I wrote the below on 12/18/2018…
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The year is almost over and it seems a lot of my 2018 goals will be carrying forward and spilling into 2019.
I grew so much this past year, finding strength in areas I least expected. I learned a new language I had been unconsciously suppressing, and started communicating more with my body, understanding and allowing its request to rest. I took unplanned days off not because I was injured, but to avoid it. I slowed down this past fall in order to hopefully speed up long term… I didn’t excel at the trajectory I thought I would, but some growth can’t be measured by PRs and race times. Just like tree roots – as noted in January – some growth is hidden beneath the surface…. I just need to go a little deeper before I can become little taller.
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On 01/01/2019, shortly after writing this, I finally PRed again and came so close to my sub 20 minute (20:05) 5K goal on quite minimal training… It feels good to approach training -and hopefully life itself – with a balance of being more relaxed but still focused.
Goals should be a guidance and an invitation to growth. They offer a quantified approach to staying motivated and on track, but shouldn’t make you feel stifled or trapped. By pulling my intensity back and refocusing on the basics, I eventually reaped a small reward. And while it was not in 2018, I still consider it to have happened right on time.
As I enter the beginning of 2019, I commit to shifting my perspective and allowing my goals to be fluid. I pledge to growing in both the seen and unseen ways – focusing on prehab, mental health, core work, & rest. And hopefully these small actions will feed into getting healthier, faster, and running further.
Cheers to one year closing and another opening. Happy New Year!
stöðugleiki 