I’d like to say I’ve been running for years, but it’s probably a bit more accurate to say that I’ve been trying to get in the habit of running for years. I’ve done a pretty good job for long stretches at a time, but inevitably something derails me and I give it up for months on end.

While it wasn’t one of the things I’m seeing if sticks, I’m gearing back up to start running again in the new year. I gave it up after Baby Vale was born in August and then picked it back up in October/November, only to stop in December. But this week, I’ve really got to start again because Julie and I got into the Cherry Blossom 10-miler race that happens during the Cherry Blossom festival in early April every year.

We’ve applied for the race for several years and while Julie has run it, I never have. Mainly because every year I’ve made it in, Kentucky has made the Final Four and I’ve flown off to New Orleans and Indianapolis for the basketball games. This year with a new baby, my days of booking last minute flights to go to basketball games are over.

Which in some ways is really disappointing. No matter how hard I train, there’s no way I’ll be able to meet my goal of previous years: a sub-100 minute race.

This disappointment I think is my ultimate downfall in trying to habitually run: I set these goals that are imminently realistic, but when I don’t meet them, I don’t learn from the failure and adjust my expectations down. It’s not that I’m setting out-of-reach goals: it’s just that I’m setting a goal that too many things have to break right in order for me to achieve.

It’s easy to identify when your goals are wildly unrealistic, but it’s hard to admit when your goals are just slightly out of reach from your current capabilities.