I had exceptionally high hopes for this glorious Thursday. It didn’t matter if the sun was shining or if my hard-earned vacation tan had already faded: This day was going to be great.
But my stomach and I apparently need to get on the same page, because while I was ready to dance my way through Thankful Things Thursday, my stomach had other, less fun plans in store for me.
This morning I attempted to run with my fast friends Kelly and Sofia. The weather was stellar and the company was great, but the stomach. Oh, the stomach. None of the Central Park bathrooms were open. Things hurt like they haven’t hurt in a while. I eventually had to ditch the girls and bolt to the nearest Starbucks.
But now I’m thinking that’s not something I should harp on. Maybe my stomach will keep hurting. Maybe it was just a fluke thing. I’ll have to wait and see. So for now, I’m going to get all grateful and stuff, because there’s a ton of good in the world today and I’m psyched about it all.
I’m thankful for new spin class friends. CJ, you’ve always been my spinning girlfriend, and for a while I thought we were exclusive. But you haven’t come to a spin class in months, and I’m starting to forget what you look like. I’m hurt. I’m not spinning solo though, and last night I met a new spin pal, Alanna! We chatted after class and she is running her first half marathon in a few weeks. Alanna (I hope I spelled your name right), go out there and crush those Disney Princesses. We’ll all be cheering you on!
Spin was great last night. It always is. Matt apologized to me before class because he “didn’t get a chance to update his playlist after Tuesday night’s class.” Secretly I was excited, because it was an excellent playlist. That Calvin Harris song that all the spin instructors are obsessed with right now? It’s fantastic.
Matt, I’m thankful for you, and you know that.
And CJ, no I haven’t actually forgotten what you look like. I have this picture to remind me:
I just miss you. Come spin again soon. You can meet Alanna. She’s cool. Promise.
I’m thankful I’m dating someone who likes to cook, and who happens to be quite skilled in the kitchen. It would be one thing if Brian were like, “OMG Ali, cooking is so great, I love it so much, here, sample this curry fried leg of bean chard I just made!” I don’t know if that’s a real thing or not, but it sounds gross, and I’m grateful that Brian makes nutritious, delicious meals and I get to eat them. I’m also thankful he doesn’t say things like, “OMG!”
I realized just how thankful I am for Brian’s cooking last night when we weren’t hanging out and I was on my own for dinner.
Yes, I made English Muffin Pizzas for the millionth time this month. Tasty? Yes. Exciting and inventive? Not so much.
I’m thankful I had the opportunity to travel to Turks & Caicos. I have a flair for the dramatic, as you may know by now, but I’m not at all exaggerating when I say this was the best vacation of my life.
To add to that general vacation statement…
I’m also thankful for sailboats, banana boats, jet skis and underwater cameras.
I’m thankful I powered through this morning’s run. I really wanted to bang out 8 miles to start my day. I bounced out of bed right at 5:10 am, ready to run, but as I mentioned so dramatically above, my stomach wasn’t on board.
I still got through 7 miles, and although that wasn’t what I was going for, I didn’t completely give up. I just ran out of time. And things were hurting.
I absolutely refuse to let my body’s annoyances hold me back from doing what I love. Sure, if I break a bone I’ll probably ease up on the running a little. But Crohn’s disease? Not bringing me down. Not slowing me down. Not ruining my day.
I’m thankful for cantaloupe. It has always been one of my favorite fruits, and I’ve been craving it like mad lately.
I bought some cantaloupe last night and it’s already almost gone. Oh, also, I have portion control issues.
I’m thankful for my mom. We’ve had some quality phone chats this week. I miss her. I wish we hung out more. Mom! Are you reading this?! Move to New York City! Bring Dad!
I’m thankful I got to fly first class. It may never happen again. It was spectacular while it lasted.
I’m thankful I met all my deadlines at work this month. That almost never happens. For some reason, I’m OCD about almost everything in my life, and yet I let deadlines slip by all the time. Not this month!
I’m thankful for dark chocolate.
I’m thankful for dark chocolate with sea salt.
