C is for ... Let's Play A Letter Game

It's December and Christmas approaches so I'm going to do something a little different with this post! Are you ready?

C is for Christ Child.  Did you think I was going to say anything else?  It is Jesus's birthday, after all and Christ is in Christmas. This is the time when we celebrate that God sent the little baby, Jesus, humble and unexpected in form, to save us all.  He was Emmanuel, God With Us.  Many were expecting a King, a Mighty Warrior, to save them from the political domination.  Instead they were given a tiny babe, wrapped in swaddling clothes, child of a carpenter and his wife.  He wasn't here to offer political salvation.  He was here to teach, to preach, to get to know those around him, to spread God's love and a new way of connecting with God.  In the end, he was here to die a terrible death so that we could avoid the punishment we deserved.  Because of his death and subsequent resurrection, we are able to find hope, salvation, and eternal life with Christ.  Yeah, he's a pretty awesome reason to celebrate Christmas!

H is for Hot Cocoa.  In the earlier part of the month Kristy and I, along with my hubby, participated in the Hot Cocoa Run in Arlington.  It was a 5K/10K option.  We ran the 10K which took us around the airport up there.  It was a great run with lots of variety, some road, some sidewalk and a lot of trail with packed dirt and gravel.  Bonus were all the sled dogs out training!  They were pulling their owners along on what looked like Elipti-Go's.  The day was cold but we were treated with mugs of Hot Cocoa at the finish.  The cocoa was good and the mugs were awesome!  We'll be back.  Better yet, it's a small race so I got 1st place in my AG and Kristy and my husband both placed 2nd in AG.  Small race field for the win!  

Without sunglasses

With Sunglasses 

You can just make out the doggies coming down the hill.  

R is for relief and relaxation!  What?  Relaxing at Christmas?  That's an oxymoron! Well, aren't you relived when you finally have all your Christmas shopping done and can finally relax?! Well, relax long enough to get out all the wrapping paper, boxes, and bows.  I do, however, like to spread out my whole mess in my family room and watch Christmas movies while I wrap.  I may or may not have a hot chocolate turmeric drink on hand.  What's that, you ask?  So good!  It's hot chocolate with a bit of turmeric latte mix stirred in.  Yummy!  It's like a spiced chocolate drink.  Did you know turmeric is supposed to help with stress?  Yes!  It's the perfect relief and relaxation drink!  

I is for Icicles!  Baby it's cold outside! (sing it, you know you want to) We haven't had snow at my house this December but we've had cold temps and my pond has been frozen.  It's also been really sunny.  I love this kind of weather!  Cold and sunny, you can't get much better in winter.  I love going for a run with sunglasses while my breath poofs out in front of me and feeling the invigorating cold in my lungs.  (I should clarify, cold air here is typically 20-30's.  I might change my mind if I lived where it got into the single digits all the time)

S is for Sweaters, Socks, Soup, Snuggles and Santa.  Since I love cold and sunny temps it stands to reason I love sweaters!  My new favorite is the Wonder Wool Jacket from Skirt Sports. It's called a jacket but it's more like wearing a sweater. So cozy!  I pair it with their wool top and wool skirt and I'm comfy and ready for a run or a night out.  I wore it to my hubby's office party last night.  I also love fuzzy socks because my feet get cold.  I like soup because it warms my insides and fills my grumbling tummy at the same time.  I love snuggling under a really soft warm blanket with my husband or my kids. I also love snuggling under a blanket with a warm and snugly kitty lying atop it.  Talk about warm and cozy! We have family in the south.  They could never understand our obsession with blankets because they don't really need them there.  It's too hot. But people in the NW tend to be obsessed with blankets, especially in the rainy area of the PNW.  That cold and damp wet will chill you to the bones.  I guess that's a good reason for sweaters, socks and soup, too! As for Santa, well, you have to mention Santa!  He's just fun!  And jolly!  Who doesn't like jolly?  Even The Grinch and Scrooge came around in the end.  

