I guess it’s that time of year to reflect on what has happened in the past 365 days. So much has happened in the past year, that I don’t even know if I could do the entire year justice by recapping it here. But 2011 will always be remembered by me as the year that I ran my first marathon. I didn’t just run it, I raced it and all the hard work paid off. I think the one thing that I try to communicate to people that ask me about how I got into running and why I love it so much is this—the hard work always pays off. Even if you have a tough day at work or there’s something larger going on in your life, you can always count on a good run to calm those emotions. If you dedicate time to taking care of your body and mind, you will always come out on top.

I ran 1,026 miles in 2011.

I’ve always been athletic but this year I became a “runner”. I am looking forward to a lot of races in 2012 and see what else I can accomplish not only through running, but personally and professionally. I’m already registered for 3 spring half marathons, but I’m on the fence about my fall marathon (especially considering my Boston training will need to start in late December or early January of next year). I’d like to run at least 1,500 miles in 2012.

I’ve come across this quote a couple of times this year and I’m using it as fuel to make some changes in the next 365 days.

Happy New Year, everyone! Let’s dominate 2012!

-J