Being only a few days away from my 66th birthday and only a couple of months back into running after being away from it for more than a dozen years and quite a bit out of shape, I was happy this week to have run through the accumulated distance of 200 miles and to hit 12 miles as my current long distance.

When I add that I have dropped 46 pounds, it definitely comes up as a hat trick in my book.

While I have a long way to go, so far, in fact, that there never is truly a finish line, but a continuation of the journey that I am on, I feel better each and every day. I feel more accomplished every day.

Now, as I run toward the next mileage markers of 300 total miles and running longer than 12 miles, I sense that which I lost long ago, and with that sense, a renewed enthusiasm for what I know is within the realm of achievement. So with one foot in front of the other, I run onward, looking forward to half-marathon distances and beyond.

The thought puts a smile on my face.