#265: Sleeping In

While I am apt to sleep in as often and whenever possible, Kegan is not. His alarm regularly goes off before 6 am...even on weekends. But today he decided to sleep in, too, and it was wonderful. There's something so great about naturally waking up when your body is ready...and then let yourself doze back off for a while. Knowing my mornings of sleeping in are numbered, I appreciate each and every morning I spend some extra time under the covers....especially when Kegan's sleeping in with me.

#246: Going To Bed, Bone Tired

For all the joys of summer, one aspect of it that I always struggle with is that my days are often so restful, it's often hard to get to bed. On summer nights I will often lay awake for quite a while, just waiting to fall asleep, which is often frustrating and makes my summer nights' rests not as satisfying.

Then the school year begins, and my days become anything but restful. While it's easy, often, to look at the challenges of that, this week one benefit of the hustle and bustle has become apparent: I'm back to going to bed, bone tired.  It's hard to be grateful for feelings of exhaustion, but then your bed never feels better than when you finally fall into it after a long day...and that's definitely something to be thankful for.

#240: Nurses

I've written already about being thankful for my doctor; today I am thankful for the nurses who work at my doctor's office. They are such wonderful women, who always put me at ease, answer all my questions, and can even have me laughing while they're drawing blood. I've also utilized, through my health insurance, a nurse care phone line, and have always been reassured and given good advice from the nurses I've spoken to when I've called. I cannot imagine how challenging the nursing profession it is, and I imagine that they are not thanked enough for the amazing work that they do...so the next time I go to my doctor's, I am going to make sure to let my nurses know how appreciated they are, everyday.

#238: Sleep Masks

My bedroom gets lots of sunlight first thing in the morning. That's great when you need to get up...and frustrating when you don't. Since Kegan gets up much earlier than I need to in the summer it can be a struggle to fall back asleep in such a brightly light bedroom. A few weeks ago I remembered that I had an old sleep mask tucked away somewhere; once I unearthed it, my mornings have been much different. I'm stirred awake to say goodbye to Kegan and wish him a good day, but able to get a few more hours of sleep which are much needed and much appreciated...especially as the school year approaches, and I'll have to face the sun in those early morning hours again.

#194: Chipolte

Steve Ells is a personal hero of mine. Since reading Fast Food Nation a few years ago I've nearly quit fast food, except for in a few rare moments of weakness when McDonalds fries are irresistible. And then I found Chipolte.

Chipolte operates under the slogan "Food With Integrity". They primarily use locally and organically grown produce as well as meat from naturally fed-livestock. This allows for the convenience of fast food without the guilt and concern that what you're eating might not actually be food. Plus you can get guacamole and a fountain coke with every meal. Sold!

Ironically, Chipolte is owned now, in part, by the McDonalds corporation. While I struggle sometimes that a chain that is somehow "anti-fast food" in nature is merely a cog in the industry kingpin, I have hopes that Chipolte is the new generation of fast food, and that other chains will follow in foot.

With that optimism in mind, I am thankful for Chipolte, the countless barbacoa tacos I have consumed, and days like today, when I can get lunch there without waiting in a 20 minute long line to do so. It's the little wins, sometimes...

#151: Muscle Memory

This past week my running was completely derailed by the untimely synchronicity of a vigilante spring cold and the exhaustion of state test proctoring. My weekday runs were replaced by weekday naps. While the naps were lovely in and of themselves, I worried about the lack of training with only two weeks to go until my next half marathon. But yesterday Erinn and I headed out together for a 7 miler, and I felt totally fine. One of the definite benefits of being a long distance runner for as long as I have been is muscle memory; my legs are accustomed to milage, and I can hit the road after a decently long time off and my body is none the wiser.

#112: A Good Day

Last Thursday I began the day overwhelmed. I had a doctor's appointment, a long list of chores to do around the house and errands to run. Once I got a run in and my stress dissipated, the day seemed to take a complete 180. The events of my day did not change, but my attitude about them did.

At the doctor's I was given a clean bill of health-- always a blessing. I focused on feeling productive as each of my chores were completed. My errands were easy and quickly executed, including a really pleasant shopping experience and getting 3 of 4 books I've been wanting to read from the library. Amidst my euphoria of this mundane but good day, I couldn't help but be humored by the juxtaposition of my attitudes, which had rapidly evolved over the course of just a few hours. The cause, I believe, is this very project.

Every day that I post is colored positively by the moments I spend reflecting on what I am specifically thankful for on that day. When I have time to reread previous posts or just look at the left side of the screen with all of my 'categories' of thankfulness I am overwhelmed by the evidence of just how wonderful my life truly is. Thursday, though, I could feel the cultivation of this project in my mood and mindset. I'm recognizing how my perspective is changing as a result-- and I can't help but wonder if it's that age old belief that how you feel within is reflected in your life externally. It's possible that, once I took a moment to breathe, relax, and recognize that I shouldn't see the day as one burden after another but one blessing after another, the day itself became a good one. My former self would have just gotten through the day overwhelmed. But now, 100+ days into a Thankfulness Project, I realize that  Thursday was a good day. Sure it was busy, but it was still good...as most days are. The Thankfulness Project is helping me see and live that understanding, more resolutely with each passing day.

