Running Holiday

Rebecca's leg continues to bother her, so we decided to hike Mt. Helena Wednesday night, instead of joining the running group. My lungs are in recovery mode, so I loaded up my Nathan pack and ran the 3.5 miles to meet her at the trailhead. It was COLD and I was glad for my cozy Pearl Izumi pants. We hiked 4 miles, finishing in the dark. The picture below is near the top of the Prairie Trail. Rebecca offered to drive me home, but my legs wanted to run. Planning ahead was good - I definitely needed the reflective vest and headlamp for the return trip. About a half mile from home, I got a little woozy, and realized I'd been out for almost three hours without eating anything. How did I forget that?

Steve and I both had Thanksgiving off for the first time in years, and we (Steve mostly) cooked the entire meal, including what I consider to be the infamous Green Bean Casserole. Really, who dreamed this up? While the turkey was cooking, I hit the trails for a short, brisk run. By brisk, I mean 25 degrees and frost covering the ground. But, it was sunny and I met a couple gorgeous dogs who really wanted to run along the way.

After our very yummy dinner, we put up our new tree, only the second one in 11 years of marriage. Sorry to say, but we got an artificial. I really wanted to decorate a tree without suffering a major allergic reaction, and I have to say, it looks pretty great. Quite a process putting it together though!
Today, before starting the ridiculous amount of notes for work, I braved the wind for what I hoped to be a tough, hilly run. My legs were tired from the previous two days, but I managed to run most of the uphills and tried to pick up the pace for any of the flats. I ended up with 7 miles and major windburn. Tomorrow is a rest day, with a long run of 15-16 trail miles planned for Sunday. Safe travels to my family!