2011?

It seems absolutely crazy that in a few short weeks it will be 2011.

Thank goodness though.

I wouldn't classify 2010 as a bad year. I have way too many blessings in my life and have had too many good times with family and friends this year and I wouldn't trade in a moment of those events. It's just been a really intense year- of work, school, and life. I'm looking forward to a more balanced 2011.

I went back through my blog post to see what athletic goals I had made (and undoubtedly not fulfilled) for this year, and thankfully I found none! Don't shoot for the stars and then feel relieved when you don't reach them!

I did squeeze in a few races (I still haven't told y'all about getting to run with Bob Harper!) and maybe at the very end of 2010, I'll take the time to properly reflect on the year, but what I really want to do now is start planning for next year!

Right now, I'm tentatively training for a March 20th marathon. And by tentatively, I mean not hardly at all because it's so darn cold outside. Which makes me start eying marathons a little later in the year. Anyone have a late spring/early summer marathon suggestion? My friend will be running with me and it will be her first 26.2 so I want it to be a good one!

Other brainstorming for my 2011 athletic goals: another half or full marathon, at least one triathlon in the summer, possibly Take the Lake Extreme (i.e. kayak, run, and bike around and swim across Lake Waccamaw all in one day), and taking some time off my 5K.

I haven't signed a contract though- so don't hold me to any of those just yet! I'll let you know when the "official" training schedule is in place.

What are y'all getting done in 2011?

The toenail is not going to make it.

I was terrified of loosing my toenails when I started my marathon-training runs last year. I can deal with a lot of painful, gross, and unpleasent things, but I'd really rather keep my toes intact. All the marathons I talked to (or read the blogs of), though, acted like losing your toenails was a sacred and necessary rite of passage. As if you couldn't complete 26.2 without sacrificing one of those little nails.

Fortunately, then I made it through the training and marathon with all ten of my little piggies and their nails. Unfortunately, now I'm incapable of walking around my house without shoes and managed to trip in my own house and ended up bleeding through my sock. That combined with my sudden return to running does not bode well for my big toe.

I'm pretty sure the toenail is not going to make it.

Four miles today. It was supposed to be six, but darkness fell. Who knew? I'm still working on this planning thing.

Putting in the Miles

I was a bit worried after my first run back earlier this week. I was sore. (That was probably more due to the Jillians Michael video I did that day as well.) I felt lazy. I worried I had lost the running gene from my inactivity over the past months.

Tonight, though, I was reassured. It was late, it was getting dark, I had other things to do, but I really wanted to just get out and give it a try. For a second, when I hit that cold December air in my shorts, I thought I had made a mistake. A couple minutes later, once I got going and got my iPod situated, I started feeling like a runner again. After a couple miles, I was bargaining with myself to stay out longer- even though it was completely dark and I knew it was time to shower and get ready for supper.

I am a runner. I am so grateful that I've put in the miles over the years to make me one. And the wonderful thing about running is that is all it takes-putting in the miles. Not talent, not speed, not fancy equipment. Sigh, I have such a strange love affair with running. How have I survived without it for the past few months?