I have a lot to be thankful for in 2023, both on and off the roads. With Thanksgiving around the corner (best of luck in dealing with your relatives), I figured I’d spend a blog post detailing why I’m thankful for running (and more) and sharing it with complete strangers like you. After all, gratitude helps us feel positive emotions, relish good experiences, improve health, deal with adversity, and build strong relationships. I can’t fit everything I’m thankful for into this post, so I chose six, in no particular order.
Thankful for The Size 15 Runner
I’ve already written about the significance of starting this website, but that won’t stop me from writing even more about it here. I’ve published two blog posts each week since launching the site with three posts in April of this year. I’d be lying if I said it’s been easy. But I wasn’t expecting it to be.
Through seven months, I can confidently say running this blog is one of the most fulfilling, meaningful, and joyful parts of my life. While not my full-time job, I gladly carve out time each week to write about what I love most in this world—running. Oh yeah, I guess family and friends are important, too.
But running this blog is more than just a hobby, a creative outlet, or a passion project. It’s another career in and of itself. And this year, I finally got to live the cliché “Do what you love, and you’ll never work a day in your life.” I can confirm, like most clichés, it rings true.
In a nutshell (cliché), at the end of the day (cliché), only time will tell (cliché) how this labor of love (cliché) will evolve. Let’s face it (cliché), I’ll never say never (cliché) to any opportunities that come my way. I’m excited to put my nose to the grindstone (cliché) and take the bull by the horns (cliché) in 2024. Of course, that goes without saying (cliché).
Thankful for my readers
And I couldn’t have a blog without you, my readers! Well, I could, but it wouldn’t be very fun having an audience of one (me). “One is the loneliest number” after all. However, I also heard that “Two can be as bad as one,” primarily because “It’s the loneliest number since the number one.”
Malcolm Gladwell knows all about the number two. He recently said on a podcast, he had a grand total of two people attend his first live gig for his first-ever book The Tipping Point. You see, even celebrities start out small! While I’m not currently planning any live events, I hope I’d get more than two people to attend. At least three would be nice.
Seriously, thank you all for “tuning in” each week to read whatever nonsense I write. Just like running a race without any crowd support, writing these blog posts without an audience would feel quite lame.
Thankful for running shoes
Running shoes continue to innovate with each passing year. Well, I suppose you could say that about anything—except for Blackberry, they simply never innovated, and their phones died. Not literally, but their infrastructure went defunct in 2022. Now, they’re a “leader in cybersecurity—helping companies of all sizes secure the Internet of Things (IoT).” Boring. Call me when they introduce a new phone. For now, I can be reached via the far superior iPhone.
2023 saw big updates to hallmark shoes with the 25 editions of the ASICS Gel-Nimbus and Gel-Cumulus, New Balance 1080 v13, Adidas Adizero Boston 12, Nike ZoomX Vaporfly Next % 3, and more. Additionally, we saw companies release variations of existing shoes in their lineup, like the Saucony Kinvara Pro, Brooks Ghost Max and Hyperion Max, and HOKA’s Mach X. Others introduced brand new shoes like the Saucony Endorphin Elite, Mizuno Wave Rebellion Pro, On Cloudsurfer and Cloudeclipse, and AltraFWD Experience—Altra’s first shoe with a drop!
I certainly didn’t run in all those shoes—not all are made in size 15—but as a running shoe geek, it’s exciting to have options. Actually, if I can’t wear a shoe, then no one should be able to. I’ve completed nine shoe reviews (with a tenth on the way) since beginning them in May of this year. I’m still learning how to best “judge” running shoes, but I’ve greatly enjoyed my foray in the shoe reviewer world. Just be glad you don’t have watch me do YouTube reviews. Remember, never say never (cliché).
Thankful for running marathons
It’s a privilege to run a marathon, and with two in the books this year, I’ve now run a total of five (brag much?). Each one is its own completely different experience (duh). I PR’d (I’m special) my first of the year in March, at the One City Marathon in Newport News, VA. In October, I didn’t reach my goal of a sub-three-hour marathon at the Marine Corps Marathon (MCM) in Washington, D.C. and proceeded to blame the weather for my failure (sounds about right).
While disappointed in my performance, it was a great learning experience in which I gained an invaluable perspective about running—and life. I’m more determined than ever to shatter the sub-3:00:00 barrier at my spring 2024 marathon, to be revealed! Until then, I know everyone’s on pins and needles awaiting the announcement. Also, I need to start thinking of new excuses beyond the weather, just in case.
Thankful for my family
This is a constant each year. I truly am blessed to have a loving and supportive family of parents, two brothers/best friends, my lovely wife, and awesome sibling- and parent-in-laws. They make my life easier, more enriching, and a hell of a lot more fun.
If I did have one complaint, they need to learn how to take professional photos of me for this website. When I need to be photographed, my family members are the go-to photographers. Fortunately, they work pro bono. Unfortunately, they work pro bono, so they don’t need to care how the photos turn out. Yes, I’m joking; without them I’d have no photos of myself running. Actually, that might be a good thing for my readers—and my self-esteem.
As for Instagram, my wife graciously showed me the ropes of the daunting social media platform. I never had social media prior to starting The Size 15 Runner Instagram account. Ok, fine, I had Facebook during senior year of high school leading into freshman year of college. But that doesn’t count. You’re not a real person when you’re that young and you can’t be held responsible for your actions.
Thankful for running healthy
Training for a marathon is already a taxing enough endeavor. Add a second one in the same year with a goal to go sub-three-hours and it becomes that much more strenuous. Fortunately, I was able to avoid injury this year through ample rest, recovery, and proper nutrition. Eh, who am I kidding? I could have done better in all three of those categories. I skirted an injury, but I must dedicate as much time off the roads as I do on them. Because when I take a more holistic approach to the sport, I’ll only improve as a runner. Then again, instead of improving, I could continue making excuses for underperforming. Hmm, decisions, decisions…
