Catching up and Take Time Tuesday #7

It has been a crazy, crazy, crazy few weeks for me.  So crazy that I don't know where my head has been for much of the time. 

Sadly, my blog focus has taken an enormous backseat while I attempt to catch my own head.  But, I will be working my way through an enormous catch-up effort over the next week or two.  YEAH!!!

As luck would have it, today is Take Time Tuesday!  What am I grateful for this week?

• My friends Erica G. and Nhan, who both provided very special help to me this past week on some personal pursuits.
• Adam, as always, for being my secret weapon from a collective intelligence standpoint.
• The power of intuition, prayer, positivity, and knowing - just knowing - certain things when it matters the most.
• Good humor. 

 

• OK, not just the Good Humor ice cream brand.  (Although, I am certainly grateful for ice cream, too).  I am talking about true good humor - because laughter makes almost all things better.  It helps me to remember that we each have complete control over how seriously or not seriously to take ourselves.
• I almost always wear grey or black bottoms when I run or work out - whether it be in the form of shorts, capris, tights, or (more recently) skirts.  In an attempt to break this pattern, I recently bought a fun white running skirt.  Yes, anytime I wear anything white I become a magnet for all spillages, splashes, and explosions of substances with hues spanning the entire rainbow.  And yes, I may end up looking like a misplaced tennis player.  But you have to live dangerously at some point or other, right?

I think I exhibit this same facial expression at the end of all of my runs. 
Even without keeping my eye on the ball.

• And finally - going a little nuts and running not just two, but THREE consecutive days last week (I usually never run on consecutive days, period)... without my knee straps... and with almost no pain!  This has opened up a whole new realm of possibilities for me from a training standpoint.  I still plan to wear my knee straps for long runs, but it feels so invigorating to know that I can at least do short runs without them.

 

I am also very excited about some weekend plans I've got coming up.  I've mentioned in the past that Adam and I got married in St. Joseph, Michigan.  The entire SW Michigan area is very special to me, in general.

The St. Joseph lighthouse

For that upcoming weekend, Adam and I will be staying in South Haven, Michigan (one of my favorite towns along the coast).  That Friday night, I'll be running a local race that I just found out about a few weeks ago: the Fenn Valley Winery 5K Frolic in the Vineyards.  The 5K includes a trail race, dinner, beverages, and a live concert at the Fenn Valley Winery vineyards.  The Fenn Valley Wine Festival also takes place the following day.  I'm not a huge wine drinker, but I do enjoy dabbling a bit. 

It'll be awesome to make Michigan #4 on my list of states that I've raced in, especially in a smaller, low-key race like this one (I don't think that it's chip-timed).  I am also looking forward to running my first-ever trail race amidst such gorgeous scenery.  It's going to be a blast!!!

Running through scenery like this?  Sign me up!!!

Cheers to the unofficial start of summertime to all!