Stupid Things On My Birthday

I ran a half marathon on my birthday for the second year in a row and nobody in my family was surprised. They are used to it by now, and me doing something stupid to mark the day has become a bit of a running joke in our extended family.

Birthdays have never really been my thing. At the same point every year my wife wants to buy me presents and we have the same circular conversation, where no amount of telling her there is nothing I want or need seems to matter. To me it's a celebration for nothing. You are not achieving anything by staying on a rock as it goes around the sun again, and yes, I know how miserable that sounds.

A few years ago I got the quiet birthday I always claim to want. Everyone was at work and school, so the day was spent alone with the dog, exercising, reading and waiting for them all to come home, and it was a bit sad if I'm honest. So the fuss is what I am trying to avoid, and the people matter far more than I let on.

Really a birthday is just a reminder that another year has gone, and that is something I have never dealt with very well. Most of my late 30s went on mourning the runner I used to be and chasing times that were never coming back, and it took turning 40 to finally give up on them and start again from zero.

So that is why I do something hard on the day. My body still does what I ask of it, which I am grateful for and know won't last forever, and I would much rather find out what it can do than be told how old I am. This year it ran a half marathon quicker than it has since I turned 40. That is present enough for me, and no, it won't stop my wife asking again next year.

My family have even started joining in. Below the birthday wishes in my card this year was a target time from my son, so the stupid thing isn't only mine to pick any more, and I dread to think what he will write in the next one.