My running goal for the year

Though its not New Years yet, I have already started a goal that will take me a year to accomplish. I have wanted to complete this goal for a long time, and it is just a step in the journey that I want to accomplish with my love-hate relationship of running :) 

In November, I set a goal for myself that I would run one race a month for a year. I started with the Hot Chocolate 5k in Chicago because I have run that race for the past four years in a row. It is my favorite one. The weather is crisp and cold, but not too cold, the goody bag is sa-weet, and it's a 5k so it's not too terrible to run ;) I wanted to start and end this year long goal with a race that I really like. So it thats why I started it in November 2013, instead of January 2014. 

So far, I have done a November race, and a December race. 

The December race was hella-cold. It was 13 degrees out and NOT sunny of course. My sister Chris drove me to the race site (thanks Chrissy! Love you!) and I got there 45 min early. Note to future cold weather running self: don't get there early. 

So I picked up my race packet, put on the hat and antlers I was given in my goody bag, and started walking and hopping around because I thought I literally was going to freeze to death. 

I'm not proud of what I did next. Let me just preface what I am about to say with that statement. I was SO COLD and my quads were beginning to feel numb, which at the time made me think, "hey, this isn't so bad! My legs aren't that cold!" which I knew was prob a bad sign. So I slowly ran down the sidewalk to try and warm up. 

That's when I saw them: the port-a-potties. There was no line, and I was THAT cold. So I got in one and locked the door. I stood there for about 25 ish minutes Facebooking (yes, that's a verb), texting, and checking Snapchat. Just doin my usual Millennial activities, except inside of a Port-a-Potty. I'm a little ashamed. But it was so cold, and I was working on completing my goal so 

don't judge. 

The only reason I got out to brave the cold again was because I heard someone say, "is this really the line for the bathroom?" The dialogue in my head went something like this:

- I should get out so people can actually use the bathroom for its intended purpose. 

- no way! It's cold and you will have to stand outside for 20 more minutes! Stay inside!

- but people have to use the bathroom and its rude to just hang out in here. 

- you dont owe these people anything. For all you know they just want to do what you are doing. No one in their right mind would go to the bathroom when it is this cold out. They are bluffing. Sorry I'm not sorry they didn't think of this idea first! Suckers!

- don't be a bitch. You're leaving now. 

- wait! No! Ah it's cold! F*ck why am I doing this?

~~~•Side note•~~~

Am I ever going to do things that I want to do because I just want to? That comment "you don't owe these people anything" made me realize that I do. I constantly feel like I owe everyone else everything. Mostly because my happiness is not a right, but a blessing and I feel like I should always be sharing that blessing with everyone when ever I am able (I.e.- all the time weather I feel like it or not). 

That's why I got out of the port-a-potty.

~~~•End side note•~~~

And then I jogged to the start line with the song, "I'm so cold, I'm so cold, I'm so cold, I'm so cold. I got an ice box where my heart use to be" in my head. 

Luckily, I found a guy sipping coffee and asked where he got it. He showed me the way to a truck that was giving out coffee for FREE and I got a cup. I sipped it next to the truck and made some running friends who thought my idea to block myself from the wind with the truck was genius. We complained about the cold, jumped up and down, and cursed ourselves for paying money to wake up early on a Sunday to run. 

I mean, seriously. 

Then I ran with frozen toes, called Chris to pick me up, and went to a family brunch.

January's race will be here before I know it. And I'm semi stoked about it despite the cold!