Running 2015

It is hard to believe that another 'race season' is quickly approaching.  This year's outlook has the typical questionable outlook of the last few years, but I find that I have been able to take on a new outlook- it is that of compartmentalization.  What's this you ask? Sounds smart doesn't it...that's what a degree from America's finest public institution of higher education will get ya' (shout out Millersville U).  What I actually mean is that this is the first time, maybe ever, that I have been able to use running as an outlet for my stress and anxiety and not just for a way to get in shape.
The past few years have been absolutely nuts.  Little kids, dogs, husband, school, graduating, grad school, now my big girl job hunt.  It has been a never-ending cycle of ups and downs, but the thing that has always stayed consistent is my ability to shut off from the world while focusing on plain old running.  What a God sent.
Another thing I have found with a renewed focus on running is the ability to absolutely crush runs over and over.  After a terrible half marathon of unfocused cluster f-ness, I took some time to re-boot and re-evaluate.  I think I had such a bad race is the simple fact that I over thought, which I do all the time in every aspect.  Over the past few months I have found myself no longer staring at my GPS watch to track every pace and tenth of a mile, I have used a run to do just that.  Run.  And it sure as heck is paying off.
My first race back, the Run 4 Luck was a crap fest of a day.   Rain, 30 degree temps, a baby that barely let me get 4 hours of continuous sleep the night before.  Normally, I would have totally freaked, had a crappy race and allowed myself to dwell on it for months.  Thankfully not this year.  I was able to start out with a new friend and simply focus on 'being there' and the task at hand, not the other 10,000 things that were going on, and guess what? Taking the outside factors away and focusing on the task at hand actually paid off.  Who would have thought? I ended up being the first female and finished in 24:50-ish.  Not my best time, but faster than the year before when I barely pulled out a 25 and thought I was going to die doing it. 
Maybe there's a new non-obsessive compulsive Brooke on the horizon, might be a long-shot, but let's hope so.