Another Year Ends

As we near the end of another year, I sit in my study reviewing the past twelve months as a runner.  I ran fewer miles in 2019 than in any other year since I began keeping records.  I did not run a single step for two months during recovering from hernia surgery in April and May.  And I only ran six miles during our 23-day trip to Britain and Ireland celebrating our 40th anniversary in August and September.  I could not have avoided the first layoff, according to my doctor.  And I would not have wanted to avoid the second layoff!

I am an optimist my nature, and I have to think that perhaps these layoffs did me some good in . . . well, the long run.  That troublesome knee does not seem to be hurting at all, and while my finish times this year were slower than ever before, I did manage to complete nine races, two of them half-marathons.  Moreover, we managed to enjoy a lot of adventures and some wonderful travel, including what surely must be that "trip of a lifetime" to Britain and Ireland.  For her part, Martha had perhaps one of her best years as a runner, placing in most of the races in which she competed and capping it off with the silver medal in the Senior Games in September.

I remember returning to Highlands after our trip and telling one of my running friends that my mileage had really suffered because of only being able to run three times overseas.  "But," I told them, as I had told Martha a week or two earlier, "Life is not all about running."  Words she thought she'd never hear, perhaps!  But we both know it's not, of course.  At the same time, it is a major part of our lives, the cornerstone of our fitness.  And the struggle to stay fit the older we become is not an easy one.  I am reminded of that poster that used to hang in our gym at the Recreation Park.

Today it is raining and we are taking down all of our Christmas decorations.  Tomorrow morning, we are both planning to run, our last run in 2019.  Wednesday morning we will be joining many of our friends by celebrating the New Year with our 18th Annual Resolution Run.  Balmy temperatures and a more leisurely starting time rewarded us with a good turnout last year and we are hoping for the same this year.

Toward the end of the week, temperatures are expected to plummet again.  Ice will stitch itself on the outside of our windowpanes and the cold wind will blow.

This is the time of year when our hearts turn toward the ocean.  We are fortunate indeed that Martha’s Aunt Lizette has graciously let us stay in her condo at Atlantic Beach for another year.  We are so grateful to her!  Warmer temperatures will permit us to stay active on days when we would be house-bound by ice and snow and frigid temperatures in Highlands.  We have already signed up for races in the area in January, February, and early March.  It is a time for renewal and reflection.  We have come to love this area of North Carolina's coast, and we look forward to re-visiting the old familiar places we love, like Fort Macon and Beaufort and Harker's Island, as well as discovering new places.

We are looking forward to 2020, and we are thankful for the blessings of good health, good friends, and beloved families.