200 in 2009

It's a quarter 'til 5 p.m. and I'm sitting at a table at 3 Crow Bar in East Nashville, having a beer, watching traffic drive by outside. It's unseasonably warm for mid-December (63 degrees!) and the garage doors that serve as windows are up. My table is less than ten feet from the intersection of Woodland and 11th Streets.

I'm unwinding after finishing an 8 mile trail run at Shelby Bottoms in Shelby Park. There was standing water on the trails and lots of mud, which made for a great trail run, particularly since the temperature was so pleasant for this time of year. I even managed to discover and explore a new trail, off the Cornelia Fort Trail. Strange, since I've probably run right by the trail head 250 times over the past several years.

Today's run was special, because it was my 200th run of 2009. I achieved a goal I set for myself last December - to run 200 times in 2009. It's not a big deal, really, as it just required me to run four days a week, on average. Still, setting a goal for the year helped me go out and run on those days or nights when I really didn't feel like doing anything more than sitting on the couch, watching television.

It means I made running a priority and stayed relatively healthy. I carved out some time in a relatively busy schedule to run. I ran in early in the morning and at night, after John Patrick was asleep. I ran in the cold, in the rain and in oppressive heat. I ran in the mud, on trails, on the beach and in my neighborhood. I saw deer, turtles, snakes and an owl on my runs. I finished many nighttime runs at Bongo Java, got coffee, then walked home. I ran when I didn't feel like running. I ran when I couldn't wait to get outside and run. Best of all, I ran with my son, who loved it each and every time I strapped him in the Baby Jogger to go for a run. I ran 200 times in 2009.

Running is an important part of my life and it has been for a long time. Running keeps my sane. It relieves stress. It helps me collect my thoughts. Running makes me feel better about myself. There's a spiritual aspect to running, for me. I feel closer to God when I run. I'm blessed to be healthy enough to run on a regular basis.

Now, for 2010 . . .