2015 Running Lowlights

While I did have many running highlights in 2015, I certainly had plenty of struggles, too. Here are some of the year's biggest lowlights:

The Rock N Roll Chicago Half Marathon

By far the most miserable heat and humidity I've ever experienced at a race. You know it's going to be a rough day when you're already dripping sweat while just standing and waiting in the starting corrals. 

I was so relieved to see that finish line.

It's a good thing this picture was taken from the knees up so you can't see the puddle of sweat growing around my feet.

My rain-soaked race trend continues.

I got rained on during a number of races this year, but there were two in particular which were exceptionally awful: the Rock N Roll DC Half Marathon and the PAWS Run For Their Lives 8K. 

Of the two, Rock N Roll DC's rain was comparably lighter; however, the temperatures were in the 40s so I was miserably cold the whole morning (including pre- and post-race). I never wrote a recap of the PAWS 8K, but the temps were in the 70s and the race was obviously shorter. However, the PAWS race had rain coming down in buckets and the course was a venerable mud pit. There was one underpass where we were literally up to our shins in muddy water.

Honorable mention: The Fit Foodie 5K got cancelled due to course flooding. This was the first and only race I've ever signed up for that got cancelled on race day due to weather.

Rocking the always-stylish garbage-bag dress before the Rock N Roll DC Half Marathon.

I will not be hitting my annual mileage goal this year.

My target was to run 750 miles for the year. This averages out to 62.5 miles per month. I stayed on target through October. I even logged 10 extra miles during both August and September. For a short while, I had grandiose visions of getting to 800 miles for the year.

Everything came crashing down in November. I did a ton of traveling that month, which drained me of momentum and motivation. After completing the Rock N Roll San Antonio 10K and Half Marathon in early December, I had had it. I haven't run since then and I have no regrets about taking the time off. 

Right now I'm at 711.2 miles for the year. I don't think that number is going to change before year end. Even if it did, I will most certainly not be logging 38.8 miles in the next week.

The road ends here.

My ancient 5K PR still stands.

With the exception of my 5K PR, I've recorded new PRs within the last few years for all "traditional" race distances that I've attempted more than once. Unfortunately, my 5K PR is the only one still standing from well over a decade ago. 

In 2014, I got within shouting distance with some very hard effort. Even so, I got so spooked that I didn't even make an attempt this year. In all of 2015, I only ran one 5K race, the Super Bears Shuffle, which was definitely not a targetable race.

Way to play the avoidance card, eh?

Inclines wreaked more havoc on me than usual (and that's saying something).

I've spoken ad nauseam about how much I hate hills. This year more than ever, I realized the truly awful extent of my hill weakness. Anytime I ran outside of Chicago city limits, I got smacked upside the head.

Most of the offending races had either a few noteworthy hills, or some stretch of general hilliness that eventually leveled out. However, I would earmark the Hub City Half Marathon as my lowest point (no pun intended) because the hills pretty much never stopped. It was the worst hill-beating I've ever experienced at a race.

Your turn! If anyone wants to share any of your running lowlights from 2015, I love hearing your battle stories!