Another year of running is in the books! This time, there were fewer races and a bit less running compared to 2023. Here's my 2024 recap!
Races:
March:
Wow Mountain (Miaoli) trail - 9km
July:
Shilin Rock (Taipei) trail - 24km
August:
Alior Festiwal Biegowy, Zawoja Poland trail - 21km
October:
Beat the Sunset (Taipei) trail - relay race - 3 km per loop
Phoenix Trail Run (Taipei) trail - 17km
Green Island Marathon road - 21km
December:
Taipei Marathon road - 42km
Summary:
Distance: 1,365.80 km
Longest run: 42.84 km
Total Ascent: 26,004 m
Total Activity Time: 201:47:39 h:m:s
During the first half of the year, I had a tough time with my IT Band in my right knee, which made it hard to get back into running. Whenever I hit 8km, my knee would start acting up. Until June, I was only managing about 60km a month, which is just half of what I used to do.
After seeing my PT in Poland and sticking to the exercises he gave me, I can finally run over 10km without any pain. The first run I did was the 24km Shilin rock trail, and it felt amazing to run without any discomfort!
I spent the entire August back in Poland and did my first trail event there. I had a blast, and the race was awesome! The vibe was different from Taiwan, and I have to say, I preferred Poland. I also tried my first ParkRun (a 5km run every Saturday) in Warsaw. It's a bummer we don't have it in Taipei—such a fantastic community and a group of enthusiastic runners! :)
The rest of the year was pretty hectic. I joined my first relay race, Beat the Sunset, right here in Taipei. It was a team of four, starting at noon and running 3km loops until sunset. My coworkers and I teamed up, and we had an awesome time with great food and vibes. I'd definitely do it again, but maybe with just two people next time (there was a bit too much waiting around between loops for my taste:)). I also finished the Phoenix trail run in Taipei and then headed to Green Island on Taiwan's east coast for a half marathon, which was basically one loop around the island with amazing views! :)
I wrapped up the year with a big highlight: the Taipei Marathon, and I was super lucky to snag a spot. I can't really compare it to any of the major marathons, but I totally loved the vibe, and I think the event was organized really well. Unfortunately, after finishing, my IT band started acting up again, so now I'm focusing on shorter runs and getting back into strength exercises to be ready for the challenges in 2025! :)
Looking ahead to 2025... I kicked off the year by running my first half marathon in Xiaoliuqiu back in January. Now, I'm shifting my focus to trail runs and gearing up for the Kaga Spa by UTMB race (50K) in June. I'm also teaming up with a friend for a duo relay race at the Beat the Sunset event this year. Besides that, I'm concentrating on building strength and working on my mobility because I really need to step up in those areas.
Fingers crossed:)
