This is the last post of the year. But who cares, really. Tomorrow is simply another day in the current week. I'll only have to remember to change one digit habitually written on my checks. I probably won't be up for the stroke of midnight. So 2013-2014, BFD. Honestly.
2013 was the year that I finished the rough draft of my novel. It is/was also the year where I fianlly ran both a trail marathon and then an ultramarathon. I have an intense dislike for organized races. But I got talked into the marathon, and then, while I still had the stomach for it, I thought why not just knock out the ultra as well. So check and check. I'm now back to running for running's sake (and possibly the endorphins that the longer distances and tougher runs provide).
I'll be honest, I understand why people who have no possible chance of winning sign up for races: to establish some future goal to goad them into getting into shape to do the distance. A marathon, a half-marathon, a 10k, whatever. That's all fine. They do it and then go back to whatever lifestyle they led before they started training. But the runners I admire aren't the ones who need goals. They are instead, the ones who do it whether a race is coming up or not. Some of these types are actually avid and acomplished racers. But their defining characteristic isn't the race, it's the need to run whether or not some organized event is on the horizon.
A few weeks ago, a major college running coach I follow tweeted something that relates to this topic. Basically he wrote (paraphrasing here), "If you want to run, run. If you want to race, train." Brilliant in its simplicity. I can't argue with that at all. In a way, it describes a third type of runner - one who runs to win. I understand that mind-set as well. But I can't imagine being that type of athlete if I didn't already love to run.
If I were to draw a Venn diagram of these three types of runners, it would be easy to see that each will overlap the other where specific runners are concerned. But, since I really kind of hate Venn diagrams, I won't do that. You're welcome.
Anyway, I have very little else to say about 2013. It was a year like most others. I saw two movies at theaters - The Banff Film Festival (absolutely freaking amazing event that takes place over three nights - can't wait for it to come back in 2014), and The Dallas Buyers Club (also fantastic and moving).
My running mileage for the year is just above 1,500.
So that's that. My resolution is try to enjoy other aspects of my life a tenth as much as I do the three Rs - reading, writing, and running. I'll try, but I doubt it will happen.
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