Today…and pretty much every other day.

Dimity has already made a chocolate tart–including a crust from scratch, a first for her–but before we plunge our hands into turkeys and start peeling mountains of potatoes, we wanted to share a few running-related things we are thankful for.

Sarah
I thank God I have full use of my body. This statement may sound melodramatic, but I morphed into a committed runner as my maternal grandmother lay in the hospital, semi-paralyzed from a stroke.

I feel so fortunate to have several awesome running partners, including Molly, Kristin, Ellison, Sheila, and Heidi. Few better jumpstarts to the day than laughter, lively conversation, and running.

I ‘m grateful I live in a state where I can run outside year round, where natural beauty abounds, where the drivers know to give runners a wide berth, and where there are always other runners doing their thing.

Dimity
Legs, lungs, head, heart. I am so thankful for running, this vehicle that connects my body, mind, and spirit. Running is the place I do my best thinking; the place that sets my mood soaring; the place where I feel most grounded and alive.

I too am grateful for my local mother runner pals I regularly trot with–Tamara, Laurel, Liz, Lisa, Kelly, Katie–as well as this amazing virtual community.We’ve met enough of you to know that all mother runners all have a unique, strong, vibrant aura surrounding them; you may not always feel it, but I promise you, it’s always there.

Finally, I realize I am so fortunate to have a family that might not always get me and my athletic pursuits, but still supports me. Ben, my six-year-old asks me, “Are you doing that mother runner stuff again?” Um, yes. Amelia, my nine-year-old asks me, “Can you please make my breakfast in the morning?” Um, no. (And you’re old enough to microwave your pancakes yourself, sweet girl.) Grant, my husband, asks me, “What are your workout plan for the morning?”

So, so thankful.

Now it’s your turn, mother runner, to give thanks: please share with us what running-related “thing” you are grateful for. (If you’re reading this as an email, please go to this post on our site and click on the orange Comments ribbon at the bottom.)