Christmas

Wintry Morning Runs

/ Anna @ Piper's Run / 1 Comment

Never thought I’d say this but wintry morning runs seem to be my thing lately!

I like to walk my dog before my husband leaves for work so that I don’t have to walk him with my girls before they go to school, and I to work. They aren’t overly enthused in the mornings to begin with. So telling them they have to walk Carmacks with me in freezing cold temps doesn’t always go over well.

This morning I was awake around 5am for no reason. I tried desperately to fall back to sleep but when my husband’s alarm went off at 5:30am, I figured I’d just get up then too.

It took me 30 minutes to pull myself together but Carmacks and I started our run at 6am. So close to the #5at5am club but I’ll take the 6am start time. He was pumped as he always is. Running in the snow is his thing! I swear he’d live outside again if we lived outside but that’s not happening.

Off we went, only running into one other dog and it’s owner. Carmacks cried to say hello but we kept going. Up and down the slippery snowy streets in the dark of the morning. Some people still had their Christmas lights on so that was fun to see.

We finished off our run with a morning chat with my neighbour before heading inside. Carmacks is all business when he gets back….feed me, feed me and then rest. I’m more like a sloth….slowly stretching, taking off my gear, saying hi to the girls and then off to the shower before the real day starts.

Right now I’m enjoying these early morning runs even with the cold temps and snow under-footing. It also means I don’t have to run tonight after the 2nd Christmas Concert this week!

Also it’s my 7th blog-anniversary! Wow….seven years with this blog!!!

Are you all ready for the holidays?

Are you into early morning runs this winter?

Anyone else have Christmas Concerts this week?

Work, Run, Shop, Repeat

/ Anna @ Piper's Run / Leave a comment

With Christmas fast approaching, I’m feeling like I’m not ready for it yet but don’t worry I’m still getting in my running! Priorities….priorities.

Just kidding….well, I’m kinda not. With two birthdays at the beginning of December in our house, it’s hard to think past those and to Christmas sometimes. Weekends are packed with basketball games times two and soon to be ski trips to the hill. We have Christmas parties (hosting) and basketball jamborees this coming weekend – at least we got our tree up last weekend. I’m ready for Christmas break just to do nothing, ha!

As for gifts, I’m mostly done shopping but feeling like I don’t have “enough”. Not that my kids/husband need all kinds of stuff but I just don’t feel ready. Baking hasn’t even been planned though I’m pinning a tone of vegan cookie recipes lately. 

Work is still in full speed which isn’t normal this time of year for us. The good news is that I’m still running, playing soccer and hitting up yoga class when my work schedule permits. I’m really loving yoga after running early in the morning. It’s a nice change mid day!

I seem to be getting into a pattern of early morning runs on Tuesday’s. I’m not sure why. It could be the fact that my husband works that day and if he’s getting up at 5:30….I’m awake too (just can’t sleep thorough it). It’s also the best time for me to get up and walk our dog before he leaves for work. And well, since we have a retired sled dog…..he kinda loves to run! 

Carmacks and I have been running 1-2 times a week and sometimes my husband takes him on his runs. Carmacks is racking up the mileage right now. Clearly, the picture below is not in the early morning hours but after one of our muddy runs a few weeks back.

I’ve even managed one run recently with my running buddy Krystol!!!!! We can just never seem to get our schedules to align but last weekend we did. It was bitterly cold…like -11c but felt like -18c. The plan was 7-8k and I called it at 5k. You win some you lose some but at least we got out together!

Anyone else feeling not “ready” for Christmas?

COLD weather runner or not?

Any early morning runners here? Raise your hand!

Merry Mill Time of Year

/ Anna @ Piper's Run / 15 Comments

Oh December, I can’t believe you are here already! Snow storms (4 days and counting), birthday’s to celebrate (6 year old and 40+ year old), basketball games, soccer games, Christmas concerts and then Christmas! Oh, and we are getting a new roof – happy Christmas to us! 

I broke down and got on my treadmill last week but before I ran on it I decided it was time to decorate it. We don’t decorate for Christmas until after our two family members birthdays  – mainly to keep them separate and hopefully make their birthdays FEEL like a birthday. I needed a little boost for my treadmill run that day and figured the lights would be great.

This is my third year decorating my treadmill…also known as the “merry mill” until I take them down. I didn’t start this trend but another mother runner I follow on Instagram did @mittenrunner.

I’m thinking I might need a few more lights or some garland but we’ll see. My daughter’s think it’s hilarious that I’ve decorated it and want the lights on all the time. It sure makes running inside in December that much better. 

I missed the two local Santa runs on the weekend as my girls had basketball and we had a twelve 6 year olds celebrating our daughters birthday. I’m hoping to get out with a few friends and do our own Santa run!

Any motivational tricks you do for treadmill running in December? 

What’s your favourite way to run and celebrate the holidays?

What’s your least favourite thing about December?

Snowy Running

/ Anna @ Piper's Run / 29 Comments

This time of year usually brings lots of snow to Nova Scotia, however it can be hit or miss depending on the temperatures. At the moment we have a few cm of snow on the ground, enough to make winter running a challenge.

Depending on the roads, I either run in just my sneakers or I throw on my yak tracks like I did this weekend. There are few people that put studs (or screws) on an older pair of sneakers and that works too. I’m thinking of putting some screws on a pair when I don’t want to wear my yak tracks but want some stability on the ice and snow.

We had a busy weekend of a basketball jamboree, library for the kids and cleaning the house for me, skating and then a Christmas sock exchange party for our kids.

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I’m not ready for Christmas and feeling completely unorganized but have a plan in place to get back on track before the holidays. It’s a different one this year as my husband who’s a paramedic works ALL Christmas 😦 It sucks big time but that’s life as we know it. We’re moving a few things around and Christmas will look a little different this year but we’re making the most of it.

Saturday afternoon while my parents were visiting and had the girls at the library, I snuck out for a 45 minute run. It was just what I needed. Yak tracks, Carmacks, snowy trails and me.

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It was bloody cold out! It was -5c (23f) but felt like -11c (12f) and though I was dressed warm it was still a cold run. Eventually, I got used the the temperatures as my body warmed up but this was my first COLD run of the winter. I basically wear the same things when I run but layer up my core as the temperature drops more.

Winter running is always slower running for me and I’m just find with that. Carmacks is loving life running with us. Between Friday running with my husband (7k) and 6k with me Saturday he sure is raking up the mileage!

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We’ve been working on turning around and running back towards the location we just came from and managed it pretty smoothly this time. It’s all a learning curve for us. It’s amazing how he can remember which way we have gone when having to decided between left (haw) and right (gee). I often didn’t even have to give him the commands (for lack of better word) to tell him which way to turn, he remember through scent I guess. He does not like stopping to pose for a photo!

How was your weekend?

Anyone else running in the snow?

What’s your best tip for snowy runs?