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Column: My run was not a New Years resolution, but I did it anyway

Why am I even writing about this, you wonder? Only because it’s a minor miracle that it happened.
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The Minion House. Sorry for being a creeper, neighbours. (Sarah Simpson/Citizen)

I got up at 6 a.m. on New Year’s morning to run. On purpose. It wasn’t a resolution. This will not become a habit. The gym was closed and I didn’t want to start the year off by skipping a workout.

My kids don’t care about things like Mommy being tired so sleeping in wasn’t going to be an option anyway, so, I got up in the dark to get it done before my house filled with the type of noise only a one-year-old and a three-year-old can together create.

I’m glad it was still dark because it was so cold outside that I opted for leggings instead of shorts and I am not one to wear those in public. Not that there’s anything wrong with it, but let’s just say my posterior is better suited to looser clothing.

Why am I even writing about this, you wonder? Only because it’s a minor miracle that it happened.

I hate running outside. My body feels much heavier than when running on the treadmill. I feel old and uncoordinated. My arthritis bugs me. I can’t blast my music lest I fail to notice a rogue vehicle in my path or someone trying to abduct me.

But I ran anyway.

My first kilometre was slow and cold. I picked a route in the neighbourhood’s more populated areas and unfortunately for me that meant a big hill early on. It also meant I got to run by “The Minion House” — the family favourite this holiday season. I stopped and took a photo of it in the dark for the kids. If that was your house, sorry for standing there and taking a picture in the wee hours of the morning. That must have looked shady.

About three kilometres in something amazing happened. I warmed up. The slippery streets and sidewalks and the desire to be aware of my surroundings (for safety, of course) had me alert and focused.

I only passed one guy running the other direction and I quickly deduced I could out-sprint him in a pinch, or at least I think I could have beaten him up if he tried to attack me. Anybody else have these thoughts while running? He was nice though, and said “good morning”.

Aside from that, I was only passed by a handful of vehicles and I only had to play one game of “Family Van or Creeper Van?”

I had only intended to run a 5k. It seemed like an appropriate distance for the first day of the year. (I’m not at all sure why I thought that but that’s beside the point.) but when I got close to home I realized I still had 10 minutes to wait before my coffee pot turned on.

You know what they say about a watched pot…

I kept running.

I got back to the house after a slow but notably pain-free 7km. I felt fantastic. Then I drank my favourite Drumroaster coffee and felt even better. I can’t think of a better way to have started the year.

How did you start your 2018?



sarah.simpson@cowichanvalleycitizen.com

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Sarah Simpson

About the Author: Sarah Simpson

I started my time with Black Press Media as an intern, before joining the Citizen in the summer of 2004.
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