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December brought snow & sent most of my miles INDOORS ~ all but 7 runs were on the stinking treadmill.  ~ 9 of those were single mile runs before swimming.  I progressively increased my speed on those & ran my last one in 7:32.  Pretty pumped that my speed is coming back.  So I've been swimming.  20 to 30 minutes twice a week.  Some days I swim 20 laps. Some days I swim 24 laps.  Some days I swim 30 laps.  Positives about swimming ~ I think it's been helping my breathing for running.  I think it's toning my upper body.  I think it's helping my leg recovery.  Everything just feels better after a swim.  Negatives about swimming ~ It occurs at 5:15 am.  It's really cold in the locker room after swimming.  The chlorine is KILLING my hair.  My previously black swimsuit is currently a light gray.  My skin smells like chlorine for 2 days after a swim.  I get water in my ear.  The pros still outweigh the negatives...for now.  (until I'm BALD from all the hair loss)

So, back to the single miles ~ the run streak died on December 20...  I didn't feel good at 5:00 am on Monday, but I went for my run and swim.  By lunchtime I was chilled to the bone & for like the second time ever, I went home halfway through a work day.  I crawled into bet and stayed there ~ freezing, coughing and achy.  I moved myself to the couch for December 20.  And laid there all day.  Dead run streak.  Didn't run on Wednesday either...but eased back into it after that.  My December run calendar look sad with those two blank spaces.  It makes me sad, because I like to complete things & this feels like a fail.  But sometimes that's how it works.  And there are bigger problems in the world.  

Christmas Break started with the staff party at Joey's.  We were the last to leave & the boys had some fun.  I love this picture because John looks a little nervous between these two.  They crack me up.

December also brought our first trip to the BOE fitness room.  It's REALLY nice.  I started my strength training this past week & it is my NEW YEAR'S RESOLUTION to continue strength training.  The 'plan' is Sunday's in the weight room and Tuesday/Thursday in our wrestling room ~ with some type of abs daily.  That's the plan.  I think I need to make myself a sticker chart and reward myself after so many stickers. (with a new pair of LuLa Roe leggings...or a new pair of Tom's)

Another December Story:  Had to go to Elyria for the calling hours of a co-worker's father.  After we left the funeral home, we decided to stop at a bar and grill for a drink and some food before we drove all the way back to Lake County.  I pull up Google Maps and type in Bar and Grill.  Bugsy's Speakeasy is the first option.  Right around the corner from Elyria town square.  Cute, right?  HA.  Luckily it wasn't open, for as we pulled close to it, we see that it is CLEARLY a strip club.   And judging from the reviews...it's a pretty sleazy strip club at that.  Would have made a good story tho!

Christmas.  The boys came home (JB in a snow storm & ended up in a ditch with $900 worth of damage to his car)  

We cut down our own Christmas tree in two feet of snow, so we couldn't tell it had spina bifida.  But we got it up and it was the perfect height.  Fonzi thought he was a gift, so he laid under it everyday.  Christmas morning Mike and I went for a run & the boys got up around 9:30...Christmas was fun.  It was good to have the boys home.  Patrick left today for a New Year's Party in Columbus, but will be back before the 15th, so he can start work.  Jacob is here for another week or so ~ and that's awesome.  It feels right when everyone is home.

MERRY CHRISTMAS!

December Run Log:

December Totals:

121.27 miles for the month ~ met my goal of a 100 mile month (even with 2 sick days)
1434 miles for the year 

2011: 564.5 miles

2012: 656 miles 

2013: 1217 miles 

2014: 1191 miles 

2015: 1406 miles

245.51 miles in my Gortex Ghosts ~ used them once this month.

356.29 miles in my old pink Brooks Glycerin 13 

213.87 miles in my new pink Brooks Glycerin 13 

244.32 miles in my teal Brooks Glycerin 13 ~ long run shoes!

Training for:  Hall of Fame Marathon April 30, 2017 

Podcasts I'm listening to: Marathon Training Academy, Dear Sugar, Story Corp & Reply All & Undone

My WEIGHT: Started the holiday season at 142.  Today I weighed in at 139.  Really happy with that ~ I probably should mention that was right after my 13.26 mile run today.  

Some interesting facts:

Longest run this month:   13.26 ~ working our way up again.

What hurts?: So my back is tender because I'm doing some ab work.  Hoping to strengthen my core so that it all gets stronger.  My left calf is also being slightly weird feeling with another weird feeling in my shin.  It moves around a little so I'm not overly worried.  Being done with the run streak will help that, I'm sure.

Highest  weekly mileage this month:  33.8 miles December 25 - December 31.

Favorite place to run this month: Ashtabula Greenway ~ in the snow ~ first outside winter run and the trail really provided a wind break and it was beautiful.  We were the first footprints on the trail.

Monthly mileage record: 156.69 ~ March 2015 {purposely ran 8 (on a treadmill) on March 30 to beat the August 2013 record}
Highest mileage ever-at-one-time:  26.78, October 30, 2016, Marine Corps Marathon, Washington DC

PR's:
5K: 22:30 (Run For the Grapes 9/28/14}
10K: 50:13 {Run for the Hills 6/22/14 & TIED the time Run for the Hills 6/21/15)
10-miler: 1:21:29 (Hermes Cleveland 10-miler 4/28/12)
half-marathon: 1:44:42 (Northern Ohio Half Marathon 10/4/15)
marathon: 3:57:31 (The Cleveland Marathon 5/17/15)