As the end of the year approaches, it's time to celebrate a new year and also to look back at the last year of running, and sum up the successes and failures. It's been a great year for many reasons, and at this point, I tend to think any year of health running is a great one. The times and goals are really secondary to just being able to be out there running. 
I'm sure a lot of older runners can relate.
In any case, I want to share some of my running memories and highlights from the year, but I also really want to hear yours. I hope you will tell us about your favorite running memories from the last year in the comments section. There could be lots of different things that make the year special, whether it was finishing the death march that was the Chicago marathon this year, or running your first 5k and meeting your family to congratulate you at the finish line. Or maybe it was what Runner's World magazine calls a 'rave run', in some beautiful location.
For myself, it was a year of reaching some goals, and enjoying the fruits of that. It was also a year of some pretty slow races, and the realization that I am simply not able to run as fast as I could a few years ago. But I've said repeatedly that for me, just being able to run is rewarding enough, whether or not I ever run a race again.
That said, there were a few races that stood out for me this year. Two marathons, several half marathons, and longer runs, a few shorter races and lots of training made up a busy year of running. The highlight for me had to be running Boston for the first time. It is the sort of thing that stays with you no matter how you did. As it was, I ran pretty poorly, but the experience was great regardless. It was interesting contrasting the Boston race with Chicago. Boston was horrible weather. There was rain, cold and wind from the nor'easter that hit the area that weekend. Chicago was also horrible for just the opposite reasons. Heat and humidity were unbearable. I finished Boston, but chose to drop out of Chicago at 12 miles to save myself for another marathon instead. The conditions in both races were almost equally bad, but there was no way I was going to drop out of Boston. Chicago, though is a race I've run many times, and it really wasn't that big a deal to quit. And I got to experience the Lakefront 50 a few weeks later for the first time and really enjoyed it. 
The picture was taken the night of the race at a celebration dinner for my finishing the marathon, for Tom running a really good time at the Whistlestop marathon in Wisconsin, and Rick recovering from injury to rejoin our training regimen.
So anyway, I was about to mention m y favorite memories from 2007. There are several, but running Boston ranks at the top. Specifically, two memories will stick with me especially vividly. Despite the bad weather that kept away many of the fans that normally line the course five deep, I could hear the women of Wellesley College from nearly a mile away as we approached. It was such a thrill to go through that part of the course, giving 'high fives' to all the college girls. It was inspiring to see how much they really get into it. the other memory is of my wife somehow finding her way to the front at the finish line and finding me right before I crossed the line. We had discussed how it would be impossible to see me finish, and we would meet at a spot after the race. Somehow though, she managed to be there, and it meant a lot to have her share in my experience there.
I have a few other memories that stand out from the year as well. The Soldier Field run 
was fabulous as always, and I ran the fastest ten miles I've done in several years there (just under an hour and ten minutes). The CARA 20 miler along the lakefront before the Chicago marathon was a great day, and a wonderful run. What Carey Pinkowski wouldn't have done for weather like that three weeks later!
It was that same kind of weather in the spring for the Green Bay marathon. I ran half with my friend Greg. I helped pace him over the easy part. Then he picked it up a bit and ran an incredible time for him. A P.R. and Boston qualifier. It was one of those idyllic days for running, and I really felt great joy for his accomplishment.
So those are a few of my memorable moments from 2007. What are yours? Please share your thoughts. And I'll see you on the roads.
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