Last Week of 2021!

The light snow continued overnight, but even having snowed all of Christmas Day, when we went out to clean off the cars on Sunday morning, it only amounted to 2"-3". Just enough to make things look pretty, and to make the roads a bit messy!

We had a relaxing morning, and I finally headed out for a run around 10:15, with Irene and Dana headed home shortly after. It was pleasant out, with no wind and temps in the low 30s. I headed over to Highland Green, and thankfully while there was definitely snow on the sidewalks and some ice/snow build-up in some spots, there was enough clear pavement to make for a fairly decent run. Hit the majority of the side streets and wandered around enough to get 10 miles. Only 40.3 to go by Friday to hit 2,200! (10.0 miles)

We had lunch and then decided it was too nice of an afternoon not to get outside, so we headed over to the Cathance. The snow was lovely but it sure was clumpy with our spikes on! On the Heath side, there hadn't been any traffic, but once we crossed the road, things were packed down nicely. The river was running high and it really was so pretty out in the woods with the snow-covered evergreens. Good to get out and always fun to spend time in the woods with the family 💗(2.25 miles walked)

She looks taller than me here, but I swear she was on a higher piece of ground 😂 

Although it won't be too long before this is the reality!!

Monday, I went into work and then took Sam up to the Y for swim practice, doing a walk on the track for half the practice. (2.2 miles walked)

Snowy and rainy and messy on Tuesday morning, so I started work early and left early enough to squeeze in a late afternoon run on the roads. Nice afternoon and the pavement was pretty much clear by the time I got out, but wow, things got slick out there once the sun started to go down! (8.0 miles)

While I was at work for the day, Ryan and Sam met up with Phil, Anne, Thistle and Cooper for a xc ski over on the Kate Furbish trails. Wish I had been able to join them, but sounded like they had a great time together! Of course, there was the requisite stop for gelato after the ski too 😋😀

Wednesday, I headed out a little after 7:00 onto the powerlines to the Gone Fishing trails and was treated to a lovely sunrise and pink clouds overhead in the first two miles. Really pretty. Conditions were a mixed bag of decent packed running in some spots and pretty bad in others. Still, it was nice to be out on the trails after a lot of the same old road miles recently and temps were moderate too. Hip flexors complained a bit about the uneven surfaces underfoot, but otherwise, happy to get in the longest run I've done since Hamsterwheel yet and feel fairly decent! (But don't worry, I'm going to have to run as long tomorrow and longer the next to hit my arbitrary goal this year... so we'll see how I am holding up after all that! ) (10.5 miles)

Then it was off to the grocery store and to bring the dump to the recycling before coming home to make onigiri with Sam! 🍙 We had gotten the idea after Sam ate the delicious onigiri I brought home form the bakery in Portland after our ladies' run at Evergreen Cemetery to see the otters last month. Ours were definitely not as neat, but it was a fun and yummy project for the day! 

Ryan was crazy busy with work, so I ended up taking Sam to swim in the evening. I had thought Monday would be my last indoor track walk of 2021, but I guess not! And since I was there, why not walk? (2.2 miles walked)

Woke up to it spitting some sort of freezing precipitation on Thursday, and just did not have the heart to get out in it. So instead I did some cleaning, took all the ornaments and lights off the tree and got all the Christmas stuff put away. Always sort of sad to take it all down. Then finally, around 10:00, after a fair amount of consternation, I finally got myself ready and out the door to run. I really want to reach my mileage goal, but it has been a bit much this week. I've definitely been feeling low energy after the holidays and the to do list and the messy weather have not helped either. I know no one really cares if I hit 2,200 miles or not, but I do, even if I'm also at the same time kicking myself for reaching for it! Gah. I'm a mess 😩😂

Did a bit of road wandering and then put on my spikes and headed down to the river. Felt much better once out in the woods, and the trails were nicely packed and oh so pretty with the snow and the roaring river. From there, I did a few laps on the nicely packed back dirt road, which was perfect with the spikes, and finished up on the powerlines. Only 10 to go! (11.7 miles)

I was pretty tired and we didn't get out for a xc ski as we had originally intended, but Sam did get all her Christmas stuff put away and her room cleaned up by the end of the afternoon (which I'm definitely calling a win!) and I managed to get the rest of the things on my list done. Then it was on to packing for Christmas #2 before we sat down for poke bowls and ramen from Watami for dinner and a game of Unstable Unicorns to wrap up the evening. Fun!

Only more more day left in 2021. Wow! 

Gigi was convinced we had left the rocking chair out just for her 😹