Good news, friends. I visited Ali this week and she didn’t give me “the talk” about ceasing all things thankful on Thursday, so I’m keeping it going for yet another week. Because if there ever was a week when I needed to think happy thoughts, it would certainly be this one. So, let’s get our thankful on and maybe crack a smile along the way.
I am thankful I got my ass kicked last night.
Ignore me taking the picture in the background, this is not at all a posed shot after class, this was taken IN THE MOMENT by my official blog photog.
More on this later, but I ventured to Revolve, a new cycling studio in “DC” (read: Arlington, Virginia), to try their Complete Body Ride. I walked in dry and left dripping in sweat. And it wasn’t just because my instructor has more abs than days in a month. I knew I was in for a killer workout when Grant yelled at the class 10 minutes before go time, “I hope you’re warming up now, because we’ll be hot from the second we start.” The class was fast paced, super fun, and even made me think for a second as hot as the speed of the class that I might throw up a little after a suspiciously long interval. I don’t know what unit of time Grant uses when he shouts out counts, but I can assure you it is not seconds. Hey Grant, I’m onto you.
I’m thankful that the aforementioned cycling class afforded me the opportunity to envision my own ass kickings while perched on a spin bike.
Punching with weights while pedaling a bike? It was a little pat-your-head-while-rubbing-your-belly for my coordination, but YES PLEASE. I would tell you what was going through my head at the time of punching, but I like to keep this blog PG-13. Let’s just say it helped with my rough week.
I am thankful for exercise induced soreness.
My upper body is deliciously fatigued today, courtesy of ass kicking by Grant, as well as actually motivating myself to lift this week and then go to my first pilates class in almost a week. Apparently in the last seven days, my obliques decided to take a long nap. Last night, my pilates instructor decided that nap time was way over as of 5:30 pm. They’ve been wide awake and letting me know it since then.
I am thankful I decided to start this blog.
I love to write about running, triathloning and racing. I love to take an excessive amount of pictures and plaster them all over the internet. I love the opportunities that I’ve been lucky enough to stumble across through my sweaty corner of the internet. And, I especially love the amazing people I’ve met through blogging and the online community of endurance junkies who just get me. When I went on my kind of terrible, sluggish run on Tuesday, my lunchtime (and sometimes other times of the day) running partner told me about an amazing run he had over the weekend. He said he got home and couldn’t stop telling his wife about the 931 reasons he loved running. I believe her verbatim response was, “You’ve told me three times. Can’t you just call Emily?” This was the moment at which I informed him he’s never allowed to make fun of my strange affection for the internet ever again. Through twitter, facebook, the gchatz, blogging, emailing, and all other online –ings, I ALWAYS have people I can get excited to about a great run, commiserate with over an injury, or just geek out about anything and everything running.
I am thankful for compression socks and work apparel that disguises the fact that I’m wearing them all day long.
Enough said.
I am thankful for back to back race weekends.
I still can’t believe I wavered on attending the LTRYW 5k last weekend. Don’t let me do that ever again. Even when it’s 20 degrees and feels like 10 with a full-body-numbing wind chill, I can’t think of a better way to spend a weekend morning. I’m pumped I’ll be chasing my recovery run 5k with a marathon relay this Sunday. It’s still TBD what my race plan will be, but I’m leaning towards adding on a couple of miles to make it a long run or tempoing a few miles of my leg.
I am thankful my mom is a bad ass and continues to inspire me.
The woman ran her first marathon at age 50, had four fulls under her belt by the time she ran my first one with me (and beat me by about 20 minutes) and just signed up for her first triathlon which she’ll race at the young age of 58. She could barely swim a lap of the pool a few months ago but I reassured her this is definitely not a deal breaker when it comes to registering for tris. She seemed skeptical, but her credit card statement this month indicates my persuasion tactics claimed yet another victim.
I am thankful I did not lose all of my running fitness when I broke my foot.
Saturday’s long run really surprised me. While it was not my smartest move ever to jump to the distance of 15.5 miles, and it was arguably a wee bit faster than I should be doing my long runs, my legs felt strong, the pace felt natural and I didn’t feel fatigued after the run. I might even go as far as to say it was better than my long runs last Fall, and I felt like those were my best long runs ever. So that’s a nice thought.
I am thankful for stress relief.
Drinks, friends, trashy television, punching things with weights, phone calls to my mom: these are all things that I am thankful for when I am stressed out (and, if we’re being honest, also things I’m thankful for when I’m not stressed out, but I’m EXTRA thankful for them during times of stress.)
I am thankful for FRIENDS and friends.
