A Long December...

and there's a reason to believe.

Dec 04, 2024

Running through the neighborhood a few years back after a snowstorm. Sometimes the snow makes for a great run. And sometimes it doesn’t. This was a great run.

It’s started. The end. Relax. Not the end of times. I know it can feel like that though. But this beautiful space marble we all run around will continue to spin. Believe me. I’m talking about the end of the year. And I’m already getting inundated with messages. What do I think about these 2025 goals? Do I believe that this race or that race can be done next year? What’s a better challenge… running 100 runs or running for 2000 minutes or running 350 kilometers in ‘25? Do I think you have what it takes to qualify for whatever race you want to qualify for next year? Listen, I love getting these questions. Really, I do. I get them every year around this time. There’s just something about late November/early December that gets everyone looking ahead… a month ahead… a year ahead. I just wish I’d get a question… one question… about December.

The last month of the year gets ignored more than the spinach in Uncle Frank’s teeth on Christmas Eve. Well, enough is enough. I’m telling Uncle Frank that he’s got a head of lettuce stuck between his central and lateral incisors. He’ll appreciate knowing. And I’ll be grateful not to look at leafy greens wedged between his teeth during dessert. And I’m also going to talk to all of you about this really great and often overlooked month for running called December.

Yeah, it’s a fantastic month! And yes, I’m talking about December being a fantastic month for running! Let me save you some much needed energy here. I know that travel, school, bad weather, holidays, responsibilities, obligations, stress, Uncle Frank’s teeth, work, and Paul McCartney’s abomination of a Christmas song Wonderful Christmastime can weigh you down this time of year and make you feel like starting a run is nearly impossible. I get it. Especially the song from the guy known as Percy Thrillington. For a musician that I consider to be an absolute genius that song Wonderful Christmastime is anything but wonderful to hear at any time much less Christmastime. It pains me to say it. But it’s the truth and you know it is. Yes, the Beatles are the greatest band of all time. Still, Wonderful Christmastime is a song that kids on the naughty list shouldn’t even be subjected too.

The snowstache in all its horrifying splendor.

Anyway, back to December and running. You know why December is a great month when it comes to your running? Because there is a great chance that your running last December was less than stellar. And therein lies the beauty of this December! You see, we’re not looking to compare December to June or July or September or October. That wouldn’t be fair. We want to look at this December in relation to last December. I’m going to throw out a real life example. Let’s say that you ran nine times last December. That’s basically twice a week. Pretty darn good if you ask me. Consider just how much was going on in your life last December. And you still got out there (or in there… I see you treadmill jockeys) and crossed nine starting lines! Awesome! And you know what? I bet… because I believe in you… that you could cross ten starting lines this December. That’s one starting line being crossed every three days. Achievable? Heck yeah!

Do that and you beat last years December! Oh baby yes! Take that victory with you to that party on New Year’s Eve. Watch the ball drop and know that you ended the year on a winning streak. Talk about starting the next lap around the sun with a power move! Look at you! Clock strikes midnight… we roll straight into 2025… and here you are dancing with a water in one hand and a bubblegum cigar in the other because you know that they best way to navigate a night like New Year’s Eve is to rock one water… one adult soda… one water… one adult soda… and to always have a bubblegum cigar in one hand. This way you drink less of the poison and you also keep your hands out of your pockets or folded awkwardly in front of you all night long. Besides, when you tell a great story it’s always a good idea to use your hands to accentuate certain points in that great story. And a bubblegum cigar is perfect to use to point and jab when you need to accentuate those points in the story that demand accentuating. Think about it. What are you going to use? A pencil? A pen? A letter opener? Who brings those things to a New Years Eve Party? And a real cigar or cigarette is just straight up ass nasty.

I’ve officially lost hold of the thread here. Breathe. Breathe in. Breathe out.

I’m back.

Central Park. Winter. 2015. Cold. Glorious. Gave my gloves to one of the runners. They needed them more than I did.

