During this two weeks the world is slowing down.

Although, the two weeks are not feasible to manage all the stuff what you missed during the year, you can do some important tasks:

• Prepare for the family meetings
• Gather the gifts under the Christmas tree
• Do some administration work (e.g. extend your driving licence)
• Meet with some friends
• Recap the year

Each of them mentioned above is worth to mention. However, I detail why to recap the year.

People likes units.

You can think for the MONTHLY paychecks. Or the DAILY routines, WEEKLY plans. You celebrate YEARLY your birthday.

When we pass a YEAR, a new time horizon starts.

Therefore it is good the recap what we did in the last year. Although, I am fan for the productivity systems, like Getting Things Done (GTD) or Pomodoro Technique, this article dig not deep in the science of the productivity.

I found a very valuable source for personal growth for four years ago. James Clear is focusing on how we can live better. I suggest to visit James Clear on Medium or at https://jamesclear.com/.

He is writing each year a so called Annual Review where he is discussing three questions:

1. What went well this year?
2. What did not go well this year?
3. What I am working toward? (He is using now the question: What I learned?)

This year I write my fifth annual review based on the above mentioned questions. Although I am not a writer or an influencer, I do it for myself. I decided to write in my free time in few years ago. Unfortunately, I could not manage to establish stable writing habits. But I read a lot of books and articles.

However, I did not produce content for the world, I make weekly journals and each year I write my Annual Review.

I like the weekly journals because, I can check what was in my head at the same time in one or more years ago. The time flies, and it is good, that I can recall my feelings.

However, the power of writing the annual reviews are broaden the horizon. I can judge my life. I see my life in helicopter view.

The most important that the thoughts are written. You can put your yourself in your shoes in the past.

I believe in the process of thinking, planning and execution. You can influence your life significantly. I am sure that education can give you a chance. I know, that a smart and hardworking person can achieve a lot. I encourage everybody to work towards the dreams.

However, I am a bit fatalist as well. And your fate is reflected in your annual reviews.

When you are reviewing your former annual reviews, you recognize some life changing events. Maybe you decided to make a career change. Or you met somebody who made a big influence on you. You established a family. You started a new hobby or healthy routines.

I enjoyed recall my last five years with the read of the Annual Reviews. I inspire everyone to write the Annual Review.Writing your thoughts is always beneficial. Because you do it only once a year, you can free up some time for it.

It is the end of December, 2020. Great time to do your first one.

Running may essential to everyone, but people with white collar job should be a must. They probably sit front of the computer whole day, and are moving very little.

This type of sport has a lot of benefit. You train your cardiovascular system and you are mostly in outdoor. You contact with the mother nature and you breath the fresh air. Furthermore, you can listen you favorite music during running on the hills and you relax after your workday.

If you are a bit geek, then you are running with apps and pulse watch. You are focusing to reach your peak performance. Before or after your workday, you are heading into the woods or the athletic track. If you are living in a big city you may run in parks or in the streets.

Hence, running habits are crucial to reach your fitness goals. However, the smallest fitness goals cannot be achieved without regular training.

And here can pop up some problems which hinder your training.

Adults have a lot of obligations. We have day jobs. We have partners and kids. We have elderly parents. We have hobbies. To manage all the roles in your life, we need a lot of time.

Time and energy management is critical for a working parent and it could be difficult to find 60–90 minutes for workouts several times per week on the afternoons.

I am also in the same boots.

I am not a high performer runner, but I train regularly. Particularly for my health and to relief the stress. My first role is to be the dad of my daughter. I want to create a care environment for her. I want to take part of her life together with my wife.

I call the two hours after my work the golden hours. I can be primary the dad during those two hours. Between 5 and 7 p.m. Before that, I should work. After that the evening routine starts.

It means, I can go train during weekdays on the mornings or on the evenings/nights.

Generally, running in the late evening or nights gave me a different perspective about life, sport, and feelings.

Running tracks

If you run late, there are only few possibilities. You run either on an athletic track with some lights or you run on the streets. I do not think, that running in the woods is a good option. The routes in the forest are not more dangerous than the city. Unfortunately, there are more bad creatures in the city than in the forest.

