This is a reflective post that should have been written a few days ago, but which was waylaid by sugar-rush and party treats. To my mind, 2009 was truly a blessed and eventful year that surpassed all my expectations and imagination.
It began not with aplomb, but quietly, with injuries and dismal trainings. Maybe it was the tailend of the Chinese zodiac year, which was apparently bad for me. Impatience did not make for good recovery, and I learnt that the hard way. I stubbornly showed up for an overseas run, but thankfully had the wisdom to forfeit it at the last minute. My friend who ran on my behalf did it in far better timing than I would if I foolishly persisted. It was a humbling start to the year.
It was impossible for me to be inactive, so I filled the empty space with travels. Work was the lifeline, with random assignments and opportunities falling in place. Work took me to far flung places, where I experienced life that opened up my world. I fell in love with the whiteness of Saarisselka, the dreamy Swiss alps, and all things Finnish and Scandinavian. I clumsily tried cross-country and nordic skiing, flirted with reindeers and huskies, and lost myself in the fjords' lushness. Silence, I learnt, had a mesmerizing and beguiling voice. Silence could be deafening.
In between figuring out the time zones, I squeezed in a medical procedure, led a corporate team up Mt KK, climbed an awesome snow mountain in China, and reacquainted myself with running and training. It was only in May 2009 that I resumed running, 8 months after a string of injuries. I was always mindful of triggering them and ran gingerly with much caution. Stepping back, I discovered more about my strengths, inclinations and dislikes, what excites and what stresses. If there was anything I learnt in 2009, it was that less was more. It was better to enter a race with fresh legs, than to overtrain and start with fatigue. I reaped unexpected PBs and wins at several running races, and gone beyond self-imposed distances. In 2009, I swam more than I ever did in my life, and fulfilled an 8-year dream of completing an Ironman race.
An expanded social and training circle meant more friends, more activities and less time. Relationships bore some brunt, I lost a few friends and regained some. Paths crossed, some cemented, some faded. The wands of friendship wielded their magic and surprised me with firm friends. The house was a lot quieter with my brother and sister abroad. In return for the rowdy clatter, I became more tolerant of the mess and inconveniences when they came home. I still angst over things that my partner does, but I am learning to focus on that which he does better than me or for me. We hit several road bumps in 2009 - some strips and some crashes - and rebounded stronger and more enlightened.
The year also saw challenges at work, changes and threats, and I am immensely grateful to weather them with a team that was more friends than colleagues. A team that daringly tried new things and experimented at the boundaries, and we had fun while doing that. I made tough, major career moves, and was extremely glad to have them steer me back when my resolve wavered.
To my mind, a fruitful year should be one of many firsts - a spirited can-experiment and can-try attitude - as well as one of furthering traditions and bettering what we already do. By that account, 2009 was 365 days well-lived. Hopefully 2010 would bring as much cheer and personal development.
Cheers!
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