I’ve got a week’s worth of reality under my belt now — kids back at school, husband back at work, running is more structured and less lollygagging for the first time in months — and it feels good.

I am 100% in favor of the regular (and built-in) break(s) to facilitate growth — physical, mental, whatever you need — and at least for me anyway, I know the break “worked” when I find myself back into the thick of things and feel more excitement and anticipation than fatigue (or dread, if I’m being honest). I am prone to grinding myself down into vapor, so remembering to take a few to reboot and recharge isn’t something that comes naturally; I have a feeling that many of my friends share my tendency. (This is where training plans help me to function better in my life, beyond just telling me what and how to run every day).  

It’s January — a new month, a new decade, new year new you and what not — but I think there’s something special about the beginning of training, regardless of when it happens (middle of June? end of March? January 1? sure and yes please to all of the above!). There’s so much opportunity ahead of us and decisions that we will have to make each and every day, week after week, month after month, that will hopefully compound and help us to ultimately accomplish The Big Thing on The Big Day. 

What’s nice, nay, excellent, about it is that your Big Thing and Big Day can look completely different from mine, and we can both still be successful. Maybe that’s stating the obvious, but I dig the positive vibes that naturally arise when people are working together toward a common goal, even if the actual goal is different for everyone. 

Extrapolating the future based on seven days’ worth of training isn’t exactly a wonderful use of my time because hell if I know anything, right? At any rate though, I can say that ending my first week back, and beginning my second, with eager anticipation for what is in store is really, really refreshing.