A Simple New Year Resolution

Life is complicated because people are complicated.  It's a good thing.  Without the intricacies of relationships and motivations and feelings, we would be simple robots wandering around a boring world.

One thing, though, that doesn't have to be tangled up in knots is new year resolutions. Oh, and running, too. Both are about moving forward, one foot in front of the other.  They are both pretty straight-forward and I'm here to show you how.

This is an original drawing by Mr. Mason Mastroianni, a cartoonist who draws two strips that Creators Syndicate (where I work) edits and sells.  You may have heard of those two strips.  One is the very famous B.C. and the other is the newly launched Dogs of C-Kennel.

Here's a closer shot of this awesome drawing (it just makes me smile on the inside and outside).

As you can see, the very adorable Kenny has eaten the running shoes.  Clearly, he is a proponent of barefoot/minimalist running.

This drawing perfectly encapsulates my 2011 resolution: to run barefoot. To run. To get the look of pure joy on my face from running that Kenny has on his face from gnawing on the sneakers.  

Sure, 2011 will include highs and lows, sadness and euphoria.  I'm going to have some perfect running days where everything will click and I'll feel like a million bucks.  And then there will be times when my body will ache and rebel against everything I have worked hard for.

The bottom line is...run. Continue moving forward, one foot in front of the other.  The training may be hard, the body may hurt and there are definitely going to be days when I don't want to get out of bed.  But it doesn't matter as long as I keep focused on what makes me as insanely happy as Kenny (ok, it's not eating shoes...that's just gross).

Run. Run. Run. Run. Run. Run. Run.