weekly recap: 11/23 – 11/29

Holiday weeks are always hectic weeks. I don’t mind because the business means guests and visits and many laughs and good food, so this week was no exception. I figured I would take it semi-easy on the running since I had two races within four days of each other, and my plan worked out pretty well.

 

Sunday – rest

Mr PugRunner was feeling better so he took little man for a hair cut and to drop off our Operation Christmas Child box. Little man spent a lot of time putting together a nice selection of goodies for a little boy in need, and he was so proud to be able to send it off.

After lunch, little man helped me bake cookies. He is a great sous chef.

We watched some football and then we went outside for bike riding and playtime with some of his neighborhood friends.

 

Monday – rest

Back to the grind. Little man was off to school and I had plenty of cleaning and shopping to do.

 

Tuesday – 2.18 mile run

I was a little disappointed that I wasn’t out there longer, but it started raining (which was tolerable) and then thunder began rumbling nearby. There was a threat of lightning, so I opted for safety and headed home.

On the plus side, it’s almost like we are having autumn around here – the leaves changed color practically overnight.

 

Wednesday – rest

Little man didn’t have school, so I took him to an early showing of Penguins of Madagascar with my parents. It was great to get something fun out of the way, before all the rest of the errands and preparation for Thanksgiving. I also squeezed in my final photo shoot of the year, with a really sweet family.

I got to bed a little later than I wanted because of the morning’s race, but at least the house was spotless and the early cooking preparations were underway.

 

Thursday – 6K race

I’m going to be honest. When I set foot outside and the 39 degree temperature hit me, I immediately regretted my decision to register for this race. However, once I met up with my running friends and we got to the staging area, it was game on. And quite frankly, it was pretty much my best race to date (details to come).

 

After a nice, hot shower, it was time to get cooking. My parents came over to help, and we were joined by Mr PugRunner’s father and stepmom in the early afternoon, in perfect time for appetizers. We had tons of yummy things on which to munch.

 

And then it was time for the main event.

Mr PugRunner did the honors.

The weather was glorious, so I decided we would take advantage of the view and set the table outside. It was such a nice change.

We served buffet style, so everyone could grab a little of whatever looked good. Which, of course, was all of it.

Our happy table.

I don’t know how we managed to save room for the apple, pumpkin and coconut custard pies, but we did.

We stayed up nice and late, enjoying the company.

 

Friday – rest

We got up early and went out to breakfast with Grandma and Pop Pop. The plan was to meet up with my parents and take little man to see Santa.

The rush of Black Friday shoppers seemed to have diminished and we were able to see the big guy with no wait. We all had a great time chatting about the North Pole and favorite cookies and who’s been naughty or nice this year.

We wandered the outdoor mall for a bit and then returned home to play Monopoly and listen to Christmas music. Later in the afternoon, the doorbell rang.

Sparkle the Elf has made her return!

She will be with us, keeping an eye on things, until Christmas Eve, when she returns back to the North Pole. Hopefully, she won’t get herself in too much trouble.

 

Saturday – rest

We had breakfast with both sets of grandparents, and then Mr PugRunner’s side of the family headed home, while my parents took little man with them. It was time for us to be on our way to the Space Coast Marathon Expo! Details on that and our Space Coast Half Marathon to come later, too!

We got checked into our hotel and made our preparations for the big day. Eeek!

 

It was a great week, full of all kinds of fun and happiness. Little man loved visiting with all of his grandparents and I’m glad he got to spend so much quality time with them.

From a running perspective, I can’t wait to share all about the 6K and how much better I am feeling about my progress. Confidence is a huge part of the mental game I’m playing right now, and I’m so glad to feel like I’m actually getting somewhere.

 

How was your week in training?

Did you have a nice Thanksgiving? Did you head out for Black Friday shopping?