The Quest Continues!

So the arsey teenage daughter starts talking about some basic psychology terms, and brings up Maslow (or was it Laszlo's) Hierarchy of Needs.  With the unflinching scrutiny of all teenagers she sees right through the sham her mother is, and declares I have not yet approached the fabled stage of 'self actualisation' (see how I still spell like an English person even though I have now lived here for nine years...) and it got me thinking - what is my self actualisation, and why don't I have it?

This blog is emerging partly as a response to this question, partly a response to a need for a new year's resolution that is less trite than limiting the number of alcohol units, or cookies munched in a week.

Finding a title for my blog didn't take more than a moment, 'Chasing the Unicorn' relates to an obsession with the Boston Marathon - which has been dominating my, and by extension, my friends' lives for the past few years.  We ran as a group of four two years ago, we were called The Team of Less, and the training and the race itself taught us a great deal about ourselves and our friendships.  Two years on The Team of Less, is now down to two, with injury for one member, and a 5th baby for the other, limiting involvement more to fun lunches than hours on the trail or at the track.  My non running friends, and there are a couple who are still holding out, think the sore knee and baby were desperate attempts to get out of my clutches; I prefer to think of them as temporary, but significant, pauses on their journey as runners.   In other words, they will be back soon and will probably be running us in on the Boston course, feeling fabulous.

Self Actualisation for me might just be fulfilling my belief that if only I could persuade the rest of the world to love running, it would be a happier place.  Mental illness, diabetes, heart disease, alcoholism, grumpiness, lack of purpose - all would be eradicated by the simple act of 30 minutes joy filled running every day.  In the ten or so years I have been running I have often thought that almost everything you need to learn about life could be acquired from simply putting one foot in front of the other and teaching yourself how to run, and how to think in a clear space.

This blog will track a suburban English transplant in her quest for self actualisation, and her mission to run a better Boston marathon.

My Sunday tempo run is one of the highlights of the week - fast, but not killer, and the weather is warm and dry - what could be a better start to 2012?