A runner's resolution

On New Year's Eve, I was jealously watching several of my running friends sharing their runs on Facebook and DailyMile, posting distances like 20.11 miles, 11.02 miles and most fantastically, 101 kilometres (that achievement belonged to Vanessa Runs, an expat Canadian barefoot ultra-runner who completed the 24 hour Across the Years Race). While we didn’t have anything planned for New Year's Eve, I was struggling to find a way to fit a run in. The kids were still hopped up from Christmas and I was feeling guilty about leaving Mr. P with an unnapped toddler and equally hyper five-year-old. Staying home wasn’t doing anyone a favour because I was getting increasingly cranky and finally Mr. P kicked me out the door.

 

So Murphy and I went for a run, without a goal for time or distance, which is good, because I had just been assigned this particular blog topic (to blog about my hopes for 2012) and was struggling with what to write. I’m not a resolution maker and after the turbulence of 2011 (with running being the only familiar thing to me), I really just hoped that 2012 would be a quiet year where our family makes our cottage house a home and we all stay healthy.

 

So we ran past the frozen lakes, snowed-in trails, families out for their own evening walk and a group of men splitting a 6-pack during an impromptu tail gate party (they offered to share their beer with me!). My legs kept moving and I realized that’s all I want for 2012 — for my legs to not give up on me (and a magic Race Fee Fairy to pay for all of the races I want to enter).

 

Because when I run, my heart is happier, I am a better wife and a happier mom. Because my love of running is contagious, I can help more people enjoy their lives and be healthier and happier. But for my legs not to give up, I’ll need to eat better and sleep more (I’ve been hanging out with the Twitter #zombiemoms lately). I’ll need to listen to my body, ease up on it when it’s tired and challenge it (after the better food and more sleep, of course). And though I love racing, race fees add up quickly. My heart is happiest on the trails, so I’ll invest just in trail races that make me happy (unless there’s a road half marathon that has schwag to die for).

 

22 kilometres later I was home again. My pace, far slower than my DailyMile pals, was faster than any half marathon I raced in 2011, but the perfect way to ring in the New Year.

 

Now, if you find the magic Race Fee Fairy, can you tell her I’m looking for her?