I ran my last run of 2020 today, on the snowy trails at one of my favorite places in Terre Haute. It was a beautiful, cold and clear morning to run. And I used the time to reflect on running, life and this year.
Twenty-twenty did not look like I expected it to with respect to running. All the races I signed up for were cancelled and I spent most of the year running alone. I actually really enjoyed the solitude and I believe all that solo time outdoors helped me immeasurably.
When I looked back at the year and the races I did end up running, whether virtual or in-person, I was pretty surprised at what I did accomplish. I ran 11 events, three of those were virtual half marathons (one completely on trail). I ran a beautiful race on the very hilly Tecumseh Trail in Brown County. I finished 28 miles within 24 hours at seven of my local parks. I ran a 5K with my sister. I participated in as many local events as I could. And I ran my own San Diego half marathon, in a city where I lived for nearly 40 years and never ran. All in all, I finished the year with 720 miles. I’d hoped for 1,000; but life and 2020 happened.
I have some races planned for 2021, mainly deferrals from 2020 cancellations. But honestly, I really just want to continue moving without a plan or a goal. And just have faith that everything will happen exactly as it should.