On the Run with Sam: Don't Let Resolutions Stress You Out

Don’t Let Resolutions Stress You Out

I’ve never been one for New Year’s Resolutions, but last year I was determined to gain back the core strength of my high school days. I didn’t want to over commit to a strenuous workout routine, so I kept things casual. I decided that planking for a few minutes a day was enough. I did this for months. I’m not sure if it really made a difference, but it made me feel better. 

Then I went abroad, finished up my last semester of college, and started a new job. My planking took a back seat. I was still running, but not much (I am very injury prone). 

I think that in the near decade I’ve been a runner, this was the first year I wasn’t worried about how many miles I was running or not running or what my other activities looked like. I feel good about that. 

I do enjoy running but I’m sure, like many other people, that the minute I put pressure on it I don’t enjoy it. It becomes a chore. 

Funnily enough, I trained for my first marathon and willingly signed up for a relay race in 2023. While I didn’t finish either race because of a nagging injury, I enjoyed training for them because I trained with my friends. 

I seldom enjoy running with others, it’s me time after all, but I have come to enjoy the random, sometimes awkward moments of conversation and pain that come with running. I am not alone. 

This new year I have signed up for the same relay race, the Seneca 7 for those wondering, and hope to enjoy the rolling hills of central New York at winter’s end with my UAlbany alumni team. 

This new year I hope you find something you enjoy doing and not because you must do it. It’s better this way, but you probably already knew this. 

Samantha Simmons