A new year approaches

Hey all. Yes, I know . . . I've been lazy on my postings. Actually, like most folks, the holiday schedule has taken me away from the mundane, routine way of life. As much as I enjoy the time with family and friends, I do enjoy getting back into my routine. Isn't that a sad statement about me and my life?

Running. Yes, I have been doing some of that. Let me scratch my head and see if I can recall since this is my only running diary.

Last Thursday was hill work. I did the same that I have done the last several weeks- I warmed up with 2 1/2 miles at an easy pace (9:15-9:30). Then I took on my hill. The same one . . . . 0.2 miles of a steep climb. Did it four times. I didn't bump it up to five as I wanted to do (maybe this week). Then I ran 1 1/2 miles to cooldown.

Saturday morning. Long run. Though my next serious run will be the end of April, there are a couple of half marathons that I'll be doing before then. Therefore, it is only appropriate that I need to be running at least that distance. I did 13.2 miles. I did deliberately slow down a little bit, just so that I wouldn't feel wiped out later in the day when I went to my parents for Christmas dinner. I did the whole run on my 1.2 mile loop in the neighborhood. I got an early start around 7 ish and it was still pretty cool (upper 40s). I started in a long sleeve but after a couple of loops, I ran into the house for a quick pottie break and to change to a short sleeve coolmax. Here are my loop times and corresponding paces:

Loop 1 11:09 (9:17 mile)
Loop 2 11:04 (9:13 mile)
Loop 3 11:06 (9:15 mile)
Loop 4 10:57 (9:08 mile)
Loop 5 11:00 (9:10 mile)
Loop 6 10:27 (8:42 mile) I ran a loop with fast Patrick
Loop 7 11:03 (9:13 mile)
Loop 8 11:13 (9:21 mile)
Loop 9 11:06 (9:15 mile)
Loop 10 10:50 (9:02 mile)
Loop 11 10:52 (9:03 mile)

Total time: 2:00:52
Avg. 10:59:30 per loop or 9:09.6 per mile

I know it is slow but I felt great afterwards and could have gone several more miles at this pace. It is comforting to know that even in as bad a shape as I am, the fitness level is returning and I anticipate my times dropping after several more weeks of hill work and tempo runs.

Sunday afternoon. Yep. I normally do not run the day after a long run but I had to fit it into the schedule. I did a very easy 5 miler. I ran 4 miles with Susan in her neighborhood. After she dropped off, I did 1 more mile at a much quicker pace which felt surprisingly good!

Now for musings and ramblings . . . .

The title of today's blog is "A new year approaches". This is true on several levels in my life. Obviously, the calendar on the wall says December 27, 2006. A few more days and we will all be victims of the past year and will be preparing to dive headlong into 2007. For those of you who have found my blog and followed it, you know that Christmas night marked the 1 year anniversary of my wife Mona's passing. This past year has had it's highs and lows. To be honest, it has had more highs than I expected, thanks in part to my running, my ability to vent and blog, and needless to say, Susan and her girls have helped me heal some wounds that I initially thought would never heal. I do still look back and I cannot believe how my life has changed and continues to change. This is not a bad thing. Change means growth. I am also thinking about a new year where my focus is in front of me and not behind me. Don't get me wrong . . . I am not forgetful or ungrateful for my previous life. However, I do know that if I keep looking backwards, I will eventually run into a tree or ditch, figuratively speaking. The grief is still there but it is diminishing. The lows are becomming fewer and fewer and my funks are not as bad as they were earlier in this process. As I turn the corner into another new year, I am focusing on my life, my future, and whatever awaits me out there. I hope that whatever you do in life, whatever your quest is, that you attack it with every fiber in your body. We wait too long to realize that we've waited too long. My mom keeps telling me to enjoy my life . . . If I'm not doing what I want, I am wasting time. She's right. I think that what I am meant to do is to make others happy. We are all called to love each other and I challenge each of you to consider this in the upcoming year.