Holidaze

Is it the most wonderful time of the year?

I suppose it depends on your perspective

I'm always of two minds about winter. I hate being cold, and get cold very easily. I've detailed before some of my gear for staying toasty during a cold run, and tricks for warming up after...but that's not to say they're foolproof. I literally get cold just sitting in my office at work if the temperature drops below 20c, and my left big toe goes numb (unless I take special care) when the temperature drops below about 7c.

Nonetheless, I love the snow!

SO BEAUTIFUL

I love tobogganing and cross-country skiing, snowboarding and snowshoeing. I even enjoy running in the snow to an extent: while it's very difficult, there's nothing like the silence of a lonely trail on a snowy day.

Even when you're slightly petrified the fallen tree count might be increasing on top of you at any moment..

Thanks to a friend, I had the opportunity to spend a couple of hours last Saturday running a lovely trail along the Grand River with a great group of people as the skies dropped endless fat, fluffy flakes of wet snow on us.

Our fearless leader Lori, who organized the run and hosted a chili & chai party for us afterward!

Patty and Agnes had amazing holiday outfits!
I settled for my SLEIGH ALL DAY toque and some jingling sleigh bells on my hydration pack

We found a decorated tree, too!

I am grateful to have fun people with whom to share a snowy day - we took it easy (SEXY PACE FTW) and just enjoyed the trail and each other's company. 

I'm also grateful that my knee - whose sudden grouchiness ended my day prematurely at the Marathon of Endless Hell - resolved almost immediately with no downtime from running. I'm still staying a bit ahead of pace with the 100 runs in 100 days challenge with 21 runs on the board (in 19 days; I still take Fridays off), though that only puts me in something like 55th place and about 2nd or 3rd woman. Can't care - been too busy with other stuff to try to cram more runs in, and feel ok about having done a double every day so far of the challenge on which I didn't have to work.

Work is something that has become a real issue recently. The overtime hours have been piling up, with an average of no less than a full extra day's worth per week lately. That means I've been getting even less sleep than usual, which makes recovery from workouts more difficult, and leaves me less able to handle life stress, too.

Running away into the woods helps, though.

Add in some unexpected expenses and frustrations - our broken water heater, a smartphone that died after 4 months of use, a microwave that quit after less than 2 months, and a kitten who ATE A FREAKIN' CHUNK OF SILICONE that has the potential to cause a life-threatening GI blockage - and the stress hasn't just been coming from deadlines at the office, either. 

Why are the cute ones always so dumb?

All of this has made it rather difficult to get into the Christmas spirit, even as definite signs have sprung up around me.

Like the lights of Candyland in Central Park in Preston

..and a surprisingly patient Esme looking pretty in her Christmas collar.

Even as I struggle with it all, though, I have to keep up hope that there is better to come. This has been rather a difficult year from beginning to end, but I want to believe that 2020 will bring some relief from it all. I must also make sure I take time to be grateful that I have a job that more or less pays the bills and puts food on our table; that I have wonderful friends and family who are generous with their love; that I have the health and fitness to pursue ambitious goals and explore interesting places; and that I have an amazing husband who patiently and lovingly supports me when I am at my weakest and celebrates each small, hard-fought victory with me.

Also: will wear a silly Christmas toque with me!

So really, there's nothing for it but to push on and take full advantage of the fact my office is going to be closed on December 27th so I can have my first 5-day weekend in the 16.5 years I've worked here. We'll go make Christmas dinner for my mum on the 25th, then have 4 glorious days to try to get some rest and have some low-budget fun. I suspect I'll run a few times and hopefully have some other snowy fun (though the forecast doesn't bode well for our current coating sticking around - it may well be a green Christmas), but most of all I'm looking forward to spending more time with the ones I love.

You'll also get a reprieve from my driveling for THE REST OF THE DECADE!

Wishing all the best to you for a wonderful Christmas and New Year - may you find fun people to do weird things with, or weird people to do fun things with, or preferably both!