A couple days ago I had a chance to literally run down memory lane with two of my siblings and my oldest daughter. Oh, and Gus, the farm dog, who could hardly be contained for this quick photo. Our growing and growing up families were all back at the home place for a country Christmas gathering. My brother, who’d just received a Forerunner 210 the previous week for his birthday, suggested the run. His recent entry into the running crowd and the arrival of his first Forerunner was one cause for celebration and conversation during our run. We had a few more. My sister, mother of three and juggler extreme, transitioned from casual runner to half marathoner when she completed the Rock’n’Roll Las Vegas half earlier this month. Her training partner through many solo miles was one of our original Forerunner models, handed down by her husband, who was an early adopter of Garmin fitness in his marathoning days.

Huge celebration point for my daughter on this run: completing her second half marathon last month in 1:45 and knocking more than 20 minutes off her previous time. After a few weeks off, she’s been putting in some runs with her faithful Forerunner 110, ramping up for winter conditioning that will prep her for the spring track season. I didn’t exactly have a cause to celebrate on our run…other than gratitude for the chance to sweat, step by step, with my closest kin. However, I did need to take back some of my excessive celebrations centered on holiday treats. Like last week’s chili cook-off at work, platters of pastries and pretty things appearing on the hour, younger daughter’s experiments almond barking everything in the cupboard, plus those other treats that are so good you have to hide them from the rest of the family. You know, like the dark and white chocolate-drizzled popcorn. While calorie erasing typically is not a motivator for my runs, it’s good to know I can still accurately track the burn with my Forerunner 610.

So we had a lot of things to celebrate on this run. Must be why our intended four miles creeped into seven. As we padded along the gravely dirt road, memories rose up from the very paths that have always led us back home. The paths we’d traveled by bare feet, on wobbly wheeled bicycles (there are no training wheels in the country, just a push and a prayer as you sailed down the drive) and finally, on any manner of four-wheeled vehicle that seemed to signal our independence. How good it felt to travel those familiar roads by foot again.

Our run concluded with “what’s next” discussions: possibly another half for my sister, who will save her marathon debut until her kids are older. My brother plans to join me for the Rock the Parkway half marathon this April. If you’re looking for a fun, mostly flat and fast half marathon to kick off your spring, check out this race that loops through some picturesque parts of Kansas City. It will be a sell-out race and the price bumps Jan. 1, so register today. You can even register for free if you fundraise for my favorite charity, Girls on the Run!