New Year Coming

I'm generally reflective at the end of a year - I like to think back over the year and further process some of the pros and cons of it. 2008 was a full year of life for me - joy, laughter, pain and loss. Seeking God through it all has helped me find some beauty - even in the midst of dirt. I’m usually not glad for the dirt, but I’m happy for the beauty I find in it.

I'm looking forward to 2009 with renewed excitement - for the first time in 4 years, I am looking at a new year with no plans for further consultations with doctors and no surgeries planned for the year (gosh, I hope it stays that way!) I wonder if I will go through withdrawal since I must have seen a zillion 'white coats' in the past 4 years. Love those humans - they spend years of their lives learning how to take care of others and everyone I’ve met has done it with a smile (well, there was that one, but I won’t go there)

Since April, on the days my lower body cooperates, I go for a walk - outdoors in friendly weather, otherwise on the treadmill. If I’ve had a tiring day or two of being on my feet, I need to cut out any additional walking for a day or two. Since May, I’ve been throwing in about 2 to 5 minutes of jogging a few times a week. At this time, it’s a great feeling emotionally, but physically, my body does a fair bit of moaning and complaining. I’m constantly trying to determine the seriousness of the ‘noise’ - does it mean I’m pushing too hard or is it just my beat-up body complaining during the process of becoming stronger again?

I will be doing a lot of accessing the next few months as I aim to complete a 4.6 mile portion of a marathon relay on April 4, 2009. I’m excited and scared at I plan out my training schedule - I know slow and steady increases is the ticket, but part of me wants to go hit the treadmill and see if I can pound out 4 miles right now. Don’t think that will happen - as I only run about 1/2 mile at this time in the middle of a 20 or 30 minute walk.

Let the training begin ....