Tis the season to run races in red and white striped knee high socks and reindeer antlers. For holiday challenges to bust your booty or run every day or burn off the calories in that one tiny piece of chocolate from the advent calendar, you fatty.
I'm taking a different approach.
Side note: my mom sent me the most amazing advent calendar ever. It's from Starbucks and filled with caramels and is a magnetic chalkboard under the candy so we can use it forever.
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| Please note that Eric hung it with red, white, and green thumbtacks. |
Last week, I spent only about 4 hours exercising - which is a lot less than during the fall, when it was normally at least 8 hours, often more. I did the first week of the T25 program, which is 5 different workouts that focus on various things (lower body, abs, speed, etc). Even though they are only 25 minutes long, they can be pretty ass kicking.
I also busted out the old bike trainer and did 20 minutes Friday, and 30 minutes Sunday. Be impressed. It really is amazing how I can run for hours, but 20-30 minutes of any other exercises annihilates me.
Don't worry, the week wasn't completely devoid of running mileage. I felt like running Saturday, mainly because it was that or perish of a total rage stroke. So I did a whopping four miles.
All this extra non-running time is glorious, and it really helps that the major project of my grad school semester is done too. I've gotten to sleep in, and I read an entire book this week (The Storyteller, by Jodi Picoult, it's amazing, read it immediately).
This weekend was an introvert's paradise. I didn't do anything or go anywhere, except to work my second job on Saturday.
Sunday, we had what Maryland considers a snowstorm. I was about 25% of the way through my book (don't you love how the Kindle tells you that?) and pretty much my entire day consisted of finishing the other 75%. It's about the Holocaust, so of course it's terribly sad, but also fascinating. Eric didn't understand why my idea of a perfect Sunday was lying on the couch, reading and crying.
The snow turned out to be enough for a fabulous snow day today.
This week is going to be more of the same "eh, I'll do what I feel like!" approach. It's a good time.
Just in case anyone ever wondered what it was like inside my head, this buzzfeed article is, as usual, frighteningly accurate.
That is an awesome advent calendar.
ReplyDeleteI'm not doing a race or a challenge, but this weekend did consist of me eating as much indian food as humanly possible.
Ok, I don't read YA fiction but I am obsessed with Jodi Picoult's books. They are so addicting and easy to read. Love them.
ReplyDeleteAnd no, no challenges for me...although I ran FIVE MILES without stopping for the first time since injury on Sat! That was pretty thrilling.
Ummmmmmmm .... challenges aren't my thing. I even tried a burpee challenge at our gym and I lasted for one day, and that was just because I actually went in for that workout that day.
ReplyDeleteAnd, I'm liking your approach to the holiday frenzy. In fact, I subscribe wholly-- we baked 50 dozen cookies yesterday!
No, that's not a typo :)
My only challenge is reminding myself to run less for this off season. It's like a sickness. I'm sure if I had a job I'd be much more down with it.
ReplyDeleteI have a big race at the beginning of Jan so I'm doing the "peak" training deal. I put that in quotations because this is the first time I've kind of followed a plan so it's all new to me. I have no idea if my mileage is peak or not. Anyway, I love the white, red and green thumb tacks and staying in and reading a book all day is also my idea of awesome!
ReplyDeleteThe Storyteller is a great book. I could hardly put it down. Love and hate Jodi Piccoults books, seems like they always make me cry but they are so easy to get into.
ReplyDeleteI love that advent calendar! I usually do one with chocolates for the kids, but I was much too lazy this year, so the get nothing! I don't "do" challenges mostly because I'm a big quitter and what's the point of starting when I know I'm going to quit?
ReplyDeleteTelevision > reading > running
ReplyDeleteI'm going to check out that book! I've read 5 or 6 other Jodi Picoult books and they were all amazing. And yes, I love that my Kindle tells me how much of the book I've read. I feel so accomplished :) I cannot believe that amount of snow garnered you a snow day, but I'm happy you got an extra day off!
ReplyDeleteI'm signed up for a Jingle Bell 5K this weekend because I am in the group of people that loves everything Christmas, including runners running with jingle bells on their shoes! For the record, I love everything Christmas from December 7-January 1. That's the secret- don't overload. I am also in the midst of a 30 day plank challenge that I started on December 1. That way if I don't do anything else on a given day, at least I planked.