Riverside Run

Since Bill has been getting home at a reasonable hour this week (KNOCK ON WOOD) I actually decided to derail my cross-training plan for the evening and switch it up with today's workout, which was a 30-minute run (I think Bill was more interested in running than doing Jillian's workout video).

This was good, because I had another quite stressful day, and running always helps...especially when it is an easy run and especially when I can chat with Bill the entire run.

It also gave me a chance to try out three new Christmas presents...

The first, was my Garmin, of course. It's actually quite intuitive, which kind of surprised me because when I was reading the manual I was feeling quite overwhelmed (like "I will never be able to remember all of this stuff!) I think it is also fascinating to see what my heart rate is. I have a very low heart rate. It is usually about 60 beats per minute. Last night, my resting hr was more like 80 bpm...but when I ran the stairs in Riverside up to Grant's Tomb it was 181 bpm. So I just find that fascinating. (Those stairs are crazy hard, but I think they will be good practice for the Pig). I think I will have to make the monitor a little looser than I had it though. It was kind of uncomfortably tight.

I also got to wear my new workout pants, courtesy of Mom and Dad. Nothing extremely special there except that they actually fit me, they are long enough for a tall girl like me so that I don't look like I am wearing high-water pants and they are extremely comfy. All good things.

That was combined with my other new favorite thing...my Sugoi Speedster 2. I am so glad that my parents got this for me, because I really wanted it and I never would have bought it for myself. This is how Sugoi describes it:

The Speedster2 hoody has a sleek funnel neckline that gives it a unique style with a purpose. Perfect for colder climates, the hoody has built in hand warmers for extra protection when needed, as well as a pony tail port in the hood. The fitted style of the Speedster2 makes this flattering hoody live up to its name.

• Form fitted hood with sleek funnel neckline and self bound finish
• Pony tail port in hood
• Ergo Sleeve
• Smart Glove folds back into cuff
• 1 side pocket with stretch crossover opening

I like the ponytail port even though it probably makes me look silly. When Bill came home I was like "Do I look like a ninja?" He said yes, and I said, "Wait until you see the hood!" Because the hood has this "funnel neck" which kind of goes up over your mouth. It was the perfect thing to wear last night because it was cold and rainy...and I did look like a ninja, which was kind of cool.

I love all of my new Christmas presents! Who says that adults can't get toys for Christmas?