Monday, November 10, 2008
Ran: 1.4 miles
Walked: 0 miles
We had a threat of severe weather this evening, so I didn't have time to do much but a quick two loops around the lake at Bob Woodruff Park before the lightning and rain chased me away.
"Severe weather" may sound a little goofy to people not from this area, but anyone who's been around tornado country knows it's not something you want to mess with. The weather wasn't expected to hit the eastern parts of DFW until around 7 or 8 pm, but man, by 4pm the office had cleared out. No one wants to be stuck on the highway in driving rain, hail, high wind, and possible tornadoes. I completed my run by around 7 and settled in for a long night of lightning and crazy rain. I wasn't pleased with my run -- my ankles and knees are starting to hurt and I think I need to do a much better job of stretching and getting my joints ready before I go for a run, even a little one.
Sunday, November 9, 2008
Ran: 0 miles
Walked: 3.2 miles
After last night's workout, I felt the need to take it a little easy, especially since my joints are bothering me. So I drove to the site of the 5K I will be running in December, and I just walked the whole thing. It was a pleasant walk, mostly residential, through a neighborhood that's well known for crazy Christmas decorations. (Last year we saw that they had themed lights set to music and everything. This neighborhood is nutso -- it goes ALL OUT for Christmas.) And I shouldn't have been shocked, but I was, because three houses already had their Christmas lights up! And one house had their Christmas tree all ready to go in the window!
Come on people! Christmas isn't some season that's meant to stretch on for 2+ months. I mean, we just had Halloween. What happened to the Christmas season starting with Santa's arrival at the end of the Macy's Thanksgiving Day parade? Has the Christmas season been extended simply for marketing and materialistic purposes (as a lot of people think)? Or have people themselves chosen to extend Christmas in their own homes because they've had enough of all the depressing news, the bad economy, and so on? If 10 months out of the year are crap, then let's have 2 months' worth of joyous holiday fun? Is that the rationale?
I just think it's weird. For me, Christmas should be a special time, distinctly marked out of the calendar year, something that kids remember as a special couple of days. If you drag it out for two months, I feel like it loses some of its positive impact. Not to mention, poor Thanksgiving gets lost in the shuffle.
Just my $0.02.