• Stephany sent me (weeks ago!) a lovely holiday package with a CAT BUTT(!!!) puzzle, cat tea towel, microfiber hair drying towel, and 5 year one-line-a-day journal. Thank you so much for the thoughtful gifts, Stephany! I was thinking about buying a one-line-a-day-journal so it was the perfect gift. Stephany had talked about hers, and it sounds like such a cool exercise. I just started mine on January 1st.
• I woke up January 1st with the cold Steven had at the end of the year. I had planned to start 2024 off with a run, but I went on an easy walk with Steven instead, then took Tuesday completely off (and took the day off from work and rested all day). I’m proud of myself for not forcing exercise when I don’t feel well. That was my MO in the past, but I actually listen to my body now!

When I took my glove off to take this photo it pulled on a friendship bracelet sent to me by a friend from the Netherlands and broke it. Normally, something like this would really upset me, but I was able to save the word she put on it (” ‘HAPPY’ ” because that is how people feel when they are around you” she said) and half the beads and wasn’t upset. Look at me, not getting upset about a small thing. Go Kim!

• I was sad to miss Tuesday’s strength class and happy that I felt well enough to go yesterday. Two friends there asked where I was Monday – there wasn’t class on Monday, but there was a Polar Bear Plunge into Lake Michigan that I never planned on doing but thought about going to watch. It felt really nice that friends from the gym were all “where were you?!” (I told them I was sick and they joked that maybe the cold lake would make me feel better, ha! Doubtful.)
• Not to keep going on and on about having a cold, but does anyone feel like their colds are different after having COVID-19? For example, pre COVID-19, my colds followed a pattern of sore throat, dry cough, productive cough, then phlegm for a week+. Now my colds go much faster and they’re mostly just my eye and nose leaking, and then a dry cough that sometimes becomes a productive cough.
• My right shoulder has been a bit sore since the week of December 11th so I have been going light with weight. All that to say, guess what it being sore perfectly aligns with? Me starting to use this mug (with my right hand) that weighs 3 lbs 6 oz with water in it! Ha! Probably not any real correlation but I thought that was a funny coincidence.

Link to Random Thoughts Thursday 435

I didn’t recap our Christmas Day! Oops! We stayed at my snister’s all day and everyone came there. It’s so lovely to be in one place all day. We used to run around to three different houses and I thought that was fun when I was younger, but now I enjoy just being. The chaos doesn’t appeal to me anymore.

In the morning I ran with Dad, then everyone came over for lunch and presents, then most folks left and Steven and I watched a holiday movie his dentist hygienist had recommended (Noelle, we liked it), then we hung with the remaining family and went to bed. A nice, chill day. I was in the moment and the only photo I took is off me and dad on our run/ride.

My dad is AMAZING for riding his bike slowly for 7+ miles in the rain with me! One of my best Christmas presents. 

Which is what I came here to talk about anyway!

I received a pair of the Asics Gel-Nimbus 25s for my birthday (in July!) and was finally brave enough to try them Christmas Day. I had my doubts, but Val had told me good things about her updated Asics, and so had you all (re: your super cushioned shoes)!

They just look so different from the 24s. The 24s rare on top below, the 25s are on bottom:

Anyway! Verdict – they felt good on that run. It was all hard surface and the cushion felt nice. I was worried that being higher off the ground would make me trip, but I didn’t. I felt optimistic about them.

Then I wore them for my long run on the crushed limestone trail yesterday. And they felt too cushiony and light at first. I didn’t even know that was POSSIBLE! But for the first 3-5 miles of my run, my feet felt off, like I lost my connection to the trail. Weird, right? Or maybe not. By the end of the run they felt okay.

And, lots of rocks got into them on the trail, which was annoying. But I can wear gaiters to fix that.

So, early review is great on hard surfaces (which I try to avoid running on), and weird on trails. I will try them again on the trails to see if that feeling continues or if I get used to it.

Unrelated, but Jen and Troy and family came over last night for pizza, treats, and games, and we had such a fun time. I pulled out the game Loaded Questions, and I had forgotten how funny it can be! It’s simple – you roll a die and try to get across a board first, and on the way you ask the group questions from a card based on what you land on. Then everyone answers and you have to guess who says what. It just gets so silly. We were laughing so hard and I loved it. There might be a few inside jokes now too, related to someone getting “lots of kisses”. Ha ha ha.

And they saw our tree! So that’s four outside parties that saw it!

And Jen bonded with Khali and Ned. And we tried to convince them to take Tywin home (Tywin greeted them and walked them to the front door).

Ha, talking about a die reminded me of playing a game with our nephews Christmas night and it involved rolling a die. Ella was sitting on my lap so I taught her to blow on the die for good luck. Such a good aunt.

And one more Christmas story! It’s so fun to watch the kids open their gifts. Nephew William was opening something from my mom and he opens it all excited and goes “Are you serious?! Are you serious?!” I don’t even remember what it was but I loved seeing and hearing his joy at receiving it.