New Year's Eve

Happy New Years Eve! It is insane to think we are at the end of the year and tomorrow starts a brand-new, fresh start.

Today I am going to throw up a few things I am thankful to 2012 for. Over the next few days I'll be talking about my goals/resolutions for 2013.

JANUARY

The year started off with hubby and I enjoying the shores of Negril, Jamaica. We celebrated our ten year wedding anniversary going back to the island we honeymooned at. A new resort and a new town, but a fantastic time.

Hubby and I joined the local YMCA because I felt I needed more opportunities to workout. I had been doing Wii Fit and running, but I needed more. And after joining the Y, I started trainer sessions. I've kept them up almost all year, had to take a break in July because I signed up for a few too many races in June/July and ran out of money. LOL!

FEBRUARY

I interviewed at the PA State Archives for a permanent position, rather than the temporary one I had. While the new position would be part-time, I knew I needed to get in there permanently if I wanted a get a career in the archives field.

The end of the month had hubby and I celebrating our 16th dating anniversary. Crazy! We went to the same restaurant we had our first date. It's a tradition we've been able to keep up now that we've moved back to PA. 

MARCH

Wow. March was busy! We had three races - Kelly St. Patrick's Day 5k in Baltimore, Shamrock 8k and Shamrock Half Marathon in Virginia Beach. We love the Kelly St. Patrick's Day 5k because not only is it a fun race, but our friend Ada runs it too! We hang out with her and her friends afterwards in Baltimore. Such a fun time!

The following week, hubby and I went to Virginia Beach to run the Shamrock 8k and I ran the Shamrock Half Marathon. Hubby became injured in January and had to defer running the Shamrock Marathon, but he had been able to get back to running and trained for the 8k. We ran these races and had a really good time.

The next day was the Half Marathon. I headed off (without a camera) and had an amazing race! I PRed and knew it at about mile 10. I was laughing and jumping out of my skin knowing I PRed this race. I felt invincible at the end of this race and I even danced at the after party!

Later in the month, we hosted a Caribbean party and a number of our friends made it out. We had a fantastic time! It's so good when friends you don't see often get together. We've already decided we're hosting a party next year, but with a new theme.

APRIL

Again, another busy month! The second weekend of the month took us to Baltimore and Philadelphia for opening day baseball! We are both baseball fans, but cheer for different teams. Friday, April 6 brought us to Baltimore. Then Sunday, April 9 brought us to Philadelphia.

I ran my first 10k in April. LOL! Yea...yea. A little late, but whatever. We ran the inauguaral Hershey 10k. Not a bad race. A bit hilly, but fun.

Then the following week we ran the Sole of the City 10k in Baltimore. Honestly, this was to be my first 10k, but I couldn't pass up the Hershey 10k. Obviously I PRed in Hershey, but I beat that in Baltimore by one second! LOL!

MAY

The York Revolution had their opening game on May 1 and with our partial season ticket plan, we had tickets. Go Revs!

We had a fun couple of days in Atlantic City, NJ. We stayed at Resorts for the first time and had a fun couple of days. Getting away is always fantastic!

We ran the YMCA Armed Forces 5k in Harrisburg for the first time. It was a nice race, but the same basic course of all 5ks in the 'burg. I ran in honor of my dad who served in the Army and Coast Guard.

 We hit up a couple more baseball games in Baltimore and Philly. Yea baseball!

Baltimore

Philadelphia

JUNE

June took us to Philly to see the Brothers of the Sun tour with Tim McGraw and Kenny Chesney. Awesome show! So fun that I didn't have a voice for four days. :)

 At the end of June, I ran Baltimore Women's Classic. This is the first 5k I ever ran and each year, I try to run this race. It's a good race and I enjoy running it.

JULY

I got the chance to meet an artist I'm a big fan of - Cowboy Troy!

Two words - Spartan Race. Ugh.

AUGUST

Our only big thing in August was LAS VEGAS! Yup. Vacation took us to Sin City with two of our friends. It was a lot of fun, if hot. LOL! It's always a fun place to go when you're not there for any other reason. We had a blast! Totally worth going if you've never been.

SEPTEMBER

My first race since Baltimore Women's Classic. Hubby and I ran the Sasquatch Trail Run 5k. Fun! It was really hilly and it took forever to finish, but it was fun. Totally recommend it to anyone. What other race has a band playing Deliverance?

We hit up the York Fair for the best fair food ever, pumpkin funnel cake! I have one funnel cake a year and this is it.

OCTOBER

The big thing for October was the Atlantic City Half Marathon. I was all excited for it because I'm a Jersey Girl and I love AC. Until mile eight I really enjoyed the race. Then we hit the boardwalk and eh. Too crazy. It was a race that I was thrilled to see the finish line...even if I did miss my goal time. I was just happy to finish. And some races are just like that.

NOVEMBER

Another race! This time close to home. Yea! Two of our running friends came out so one could run the half marathon. I figured what the heck and signed up for the 5k. After all, they were giving out medals!

Before Thanksgiving our friend from college came home from TX for the holiday. We headed to Philly and had a fantastic time! Fun friends, festive beverages, and 80s cover band. What could be better?

DECEMBER

For the first time in a few years we checked out the Christmas lights at Rocky Ridge Park. The line to get in was awful, but we had a good time walking through the lights. How can you not when there are Christmas dinosaurs?

Time for Christmas! We had a lovely holiday on both Christmas Eve and Christmas day. And we had snow!

