A Relaxing Week

So far this week has been pretty relaxing. I've slept late every morning, taken naps and gotten a massage (thanks, Mary). I've been to the gym and I'm starting to clean up around the house a bit. I washed some new pillowcases and blankets we got for Christmas, deposited a Christmas check in the bank... just little things like that. Oddly, it all keeps me pretty busy.

Yesterday I managed to twist my left ankle while leaving the Y after a workout. I guess having very flexible ankles is a good thing because this could've been a pretty serious injury. I have some soreness to the ankle and top of the foot today, but no swelling. The moment my foot slipped off the step and I felt my ankle twist almost perpendicular to my body I had visions of this one moment of carelessness (I was fussing with my cell phone) ruining the marathon for me. But now I think I'll be pain-free by the weekend. Thank goodness! Considering that I'm the sort of gal who can twist an ankle while walking in flats on level ground, you'd think I would be more careful!

As for my Christmas, it was nice. I didn't get most of what I asked for, which irked me a bit, since I didn't ask for anything expensive and now I have to go buy those things myself because I need them. But I still got some good stuff, including tennis rackets, which were something that I did ask for. Yay! There are tennis courts just about everywhere I look and I've been thinking for a couple years now that hitting a few balls around would be a nice activity on days when I don't want to train but I do very much want to be able to burn a few calories so I can eat some cookies and not feel bad about it. So thanks, Mom and Dad, for the tennis rackets!

My mom was very excited about the Elizabeth R series I gave her, and Dad seemed pleased that I found the out of print book he had casually marked in a magazine. He also seemed to like the two old postcards I found for him on ebay and framed-- one is a postcard map of the Santa Fe Railroad's Harvey House system, including the one in San Marcial, my grandparents' now-defunct home town. The other shows the Santa Fe State School for the Deaf (where Dad works) in its original 1930s construction. I gave my brother some Beatles and Rolling Stones memorabilia, as usual. And I gave my sister a silk sweater for work, an antique childrens' book about rabbits and a DVD of Dominique's Circus Cats. OMG-- this guy is so weird but his show is hilarious! I know what I'm doing if I ever go to Key West!

I gave Dan some shoes, a couple shirts, a book about Monhegan Island and a book about the life of a domestique in the Tour de France, which was as much a gift for me as for him, I think.

Our furry friends were quite generous this season. Pixel gave us a new blanket and Tidbit gave us some new pillowcases, probably to replace the ones she has chewed on. Thanks, kids!

And finally, on the subject of generosity, anyone who has not yet donated to the tsunami disaster relief-- what are you waiting for? It's easy. All the newspapers have instructions how to give and even our friends at amazon.com are now set up for you to make a donation quickly and easily. Most of us in this country are blessed with good health, cheap food and easy access to jobs. Even a small donation that seems insignificant to me or you will go a long way in Thailand or Sri Lanka. For the cost of a couple of Starbucks lattes or a deli lunch (or fast food, if that's your preference) you can save lives. So give a little bit now. We have over 200 million people in the United States. If everyone gave just a dollar, think how much help we could give! So don't think any gift is too small. Thank you, and may God, the gods, the fates or whatever you believe in, bless you a thousand times for every penny you give to this relief effort. It is only by accident of birth that it wasn't me or you in the path of those waves.

Recent Workouts (since this is supposed to be a triathlon blog)
Christmas Day: 2 hours, bike - Spinervals 9.0 Have Mercy
Sunday: 15 mile run (left quad cramped badly or I would've gone farther)
Monday: 1 hour slow elliptical (no hard workouts on massage days)
Tuesday: 1 hour body pump, 1000 yds swim
Today: Spinervals 5.0 Mental Toughness (1st hour only)