The end of the year is a great time to reflect on accomplishments and progress made. I’m grateful my dedication to running paid off in some big ways this past year.
Total mileage: 2505, a new PR
Races
| Month | Race | Time | PR? |
| March | Shamrock 5k | 19:05 | Yes! |
| March | Annapolis Running Festival Half Marathon | 1:31:49 | |
| April | Boston Marathon | 3:16:49 | Yes! |
| June | Baltimore Women’s Classic 5k | 19:43 | |
| July | Moonlight 5k | 19:28 | |
| September | Run for the Lighthouse Half Marathon | 1:27:56 | |
| October | Chicago Marathon | 3:02:26 | Yes! |
| November | Turkey Trot 5k | 19:02 | Yes! |
2025 was a major marathon year in every way. After qualifying for both Boston and Chicago at the B&A Marathon in 2024 I knew the marathon would be my main focus of the year. I ran the most miles I ever have in a year, ran 2 marathons in a year for the first time, and navigated the chaos of marathon major weekends. I also did more races in a year than ever before, completing a half marathon race for both marathon builds and focusing on 5k training over the summer between marathon builds. The payout was a huge marathon PR to end the year and connecting to the running community more than ever. I trained with a group for the first time training for Boston, joining Charm City Run’s Boston Marathon training group in Bel Air. After being a primarily solo runner for years I thrived in sharing the joy and pain of training with other runners. Throughout the year I also attended the pub run group at Charm City Run Annapolis for fun easy weekend night miles with local friends. When I look back at running this year I’m filled with gratitude for many iconic race moments, endless support from my loved ones (especially my husband who endured my marathon taper crazies twice this year), and tons of fun with running friends.
One of my favorite parts of my running journey this year was starting to run with my rambunctious 2 year old German Shepherd, Zeus. He ran his first mile in June and joined me on at least one run my entire Chicago marathon block. Running with my dog helped me stay connected to the joy of running, he simply loves to be outside bounding around our neighborhood streets in one of his many bandanas. I’m thankful he loves to run as much as his mom does. He’s now an accomplish novice runner, covering 90 total miles this year and taking his mile PR from 8:07 to 5:36!
My most unexpected highlight from running this year was becoming a coach. When the opportunity to join the Charm City Run Annapolis team as a 5k/10k coach came up I was so excited to start sharing the love of running with others. I love the half/full marathon distance but this year showed me the power of the 5k. Focusing on shorter distance improvements was the key unlocking big gains in my marathon time. I’m looking forward to spending the next year helping others get into running through the 5k or improve their times from anything to the 5k to the marathon by focusing on short distance speed work.
2026 Goals
I like to start the year planning goals and races for the new year to help maintain progress and motivation. I believe it’s important to set goals outside of time goals, since so many factors on race day can be out of our control. Evaluating the year based on one or two key performances can often lead to anxiety and disappointment. I spent my summer doing speed work, yet failed to set a new 5k PR in the summer due to hot race days. But I accomplished my goal of dedicating time to speed which benefited me as a runner overall. I also met a fun goal of starting to run with my dog. Well-rounded goals make for a well-rounded runner!
Races I plan to run: Shamrock 5k, Annapolis Running Festival Half, Sole of the City 10k, Baltimore Womens Class 5k, Charles Street 12, and a fall marathon. I am excited to be trying the Altra B3 series for the first time this year! I didn’t race a 10k last year so this will be a good challenge and I’m excited to try new Charm City races. I am hoping I can get into the NYC marathon but if not will find a nice flat marathon instead.
Time Goals
- Sub 3 marathon
- Sub 1:25 half marathon
- Sub 39 10k
- Sub 19 5k
Process Goals
- Try new gels to use for fall marathon
- Try new recipe once a month
- Listen to a running book once a month
- Run in a new location once a month
- Run with Zeus 1x a week
- Looking forward to all the miles ahead in 2026!
Looking forward to all the miles ahead in 2026!