Here are a few ways to set yourself up for success in December.

Like I already said, look back at last December. Learn from that lived experience. Did you head into some stressful travel last year with the goal to run every day and then not run any of the days and then beat yourself up mentally and emotionally and put yourself in such a dark place that you couldn’t find the energy, motivation or inspiration to run again? You did? Okay. Let’s learn from that. What’s the lesson? Well, I think it’s pretty simple. Don’t set yourself up to fail. As you head into some stressful traveling again this December simply promise yourself that you’re going to try your best get a run in when you can and you’re also going to promise yourself that you are NOT going to beat yourself up when you can’t. That’s it. Easy peezy.

And after you’ve look back at last December I bet you find some more areas you could improve upon. For me, it’s always about scheduling my day and especially my runs. When I don’t schedule my run… my run ends up looking and feeling like a very haphazard and chaotic experience. Makes sense. But I don’t run to feel chaotic. Something needs to change. I could simply not run. That way I won’t feel even more chaotic during a chaotic time like the holidays. Hmm… I bet there’s a better way to deal with this, Coach. How about, instead, I just embrace my weaknesses.

Our weaknesses offer opportunities for improvement! Get those weaknesses of yours out of the corner. Get them into the spotlight. Make them dance and sing and work for you! I know I suck at planning runs and I know I really suck at planning runs over the Holidays. The ordinary thing to do here would be to ignore what I suck at and simply continue to suck at it. Well, that sucks. So, let’s not be ordinary. Let’s be extraordinary! Embrace those weaknesses. Once you get your arms around a weakness you realize that you are bigger than it is. Now you can work on it. And once you work on it… you weaken your weaknesses. That’s just a really confusing way of saying you get stronger.

Okay, here’s another way you can set yourself up for an awesome December of running. Set lots of small goals. Lots! And make them small! They can be really, really small! Maybe that means you run for at least one minute ten times this December. Remember? Earlier, I said the goal could be ten runs this December because last December you ran nine times. I didn’t say anything about distance or duration. You just thought I did. Well, I didn’t. You can go back and look. So, set a minimum. But minimize that minimum. Make it a minute. You know what? I bet you run more than ten runs in December if you do. Crossing a starting line is a win! Doesn’t matter how long the run on the other side of that starting line is. So, don’t minimize your wins doing tough times. Minimize what it takes to win during tough times. By the way, I bet a whole bunch of those one minute runs end up longer than sixty seconds. The hardest part sometimes is the starting part. And it’s pretty easy to start a one minute run. Try it.

Yeah, I got more. Acknowledge what you are already doing. And then celebrate those things. You wake up every morning and pound a glass of water? Really? That’s great! How about this December you set a goal to wake up every morning and pound a glass of water? You think that’s a dumb thing to celebrate because you already do that? Well, I think it’s dumb that you don’t celebrate great things you do. Take that. We both can play this game. Just want to let you know that my job is to help you win all sorts of games. And this game we’re all playing is a far more enjoyable game if you are celebrating more and being a wet blanket less. So, make a list of all the good, great and positive things you consistently do already. Check that list twice. Then celebrate yourself every time you do those things. We could all use some more celebrating right now. And I’ll tell you something else… it feels good to see other people celebrating too. So, you may be giving people the push they need to celebrate themselves. That’s a badass gift to give someone.

Alright, that’s all. It’s been a lot of words. I know. I can’t help it. I get going and next thing you know it’s flipping January. And then I’ve got to talk about resolutions when I’d rather be talking about resolve. Verbs. I love those verbs. Yes, even the transitive verbs. They are what all of us nouns need to focus on so we can get to those adjectives we desire. But, that conversation is a few weeks away. Until then, kick December’s cold little rosy behind. And as the Counting Crows so beautifully said, “A long December and there’s reason to believe maybe this year will be better than the last.”

I believe it.

Cheers,

Coach Bennett

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