As 2021 draws to a close, we can say with certainty this year has been a marathon, not a sprint. We wanted to take the month of December to look back at the milestones, miles, and memories that shaped the past twelve months. We put a call out to our staff and the AMR community, asking for their highlights—from PRs to first races to life changes. Here are just some of their inspiring responses.
Whether it was a debut marathon, conquering a never-been-done distance, or sparking a fresh family tradition, several BAMRs had their own exciting running firsts this year. These highlights may be short and sweet, but they capture the magnitude of experiencing a new running challenge for the first (but hopefully not the last!) time.
Gina H: My first marathon! Chicago on October 10.
Gina shows off her hardware from her debut 26.2
Sandy B.: My first live race with my Best Running Dog (BRD), Lily, and first live race since Covid.
Sandy and her BRD, Lily.
Mary L.: I had no plans to run a marathon, ever. But in November 2021, I ran the Richmond Marathon—my very first, and at age 64!
Mary surprised herself by finishing her first marathon.
Ashley S.:I finished my first full Ironman triathlon!
Ashley earned that bling and then some after 140.6 miles of swimming, biking, and running.
Megan W.: I finished my first Rugged Maniac race. I am terrified of heights but did it with an awesome friend who didn’t let me chicken out on those climbs. I was so proud of myself for finishing.
Megan conquered her fear of heights to crush an obstacle race.
Katrina W.: I ran my first Ragnar! My brother has been asking me to join a team for a few years now, and with the increased confidence and miles from the Love the Run programs, I finally said yes! It was such an awesome experience and can’t wait to do it again.
Katrina smiling en route to finishing her Ragnar leg.
Jessica N.: I ran my first marathon. And it was the New York City Marathon, of all marathons! All in part because of Another Mother Runner, which kept me motivated during the pandemic.
Jessica went big with her first marathon–NYC big!
Heather C.: I placed in my age group for the first time. Third place, and yes there were more than three runners in my group. Believe me, I checked!
Heather trotted her way to a top age-group finish.
Gina B.: Quite spontaneously, I finally decided to commit to my first full marathon. My main goal was to finish. I did that. It was so hard. My blisters had blisters. I carried a lot of emotional things with me that day and now, two months later, I can still hardly believe that I did it! I finished 26.2 miles in a way that will never be forgotten or repeated. (I may do another full, but it will be better and less painful!)
Gina learned key lessons after running her first marathon.
Beth D.: I completed my first half marathon in four years in October. The best part? I did it pain free after adding strength training to my routine this year.
A stronger-than-ever Beth crushed the 13.1 distance.
Carolina F.: I ran my first Ragnar Trail and it was an amazing experience. I met so many strong and goal-oriented women and learned so much about my own strength and resilience.
Carolina hit the trails in 2021.
Monica B.: My daughter and I ran our first race together this year! I love sharing the joy of running with her.
Monica experienced the joy of running with her daughter.
Abby H.: My family all participated in a turkey trot for the first time together!
Abby and family sparked a new Turkey Trot tradition.
Climbed 5 peaks here in San Diego, my first time climbing anything over a hill, which is huge for this Midwesterner! There was a city challenge that had ended but I wanted to do it to push myself out of my comfort zone and to enjoy seeing new things after our move. I got all the peaks accomplished before my goal, which was before my 40th birthday! It was harder than anything I’ve ever done but also the most rewarding.
So excited to see Gina B on here! She was amazing, getting all the training in the middle of a heavy load at home.
My first for 2021? Hmmm – my first Achilles injury?! On the good side – I used MHM to finally, FINALLY start doing strength. It helps so much!