Great year | TooTallFritz

The year never seems phenomenal until you take a minute to look back at what has been accomplished. Before looking back, I remembered having a lot of lack luster races, running some really hot races, having a lot of back pain and performing poorly on the bike due to nerve damage from my back injury. Nothing really stood out as amazing. Then I remembered marathon training with Aby & her friend early in 2017.

All the fun we had running up and down every hill we could find. The laughter & giggles of the good days. The tears of the not so good days. And really, that’s how life is, the good mixed with the bad. Each and every day. Easy to remember the bad but we have to search a little further to pull up the good memories.

2017 in Review:

9 – Marathons (Little Rock, Georgia, Nashville RNR, Lincoln NE, Hatfield & McCoy, Monster Mash (Dover DE), Atlantic City NJ, Indy Monumental & the Wildwood Trail Marathon in MO.
1 – 50K (Huff 50K Trail Run)
1 – 1/2 Marathon (RNR Chicago)
1 Olympic Distance Triathlon (Pokagon)
3 – 70.3 Triathlons (IM Muncie 70.3, IM OH 70.3, IM Steelhead 70.3).
1 – 100+ mile bike ride (Dam to Dam Century, Wabash IN)
1 – Volunteer Stint (IM Louisville)

It was a year of firsts.

First time I got to run a marathon with my daughter (who was only 15 at the time!)
First Century Ride, or longer
First time volunteering at a bit event

I got a couple new states in my quest to run a marathon in all 50 states.

Georgia
Nebraska
West Virginia
Delaware
New Jersey

A few moments hit my 2017 “BEST” list. Possibly the best, if not favorite, fitness related photo I took in 2017. Aby & Annika running their first marathon in Little Rock.

Best Race – Hatfield & McCoy Marathon in WV. Low dollar. Fun. Great course with variety in sites & terrain. Excellent aid stations & support.

Best SWAG – Huff 50K handmade soup mugs.

Best Race photo – Wildwood Trail Marathon gives out free downloads for race photos.

Best Selfie – Julie & I after IM 70.3 Muncie. Her first half IM, her 2nd triathlon. She looks SO happy!!

Best detour – Philadelphia Art Museum to run up the steps like Rocky Balboa in the old Rocky movies. We had ran a marathon in Dover DE & were headed to Atlantic City NJ for a 2nd marathon. Not a lot of people would have felt like taking the detour. Julie did. Great memory.

Best non fitness related trip. Niagara Falls. The kids & I did the Canada side & the American side. Great trip.

Overall, a great year. I hope that all of you made some great memories too. Cheers to all of us having an even better year in 2018. Let’s start making new memories & get this year started right!

** Happy New Year ** Amanda – TooTallFritz

2016 was infinitely better than 2015 in so many ways. First, our IL house sold! Yes! We didn’t make any $$ but it was a huge burden to be lifted from our shoulders & it allowed us to do some much needed work on our current house. Second, the kids were insane but definitely adjusted better this year to our new hometown. Third, I was able to run all year. Although, I had some issues with my back, I was “mostly” healthy and while I was limited on my biking and some other things, I ran every step of 2016 with a smile on my face. And that my friends, it a big fat win in my book! Yay for running!!

As for the stats. I’ve currently ran 38 marathons/50Ks in 22 different states. For 2016, I ran 1132 miles & cycled 1450 miles. I ran 12 marathons, 1 which was a 50K: Mississippi Blues Marathon, First Light Marathon, Rock N Roll New Orleans Marathon, Garmin Marathon, Kentucky Derby Marathon, Flying Pig Marathon, Chicago Marathon, Marine Corps Marathon, Indianapolis Monumental Marathon, Rock N Roll Las Vegas Marathon, Rock N Roll San Antonio Marathon & the Huff 50K.

Best Race of the Year goes to the Flying Pig Marathon. I really can’t say enough about this race in Cincinnati, OH. I heard it was good but, really, it was great. Everything from the Expo to the race itself. The community support was beyond amazing. Entertainment. They had every snack you can imagine on course (bacon!!!), stations where you could toss a basketball up to a hoop, cooling stations, great views. Fun, Fun, Fun is how I would describe Flying Pig. It really is a must do but yes, there are hills, and then more hills, and then a few more.

Best Course of the Year goes to Rock N Roll New Orleans. It was really tough to award Flying Pig the best race of the year because RnR New Orleans was a close second. I do think the crowd support and expo was better at Flying Pig and that’s why they get the win. But I can’t leave New Orleans out of the mix. Amazing race. Amazing course. Amazing city. If you are looking for a city tour while you run, then RnR New Orleans is your race. You see everything on this course from the French Quarter, Garden District, Decatur Street, Jackson Square, French Market to City Park. The half marathon runs with the full the entire way til they turn off at mile 13 for the finish. The full then goes around Lake Pontchartrain, over the levies & back toward the finishers party. Amazing race. I’d love to make a return trip and run it again.

I also managed to squeeze in a half marathon at RnR Chicago, the Rat Race 10K in Ft Wayne, IN, the 4 mile Galloping Gobbler, an Olympic distance triathlon at Tri Lakes, IN, the Fort4Fitness 100K Cycle …. and 4 half ironman triathlons: Cutting Edge 70.3, IM 70.3 Muncie, IM 70.3 Steelhead & Rev3 70.3 Cedar Point.

It was a full year. And I’m grateful for all of those finishes! Some of those were much harder than others!

Best SWAG of the year goes to the Huff 50K! Although a close second goes to Flying Pig. And I really LOVED the RnR Finisher Jackets this year!

Best pics of 2016: The crew from IN & IL for the Garmin Marathon, Aby & I at the Rat Race 10K (cuz she doesn’t like to take pics with me anymore!), and me & Nicki at the Rock N Roll San Antonio 10K. Fun, fun, fun!

Best selfie of the year: Bike Selfie at the Cutting Edge 70.3

That’s a wrap for 2016! I hope that all of you had an amazing year! More importantly, my wish for you is a happy, healthy, prosperous 2017. Remember to keep dreaming, keep believing and if your goals don’t scare you …… they aren’t big enough!

** Cheers to 2016 ** Amanda – TooTallFritz