This is it. Again. The most wonderful time of the year. We leave for Steamboat Springs, Colorado tomorrow and Run Rabbit Run is in 3 days.  It's the day I've christened even better than Thanksgiving. It's the day that has made running more than exercise, more than therapy, more than a way of life. The event that made running who I am and showed me how strong I am. I've never had a day when I didn't want to run nor have I faced something I didn't think I could take since I finished that first 50 miler.

     I've ran a sh*tton this summer and this year. I haven't written enough, but that's OK. I just finished a 100 days of yoga challenge (I challenged to myself) and am on the start of a 100 days of writing challenge.

     Usually, by this time I've written some kind of goal for my next year of life (I just turned 28 at the end of August). Age 27 started out pretty rough. OK really rough. Call it Saturn's Return  if you want, but I pretty much hit the bottom at the beginning of 27. I think I faked it OK, but for the first time in my life, I felt like I didn't know who I was. I know that sounds cocky or pretentious, to say I've always known who I am, but I think I have. That doesn't mean I haven't acted unlike myself or out of character or lied to myself or pretended or done stupid things. 

     By the start of 2016, four months into 27, I decided I needed to reset. I needed to get back to who I am. What better way to do that than to try some new things and keep my solid, my running, as my foundation. My 2016 goal is to run in 12 new places. I've put in miles all over the country and, even though I'm always leaving, I've steadily come back to myself. 

     On Saturday I get to run my favorite race for the third time, but this will be the first time with my best running buddy. Karyn has been down to go to all of these places I've ran over the last year and put up with all of my talking and my crazy/stupid running distances. I hope that Run Rabbit gives her everything it's given me. I'll add a link to my Facebook and this blog so you can track Karyn and me on Saturday if you are interested in watching our trek up and down and all over the mountains.