I had a hard year in 2016, but running was good.
The theme for this week’s Friday Five 2.0 from Fairytales & Fitness and Rachel @ Running on Happy is five memorable races from 2016. And the majority of my memorable races this year were run with friends.
Because running with friends (and I use that term loosely here, since I don’t actually run with friends during races much) is always better. A big thank you to all my runner friends who have been there for me in person and in spirit; you guys are the best!
Celebrate Life Half Marathon Relay
This was my first time being part of a relay. Despite taking place in March, when the weather can be very iffy, it was almost perfect weather. And all the net proceeds go to help cancer patients/survivors!
What made this race memorable: going with friends.
Read more about this race here.
Shipyard Maine Half
My first half marathon of 2016. We departed with Lola and visions of lobster rolls in our heads.
What made this race memorable: unfortunately, this race was memorable in a bad way. The forecast was for cloudy and high 50s, only it was sunny and in the 60s at the start. And it was another in what seems to be a trend for me of races that ran out of water cups at one station — I was just never able to recover from that.
Read more about this race here.
Craft Classic Phoenix Half
At least I knew going into this race, my second half marathon of the year, that it was going to be hot. But being Phoenix, I could look forward to a dry heat.
What made this race memorable: that killer hill in the middle. It went on for 2 miles. No exaggeration. I did my run/walk all the way up the hill, but it slowed me down enough to rob me of a PR — I’m still damn proud of this race!
Read more about this race here.
Stockadeathon
Last year was my first time running this race. And it’s the only 15k I’ve ever run — so automatic PR. It’s a hilly, challenging course.
What made this race memorable: a surprising PR that I truly wasn’t trying for.
Read more about this race here.
Panama City Beach Half
My last half of 2016. Obviously, I didn’t PR my first two halfs and I wasn’t expecting to PR a half in sunny, humid Florida. Only it wasn’t sunny and humid the day we ran.
What made this race memorable: running it with 7 other blogger friends (and a couple of them PR’d as well).
Read more about this race here.
A couple of “runner” ups:
Talk to me. Leave a comment or answer a question:
Were your memorable races memorable for good, or bad reasons?
Did you get on the jump photo bandwagon in 2016?
Are you over seeing jump photos?
Chocolaterunsjudy 
Since I ran so few races this year, mine were all memorable for one reason or another. My 2 halfs and my full were most memorable for the friends that were there.
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I didn’t run a #holotta races. I’m not Darlene. I don’t know how she does it.
I think maybe 15. Darn, guess I should’ve added one more in there to make it 16 for 2016!
I still have to sit down and tally it up, I was trying to, and realized I totally forgot one . . .
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What great memories. I really enjoy doing the relay races and hope to do another some time. They seem to be harder to find though.
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I’d like to do the relay again this year, but it will be near my spring half, plus I have to find a buddy to do it with. Most of my running buddies are fair weather buddies, and Darlene know doubt wants to do the first half of it, like me.
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The relay races are always memorable for me too. It just seems to have a whole different feel when you know the rest of your team is waiting for you. Plus so many funny things happen on those! Here’s to another year of race memories
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I don’t think there are a lot of relay races around here, but trust Darlene to sniff them out.
I agree — knowing someone is waiting makes it different!
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I agree Judy, running a race with friends is better than running without them.
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Running with friends, whether in a race or not, is definitely better.
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I know you had a challenging year but gosh your running pics make for a fantastic year. I’ll never tire of jumping pics. I’ll be 90 and still trying to get some air!
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Running was actually really good this year (despite the ankle pain for most of it!).
And last year at this time things were really bad. So there’s that.
I can jump, but apparently I can’t get my legs to tuck behind me!
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I think ALL of the races I’ve done have been memorable for one reason or another. Good reasons are always fun but, sometimes, the bad reasons end up being fun too! I ran the Salt Lake City marathon with a friend and we had a BLAST and we were both absolutely miserable. An unexpected cold front blew in and we were NOT prepared (had travelled from Florida to run and we both packed light) and it rained the ENTIRE 26.2 miles. We were cold and wet and miserable. BUT, the city was AMAZING and the course was beautiful and the people STILL came out even though the weather was awful. I would go back and run it in a heartbeat. 🙂
I love jump photos. I wish I could jump for a photo. I can hop! Does that count? haha
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I’m sure if you hadn’t run that race with a friend, you would have had different memories from it. See, it’s always better with friends!
I can jump, but it doesn’t look as cool as a lot of my friends’ jumps.
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I think every race is memorable, and certainly every race has something good to come out of it (despite the good or bad that goes down during the race itself). Of course, I don’t always see that “good” stuff immediately…sometimes it takes a few days (or weeks) of sole searching, but it’s ALWAYS there 😉
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I agree — but sometimes it really doesn’t feel that way!
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Hey I ran 3 of the 5 with you.
All my races are memorable. Each for a different reason – award, scenery, PR, friends, swag, friends etc
You don’t see my feet off the ground. But yes I can jump. The question is finding a place to it my camera. lol
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I can jump, but apparently I can’t tuck up my legs, so it always looks weird.
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I think you have to get more height to tuck. But I’m no expert. Obviously.
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But I have very short legs! You could be right. I don’t do it all that often.
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You had a lot of great races this year, lots to look back on even if not all were positive. I don’t do jump photos because they KILL my knees. I have no idea how people do them, I am always very impressed!
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Karen, you’re so fit — I’m surprise jumps bother your knees. They don’t bother mine, but I don’t do them a lot because I’m afraid of twisting an ankle or something.
I do do plyometrics in workouts on a fairly regular basis.
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Looks like you had some great races. A PR without even trying is the BEST! And your PCB race… #seriousFOMO. 🙂
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Running was good (mostly) in 2016. 🙂
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Quality vs quantity 🙂
That Palm Beach Half looks like it was so much fun with all you wonderful bloggers!!
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A good time was had by all. 🙂
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Fun pictures Judy! I especially like the jump shot! 😉 (seriously, it’s a great picture of all of you, and no, I didn’t do one, :D)
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I actually did do a jump shot way back in the summer — looked a lot the same (of me, legs hanging down).
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