Welcome to a new YEAR!
It’s good to be here! I have missed you for the last four weeks!
For those of you who are new, I always take the month of December off of publishing The LIFT. And, it is ALWAYS good to get back into the weekly routine as the new year begins.
While it’s technically still December as I’m writing this, I couldn’t pass up the opportunity to reconnect with you on New Year’s Eve. This will be the last time it falls on a Sunday for several years.
We get to step into the new year together.
Are you ready?
Welcome to The LIFT
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READY
My husband & I will be running two half marathons in January - one here in San Diego & the other in Miami.
We have been training since the beginning of October. For us, that means we have been very consistent with our weekly mid-day running schedule & we have dedicated one morning every weekend for a longer training run.
It’s a commitment, but we love it & we have had a lot of fun along the way.
The best part of training for a January event is that it keeps us from getting too lenient during the holidays. We stay a lot more consistent with our healthy habits & instead of starting the new year feeling like we need a fresh start, we start the new year off in tip-top shape. It’s turned out to be a brilliant strategy for us over the last few years.
It’s also great because now that the holidays are over, we already have something fun to look forward to & we are moving full speed ahead into the new year.
SET
As I think about the new year, I can’t help but draw analogies between our lives & the anticipation around these two running events. There are so many life lessons to be gleaned from the whole experience - from start to finish.
New Year’s Eve is like standing in the corral at the starting line.
At most running events, you are assigned to a specific corral based on your anticipated finish time. Once you find your corral, you hang out there until it’s your group’s turn to start.
The energy & anticipation around you is palpable. People are stretching or bouncing around to get their bodies warmed up. Some are taking selfies to capture the moment. Friends are chatting with each other about the course & their game plan.
This is the moment we have all been preparing for.
The interesting thing is that we all have different goals. We all used different training plans. And, we are all there for different reasons.
Some are there to compete. Others are there to have fun. It’s a mixed bag for sure.
And while we all start at the same time, we finish at different times.
There are a lot of ways to approach a run like this. You can train to be THE fastest. You can train to be YOUR fastest. You can run alone. You can run with a pacer. You can run with a friend.
My husband & I discovered years ago that we run the same pace. We would run during the week on our own & then compare our stats afterward. We were ALWAYS within a few seconds of each other. It was amazing. That’s when we decided we would run our events together. Every time we do an event, we commit to sticking together & we always finish holding hands as we cross the finish line.
Our goal throughout training is never about timing for us. Instead, we aim to have a solid run without injury. To have fun. And, to feel good at the finish line.
I would say our life goals are much the same. We aren’t in it to win in our age group. We aren’t in it to prove to ourselves we can do better. We are just there to take it all in. To have fun along the way. To see what we are capable of. And, to feel good at the end of it all.
GO
The trickiest part of any race is the beginning. You have been standing in the corral for a bit, picking up on all of the energy around you.
When you hear the starting gun go off, you can feel the push around you as everyone works their way over the starting line. You have to be super careful to not bang into someone or get run over by someone as you safely cross the starting line.
Once you get going, it takes a while to find your rhythm. You don’t want to come out of the gate too fast because you will pay the price later when you can’t sustain the pace. You want to find that pace you trained in as quickly as possible, but it’s hard with everything going on around you.
For the first couple of miles, all you can hear is the pattering of feet hitting the pavement. And, in your effort to find your own pace, you have to do a bit of zig-zagging to pass people in front of you while also not getting in the way of those behind you.
It’s tricky.
You have to pay attention to everything around you without getting caught up in it. You have to tune into your body & trust your training despite all of the distractions.
This is what it feels like for me right now at the cusp of a new year - like I’m standing in the starting corral. I’ve been training. I’m excited for what’s ahead. I know the goal. I know my own pace & what it will take. I know I’m not the fastest. I know it won’t all be easy. But I also know how I want to feel at the end & that I want to enjoy the scenery along the way.
The tricky part is not to get caught up in all of the ‘New Year’ noise. Not to come out of the gate too fast. Not to get run over or to trip with all of the distractions around me. Not to get psyched out trying to reach the finish line faster than I planned or trained for. Not to get caught up comparing myself to those around me.
And, none of that is easy because it feels like everyone is pushing around you. It feels like you will get stampeded if you don’t move a bit faster.
The noise around you is so much louder than that quiet voice inside that knows where it’s going & how to best get there.
But, the starting gun is sounding & it is time to get moving. Time to trust in your training & start that steady march into the new year through the crowd toward the line you’ve set out in front of you.
This is our event.
A new year.
2024.
We get to make this year what we want to make of it & our approach at the starting line is important. Using these first few miles/weeks to get a rhythm going, to establish our pace, might be the difference between a solid run this year or a ride on the struggle bus.
Of course, no race is ever perfect. There are always surprises. Highs & lows.
We never know exactly how it will play out or whether we will need to adjust our pace to finish it. We don’t know if we will have unexpected obstacles or less-than-ideal running conditions.
What we DO know is that we are trained for it. We know ourselves. We know how we want to feel. We know how to make adjustments amidst any distractions. We know how to enjoy the hype of others without getting caught up in it. We know we signed up for this event for a reason. And, we are going to see it through.
Not to mention, we are going to have some great stories to share on the other side.
So, get out there & live each step of the way. Make some memories. And, learn something new that you can share with others.
Welcome to 2024.
YOUR MISSION:
This week, I challenge you to notice when you get caught up rushing over the starting line, comparing yourself to others & running someone else’s race. See if you can bring yourself back to a pace you enjoy & can sustain. See if you can give yourself a little more breathing space to enjoy the journey. It’s a marathon, not a sprint. Let’s have some fun! Ready. Set. Go!
RESOURCES:
READ: And so it begins
READ: And just like that
READ: A Beginner’s Mind
IN SUMMARY:
Even though there’s nothing truly magical about the first day of the year & there is no reason to put pressure on ourselves to start something new, I still love that feeling of corraling together at the starting line. Giving yourself a fresh start. Getting pumped up for new goals & seeing what we are capable of.
I know there is a long road ahead & it’s going to be a year of big changes for many of us. There are a lot of unknowns. But, I’m excited to be here in the corral with you at the start.
See you next week?
If you need some support with your goals as you get rolling into the new year, I’m always here for you. You can learn more on my website.
Meanwhile - you can read thru The LIFT archives here.
And, please reach out anytime!
Karen Friend Smith
Certified Health Coach & Environmental Health Specialist
Specializing in Perimenopause & Menopause
karen@itmaybemenopause.com
www.itMayBeMenopause.com
Instagram: @itmaybemenopause
I so wish I were a whole lot younger sooo ----- I could grow up to be like you!!! Happy and Healthy 2024!!!
So good, as always! Glad you’re back! 😊