2012 in Review

2012 was quite a year for me.  I can honestly say it was the most eventful year I have ever experienced, with many highs and very few lows...

To create a chronological reflection of the year 2012, I can first start from the biggest highlight of them all - the USA Olympic Marathon Trials in Houston, Texas!  This was an experience of a lifetime, and one that I will never forget, ergo Alzheimer's.  I know I have the ability to compete with the best Americans in the marathon, and other events such as cross country, but facing the difficult recovery from Cal International 5 weeks before, I was plenty happy with the results from that race.  Again, as I've posted in the past, this race was pure carnage, and I loved it!  Only 3 more years until the next Trials, and you can count on that race being just as epic as the 2012 Trials.

Insert Arlene Espinoza into my life and the year 2012 could have been capped off right then and there.  Finding the love of my life and the spice that has been animated from her has been everything I've dreamed of.  We've shared a many of adventures together, and I can only reverie that there'll be many more upon the horizon for the two of us.  Thank you Arlene for entering my life and fulling the void that was much needed for this lonely of lonely distance runner!  To enter some of the adventures we've concocted over the past 11 months are as follows: we had 5 weddings of attendance from February until August, one marathon in Duluth, Minnesota, 2 road trips to California(one of which was for a wedding), countless running and driving miles shared together in New Mexico, a pleasant trip to the Big Apple (New York), hundreds of baked goods created and eaten, holidays spent with family, and a grand New Years Eve Party!  I'm sure there are more, but I'll conclude that chapter of 2012 as it is.

As the spring approached, I decided to enjoy the free time I had and hit the road racing circuit with a few trips and attempts at some prestige road races - Gate River USA 15k Championships, Crescent City Classic, Bloomsday, and the USA 25k Championships where I finally cracked into the top 10 at a USA Road Championship race.  Once those races were over Arlene and I traveled to Duluth to race in the Grandma's Marathon along with Dana and Lauren Patton.  With great preparation I was hoping for a pr, but the warm weather didn't help and I ran a decent time of 2:22 and change.  Arlene however, ran a great pr, and Lauren Patton finished her first marathon ever!  All-in-all, it was a great race and it was nice to see the Heitzman's in their hometown.

As the summer came, everyone enjoyed the extremely hot weather with bbq's and sweaty long runs throughout Albuquerque, and on occasion a camping trip here or there, and one epic journey to Silverton, Colorado as my roommate Loren Wohletz completed his epic 100 mile endurance race called; Hardrock 100.  This was a grand adventure, and after having the opportunity to pace a small section of the race, I got hooked and wanted to complete my very own ultramarathon.  Although, I knew I couldn't finish a 100 miler, or even a 50 miler, I would hone in my sights on a local and new 50k ultra called the Mt. Taylor 50k.  This new avenue of trail racing was exciting and challenging, so that was on the horizon for me, but before that September race, I had a few more chapters to add.

In August, I was still on the hunt for a teaching job, and could only muster 3 interviews throughout the entire summer.  But at the last minute I was called to interview in Los Lunas and was offered a 3rd grade teaching position, which in fact would turn into a 3rd grade sentence-ship.  Nevertheless, it's a job and I'm doing the best I can to stay afloat.  Also, in August we were forced to move out of the Dukes House and rent an apartment up in the foothills.  And... since I had such a long commute to work, and my 4runner wasn't the most ideal car of gas efficiency, I decided to trade it in and buy a brand new Honda Civic.  Ghesh, too many grown up things happening all at once.  It was a bit stressful, and overwhelming, but it is what it is...

Come the fall, and all is brisk and calm, except for Hurricane Sandy and the fact that the New York Marathon would still go on... wait, no it's cancelled.  The chaos that occurred in New York was too much to handle; so instead, Arlene, Allen and I had a great time touring what was left of the aftermath of Sandy and enjoying ourselves in a new city I've never been to!  It was a grand ole time.

So, as the year finally ends, with a last minute marathon in Las Vegas, which turned out to be as disastrous as hurricane Sandy, and can look back in review and reflection upon the many events that happened with a smile and happiness.  If only one event was altered, I'm sure I would still be here writing about it and thinking how it effected the entire year, but in reality, I think it was all the little things that were not mentioned.  All the moments spent with friends and family that make you laugh and cry with one another.  Even all the missed opportunities that flew by, all the "adventures" we wanted to take, but were too busy to take them.  Well, being too busy might have been the right thing to do, because we really only remember the times when chaos confronts us in the face, and how adverse we are in overcoming them.  Without all the chaos, the year would really just fly by, and before we now it, it'll be 2022.  I don't agree with all the other people that claim the year went by very fast...  it's only because we look back upon a few moments, not the everyday moments.  So this year, I'll be looking forward to just one day at a time and enjoying each day, as it presents itself.