sidebar | life and training 12.4 – 12.10
I still haven’t bought my Christmas tree.
I dunno, ya’ll. This month kinda feels like a simulation. Christmas quickly flies onto the radar, as does my 30th birthday, and I’m both numb to it all and yearning to make those days as fulfilling as possible. I always fall into this trap during the season: craving spirit and not knowing exactly how to find it. I’m sure the past few Sidebars have included a narrative like this – but it’s reality, and a reality that isn’t fading.
I did help my own cause over the past weekend by spontaneously scooching out to Christmas shop. Found a few worthy gifts and some stocking stuffers for the elves to slide into our socks.
Then, since I was off work, decided to turn the day into a full-on adventure. I drove out to St. Pete to visit Intermezzo again – its such a lovely spot this time of year since they blow up into a Christmas village, basically – and got myself an oat milk cappuccino and this giant peppermint sandwich cookie that I think I’m gonna try to recreate this week. Sat outside in the warm, breezy midmorning and enjoyed my treat and my book for an hour or so. Basically until a mudaubber wasp started annoying me and my cookie’s buttercream melted.
I wandered home for a bit to recharge my electronics – fucken took me an hour with all the traffic edging through downtown – then spent most of the late afternoon/early evening at Woven Water Brewing. This place is a lovely little watering hole in the midst of a pretty shit neighborhood. I brought the iPad again and nursed their Nightfall imperial stout, then a 5 oz of the Czech pilsner when a friend popped in to join me for an hour or so. Good, enlightening conversation and good beer make for a good time.
I need a little more Christmas in me, so I think this coming weekend I’ll round myself up to go to the Largo Central Park Christmas light display. Assuming the weather holds up, we’ve got a steady rain chance most of the week. A walk through some cool LED displays and a hot chocolate sound like a nice time to me. I’ve been before and remember the occasion feeling wonderfully festive. Parking wasn’t too bad either.
I’ve also been running like a maniac. I deferred my Napa Valley Marathon entry until 2025, so I’ve just been running for the hell of it. Still logging around 40 miles, though, since it’s felt rather cathartic to do so.
I’m really craving mac and cheese today. I think I need to find some. Or, the steamed mussels at Anchor & Brine. Constant yearning whenever the weather gets chillier. Might only have one day of these truly cold conditions, so might as well embrace it, right?
The Fuck We Cooking This Week?
…A Christmasy sandwich cookie.
…An easy sheetpan or skillet salmon.
…A Christmas sangria.
A Few Things I’m Digging
Cookies…I’ve honestly just wanted to bake cookies lately. This week’s obsession? A chocolate dipped peanut butter cookie I’ll be sharing soon, but these Salted Pretzel Chocolate Chip Cookies are a close second.
Cookies 2.0…On a similar but different vein, the chocolate covered peppermint Joe Joe’s from Trader Joe’s are glorious. I eat one almost every day at the moment.
Coffee…This dark chocolate peppermint coffee + peppermint hot cocoa is such a perfect combination. So warming and festive.
Beauty & Wellness Gifts
Week in Training
Monday, 12.4: 9.01 miles, 10:15 pace
4 minute run/1 minute walk split to get through this shindig. Very clammy, foggy, unpleasant morning, and I woke up incredibly groggy and quite unwilling to run. Proud that I did anyway.
Tuesday, 12.5: 6 miles, 10:08 pace
Completely exhausted today for some reason. I don’t think my sleep’s been great and the more intense work hours are probably catching up with me.
Wednesday, 12.6: 7.01 miles, 9:58 pace
What a glorious ass fucken day. Hard to be in a rotten mood when it’s so beautiful out. Post work miles before spontaneously deciding to make some cookies spontaneously. No complaints about all this.
Thursday, 12.7: 6.01 miles, 9:58 pace
Another stunning day in the great outdoors.
Friday, 12.8: 45 minute gym
Didn’t really want to run after work so opted for a gym session, my one of the week. Honestly felt good!
Strength:
- 2 x 12/2 x 8 ea. cross balanced curl 15/20#
- 3 x 10 ea. single leg squat 50#
- 3 x 20 ab pull in
- 2 x 10/1 x 12 bench press 60/50#
- 3 x 10 squat to alt lunge 60#
- 3 x 12 underhand row 30#
- 3 x 30 jackknife SS 20 plank shoulder tap
- 3 x 10 skullcrusher 40#
- 4 x 10 side raise 15#
- Core work
Saturday, 12.9: 7.29 miles, 10:17 pace
Very strange morning. I knew if I continued lying down long enough I’d abandon the notion of running, so I hauled myself up, changed immediately, and threw down these miles. Came back and visited snoozeville for another hour-ish. So quiet out, which was nice and peaceful.
Sunday, 12.10: 5.88 miles, 10:13 pace
Very tired today, but got this done and stopped by the grocery store for tortilla chips after.
Total running mileage: 41.2
