the first 5

So I did my first run in just over a week this morning - 5 miles. I've had so many lovely excuses the last week or so not to go - shopping, wrapping, parties, cramming in some work before the break, cooking, bad weather, kids slept in so I'm sleeping in (my favorite!). But today it was time to get back into the training program. Huntington half is just 5 weeks away! So out I went. It was 34 degrees, there was snow and ice on the ground, wind in my face and the first half was all uphill. My ass was frozen by about minute 7 and my nose ran the whole time but my first run in jacked-up winter weather (I'm usually on the treadmill anywhere below 45 degrees) was actually fun! It was a different experience and definitely more invigorating than running in the heat!

A friend of mine wrote a great blog post about a book I gave her called Bird By Bird and related it to running, and today I had that in my head as I pounded out 5 miles. Every hard task in life can be handled if you take it bird-by-bird, and every hard run is just the same...take the next step and the next one and you'll end up right where you need to be. I love this book and it seems like, as I head into the new year, it might be a good time to read it again. I could use some instructions on writing...and life.