Here's what you get when my black kitty has the prime lap spot, and Tabby kitty decides he wants to cuddle too, but insists on being closest to mommy.  

This is what you call a lap of cats!

This is the Wonder Wool outfit from Skirt Sports that I'm so in love with.  Ignore the bathroom background. I took this at my husband's office for a friend who was interested in how it fit.  It fits great, by the way! If you're interested you can use code FALL20WIN for 20% off before the end of December.  I'll have a new code in January so check back!

T is for Tribe, Training and Treats! I recently participated in the 12k's of Christmas Run in Kirkland, Wa.  It was so much fun!  Once again, I went with my BRF, Kristy.  She's my faithful training partner.  We keep one another accountable for getting our mileage in as well as attempting to work some strength and flexibility training into our schedules.  Of course, all this training means we can attend fun events like 12k's.  When I woke that morning I put on all my crazy Christmas gear and twirled for my husband's inspection.  "What do you think," I asked him.  "You look Christmasy," he said.  I think he was happy he wasn't going with me to this race.  He wasn't sure he wanted to be seen with me sporting a red tutu and snowflake socks.  My son came downstairs with messed up bedhead hair and still rubbing the sleep from his 14 year old eyes.  He glanced at me, took it all in, and just rolled his eyes and shook his head.  Yesterday, when I was hoola hooping, he told me his friends had normal moms.  I see a pattern emerging in his opinion of my hobbies.  I really don't care!  ha!  At the race we saw our friend, Sheryl.  So much fun to talk to her! She finished far ahead of us so I'm glad we saw her at the start. We also saw LeAnne and her family, who I haven't seen in forever. On course and at the finish we saw a whole bunch of our Skirt Sports Sisters. Apparently, I somehow missed that my friend and occasional race running partner, Jen, was there! Bummer!

This is why I love running!  It's the running tribe I get to hang out with, on so many occasions, that helps keep me coming back and putting in the work.  You start out as strangers but put a few miles in together and you bond! And then, after you're done, you can enjoy treats together.  Treats can be in the form of race swag (this one had an awesome beanie, medal and shirt), bagels and bananas (if that floats your boat) or you can do like Kristy and me and go grab lunch at Mongolian Grill on the way home.

What was my son so embarrassed about?

We found Sheryl!

They had Santa and Mrs. Clause available for photos

Skirt Sports Ambassador Sisters!

More Skirt Sisters were found!

And the treat part of this race ... swag!  Well, seeing my friends was a treat also!

M is for Mercy.  This is a joyful time of year for many but it's also a hard time of year for many.  It's a time when loss is felt especially hard and loneliness makes itself more aware. We need to remember to be merciful to those who are hurting.  Keep your eyes and your heart open to those who need a kind word, a hug, and maybe just a quiet listening ear.  It's also a time when financial struggles hit with extra oomph. When you can't afford Christmas for your family it's devastating. Find a charity that helps people in need.  There's so many options!  Your local food bank, church, The Salvation Army, shelters, foster care programs,  and so many more.  Even races can be an opportunity to give!  The Hot Cocoa run we did donated funds to help purchase toys for kids who otherwise might not get a present on Christmas morning. The 12K's race helped the furry kids among us as it sponsored the Seattle Humane Society. If you don't want to give to an organization, you can always put together a care bag to hand out to the homeless.  Christ showed mercy upon us and we need to return that gift by giving to others.  

Matthew 25:35-40 For I was hungry and you gave me something to eat, I was thirsty and you gave me something to drink, I was a stranger and you invited me in, I needed clothes and you clothed me, I was sick and you looked after me, I was in prison and you came to visit me.' Then the righteous will answer him, 'Lord, when did we see you hungry and feed you, or thirsty and give you something to drink? When did we see you a stranger and invite you in , or needing clothes and clothe you? When did we see you sick or in prison and go to visit you?' "The King will reply, 'Truly I tell you, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers and sisters of mine, you did for me.' 

