Dare Mighty Things in 2016

Happy New Year! Bonne Année! Omedetou! Hooray! I adore the start of the new year and I love new year’s resolutions. What could be wrong with using a firework-filled, ball-dropping holiday as an excuse to set goals and start anew? Fear or past memories of failure sometimes inhibit us from attempting our dreams, but as one of my favorite quotes says:

“Far better is it to dare mighty things, to win glorious triumphs, even though checkered by failure... than to rank with those poor spirits who neither enjoy nor suffer much..." -Theodore Roosevelt

Surely, much of my own running journey has been checkered by failure. There was the Foot Traffic Half Flat where upon finishing, I had to be under medical observation for half an hour because of dehydration. I suppose I should have trained for that one. There was the Every Girl’s Half Marathon where I got toe cramps at mile 12. With only 1.1 miles to go, I had to walk like a tin man to the finish line. Clearly, I hadn’t learned about Salt Stick tablets or pickle juice yet. And of course, there are the countless times when, despite my own advice, I forgot to put Body Shield on before running. Of course, chaffing ensued, always, and I have the scars to prove it. Without these supposed #fails, I would not be the runner I am today. 

Join me in 2016 as we dare mighty things! My goals include:

• Run at least three times per week, including a long run on Saturdays!
• Add two days of cross training (for me, swimming and weight training)
• Run 60 miles a month (15 miles a week)
• Limit total sugar intake 
• Commit to eating only one dinner (LOL! Just keeping it real)

Happy new year and happy running!