Friday love: Lately

Let me stop you before you roll your eyes and click through: This post will not be a front for a gratuitous wish list/running gift idea post. There are enough of those and mine would include just one thing: a Garmin Forerunner 220.

Now, onto things that I love. Or like a lot. Maybe even things I like a little bit.

The great outdoors

According to last year's running spreadsheet, I first succumb to the temptation of the treadmill on Nov. 15 and was using it about once a week through the rest of the year. While I have hopped on the 'mill to walk as I watched TV at night, I have yet to run a single step on it. I tried, once, and decided that I'm going to do my best to keep outside. I picked up a new pair of tights during the local running shop's Black Friday sale (Mizuno Breath Thermo Layered Tight) to keep me motivated. And, of course, Indiana was blessed with unseasonable weather this week and I was out in shorts twice.

Altra Zero Drop Shoes

I entered a Facebook giveaway for a pair of Altras on the IFIT LIVE page on a whim and, as luck would have it, I won. I selected the Provisioness 1.5 as its a stability shoe, ordering a half-size up as advised. The shoes are cute but definitely different, and I had no idea what it would feel like to run in them. As it turns out? It feels freaking fast to run in them. The first time I wore them was for a short family run where Mark and I ended up making a mad dash to beat the rain since Miles was in the stroller. Average pace, a week post-marathon: Sub-9. I've continued to rock some of my fastest runs in too long in these shoes, and I have successfully added them into the rotation after a break-in period. (As these are zero drop and encourage mid-foot strike, it's advised to ease into them as the body needs time to adjust.)

My Brooks Ravennas are close to the end, and I'm now faced with going Altra all the time or keeping a more traditional shoe for backup. If only I had taken the bait with Altra's Black Friday sales ...

Strawberry Lemonade Nuun

Strawberry Lemonade was the first flavor of Nuun I ever had, and it was hate at first taste. I couldn't water it down enough to choke it down. Even as I've grown to love and embrace the product, including some of the less favored flavors, I had yet to revisit good ole SL. Well, the other week when Nuun was having a promo for a free pint glass, I decided it was time to try it again. And, as the title of this post would indicate, I love it. I've been drinking it A LOT at work because sitting at my desk is, obviously, an endurance sport.

By the way, if you order this week you can score a free trucker hat with a $30 purchase. The hat is slightly less cute than the one I wore repeatedly over Hood to Coast weekend but it's close.

The holiday season

Sing it with me. You know you want to ...

I have a tendency to be a giant grouch during any big holiday as they weren't always the best of times growing up. However, I'm having a total blast this year as Miles is getting to an age where he can enjoy it. He loves Christmas trees and Santa Claus, and I've read "It's Christmas, David" a million times.

Note: That book is the best ever - David runs around sans clothes and pees in the snow. Chock full of lessons for little boys.

Really kicking off things, though, was a visit from St. Nicholas last night. St. Nick always visited in our German Catholic house growing up, and I love sharing those traditions.

Even if it means M&Ms for breakfast.

What are you loving lately?