A is for Attitude.  I'll be fully honest here, I've struggled with my attitude this month.  My anxiety and stress level has been a bit elevated this year.  I'm not exactly sure why, maybe it's hormonal (I am in that Peri-menopause stage of life and it's been a doozy) maybe it's the crazy schedule our family has been under the last two years, but yes, I've been a bit stressed and it shows.  My patience level has been pretty low and I find I lose my top easier than normal.  Just a couple weeks ago I was actually dreading Christmas.  I've never dreaded Christmas.  The obligation of things I need to do and places I need to go has been overwhelming.  I feel guilty for not getting Christmas cards out (and it's not happening, I'm afraid), I feel bad that I haven't baked a single Christmas cookie for my kids (that may still happen), and  I am frustrated by the condition of my house (it's a huge mess).  Our house doesn't even have Christmas lights up this year (that's on my hubby) but it's because his schedule is insane and that trickles down to the rest of us.  Owning your own business does not mean you get to take a lot of time off!  It has been getting better this last month though so I'm hopeful. But I realize, even though I feel all this stress and anxiety, I can still choose to have a cheerful attitude.  If I choose to smile and laugh instead of yell and tear my hair out, I will feel better overall. Let's face it, I'll look better too.  Bald patches where I'm missing the hair I've torn out isn't a good look. Meanwhile, I'm working hard to eat better, keep exercising (endorphins do a body good), attempt to keep a clean kitchen, laundry room, and family room, drink tea that's good for the mood, write, spend time with friends, read my bible, and enjoy my kids and husband when they are home.  I'm choosing a cheerful attitude!  

S is for Savior.  And this takes us full circle, back to the babe in the manger.  Humble beginnings to a humble life, followed by a dark and awful death.  But he wasn't always the humble babe in the manger.  He is the King. He left his throne in heaven to be with us.  He chose his humble life on earth, he chose his terrible death on the cross because he chooses us, he chooses YOU.  And why would the God of the Heavens, Creator of the Earth, choose you? Because he loves you and he wants to spend eternity with you. God can't tolerate sin.  He is just and sin cannot reside with Him.  But He wants us with Him, despite our propensity for sin.  So He sent Jesus.  Jesus took all our sin, all our yuck, all our faults and he put them on himself, his sinless self.  And then he allowed himself to be taunted, beaten, and bruised. He allowed himself to be put upon the cross.  He allowed the nails in his hands and feet.  He allowed death to take him. He knew what was coming.  He knew it would be awful.  He was human. He felt human pain.  He knew it would hurt.  And yet he allowed himself to be taken away by the guards.  He could have stopped it at any time and yet, he didn't.  He trusted the plan of God the Father and he gave his life for us.  What will you give for him?

Isaiah 9:6
"For unto us a Child is born, Unto us a Son is given; And the government will be upon His shoulder.  And His name will be called Wonderful, Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace."

Matthew 1:18-23

"The birth of Jesus Christ happened like this.  When Mary was engaged to Joseph, just before their marriage, she was discovered to be pregnant - by the Holy Spirit.  Whereupon Joseph, her future husband, who was a good man and did not want to see her disgraced, planned to break off the engagement quietly.  But while he was turning the matter over in his mind an angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream and said, "Joseph, son of David, do not be afraid to take Mary as you wife! What she has conceived is conceived through the Holy Spirit, and she will give birth to a son, whom you will call Jesus ('The Savior') for it is he who will save his people from their sins." All this happened to fulfill what the Lord had said through the prophet - 'Behold, a virgin shall be with child, and bear a son, and they shall call his name Immanuel'. ("Immanuel" means "God with us") When Joseph woke up, he did what the angel of the Lord had commanded him and took Mary home as his wife.  But he did not consummate their marriage until she gave birth to a son.  And he gave him the name Jesus." 

John 3:16
"For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.  For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the word, but to save the world through him."

The Glorious end to this story is celebrated at Easter.  After his death, his body was put in the tomb but it did not stay there.  The stone rolled away.  Christ rose from the dead.  In death, he defeated death.  All for you. 