I’m thankful for the color orange. I think it might be my favorite color.
Or my favorite color is lime green. I don’t know. I can’t decide.
I’m thankful for nice people. All of ’em. The ones who say nice things, do nice things or leave nice notes in my little lunch bag in the morning. You’re all great. Thanks for brightening up my life every day.
I’m thankful for the great weather we’re having in New York. I ran in shorts today!
I’m thankful for everything, honestly. Oh I know, how cheesy is that? But at this time last year, I don’t think I was as thankful for as many things as I am now.
In fact, according to this blog post that I recently re-discovered, it has been almost exactly one year since I applied for Run For The Rabbit. One year ago, everything in my life changed, even though I didn’t know it yet.
I didn’t think I had a shot at getting picked, but I filled out the application because I thought I might be a good fit for the competition.
Two months later I found out that I was going to be a finalist, and from there the good things just kept coming: I got a running coach, ran my first marathon, raised a ton of money for a charity I care very deeply about and won a trip to Turks & Caicos.
Oh, and I met this guy.
I guess that was a cool perk, too. (Though Brian, I think it ended up being a good deal for you, too. You thought you were just working on this campaign, and you landed a trip to Turks & Caicos, too. So yeah. You cook, I’ll win trips. Even trade.)
Well look at that! I let myself get all sappy and cheesy, and now I’m in a far better mood than I was after The Disastrous Run of January 26.
PERK YOURSELVES UP: Share what you’re thankful for today! I mean this with all sincerity — reading your Thankful Things Thursday contributions are often the best part of my week. I love what people share. I feel like we know each other.
63 Responses
You have much to be thankful for! I am thankful it is finally 70 degrees in PA today, and even though I have mad blisters on my feet right now, I am thankful I got to walk outside during lunch!
Once again, I’m thankful I found your blog!!! I love it more and more ever time I come to read a post 🙂 Have a great week!!!!
Love your new theme. 🙂
I am thankful that it is warm enough for me to drink iced coffee today (global warming??), that it’s Friday, for my internet friends, and for my new Target skirt.
p.s. I am still jealous of your Turks & Caicos trip and would like to hear about it in person. Hopefully this weekend?!
It was nice to meet you at spin! See you next Wednesday!
I am thankful for all the people who share so much on their excellent blogs, who I turn to every time I need an extra push to get me to go out & exercise – you included! 🙂 thank you!!
I’m thankful I will be done with grad school in less than 2 months!!! I am thankful for my education. I am thankful for the internet so that I can apply for JOBS!
I am also thankful for my Mom! However, I am do not like cantaloupe. I’m thankful for bananas though, and strawberries, and any kind of citrus fruit. This thursday, I am thankful to be home from a long week of travel for work. And I am thankful that it was my last day of travel for one whole week! Woot!
I love your thankful thursdays…they are sooo happy!
Also, I’m thankful for that Calvin Harris song too. P.S. It’s good for running too. 🙂
Thankful for your posting of the Calvin Harris song. any other good ones from your spin classes?
I had a rough day. Work was insane. I was sore from pilates yesterday, so I skipped my morning run. I was sad. So. I’m thankful for red wine, goldfish whole grain crackers, and trader joe’s everything.
I’m thankful for taco salad, contacts, and awesome coworkers.
I am thankful my legs are feeling much better after my marathon. I am thankful for track workouts with friends. I am thankful for warm weather in January. I am thankful for laughing a lot at work with my coworkers. I am thankful my boss appreciates my sense of humor and doesn’t get mad when I make sarcastic comments to him.
Guilty as charged… I’ve been playing that song non-stop in spin class! It’s so good, I can’t help myself!
Hope the stomach thing is big fat fluke!
I’m thankful for finding your blog! As a fellow runner with Crohns…it has been so nice to read your posts and say, ‘Yeah, I feel the exact same way!’ Sorry about your tummy issues this morning…I’ve totally been there! I had to leave a group when we were running at the beach last year and sneak into a hotel bathroom…no fun! I agree with one of the other comments…sometimes the green leafy veggies give me troubles, too. I can eat them in moderation, but not lots and lots and certainly not before a run!
