Reflections of a Year Gone By

It's been a while since I posted and it's mostly because life is pretty status quot right now. I figured since it's my birthday I'd do a little reflecting on how amazing the past year has been and how so many more great things are yet to come as I progress into my 29th year of life.

I can't believe how much I've accomplished and how much Kevin & I as a couple have accomplished this past year.

Training and racing have been a huge priority for me this year and it's nice to see all of my hard work really pay off. I've improved in all 3 disciplines but mostly really seemed to work out the kinks in my running, which was my weakest link, although my fav of the 3. I raced hard all year and did really well in every race I did. But, the real test came in November at Ironman FL. You can go back and read that race report here if you missed it, or if you even care :). I was hoping to really "race" an IM this year since the 2 last year were new experiences and I didn't really know what to expect. Although I missed my slot to Hawaii I couldn't be happier with how the season wrapped up in Florida. I ended the season with solidifying a few sponsors for 2010 and am so excited to see how much faster I can get next year. I'm planning to start with a spring marathon and hope to qualify for Boston and run a 3:20ish race. I know I'm capable of doing it, just gotta start piling on the running miles again. Besides my personal race accomplishments I also got USAT All American this year, an award acknowledging the top 5% per division in Triathlon. And, I was chosen as "Athlete of the Year" in the Boulder Triathlon Club!

I have also really enjoyed taking on a new role as Assistant Coach to the CU Triathlon Team with a good friend and colleague of mine, Mike Ricci. It’s nice to be working with young kids, the future athletes of the sport, and providing some mentorship to the girls of the team. The other assistant coach, Melissa, is great as well and I've really enjoyed becoming friends with her as well.

Kevin & I have had a great year too. We had set a deadline of Dec 31st to get in the same town. It was so hard being a part and there were so many factors to figure out to close the gap between us. It was strange but things just fell into place in September. Kevin got his job moved to Boulder, we rented his house, and now we're here! It's been fantastic and I can't even fathom how we did that for close to 2 years! Are we insane? I miss him like crazy when he works out of state for a week. I'm honestly not sure how we did it? But alas, we are together and life couldn't be better. Just weeks before he made the move, we got engaged and are now busy planning a summer wedding in Boulder.

We are also looking at buying a house. If this happens the wedding will be scaled way back as well! We are sick of renting and need more space for the family of dogs we are raising. If you live in Boulder, you know how pricey it is. It ain't a cheap endeavor and we simply weren't even sure we could make it work. But with interest rates so low and good loan options right now we think it's a possibility and are having fun looking at homes! Fingers crossed we find the perfect house for our future and that it just all falls into place like we hope. Next step will be to some day sell Kevin's house in Colorado Springs as well.

As I reflect back on the last few years of my life, it's really hard to believe how far I've come and what I've already been through at a ripe young age of 28, hehe! I struggled through allot of 2006 & 2007 and at the time it was hard to believe that life would one day be so great. Today, I couldn't be happier and I'm thankful for the lessons I learned during those difficult times and I'm even more thankful for the people that walked into my life when I needed them most, including Kevin. If you're interested in a quick recap, you can start here! Sad thing is I'm discovering more and more gray hairs each day. Apparently my grandmother was gray by 30 so I'm not sure I have much hope. I'll keep telling myself it's because I'm wiser!

It seems like there is nothing holding us back right now. We are young with good careers and enjoying being DINKS! Our path is being laid out before us and the excitement of what's to come in the next few years is incredible. I'm looking forward to marrying my best friend & love of my life in June, buying a house, racing, working, making new friends, and having a family! The sky is the limit and I'm happy to be on this journey with such an amazing man!

Thanks to all my friends and family who have offered their friendship and support this past year. I am so blessed to have such amazing people in my life!