#93: Bob Harper

Similar to my previous post about Jillian Michaels, I am thankful today for Bob Harper. Like Jillian, Bob is  a trainer on "The Biggest Loser". He's one of the few celebrities I would actually say that I admire. He has an amazing attitude and true dedication to help others. Bob also avows a life of positive thinking, which I am also a huge believer in. Every week he posts a personal challenge on his Twitter feed, and I am always inspired by his encouragement to live a centered, healthy, simple life. Today I am feeling sore from my weekend workout of one of his DVDs, and while that is normally a pain, I am focusing on the soreness as something to be thankful for. I always remind myself I am lucky to be healthy and able enough to workout. I am happy to be a person who is mindful of their health. I am grateful that individual workouts, like the ones I "do with Bob" help me become stronger physically, mentally and emotionally.

#91: Weekend Workouts

It's so easy for exercise to be lost in the shuffle of weekdays. You're caught late at work, you feel too tired to get up early or workout at day's end, there's limited non-work hours and always so, so, so much to do. That's one of the reasons I appreciate the weekends, because it's often easier to get two quality workouts in over those two days.

This weekend I ran on Saturday and did a 45 minute Bob Harper workout video on Sunday. In all of my former training plans for halfs or the full marathon Sunday was a rest day, but I am coming to realize with age/understanding of my exercise habits that I should workout in some form on Sunday, even if I did a long run the day before. Regular exercise is so important and I am beginning to embrace the weekend as time to kick start that for the week.

This also reiterates an important viewpoint I adopted after reading 168 Hours by Laura Vanderkam. This work espouses that believing you "don't have enough time" is a fallacy. There is always enough time; the real struggle is in regards to the choices that we make with how we spend our time. It's taught me to feel less guilty if I can't run or workout midweek-- sometimes I have to make the choice to prioritize work, errands or personal time. But it's also held me accountable. If I want to run and train for races, if I want to exercise for my physical and mental health, then I have to make the choice to get those workouts in sometime...and the weekends make it easy to do that.

#75: My Doctor

While I'm not thankful I had to go see my doctor, I am thankful for my doctor, himself. He's down to earth, funny and genuinely spends time with you when you're there to see him. He also loves Disney World, running and is oddly reminiscent of Doogie Howser, in the sense that he looks like he's 17 years old. What's not to love? He's honestly the perfect doctor for me. I am so glad Kegan was once bit by a spider and thought he had some strange arachnid-induced illness which resulted in us finding our doctor!

Naturally I am also thankful Kegan did not contract any diseases from a spider. Unless he's claiming he goes "to work" and really is a Peter Parker style vigilante. Hmmm...

Sorry. That was lame. I'm sick! Cut me some slack.

#74: Feeling Well

"You don't know what you've got 'till it's gone" is so true, especially when it comes to one's health. Yes, it's just a cold...but it's knocked me down pretty hard this weekend. Whenever I am sick, even with something as insignificant as this weekend, I can't help but think how much I take for granted when I am feeling well. There's nothing more personally important in life than one's health, and yet day-to-day we fail to recognize how amazing it is to feel 100%. I couldn't run, couldn't enjoy anything I ate this weekend, and had no energy to do anything but lay on the couch. This was, by no means, the usual weekend lethargy I enjoy. It wasn't relaxing because I felt depleted, and the whole time I thought about how thankful I will be as soon as I am feeling well again, and how retrospectively thankful I am for all those days I was in good health and didn't take the time to appreciate it.

#71: Cold Medicine

I am pretty adverse to medications of any kind. Unless it's the bubble-gum flavored syrup of my childhood, I don't want to take any, ever. But sometimes I relent and realize it's for the best, and often is exactly what's needed. Today I am thankful for cold medicine. Some congestive-bronchial situation is wreaking havoc on my immune system, but with the help of NyQuil and DayQuil I was knocked out last night and functioning today.

I'm also thankful for the good graces of God that kept me from crashing while I drove to work this morning, because I am pretty sure I was still feeling the effects of the NyQuil. Yikes. Powerful stuff.

#65: Early Bedtime

I didn't get a chance to post yesterday because I fell asleep before I was able! As often happens on Fridays I passed out on my couch around 9 p.m. With this early bedtime I clocked 12 hours of sleep. It's one of my favorite aspects of Fridays; I don't fight to stay up to salvage some free time like the other weeknights, since I know the weekend days lie ahead. This, combined with the exhaustion of the workweek, usually results in an early bedtime. A few weeks ago I reflected on my appreciation of late nights, but the flip side of that is appreciating the nights when you're asleep earlier than most people your age have even started their Friday nights. Sometimes that's the best kind of night to have.

