One week left in January and I feel like I’m off to a good start. I’ve been very busy. Outside of my 9-5, a lot of other things are brewing. Some days I wonder how I’m going to get it all done (secret: most days… I don’t). I don’t know what I’d do without my giant yellow planner with plenty of doodle space. I really should start using pencil to jot down my TO DOs because over 70% of what I scratch in it occurs on a different day than I intended. But so it goes.

I feel like a broken record on my blog. In the past few months, life has been so busy that this blog really just allows me to take a step back and look at where I’m at and what I could be doing better (running, or otherwise). But I guess it’s important to reflect. And so, I will.

I wrote about my 2012 goals a couple of weeks ago and I have to say, I’m doing very well so far! 10% of my income has gone into my savings account where it shall not be touched. And I have been writing down my “moment of the day” every night before I go to bed. Some days I forget, but I can always think of something that made me happy from the day before. If you’ve ever kept a journal before, you probably know that it can be time-consuming and become more of a list of things you don’t actually enjoy about your life. I’ve side-stepped that process and so far, I think it’s working. Let’s call it “PAUSITIVITY“.

I’ve been pretty inconsistent with my training since the Chicago Marathon. Just check out the image below to see how sporadic it is. October through December was a period of “run when I want to, don’t run when I don’t”. I dedicated some time to exploring a yoga routine. And…I rested. Yes, rest! Sweet, glorious rest. I didn’t obsess over when I should run based on my busy schedule. I didn’t think to myself, “I should have run ONE more mile this week just to make it to so many miles”. It was nice to have some down time. And now I’m back at it (if you could consider 3 weeks of 25+ miles consistent!).

Weeks #42 and #1 are the only weeks in the past year when I didn’t run 1 mile. Week 42 was the week following the Chicago Marathon when it was incredibly important to stay put. And Week 1 was a sick week spent at home under the covers and drinking hot tea. I don’t like to see gaps in my mileage, but hey. I worked hard and resting was my reward.

[Another confession: The last time I ran over 100 miles in a month was September and I’ll surpass 100 this month. It’s the little things.]

The little things that have made me happy lately:

• Rearranging furniture and making the apartment feel a bit more homey (if that’s even possible). Manny and I had some of his family over a few weeks ago for their first visit to the new place. We had mimosas and they told us how proud of us they are. :happy:
• Hot tea. Every night lately has been a ‘tea night’. And I can’t get enough of my peppermint fix.
• The option of running inside OR outside during the winter months + my short commute to the gym. My gym is a few blocks from my apartment, rather than a train ride away like last year. It’s allowed me to be consistent and relaxed at the same time. (I thrive on my alone time at home to keep me sane!)
• Puppy cuddles. ‘Nuff said.
• Time with loved ones. Nothing’s better than a lazy hotel stay with my mom, drinking beer, eating pizza, and watching House Hunters International (before falling asleep around 10 pm :-))
• Nuun! I depended on Nuun for my hydration strategy through my training and racing of the Chicago Marathon this past year. I am addicted. And I was so excited today at work when I realized my shipment would be waiting for me at home after work. (Again, it’s the little things).
• A good book (or two). I finished 1Q84 last week and will finish Bossypants by Tina Fey this week. The first–deep, methodical, whimsical, and intriguing. The second–fresh, chuckle-inducing,  and silly.
• Lavender-scented candles at night. :Relaxation:

I’m going to continue to be patient with myself and realize that not everything I want to accomplish will be accomplished this week, but that it will be accomplished eventually. What are your “little things”?

-J