Thankful

I’m sitting on the
tarmac on an otherwise stress-free Wednesday-before-Thanksgiving travel day,
delayed at least an hour while mechanics replace a faulty engine on the plane.
Rather than absorb the frustration I sense growing amongst my fellow passengers,
I’m sequestering myself in a bubble of calm and embracing this chunk of time as
an unforeseen gift – a free hour in which to catch up on a bit of writing.

With tomorrow’s
holiday fast approaching, my mind is full of things for which I am thankful.
Here are a few that may strike a chord with some of you, or that may inspire
you to pen your own list:

I’m thankful that,
despite spending the majority of the 2009 racing season hampered by injury, in
the big picture I am healthy and fit and capable of just about any physical
challenge that I set out to complete. Some adventures may be more graceful and
glorious than others, but all in all, I know I can get through just about
anything.

I’m thankful that,
through a combination of hard work and good fortune, I’ve found an exciting new
job which, among other fabulous things, will allow me to live in Boulder, CO.
For anyone not familiar with this community at the base of Colorado’s
Flatiron mountains, Boulder
is pretty much paradise on earth for an endurance athlete.

I’m thankful that
this delayed flight will eventually transport me to a week-long holiday with my
family – a chance to catch up with my mother, brother, sister-in-law, two
nieces and one nephew. Last year over Thanksgiving, the gals in the family
asked for my guidance getting started with regular training routines. Since
then, they, along with the guys, have lost weight, gained fitness and even
competed in a few running races – all while enjoying the positive feeling that
inevitably results from exercise.

And finally, I’m
thankful that there are communities of athletes everywhere – groups large and
small, geographically close or bound together across the internet, at every level
from beginner to elite – who’s sharing, encouraging, coaching and supporting
leads so many people to attempt new goals.

Happy Thanksgiving,
everyone!

– Holly Bennett