I would say that this was covered in the thankful bullet above, but I would never ever ever refer to the show starring my Central Perk Gang of Six as “trashy television.” I grew up in such a rural ‘hood of Vermont that cable wasn’t an option. We got fuzzy NBC through our high-tech rabbit ears and I grew up on the sitcoms of this one channel. FRIENDS makes me nostalgic for sixth grade, which some might call my glory year of dating, when my boyfriend told me I was hotter than Monica and Rachel combined. Clearly I made a mistake letting that boy go. Alison and I watched several episodes while I was in NYC this weekend. Why do touristy things when you can hang out in your pajamas, foam rolling, eating chocolate pie, and watching Ross and Rachel get it on, call it off, and get it on again?
I am thankful that today is a run day.
The hardest thing about injury recovery, and really running with my injury prone body all of the time, is only being able to run every other day. Last night, I REALLY, REALLY, REALLY needed a run. Not wanted a run. Needed one. But couldn’t go since I’d used up my running mileage for that 48 period of time during lunch on Tuesday. Run o’clock can not get here fast enough.
I am thankful for new songs and your music suggestions fueling my playlists.
I like to think I am totally in the know when it comes to songs in the musical genre “Beats that Make You Want to Bust a Move and Dance Party it Up While Exercising” but it turns out I’ve still got a lot to learn. I am loving the music you are turning me onto week after week to use in spin class. Seriously, keep it coming. See that comments button at the top? How about you click it and let me know what’s been getting you worked up while working out.
Fill me in folks, what are you thankful for this week? Also, songs…what are you waiting for? Get on it. I mean, thanks in advance for taking the time to suggest music to me. You guys are the best.
I said the same to Ali – thankful that my bones healed on schedule. PS: You have an inspiring mom.
Agreed! I think I’ll keep her,
I’m thankful that after years and years of running and my last injury, I finally slllooowwwlly built my mileage and I’m not having any pain so far. Current favorite: Titanium ft. Sia by David Guetta.
Ooooh, I haven’t heard that one but I love both Sia and my boy DG! Totally downloading it later. Congrats on the no pain!
It has a slow start but builds up niiiicely
I have been running a lot with other people, but I keep hearing songs that I think would be good on a running playlist. It’s a rare thing that I dream of creating a running playlist, I got sick of them a while back but I guess it’s been enough time now. One song that I look forward to putting on a future playlist is Kick Drum Heart by Avett Brothers. I love all their songs, but this one is really fun.
Wow your Mom is amazing!
Grant H. and I went to HS together! The years have been good to him (and his abs!). Haha! I’m thankful for runwashington.com and marathonguide.com so my love for traveling + running can come together.
When you call me Alison, I feel like I’m in trouble. Which I probably am.
I’m thankful for you and the things you fake punch.
Translation: I am thankful you fake punched Jimmy, AC Slater’s lame-ass trainer.
Well, you may be in trouble if you *FINALLY* gave Emily her deserved slaps… ;)
i too am thankful for your mom. She inspires me too
YUSSSS, time for your weekly music selection from your fave “gay.” Nicki Minaj’s Stupid Hoe and Starships are on constant repeat right now. I have also started listening to Spotify’s New Year’s Workout Playlist…it has a lot of good classics plus a mix of newer beats (read: Ke$ha). And clearly, Whitney (RIP) has been a top play this week. Remember our Whitney sing-a-long through rural VT after the Lincoln Forth of July Parade? Ahh…memories!
I do not remember just one Whitney sing-a-long. I am totes downloading Starships. Sadly, Stupid Ho might not be Y approp. Now, drive up to DC and we’ll get our diva sing-a-long on over bottomless brunch!
Oh, good… I am glad you are embracing your inner Nicki! But by doing so never forget to embrace your inner Robyn!
Please…I am dying to get up to DC. Now if only I can get a job up there! (read: Can anyone reading this blog help me get a job in DC with the National Park Service?) If I got a job there think of all the bottomless brunches and heck… I may even start sweating with you!
I am thankful to be able to be able to run, at a pedestrian pace, 2 days a week until surgery. I’m thankful my body can still move, and I can sweat in other ways.
I’m thankful for your blog, especially since I’ve found out I need surgery. Reading up on how you stayed sweaty while on crutches will be incredibly helpful.
And your mom is badass. Love it!
Disaster boy by cobra starship (don’t hate until you listen to it!), runaway baby by Bruno Mars and Rain over me by my boy Pitbull (and Marc Anthony) are some of my faves.
Can I be thankful in advance for future running? Cauuuuse I’m currently rehabbing like I’m being paid for it so I can get back to running. Keep training smart!
