Eyes Wide Shut

On Christmas Eve I visited my old friend who I don’t see very often and who I don’t like very much. She once was abusive towards me and threw me onto the ground. She is boring, yet always there waiting for me. She is dependable. She cleans up well. She allows me to step all over her. She’s a haven when it’s cold outside and I have nowhere to go. You’ve got to know who I’m talking about:

The treadmill

It was a decent 7 miles at a slow pace. I was unknowingly in the throes of a UTI, so was feeling kind of off. I distracted myself by observing the guy next to me. He had his incline set at about 10%, making his treadmill look like a steep ramp at some skating park. He ran at a pace he could maintain at that incline. He was working HARD and I hoped I wouldn’t have to do CPR. It was then I noticed something unusual. He was running with his eyes closed.  Yes, he was. I will never understand how he could do that and maintain his equilibrium. I should have asked.

After the run and spending the next few hours battling crowds at Pet Smart because Emma needed that one last gift for Betty Sue, the guinea pig, I spent the afternoon in urgent care. It was awesome. Lots of sick people and grumpy nurses. After I learned of my high white blood cell count, I got some antibiotics and hoped I wouldn’t wet my pants.

The rest of Christmas Eve was a blast spent with friends. Christmas day was all about family and gratitude and gifts and wine and roast beast. See for yourself:

Look! I’m like the guy on the treadmill!

Lucky got a new bed. It is a Christmas miracle his lipstick is not hanging out:

Every one of my gifts was running/triathlon related. So weird because I never talk about/write about/obsess about those things.

The mother of all GPS watches. This thing is bigger than my head.

No tie shoe laces for a quick transition:

Even this gift was about fueling myself to run:

Something about the word “cavity” just doesn’t sound right

Or, warming myself up after a run:

And something to keep my strength up, the Shake Weight! Hopefully it will not make me look like I’m doing something obscene like these people  (hilarious if you have not seen it yet).

 

Huge thanks to Kate, my secret blog Santa, who went me this horseshoe necklace in honor of my beloved dog, Lucky. With three legs, one eye and an obsessive need to lick himself 24/7, he truly is lucky to be alive. Thanks Kate. Love your thoughtfulness and you taking the to send this to me! It might even bring me some kind of crazy PR in 2012.

What the heck is this a picture of? Take a guess.

 

Have you used the Timex Ironman GPS? I am debating if I will keep it or not because the reviews were only so-so.

What was your favorite gift you got this year?

Ever run with your eyes closed?

SUAR