#64: Forks Over Knives

Forks Over Knives is a documentary I watched today about the effects of a plant-based, whole foods diet on one's health.  I'm thankful for this film, as it furthers my personal mission to improve my health.

I am blessed with what must be an amazing metabolism. I say that because I am a pretty thin person, especially in light of my diet. Most people are surprised to hear that I am concerned about my diet simply because I am thin. Actually just yesterday one of my colleagues was surprised to hear me say that I don't eat well. "You don't look it," she said. My common retort, in my twisted humor, is always, "My insides are probably black."

My diet has always been a struggle. I can say for sure that I have a sugar/carb addiction, and am lazy when it comes to food preparation, both of which outweigh my personal desire to eat better. Thankfully Kegan came along; he eats very well, and throughout my relationship I've improved my diet. But there is still so much to do. 

One mindset I have that is particularly disturbing to me is that I assume I will be diagnosed with cancer at some point in my life. I am not a hypochondriac to any degree; it just feels inevitable...because it feels like everyone faces that diagnosis in their life at some point. One of the main arguments of the documentary, and one I've heard and read about from multiple sources, is the correlation between diet and cancer rates. I'm grateful that this documentary emphasized this, as it reminds me that I don't have to be a victim of "inevitability" if I make an effort to live a lifestyle that is cancer preventative. And even if I  were still to face cancer in my lifetime, I know I'd be in a much better position to battle it if my diet were healthier.

That's a future benefit of an improved diet, but there are so many areas of my immediate health that I know would improve if I can conquer my nutritional deficiencies. I regularly feel sluggish, have a routine afternoon crash, and am beginning to notice I don't sleep as well as I used to. Plus there's that internal nagging that my insides very likely are black-- at least in a metaphoric sense. I know if I eat better all of these issues will be resolved, and I should do this while I am young.

The most influential part of the film was an interview with Ruth Heidrich, a marathoner who was diagnosed with breast cancer in her 40s. She changed to a plant-based whole foods diet immediately following her diagnosis, and she credits that as a major factor to her recovery. She even trained for and completed an Ironman while in treatment! Now in her 70s, Ruth continues to run marathons and complete Ironmans. This is exactly the kind of woman I want to be. I always say I want to be an elderly woman still running marathons, and I will now think of Ruth often, as I continue to be a runner and work on my diet, the other neccessary component for my health.

Nutritional books and documentaries have a real effect on me. Fast Food Nation seriously impacted my once regular eating of fast food, which I do very rarely now. Fast Food, Inc influenced me to more or less give up red meat (although Chipolte Barbacoa tacos still have a hold on me). My hope is that Forks Over Knives will be the movie I point to that encouraged me to incorporate more plant-based foods into my diet.

#36: Jillian Michaels

One of the gifts I asked and received for Christmas was Jillian Michael's workout DVD, "30 Day Shred". While I am not actually looking to lose any weight, exercising regularly is really important to me, for stress management, mental and physical health. Running is my primary, preferred way to workout, but lately I've been wimping out with the cold temperatures and unmotivated to get on my treadmill. In the coming weeks I want to get back in a running routine (which likely means registering for a spring half-marathon), but until I am back in a groove, I am thankful I have Jillian's routine to do. As I've written about before, "The Biggest Loser" is one of my favorite tv shows, and one of the reasons is because I really admire the trainers, Jillian Michaels and Bob Harper. They are inspiring and effective, and I'm thankful for their mass-market success, which allows them to train me, too!

#35: A Good Night's Sleep

Sometimes nothing feels better than getting a good night's sleep...especially one that lasts 11 hours! I can't remember the last time that I slept that long and wasn't ill. With the luxury of winter break this was possible, and I am so appreciative of it. I felt rejuvenated all day, and used that energy to tackle some home reorganization. Win win!

#5: My Lungs

Taking advantage of this amazing stretch of weather we've been having, I ran outdoors tonight. Motivated by how amazing it felt to be out on a warm evening with December just days away, I pushed myself to run further and harder than I have in over a month. Maybe it was endorphins, or how it's impossible to avoid being contemplative during twilight hours-- whatever the inspiration-- it was on this run tonight that I thought how thankful I am for my lungs.

I thought this when my lungs started to hurt. When I run hard and fast, there's pressure in my chest, compression in my lungs. This probably sounds unpleasant, but I actually like the way it feels (and personally, I think every distance runner has to be a little bit of a masochist). With each inhale I'm rejuvinated by cool, fresh air. With each exhale I let something go (and hear Caren's voice, telling me to do so.) It's therapeutic. The more they hurt, the more I pay attention to how good it feels just to breathe.

[Note: this is much deeper than I intended to be today. The first mile of my run I planned on writing about how thankful I am for '80s power ballads. I'll save that post for another day.]