Happy New Year!

I spent Christmas in California this year with 3 of my 5 kids (and 3 grand-dogs) . We stayed in an Airbnb overlooking the Russian River about 2.5 miles from the Armstrong Redwoods Reserve.

Gorgeous area. Lots of hill work! On Christmas Day after presents and breakfast (cinnamon rolls and an egg bake…yum!) we went to the Reserve for a hike.

I sometimes do a video of my runs, and this time I was able to have a “crew”! My sons followed me around as I ran the trails in this beautiful reserve. The result was uploaded to YouTube. Take a look…I highly recommend taking some time in Sonoma County if you are in California. The area we were in is about an hour and 40 minutes from San Fransisco.

Looking Ahead, Looking Back

It is hard to believe 2018 is over! It was a year of firsts for me…first attempt at a blog (my year “anniversary” is coming up next month), my first marathon and my first age group win.

I don’t really do resolutions, but I do have goals for 2019. I’ve already signed up for 2 half-marathons and 2 marathons, and my training cycle is coming up in a few weeks!

I have yet to pick which marathon training I am going to use for my first one…possibly what I did last year.

Another goal of mine is to get some kind of running certification…I am looking into what my options are for that and pretty excited about learning even more this year.

As is typical of this season…I am looking back over the last year. As I look into which posts were the more popular with readers, I am seeing that a lot of us have questions about running that we search out the answers to.

Top 10 Posts of 2018 from The Wrinkled Runner

1. Incorporating Strength Training as a Runner– This post has hit home for a lot of runners. It was number one for the first “Best of the Blog” I did at the 6 month mark. I think a lot of us know we should be adding strength training to our routines, but sometimes we just don’t know how. In this post I link to a YouTube channel I love to use for strength training as well as a few exercises I demonstrate that I use on my own when I only have a few minutes. You can link to my Exercise Page to see those as well.
2. Part 2 of Becoming A Runner (and 6 Things to Get You There!)- Running is a passion of mine, and I love to talk about how to get started. This post talks about the last few years of my development as a runner and also 6 things for the beginner to know about how to start.
3. When Your Run Sucks– Yup…runs sometimes suck! It is easy to get in your head and become unmotivated if you have a few “bad” runs. After my marathon (which went well), I had a hard time getting my groove back. The runs in the month afterward were just HARD. I was getting a bit panicked that my “good” marathon took too much out of me and that I would NEVER be able to get my running fitness back!
4. Running and Peeing– I wrote about heading out for one of my over 20 mile runs for training, and having to pee after only a few miles. Because it was winter and the route I took, there were no restrooms available. It was not fun. The post also looked into athletic incontinence…what it is and things to help make it better.
5. Cross Training for the Runner– In addition to strength training, there are some ways we can improve our running by working different muscles engaging in other sports.
6. Foaming at the Hip: What is Up with Foam Rolling? – foam rolling is something we are hearing a lot of, but I think for most of us it is hit or miss. I try to be on top of it, but this is a post I need to re-read myself!
7. All By Myself: Ways Running Alone can be an Advantage- I run both with my husband and alone. There are benefits for both, and in this piece I talk about why I like to run solo sometimes. The companion post talks about how running with a buddy can also be beneficial.
8. Part 1 of How I Became a Runner– This covers the first few years of my running journey, which started when I wanted to lose some weight as I was nearing 40. At the time, running was not the passion for me it is now! It was just what I chose to do to burn calories.
9. 5 Things I Learned Training for the Marathon– Training for my first marathon was a challenge and also ignited my passion for running more than anything else.
10. 7 Laundry Rules for Running Clothes– The fabrics that are used in athletic wear are very different than our everyday clothing. I had to research how to take care of my running wear after things started to get a little “ripe” even after washing and learned some surprising things!

So here we are! I can’t believe I just did a round up of top posts for 2018. While I don’t wish time away, I am looking forward to see what this year brings and what I will be learning that I can pass on to you!