Thanksgiving

I am thankful for... family. I married a wonderful man who is a native of So Cal. We are always welcomed by his parents and siblings and enjoy spending time with them very much. We also love our extended family throughout the country, as often as we can see them. They keep us grounded and at the same time encourage us to reach for the stars.
I am thankful for... health. There are always ups and downs with health, but for now we are in a stable period where we aren't consumed with daily worries about our health or the immediate health of anyone we know. Flu season seems to be on everyone's mind, and surely there are many people suffering, but at least some of us were able to get together and celebrate.
I am thankful for... friends. Our friends have shared some of the biggest events of their lives with us, and we in turn do the same for them. Good friends (such as we have) are around in fair weather and when it is a bit dark and stormy. New friends have grown with us through the changes we are making together and independently of each other. We couldn't ask for better!
I am thankful for... stimulation. I am lucky to be surrounded with opportunities for stimulating my mind and body. I can walk into a Science Library, attend a lecture, or participate in a roundtable discussion regarding the latest developments in chemical biology on any given day of the week. I can get together with friends for a bike ride, road run, indoor climb, lap swim, power yoga, push-up contest... you name it and I bet I can make it happen. I feel like I have the world at my fingertips sometimes. And the sheer beauty of the natural world enlivens me.
I am thankful for... community. I am so glad to have a larger network of people to interact with. I feel a sense of belonging to both the university and the city I live in. I enjoy participating in "local" happenings. I feel that ties to people in your community strengthens the quality of life for everyone. I really love going to local events in public lands and seeing the harmony that can exist when people work cooperatively.
I am thankful for... my dear husband. He really is the axis around which I spin. I feel that he has freed me from my own self-doubt. He allows me to flourish in the nourishing environment of unconditional love and support he provides. He is helping me become truer each day. I would be a much lesser person without his help. Thank you, honey!

Gratitude isn't always easy. I've been having a hard time with it lately. Thankfully we have holidays such as Thanksgiving where we can reflect on life in a more positive way. I've been searching for quotes to put on our T-shirts. How about:
"Tough times don't last but tough people do." - A.C. Green

On another note, the holidays mean FOOD at least in my family. I've been biking and running all year long to achieve the level of fitness I have now. Despite my efforts, I learned today that my BMI is still in the "overweight" bracket and I will have to lose another 8 pounds to be in the "average" realm. I have no plans to lose that 8 pounds during the holidays, I would like to make it my resolution for 2010 that I will maintain and perhaps by 2011 reach that sweet goal of 135 pounds and bearly out of the "overweight" category.

Mission Inn Run

Even though I've been commuting to work by bike, I haven't been on many "monster" rides lately. I did half of a big RBC ride to Tom's Farms last weekend but I wasn't able to finish the ride due to a time constraint. For some reason lately I've been more focused on running. Hmmm... psychological damage from the crash? Well at least the flesh wounds have healed. The alternate explaination is that opportunities to enjoy running have presented themselves and so I put a bit more time & money into that hobby for awhile. For one, I got a new pair of shoes....

The unbiased product review website http://www.productwiki.com/ says "The Nike Zoom Nucleus MC+ is a women's trainer shoe retailing at $115. It targets women who train or run long distances. It features a breathable upper with a supportive overlay design and a secure midfoot saddle to help keep users foot in a neutral position. Zoom Air™ unit in heel and forefoot. Decoupled Crash Pad helps reduce overpronation. Supportive shank, BRS 1000™ heel. Duralon™ and Waffle® Fill add cushioning, traction and durability. Nike+ enabled for instant workout feedback when used with a Nike+ SportBand or iPod® nano and Nike + iPod Sport Kit. Wt. 11.0 oz.

I got them because I was feeling some knee pain, and my new running buddy Ronly Schlenk recommended I replace my old shoes if they weren't cut out for long distance runs. I've been running about 5-8 miles per week throughout September and 10-15 miles per week throughout October. I'm not sure what all the stuff in that description means, but I did try on about 8 pairs of shoes in a store called Running Center in Redlands. The staff was very polite, respectful and helpful, carefully observing my stride in a variety of shoes. My old shoes were cheap ($30) and from Big 5 Sporting Goods (I got them on sale). According to MapMyRide, I started using those shoes 2/09/2009 and since then have put 139.86 mi. on them, making their price $0.2145 per mile. Hopefully these new kicks will help me kick butt and last long enough for me to justify the pricetag. And I know that footwear can't be expected to work miracles, but I am hoping this knee pain will be slightly alleviated. It might help if I stretch more regularly.

We (my husband and my mother-in-law and I) discussed during the race today our running goals. Here's what we came up with (1) that we would make team T-shirts with quotes on them (2) to do a 10K as our next event and (3) complete 4 half-marathons in 2010 as a team. If you have T-shirt ideas, if you want one, let us know because we're doing them as Christmas gifts. Talk about living! There's nothing more exhilarating than crossing a finish line with a cheering crowd and super-fast 10K runners sprinting past you, nothing more motivational than watching a sea of runners invading the streets of downtown Riverside for the sheer joy of running together, nothing more fun than running into friends old and new (Matt, Danny, Bernard and Alena, and Hugh) it was great to share this day with you; nothing is a more perfect expression of love than crossing that finish line together!