2015 - A year of many firsts and many friends

     Happy New Year everyone!  I hope you are all doing well.  I thought that, in the spirit of the upcoming holiday, I would take a look back at my running in 2015.
     At the start of the year, I had just signed up for my first marathon.  At that point, my longest run ever was a 14-miler that took me through sidewalks and streets.  By the end of the year, I would not only complete my first marathon (26.2 miles), but also my first half-marathon race, and my first ultramarathon distance, a 50k (or 31 miles).
     It wasn't a smooth road.  Training up for the Vermont City Marathon in May was difficult - I had to deal with winter running, higher mileage than I'd ever done before, and other challenges.  But with some help from my friends, particularly in the Long Trail Running Club, I pushed through and completed my first marathon.  Although I felt disappointed by my finishing time (4:24:01), it is still a major milestone. 
     I didn't train nearly as hard as I should have in the summer, but I was still able to complete the St. Albans Raid Half Marathon in decent time in August.  Although I had complete the half-marathon distance loads of times before, I had never raced it, so I was glad to check that off.
     Doing some workouts with some friends of mine, I heard about this event called Run Your Can Off - a trail run held for up to six hours in Gilbrook woods featuring 1.25 mile laps.  Wanting to get into trail running, intrigued by the event, and believing in the mission of Run Your Can Off (the entry fee is food donations that go to charity), I signed up, and trained to run 50k in under six hours.  It was the longest run of the year, but I managed to complete the distance in just under six hours, being one of three people who ran the entire six hours at Run Your Can Off..
    All of these races and accomplishments have been great, but what has been even more awesome is the community of runners I now find myself part of.  Because of my involvement with the Long Trail Running Club and running these races, I have made connections and friends who are all awesome.  These people inspire me to be my best, to push harder, and to dare to dream bigger.  And the support I have gotten from family, friends, and coworkers has been incredible.  To everyone, I have one thing to say.  THANK YOU.  YOU'RE ALL AWESOME!
     And stay tuned.  2015 may be over, but I have plans for 2016.  Big plans, which I will talk about in the next post.  Until then, Happy New Year's!  Let's rock 2016!
     Brian B