It's meant many things to me throughout my short life. It has meant a time for making hand turkeys in grade school, a few days off during high school, a semester break during college. Even though I may have approached this holiday in this manner, the fact is that I have always been with my family for Thanksgiving. Whether I actively acknowledged it or not I was happy to be amongst my family. There is always a feeling of joy in my life when the holidays arrive. I love being around my parents, sister, brothers, nephews, grandparents. Unquestionable love is what families are all about. It doesn't matter what you've done or what your doing they will still be there for you. So this year I am truly thankful for a laundry list of things. It is amazing to think about where I was at this time last year. To put this in perspective I will flash back to exactly 1 year ago. I was in the same place, my sisters house in Syracuse. I had just found out that I had not passed my second CPA exam section. I was now 0 for 2 and I had an exam coming up the day after Thanksgiving. I wasn't that pleasant to be around. I was stressed, worried, scared, tired...and the list goes on. While my family was enjoying holiday movies and watching parades/football, I was in the basement zoned in to my computer doing review for the Audit section of the exam. It's 6:23 AM right now, last year at this time I would be up studying, this year I am up writing my blog before I hit the trails for some running...what a difference a year makes! I was truly miserable last year, the test taking process was an everest of sorts for me. It just was not easy, caused a ton of stress, and ultimately led to my body being weakened by sickness. All this test taking coupled with the life of a Public Accountant during the winter months just stunk! I literally destroyed my body during this time by not getting enough sleep, over-training in the weight room, not eating the proper food, stressing myself out to the max....
THUS, I am Thankful that I found my remedy..I have found my life source. Even before I had taken the last section of the exam last May I entered and raced in my first endurance sport (A duathlon). I loved every freaking second of it! Sadly, after I finished the race I had to go back to studying for the test at the end of the next week. This was a big one, if I passed it meant that I was done, I could take back my life and sanity and enjoy the summer...if I did not I would have to study all over again..at least a month and a half process. The good news was that I had just taken up cycling and was loving it. Cycling was giving me a good release from the confines of my desk where I racked up the massive hours of studying in front of my computer. The end result from all of this was that I passed the exam, I actually found out that I had passed after I had just finished about a 45 minute bike ride...I was kinda of in a blurred state of mind when I saw the score pop up on the computer...I couldn't believe it..the whole process, the whole long year WAS OVER..finally over. I know could devote my full attention to myself and the interest that were at my heart. It was such a great feeling.
SO I am thankful for every day that I am able to get up and swim, bike, run, mtn bike, walk, ski, play basketball, see my family
..and the list could go on forever. I am extremely excited for the upcoming year and all the news challenges it will bring. I know that 2010 is going to be awesome no matter what! I can't wait to meet new friends, create new stories, see new places, take my body to new levels...its going to be an amazing ride. For right now I am just going to take it easy. The training is done for the day. This morning presented the beautiful gift of warm weather and sunshine. Running through the Green Lakes park with my new partner in tri crime, Cuse Tri (refer to blog here --> Mike's Training Blog) Cuse Tri led me to a really nice area in Syracuse that allowed for some nice hill running, because as IMLP 2010 approaches our legs will need to be able to motor up all the hills that will be in front of us on the marathon.
Homework for the day: Enjoy the dessert today. Many of us (me included!) tend to stay away from the sweets at all costs. At least for me its something that I don't really crave. I mean don't get me wrong a nice slice of pie is delicious but its just not what I really want. I'd rather eat some more vegetables. I'm weird...but hey its what I like..But today I am going to eat a nice thanksgiving dinner..and I will probably be very full..I most likely will overeat, there will just be so much good food to go around! We wouldn't want all that to go to waste now would we? So to take my homework for the day into another context.."enjoy the dessert today"..maybe your dessert is relaxation. So enjoy it, sit on the couch and watch some tv, watch the football games, play with your kids/nephews/cousins/parents/wife/gf..etc..etc..try and make Thanksgiving 2009 one to remember. Take pictures at meal time, make memories. The times that families gather are becoming few and far between these days (at least for me). I don't live extremely close to my family, were a bit spread out. It's rare that I get to spend over 3 days at one time with them. I enjoy these times, even though they can be stressful since my nephews are young, loud, energetic, and the list continues...and I am usually tired and want to rest...funny how I actually remember when I was the energetic kid. So I keep that in mind and make sure to play with them. Make sure that when they grow up they will have a memory of their uncle playing pirates with them or racing matchboxes across the kitchen floor. Family gatherings are never perfect, they are never like the movies..unless its National Lampoons Christmas Vacation. As crazy as that movie is, its got a lot of truth to it. Family gatherings are stressful, wives are crazy over the cooking, fathers just want to sit down, kids want to go nuts. Family gatherings are a ticking time bomb. I urge you all to enjoy the chaos. Enjoy the fact that you cannot control something like that. Live every moment in practice and go with the flow....ENJOY THE DESSERT IN LIFE!
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