I am thankful that I went to my first spin class this morning and immediately followed it with a 5K tempo run. I can’t believe it took me so long to get to a spin class, it was sweatastic!!
I’m sorry you had a rough week but am so glad you have so many things to be thankful for!! Especially that Ali is letting you continue TTT…
I am so so thankful for the upcoming long weekend. It is so necessary.
Song suggestion–one of my favorite spinning songs (and it is pretty good for running and just general life too, dance parties obviously) is Thunder by Nuttin’ But Strings. So so amazing… crazy sprints during the fast chorus part.
Turn me on and Titanium by David Guetta are my current favorites…they helped me rock out during my 7 mile tempo run today. I’m thankful for this beautiful weather and seeing so many other runners out there today.
I am thankful for Friends too!!! For the last couple weeks, I’ve been watching Friends while getting my lunch/workout clothes/life packed for the next day. God that show is awesome! I think I might know about every word of every episode.
Flo Rida ft Sia “Wild Ones” the perfect song for sprints!
Im thankful for valentines day candy thats now on sale…in the same vein, I’m thankful for long runs and hard workouts that allows me to eat cheap valentine’s day candy without (to much) guilt. My running theme song at the moment is “We are young” by fun. Rocking my world at the moment, I’m also a big fan of “El Scorcho” by weezer…classic.
Eat to run more, run to eat more. It’s a vicious, wonderful cycle that I am totally a victim of. Thanks for the song suggestions!
Right now, I am at school and I have compression socks on under my jeans. I’m thankful that no one can see them and I’m thankful that I’m not the only person in the world who does this! I’m also thankful to start rehearsals tonight with the hip hop crew in Boston that I auditioned for and got into … they are pretty intense so I should be deliciously fatigued tomorrow as well!
xo Marie
Chocolate & Wine
Congrats on the hip-hop crew! You may think I have good race times, but believe me, you would school me on a dance floor!
That Revolve class sounds totally BadA!
Way to rock out all the varied workouts, as usual! I need to broaden my horizons… maybe once I’ve got a handle on the swim & bike business!
Hope you can make it to Boston!
Fun post! I’m thankful for sweaty hot yoga and a friend who’s visiting next week from Nashville. It’s nothing like a great friend coming to town to get you excited about life.
I’m totally digging Flo and sia wild one. I get a lot of my running music from Tiesto’s club life podcast – amazingness! New stuff comes out every monday!!!
Probably late to the song game, but “Took the Night” by Chelley was in my spin class the other day and I really liked it. Other spin songs of recent lore – “Talk That Talk” by Rihanna (ft Jay Z) and “You Got the Love” by the Source
Also, you’re good for making Ali foam roll. Mine and I have been besties since the NYC Marathon. It really works.
Exercise-induced soreness rules! My friends think I’m crazy but I just loooove the feeling of Sunday-thighs that are sore from the long Saturday-run :-) I love your blog and always go here when I need some running-inspiration! (Who am I kidding… I visit your blog every day, as I always want to read about running…)
I stumbled over these videos from Nike om youtube about Alice that runs, and got to think of you – don’t know if you’ve seen them: http://www.youtube.com/user/insidenikerunning?feature=watch#p/u/2/OGz74dFalk0
I haven’t seen them! Thanks for passing along (and visiting daily! I’ll try to keep talking about running all of the time, you can tell it’s something I really hate to discuss…)
I’m thankful for a trainer that pushes me to my limits…and I’m now the “proud” owner of sore quads/glutes (past 2 days) and soon-to-be pecs/chest and triceps!
I love your Thankful Thursday posts and this one may be the best one yet! Your blog is so fun and positive and I love it. I have a lonnnnnng way to go before I run anything more than a 12 minute mile but you inspire me to keep going!
Some of my favorite workout songs:
These are from the Dance Nation 2 disc on the side mixed by Boy George:
-America (Sugar Daddy Remix) – Full Intention
-For What You Dream Of – Bedrock Featuring KYO
-Keep on Jumpin’ (Bizarre Inc Remix) – Lisa Marie Experience (ONE OF MY FAVORITES!!!)
Basement Jaxx: Red Alert (from Audiojelly Club Classics)
Burnin’ (Blockbuster 12″ mix) by Baby Bumps (this is on The Annual IV, Disc 2, mixed by Boy George)
Lights – Ellie Goulding
For warmup/cool down, I like Shut Up and Let Me Go and We Walk by The Ting Tings
The Ministry of Sound Dance Nation 2 and Annual IV discs are kind of hard to find, so if you want a copy, let me know. They are probably my most listened to songs on my iPod other than Everything But the Girl and Sia!
Thanks for all of the song suggestions! I have like none of these. Will be downloading tonight!