Watch out: a New Year’s resolution can become habit-forming. Or is it addictive?
On Jan. 1, 1982, I decided to start an exercise program based on running. It all began with a good pair of running shoes, and then off to the University of Miami football practice fields, trying my best at doing 100 yards. After a week or so I had graduated to the quarter-mile track. Months later I was up to 5 miles, often along Main Highway in the Grove or further out down Old Cutler Road in the Gables.
Liking to set my own time of day and pace (slow!), I usually ran alone — and never competitively in road races. Then in 1992 I moved to Key Biscayne and discovered the joy of running barefoot on the beach. And that’s what really got me hooked.
I put away my shoes (adios, Adidas) and established a schedule of five miles per day, four days a week, bare-footing it down to the Key lighthouse or north to the wildlife preserve bordering Crandon Park. I hit the beach a half-hour before dawn, which allows me to be present for the greatest show on earth: sunrise over the Atlantic.
The beauty of the seashore energizes my runs, and I love the soft crunch of sand on my soles. New Year’s Day 2013, I celebrated my 31st running anniversary — what a resolution!
Paul Feehan, Key Biscayne
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