Good Things: Monday Edition

I devoured Dean Karnazes Ultra Marathon Man, gobbling it up in less than 24 hours. That man is a running machine. I am confident I will never reach his level of insanity when running, but I am inspired to continue to push myself and challenge my mind and body to see how much I have to give. The prospect of this is very exciting. And Amanda at Runninghood has pointed me toward some more reading to get me one more step out of my mental slump. Yay!  She is an amazing, reflective, introspective runner/mom/teacher so I have a feeling these books are going to be good. I just love blogging. It opens up so many connections and possibilities I would otherwise be without.

More good news, the ol' running buddy wants to do another race! It only took her 7 months to stop hating me for Nike Women's Marathon. Pending my employment status, we may be running the California International Marathon this winter. I really prefer racing with a someone rather than flying solo. This alone is helping me change my mental state.


In addition to thing running, I am so lucky to have friends and family outside of my running world who are so understanding and supportive, even if they don't get why I want to keep running races and (temporarily) destroying my body. Without Mags and the Bestie, I would be a complete mess. You ladies build me up when I am down, bring me back to earth when I am getting over the top, and unknowingly make me smile when I least expect it and need it the most. I can't imagine my life without them in it. I am lucky to be a woman because I just don't see guys having such rich relationships like this. Love Love Love.


Life is a crazy roller coaster right now, and I have definitely let it get the best of me. Reading my posts for this same time last year, when I was still stressed and feeling lost in life, I noticed I was still upbeat and full of hope. That's the Stephanie I want to return to. When times got tough, I started to do the "Good Things" post to fuel optimism and maintain a humor about things. So, I am going to resume this tradition and get back to the lighter side.