it’s certainly been an up-and-down year for my running. i began the year with the outrageous thought that i would run 17 miles each month of 2017. i didn’t take into account how burnt out i was after the st jude half, and i was never motivated or disciplined enough to hit that mileage. add to that a busy work schedule and an emotionally turbulent spring, and it took me a while to find my rhythm.

by the time i did find that rhythm, it was summer and i was spending my weeks working 70+ hours and my weekends in bed recuperating. when august rolled around i hit the pavement again, running whenever i was in town and the weather wasn’t treacherous. i wasn’t logging a lot of miles, but i was getting out there. until november.

november took the wind out of my sails. i managed to catch a combination viral and bacterial infection that took me out of commission for the entire month. between the sore throat, the coughing, and the wheezing, i was a bit of a disaster.

thankfully, i have made it to the other side of that and am finding that rhythm again. this time around i am taking the pressure off and running because i want to, not because i feel obligated to. i’m also running fewer miles but am working on getting stronger and finding the pace that feels right for me. for a while in there i was running just to run and had forgotten why i enjoy it: for the time it allows me to get outside and forget about life for a little while. these past few weeks i have found myself looking forward to my runs, even if it means getting up a little earlier during the week.

for 2018, i’m keeping it simple. forget about my weekly and monthly totals. forget about how my miles compare to my friends. forget about races that are months away. focus on the here and now and remember why i enjoy running in the first place.

that focus on the present is something i’m working to employ in all aspects of my life, and i figure this is a great place to begin.

xx