Another One Bites the Dust

I remember my first day of cross country practice AGES ago, Coach Pingel said, "always log your miles." So, of course, I did. I have ever since. Today, I put away the 2025 log. 2018 miles logged for the year. That ranks 33rd of the 61 loggable (?) years. 

As has been mentioned mucho times in this blog, I have always considered 2000 miles to be the mark of a serious running year. This year might be the end of that. Not necessarily the end of 2000 mile years, but surely the end of that as a measuring stick.

SO.... that puts us at 125,961 for my career, that's 202,714 kilometers for my kilo peeps.

Frankly, I do not see another major milestone in the near future. 150,000 miles? Maybe if I keep running till I'm like 85-90 (unlikely, but you never know). I did have a dream once that I was 87 years old and crossed the finish line of the New York City marathon, keeled over after a heart attack. As they were putting me on a stretcher, my sons were yelling, "Put the medal around his neck, put the medal around his neck" Good call fellas.

The 2025 race report is simple: zero. 

So another one bites the dust. Next year? Don't know, but barring the unforeseen, I'll go for a run tomorrow to kick off the New Year.

Happy New Year. Run on.

Kipling Knew.....

In "IF", Kipling wrote,"If you can meet with Triumph and Disaster, And treat those two imposters just the same."

That's it. Right there. He was right. When Disaster strikes, we need to chill.... not take it so seriously or so personally. When Triumph hits, we need to do the same. It's the steady, even keel that counts. We're never as awesome as we're hyped up to be, and never as terrible as we sometimes think (or are told).

And so it is with MY life.

I ran over 2000 miles this year. That, according to me, is the measure of serious running. So, is that a Triumph? I'm unsure because there was nothing serious or triumphant about my running in 2025.

In my professional life, I had 57 invoiceable gigs. That's my worst year in the last five. Does that make it a Disaster? I had connected better and had more fun this year than I can remember.

What does this mean?

It means that Kipling was right. If we understand both Triumph and Disaster as "imposters" we'll be okay. It's never as good or bad as we think.

Runners know this instinctively. We don't run, necessarily, for the medal, we run because we're runners.

This year reminded me of that the same is true professionally.

I don't teach because the calendar is full,

I teach because it's who I am.

Triumph and Disaster are just mile markers.

The real work is staying on your feet - and moving forward.

Run on.

The End of Seriousness

Not much left in 2025. In fact, as of this writing 24 days. If I play my cards right, I will slightly, ever so slightly, pass 2000 miles for the year. In fact, at a very reasonable 5 miles a day, the total will be 2002. 

I suppose I could be greedy and up it to 6 miles a day so that I could do that "Run The Year You're In" thing. The whole run the year you're in thing is kind of a stupid goal because,  let's see, I get older every year, but I'm supposed to run further every year. Nah, not interested.

For years now, I have maintained that my running was measured to be serious or not by the 2000 mile mark. In the 59 years I have engaged in this running thing, I have surpassed the magic number 30 times. This, barring the unforeseen, will obviously be the 31st.

And maybe the last.

You see, what I've discovered in 2025 is that I AM not longer serious. Not complaining, whining, feeling like a victim, just acknowledging that while I still enjoy the run, there is nothing motivating me to do it in any particular way, for any particular distance. I'd like to think that this means I am passed it all and have moved on to a more zen-like state. Actually I'm tired.

And tired is okay.

Run on.