NaNoWriMo - Day #21 - No news is (sorta) good news

I blogged a lot during NaNoWriMo 2012 but I can't imagine how I had time. I'm barely managing to keep up with writing my novel this year. In fact, I'm not keeping up. I should have written something like 33,500 words by now and instead I've only written about 28,500. The good news is that a "win" is still within reach if I'm diligent but it's going to be a close - particularly since I'm still struggling to figure out where the heck my story's going. I'm trying not to be too uptight about it - to relax my type A brain and let the characters take the plot in whatever directions make sense to them - but I'm finding it hard to do.

I'm a little worried about my running too. The weather turned cold suddenly so I find myself more inclined to curl up by the fire than to get my butt out the door - though I always enjoy it when I finally do. Fortunately, Husband knows how important running is to my mental health so does what he can to encourage me. This week, he went so far as to offer to run with me, which was very much appreciated - especially since I know he doesn't like running all that much. As it turned out, we completed a mellow 5k loop around the lake and both thoroughly enjoyed it so, hopefully, it's something we'll do more often in the coming months. 

CTR 2012

You may recall that I promised myself I wouldn't set my 2014 running goals until I felt completely recovered from this year's races, but then I got chatting with my friend Rhona about going to Newfoundland for her wedding next summer and realized it's the same weekend as the Tely 10. (I know, right? How can I not register?) Then last week, I received an email saying that the Smokey Mountain Daredevils were looking for a couple of people to organize their triumphant return to the Cabot Trail Relay and I somehow got myself nominated for the job. (It's a mystery. Really!) All of which is to say that it seems I may already have at least two events on my calendar for 2014 - which is a good thing I guess if it helps motivate me to run all winter.

A word about the photo I posted yesterday since some of you asked. Last night I received an annual report from Pearson College where I was student when the photo was taken. The report contains links to a video of current and past students talking about their experiences at the college, which reminded me of how full of optimism and hope I was at 18 and how confident I was that humanity had the courage, compassion and creativity required to solve the world's most intractable problems. Thirty-odd years later, I find it much harder to be so optimistic and confident, so I posted the photo as a reminder to myself not to give in to despair. Now, more than ever, we need to remember that the only way out of the darkness is to be hopeful - defiantly, irrationally, passionately, courageously hopeful - then work as hard as we can to create positive change in ourselves and others.

Happy running and writing, friends.