you heard it here first

a few years back, i decided to run 2000 miles in one year. it's not as random as you might think, but i can see how you'd think that. so, how did it go, ace? well, i will tell you. it got off to a great start. GREAT. i was running once, twice a day. running. running. more running. woowoo!

then, it was like, hey... my ankle is a wee bit sore while i am running, and then it was really sore while i was running, and then it was hurting even when i wasn't running, and then i couldn't exactly "walk" on it, you know, exactly. but was i still running? you betcha! i diagnosed tendinitis and went to the orthopaedist, who is also a doctor to the local professional hockey team, so i knew he'd understand the class of athlete that i most certainly am.

he took an x-ray and discovered that i did not, in fact, have tendinitis. i did, in fact, have a fractured distal tibia. that would be 'broken ankle' to you layfolks. he pointed to the x-ray picture and said "here's the crack and here's where it's about to go all the way through the bone" and i said "so, i can still run, right?" he just looked at me, then he left the room and found the hugest stabilization boot and a pair of crutchers. he said "no weight bearing for six weeks".

therein ends the tale of my 2000 miles.

this and that and the other. years go by. what now? well, i certainly cannot run 2000 miles in 2012. that's just crazy talk and would simply be setting myself up for disappointment. do i hear 1800? 1500? 1283? no. no. no! 1000. i can agree to 1000. and, by the way, it'll be 1000 self-ambulated miles - run, walk, hop, skip, crawl, cartwheel, et cetera and so on and so forth. focusing solely on running will crush my serendipitous spirit.

so here's the PLAN for next year -- the GOAL if you will -- at least 1000 self-propelled miles.

you heard it here first -- 1000 miles in 2012.

LOCK IT IN!