Wrapping up

The end of a season, like the end of a year, is an artificial milestone.

It's the end of the spreadsheet I created last February to track my workouts. But it isn't the end of those purposeful workouts - the goals shift over time as some are accomplished and some are just retired, but there are still goals to reach.

My cycling and outdoor swimming email aliases are on hiatus, but they'll be put to use once more in the spring.

And my cute little skirts for running and biking have been pushed to the back of the dresser drawer, making room for long pants and tights and thick gloves. But when I catch a glimpse of them, I know they'll be there for me when it's time.

I've got medals and race numbers and pictures and even one trophy to remind me of the past season. But I really don't need them, because I have all my friends with whom I shared all of the fun and hard work of the season. This week, as many of them are on vacation and I'm working out at the gym near my house instead of the Pro Club, I miss them so much and I can't wait for things to get "back to normal" - meaning, back to work, back to routine, and back to that spreadsheet - so I can get back to seeing my friends every day and sharing our fitness and lifestyle goals.

I could list a bunch of accomplishments I might have had this season, but instead, I'm going to list my friends. I got to encourage each of them and be a part of their successes - and ultimately, that's what 2006 was about for me. 2007 might be more focused on improving my own racing, which may cost me some time with friends when I need to complete workouts that don't necessarily work for them. But here are some highlights from 2006:

Regan lost 80 pounds and completed her first triathlon.

Aleks had an incredible year, with the completion of her first half-marathon, triathlon, and full marathon.

Nancy and Sarah, after years of running, completed their first half marathons. I'm so excited to say that both plan to run more.

Wendy completed a half-Ironman (after worrying she wouldn't be able to make the cutoff of 8 hours - which she did with plenty of time to spare) and PR'ed in a marathon by nearly half an hour.

Kathy completed a half-Ironman and is learning that she really is a runner - and she's well on her way to meeting her goals for her next event.

And Danielle gave and gave and gave: informally mentoring our group, supporting each of us with information and advice, and being there to cheer us on at most of our races.

So the year might be over, but who cares! We're that much closer to next season now!