Diary of a runner, December 30, 2016

2.5 miles with my daughter, partially on ice this morning due to a storm last night.  Lots of good, energizing conversation.  Then 5 miles near the park – no trail running today due to snow/ice and may not see the trails again until March.  However, the sun was blazing, the air was crisp and cool, and the energy was flowing.  Today I’m back to “not a care in the world” and filled with energy.  And more importantly, ready to work on my “fears list.”  Those fears that are not valid…dismiss.  Those that are?  If I can mitigate them through my own action, put those actions on my “to do” list and do them.  If I can’t?  Rather than worry about them and let my energy be sapped, hand them over to the Universe and let her carry them for me.  This is my resolution heading into 2017.

49.5 miles in 7 days.  We runners run for many reasons.  Endorphins…. wisdom… meditation…. socialization when with other runners… escape… energy… sheer pleasure… just because we can and won’t be able to forever… yet running can make me feel immortal at times.  And you don’t have to be a runner.  Any active person: walker, hiker, cyclist, swimmer, <fill in the blank> can go there.  It is our way to get in touch with nature and the Universe.

Diary of a runner, December 27, 2016

Seven miler today in shorts as it was over 50 degrees.  There was still too much ice and slush on the trails, so I had to resort to pavement.  Today I remembered all the running I did over the last four holiday breaks.  2013: runs with my daughter in the park and not a care in the world – just absorbed all the energy.  Not sure of the mileage, but it was perhaps 80% that of the following two years.  2014: was in the midst of a wild, reckless ride leading to a hard fall just into the New Year.  What was going through my mind?  Well, the wild ride…but I also was searching for something – answers, questions, guidance, and I could not see or hear it until I fell.  I ran over 70 miles in 12 days, which is crazy as I normally run 100 miles in a month give or take.  Even when training for a half-marathon this fall, I was averaging about 30 - 35 miles a week.  You could say I was running away from something.  What?  Reality? Demons?  I recovered from the fall and 2015 turned into an amazing year.  Holiday break 2015: runs with my daughter and not a care in the world – just absorbed the energy.  Everything looked to be just fine <complacency?>  I felt like the Energizer Bunny.  67 miles in 11 days.  2016:  I’m back to how I felt in 2014 without the distraction of the wild ride.  I’m searching…seeking…wonder if I am running away from something…or toward it…or through it.  I am still able to absorb nature’s energy, which I badly need.  25.5 miles so far in 4 days; 5 more days to go.  One thing I do know – running has kept me level, balanced, and sane in my very busy life and my complex journey, especially since there were big changes in my life this year.  Seven more miles tomorrow and I will explore what scares me about the future…

A Thought on the Day After Christmas

Today is the day after Christmas, the second biggest holiday for the Christian faith, and because it fell on a Sunday, today is the “official” holiday per the U.S. Government.  So it seemed everything was quieter than usual.  Except for the malls, which were jam-packed with people trying to return gifts as well as look for bargains.  No rest for the weary materialistic society we have become.  Me? I ran 4 miles with my daughter and four more by myself zoning out and just enjoying nature and my surroundings.  And I have to stop to think about what I am missing not participating in the gluttony of materialism that seems to dominate the holiday period starting with Thanksgiving evening.  The answer was simple: nothing.  What are they missing?  Time with family, time with nature, time with a worthwhile hobby or vocation, time giving to others, time exploring the amazing, time to rest, time to reenergize, time to reflect on the real meaning of the holidays?

I pose the question for everyone to think about as we approach the New Year. 

Personal photo taken at Acadia National Park