Well, by the calendar we're about ready to close the book on 2011 and personally, if I ever see it again it'll be too soon! The Rocket City Marathon was last Saturday and by my account it was a great success! Randy go another notch in his gun, David and Jack set PR's (which to be honest I had nothing to do with) and Sara, Julie, and Nikki all not only conquered the marathon but apparently put on their dancing shoes to go out afterwards to celebrate. I guess that's just how they roll. I think watching a finish line,pretty much of any race but certainly the Half Marathon or Full may be one of the greatest recruiting tools ever for our sport. People see thers finish and are genuinely inspired by them. They see people of all sizes, shapes, and abilities cross the finish line throwing thier hands up in triumph. The winner may have finished 2 hours ago and no matter because, if I finish, I WIN! There's a great saying, "You don't have to finish first to be a winner." If that wasn't 'written' for the endurance runner, it should have been! Watching a finish is indeed one of my favorite things, along with watching people complete their first 2 mile run in the C25K program or finish their first 5K, 10K or Half. That feeling is closely followed by people conquering new goals as they train for an event....working for the Half Marathon and running their first double digit run (10 miles) or the first 20 miler as a potential marathoner. To me it's a glimpse into their soul, their real soul. You cannot fake pushing through mile 11, or 12 or 23 to reach a finish line. The effort, the pain of the latter miles is in an instant eclipsed by the unrivaled joy of seeing the words FINISH LINE as you approach, then where DID that kick come from? To paraphrase John Wooden, "Running doesn't build character, it reveals it!"  So now we turn our focus to 2012, what will it hold? What are the goals? Will it be a better year (good heavens I hope so...not sure I can take a worse one!) and if so what will it reveal. I do make resolutions and goals...I plan as best I can but the old saying "Man plans, God laughs," was probably written about me. Nonetheless, there are things I want to accomplish next year and another of my favorite things is working on goals. I discovered something about 'me' this year...I DO enjoy the training. I like working hard to get better and honestly that wasn't always so. I'm going to work on some of my favorite things in hopes of an exciting 2012. That's all we've got...hope. We never know ("Even when you know, you never know." 'Let It Ride'),  we change jobs, enter marathons, plan trips with the 'hope' that it will all turn out for the best. Hope, next to love and just ahead of happiness are my favorite things which reminds me of one more old saying, "The best things in life aren't things." If you've got hope, happiness, and love; then you indeed have everything!