Thursday, August 14, 2014

Complete. Rest. & Running Birthday Flowers!

Complete. Rest. 
& Running birthday flowers!



Complete.   Finished.   Rest. 

To put it simply, it feels rather strange.
So much going through my mind, but no way to put into words. The past year of days and miles brought with it a myriad of emotions, thoughts, pains, respect and gratitude. It feels odd to be finished. I sit here feeling somewhat 'paused', almost confused having not run the past two mornings. Sure there is a sense of accomplishment at completing my goal, which if I'm honest, I wasn't 100% sure I could do but felt very determined to prove myself wrong. However, the end result is not what made the past year worth the effort. It was the many footfalls and adventures in between the days that ultimately matter. Looking back on the past 365 days posted here, I remember taking the photo(s), the reason for a certain shot, what running that day felt like, what I was thinking about (for the most part) and in combination it brings me back to that particular running moment that is now bookmarked in a digital world.
It was a very personal journey that I was happy to share with anyone who was curious.
A BIG THANK YOU to my family for putting up with my (not always convenient) running schedule. Thank you to friends, family and strangers for checking in and following, whether it was once, once in a while or everyday. Thank you for the flowers, the beer, the awesome sweatshirt and my new running shoes!
 I appreciate all the words of encouragement and kindness. In so many ways it made the experience more worthwhile and fun (if a little self-conscious at times :)

"I think goals should never be easy, they should force you to work, even if they are uncomfortable at the time."  ~ Michale Phelps

"It was being a runner that mattered, not how fast or how far I could run. The joy was in the act of running and in the journey, not in the destination." ~ John Bingham
 






4 comments:

  1. Many congratulations Celeste, that's an awesome achievement that few people (including me) could emulate. I'm fairly sure that running will be pretty much 'in your blood' by now, and it wont be long before you're road testing those new running shoes. Little did I know when I began jogging at the tender age of 54 that I'd still be running the hills and enjoying it at 82. So beware, running can become seriously addictive.....
    Wishing you all the best, Gordon

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    1. Thanks Gordon! I've definitely enjoyed the past year. Funny enough, my 'rest' afterwards consisted of two days before I was itching to run and break in my new shoes :)

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  2. .....and another thing Celeste, you'll have to carry on running to have interesting things to write, and have lots of new pictures to put in your blog! People will have come to expect it. You can't stop now...

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    1. Thank you :) However it might be a bit too enthusiastic to assume I have many readers who will expect me to continue on. I will think about it though. I definitely plan to continue running and might throw a post or two up from time to time. I do enjoy it! I wouldn't even think of stopping running unless my feet fell off, and then I would still continue to try, as I'm quite stubborn like that. Besides, Autumn is near and I LOVE running through the fall leaves and seeing the ever changing gorgeous colors each day.

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