By Rae Hedlund
Welcome to another year, DRC! Looking back
at 2015, I’m blown away by all the things our club has accomplished: members
have joined and become confident and consistent runners; people have run their
first races or tackled new distances; we have shared stories, told more about
our lives before running and how running has changed us. It’s truly incredible
to see the things our club has done over the last year.
I’ve spent the past year helping with the
DRC blog, encouraging you to share your stories, and I have loved every minute
of it. Every story you’ve told has been an inspiration to me personally, and
I’m so thankful to have been a part of it thus far. Starting out another year,
I feel excited just seeing the things to come, with the 2016 Penny Challenge,
our month of speedwork in April, and other fun things in the works, it’s all so
exciting! But can I share something with you that hasn’t been exciting me
lately? Resolutions.
For some years now, I’ve felt completely
overwhelmed by the “New Year, New You!” concept. Those of you that know me know
I’m an extrovert (Gasp! Shocking!), and while I’m great at seeing a big-picture
concept, achieving the final product leaves me feeling confused and muddled—the
details elude me. Ask me to tell you my “resolutions” and I get frazzled
because I have a lot of things I’d love to accomplish, but don’t know what is
reasonable and what isn’t. To be honest, there is also a part of me that’s just
cynical about resolutions. Think of all the memes out there about people going
to the gym in January... and not going after that! Those memes are how I’ve
always looked at resolutions.
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| Not gonna lie, I think they based this off something I said once. |
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| I'd tell you to disregard the year, but this shows that I'm not the only one who thinks this way! |
Well, I’m here to say sorry. I’m sorry for
being cynical, and I’m sorry (okay, only a little) for being so easily stressed
over a pastime that most people embrace. However, I’ve shifted my thinking over
the last couple years to try to see “resolutions” as goals- and I’m always
excited to talk about my goals! I have some for the year (volunteering and
decluttering, to name a couple), but my main goal is to be gracious with
myself. The idea of being gracious, compassionate, or just kind to myself came
during my 50-miler last year, and I’ve tried to keep that idea alive.
This year is starting out particularly
directionless for me. Being 34 weeks pregnant, I’m just thankful for every
moment my body feels good being active. Over and over, I’ve been encouraged to
“listen to my body,” while also being prodded to be cautious and not overdo
things. So, this year, I consider it a goal to continue having a healthy pregnancy.
With that in mind, I have just tried to be gracious with myself while doing
what I love: I love running! But I also know that I need to take walking
breaks, or cut a run short; there are also times, though, where I know the
discomfort I’m feeling stems not from pregnancy, but from running just being
tough.
Starting off my year in my third trimester
has thrown my already easily overwhelmed, non-detail-oriented brain into a
tizzy. How can I set fitness goals? Can I get close to last year’s mileage, or
is that out of the question? What do I even want my goals to be? I’m not much
for racing and have none on my calendar for the year, and I’m okay with that!
I’ve learned that I don’t need a race as motivation, that I just like to see
what my body can do, and with DRC to keep the motivation flowing I know I’ll continue
running (thanks, DRC!).
No races, no mileage goal, I really do feel
directionless! At the same time, though, I’m looking forward to some awesome
volunteering opportunities—it is so inspiring to see others pushing themselves,
getting to help them on their way is just way too cool. I’m hoping to get to
pace some friends this year as they go out to crush their goals, because what
better way to give back to those who have helped me in my own running journey?
Even continuing to encourage you DRCers to share your running stories with the
rest of us through the blog is something I’m looking forward to this year!
What does this all mean, then? Here I am,
somewhat goalless but looking forward to a full year. Honestly, I feel a little
empty about it, but also kind of excited to see what the year will bring; with
nothing in my sights, anything that comes across my horizon will be an
adventure I’ll be floored to take part in. I love seeing the goals/resolutions
of other DRCers, because I know that I’ll be setting goals sometime this year,
just not in January. I feel directionless, but I know that I’m not.
