Gobbler Grind-Happy Thanksgiving!

 

What I am thankful for…running (more on this later).  Now that is not all…I have a wonderful wife, a great network of friends and family, a job I enjoy and a healthy lifestyle but running has meant more to me in 2010 than you can ever imagine.

On Sunday 11/21 Thunder Road Racing ran the Gobbler Grind Half Marathon. Scott Lee, Suzy Hay, and Chris Thomas completed the race. Jaime Thomas ran the 5K. This may have been our last race of the season but a great accomplishment by all.  Scott ran a PR on the course, he was awesome fast! Suzy ran a great race as well, this race resulted in injury for Suzy last year, so a great chance for her to leave Gobbler with a MUCH more positive outcome. My awesome wife ran a fast 5K and should be really proud. I hit my goals of not walking and finishing the race. I think it is indicative of how far we have come when a 13 mile run is ho-hum ordinary.  We have to remember there is nothing ordinary about completing this task!  It is a great accomplishment.

Team TRR-Pre-race

Now on to my “thanks”. I am a bit reflective today. You see, on Sunday around mile 10 we came across a runner who was down.  Paramedics were there and it did not look good. We have not heard the outcome but our thoughts and prayers are with the runner and his family. I have been thinking about this scene all week and it made me realize how thankful we should be for things we take for granted….a pasta dinner with friends, our health, sharing time with spouse/child, and running.

I am not a fast runner, never have been, never will be but I learn something about myself every time I run. On Sunday I had 2.5 hours of run time. This also equates to 2.5 hours of “think time”. The “think time” ranges from:

·         Happy thoughts- My wife (Jaime), TRR, training partners (Scott and Suzy), my sister and nephew running, my buddies Paco and Max, my healthy lifestyle choices to name a few.

·         Solving problems- work, meeting next healthy goal, being a better person.  

·         Finding Strength- Can I finish? Why am I doing this? Should I fake an injury?

·         Family/Friends- How proud I am of family, how proud they are of me.

Post Race



You hear all these great running quotes…”One foot in front of the other” “Running is a great metaphor for life” and I still think they are a bit sappy and cheesy for me. But know this, for me personally in my short 6 months of running I think I have become a better person, a better friend, and a better husband…not bad for a “stupid sport”. Oh yeah and a nice by product…I ran for 2.5 straight hours on Sunday!

Happy Thanksgiving to all!