I can’t even say that my absence has been well spent. Well spent on working, yes. But working isn’t what I write a blog about. I would even venture to say that I’ve been avoiding you. And avoiding this: I will not be running The Great Race on Saturday.
I just can’t. And not like I just can’t because I don’t believe in myself. I can’t in that I haven’t put my shiny new running shoes on for over a month. I can’t in that I’m not one of those people who can unintentionally step away from running and then just pick up right where I left off. I’m also not the kind of person who can admit defeat. But, here I am. Coming to terms with the fact that my 2013 race season has ended and it was the year of the 5K.
The year of the 5K wasn’t a bad year. It was actually my best year ever. 2013 is the year I started running. Training for and running two 5Ks is nothing at all to be ashamed of. In the Ole 5K, I surpassed my estimated pace goals by 2 minutes and shocked myself completely. I learned that I am capable of so much more than I ever imagined.
In the John Thompson 5K, I placed third in my age group (I still can’t believe that), despite the fact that I had no idea how much more difficult a trail race is from a street race.
I really feel like I ruled in 2013. And oh, yeah: I also whelped a litter of puppies, flipped a friggin’ house, helped run a professional association, not to mention opened a new facility and picked up a ton more work at Changin’ Time.
2013 has been a year of huge personal and professional accomplishments. 2013 has also been a year of coming to terms with the fact that I can’t do it all. And I have to be okay with that. I have to take pride in what I have been able to accomplish and use my experience to develop realistic goals of the future.
