I wear a cape...

...because I am a closet SuperHero!

Perhaps I'm not really a SuperHero, but a girl can dream, can't she? This week, it seems that my aspirations of greatness are struggling to get off the ground. It's tough sometimes, recovering from the holiday season, don't you think? I have found my way back to the normal routine, but it has taken me the entire week to do it, and not just a little bit of struggling has accompanied the process...

I took time at lunch today to "get away" by myself and read. I spent time reading Runner's World magazine, one of my absolute favorites...and I caught up on my reading from The Runner's Book of Daily Inspiration.

I suppose that some people are able to maintain a daily routine for years and years...without missing a beat...but consistency of that kind has always been a challenge for me. One week into my newfound commitment to read daily from the Book of Daily Inspiration, and I'm already a week behind! As I start the new year, I'm trying to hold the tension between accountability and flexibility....rigid discipline, and permission to slip up on occasion. Both are important, and too much of either one can be detrimental to our long term health.

In this week's Daily Inspirational readings, I found several ideas that encouraged and inspired me. The first was this quote:

"Never be afraid to stop. Stopping is an honorable tradition in running. Some days you just don't have it, and there's no sense in forcing it. The great runners know this and accept it. Only a fool keeps charging forward when all the signs are telling him or her to stop.

Stopping means that you've recognized your limits, which is always good. It indicates self-knowledge and self-control, and shows that you know what's best for you."

These wise words can be applied to any and every aspect of our lives....running, work, relationships...anything. In my own life, I think the insight is best applied to how I'm dealing with several relationships. I sometimes don't know what's good for me, and what's not good for me. If I keep charging forward, and don't take time to stop and assess the situation, I can get myself into real trouble...

In running, as in life, stopping is an honorable tradition. It is a sign that we are listening to our body, to our heart...and that we recognize and respect our limits. Coming out of the holiday season, it's possible that we're putting too much pressure on ourselves to speed up...to catch up with the crazy-fast pace that typically defines modern life. If that's been your situation this week, and you're already feeling a tad frazzled at the end of the first week of January...maybe this weekend is a good time to stop and assess how things are going so far.

When the great marathoner Bill Rodgers was asked why he stopped to drink during races, he said, "The cup spills if I run." What a great insight! Stopping during a race can be useful...even essential...so don't be afraid to stop whenever you need to. Even SuperHeroes have to stop for a drink...