Starting With a Thankful Heart as Things Fall into Place

Today I am thankful for things coming to fruition after much planning and leg work:

1. My guest blog post is up at the Positivity Blog - this is a blog worth following, it is filled with fantastic daily reminders of how to live a life of gratitude and positive thinking. Check it out (and not just MY post, take a minute or two to read some of the regular posts - I promise it is worth your while. Subscribe to it, even!).

2. I was a guest on the Seattle-area radio show Chat With Women this morning. I was thankful that traffic was light and I made it to the station with time to spare (and time to go to the bathroom, even though I had to hunt down a code to get into the locked restroom!!). I'll have the 20 minute audio up on the Balanced Steps website by the end of the day.

3. I'm getting orders for my book from people who met me at the REF Turkey Trot Fun Runs in November.

4. Our Christmas gift making plan is working well - my husband and I figured out some good techniques and steps for the process last night.

5. My mother-in-law gets to meet her newest grandson this week - happy travels!

How about YOU? What are you thankful for today? Be sure to leave a comment!

Have a wonderful week!

One Year Blog Anniversary (Roughly!)

It dawned on me as I was running the Riverview Educational Foundation Turkey Trot 5K on Saturday morning that my very FIRST BLOG entry was a review of that race last year. I'm amazed at how much has happened over the course of the year. At some point this week I'll do a quickie recap for you, just in case you're a new reader (or even if you're an old follower and would like to reminisc with me!). I'll be picking out some of my favorites tonight to highlight later this week, which is why this is short and sweet.

Before I sign off for the night, I will thank you all for your kind birthday wishes on Thursday. I was nervous about this 30 thing, but am feeling more confident and excited now to start a new decade. Thanks for reminding me to put my yellow hat back on (which I did wear for both my birthday morning run and the race on Saturday - I even took a picture of me in it before my big birthday run - see below!).

The photo on the left is of me modeling my fabulous new mittens. Notice the smile - my family took great care of me that day (as did the lemon raspberry cheesecake for dessert after my husband cooked dinner)!

Have a wonderful week, everyone! Happy running!

Readjusting for Balance

My morning run was a great one. I found the perfect pace - even Albus was pleased with our speed (usually he pulls to go faster!) - and could have run forever (our 30 minutes were good, though). I was so completely in the zone with my foot strikes, breathing and noticing the interesting smells around me (dryer sheets, worms, the perfume of the runner that crossed our path, etc.) that I didn't even realize we were running in the rain until my leg brushed against Albus' wet fur. Yes, it was that good of a run. I'm feeling more confident about next Saturday's Riverview Runs Turkey Trot 5K . . . my first race as a 30 year-old (just 2 days after my birthday) - yikes, that's a new age bracket, isn't it?

Today's run, along with some other things, has led me to the decision to make some changes with our family routine (which my husband and I discussed together. I'm no dictator!). Just a few minor tweaks are bound to pay off:

- Tuesday nights will be TV and computer-free. That's right - no blog reading, no CSI watching, no working from home, no Facebook status updates. Monitors will be off. Books will be open, or who knows, we might even pull out a game or *gasp* sit and talk. Time without the kids climbing on us is slim, we really need to do a better job of making those rare moments more about quality and less about technology (which I love, I just need to get other things into my life, too!).

- My husband is returning to yoga. He is slowly getting back into running after a few months off and realizes that he runs best when he has an active yoga practice. Sound familiar? I think he'll go one night and I may go another. We have yet to work out all of these details.

- I'm actively pursuing some bigger media attention for the book. Newspaper articles, radio shows, even TV perhaps! I'm gleaning some knowledge from other authors and working to put it to good use. I'm making Monday nights my Media Night.

- I'm continuing my Balance Ball routine. I know I've mentioned it over and over again, but REALLY the difference in my posture and my running is AMAZING. My body fat has also dropped 2% in the last two weeks and my pants are fitting the way they should. Talk about instant results. I'm passing along the book to my mom - she's excited to try it out, too!

How about YOU? Are you making any new healthy changes to your life routine? Have you found a simple change that has a significant impact on your family's health and life quality?

Starting with a Thankful Heart in the Rain

Here we are at Monday again. While not everything is falling into place as I'd like, I can't seem to accomplish my tasks as quickly in reality as I do in my brain, and our home has been plagued with the first round of colds this season (and we're out of tissue!), there are STILL many things for which I am thankful. Here are my top 5, in no particular order:

1. Cooler weather means I can pull out my sweaters and my Keens/Dr. Martins. I love my chunky shoes. Love 'em, love 'em, love 'em.

2. Morning naps (Little Sister's, not mine - I would enjoy a daily morning nap I'm sure, but I'd be frustrated that I wouldn't be accomplishing tasks). I'm enjoying these while they last. Something tells me the days with naps are numbered.

