Excitement and Such

I'm sitting in the recording studio at work recording an engineering class that makes very little sense to me.  I'm monitoring the audio and video, making sure everything I'm recording is coming through okay and making editing notes along the way of bits I don't want in the final version that I will put online for our distance education students.

However, while I'm doing all of this I'm getting excited!  So much fun is just around the corner and I can hardly contain myself... which makes sitting in this dark, quiet room somewhat torturous.  I'll be recording this class until Saturday and then... it will be time for FUN!

Sunday afternoon I will run the Arthritis Foundation Jingle Bell 5k with my 32 team members.  We have raised a total of $1010.00 so far and I am pumped about that!  (Note: if you are reading this and want to join us or donate, you have until tomorrow night at midnight to do so online). You can still register before the race at packet pick-up or on race day.

Sunday has also been dubbed Hug a Runner Day by Run the Edge and I absolutely love this.

According to Run the Edge's blog on the subject, you can participate by wearing running shoes all day long or by taking it a step further and wearing a race bib on your normal clothes (I am so tempted...).  If you see someone at church, work, or on the street wearing either of these items you are to rush over and give them a hug!

I intend to make good on this.  So...look out.  You may get hugged and I can't promise it will be before the 5k either. 

After the Jingle Bell 5k I will have a day off on Monday to make up for working on Saturday and on that day I will run a 20 miler and catch up on house work. After that, it is only a day and a half of work and a much needed haircut before Thanksgiving is here.  Time with family.  Fun pictures.  Great food.  No work. Cool temps.  And shopping on Black Friday with my sister.  We haven't done this in 2 years because our Thanksgivings at home have not been in sync but they are this time and I can't wait!  I've been itching to start my Christmas shopping and decorating, but I prefer to hold off until after Thanksgiving. 

After the eating, relaxing, celebrating and shopping, it will be back to work and I'll have to enlist all the self-discipline I have (which on most days isn't much) to focus on work before the Tallahassee Ultra Distance Classic 50 mile.  I am excited and nervous about this...but mostly excited.  I can't wait for that moment at the start line... the moment of unknowns and butterflies, deep breaths, the wringing of hands both out of nervousness and the attempt to keep them warm... And then the race starts and I become the strongest version of myself as I run, trying to overcome fatigue, weakness, and doubt. 

Once the 50 mile is over, I will begin looking forward to Christmas (well, I probably won't wait until the 50 mile is over to start but you know what I mean).  I've written before about how much I love gift giving.  I love planning out the perfect gifts for those I love and then the search, purchase and wrapping with fun, decorative paper of those oh-so-perfect gifts.  I love watching them accumulate under my tree and thinking about each person's reaction when they open them. 

So, as I sit here in this dark recording room day dreaming, planning, and looking forward to all of these events, I am getting excited.  There is so much to look forward to...I just have to make it to Saturday.