New Year -- New Start (or Restart?)

Each year as we  hit January, we often get focused on starting over and back to square one of our training.
"Starting January 1, I'm going to start training again"
...or...
"this year, I'm going to really start to eat healthy".

Wouldn't it better to focus on continuing to the right things? Keeping up with your running -- instead of starting over?

So now that it's February - how many people stayed with their New Year's Resolutions?

I don't want to be a downer, but 88% of New Year's Resolutions fail. Why? Mostly because people are not realistic or too far-reaching. Being runners, we all are disciplined, to some degree. But the difference in keeping our resolutions can often be to approach our resolutions in phases or steps, in order to help us succeed.

What are your resolutions?

2012 Year in Review - by the numbers

Last week I posted a review of 2012, which did not talk about miles logged; races run; PRs.

So this week, in looking at my stats on DailyMile.com, thought I'd share my progress. I'm happy to say that my miles in 2012 were higher than 2011, but still want to be more consistent. 

 By the way, I am digging the number of "Donuts Burned" metric...good indication of progress!

What a year!

As much change we experience in our lives; we've all found comfort at one time or another in the common thread and consistency of running.

Weddings. Funerals. Births. New jobs. New homes. Change schools. Working overtime.

You name it, we've experienced all of these life events at one point in our lives.

I can write about how many races I've run. The miles I've logged. But I won't -- not in this post....
However, in 2012, it was a year, not unlike other years has been filled with change. In the past year,

Shoes, shoes, shoes

We all have shoes upon shoes. At home. In the car. Stacked in closet.

Extra pairs, new pairs, racing pairs. You name it.


In looking at the pile of shoes that I've recently amassed and seeing the efforts to Restore The Shore and one man's journey to log 220 miles for that benefit (link), it got me thinking...what can I do do put these shoes and other donations to use?




Among countless locations for Salvation Army, Goodwill Stores and even at special race events, you can donate a pair of NEW or your GENTLY USED running shoes to these organizations:


www.soles4souls.org

donateyouroldshoes.org

Nikereuseashoe.com


Or to just simply make a donation to help Restore the Shore, check out Ed Kloskowski's page at:
Run4NJ.org

Happy running!

Quiet early morning run, post-Sandy

Soft crunch of snow underfoot.
The calm, stillness and quiet of running in empty streets during the early dawn.
And the slight breeze that hits your wind-blown face with a spray of snow and ice from low-lying trees caught unexpectedly with this winter blast.

If you ran outside in the northeast this past week or so, you might have experienced this sensation. Not because you were up earlier than your neighbors running in the pre-dawn light, but because many of us in the area have been without power for days...and in some cases nearly 2 weeks (or longer).

Regardless the circumstances, I would encourage you to take that motivation and spirit that keeps you running and apply it to those who really need the help, who's homes were devastated by Sandy or impacted by the nor'easter that followed on the heels of that storm.

Visit americanredcross.com to learn how you can donate, volunteer and help.