2014 Race Report – My Running Year in Review

Wow what a year it  has been!  My second full year as a member of the Western Mass Distance Project focusing on as many NE Grand Prix races and training with some amazing female athletes of all ages has been so incredibly motivating!  Highlights & challenges as always make for a great year of running.  Reaching a new age group and still barely missing out on a couple PRs — feeling accomplished as I look to new goals in 2015.

Milestone – Race of the year:  Bridge of Flowers – 1st in my age – first time as a 50 year old – cash prize of $100! First time ever running this incredibly hilly course surrounded by my team mates and winning as a team to boot!

Challenge of the year:  Vermont 50.  Temps in the 80s — 50 miles for my 50! What a birthday present & party for me and my dear friend and incredible runner / team mate Karin George.  She ranked top 3 in our age group! Yay! Me, I struggled after 20 miles and the heat, dehydration and lack of training bogged me down.  I wanted to quit, but I didn\’t. My team mates encouraged me with words like \”You got this!\” and I walked the last 20 miles…. after having already tripped a few times, I counted 6 additional trips, cramped up calf muscles… and although being paced by the most energetic bunny in the world – Miss Kristin Tetrault — I couldn\’t pick my feet up off the ground because my legs hurt so much.  I crossed the line under the cut off with a sub 12 hour finish – and cried! The recovery was brutal… but I finished and am proud that I did finish!

Race List by Date for 2014

  • March 30 – Westfield Half Marathon
    • Race Report
    • 1:35:32  —- 52nd overall – 2nd in age – 9th woman      7:27 pace
  • April 21  Boston Marathon 
    • Race Report
    • 3:45:23 — 4590 woman and 521 in division
  • June 15 – Ribfest 5 milerMerrimack, NH – NE Grand Prix
    • Results
      304th overall   35:19.4  F49  7th in age   Time 35:10 WMDP
  • June 21 – Mt Washington Road Race – Birthday Weekend! This was an incredible trip with my sweet husband! We had a great time and the race was incredible.  Hot at the bottom and freezing at the top. Love the fleece blankets at the finish!  I had no idea I was so close to a PR on this course and missed it by under a minute!  This was a true motivator why I ran the mountain championships later in the summer!  How fun that my birthday was the next day!  I was 3rd in my age as a 49 year old and would have been 2nd if I was 50 on that day.  Very cool indeed!
    • Results:
      33rd/375 woman 3/51 in age  F4549 1:35:54 12:38 49  W82
  • The Bridge of Flowers 
  • This was my race of the year! See above. My first time running this course and supported by my team mates, local fans and friends.  I love hills and killed it on the early hill with some insight from my friend / team mate Dawn.  Very very very happy with my finish and the podium photo!
    • Results 
       76th/706   1/40 in age   F5054   45:16   45:13   7:17 pace    50 F     #6    WMDP
  • July 4 – The Big 4th  Springfield, MA
  • August – National Mountain Running Championships, Loon Mtn, NH
    • Results      50th Female 6th in age Number: 4605  Time: 1:09:20.7 14:27            Western Mass Distance Project
  • August 31 – GMAA 15K – South Burlington, Vermont – NE Grand Prix
    • Results
      10th in age   50 age  1:09:06 * WMDP
  • September 28  – Vermont 50   — 50 for 50!
    • Results: 
      174th/205 finishers 5/8  F5059 11:39:26 14:00 pace
  • October 26 –Mayor\’s Cup, Boston Mass
    • Results:
      128th/257   3/13 in age F5059   22:23  7:11 pace             50 F     #415 WMDP

Weekly SMAC Northampton Cross Country Race Series

I need some more time to go through these results from the Cross Country series but this has really peaked my interest in Cross Country and although I didn\’t meet my goal to break the course record in my age group there were several times that I was top 3 runner and I won 2 and 3 age groups and love the feeling and fun of this community series!

Looking forward to 2015!  Next up my goals for running this coming year….. and I am not planning on slowing down. 🙂

Thanks for stopping by and reading my posts! What\’s on your race bucket list & what goals can you share? 

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Nancy Cook 2021

About Nancy

Nancy Peck Cook is a trainer and speaker who has presented in front of large and small audiences for the past 25 years.  Her work as an executive and volunteer trainer for the American Cancer Society during the growth of the signature activity Relay For Life trained professionals to be more confident and successful in their roles. 

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