2014 - New Beginings

Happy New Year!

 
Like the title says it's time for new beginings.  The tail end of 2013 was a real crapper as far as any sort of consistant run-schedule went for Jess and I.  But, it's to be expected when you life goes bazooey! (yes its a word)

That's the thing about being a regular person with a love of running and not an elite athlete ,  life gets in the way sometimes and generally; it's just about figuring out life's road block so you can get back to doing the thing that lights you up inside.

Speaking for myself,  I know that I spent the better part of December beating myself up over the fact that I wasn't running 3-4 times per week like I usually did and bemoaning my run-tragedy to my hubby to the point where he looked at me with a smile and did his best "quit your whining" eyes and asked me if I knew where my run bag was.   I think he may have been ready to throw me and it out into the snow.

But here we are in January 2014.   We made it to a new year!  A year full of potential runs, races and goodness knows shenanigans and stories. 


Like this:


Sunday January 5, 2014.

Jess and I decided we had had enough of this not running together foolishness and planned a morning run.  No distance decided during our banter the night before,  just a run.  Well maybe a shuffle,  or something akin to a jog since we were both so out of shape but a run nonetheless damn it!

Jess had decided I was trying to kill her when I proposed 9km (go big or go home) but I 'm smart and planned for the potential of a 6km drop off just in case we were both feeling suckish. But as we moved along at a pace far slower than we were used to but one that kept us moving forward, I think we each silently knew that we would be ok.

Sidebar ~  the route we used is one that we run quite often, its mildly challenging but in our winter conditions tends to be a safe choice for not getting sent to the Emergency Unit due to vehichular maming.

As we neared the 5km mark we started to encounter what we lovingly call "dog's breakfast".   It's when the sidewalk plow guys don't so much plow the sidewalk as they churn up all the ice and snow and leave the path mangled.  The result of this mangling is that runners get to try to gracefully . hop/prance around like bambi trying to make their way along the route and risk a twisted ankle.(Jess and I will easily tell you that we are neither pranc-y or graceful so this prospect is just suckish)

Oh joy, oh bliss!  

But,  as only crazies can do, we pushed on.  With our oaf-like pancing, slipping and sucking wind but pushing on.  We hit some clear spots, some not so clear spots.  Some hills,  and some flats.   We sighed,  we grumbled,  and I believe there was even a "oh for fuck sakes"  uttered once or twice but we kept moving forward until at last 9.5 km was achieved.   Victory! Hell ya!

Lesson learned:  It was not a great run.  It was hard and slow and in many parts just plain awful but, we did it.  Not all runs can be great but you have to accept that the crappy runs make the great runs that much better and it's what you do with the effort that keeps you moving forward.


Long may we run,

D