2022 In Review

I keep track of my runs in Strava and in a spreadsheet. Every run brings back a little memory. A snapshot from the trail, a smell, or a feeling. And each run, as I dredge it up from the memory banks, pulls with it the surrounding events in my life. So here's 2022 as punctuated by runs - and a whole lot of other shit.

January

• a cold 20 miles in St. Ed's
• Iris is acquired by a fully remote company
• fully commit to moving to CO
• blown hamstring racing Remus in my first injury since highschool
• begin to prep house for sale

February

• fly to CO to look at homes in the Denver area
• Remus turns 16

March

• Jen flies back to CO to meet with the realtor and look at homes
• start to slowly run again after injury
• put a failed offer on a home in Littleton
• take another look at our original first choice city of Fort Collins

April

• put a successful offer on a home in Fort Collins

May

• Jen turns 40
• put our house on the market in Austin
• our house in Austin sells
• fly to CO to sign closing paperwork
• first official summit of Horsetooth
• close remotely on house in Austin
• last group run with the Austin Dirt Runners
• kids last day of school in Austin
• finish packing up the house and load the moving truck
• roadtrip from Austin to Fort Collins

June

• first group run with Gnar - definitely out of shape and feeling the altitude
• first towers - we're not in hill country anymore...
• realize I need to start putting in the effort and get consistant in order to enjoy the outdoors here
• think about getting serious with my runs but don't

July

• make a trail friend out on Coyote Ridge
• trip to Atlanta to see family, ending the longest continuous stretch of time I'd ever been in CO
• Jen goes back to work

August

• drive to Montrose to pick up the truck topper
• first Arthur's with Jen
• second Arthur's with Kate
• Rocky Mountain National Park with Kate before she moves to Africa
• kids start new schools in Fort Collins
• run into the defending and soon to be two time leadville 100 champ on Coyote Ridge
• first Lory run
• after dark Horsetooth by myself
• another failed attempt with Remus to bag our first fourteener - no dice on Democrat

September

• Red Feather Jamboree half marathon - first Colorado trail race
• make an actual running plan to build a base in prep for the Gnar mini slam in '23

October

• darkmode
• Horsetooth group run wherein I meet some local legends and finally start to connect the dots
• a few days in Estes with the Phillips fam
• whirlwind work trip in DC
• Halloween

November

• consistent training begins to pay off and I have my first successful group run with the fast folks
• my first and second As
• Frankie turns 7
• Thanksgiving
• start running with my neighbor for the midweek miles

December

• turn 40
• the creative engine finally begins to spark to life
• snag the sunrise/sunset winter solstice badge
• coldest run of my life at -17f
• 20th wedding anniversary
• Christmas eve
• enjoying new fitness with a 10 miler at 7:49 per mile on Christmas day
• 14.2 miles on the local hike & bikes to cap off the year