The Marathon Project is happening today! I really can’t wait until there are major marathons to participate in and spectate again.
I didn’t get to watch the race live but will be tuning in tonight to NBCSN
I really hope the olympics can run safely in 2021!!!
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What sport are you most excited to see go back to normal?
Not much to report around here….I like to keep things short on the weekends because we all have too much to do, especially this time of year!
We started our day out with making cookies.
It’s always interesting when you have little helpers in the kitchen. We made THESE cookies. They are so easy which is nice when working with a two and four year olds.
The kids cuddled on the couch, I love seeing all of them together.
Time to say goodbye to this furniture we get our new couch set this weekend. Pretty excited so day goodbye to this couch, loveseat and coffee table!
We then met some friends at the park to play and go sledding. I think sledding is Cannon’s favorite winter activity by far.
Our friends made the cutest melting snowman cookies!
Emmy approved!
Cannon did too, please ignore my half done kitchen…..we are getting to it.
I went to get a few last Christmas gifts, Cannon and Emerald are now asking Santa for skate boards. I am not comfortable with them trying to ride a skateboard just yet so these scooters will have to do:
The wheels light up so hopefully that is close enough.
Also I found this mini charger that would make an excellent stocking stuffer!
How perfect to throw in your bag so you never run out of battery.
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Still no wrapping done. Guess it’s going to be a late Chrsitmas Ever for us.
How is your last weekend before Christmas going?
I read this article on willpower and found it really intetesting:
I have found that my success relies more on building habits than willpower on its own.
I can’t believe it’s just one week until Christmas. I was feeling so ahead, doing a bunch of shopping in November (online) but then work got a little crazy and I haven’t wrapped a single present.
We had Cannon’s last day of school for the semester, he got to wear PJs just like last year. Hopefully soon he will get to see the inside of his classroom again!
We had my parents come over so our puppies could have a playdate in the backyard. The kids enjoyed seeing their grandparents and playing the backyard.
It was Cannon’s half birthday so we had special hot coco to celebrate
Four years ago Cannon got to try his first solid food, he loved it!
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What are your thoughts on willpower?
Are you ready for Christmas?
If you are getting bored with your go to running workouts or just want something new and fun to do over winter break Active list a fun list of 12 workouts to try:
https://www.active.com/running/articles/the-12-workouts-of-christmas
We are navigating the last few days of school before a long break and trying to plan something fun to do. It’s a little harder with COVID and winter but I am itching to have some adventures.
Cannon doing online school.
Emmy gets her tablet during class time so Cannon and I can focus on his school.
We have been enjoying the snow in our backyard as well as meeting friends at the sledding hill.
Now that school is wrapping up and Christmas is next week I have started to think about making all the Christmas treats. I plan to list them here when I get them all together but look at this super cute idea from @disney_at_home
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Trying any new workouts or treats this season?
I am finally getting back into a good morning routine up early and running. I need to add in some other components like spinning and strength training but it’s a work in progress.
I love this article from Trail Runner, it’s a plan with great resources about how to get back into it to have a breakthrough year in 2021.
Some of the resources listed are amazing:
4-Minute Wake-Up Legs warm-up routine (before all runs)
3-Minute Mountain Legs strength routine (when noted). Important: when “Mtn legs” is in bold, you can do the Speed Legs routine below if you need more strength work.
8-Minute Speed Legs strength routine (when noted)
Upper body strength recommendations (do every day)
With people starting to get a vaccine to Covid-19 today if feels like the second half of 2021 might actually be real. I feel motivated to really get to work on my goals now so that I am ready to get out there once we have our vaccine (yes we will be getting it) and the world has reopened. I feel so excited thinking of having a “normal” summer.
We had a pretty normal day with school time. I can’t believe Cannon only has one more day of school before winter break, he has a full three weeks off then goes back online until the end of January. If our Covid numbers look better at the end of January then he can go back in-person after that.
Writing letters to Santa:
This is our first year doing so and I will miss it so much when Cannon’s writing is different than this:
Cannon told me what to write for the letter and signed his own name.
We had one of our favorites, salmon and broccoli for dinner.We also had root vegetables with it.
Then at bed time Cannon and I dug into his dinosaur book.
He is really into dinosaurs right now. I can’t wait to take him to the dinosaur museum in Moab.
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Do you feel like the end is in sight now?
What are you looking forward to most when Covid isn’t such a concern anymore?
I have been enjoying the snowy runs lately, I think running in the snow might be my favorite. The fresh snow also left a nice backdrop for seeing Santa.