 December brings our wedding anniversary. This year we headed to Philly and stayed across the street from Independence Hall. We checked out the Titanic exhibit, had dinner at XIX, had drinks with a college friend, then the next day we saw the Prohibition exhibit. Amazing!

Phew! What a year! I noticed a pattern of more activity in the spring than the fall. Hmmm...something to resolve to fix next year. ;-)

Hope you have a fantastic New Year's Eve! Be safe and we'll chat next year!

Kelly St. Patrick's Day 5k - Baltimore, MD

This is my favorite race of the year.  It's such a fun race.  It starts at 1:15 p.m., which is so nice since Baltimore is about an hour twenty minutes from the house.  It starts with a fabulous downhill that's almost a full mile.  Everyone is dressed up in green or costumes...or both!  And it starts with Jaws crossed with Jingle Bells (or "I'm Shipping Up to Boston" by the Dropkick Murphys).

This is our third year running it and even though I have two races next weekend I wasn't about to skip it.  Hubby and I met up with our friend Ada and some of her Baltimore County Dragon Boat mates.

Brian shortly left us to start up further as he's faster than we are.  The rest of us chilled out while we waited for the start of the race.  Once the horn sounded, it took us about 4 minutes to get to the green and white arched balloon start, but we made it and off we went!

It's a crazy start because it's all downhill to start.  Really.  The first mile of the race is downhill.  Which gives you a fantastic view of all the green people are wearing to this race.  It is THE best part of the race.  If you start at the front (cough cough, elites, cough, cough) you totally miss out on it.  Sure, you finish in 15:04 (yes, the first place winner finished in 15:04!!), but you miss the coolest race view EVER!

 The sun was crazy so you can't really see how truly awesome the sight is.

Ada and I stuck together for a good portion of that first mile, but Ada's faster than me.  So no hard feelings, she headed off to run her race.  I hit the mile marker somewhere in the 15 minute range.  Thinking it took us a couple minutes to reach the start line, I figured I was really about 13 minutes.  I was ok with that.  Now, the issue I have is, I have been doing the modified run/walk method and ummm I forgot Garmie.  I had NO idea when the half miles were.  So, I decided to walk a minute at the mile markers, which meant counting to 60...out load.  LOL!

Made the turn onto Key Highway (because every race in Baltimore involves Key Highway) and up the hill I went.  Now, everyone will say this race is flat past the big hill at the start.  Maybe for the elites, but for the average runner, there are several places where there is a noticeable uphill.  They aren't mountains or anything, but they are uphills.  But, with all my running through Mt. Wolf the last few months, the uphills didn't bother me.  I was shocked.  But, I kept going.  

I hit the turn around and grabbed a water at the water station because it was HOT.  Maybe not FL hot, but hot for mid-March in the Mid-Atlantic.  It had to be over 60 degrees!  I finished my water and kept going, eventually passing the 2 mile marker somewhere in the 27 range, which I was thinking would be about 25 minutes (thinking again a 2 minute delay in reaching the start.).

Now is the other area I say is an uphill.  Well, it is an uphill and many people just stopped.  Runners just decided to walk up the hill.  I felt pretty good so I kept moving.  It was rough trying to get around all the walkers at this point, but I kept moving.  I got to the top and turned towards Pratt Street, which leads to the finish line.  As I ran under an overpass, a little boy yelled out, "You aren't running good."  After the initial laugh, people started yelling things like, "I don't see you out here running," "I know where you live," and "I know!"  

I made my right onto Pratt Street and reminded myself that Power Plant Live! (which is where the finish line is) is not as close as I think it is.  Keep moving!  People were all along cheering us on and I finally saw the 3 mile marker and knew I was almost there.

I made the left into the Power Point Live! street and could see the clock.  40:42 showed.  Disappointment ran through me.  I had such high hopes of seeing 36 on that clock when I got there.  I saw hubby on the side lines as I ran towards the finish line.  I crossed and found him quickly.  He said I looked good as I came into the home stretch, but I was kinda down about the time.  I knew the clock was gun time and not chip time, but still... 

We shortly found the rest of our party and skipped the after-party.  Free beer, but you just can't get close to it.  The race has like 3,000 people and it's just too narrow an area for that many people.  We headed to the James Joyce Irish pub like last year.  When we got there it was practically empty, so we got a table right away...on the deck!  We all celebrated our fabulous runs with Guiness, Black and Tan, rum and Coke, and Harp.  And then we ordered yummy Irish food!  Hubby and I shared some Brown Soda Bread (which I could honestly live on) and while I ordered Sheppard's Pie, hubby ordered the fish and chips.  Two thumbs up.

 Brian and I at the James Joyce post-race

Shepard's Pie - delicious!

Now the fun part.  Our friend Ada has a fancy phone that allows her to look up internet stuff.  Charm City Run does a great job of posting race results quickly and quick they were!  Ada was able to find me while we were at the table:

3261 697/968  Christina Stetler       F 36 Manchester PA    40:54 36:43 11:49 

So, yea.  Do you SEE that chip time???  Let me share with you what it says, 36:43.  I PR'ED BY TWO 

MINUTES!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!  INSANE!!!! I was floored!  How the heck did that happen!?!?!?!?  Honestly, I don't 

think I care.  I'm just THRILLED it happened!  What a fabulous race!  And if you read yesterday's post about my ankle,

no worries! The ankle held up just fine.  :-)