I’m thankful that my friend at work made Magic Cookie bars and shared them with me. My mouth was so happy!
I’m thankful that I’m only taking one class this semester, not two. It feels like a freaking vacation compared to my last year of graduate work.
I’m thankful for my boyfriend. Tomorrow is our five year anniversary, which is a pretty huge milestone for both of us. He’s pretty much the best thing that’s ever happened to me, so that’s that. (Ohh, now I’m getting sappy too!)
I’m thankful after a rough week balancing blood-sugars & workouts I got a 3 mile run in this morning. Thanks for the boost!
I’m thankful for my half marathon PR!! I finally achieved a running goal and had a blast doing it!
I love it! Congratulations!!!
I’m thankful I took a leap of faith & quit my job without another one lined up. I still don’t have anything figured out & it’s only my first week without a job, but I know it was for the best. 🙂 And I’m thankful I didn’t have to pace a half marathon this past weekend & instead I had the chance to run the race at MY pace. My pace was faster than I thought it would be!
I’m totally thankful for Thankful Things Thursdays! You’re so consistent about writing this that I’m starting to get used to reading it, thinking about it, and any day now writing about it. Oh, look, I’m writing about it! Hey neato see what I mean? It works. One day when I get to writing my blog more often than twice a year I’m totally stealing this idea bc I totally need more gratitude in my life. I think I read you said somewhere that it’s okay to steal this so I’m just going to cling to that justification. 😉 And thanks for all the pictures too, for some reason that gets me thinking even more; maybe it’s your cheeriness in all of them!
I’m thankful my sprained ankle is mostly better!
I’m thankful I’ve run so many halfs that having a sprained ankle hasn’t held me back from doing them, even if it has ruined my times a bit. I’m also thankful that all those halfs have enabled me to wander up to the starting line and just run them even if i’ve spent the last month not training and eating GLUTEN FREE candy cane cookies. (GLUTEN FREE, hint hint, you should really try it! 😉 ) theJames and I will be running in Disneyland again this weekend and it’ll be my 15th half; between the sprain, cookies and general laziness I’m going to spend my run just being thankful and amazed at all that I can do, and not reaching for a pr. Tho, probably still (unreasonably) hoping for one in the back of my mind where I don’t admit it.
I’m thankful my kid is awesome, and has awesome family people to stay with while I’m out of town doing random running and stuff. I’m thankful he still thinks I’m cool and is excited to see me when he comes home from school. How great is that? It’s great, thanks for asking.
I’m thankful this job has lots of downtime and no dress code. Yes this is a mickey mouse hoody. Yes I bought it on purpose.
I’m still so thankful for my glittery reusable straw cup (what are we calling those things??) from Vegas. I splurged while we were at walgreens getting advil and gloves for the RnR race and I think I’ve used it every day since! 🙂 Thanks walgreens for making every day just a little bit glitterier!
You are absolutely welcome to “steal” the idea. The more thankfulness the better, right?
I’m thankful your sprained ankle is healing, too, and I’m wildly impressed that you were able to keep running throughout your ankle troubles. Be careful, though!
GOOD LUCK this weekend, and have a blast! (And for the record, I always secretly hope to PR even when that’s not the plan. Normal!)
I’m thankful for my family who is there for me on my up days and…not so up days. I’m thankful for my job (and some days need to remind myself of this!) I’m also thankful for my health – my gym is part gym/part rehab facility and the people on the other side of that invisible line are such huge inspirations to me each time I work out. I’m thankful I married someone who is so passionate about their work, even if it does mean occassional late nights or busy weekends.
I’m thankful for Nuun, because since I’ve been drinking it I’ve felt so much better and not dehydrated. I’m thankful for my kindle because it kept me entertained when it took me 3 times as long to get to work on public transit today. I’m thankful for all my internet friends because they cheer me up and cheer me on. And I never thought I’d say this, but I’m thankful for the VA because they are helping me and my husband.
