One of the many things I did in lieu of walking 1,500 miles in 2010

I added up my 2010 mileage last night:

Drumroll please….

1,280 miles ran and 535 miles walked.

Nothing to sneeze at, but considerably less than 5 years ago when, in 2006, I ran 2,080 miles and walked another 1,580.

Of course, I was 5 years younger then and, um, obsessed. That’s a fun topic we can delve into on another dark day, but suffice to say, I couldn’t keep that mileage up and still have a life.

It was 2007, during training for the Cleveland Marathon, that a wise running friend called me out about all the walking miles. Walking 8 miles on a “rest day”? I can see now that it was nuts.

Believe it or not, I listened.  (I know, right? I never do that!)

2007 Mileage: 1,774 miles run, 860 miles walked

That was the year I got my life back. While a part of me winces when I see those mileage numbers that have fallen every year since, I know that it’s a healthier level for me.

I’ve cherished the extra hours I have to spend with my family — eating dinner together, playing board games, riding bikes.

And 1,280 miles run and 531 miles walked is nothing to be ashamed of.