Resolutions Schmesolutions.

Great run today. Thanks to some great online forum advice, I found this website, which gives a great outline for a "Couch to 5K" running program. Looks like you can buy a more interactive version, but I of course will be using the free one!

I was also more prepared for today's run - even though it was a toasty 33 degrees outside. This site tells you exactly what to wear based on the temperature and running conditions, which I found to be a great resource for the clueless runner (me). Of course I don't have all of the ultra specialized gear that the site "recommends" but a trip into the dark depths of my closet provided some pragmatic substitutions. The best addition was throwing on some black leggings under my shorts - it really helped the circulation to my legs, and I felt the difference in my stride. The whole look was a bit ... special, which was of course exactly what I was going for.

Since he had the day off, my burly fiance Big_Shoes joined me for the run. It was nice to have a running partner, and even though I was the one with the stopwatch he seemed to do a better job estimating intervals. This program works well with a partner, because you aren't running for a long enough period to get too separated, especially since Big_Shoes has a stride at least twice the length of what my 5'3'' frame can do.

Anyway, per the program, today's run consisted of a brisk five minute warm up, and twenty minutes of running for 1 minute and walking for a minute and a half. The snow left quite a few of the sidewalks too precarious for running, so we opted to run on side streets - which made our route a bit longer, but didn't slow us down as much. Total distance was 2.3 miles, and it took us about 35 minutes. The only change we made to the program was in sprinting the hill to our apartment on the way back, finish line style. I had slowed down for a few steps going up the hill, but finished strong. I will conquer that damn hill, just not today.

I was surprised to see only one other runner on New Years Day (Don't gym memberships skyrocket after the first of the year?), but I'm guessing that the weather kept a lot of people indoors, nursing their hangovers. My own champagne-induced headache, however, disappeared a minute or two into our run. With that out of the way, I spent most of my run thinking about the achievements of my past year and my goals for the approaching one. (Cheesy, yes, but hear me out!) It would be easy to classify this little experiment as a New Years Resolution - and I don't know if I could argue against that. The timing is what it is, right? It may just be my natural skepticism for resolutions in general, but right now I picture running as the means to achieve my goals, not the goal in of itself.

Now even the most adamant resolution critic should have goals, and certainly have goals of my own, although they may not fit neatly into the 365 day time line of a resolution. While running a 5K is a short-term goal of mine (I'd like to run my first this spring) I see it as a step toward reaching my longer-term goals. Feeling healthier and better about myself will give me more confidence to go after my goals and more energy to accomplish them. Daily runs can help me beat the stress that usually accompanies any goal, and give me time during the day to reflect on the direction of my life. I have a feeling 2010 will not be lacking in challenges and new experiences. I will be finishing up my Master's degree, moving across the country (again), living with the parents while I find a job and a house and eventually planning a wedding. And of course, the things that are not foreseeable are often the most challenging. But maybe... running can be my rock. And maybe it can help me accomplish some of these things, and get to the places I want to be, or places I never imagined. Or maybe I'll get bored or busy in three weeks and give up.

There's only one thing I can say for sure: It can't hurt to give it a shot.