*I am an ambassador for Skirt Sports and do receive some compensation in the form of clothes for sharing their brand, however, I was not asked to write this blog or mention any items.  I do that on my own accord, simply because I love their brand! Any other products or brands mentioned are entirely of my own accord, also.  I have no ties to them.  

Races in Review - Cupcake Half Marathon and Seattle Marathon

Okay ya all!  After this post I will be caught up with my November race reviews and ready for December and Christmas and all that crazy fun!  Whoo hoo! We're just not going to mention that it's already mid-December.  November races help usher in the festivities of this time.  They help me make sure my body is healthy and strong and ready to take on all the heavy lifting of packages, running to and from the mailbox and post office, hauling down all the storage bins of Christmas decorations, tracking everybody's various activities, parties, productions, and traditional events, and finally, ready to burn off all the yummy Christmas goodies that I can't resist!  Yes, these November races and the training preceding them are a vital part of my Christmas and New Year's holiday prep! I'm delusionally optimistic that I can get it all done, too!   I'm also optimistic that you will read both race reviews here!  It's okay if you want to read it in parts though.  I'll never know.

I took this at our hotel room before the Seattle Marathon Expo.  If you want a fun shirt to wear to an expo, this is it!  You can get one at Skirtsports.com Use code FALL20WIN for 20% off before the end of Dec. 2017

Part 1

Cupcake Run Half Marathon. 

It was part of the Sweet Quadzuki series, 4 halfs + 4 Fulls for  8 races in 9 days. Or if you prefer, 8 halfs in 9 days.  I did neither of these.  I did the one half, followed by the Seattle Marathon the next weekend.  Would I like to have done more of these races?  Well, I'm a bit wacky so, yes.  I think it would be fun to do multiple races in a week but my life doesn't allow that at the holiday's right now.  My family would shoot me.  By family I mean my parents and mostly my mom.  Well, and my husband. My kids wouldn't be happy either.  So, to keep peace in the family I will abstain for now from such a crazy feat. But one day I'd like to at least do two of the fulls back to back or the last 4 halfs.  But I digress...

Cupcake is put on by the non-profit group, Running To Give. Pretty much all of the profits go to help a local family in need.  It's a great race and group!  I actually spent last year with them as one of the directors and while it was an amazing experience, I realized I'm not a race director.  This year I am back to supporting them by running their races and/or volunteering.  Since it's called Cupcake there are, of course, cupcakes at the finish. And yes, I baked and donated cupcakes for the cause.  I also ate a few of those cupcakes because I had to taste test!  I discovered I can run really well off of cupcakes.  Hello carbo loading!  Ha ha.  

The race is low key as it's on the small side (but growing) and the vibe is friendly and relaxed.  We run along the Centennial Trail starting in Snohomish.  There is also a 5K and a 10K.  I ran with my BRF, Kristy.  My husband, Chris, was also there but he ran his own pace.  On course were also Skirt Sister's and fellow ambassadors, Kaeli and Jacquie (who is one of the director's).  This meant fun photo time!  I had to crack up because the race photographer captured us taking our pictures.  I love how his shots turned out!  

L to R:  Kristy, me, Kaeli, Jacquie

Me and my favorite running partner for life!

And now for the photographer's photos of this moment in time!

My husband, Chris, knows how to take a proper Skirt Sports Ambassador photo - don't cut out the skirts!

I love this one!  It's different seeing us from this angle.  For some reason, I think it really captures our affection. And Kristy has a great smile!

The race started and we were off.  Kristy and I were not in a hurry and kept reminding ourselves we were "on a long, slow, training run".  This was good because Kristy had her pesky ITB issues flare up at the half way point and I had a weird calf pain from the get-go.  Hers has been an annoyance on and off for forever and mine came on during my long run the week prior, I think, from wearing a pair of shoes that were ready for retirement.  I wore them one run too many. Dang! We started out with a 1:00 run :30 second walk ratio but by the half way mark swapped to 30:30's and eventually, just running when Kristy's leg would allow.  Despite my calf, which wasn't too bad, I had a ton of energy and felt great.  Again, cupcakes appear to be good fuel.  Well, not really but I certainly had enough sugar energy.  

