Today's Run: Is the last run of the decade! It will be taking place in the snowy weather of Westchester, NY this afternoon.

Running Resolution #1: Be Thankful

It's not easy being a year-round road runner in New England. Here is a laundry list of reasons why:

• It steals away your free time with loved ones.
• It means running even when you hate the idea of stepping outside.
• It requires a lot of expensive cold weather running gear.
• It is dangerous running roads in the dark/snow/sleet.
• It makes speed work tricky (hard to run hard when running hard on ice).
• It often necessitate a huge shift in your daily routine.
• It may require leaving work early/going late to fit in a run before a storm.
  
• It could mean planning vacation around a race or long training run.
• It may mean delaying a huge life event for a marathon. (As I did last spring, inadvertently pushing back our wedding day to run the Big Sur Marathon.)
  

This list goes on, but so does the running.

I do my best not to forget how lucky I am to be able to run every day. I'm healthy, strong and fully supported by my husband, who often has to eat dinner or breakfast late, take on extra housework or handle errands so I have time to run. I've never felt any pressure to run faster or qualify for Boston, but I want to. I want to show that all of the time dedicated to my running is paying off in more ways than one. I'm healthier for it. I'm stronger for it. And I can try to make myself and the people I love most proud.

What better inspiration for 2010?

Happy New Year!