I covered quite a few miles this year. Let’s start with some stats:

I covered about 1,255 miles through running (and walking) this year.

I ran across 12 bridges: 

• Golden Gate in San Francisco, CA
• Arthur Ravenel Jr. in Charleston, SC
• Verrazano Bridge from Staten Island to Brooklyn, NY
• Williamsburg Bridge from Brooklyn to Manhattan, NY
• Manhattan Bridge from Brooklyn to Manhattan, NY
• Brooklyn Bridge from Brooklyn to Manhattan, NY
• Madison Ave Bridge from The Bronx to Manhattan, NY
• Queensboro Bridge from Queens to Manhattan, NY
• Willis Ave Bridge from Manhattan to the Bronx, NY
• Pulaski Bridge from Brooklyn to Queens, NY
• Calhoun Street Bridge from Trenton, NJ to Morrisville, PA
• Trenton Makes Bridge (Lower Trenton bridge) from Morrisville, PA to Trenton, NJ

I ran through 2 tunnels:

• Hugh L. Carey (formerly the Brooklyn Battery Tunnel) from Brooklyn to Manhattan, NY
• Park Avenue Tunnel in Manhattan, NY

I ran through 11 states:

• Arkansas
• South Carolina
• New Jersey
• Pennsylvania
• New York
• California
• North Dakota
• South Dakota
• Montana
• Wyoming
• Nebraska

I completed 19 races:

• 1-5k
• 4-10ks
• 1-15k
• 11-half marathons
• 2 full marathons

I ran through rural parts of the country…

and through cities…

I ran on hot humid days where frozen chocolate covered bananas were required to keep cool…

And I ran through cold wintery days where fleece and gloves were required…

I ran during Easter time…

and during Christmas time…

I ran on the East coast…

and the West Coast…

I set PR’s at the NJ Marathon, the Trenton Half Marathon, the Rock ‘n’ Roll Brooklyn 10k and the Ted Corbitt 15k.

And in June of this year I became a blogger and created this lil’ blog called Sweat Out the Small Stuff

But one of the coolest thing I did this year was be a part of the Dicks Sporting Goods “Every Runner Has a Reason” campaign, A thirteen part web series about runners and what they run for. You can view my video (along with my friend lisa, the person who inspired me to run) here. They also made a commercial out of clips of the 13 videos and it aired on national television during the Preakness AND the New York City Marathon!!!! Nothing crazier than to hear my voice in my living room, look up and see myself on the TV.

Lisa and I spent Valentine’s Day this year on “set” as they shot our video. It was so much fun. Emotional too!

Then, I flew to Charleston SC to be part of a photo shoot for a catalog that featured some of the stories.

And one of my biggest goals of 2013 was finishing 5 half marathons in 5 days in 5 states (while my fellow running peeps conquered 5 FULL marathons in 5 days in 5 states) as part of the Center of the Nation Series.

You can read all my recaps of each day using these links.

Center of the Nation Series Marathon/Half Marathon Day 1 North Dakota

Center of the Nation Series Marathon/Half Marathon Day 2 South Dakota

Center of the Nation Series Marathon/Half Marathon Day 3 Wyoming

Center of the Nation Series Marathon/Half Marathon Day  4Montana

Center of the Nation Series Marathon/Half Marathon Day 5 Nebraska

Oh and I also turned 40…

And I got to meet Monica from Run, Eat, Repeat which was really awesome.

Time to get a little sentimental…..My year wouldn’t have been half as amazing as it was without all of my amazing running friends…my “peeps”…the main cast of characters….Lisa, Mike, Gary, Elvia, JD, Christie, Michelle, Cinde, Jane, Carey, Roger, Shishaldin, Erin, Jorge, and so many others. And my loyal blog readers including Lisa’s 3 sisters who are my biggest fans!

It’s seeing photos like this…

and this…

and this…

and this…

and this…

and this…

and this…

and this…

…that make me feel like I’m part of a the best family….like I belong….and proves that runners are some of the coolest kids on the block.

I want to end this post by taking a moment to remember the tragedy at the Boston Marathon this past April. I think about those innocent people who were just there to support THEIR runners. It could have been my niece or my best friend. I ran many miles for Boston…but the most theraputic miles were during the New Jersey Marathon just a few weeks after.

I’m really looking forward to 2014. Hope you’ll continue to follow my journey and do your own sweating out of all the small stuff that comes your way.