Giving (Running) Thanks

2010 has been a tough year. Probably the toughest of my life so far. But today, I was thankful that I'm still standing -- beaten up a bit, but standing. And I was thankful to spend the day with my family. I miss my grandmom, but we did ok today.


And, inspired by Cindi's post, I thought about what running has brought me in 2010, and how I'm thankful for it. So here's my 10 Running Things I'm Thankful for in 2010:


1) That even on my worst of days, my running allowed me some peace.

2) The effect my running has on my body is paramount. When I'm running, I feel better in my own skin. Being away from running for almost 2 months was beyond difficult. My body is uncomfortable right now, and I can't wait for the return to running to slim me back down to comfortable.

3) The connection my running gives me to my town. Working a part-time job at the local running store allows me to feel like I'm, in a small way, a part of this community. I like that.

4) My running (and my sister's) serves something of a positive role model to my little nephews. They ask about races, they ask about how my (our) run went, they ask about my calf, they know this is a big part of who I am.

5) The opportunity to finally meet Cindi in May in Champaign, IL. After all this time talking virtually, it was wonderful to finally meet her in person.

6) The ability to skip across the country and have people to spend time with along the way. I travelled to Minnesota this summer and ran a half marathon with people I would never have met without my running. Two friends opened their home to me for the whole long weekend and treated me like one of their own.

7) The opportunity to run in places all over this country. This year alone, I've run in Pennsylvania, Illinois, Minnesota, Las Vegas, California, Washington DC (sort of), and home: NJ -- both here outside Philly and along the coast.

8) Friends. Though I lost a couple friends earlier this year, the rest of the people I've become friends with working at the store have continued to be there. We don't spend as much time together as I did with my close group last winter, but they're still here.

9) Adventure. I've run in 20" of snow. I've run in snowstorms where my eyebrows end up making me look like Old Man Winter. I've run in pouring rain and giggled as people in cars drove by staring in wonder. I've run in the 103* heat of the desert. I've run along the Pacific Ocean and Atlantic Ocean within 24 hours of each other. I've run in a Mud Run, and I've run in a tri(du)athlon.

10) Through my running relationships, I've learned a lot about people this year. Some really good, some really terrible things to have to learn. I learned lessons that will carry with me for a long, long time. I learned these lessons because of my running, and the relationships I've formed because of and through it.



Wait, I have an 11) Sense of self. Running is part of the definition of me, of who I am. It was a struggle to lose that for a while, and I'm still working to get it back. As a runner, I feel like I have a focus -- and in my crazy life, that is sustaining.