The Anti-Running Runner

Another fun Jingle Bell Run 5K! I enjoy this race every year. It starts in the dark on the pier, and they seem to have added more stuff this year. More live music, more sights and lights along the way. Good times. It wasn't cold or warm, but pleasant. Hea and I ran a moderate pace together. Normally, we try to PR at this race, but both of us were not up to it this year. She is dealing with knee pain and I had some bad chili the night before (too much info, I know), so we were all about keeping a comfortable pace. And we both ended up feeling great and had fun catching up. My favorite part about running is probably the time spent in good company. We both had our men and dogs their to cheer us on. Afterward, we got gelato with my college roommate, Tavanya, and her family. They all did the 1 mile walk. Downtown St. Pete is festive and decorated for Christmas, which I love. It was so fun to visit with friends and have hubby there. He had been gone all week, I missed him! ...

After a hard rain yesterday, the cold weather flew in on the back of gusty winds, making the Jingle Bell Run feel just about right (freezing!) at 7:30 pm. Team Hea and Bria made it, and we did awesome, I'm not ashamed to tell you. And I'd like to thank Jesus for that. For those who don't know, Team Hea and Bria is what I like to call my running partner, Heather, and I when we race together. We almost always stay together during races, and last night was no exception. We ran into a group wearing shirts with Isaiah 40:31 on the back, which drew my attention because that's the verse I repeated during the Gasparilla Marathon when I thought I would die. Then I noticed the shirt also said Calvary Chapel where I go to church. They started a running team, and the director was there and said both of us could join, too, even though Hea goes to a different church. He gave us each a long-sleeved dri-fit shirt (amazing, as you can see) and trusted that we would pay him la...