I Have Run

I don't always run. But when I do, it makes me happy. You would think that knowledge would be enough to get me out the door more often, but I'm in a funk. And as a result, I pretty much don't feel like doing anything. Even the things I know will make me feel better. Like running. The other day I was thinking about how I feel like a fraud lately. Like I can't call myself a runner anymore. If I only run three days most weeks, am I a real runner? If I don't get excited before my runs, am I a real runner? If most runs feel hard, am I a real runner? I've seen all the quotes about how it doesn't matter how far or fast or often you run that makes you a runner. But seeing isn't always believing. Somehow I always believe things like that when applying them to everyone except myself. So I decided to think about what I want to accomplish as a "runner" this year. I have some races on the calendar. Which is a big deal considering my l

I didn't set any New Year's resolutions. I thought about it. But for me, I don't need a new year to set a goal. I have lots of goals, but they serve a specific purpose, and I have specific plans in place to achieve them. I know for some people a new year is a great motivator. It is like a clean slate. But for me, it unfortunately falls during the most dreary month of the year, with the let down of my favorite time of the year being over on top of it, so my mood and motivation aren't where they should be for setting new goals and tackling them with everything I've got.  Last week I didn't work out or run Friday or Saturday. Simply because I didn't feel like it. What I really wanted to do both days was crawl back into bed or curl up on the couch and be a slug for the entire day. I didn't. I managed to be mildly productive and went to work and fed my family and such. But I'll admit: I did the bare minimum. Any fitness or health-related r