. 

July 

We celebrated the 4th of July.

The kids went on vacation with Oma and Opa to the Grand Canyon so I could do a training over the summer.

Ty and I went on a little weekend anniversary getaway while the kids were gone.

We celebrated our 11th anniversary.

We went on a family vacation to Rocky Mountain National Park which was my favorite family vacation we've ever gone on. Looking back at the pictures made my heart hurt from missing the mountains!

The kids got their boosters so they'd be ready for school!

Carter's hamster, Katie, had a giant tumor that eventually caused her death and he got a new hamster who he named Israel, our first boy hamster.

August

I had Meet the Teacher and welcomed 27 new 2nd graders to my class!

Elise got to meet her teacher, Sra. Ramirez.

Carter got to meet his teacher, Sra. Benitez.

We all had the same 1st day of school this year.

Ready to tackle a new school year! My shoes (which I had only worn once before) broke pretty early on in the day.

September

The kids did a fishing derby and each won a prize during the raffle.

We ran the Miles for Milestones Mile Fun Run. Elise won overall and Carter placed in his age group.

Elise wanted a haircut and got her first ever salon haircut.

The kids participated in a Fun Run at school to raise money and both reached their goals.

The kids got to read to a therapy dog during Paws for Reading at the library.

Elise got to meet horses at Pony Pals. It was too hot to ride the horses, so we got to re-schedule for November.

October

I got to do book character dress up day at school and my hallway did the "If You Give A..." books.

We went on a campout with Girl Scouts.

We went to the fair for the first time since Covid.

The kids got to dress up as the careers they want to be: Elise was poison control and Carter was a vet.

The kids' school celebrated it's 20th anniversary.

We went to the pumpkin patch.

We went to Hallowzooeen.

I got to volunteer at Pumpkin Mania in Elise's class.

I was fall product manager for our troop again and Elise helped me sort the product.

We celebrated Halloween and went trick-or-treating with friends.

The kids dressed as "stick men" for Halloween using glow sticks.

November 

Carter had his last soccer game and we had snack so he asked to make cupcakes for the snack.

I got to go on Elise's field trip to the aquarium with her.

Carter performed the National Anthem with his choir at the Oiler's Hockey Game.

Elise got to ride a horse with Girl Scouts, his name was Prince!

We celebrated Thanksgiving in Topeka and finally got to meet sweet Olivia!

December

We went to Breakfast with Santa at the Zoo. Ty didn't get to go because he had Covid.

We visited the Botanic Garden of Lights.

I got to volunteer for Elise's Las Posadas celebration at school.

Carter had a roller skating party for his friend birthday party.

Carter turned 10 years old!

We visited the Route 66 Christmas Chute.

Rocky and Leina came to watch the kids for the first 2 days of their winter break since I wasn't off work yet. We celebrated Carter's Birthday and Christmas while they were visiting.

We visited Santa at Bass Pro. They did a different reservation system this year and I couldn't get a reservation until Christmas Eve because they were all booked up! Ty asked while we were there and you didn't have to have a reservation to see Santa, so lesson learned for next year!

We celebrated Christmas at home with my family.