I don't think I am alone when I said at the beginning of 2021, that this year was going to be great. Life would get back to normal. Racing would return in person.
Of course, life has a funny way of breaking your heart.. Although, I don't think that my heart is broken after all.
After 2020 had postponed and cancelled all of my racing, my 2021 calendar was full. A 4 hour endurance race (read about that race here), a 6 hour endurance, an 8 hour endurance, three half marathons and one big ole 50k. I was a bit leery about them actually happening in person, which is the only way that I am going to be motivated to train. I ran the 4 hour endurance race in January. Such a blast! I hope they have that race again. The first of 3 half marathons was cancelled, and shortly after that, the second one cancelled. Luckily, I had the option to either run virtually or defer to 2022. I deferred for both of them. The third was never really scheduled, so that was pushed to 2022 as well. The 6 hour race did happen in person, but my goals did not align with the training time needed to hit those goals and I DNS'ed. Don't worry, I am perfectly happy with that choice! The 8 hour endurance race is running in person as well, but I went ahead and deferred that to 2022 as well.
The big question now is if I can defer my 50k to 2022 as well. I am patiently waiting a response from the race director..
After planning out an extensive running year for 2021, I am sure glad that everything has been pushed to 2022. 2020 was probably my best running year in a long time. I was stronger, faster and more motivated than ever. Maybe I burned out, but 2021 has been a straight up struggle. I ran the 4 hour Freeze in January, but my running dropped off significantly after that. Once I knew that I wasn't racing this year, I slowed to a walk, but even that was a challenge, mentally. I am just now coming back from a 3 month break from all forms of fitness. No walking. No running. No strength. No cycling. Nothing. I have lost all motivation to move my body.
Choices of that sort, not making my body a priority, are definitely showing on the scale. However, I do feel mentally sound right now. I think I've worked through some personal mental health struggles that have been plaguing me for a while. And to me, that trade off is worth it.
The choice to come back and start running again was a bit of a forced decision. And maybe forced is the wrong word... Either way, you all know that my running has always been dedicated to my brother, Pat, who has Type 1 diabetes. I've been an advocate for diabetes for a long time and will do everything I can to help raise awareness to this disease. Pat has been diabetic for a while now. 15 years or so. He is not new to the game and he does a great job of managing his sugar. He has an insulin pump that has made the health management much more manageable. He was recently out of state on vacation with his family, and his pump failed. I don't know the full story, but he ended up in the emergency room with a blood sugar of 740. He was is DKA (diabetic ketoacidosis) when he arrived. They admitted him to the ICU, where he stayed for a day, until his sugars were back to normal.
DKA is a serious condition that can lead to death. Talk about scary! For me, it all flashed back to the day that Pat told me about his diabetes diagnosis. Is it weird that I remember that day? I know where I was, what I was doing, how I felt. I think it affected me like it did because, as a hospital corpsman, I saw this play out in the sailors and marines that I took care of. I knew the struggle that he faced and I knew the consequences of the disease. On that day, years ago, I cried a lot. And just a couple of weeks ago, when I got the news that he was in the ICU, I cried again.
#imrunningforpat came back in that moment. My running has to mean something again. I have to advocate for my brother again. I have to raise awareness. And money. And I have to show my brother that I am with him in this..
So, I'm back. It's going to be a slow return. I have no goals other than get out there and move. Whether that be a walk, or a run. October will be when things kick up a notch with training season. I do after all, have a huge running year next year.
4 Hour Freeze- January
Rock n Roll Nashville- April
6 Hour Endurance- April
Indy Mini- May
Half Marathon TBD- June
8 Hour Endurance- July
Run Woodstock- September
Sponsors: Kea Peak, New Balance, Garmin, Nathan Hydration, Fabletics, Billabong, Skratch, Nuun (just kidding, you guys. I'm not sponsored. But if I were, this would be my list.)
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