Resolution for the new year

New Year's resolution: Become happier runner

Tips include stretching, setting goals and taking some time off
By ROBERTA MACINNIS
Copyright 2007 Houston Chronicle

Get fit for life! Total body makeover! Drop 5 pounds fast!
Call it a seasonal perk. Every January, it's satisfying to realize that we regular exercisers can largely ignore the New Year! New You! headlines that nag at us from the magazines in the racks of the grocery store checkout line.

Build a healthy heart? Check. Reduce stress? Check. Get weight under control? Check, more or less.
Still, the urge to get fitter or faster or to run farther — to somehow improve — remains in even the most veteran runners. I'll leave the speedwork assignments and mileage suggestions to the paid professionals.

Here's 10 things that can make you a happier runner in the new year:

• 1. Stretch: It's easy to skip this essential part of a balanced running routine, like I did for 25 years. But since I started training this year with a runner who consistently stretches for a few minutes after each workout, my legs and back feel better the rest of the day.

• 2. Run fast once a week: Sure, it's uncomfortable. But it's also satisfying in that I'm-master-of-my-own-universe-hear-me-roar kind of way.

• 3. Set a goal: Maybe it's as small as sprinting to the next street light or as big as a personal best in the marathon. Not only will the accomplishment leave you feeling better about yourself, you will have learned new lessons during the journey — however brief — there.

• 4. Do a real fun run: Purist racers may disapprove, but running an event at an easy pace is a blast. And you still get the shirt.

• 5. Volunteer at a race: All those people on the course are doing something positive about how they conduct their lives. And you're helping them. Giving back to the tribe is always a good thing.

• 6. Whine: You got out of bed before dawn to run five miles in the rain. Indulge your dark side, wallow in your unhappy place, and you'll end up laughing about it.

• 7. Take some time off: A week or more. It can be risky flirting with the dark side, the seductive sedentary life. But it's also rewarding. You'll not only give your mind and body a rest, you'll also appreciate running even more when you start again.

• 8. Give yourself a break: Decided to skip this morning's workout for no better reason than you didn't want to get out of bed? Don't beat yourself up. You'll get another chance to get up early tomorrow.
• 9. Stop running: When you hear a woodpecker, try to spot it in the tree. Nice view of the sunset? Soak it in. Appreciate all the natural beauty — yes, even in Houston — around you.
• 10. Remember that running is freedom: The freedom that comes from being able-bodied. The freedom that comes from being disciplined, yet relaxed. The freedom that comes with the realization that you're doing the right thing for yourself. It's easy to be happy when you're free.