O.M.G. you have a new spin friend? Honestly, not sure how I feel about sharing, but I’m open to it.
Hoping to take Matt’s class tonight at USq. Won’t be the same though…
SO JEALOUS. I miss you & would love to take that class, but don’t think I can make it down there in time. Boo. You know you’ll always be my favorite spinner.
I am so incredibly thankful to have such a hard-working group of riders who take my spinning class. Even MORE thankful to have a dedicated, strong and always sunny rider like Ali! You make teaching classes even more rewarding than it already is! So happy we found each other!
Hmm…my non-existent colon and I just communicated (we use telepathy. I think the thing is still being studied at Harvard), and we have a theory. You said you’ve been eating lots of fresh fruit, and you had spinach last night. Fresh fruits and veggies – especially ruffage and lettuce – were my #1 offenders when I was sick. In fact I still can’t have them. I lived on carbs and protein. Maybe try cutting back on the healthy stuff for a little bit and see what happens? Till you get over this mini flare?Just a suggestion…
Sadly I was actually wondering if the mass quantities of recent fruits and vegetables may be the culprits. That makes me so sad. But I agree with you that it could be an obvious solution to my silly stomach problem.
fyi- before i got on the gluten-free-dairy-free diet, my regular gp did an exam and told me i had ibs…he said cut back on exactly that, fruits and vegetables and it would reduce the amount of gas that was either the cause or the effect, i forget what his reasoning was… long saga short i found once i cut out gluten and dairy the plants weren’t a problem. seems like a crap trade (i’d so rather have grilled cheese than grilled eggplant), but if it weren’t for my brilliant homeopath i never would have known what the real cause was.
I feel thankful for everything today too! I’m thankful I’ve found the best personal trainer in the world, and she pushes me every time I see her. I’m thankful I have great friends to work out with, and I’m thankful the sexiest Zumba instructor in the world works at my gym. 🙂
I love what you’re thankful for and I love that you went (first class) to the Turks! I would love to visit there.
dear Ali’s intestines:
STOP IT. she is a nice, awesome girl that needs to be able to run without you causing her problems.
tx,
kelly
I’m thankful for our run this morning but sad about your stomach. also thankful that tomorrow is my last day in the corporate world for (possibly) FOREVER. ricidulous
i am thankful that i got in my last uws run with you and kelly! i’m also thankful for the new yoga studios i’ve discovered in the last week. and for two boots pizza. yeah. def.
I’m thankful for my pink workout top that looks like a real shirt…so I wore it to the office today to save bringing extra clothes for my run later. 😀
I’m thankful I’m moving into my own apartment soon. I’m thankful for plans to drink and vent with a girl friend tonight. And thankful for all my girlfriends that have been so amazing, even when I don’t know them that well. My life right now mirrors the rough stuff you were going through last year, so really, it’s all of the little things for me to get by right now…
I’m thankful for fun trips to Target with Mom. I’m thankful that the reason I am visiting Mom (cataract surgery) went well for her. I’m thankful that it’s been a fun week to get out and run. I’m thankful for treadmills on days like today where I have to do speedwork and it’s not a fun day to run outside.
i looooooooooove that song and now im hoping i hear it in spin tomorrow!!!
I love the underwater photo so much!
Today, I am thankful for:
* Tea. I’m a Brit. I love tea. And the morning cuppa that I am drinking at the moment is spectacular.
* My cat Charlie who I just adore and who sleeps next to me, to my husband’s sad resignation.
* Skype…without Skype and being able to see my family in the UK, my world would be so sad.
* My toddler son whose new word this week was ‘snot’ and who now asks me and the husband for ‘noise’ when he wants us to sing. ‘Mummy, noise!’. Makes me giggle every time.
I guess I am thankful I didn’t break BOTH ankles and that’s it’s my left (so I can eventually drive.)
I’m thankful for your thankful posts – they brighten my day! And I’m thankful this is my last day of work. And that I have a new job to start. And for pumpkin.