Race start!

Chris  is off and ahead of our group!

Here we come!

We ran along the Centennial Trail, which is our typical long run route, so nothing new or exciting but  the simple fact that you're part of a race and something larger, makes the typical route more fun.  Eventually, we came upon the finish and celebrated that we were done!  It was a beautiful day for a supported long run!  And I will add, I did not have a cupcake at the finish.  I had my fill the evening prior.  

Part 2 (A week later)

Seattle Marathon.  

This one has become our annual Thanksgiving weekend tradition.  Turkey Trots haven't worked for us as we are usually hosting or travelling on this day.  Either way makes it hard to fit in a turkey trot.  And besides, I like the Seattle Marathon.  It's always been one of my faves!  I prefer running in cool temperatures and you can pretty much count on cool or even cold days for this race.  And sometimes we even luck out with sunshine!  This year we had a little of all!  There was rain before the race started, sun breaks and rainbows (I actually got warm) for the first half of the race, and a downpour of rain to finish.  A pretty good day to run, actually.

We stayed overnight in downtown so we could have a leisurely start to our morning.  My alarm went off around 5 a.m. so I could have my required "wake me up before you go, go" (yep, that Wham song just jumped in my brain) start to the day.  My body does NOT just jump up and go.  It takes time to slowly realize it needs to prep for a run. It needs coffee. After much debate over how the heck to dress for a race with such a variable forecast for the day, we made our way to the start for our Marathon Maniac photo and meet up.  Apparently, many took advantage of the snooze button because it was a smaller crowd than years past.  

We hit the porta potties after, then ducked under an awning to escape the rain. It was raining pretty good at this point and I was happy I had worn my Bolero and my Shoe Hoodies.  

Keeping dry for the moment

Pre-race anticipation

Shoe Hoodies! Little raincoats for your shoes!  They worked perfectly!

Eventually, we made our way to the start corral to find familiar and friendly faces.  We found them!

Skirt Sister, Marie! 

We found Carla and her husband , Eric, who we met at Columbia Gorge

Time to start this baby!  I was planning on using the same 1 minute run to 30 second walk ratio I've been utilizing lately.  I had hopes that I'd be able to maintain that pattern for the majority of this race.  Oh, ye of little course knowledge!  In years past, this course took us through the I-90 tunnel and over the floating bridge.  Due to transit changes the course had to be altered.  They altered it a lot more than I counted on (I looked at the course map but maps don't mean much to my brain) and what was already considered a difficult course thanks to hills was just doubled in difficulty.  Now, not only could we count on some doozies in the last 10K but there were doozies all throughout the miles.  Up, up, up and down, down, down and pretty steep one's too.  There were switchbacks, baby.  I power walked the up and let my legs fly on the down.  Until I couldn't.  My lower back had been feeling rather tight the days prior to the race so I don't know if it was because of that issue, or if I stepped funny on a downhill but my knee decided to go all wonky on me.  I couldn't run for longer than 30 seconds before it would hurt.  Dang!  My energy level was good and despite the hills, up until this point, my pace was on point for a 5 hour finish. This was frustrating.  I was a little over halfway when I swapped my intervals to 30:30 which I could manage without too much difficulty.  My pace slowed but at least I was still moving forward!  

I think it was around mile 15 or 16 when I started talking to a woman running near me.  She told me I was keeping her honest as she was pacing off me.  We started chatting and I found out this was her last marathon as her body wasn't liking the distance anymore.  She was having a disappointing time as her breathing was being weird (it eventually improved).  I was a bit worried about her so as we leap frogged one another I kept checking on her, asking how she was doing.  Eventually, as we were running more and more together and talking more, I told her she was welcome to join me in my intervals. She did and from that point on, we had a running partner for this race. No one should run their last marathon alone! Especially if it's not going as planned. It was great to have someone to chat with over the miles.  I love this part of the marathon distance! It's so easy to make race friends! I call these race angels!  They come along when you need them and help pull you through!  And as happened here, often, runners act as co-race angels.  

