Seeing the Blessings

So recently I've been thinking a lot about what I have to be thankful for. When I take the time to consider all that I have, boy is that a long list! So often I can get stuck thinking about how hard my day was, how I have this little ache, that pain, whatever it may be. Oh, poor me, blah blah... Above all I need to remember how fortunate I am to be able to do the things I love (among which are expressing creativity through music and pushing my body athletically in triathlon/running).

Recording music for work

My first sub-4hr marathon

• I mean seriously, I get to make music all day with some of the most free and honest people there are in this world. "Sing me a melody." Ok no problem - in front of 20 people with no background music. Sure, it can be challenging, but it's such a fun and rewarding job!
• I own 3 bikes. Come on, that's a ridiculous blessing. One that I always want to use for a greater purpose than just having nice stuff and looking "cool" on the road. Even though that's fun. :)

In training, there are always challenges. But when I see the difference my training is making, and remember who I'm training for, it's easy to persevere through the tough times:

• Swimming. Yeah, it's not easy for me. I like the land, where I can see where I'm going and if I push harder, I actually go faster!
• Recently, I've had some awesome swims. Even though I'm still not what anyone might consider "fast", any small improvement in the water is awesome!
• Scoliosis. Mine is very minor, but I deal with neck/shoulder pain all the time. Doesn't make it too easy to be down in the aero position on my bike for hours upon end.
• I'm fortunate enough to be able to afford a monthly massage and chiropractic adjustment.
• I've discovered that yoga is an incredible resource for strengthening my upper body and core, which is necessary for maintaining the aggressive position on the bike.
• Knee pain. I pronate when I run, which basically (to simplify the description) causes problems in my knees. When I increase mileage and/or add hills, it becomes a bigger problem. 3 weeks ago I did a hard/hilly 47mi ride, which caused so much knee pain afterwards that I had to decrease run mileage and do totally flat rides.
• Yesterday I incorporated some hills back into my ride. Patience has paid off - I'm appreciating my healthy knees now!

Maybe you relate to having similar training issues. Or maybe you can generalize it to another area in your life. I've learned to be so grateful for the difficulties life brings, because it makes me appreciate when things go well. How else would we know to be thankful for what we have?

Cherry blossoms (I'm pretty sure that's what these are) symbolize the transience of life, and they're known for having a very short but brilliant blooming season. When I was looking up what verse I wanted to use for my Ironman training, one of the things that drew me to Ephesians 5:15-21 was the phrase "making the most of your time." I don't want to spend countless hours training if it's all for me and serves no greater purpose. Life goes by too quickly. I'm blessed to be a blessing!