I love these thankful posts because I’m always cranky and just woke up when I read your posts (east coast vs west coast time!) and your posts force me to think of something to be thankful for! So this morning… I’m thankful for peanut butter, that it’s almost the weekend (kind of), and for coffee. Coffee, you’re my best friend! I’ll do better next Thursday.
Man, you have a LOT of awesome things to be thankful for this week! I love that!! i need to jot down lists like this more – I bet once I get started, I’ll have a huge list too!
One thing I’m thankful for today? A new job that I ADORE, and one that is giving me SUCH an awesome sense of balance. I feel incredibly blessed today.
I’m thankful for a great run in the snow today. I’m thankful that I’m on top of things. I’m thankful for my parents.
Love this post! Love that Calvin Harris song too!
I’m thankful for coffee, my sweet boyfriend and running! Oh and running buddies who make running more fun!
I am thankful my gluten attack is starting to go away. I am thankful that I have a great support system of family and friends. I am thankful that the road never talks back to me on a run- unless I fall then it pretty much only does the talking.
I’m thankful that I still daydream like my 13 year old self 🙂
I’m thankful that my gym has awesome instructors who motivate me! I am thankful for an amazing husband who works full-time and attends college full-time. I’m especially thankful for my weimaraners who are always happy to see me! I’m thankful for a co-worker who loves to shop, finds great deals, and buys me things that she knows I’ll love (and knows that I’ll pay her back for!). Finally, I am thankful for your blog because it makes me laugh everyday!
Reading everyone else’s contributions to thankful things thursday makes my day. Ever wonder why traffic goes up from my ip address thursday? Ya, I keep coming back to read it all. So thanks, everyone!
This week I’m thankful that I “ran” last night. It was more like a bouncy stroll, and it wasn’t the most comfortable thing, but I could, so I did.
I’m thankful I bought myself a tv season on dvd and watched the whole thing on sunday. so much for moderation, but yay for distractions!
I’m thankful my mom came in for a few days
I’m thankful I got to be more creative than usual last night.
I’m thankful that I got to see a Sports Doc yesterday and he has given me the green light to spin, has diagnosed my problem (I pray correctly) and if he’s right I’ll be running again in 2 weeks! That’s a lot to be thankful for! I’m also thankful that my daughter is very neat when she has the stomach bug and I only had one towel that had to be washed! Oh and I’m also thankful that I’ll attending a 2 hour spin-a-thon tonight :).
I’m also thankful for dark chocolate (and dark chocolate with cherries or raspberries in it. Yummmm). I’m thankful for warmer weather and a break from the cold winds too!
Thankful that I get to go on a snowboarding trip this weekend – my first weekend snowboarding trip. I’m sure come Monday morning, I will no longer be thankful for this trip!
Hopefully the stomach issue was a fluke thing, and you’ll be back to great morning runs quickly! I just posted my thankful list a few minutes ago here: http://fightingforwellness.wordpress.com/2012/01/26/thankful-thursday-2/
I’m thankful for unlimited coffee at work, for the 60* weather forecasted for today, and for new pink running shoes. These three things go together very nicely!
Im thankful I found your blog recently as I love reading about your life and your personality and beauty is amazing!Keep up the good work and enjoy life 😉
I’m thankful that I’m going to Seattle tomorrow to see my brother, sister-in-law and pup! I’m even more thankful that my boyfriend will get to meet the pup — finally!
OH and I am thankful I somehow convinced Andy to try Refine tonight. So, so thankful.
Ahhhhh that’s awesome!!! Please take many photos and have him write a guest blog about it. Hope he loves it! And have a blast in Seattle. Take many puppy photos.
I’m thankful to have really supportive parents and friends in times of career and love life confusion, who give me all of the world’s best advice – even though I’m sure they’re not thankful that I’m too stubborn to listen.
I am thankful that it isn’t subzero in Chicago 😉
Wish I could be thankful for spin classes – but the last two I went to were full, and this morning I finally got in but my shoe clip got stuck on the bike! 🙁