To kick off this post, a little Happy Birthday cheer is needed... this blog turns ONE today! Aww. (It's still learning how to walk and say "Mama", though). If you don't remember the conception of this blog (it was quite the wild conception, let me tell you), you can revisit it here.
In a year, I've written 76 posts, gained a few followers, awakened my inner David Sedaris (maybe not so much, but I can have aspirations, right?), and found a place to share all things running related. If you've been reading my randomness at all in the past year, I thank you. It's all kinds of heartwarming and mushy to know that people actually read what I write sometimes.
So, on this, the day of the blog's first birthday, I'd like you to join me in a little program I'm calling April Miles Bring May Smiles. What's it all about, you ask? First, you may notice that the program's name takes off on the popular saying "April showers bring May flowers." But if you know me, you know that I (by sheer negligence) often kill any flowers that come my way. I can barely keep the bushes in my front yard alive. Anyway, despite my ability to kill flowers in the first-degree, I do have an average ability for running lots of miles and coming up with new popular sayings that rhyme. Thus, April Miles Bring May Smiles was born.
Additionally, the hubs and I are entering the final five weeks of our Kalamazoo Marathon training program. This final set of runs will be particularly challenging because we are hitting high mileage weeks while combating the want to just get to Race Day and get it over with already. I need to stay focused on my goal and diligent in my training, and April Miles Bring May Smiles just might help me out with that.
Finally, one of the reasons I started this blog a year ago was to connect with other runners, walkers, and Average Janes like myself. I want to continue that through this year while inspiring others to join in getting outside to log some miles.
So here's what we'll do. Each Monday in April, I want to hear from you about what you're doing this month to bring smiles in May. Do you walk? Run? Cycle? Swim? I'm not a hater. Leave me a comment and tell me about whatever it is you're doing to get 'er done. (Man, I hate that saying, but it's so useful sometimes.)
This Week's Focus: Setting a Goal
It's much easier to do a job when you have a goal. You can work toward it little by little, day by day, point-two by point-two. And get creative here because that goal can be whatever you want. If you're just venturing into the world of running, perhaps the goal is just to run around your neighborhood twice a week. Or maybe it's to give your old bike a tune-up and take it out on the road every weekend. Or maybe it's to set a new race PR or even just to enter a race at all.
Whatever goal you set, choose one that you can comfortably reach in the next 30 days. When May rolls around, I'd love to see and hear about all of the smiling that you're doing because you reached your goal.
My goal? On May 8, I will run a 4:15 or faster marathon.
Your turn. Leave a comment and tell me what you'd like to accomplish in May. Aaaannnd go!