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 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.
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| My ID, Credit Cards or cash fit perfectly in the back zippered pocket. Safe and snug! Excuse the bum shot! |
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| 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.
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.
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| Nope! |
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| Sorta |
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| Almost. |
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| Nailed it! |
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| 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.
I hate that this happened to you. It's quite an upset. But, the love of SS came through! I do love seeing that!!!
ReplyDeleteIt was certainly a Christmas bummer, Shannon but my mom always taught me to look for the rainbows in the rain! There was for sure a rainbow in the form of SS love!
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