2008 Year in Review

2008 was a pretty good year. There were ups and downs, twists and turns, but overall I'd say the year has made me pretty happy.

Running and triathlon certainly provided highs and lows in 2008. I started the racing season with the Last Chance for Boston Marathon which Dave, Dad, and I did as a relay. We finished in 3:35:06. Then in April I ran the Athens Half Marathon.I was on pace to set a new PR but my stomach had other plans. After having to make the only port-o-john stop of my running career, I still finished with a respectable 1:45:28 and finished first in my age group and was awarded with a mug. Later in April I ran the Boston Marathon. Only 6 miles into the race I knew was in trouble. My friends I started with were slipping away and I had to do a considerable amount of walking between miles 16-26. I finished with a disappointing 4:01:42 and decided to was time to give triathlon another tri. :)

Triathlon started for Dave and I when we went down to Wheelie Fun in Mason to check out their big bike sale in February. We came home with two brand new swanky bikes: mine a Kuota K-Factor and Dave's a Cervelo P2-SL. Our first triathlon was in May at the OSU Triathlon. The swim was inside and the bike and run outside. After freaking out in the swim (man that water is deep) and really sucking on the bike, I turned in a great run. I was still on-board the triathlon train. The first part of June we did the Deer Creek Olympic Triathlon. As it was last time I did this race, the weather took it's toll and the whole race sucked. Half way through the swim I decided that triathlon sucked and that I was always going to be a runner. Never the less, I lined up a week later at the Wendy's Triathlon. This race went much better and so I stuck around for the main event: Muncie Endurathon. Just like 3 years ago when I did this race, the weather was horrible. Never-the-less, I turned in a PR showing, if only 59 seconds better. :)

It was time to hang up my bike and get serious about my running. I hired a coach and decided three years of hoping to run a 3:30 marathon was too long to hope and it was time to work for it. She challenged me in ways I have never been challenged.I was now running by heart rate instead of pace; I was doing weight lifting; there was cross training; and there was lots and lots of speed work. When I toed the line at the Columbus Marathon in October I was confident but scared to death. I pushed aside my demons and ran the way I knew how--on pace and within myself. I held it together even as I fell behind the pace group at mile 23. And in the end I got that 3:30, even if it was a few seconds over: 3:30:20. So what's next? Well, you'll have to stay tuned in the next couple of days for that. :)




Personally I had a pretty good year too. I switched jobs again, but by July I had had enough of working for someone else. I had already been in business for a while with Meredith Gordon Photography and VIP Photo Booths and business was booming. I quit being an engineer after 7 years and went full-time with my own businesses. And just this month, I incorporated VIP Photo Booths. We will be at the Columbus Bride Show next weekend and expect our 2009 schedule to fill quickly.



Dave and I didn't take a formal vacation this year but had fun on our running trips like Boston and Reach the Beach. Had we known this might be our last RTB, I think we would have savored it even more (our fearless team leader has decided to call it quits).


2009 is just around the corner and I think it's going to be a fantastic year. There are more races to run and we have a HUGE vacation planned. Plus we expect our business to continue to grow and be competitive in its market. We will welcome a new niece in a few weeks and for ourselves, a few fish. Keep reading in the next couple of days. I will be posting about both my running goals and personal goals for 2009. I hope everyone had a great 2008 and is looking forward to another year of possibilities.