But you could get severe injuries in the woods, because you cannot see in the dark.

I like running in the night, because the city is calmed. I enjoy seeing the lights in the houses. People are in their homes, they are relaxing. Few cars are on the road (I am living in a smaller city). It has a nice feeling when you do your track around the houses.

Weather

There is a small calendar period when I can enjoy the sun because the sun goes down mostly before I start run. It means it is always colder at running time than at daytime. I wear more clothes on the winter. But you can use to it. However, the colder temperature is a benefit in the hot summer. I recommend using headlamp if you run on tracks with low lights.

Training time and body response

The biggest problem with the night running is if you put your peak performance you can hardly fall asleep after your training. Therefore, a hard training can be scheduled for Friday (if you do not work on Saturday). Than going to sleep later is not a problem.

However, I propose only a modest training in weekdays in order to fall asleep easily.

I like the shower, and some light snacks after the training session. I am a bit exhausted, I read and relax. It is really a good feeling after a long working day.

Runner brothers

Although you can think you are alone on the streets, but I am always surprised how many people are running. I know then, that lot of people are going through the same experience than me. It gives me power to continue the training and do my route. If somebody else can manage the training session in the darkness, then I can do as well.

Running in the evening or nights may be daunting at the first time, but give them a try. I can hear a lot of excuses from people that they have no time.

You have time. But only late. Or if do you prefer, early in the morning. Then, you have to weak up early.

Which I do not like. That’s why I run in the night.

I started refereeing in soccer when I was 15 years old. I can remember, I thought I will be a FIFA listed referee (FIFA listed referees are the elite referees around the world. They are chosen from the first national league referees).

However, I could not shine on the regular Cooper tests. It means, I was never being promoted to the upper leagues.

I finished soccer refereeing ten years ago. Since then, I have not been blown the whistle.

I did some workouts after finishing refereeing. However, there was no clear path to follow.

Due to medical reason, I wanted to start a body activity. Because I am working full time, and I have family, I wanted to choose a form of activity with some freedom regarding with the trainings. Furthermore, a proper training and reasonable goals were also needed for me.

Although I tried aikido and weight lifting as well, I turned into running. The causes were rather simple, than philosophic.

Health

I have been problems with my blood pressure for a while. I am taking medications as well. A sport which is good to the cardiovascular prevention may be a good choice. Furthermore, after a 45–60 minutes running session, I feel that I am exhausted. I did something good and powerful with my body. Cycling 60 minutes is also nice, but running is more effective in that period of time.

Time flexibility

Hence, I am working full time and have commitment to my family my time is heavily limited. I can go for training when it is aligned with work and family. I try to move twice or three times per week. Sometimes, I can manage only one training. I can put the 60 minutes training when my daughter is slept in the weekdays at the evenings. I try to go out when the sun shines at the weekend. It is typical before lunch. Because the appointments and errands are vary, I can schedule my running sessions properly.

Community

Thanks for the evolving running community, determination to running is easier now than earlier. The gadgets (smartphone, pulse watches) and the online application supports not only the professional athletes but the beginners as well. In addition, you can by quality shoes and clothes for good prices. You can follow people online and you can meet them with running events. I personally run with my friend once weekly or biweekly. I can say, this is my pub time. But it is healthier.

Contact with nature

Trail running is a beautiful type of running, where you run in the woods on unpaved surface. This type of activity gives me a boost for the whole week ahead to me. Our DNA is originated from hunters and gatherers. They were walked and run a lot of in the nature. I feel better in the forest than in my cubicle in the office. I am charged after the running session in the forest. You are breathing the fresh air, watching the closely the living being, and connecting with the soil of the Earth by your foot. When I run in the woods, I never listen to music. I just enjoy to be in the nature.

I am not winning competitions. I do not want to run a marathon. I only run with consistency. I can see the training logs, that the number of the trainings are growing and growing. Despite the unsuccessful years as a soccer referee in the running, I feel now, I am on track to a healthier life.

Although my running goals are not so big, I continue running. Which means in a simplest form, I am runner.