Happy New Year everyone! Oh this will definitely not be a post full of resolutions and remembrances of the year past. I used to make resolutions, well OK I made the same resolution year after year…to lose “the weight.” I stopped resolving to do that a few years ago and now January 1st passes for me just like any other day of the year. I almost always work New Year’s Eve because I like the holiday pay, there is always someone who doesn’t want to work it and my husband and I would just assume go out on any old regular weekend night. I’ve always been ok with a low key New Year’s Eve. I did the Times Square thing once in college and basically spent the entire time looking for a bathroom and a place to watch the ball drop. Unless you’re friends with Dick Clark and now Ryan Seacrest you might as well stay home and watch the ball drop because odds are you aren’t going to get close enough to see it. I did get to see Pitbull perform in the rocking NYE concert on TV before I left for work. What is it about that man and his music?! Whatever it is, it will be joining me throughout the marathon.

Since I am in the midst of a ridiculous self-induced stretch at work I am going to go to bed soon before heading back to the hospital tonight. Monday night is my last night of work and we leave for Florida on Wednesday. My husband and son are spending the day with my family and have graciously left me guilt free to enjoy the house to myself. My husband has ulterior motives though. My mom’s husband recently bought a new 3D television which is apparently killer for watching Sunday football. The Patriots are on today and my husband would rather not be interrupted by his tired wife who wants to go home and sleep. Who can blame him! I am equally as thrilled to have a little alone time something I almost never get since I’m still trying to get a lock on the inside of the bathroom. I have no privacy what so ever.

So what to do with all this free time? I went for my last long run of marathon training. It was supposed to be 8 miles but turned into 10 miles when I decided to explore a different neighborhood. Oops oh well. It was a stunning day for January 1st. I peeled off my sweatshirt and gloves before mile 2, it was that warm. The run was comfortable. I maintained a good pace and walked up the many hills I encountered. 

I just finished reading my favorite blogs and commenting. I love to comment on other blogs because almost always there is something in a post I can relate to or compels me to write words of motivation. I am still learning to navigate this blog world. I want to thank those of you who come by regularly to read my blog and also those of you who may have just found me. I don’t look at the statistics about how many people visit my blog so I am always floored when I get a comment. I love them. I read them all and try to acknowledge them in some way. I started this little blog to document my marathon training and my running progress. I honestly never imagined the support and motivation I would receive through blogging. 

I am so incredibly excited about the marathon next Sunday. It has been an unbelievable experience so far and I haven’t even run it. When I look back and realize how far I’ve come I am in awe of myself, my body and my determination. I was the girl in high school gym class who sat on the bleachers and refused to participate because I was afraid the other kids would laugh at me if I ran. A few years ago when I started running I seriously never thought I would be able to run and catch my breath. I struggled. Now I go out for an 8 mile run like it’s nothing. Somewhere throughout this process I grew to love and look forward to long runs. Even when I’m not training for a specific race I aim to do at least one double digit run a month. That will likely increase after the marathon because I’ve really grown to enjoy the time I get to spend running long distances. There will be more races, some local, some far and possibly one international this year. Marathon training didn’t burn me out rather it lit a fire under me to keep pushing myself beyond my comfort zone both with running and in other areas of my life.

I may not make resolutions but I definitely have running/fitness goals. I have found that training schedules work for me. They motivate me and keep me on track. It helps me to have a schedule to follow rather than just winging it each day. I’m less likely to skip a workout if I have it set on a calendar.

I haven’t really firmed up my goals as of today, but I have one definite goal. For the last two years I have run the Bridge of Flowers 10K in Shelburne Falls, MA. It is a challenging race with a killer set of hills from approximately mile 2-3. I love this race though. In 2010 I ran it in 1:07:36 and in 2011 I PR’d in 1:04:16. I was really proud of myself, but I know I can do even better. There will be lots of speed work to look forward to this spring.

• My A+ goal is to finish the Bridge of Flowers 10K this year in just under 60 minutes so 59:59 would be acceptable!! 
• My A goal is to come in under 1:04. 
• My B goal is simply to PR. 

2011 was all about training for the Disney Marathon so in many ways my new year starts next Sunday hopefully sometime around 11 a.m.?!

Thank you so much for your support, kind words and motivation. Your comments and emails were truly appreciated. I hope you will keep visiting throughout 2012 because I have a feeling there will be more than just running going on here. 

Here’s to an amazing 2012!!