Whole Runner Holiday

Don’t you just love the holidays? I know this Whole runner does. The Christmas holidays bring a fitting final chapter to a full year of running. It is a time for looking back and reflecting on the success (or lack thereof) of the running plans and goals.

As we recall and celebrate the birth of Jesus Christ we renew our beliefs and convictions. Now that we are on vacation and/or retired we have more time to be grateful for all that the good Lord has granted us through the year. The triumphs far outweigh the setbacks. More goals have been met than were parlayed. The blessings are numerous.

Much like in the middle of a race, it is far easier and less troublesome to dwell on the negatives, far easier to find excuses for not finishing the race, much easier to focus on the little aches and pains, way too easy to blame the wind or temperature than it is to suck it up, focus on your strengths, and utilize your God giving gifts to render your best effort.

This, my sixtieth year of life, I have so much for which to be thankful. Throughout the year I participated in numerous races and fun runs and in each one managed a personal best either in time or age-group placing. My most memorable has to be the 4^Th of July midnight 5K in Seattle, Washington. It was quite a thrill to have earned first place in quite a popular running location.

Second in my satisfaction list were the training runs in Puerto Rico in November. Spending Thanksgiving with the family on the shores of Condado, Puerto Rico was priceless. The morning runs along the ocean and in the streets of Old San Juan were surreal. Imagine the contrast. One morning I was doing a tempo run on a tropical path that lead from San Juan’s Capital building through the streets featuring 14^th century architecture of Old San Juan. The very next day I am in Chicago doing an easy five miler in 15 degree Fahrenheit weather while been pelted with icy snow flakes. This last experience made me appreciate running in 30 degree weather.

So it is with much gratitude that I embrace this Christmas holiday and wait for Christmas day in anticipation of all the many gifts that come our way. I believe in God, Christmas and Santa Claus. How else do you explain or justify all the good fortune I had this past year 2010? Do you believe?