Happy Holidays (albeit belated)

Hope everyone had a great holiday. The hubby, furkids and I are on our way home from spending Christmas in New York. We had a wonderful time – and I can’t believe the holiday season is winding down for another year.

Though I have to say, I’m not sure if it was the extra workouts, the excitement of a new puppy, a work schedule that did not lighten up as much as previous years, or just general malaise, but it seemed harder to get into the holiday spirit this year. I went through the motions – put up the decorations, mailed the cards, baked the cookies, etc. – but didn’t really experience the “holiday feeling” until the 22nd, when I was wrapping up the last few presents and suddenly started to feel a mixture of excitement and sentimentality – a touch of the wonderment that made waiting for Christmas seem like an eternity when growing up.

So for four days, IMFL was back burnered – though I was told by a friend that doing it seemed obsessive – and really just tried to enjoy the exhausting whirlwind that is Christmas. I ate what I wanted – and didn’t worry about missing my scheduled bike and weight class. I did fit in two short runs – including one made more special because my brother joined me. But mostly, I enjoyed the annual traditions and the time spent with family, the furkids and friends.

Tomorrow I’ll be getting back on track with workouts – and cutting calories here or there to loose the couple of pounds I’m pretty sure I gained the last few days. But the slip was worth it – for the last three or four days, the holiday cheer abounded by being able to enjoy Christmas with the folks I care about most. And you just can’t take that for granted.