Being from California and running this race for the first time, her enthusiasm for how pretty everything was (even though it was hilly) rubbed off on me.  She was right.  It was a beautiful course!  Hilly but beautiful.  I'd had that thought during my solo miles but it was good to be reminded as my knee was bothering me more.  

A bit of blue sky peeking through!

Looking more ominous but still pretty

This is when it was actually getting warm on course!  Seriously blue skies!

We were treated to so many views of the water 

Check it!  That's a rainbow!  I took it as God's promise I was gonna reach that finish line, hills be darned!

Straight up rain clouds!

It was around mile 20 on an out and back when I saw a very familiar form coming at me.  It was my husband, Chris!  I waved and said "hi".  He replied that we were almost at the turn-around for the out and back.  What?  Since when is a mile almost there?  I assumed he was at least that far ahead of me.  A few seconds later we reached the turn-around.  Uh oh.  He wasn't kidding.  It was right there.  That must mean he's struggling. Sure enough, we caught up to him shortly thereafter and he admitted that while his knee and calf felt fine this time, the lack of running while it healed was rearing its ugly face in his endurance level.  He was fading.  He joined us in our run/walk pattern and we now had a group of three.  

Having my new friend with me helped me to push harder.  Like I said, my energy was great.  My heart and lungs were really wanting to cruise down some of the hills and run for longer than 30 seconds but the darn knee would not allow it.  Having her there, following my pattern, kept me going.  I didn't want to slow her down.  And sometimes, if the knee cooperated, I'd run a bit longer, like 45 seconds or a minute.  That's all I could get out of it.  We were also dragging Chris along.  He hates the short run/walk intervals and also struggles to keep my walk pace, which I admit, is pretty fast so he'd run a bit longer but at a slower pace and we just sort of had him right behind us the whole time.  As we approached the finish we kicked up the pace.  This is where we lost sight of Chris.  I've got to say, the shorter run/walk intervals leave me with enough energy at the end to push at the finish line.  Even with the wonky knee I didn't feel like I was doing the shuffle.  I feel like I have even effort the entire race and it's great!  No marathon fade!  Anyway, we picked up the pace and raced for the end!  The entire time, I'd been telling my new friend (for the life of me, I can't recall her name now) that she should feel free to run on ahead at anytime.  I was stuck where I was because of the knee but if she felt strong, she should go.  She assured me she probably would at the end and when that finish line was in sight she did just that! So happy for her!  I was just happy my knee let me run the last .2 miles so I wasn't walking as I ran into the stadium.  I heard someone yell my name and turned to see Carla on the sidelines.  She'd had a great race!  Go Carla!  I got my medal and was soon greeted by Marie, Sandy, and Karey who had finished a few minutes ahead of me.  I got a picture with Marie and then Chris came through the finish.  He stopped for a photo also and then made his way to the recovery area to sit down.  Ever the race social butterfly (which is funny because I'm an introvert at heart) I stuck around to chat.  

At the finish!

This is the moment I see Carla

See those steps behind us?  That's what we get to walk up to retrieve our drop bags and back down again to reach the recovery area.  Pure evil. 

After I walked up the stadium steps to retrieve my drop off bag, wandered through the recovery area twice looking for Chris, I finally found him sitting in a chair.  He still hadn't gotten his bag and so since I was feeling pretty good I offered to get him his.  Back up the stadium steps I went.  This is pure torture for post marathon, I tell ya.  I gave them his bib tag and they said I was not the only one getting a bag for someone who simply couldn't manage the steps.  I get bonus points for doing it twice!  When I got back to Chris he was sitting with Carla and Eric. I sat down to join them and that's when my body said, "Enough!" I went to stand back up to take a photo of Carla and Eric and my back almost seized up!  That tight lower back was reminding me it hadn't disappeared.  I'd just ignored it.  I wasn't going to be ignoring it anymore.  I stretched a bit and remained standing because I was afraid to sit back down!  I made my way to the bathrooms so I could carefully change into dry clothes without my back protesting too much.  Fortunately, by the time we had driven home and I'd rested for the night my back, while still tight, hadn't seized up.  Thank goodness!  Crisis averted!

