It’s been said so much that many people just sort of shrug and say, “Yeah, whatever.” But it is one maxim that I think cannot be overstated: “Have a attitude of gratitude.” We should celebrate “Thanks-giving” everyday.

I was overcome with a feeling of gratitude on my morning run today. What a week this has been. My daughter had her 2nd baby yesterday – November 24 – a precious little girl named Colette Soleil. Colette is strong and healthy, Mama Michelle is feeling great, Daddy Chuck is about as proud as can be, and Aunt Kelly is coming to town to welcome the new arrival. And, I am now a 2-time granny. How cool is that?

As I was running, I thought about all the things that I have to be thankful for, not the least of which is how lucky I am to be able to run along the beautiful Boise River path.

We all have challenges in our lives, but chances are that we have things to be grateful for as well. Many times, we focus on the things that are not going well for us because we are trying to find solutions. But remember: What you think about expands. So, my suggestion – especially this week as we officially celebrate Thanks-giving – is to spend some time focusing on all the things that are going right. When you do, you will attract more good things into your life.

Have a happy day giving thanks!

“You can’t hit a target that you can’t see” – I can hear the voice of Zig Ziglar saying those very words. “You gotta have a goal – and you have to picture what achieving that goal looks like.”

But what happens when you reach that goal? It feels great, you have a sense of accomplishment, you enjoy the moment. And afterwards, it’s not uncommon to feel a little bit of a letdown as you consider, “Now what?”

Part of what keeps us motivated and energized is to set new challenges for ourselves – goals that really stretch us, goals that require us to test our limits. The goals have to be hard. There is much more pleasure in realizing how much we are capable of achieving than there is in doing something that doesn’t require a lot of effort.

Now that I’ve run my first 50K on difficult trails, my next pursuit is to conquer a 50-mile race. This new challenge is not something that will be easy for me, but I love to stretch myself – I love the challenge. I remember when I ran my first 5K. At the time, I thought, “Man, this is really  hard.” But I went on to run 10Ks, half marathons, marathons, and ultramarathons – each time, going just a little farther than I thought I could at the time.

Obviously, I didn’t jump from the 5K to the 50K. Nothing happens overnight. Every time you set new goals, you build on all your past experiences. So, as you consider your new challenges – whether it’s losing 5 pounds or walking a mile without stopping – use the skills, knowledge, and confidence you gained through other endeavors, and you will be successful in your new pursuit.

As I began to reflect on last Saturday’s 50K trail race, I wondered what I could say that would be of interest to anyone else. I thought of the giant redwood forests, the hundreds of stairs, the “steep ravine,” the view of the Pacific Ocean. But it’s kind of like – you had to be there.

31 miles is a long way to run, and it takes a long time to do it (or at least it took me a long time to do it), and a lot of things can go through your head when you’re out there on the trail alone. Only 51 people finished the 50K, so for the most part, I was alone on the trails for the last 12.4 miles – with the exception of a few other runners here and there.

During the race, I stayed pretty focused on what was going on at the moment. I have to admit that I had a couple of rough spots and wondered whether I was up to the challenge of tackling the second trip up the Dipsea Trail. But I had those thoughts for only a moment. I KNEW I was fit enough, and I never allowed the possibility of not finishing to enter my head. Og Mandino’s words became my mantra: I will persist until I succeed.

In everything I’d read and everything I’d been told, I knew that if I just accepted that there would be some rough spots that they would pass, and I’d get a second wind. And, it was absolutely true. I made it back up the mountain, and in the next two loops, I felt a renewed energy.

I think we all face rough patches from time to time, and if we just keep going despite the difficulty, we will make it through and come out of it stronger as a result.

Running this race was probably the hardest physical challenge I’ve experienced up to this point in my running life – probably the hardest physical challenge period. But, I know that I will have harder races and bigger challenges. And I’m excited about them. It’s exhilarating to test yourself and see what you can really do. And, I know that this is just the beginning of so many more wonderful, challenging experiences.

A couple of nights ago, my running group had the end-of-the-season’s get together. End-of-the-season doesn’t mean we stop running or stop getting together. For a few weeks, we’ll suspend formal practice. But soon, we’ll be back out there together to begin our winter running groups. We’re all still running and training for something.

Our gathering was a time for people to share their success stories with the group and acknowledge those who helped them reach their goals.

• Amber shared with us her accomplishments and how she got through the rough patches and crossed the finish line of her marathon with the help of her new friend Chele.
• Joyce shared with us how she reached her goals in events she’d never done before.
• Paul shared funny stories of  going the “extra mile” and expressed gratitude to his running partners and coaches.
• Machelle shared her personal story of weight loss and getting on the path to health and wellness.
• Sue shared with us her personal story of how Donna, her running partner, literally saved her life.

This is just a sampling of the stories we shared. Everyone has a story. Every race has a story. And, people (especially runners and walkers) love to get together to tell their stories.

Six months ago, I knew only a handful of people in Boise. I had lunch with Steve, the “head” of a local running/walking group and offered to help coach. He didn’t know me at all, but he decided to take a chance on me and allowed me to join his other coaches in a successful program known for its dedicated, knowledgeable coaches.

Runners are welcoming folks. At our end-of-the-season gathering, I looked around at all my new friends – just since I had joined the group 6 months ago – and I was filled with gratitude.

I’m looking forward to getting back on the path with them very soon…and hearing more of their stories.

Joy Johnson reached her goal for this year’s New York City Marathon – she won her age group, and she shaved nearly an hour off last year’s New York Marathon time. She ran a 6:05:57 – that’s a 13:58 pace.

At 81 years old, Joy is going strong and training to run more marathons. If you or anyone you know has ever said, “I’m too old to run,” take a lesson from Joy. She is an inspiration to us all!

Congratulations, Joy!