Real David H.

There are 77 days left in 2017. That’s it. 77. 

And I’m not sitting around waiting for time to pass to “start over” or start something new. I am, quite simply, tired of those words and tired of that mentality with A LOT OF THINGS, especially when it comes to running. 

A little more than a month ago, I finally dropped “Running Because” because it didn’t fit me. It doesn’t mean I’m giving up on running … it simply means that running won’t define me in the online world. 

Now that I’ve been going to the gym regularly for several months and doing all the things I rarely did while running, I have a whole new approach and mindset to fitness. I will get back to running one day, but it’s going to be completely different. 

There’s no doubt that 2017 has been a failure in a lot of ways, but at the end of the next 77 days, I don’t want to look back on the year and think that it was horrible just because a couple of illnesses and injuries threw off my running goals. 

So what can I do in the next 77 days? Here are some thoughts I’ve had since starting this post (which was at 82 days when I saved it in draft at the end of that question):

– Whatever old way of thinking I had before isn’t going to work. It’s time for a new mentality. While having three goals each month works to some degree, it’s OLD. It may not completely go away, but I’m not setting three goals every month. 

– Mileage is not important. When it comes to running, over the next two and a half months, I’m running whatever feels right. Maybe it will be a tenth of a mile, or maybe I’ll try running 2 miles. I’ve got to focus on just moving forward without focusing on miles for a little while. I may vaguely post to social media more than I already do about running and not being specific with my distance.

– I want to reconnect with old running friends. It’s been 2 years since an AMAZING experience at the Runner’s World Festival where I made awesome connections. I’ve lost touch with too many of those people for a variety of reasons. 

– I will continue to ride my bike, a lot. And yes, mileage will be a focus and I’ll set goals based on mileage, but I’m learning more and more that time on the bike is more important than distance.

– I will also continue to lift weights and do lots of push-ups. The last time I felt this strong was well before I ever ran my first race in 2004. I have finally moved beyond that point of “I need to do more with cross training” to being really strong. 

– When Dec. 31 gets here, I want to be able to reflect on this post and not be disappointed in myself. And that, my friends, is truly what I’m after …