Our visit to Santa looked a little different from past years, but we made the best of it.
We found a place with a cute little set-up with an outdoor socially distant Santa for pictures.
They also gave out a doughnut decorating kit from a local bakery.
Cannon was pretty excited about it.
Emmy was into it too!
The only reason I have Snapchat on my phone is because they love it so much #tooold
We spent the afternoon at the sledding hill.
Cannon loves it, Emmy loves playing in the snow and going down the hill with Cannon. But also she refuses to wear her gloves then complains of her hands being too cold, being two is hard.
I then spent the evening getting our Christmas cards ready to send. A little late but better than never!
Do you send Christmas cards? I feel like most people don’t these days but I grew up with my mom doing it every year so it feels like a fun thing to do.
I have been lucky enough to enjoy running out in the snow a bit lately. We haven’t gotten a lot of snow yet but it sure is pretty and peaceful to be out on the trails when the snow is falling.
I don’t know if it is like this where you live but here in Colorado the temperature matters way less than the weather. On Sunday it was sunny and in the 20s, you could run with just a t-shirt if you wanted. But when it was actively snowing and a bit windy I needed many more layers. I could run down to 0 F if it was sunny but I have found that if it’s snowy or windy that 16 F is my limit.
Here is what I like to wear to keep things comfortable when it’s snowing:
Gloves are of course an important layer, I have THESE but I am not picky and my hands are usually fine.
When running in the snow I recommend wearing trail running shoes even if you are running on the roads/side walks. The extra traction comes in handy. I actually try to run on trails or paths when it’s snow because I feel like it is less likely to be icy and more forgiving if I were to slip.
Wool socks are a must! These keep my feet warm and do okay if they get damp from the snow.
I love to wear a hat with a bill to keep the snow out of my face and eyes and then put a fleece headband over to keep my ears warm. I have had my headband since college! I like this hat and this headband.
This year a face covering might be required but it’s also nice to keep your face warm! I have one from Ginger Runner but it’s sold out this one looks good too!
A good jacket is key to feeling good on the run. If it’s not too windy or snowing hard I like my fleece jacket. It breathes well while keeping me warm. If it’s windy, raining or snowing hard I like this down jacket.
This half zip is a great base layer.
Lastly a fleece lined pair of leggings are key. I really like this pair, but if you are looking to save money I have gotten some from Costco for less than $20
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What is your go to winter running gear?
Cannon is starting to resemble my 2020 mood……the days are blending together a bit and I can’t believe Christmas is in just 11 days.
I am keeping this short as I can’t remember what day it is. We get to see Santa (outside socially distanced tomorrow) and it had me looking back at how little the kids were in past years:
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Anyone else losing track of the day?
Yesterday was a rare occasion, I actually got outside to run!
It was actively snowing and I love to run in the snow or rain. I didn’t see anyone else out it was in the low 20s and a little windy. I felt comfortable in my gear and it was nice to enjoy the peaceful morning.
We then spent the rest of the day doing the usual things like school, grocery shopping and cleaning the house.
I got lost in looking at pictures from last year. I can’t believe how much the kids have changed, time is a thief.
We ended the day with Christmas Jammies and cuddles.
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What is your preferred weather to run in?
I have been a early morning runner for a long time but having kids then a pandemic has made me shift things a bit. Here is my current early morning runner routine:
I wake up sometime between 4:00 and 4:30 AM. Lately it has been closer to 4:30 because I have had a hard time making myself go to bed early (tips appreciated) .
Between 4:30 and 5:00 AM I get coffee going and usually try to wake up. I also get my clothes on and gather any gear I might need. A critical move to making sure that my early morning run happens is setting out my clothes the night before. If I forget to set my gear out I am about 80% less likely to actually get out of bed.
I try to be running by 5:15 AM so that I have an hour to run. If I need more time I try to get up earlier or if it’s not a school day Cory will take care of the morning kid duties.
There’s lots of room outside for runners to spread out but I have been hitting the treadmill most days.
When I am done running I help get the kids up and ready for the day. We like to have breakfast together and I love to drink more coffee, especially after a cold run.
Silver lining to having to social distancing and distance learning is that our mornings are much more relaxed. We used to have to be out of the house by 7:30 to get to school but now we only have to show up to zoom at 9:30.
My day is always better when it starts out with a run!
We spent the rest of the day as we usually do.
We played
We cuddled
Then we met some friends at the park and played some more. I love that so many more families are outside playing even when it’s chilly.
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When is your favorite time of day to exercise?
Has your routine had to change in 2020?