Last run of 2010

Today I ran outside. A major feat since I've sworn off winter running.

The above statement is a bit of a lie. To be truthful, I have yet to run outside this winter. Ice scares me. Big time. So I've decided to hoof it on a treadmill this winter. It is damn boring and mind numbing as a count down the seconds before I can push the big red button to end my run. Because today was plus eight, I decided to gear up and run outside. It was nice to breath fresh air for a change.

Today also marked my last run of 2010. I don't know how many times I've ran or how many kilometers I've racked up this year. I lost count in the summer. The Post-it board of all my running tallies is no more. Running is now like second nature to me. If I haven't ran in two days, I start to get antsy and fidgety.

As I write this post, it is hard not to look on the year that was. In some many ways, 2010 was my own Year of Magical Thinking. A lot of crap happened. There was sadness, disappointment, loss and anger. But there was triumph, too. I took back control of my life. In so many respects, I cleared house and refocused my energy in different aspects of my life. I'm a much different person than I was at the beginning of the year.

I haven't a clue what 2011 will bring. Other than running Race Weekend's 10K, there are no resolutions other than to keep on doing what I'm doing. It seems to be working so I'm going to stick with it.

Labour Day memories

Labour Day weekend, which marks the unofficial end of summer, has come and went. So much has changed in the last year. This time last year I had just returned home after an emergency road trip to my family's home outside of the city. At this point last year, darling daughter was a mere four or five weeks old and refused to sleep. It got so bad, that she didn't sleep from 10 p.m. to 6 a.m. So desperate for sleep, dear husband and I packed her into her car seat and drove around the suburbs of west Ottawa, hoping the car ride would lull her to sleep. It worked, until we got through the front door. Her little eyes popped opened and I do believe that is when I burst into tears.

We did manage to get her to sleep. Which meant we could sleep, too. I got about five hours of sleep in when my mother phoned to see how it was going. That is when I burst into tears for a second time, blabbering the baby wouldn't sleep, we were sleep deprived and I didn't know what to do. She persuaded me to come home for a couple of days to allow me to sleep while she looked after the baby. Those two nights were I got a half decent sleep were probably the best sleep of my life. I will always be grateful to my mother in letting me get some well needed sleep during the early days of parenthood.

Now, darling daughter is sleeping through the night. She's been sleeping through the night for months now. I am grateful for that, too. It is just amazing how things can change in a year. It makes me think about what other changes I'll be reflecting on when Labour Day rolls around next year.