2013: The Year of 40 Good Things

It's that time again!

Time for TAPER! SO READY! (I just have to stop shoving the food in my face now that the calorie-burning is reduced, LOL)

Time for RACE! I completed my longest training run, despite an ear infection, over 20 seconds per mile faster than last year's.  So I AM FEELING PSYCHED!

More 'bout that later, though.

It's also that time for BIRTHDAY YEAR RECAP! Woot!

On the tail end of my 33rd birthday, I am giving my annual "year in review" capped with resolution-type thingies. It is my custom to do this around my birthday instead of New Year's because my birthday's the the beginning of an entire additional year of my life.

Lots of big things have happened this year; tons of changes in my life. People, places, habits, jobs.  Since this is, after all, a training blog, I'll start with the training front.

While I've had outstanding results with his coaching staff, I have the pleasure now of working with the head of D3 Multisport, Mike Ricci, through my Beginner Triathlete services. Mike is the head coach for University of Colorado (wonder if he knows that I'm a Ram?!) and an all-around awesome guy. I feel so lucky that someone let me know BT online coaching existed because, as I've said many times, they're the perfect solution for the budget-conscious or long-distance athlete. Thanks to them, I've PR'd nonstop. At the end of this season, maybe I will even reveal one of my little training secrets!

On the work front, the organization for which I work just got purchased by a massive, worldwide, industry leader. A few weeks ago, one of the executives came to speak with us about the transition, and one of the things he said really stood out in my mind.

I always tell the people that work for me that you should have 40 Good Things on your list. If you have 30 Good Things and 10 Bad Things, then you need to find solutions for the 10 Bad Things and come back to me. But you should have about 40 Good Things on your list at any given time, and then let's get busy trying to accomplish the first 5.

This really cemented my positive feelings about the transition, but it also stuck with me. BE solutions-oriented. BE positive. BE realistic. Can you really do 40 things at once? Nope. If you have 30 other things on your list, are those 10 Bad Things really meaningful? Nope.

I spent the next few weeks thinking, what are MY 40 Good Things and how can I start working on the first 5?

I thought first about how many Good Things I've already experienced this year.

• I began grad school, which has been exceptionally difficult, but rewarding - at a great school.
• I am the first person in my family to go to graduate school.
• Work is fulfilling.
• My health has been improving by leaps and bounds. I still get sick here and there, but I don't get sick for weeks on end. I guess my body fighting off a 4+-centimeter tumor and lymph nodes in my neck was keeping me from being able to heal other things :-)
• My weight stabilized, then continued heading downward (I've lost 30+ pounds since my thyroidectomy in 2010.)
• My training has gone so well. Life still throws me curveballs, although they're not the giant, earth-shattering, world-altering curveballs they once were, but I am once again myself and know to just re-prioritize and keep on rollin'.

 . . . just to name a few.

And then I thought about the people in my life.

Holy crap, that's too much Good Thing for one bullet point.

I mean it when I tell you this - I am surrounded by fantastic people. People who really, truly believe in me.  People who are really, truly, there for me. I have whined a lot about missing my parents now that they're 500 miles away, but I am so fortunate that my friends have become my surrogate family.  If it was not for these people, I would not be where I am today.

So where do I start for 2013?

 

2013: The Year of 40 Good Things

(Some of which are just Good Things about Life, and the First 5 of Which I Shall Set About Doing . . . . NOW!)

1. I don't always have what I want.  Sometimes I don't have some of the things I need. But the best of my 40 Good Things is that I'm very fortunate and have SO much, I'm alive, with a roof over my head, and people who love me. The first Good Thing is to always remember and appreciate this.
2. Continue trying to be the absolute best person I can be. Try to be as open-minded, drama-free, accepting, and un-petty (is that a word?!) as possible.
3. Make sure the meaningful people in my life know how important they are to me. And do my best to keep surrounding myself with positive people.
4. Keep healthy, which means keep getting my scans and bloodwork, etc. but also means keep training. I will say it 1,000 times before I ever stop: being active literally saved my life. Racing kept me training, and training kept me active.
5. Keep setting BIG ASS GOALS for myself.  FOR EXAMPLE: I am ridiculous to think I can qualify for Boston . . .  RIGHT NOW.  But, if I keep after it, I eventually will. Being the first person of this generation of my family to go to graduate school, I can also tell you that it once seemed ridiculous to even complete my Bachelor's degree. . .  and yet now I'm getting my Master's. Little steps every day lead to big ass things.
6. Keep trying to give to those who are in need. Of money, time, love, whatever.
7. Keep looking at changes in direction and plan as positives. If something comes up, it's not because "my luck is always bad." It may be because my luck is good.  Or sometimes, no labels need to be attached - it just freaking IS.
8. Stop worrying so much what other people think of me.
9. Stop apologizing for myself.
10. On that note, less negative language as a whole!
11. Try to label things less.
12. Try to make the best decisions I can, and then move forward (see picture above) - don't dwell on the past. I will not always win at this "Good Thing," but (see #4) if I make little steps each day I'll get there.
13. Get better at understanding mathematical concepts.
14. Be brave, imaginative, decent.
15. Laugh.  A lot.
16. Worry. A lot less.
17. Work hard.
18. Play hard.
19. Find little things to celebrate every day.
20. Save more cash.
21. Stay involved in research and teaching
22. And my next project starts next month! Instructional design stuff this time.
23. Finish my Masters - which, if I do the things above, will just happen naturally.
24. Get into a PhD program.
25. I have a great place to live.
26. The opportunity to grow with my current organization.
27. A strong relationship with my parents.
28. Florida sunshine - while the humidity kills me, it's nice to have it most of the year.
29. Getting back on the bike after marathon season is over.
30. Tour de Cure. I'm not sure if I'll do the metric or full century this year but I'm signed up.
31. I don't have diabetes.
32. I don't have cancer anymore (early to cheer for this one, but I'll start).
33. I'm open and flexible to options. If something doesn't go my way, it's not a failure.  It's just a difference.
34. A PR at nearly every distance race I've cracked this year - not huge ones, but good ones.
35. New friends.
36. Good food.
37. Good drinks.
38. A clean, safe place to sleep every night.
39. Lots of fun stuff to do.
40. Keep the shiny side up and the sticky side down.

What are your Good Things?  Whatever they are, I hope your holiday season and your 2013 brings you lots of them.