1,000 in 2010!

Just past noon today, I finished a 6-mile trail run in Shelby Bottoms.  With that run, I reached my goal of running 1,000 miles in 2010.  I celebrated afterwards by drinking a Newcastle beer in the parking lot, reflecting for a few minutes, then drove to meet J.P. and Carley for lunch at "Battered and Fried" in East Nashville.

For me, it was fitting to run my 1000th mile on the trails in Shelby Bottoms.  It's my favorite place to run and, normally, I do my long runs there on Saturday mornings.  I've run the trails there so often the past several years that it's like a second home to me.  Running the trails brings me a real sense of peace most days, probably because I so rarely see anyone else running or walking there.  

Although running the 1,000 miles is not a huge accomplishment (it's a little less than 20 miles per week) in reality, it's important to me because it required a certain amount of perseverance, discipline and dedication.  I've done it before, but not since J.P. was born.  It helps me to have an annual mileage goal, because it motivates me to run when I might not feel like it.

Many nights in 2010 I ran in the neighborhood after we put J.P. to bed, often not leaving the house until after 9 p.m.  There were a lot of nights when it would have been easy, too easy, to skip a late night run and just watch television or read a book.  Instead, I put on my running gear, grabbed my iPod and off I went.  Often times, I finished my night runs at Bongo Java on Belmont Boulevard, got a cup of coffee and walked the half mile or so to my house.  Always, that was one of the high points of my busy days - walking home, sipping my coffee and listening to Bill Simmons' "B.S. Report," Terry Gross' "Fresh Air," Bob Edwards' "Weekend" or Ira Glass' "This American Life" (all podcasts) on my iPod.  The walks home gave me time to unwind, mentally and physically, and I came to look forward to them almost as much as the runs themselves.

I ran outside most of the time, although there were occasions last winter when I ran on the treadmill at Go Performance and Fitness in Cummins Station.  I ran in the mornings when I could, although doing so regularly was tough with J.P. up and about and Jude trying to get into work.  I ran in a few races, most notably the Country Music Half Marathon (where I walked back a mile or two after I finished the race and re-ran the last mile or two with my sister, Tracy, who was running her first half marathon).  I ran in 90 + degree temperatures and I ran when it was less than 20 degrees outside.  I ran in the rain.  Memorably, I recently ran 10 miles on the trails in Shelby Bottoms, with snow falling throughout the run (I also saw a doe and a fawn on that run, the first time I've ever seen deer on the trails, which I've always thought was strange).

I ran with J.P., pushing him in the racing stroller.  I ran with an old friend from high school I hadn't seen in  years - David Moyer - and I ran with a new friend I'd just met - Ken Wempe.  I ran with attorney friends - Tim Street and Joe Jensen - and an old friend - Mike Matteson.  Mostly, though, I ran by myself, lost in my thoughts.

I ran with a lot of aches and pains (sore feet, ankles and knees).  I ran when I didn't feel well.  I was out of commission for a week late in the year with an infection in the great toe on my right foot.  I was worried that injury might derail me from reaching the 1,000 mile goal, but fortunately I was able to increase my weekly mileage after I recovered.  I'm thankful I was healthy enough to hit 1,000 miles for the year.

I ran more than 200 times in 2010.

Running is what I do.  It's who I am.  I'm a runner.