Four Things Friday

Friday is like a little gift box wrapped up in a nice, big bow. Regardless of what this box (or day) may contain, its presence alone is just enough to make my coffee taste better, my to-do lists doable, and my day a bit more sparkly. 

I know it is typically Five Things Friday according to the general blogosphere, but today, I only have four things on my mind:

      1.  The Detroit Marathon is on Sunday! This is one of my favorite days in the city. It may be because the Detroit Marathon was my first 26.2 back in 2006, but I have such a love and enthusiasm for this race. For the second year, I will be volunteering with the disabilities division by escorting a hand cyclist on my bike. Volunteering last year as a bike escort was such a great experience and a much needed reminder to never take my physical ability to run 26.2 miles with my legs, and not push a bike with my arms, for granted. Kendra and I will be escorting the same athlete this year and to make it even more awesome- we have been assigned the only female hand cyclist!

Volunteering at last year's Detroit Marathon.

  2. Because my work schedule generally prohibits me from getting out on the trails during the weekdays, I always try and make it a point to do some trail running, hiking with my four-legged furry friend, or even a little mountain biking on the weekend. I’m pretty convinced that spending time in the woods is one sure-fire way to push “reset” on the mind and body; colors seem brighter, air seems fresher, and dreams seem chase-able.

Trail time.

      3. Speaking of mountain biking- I am absolutely terrible at it. I am pretty sure that this is 75% due to the fact that I am a wimp and 25% due to the fact that I crashed while downhill mountain biking on Keystone Mountain in Colorado that resulted in knee surgery and flashbacks of the nurses in urgent care scrubbing the dirt out of my wounds with a toothbrush. So maybe my wimp status is warranted. However, now is the time to come out of my 10-year mountain biking retirement and I am ready to hit the trails on my hand-me-down mountain bike with zero skill, but loads of determination. Any tips for getting back out there?

      4. In honor of coffee tasting better on a Friday, how awesome are these leather mason jar holders? Holdster, a company out of Vermont (which just so happens to be my third favorite state!), offers these hip mason jar accessories which are perfect for post-run coffee and campfire bourbon drinking. Their recent blog post about adventure is pretty great, too.

www.holdsterusa.com

So- get some rest, hit the trails, hug your family, and as always- put on your cape and do something that brings you closer to whatever it is you dream of doing. Carpe weekend!

-Steph