After making it back to West Des Moines, Iowa safely, at 4am on Friday morning, tried to catch up on some sleep most of Friday a.m. Justin ran 7 miles with me for a shorter, easier day. We were able to squeeze a swim in, at the YMCA, before leaving town. We quickly packed up our bags and loaded up the Black Stallion (his Escape) to hit the road for a couple days of Kelly Christmas in Boone.
Christmas Eve Day started out with my one of my hardest long runs in my training plan. 1 mile warmup, 18 miles at marathon pace + 20 seconds per mile, and a 1 mile cooldown, for a grand total of 20. Justin continues to prove his running talent and fiance love, as he paced me PERFECTLY for my 18 miles at 6:32. I plan to run my marathon at 6:10-6:12 minutes per mile, on race day. We started out at about 8:30 and completed a "loop course" so that we had fluids, gels, and bathroom resources at my parents house. I often wonder what my neighbors think of the crazy Kelly kid who runs past their house, multiple times in one morning. If I motivate just one person a day, to get out and enjoy this abnormal warm winter, the day is a success. Well, that, and if I don't have any emergency bathroom stops on a run- I know it's going to be a great day :P
The remainder of our Christmas Eve day consisted of helping my mom prepare for our family and close friends evening of Chili and Oyester Stew. Hosting a crew of 22 is not easy, but the chaos is fun. Aaron, Chris, my mom and I all dressed in stealth mode for Christmas Eve 2011...
Even though he missed the 'black memo', Justin still stole the show in his maroon!
We ended our Christmas eve with the annual Christmas Eve choir concert at Sacred Heart Church, starring my mom and about 15 other church choir members. We attended Midnight mass (at 10pm) and came home to put out the cookies, milk, and carrots.
After the hard, 20 miler on Saturday, my Christmas run was a sunny, warm, easy 10 miler with the company of Aaron and Justin. Justin even finished the run shirtless, in his tights! It may have been the first time the neighbors actually wished we had ran by more than once... :)
The remainder of Christmas day involved a big dinner at Kathy Kelly's dining room table, her fine china, and "best ever" cookings. My mom is the best hostess I know, constantly working to please her guests and never letting us down with her new and traditional ideas. I only hope that a few years down the road, Justin and I will pass on the memories and traditions that we have grown up with. I hope you all were able to cherish and enjoy the holiday season with your family and loved ones. As my mom says, "Christmas is not a day, it's a time"... why stop the cheer now?
Merry Christmas to you!
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