by Jay Hiller, December 11, 2022

Little trees like this one helped me with my run. Photo by Devon MacKay on Unsplash
On my run Saturday morning, I noticed, not for the first time, that I always want a walking break in exactly the same spot. It happens to be the start of a long uphill. You probably remember that I’m in the stage of reviving a consistent running practice. Part of being in that stage for me is that I find excuses for walking breaks without difficulty. Today, I used a trick that I used to do when I was in better running shape and running much longer distances: mini-goals. I pick out landmarks ahead, sometimes not much further ahead, and tell myself that’s as far as I have to run. And when I get there I mentally celebrate. Woo-hoo made it to the leading edge of that driveway! Onward to the cedar elm! (It’s a dorky trick, I admit it. It works.) No walking breaks this morning.
Speaking of long hauls….
I met my long-suffering husband 39 years ago this weekend. It was a lucky day for me. We’re celebrating with a swim at Barton Springs later.
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