All in all, the course was tough.  Really tough.  Train for hills.  I didn't.  Not like I needed to for this one.  Now I know.  Even though, somewhere on the switchbacks, I'd had the thought that next year I should only do the half course, I am pretty sure I'll be back for the full again.  The old course is my marathon PR.  The new goal will be to see if I can beat that PR on a harder course!  But first, I may just need to beat my PR!  That might have to be a 2018 goal.  Or 2019.  We'll see where my motivation takes me.

Okay, if you stuck with me through two race reviews then you deserve a medal! Good job and congrats!

*I am an ambassador for Skirt Sports and do receive compensation from them.  However, this blog post is all my own opinion and I'd recommend them even if I weren't an Ambassador because I love their stuff!  I mention any other products simply because I like it.  I have no affiliation with any other company mentioned.  

Christmas Grinch Can Steal My Gear But Not My Joy! (But Let's Avoid Him In The First Place)

The holidays are upon us and that means baking and planning and cleaning and decorating and shopping and parties and concerts and pageants and recitals and ... and ... and ... it goes on and on!  In case you're wondering, I purposefully made that sentence a mouthful because that's what this time of year can feel like; one never ending sentence of stuff to do!

You may see lots of blog posts out there about how to survive this time of year while keeping your sanity or at least making a concentrated effort to keep sane.  Many will probably talk about how to continue your healthy eating plan despite the endless supply of sugar cookies and eggnog lattes by focusing on veggies, water and turmeric lattes (which are really yummy, btw).  If  you're the type to skip right on by a post about cookie deprivation, then I'm sure you can find posts about how to run off the crazy by registering for enough holiday themed races to outrun those sugar cookie and eggnog calories. That's my preferred method! There's posts about what Christmas gifts are best for the runner in your life and posts about how to survive and maybe even enjoy the season of merriment with your family.

All these blog posts are awesome but  I recently discovered there's more to keeping sane than how to eat better, keep your exercise regime up, find the perfect gift or abstain from punching your sibling like you did when you were ten.  (I love my siblings, really.  Our days of hair pulling and kicking are long over).  I learned the hard way that one must also protect one's stuff!  Nothing puts a bout of cray cray in ones brain like discovering you've been the victim of theft at Christmas!  And yes, I said cray cray.  I don't know if that's a thing anymore but it sure seemed to sum up how I felt on Saturday.

What happened Saturday?  I went out for a run with my BRF and upon our return to our vehicles we discovered this:

NOOooo!!!!!

I was mad.  I was sad.  I was trying really, really hard to react as a good Christian and not call the thieves worse things than thugs, jerks, perps, creeps.  They had taken my RRCA bag I got when I went to the annual conference for my coaching certification as well as my most favored Skirt Sports Ambassador Beanie and my adored Skirt Sports Double Take Reversible Jacket that I had only had for two weeks but loved, loved, loved.

I was mad.
I was sad.
So was my BRF, Kristy.  Fortunately, her car was spared and we had a warm place to wait for the police response.

But I'm not going to waste space in this blog crying about my loss.  That's not what I'm out to do.  Been there.  Done that.  And my Skirt Sisters came through for me with so much love and support that honestly, I ended the day with more joy in my heart than I had before the theft.

This post is to give you all a heads up to not make the same mistake I did.  You don't want that stress at Christmas or New Year's!  Or anytime, really!  What did I do wrong?  I got complacent.  I've been running from this trail head for at least 12 years with no incident.  I thought that since I didn't have a purse in my car or anything electronic like a phone or laptop, my car wouldn't catch anyone's evil little thieving eyes.  I've learned thieves don't know a running bag, containing after-run warm clothes, from a purse.  I've learned that tucked up behind the passenger seat on the floor, even with tinted windows, isn't really out of sight.  I've learned that no car is safe and the best bet is to have it look totally empty.  I've learned it doesn't matter what time of day it is.  This was a Saturday morning between 9:00-10:30 a.m., a busy time for the trail.  The thieves were bold and didn't care.  They were quick.  My car wasn't the only one.  There was another car with a broken window and a spot of broken glass on the ground where someone else had been hit but already left. Whether that one happened at the same time or the day prior, I don't know but they at least had time to hit two cars on a busy morning.

