Holidays, New Year's Resolutions and Running.

We are back in Beechworth for our annual ten days of R&R with my parents and some good friends. We love this place. The caravan park at Lake Sambell is fabulous. The kids hardly get off their bikes while we are here. The adults have naps, read, eat, laugh and drink. Mind you, the kids do these things too (not the naps for the older kids and they don't drink wine or beer either!). Right now I am sitting in my camp chair enjoying the breeze in the shade after having a lovely lunch at the bakery. The kids are all off on their bikes and I have a book in my lap. It doesn't get much better than this.

Today is the last day of 2013. Boy, did this year go past quickly. My head is still spinning from the speed the months flew by. We enjoyed some lovely highs this year and are looking forward to more good times in 2014.

Today I ran again. There must be something about the fresh air and scenery up here that inspired me to run again. I haven't run for over two months - or exercised at all in that time (shhhh - don't tell my doctor!) and I wasn't going to bring my running gear. At the last minute I packed my runners and other running paraphernalia "just in case". I'm glad I did. I woke up this morning and decided to go for a run. Last year when we were here I was doing week two of "couch to 5km" and I struggled to run for 1 and a half minutes. Last year I looked forward to this year when I'd be a whole lot skinnier and would way out run what I was capable of back then. I pictured me running 5km with hardly breaking a sweat and not being red faced at the end of it.

In terms of where I expected, hoped, dreamed I'd be I've failed miserably. It was hard going this morning. I've lost a lot of fitness and I struggled to run more than five minutes at a time today. I walked more than I ran. But in terms of where I've come from I've won. I might not have run far or fast but I got up on my feet and moved. I might not have lost the 20+ kg I need to but I have lost a few kilos (which means I have not stayed the same or put more on) - so that's a win. My blood pressure is under control - another win. I ran in a 5km fun run this year without stopping - major win and something I never ever imagined I'd ever do.

It's New Year's Eve and instead of making a resolution to get fitter and lose weight in 2014, I'm just going to keep doing what I have been doing but turn it up a notch. One step at a time. If it takes me another six months to be able to run 5kms again so be it. If I only lose 5kg this year so be it. As long as I am moving, losing some weight and eating healthier I'm winning. 2014 might start tomorrow, but I'm already in front because yesterday I packed my runners "just in case".