Holiday Training

The combination of the snow and the holiday festivities has definitely cut into my marathon training. While I actually prefer running in cold weather and don't mind the snow as long as I'm wearing yak tracks on my shoes, the snow has been a deterence because I'm choosing to cross country ski over logging miles. You never really know how long the good snow is going to stay around and skiing along the trails in Rocky Woods is heavenly!!

Unfortunately Santa did NOT drop off any running snow shoes. I might have to take advantage of the after xmas sales at REI and pick up a pair. I can only image how TOUGH jogging even a mile or two in snow must be...looking for new and interesting challenges and twists to my fitness training.

2 Days of Hills

I've started to run the Thursday Night 9 mile run from Newton to Boston on a regular basis, but just today I ran those hills a second time this week when I snuck in a run while Hannah was at a volley ball clinic. The clinic was at Newton North High school, just .4 miles from the course at the base of the second hill. Once I dropped off the girls, I headed out on the course running down to the fire station, turned around and then ran back up past B.C., turned around a second time returning to Newton North. Today was my first official "long run" as I logged what Jack posted on our training schedule for the Dec. 12 long run. Here is this week's total mileage:

Monday: 8 miles
Tuesday: 8 miles
Wednesday: 5 miles
Thursday; 9 miles (hills)
Friday: rest
Saturday: 10 miles
Sunday: To be determined - I have a couple holiday parties tonight!! Ho, ho, ho.

A Perfect Day

Hannah ( my youngest daughter who is 11) took this picture of our backyard when she woke up early this morning. This is one of the many reasons that I adore living in a New England small town. The Nixons had a busy schedule today which included a local community 5k race (Angel Run) and an Advent Sunday Family/Friends Dinner - that I was preparing! The decorating committee of the Angel Run race was blessed! I was scrambling a bit

I headed off early for my first 2009/2010 winter walk in Rocky Woods before heading off to the grocery store. No pictures from the walk, but it was simply awesome. A very spiritual Sunday morning indeed.

In the afternoon 4 out of the 5 Nixons participated in the Angel Run 5k. My older two children were a "bit tired" from their high school Holiday Dance on Saturday night, but Kallie agreed to lace up her running shoes and run with her sister for this community event. (Beau was in the basement asleep in his clothes from last night!) I worked very hard to try and keep up with the top cross-country girls (and succeeded!) who were racing at the event, only to discover in the race results that I was wearing my husband's bib number! He is now one of the top 20 fastest males in Medfield!

The race was followed up by a wonderful tree-trimming and dinner with family and friends. Dishes are done. lights are dimmed, and I'm watching the final scenes from the Bishop's Wife (Carey Grant...love him!)

Life IS good!

Happy Thanksgiving

To all my friends, near and far...

"Friendship is the guise of love,
And love is friendship
Dressed up for a night out.
That we are here together, here at this moment,
Alive, one with another,
Is the most delicious treat;
I, for one, ask for no more,
I, for one, am replete."

(Corduroy Mansions, Alexander McCall Smith)

The Barefoot Runner

No, I don't run barefoot. But I am a runner who has become obsessed with the Barefoot Contessa cookbooks.

I used to love cooking when the children were small. Because I was a stay-at-home mom with my two oldest children only 17 months apart, I was kind of sick of them by the end of day and they typically were nestled in their beds (after stories, of course!) by 6:30. Cooking became a type of creative and relaxing outlet for me, and I usually had a couple hours before my husband came home as he often had evening appointments at this point in his career. In those days we ate some mighty fine meals!

However, as the children got older, stayed up later, and became picky eaters, the elegant and interesting dinners came to a halt. Cooking was no longer regarded as fun, but more of a chore and a task. "Do I have to feed these other 4 people AGAIN! I just did this last night!"

Fortunately, the summers are different. There is a lot more down time and slicing, dicing and sauteing as you look out at the ocean becomes FUN again! Some of my neighbors turned me on to the Barefoot Contessa books this past summer and my interest in cooking has been reignited. Today I just picked up Barefoot in Paris which now completes my set of Barefoot Contessa cookbooks.

So once a week for the next year I plan on preparing a Barefoot Meal for the family as well as toss in some Barefoot Dinner parties. Maybe I should start a blog and then write a BOOK about my year of cooking barefoot! Oh wait, that's been done before. But I DO KNOW where I'll be purchasing all my organic spices. Check out Jenny's (DFMC veteran) new organic spice business adventure at Smith and Truslow.

But will Cooking Barefoot make me run any faster?! Or how could I tie in Barefoot Cooking into a fundraiser for DFMC???? Hmmm....food for thought.

Running through mud puddles

When Kallie and the rest of the Medfield xcountry team finished running their Divisional Meet at Franklin Park last Saturday, I didn't want her getting into our car to go home. The girls were a total, muddy MESS!! Some of the puddles they were forced to run through went up to their knees. Gotta love the wonderful world of xcountry running!!

I never ran in high school or college. In fact, I didn't start until I was 30 years old after having two children. It has been so much fun watching and supporting the girls in Medfield, and I know that after Kallie graduates I'll still be coming back for more xcountry spectactor fun.

I also see the same positive team bonding that I've experienced with DFMC. We all have our individual goals, but we are also excited when a team mate races a new PR. I know these girls will continue running, perhaps not at a competitive collegiate level, but they've got the heart, soul and guts to be future DFMCers!!!

Good Luck at States, Medfield!

The confusion of the college application process

Kallie, self-portrait

Remember when the biggest decision of your life was WHERE I am going to college??? (Or perhaps, where will I be ACCEPTED to college???). Thank goodness my oldest daughter has the relief of her cross-country workouts to make it all bearable!