2018 year in review

2018 was a very fun year. I can't wait for next year.

How do I describe 2018? Ambitious, fun, inspiring. It was a tremendous year filled with accomplishments, achievements, adventures, making a difference, learning new skills, and laughs. No question the year was filled with struggles. It is normal to have tough times but it is up to you on how the individual adapts. It was frustrating starting a task only to stop and quit. My biggest criticism was not having consistently productive days. Sticking to a schedule and staying focus is another improvement I need to work on.

Obviously, I participated in several running races. Instead of boring readers with another recap, click the links to view more details about my running.

To begin the year, I was training for a marathon coming up in a few months. Vividly remember two days of training in extremely cold, sub-zero temperatures. One day, I volunteered a couple hours at a homeless shelter in Saratoga Springs. Henry Rollins visited Albany for a spoken word tour talking about his world travels. It was an inspiring show.

February
After eight years and over 100,000 miles with my Chevrolet Malibu, it was time for a change. Made a decision to lease a brand new car, model, and brand. Celebrated my birthday doing a training run and eating non-dairy ice cream pint (Ben and Jerry's Chocolate Fudge Brownie). Ended the birthday celebration weekend on a positive note with a Union hockey game against Cornell and a live performance by Dropkick Murphys.

March
If my memory serves me correctly, I took some time off social media to get refocused. Racing season began with the Garden State 10 in New Jersey. There was a half marathon challenge, 5K run followed by the 10 mile race.

April
In order to stay active, I swam in an olympic size pool for the first time in several years. It was a struggle but it felt rewarding doing an activity that was difficult. It is a excellent cross training method for marathon runners. My racing season carried on with two events: Code Blue 8K and New Jersey Marathon. This was my fourth time completing the marathon distance. The course was wonderful, finishing on the boardwalk, overlooking the ocean. I believe a wedding ceremony was being conducted on the beach while the race was in progress.

May
No distance races this month but so many fun events. Spent a weekend catching up with high school friends at a wedding. Spent a Sunday taking a walking tour with John Joseph, Cro-Mags vocalist. Saw the original Misfits line up perform in Newark, NJ. Arena Football returned to Albany and I was fortunate to attend a regular season game. 2018 is not even over but I can't wait for next season.

June
No surprise, more training for an upcoming race. Ran in a local trail race for the first time in nearly four years. A week later, I was in Boston running 10 kilometers with thousands of other competitors including elite athletes.

August
311 and Offspring performed in Syracuse on their summer tour. Felt like a nostalgic teenage in the front row singing along to their hit songs.

September
I decided to run two half marathons in a two week span to salvage a good running season. Disappointed I could not run a second marathon due to investments. Before the running, I drove to Woodstock Farm Sanctuary for a facility tour. Michelle Wolf had a one night only show in Albany. Sold out show at 7 PM was wonderful. For my races, I decided to run in Vermont. In terms of performance, it was excellent and strong. The two race gave me the quickest times in the half marathon distance. Can't wait to race again in the Green Mountain State soon. Read recaps here: Manchester and Vermont Sun (Brandon).

Woodstock Farm Sanctuary

October
A strong racing season concluded in Boston at the B.A.A Half. After running the 10K race in Boston a few months ago, I decided to sign up for the half marathon race soon afterwards. Not my quickest time but it was so much fun running in a fantastic city. Very pleased with the results over a span of month.

November
I volunteered at the MVP Stockade-athon race in Schenectady. It was second time participating in the last three years. It was also a wonderful month of trying beneficial activities: Cryo therapy and infrared sauna. Visited another animal sanctuary en route home: Tamerlaine Farm Sanctuary. Before the month ended, I decided to give the gym membership another try. Signed up at Planet Fitness, and it has been going great. Planning workouts on a weekly basis has made a tremendous difference.

December
The 21st will mark three years of drug-free living. The biggest reason was losing a good friend that was the same age as me due to a car accident. Also, a couple friends have been staying on the straight arrow, even with children of their own. Thank you very much for the inspiration. I am a much better individual today than I was a few years ago. My thirties have been wonderful so far. I would love to keep that up going into my forties and beyond.

Thank you friends, family, healthy foods, and running for making 2018 a wonderful year. I can't wait to see what the new year brings. Love you all. Stay strong. Reflect. Work on improvements for the new year.

-Matt Jerauld