All I want for Christmas is arm sleeves, compression socks and a race registration

It's that time of the year again when I start dropping not so subtle hints to my husband about my Christmas list. Some women want diamonds; others want pearls. I want a pair of plaid arm sleeves and a promise of a race in a sunny locale this winter. I'm totally serious.

http://store.runningskirts.com/pr


I'll be honest - I don't even entirely understand the purpose of arm sleeves. Why don't I just wear a long-sleeved shirt? Either way they are adorable and I want a pair. Plus Shalane Flanagan wore arm sleeves when she was runner-up in the NYC Marathon in 2010. That alone makes them cool. But I digress.

My husband said to me a few years ago that buying me running stuff for holidays is boring. Sure I've got 3 running jackets in various shades of pink, dozens of short- and long-sleeved running tees and several pairs of running gloves. I do not, however, have purple compression socks. I can't think of a good reason for this oversight.

http://store.runningskirts.com/runlove-compression-socks-purple
What good is adorable running gear without the appropriate place to show it off? I desperately want to do a February/March race somewhere warm. Michigan winters are brutal, and by February I'm ready to be anywhere but here. There is the Double Bridge Run 15k in Pensacola, Florida in February, a half marathon in Austin and a half marathon in New Orleans in early March. Any of these seems like perfect places to show off a snazzy new running outfit received at Christmas.

We're coming up on the winter dead spot for races. It's always difficult as a runner to remain motivated when there aren't a lot of races coming up, and the weather is just going to get colder. It helps with motivation when an argyle running skirt is part of the picture.

http://store.runningskirts.com/preppy-purple-argyle-running-skirt-263
I really hope Santa (ahem my husband) is reading this. I mean I've already sent him the website and have pretty much handed him my Christmas happiness on a silver platter. Now it'll just be a matter of nailing down the perfect winter vacation/race locale. 'Tis the season!

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Some Reasons Why Diet Culture is Garbage: I Poop a Lot and I'm Always Hungry

Image
It was the spring of 1996, and my mom and I were at the mall shopping for my senior prom dress. I had decided I was only going to eat 500 calories a day over the weekend. It was track season, so I couldn't starve myself on practice and meet days, but in my mind it seemed perfectly logical to basically starve my healthy, 17-year-old body on less physical days. I was in the fitting room trying on dresses, and I heard the sales person say to my mom, "Your daughter is so tiny!" I was light headed and nauseous from not eating, but that overheard compliment made me feel like it was all worth it.  Senior Prom 1996 I've struggled with my body image since I was a pre-teen, and in the 30+ years that have passed it's still something with which I struggle daily. I spent years punishing my body so I wouldn't gain weight: eating very few calories and working out for hours, purging, taking laxatives, only drinking alcohol until I threw up so I wouldn't gain weight. It...
Read more

Here's a Shortcut: Do the Work.

Image
I have a confession to make: I don't think I'm my best self right now. I've been thinking a lot about being my best self overall (including fitness which is a huge thing for me), and I've come to a simple, unalienable truth: there is no shortcut. To be the best version of yourself (whatever that means) you have to do the work. I'm not the same version of myself at 46 as I was at 26. (Man could I give that girl some good advice though.) I spend a lot of time reflecting on who I am and who I want to be. While doing the work all the time seems daunting on its surface, it's not. It doesn't mean life has to be a grind 24/7, but it does mean that there is effort in whatever is important to you (which of course is unique to each of us). Where am I willing to do the work to be the best version of me? Fitness. I love exercise. My husband says I'm "obsessed", and I retort that there are way worse obsessions. While I'm logging way fewer miles than I ...
Read more

Why Do I Talk About my "Stuff"?

Image
A few months ago a friend told me someone we knew was venting that I share too much about myself in my blog and on social media. She said (I'm paraphrasing) something like "We all go through stuff. There's no need to share it." At first I was irritated until I realized this person has zero impact on my life. And it's true: we are all going through things. But since then I've been thinking a lot about why I am so candid about things in my life (in particular my struggle with Crohn's Disease).  I was 19 when I got sick. It was so embarrassing. No college girl wants to tell people they're dealing with bloody diarrhea and nausea and horrible cramps. That's the thing about a chronic illness: it's easy to feel like you don't have anyone to lean on. I had my colon removed 5 weeks before I started law school (the delightful adventure chronicled in this blog ). I began law school having lost 30 pounds in less than a month, with steroids puffing up m...
Read more