Hello New Year

Christmas Eve run along Gulf Island Nat'l Seashore, Navarre, FL


Three days ago, 2011 vanished into the history books. It was a ...challenging? is that the word I'm looking for?... year. It began with the loss of my husband's mom - utterly heartbreaking. Then word that we would be leaving TN and moving to IN. Put the house on the market, lost my "favorite" grandmother and attended her funeral in FL, devastated the kids with news of the move, sold the house, set up a new home in Indy, dealt with my oldest's adjustment and school issues...argh.

But through it all, I've maintained my sanity thanks to running. I took up running at the very end of 2010 - nothing serious though. Just wanted to maintain my weight through the holidays, and have a way to avoid the winter blues. I caught the fever though after my first 5k in March of 2011, and then ran my first half marathon in Oct. Running helped me get through all the difficult times, stay focused, healthy, positive and "free" of issues for at least an hour. Can't say that I've improved any - maybe I have a little - but I keep at it and still want to challenge myself with each run.

I'm counting on running to help me get through 2012. A week before Christmas, we found out my husband's company was bought out by it's biggest competitor. At this point, we're not sure exactly what that means. He could be offered a job with the new company he can't refuse and we stay - or they move us. He could very well be unemployed. There is a chance he could get a job with his old company and we move back to TN. There is a slim chance the sale of the company doesn't go through, and our hopes of going back to TN are up in smoke. It's the "what-ifs" and unknowns that drive me crazy, and that's when I put on my running shoes and head outside (or the treadmill, if I absolutely have to...blech). I'm so thankful for running, and I'm thankful my husband understands my need to do it. For Christmas, he surprised me with a new running shirt, and a training log. I love that he went with the running items instead of a Nook or piece of jewelry.

So, for 2012, I'm challenging myself with two half marathons and a quarter marathon. I'm not going to rule out a full, but I have a feeling that will have to wait until 2013. I know little about training for one, but I do know it takes up a lot of time and I'm scared of starting the training and then having to up and move. I want to be settled first. I'm also not going to rule out a third half...we'll see! As far as goals for running, I'm going to keep track of my miles this year (in my new training log!), and just enjoy myself! Of course, I'm a bit competitive with myself and want to do better than I did on my first half - 2:10:47 - but I still don't see myself adding any "speed work". I may add another run to my week, upping it to 4x, and/or finding more challenging routes to get in better shape. I would LOVE to finish at or under 2 hours for at least one half marathon! I didn't know a soul at my first race, but this year, I will know a bunch of people at each of the two halfs, and I think that will be a great motivation to do the best I can.

Here's to a great running year, and getting through all the obstacles with a positive outlook - I'm looking forward to it all!