Running into 2012

We are saying goodbye to 2011 in just a few days and I'm curious, what have you learned about yourself this year?

For me, it can all be summed up by a Runner's World blurb I recently read. A "runner" writes into the magazine in response to a previous article and says:

It's not about time. I am a slower runner, but a runner nonetheless. It is nice to see not everything is about how fast you run. It is about not making any excuses, getting out there, and putting one foot in front of the other, and not giving up.

I've learned this year after completing my SECOND half marathon that I am, indeed, a runner. There are, no doubt, countless people that have run faster, farther, and more frequently than me. There are hundreds of thousands of runners with coaches, fancy running gear, and complex schedules. Sometimes when you don't have all that stuff tied up into a neat little bow, you feel like you aren't a real "runner." I hope I'm a semi-inspiration for maybe that one other person out there that feels like you can't be a real "runner" if you don't have all of the training and accomplishments that others do. I mess up my routine, I miss runs, I whine about training, I indulge in french fries, I'm not the smallest or the biggest, I'm not the oldest or the youngest and I am certainly never going to be the fastest. I'm just a middle of the pack (sometimes way back of the pack) girl who likes to get out there and snag a "win" every time I make it out the door for a run. In running and in life, I've learned that you can't compare yourself with others. You do the best you are able, put one foot in front of the other, skip the excuses, and don't give up. Every run is a win in my book.

If I have any resolutions for 2012 it's to continue to run. To be the best runner and person I can be for myself, my husband, my friends, my family and my job.

How's that for some year end inspiration?