For several years I started off a new year of blogging either talking about my past year in running and or my plans and goals in running for the year to come. I have not done that lately because I have been battling a series of minor injuries that have been preventing me from really training and striving for the types of goals I want to go after. Finally, I put aside my stubbornness and sought out the help of a professional PT to help me heal from my most recent nagging injury. I am hoping tha tI am now well on the road to recovery as I write this. So I am writing this post for a future me that is able to be healthy and running again and train for their goals. This is what I hope for in 2024.

I am always looking for something new to try. A new challenge. A new type of event or a new distance to challenge myself at. My mind has been occupied by thoughts of trying out a multidisciplinary event for the last few years.

I have really thought hard about wanting to try competing in a duathlon. But, previously I could never pull the trigger. Now as I was finally feeling confident enough on a bike to do it I have been too injured.

My hopes for 2024 is that they are filled with duathlons. I have three duathlons over the course of the year that I would like to participate in. I have been getting the biking in while recovering from running injuries. I feel much more confident on the bike. And I have a good base of running in my past. So even with a prolonged absence from consistent running I feel sure that I will be able to pick that back up and be ready to at least finish an event on foot.

I am excited about the prospect of putting some good hard training for a new type of event. I am looking forward to hard rides followed by surprisingly harder runs as I adapt to a new style of event. Pushing my physical and mental limits. Trying something new. Adapting and pushing forward. If anyone has experience in participating in duathlon events and training from them please reach out and connect to share your advice and experience with me. I would love to hear from you.

My other goal is rooted firmly in the running space. Over the past several years I had found a love of training for and completing ultra distance events. I even completed several solo adventures.

In 2021 I completed multiple ultra marathons and attempted my second 100 mile race. I was in love with ultras. But for 2022 I wanted to take a year off from ultras to let my body recover and turn my sights to a series of shorter events.

In 2022 is when the injuries began to bite me and that is where my running began to decline as I battled injury after injury. And finally I reached a point in 2023 wher eI had taken a full 2 months plus off from running and I still wasn’t back to 100%. And now I am in PT and feeling hopeful.

If all has gone well with PT I want to start running ultras again in 2024. Hopefully as this blog has gone live I am already registered for my first 50k in over 2 years. I have a race in mind that I want to register for. If I am feeling healthy again I will sign up when it goes live near the end of 2023.

I have no goals for my first ultra back. Just finish, which is almost always my goal in an ultra. I am not planning to do too much training on the running side as my focus will be on the duathlons. I am hoping my experience and past training banked over the years will serve me well.

I hopefully I will follow this post up with more fun race reports from events I compete in over the course of 2024 as well as many many more fun pain free running.

Enjoy your run or ride.

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