3. The Seattle Symphony Tiny Tots series. We're headed for the first concert of the year on Friday, this time with some friends! Can't wait!

4. The magic of the Robert Plant & Alison Krauss Raising Sand concert last Wednesday. It was a LATE night for us, but it was absolutely amazing. Led Zeppelin fans have every right to be sad that Plant won't be reuniting with is former band members . . . but they should seriously consider checking out his new projects. I can't believe how T-Bone Burnett transformed some old classics to be hauntingly wonderful new pieces using bluegrass instruments and the voice talents of Plant & Krauss. I could just go on & on & on & on . . . it was simply one of the best concerts I've attended - and I've seen some good ones!

5. I'll be signing books my birthday weekend in November at the REF runs for Riverview Turkey Trot (which was the topic of my first post , which was just 147 short posts ago - woah!). Somehow the event had slipped my mind (not my calender, though!) . . . until I read my name in the paper as one of the attractions for the Expo! Things have been a bit slower than I like with the book, so it is great to know that my "name" can help promote a wonderful event that will benefit the health and wellness programs for a school district. And, it will motivate me to get some longer runs in over the next few weeks so I can take part in their inagural 10K race!

And YOU, kind reader, what is something for which you are thankful this fine Monday?

REF Turkey Trot

Though the morning was chilly and drizzly, it turned out to be a good one for a run. I got the kids ready for the day while my husband caught a few extra minutes of sleep, then headed out on my own to join about 100 or so locals for the Riverview Educational Foundation Turkey Trot in Carnation. This relatively new race (this was the second year!) offers a 5K, a 10K and a scavenger hunt - The Wild Turkey Hunt Urban Legend.

I opted to run the 5K, as we've been passing around cold after cold at our house and I have only been able to run a handful of times in the last few weeks. This race was great motivation for me to get back into a regular routine of running. Also, I've been focusing on my foot strike form, so the race presented me with the opportunity to try out my new foot strike outside on a trail. This race was just the thing I needed all around!

There weren't many of us on the course this morning (compared to the summer races around here, anyhow) and I found that I really didn't know any of my fellow runners. I usually enjoy the energy of running with friends and neighbors that I know, but this morning I found that the energy in the air was just as positive and encouraging amid the crowd of unknowns, giving me an opportunity to reflect and truly focus on my return to running and my physical form. Yet another thing this usual social bug needed!

The school district's superintendent, Conrad Robertson, warned us at the start line that there might be a few muddy spots along the way and that we were welcome to run around or through any puddles on the course, the choice was ours. He got a few chuckles of response, but little did we know that in a few places there wouldn't be too much choice.

I found myself remembering Robertson's words as I watched the field of runners ahead of me seemingly dance across a narrow bridge, manuvering across the leafy, puddle heavy stretch of the course with fancy tip-toe footwork. I joined in with my own leaps, twists and occasional light splashes, thinking that the bike riders that were politely awaiting their turn to cross the bridge wouldn't have nearly as much fun as they rolled through our obstacle course.

Only one dog participated in the event, a young Weimaraner who doubled the distance her person had to cover to reach the finish line. I was fortunate to follow this twosome for the first third of the race, laughing to myself about how that pup really had no idea what was going on and why she wasn't allowed to take a dip in the river along the way. While the river was off limits for her, she did manage to take Robertson's words to heart, choosing to run full speed ahead through a LONG puddle, splashing her owner as she moved her gangly, too long for her body, legs. This was a good morning for a pup to run, too!

The race course took us along the outer loop of a Girl Scout camp. It was the perfect location for a fall race, which would have been even more enjoyable if the sun had graced us with its presence, BUT, still provided a calm atmosphere for the middle of the race. The unexpected suprise on this stretch was a cabin full of girls in their pajamas cheering for us as they watched us through the giant picture window. There they were, with pigtails and slippers, jumping up and down, waving excitedly as we hurried past and waved our own greetings in return. I wonder how many of those girls might lace up their own running shoes for a race someday in the future, thinking back on our field of runners as we trotted through the drizzly morning in conquest of the finish line.

In the end, this race was probably the slowest I've run (I finished right around 30 minutes flat), but it was what I'd consider one of my best. I took the time to enjoy what I was doing, I was focused on my body position and technique, and had time to reflect on my surroundings. Today's Turkey Trot reminded me of my passion for the sport of running - my love of the process, being in the moment and the groove of a good pace, respecting the generosity of the volunteers who enable me to race, and the fun of rubbing elbows with others who enjoy a good run.

Originally Posted by me on 11/10/2007 on the Balanced Steps site: www.balancedsteps.com