I also did something right.  I took my phone with me.  I took my keys, ID and my credit card with me.  It could have been so much worse!  The police officer I spoke to said that these particular thieves had hit a car yesterday in the same lot and were shopping at Fred Meyer, with found credit card, before the owners were even back at their car to discover the theft.  I was spared that awful stress at Christmas. 

Okay, maybe I will make a pitch for what to buy your favorite runner girl for Christmas.  It's so easy for me to carry my pertinent stuff with me because I wear Skirt Sports and they have great pockets!  Check it out!  These are the Triple Pocket Tights with three pockets.  These are from today's run but on Saturday I was wearing the Pocketopia Capri's.  Basically, the same pant but shorter.  Not all the Skirts have a back zippered pocket but all have the super awesome side pockets and ID's will fit in them, too! It's safer than your car! And now is the perfect time to shop because they have sales happening!  If it's not on sale, you can always use my code, FALL20WIN, now until the end of December for 20% off.  

My ID, Credit Cards or cash fit perfectly in the back zippered pocket.  Safe and snug! Excuse the bum shot!

Check out the size of these side pockets! My whole hand fits! My phone easily fits!  I also store my keys in my hip pockets. And well, those pink gloves store nicely too when my hands heat up.  And fuel.  Heck, a water bottle will fit! 

  Whether you use Skirt Sports pockets or another brand I highly recommend pockets so you can take your stuff with you!  There's other options as well.  You can stash them in hydration packs or handhelds, belts, or magnetic pockets that attach to your clothes.  Often gloves will have zippered pockets.  Some hats even have zippered compartments. I also just heard about a new company called Locker Lifestyle that sells wristbands and headbands with zippered pockets which are made for just this purpose.  You can find them at Lockerlifestyle.com or soon, you can purchase them online at Skirtsports.com.  There's really no excuse not to carry with you.

This is a hot time for Christmas thieves and vehicles aren't the only risk.  We all know packages are in high demand for hooliguns.  We recently installed the Ring system at our house.  Now I know when someone is at my front door and I can talk to them from anywhere!  It's great!  If I have a package, I know about it! 

Last, mail! My sis-n-law's parents had a mailbox theft in their neighborhood. Not even the locked boxes were safe. Their bad luck was a good reminder that I need to check my mail daily so the box is empty as much as possible.

It's sad that we live in a world where we have to be on guard so much, especially during a time of year when we're rejoicing in the birth of our Savior.  This is a time of joy and love and thanksgiving and yet, some people seek to bring disappointment, anger and sadness instead.  Some out of spite and greed and some, I'm sure, out of simple desperation.  It doesn't matter the reason behind it.  Wrong actions deserve consequences and I hope they're caught!  But I also don't want to live my life in anger and with a spirit of revenge.  Christ came for them, too.  So I'll let my vindictiveness go and say a prayer that they find what and Who they're missing in their life.  My life has joy no matter my circumstances because I know the Bringer of Joy.  I pray one day they will, too.  

Luke 2:10, NKJV  Then the angel said to them, "Do not be afraid, for behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy which will be to all people. For there is born to you this day in the city of David a Savior, who is Christ the Lord".

Meanwhile, I'm rejoicing that I had a super great run today and when I got back to my car, no broken window!  That deserves a series of jump shots!  It's not always easy to get a good jump shot.  

Nope!

Sorta

Almost.  

Nailed it!

Ta da!

*I am an ambassador for Skirt Sports and do receive compensation from them.  However, this blog post is all my own opinion and I'd recommend them even if I weren't an Ambassador because I love their stuff!  I mention any other products simply because I like it.  I have no affiliation with any other company mentioned.