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Today’s Numbers: Nancy's Days Run: 174 Nancy's 2013 Mileage: 820.7 Elly's 2013 Mileage: 389 Money Found For Food Bank: $20.42 in change; $25 in bills

2012 Found-Money Food Bank Donation: $7.83

I was completely indecisive about how far I really  wanted to run this morning. I found myself making all kinds of justifications (and, darned good ones, too, if I do say so myself) to cut the planned four-mile run to three so I could move forward with the rest of my day just a little sooner. I also have a very solid mileage buffer on which to draw and still make my year's end goal. I'm not in training mode, so these miles are to maintain, not build. So, what's the harm, right?!

Frankly, there would have been no harm. I would not have beaten myself up. I would not have reverted to saying all of those mean things I used to say to myself back in the day when I'd have a day's goal only to find out it was way too lofty to sustain. It just wouldn't have been that big of a deal.

Ahhh ... freedom!

From the most significant to the most trivial of topics ... so true.

I did feel reyling on that buffer on a morning's whim of 'not feeling like it' was not a good use of it, though, so I went a more positive direction. Instead of planning to dip into the extra-miles pot, I decided to reframe the run into one where I took advantage of pretty great weather and go where I felt like going, self-imposed miles expecations be damned ! Now, in truth, I knew the roads I was running afforded me at least three miles, so this wasn't a high risk on my part. (The riskiest thing I did this morning was drink about a half of a bottle of water before heading out which I never do because I don't want to worry about having to find a bathroom let alone use one. Yeah, well, I should have relied on what I know. Suffice it to say I am thankful for Subway being open for breakfast so I could pay them a little visit.)

Today's spoiler alert is that I happily cruised around this street and that sidewalk to the tune of four and a half miles with 25 cents in pocket because I wasn't wearing those no-pocket-stupid-capris by the end. Ta-Da! That was an awesome way to start a Monday!

This is a very hard time of year for me to create or maintain enthusiasm for higher mileage simply because it's more fun thinking about and planning for the holidays than it is to go out and run. It is for me at least. That's why it's important for me to stop and think about what I want to get out of the day's run before heading out there and to remember it's okay for each day to have a different motivator. As with most things, running is seasonal in terms of expectations and goals, so it's okay to tweak along the way!

The long-term goal is there for the ultimate focus; getting there doesn't have to look exactly the same every day along the way!

With that, I'm off to actually accomplish some of those to-do's for which I was ready to blow off a mile! I'll check in tomorrow from Rest Day (yeah, we're not messing with those!)!