A Day of Surprises

I went to work for a normal day, but the day wasn't normal at all. First, mimosas showed up in my 9 am meeting to celebrate a few team successes. Mid-day, I found out that I won the Oakland Half Marathon entry from Pavement Runner. Later I had a buddy (personal) training session which always brightens the day, and after that there were holiday treats in the buildings surrounding mine. They had egg nog, appetizers and many, many fantastic desserts like s'mores on a stick and beignets with chocolate sauce. I joined my first Twitter chat for #womensrunning this evening, and my early Christmas present from my hubby arrived in the mail. What a day!

I'm super excited about the Oakland Running Festival entry. I'd been considering this one even though I have a rather full spring race schedule, and I'm looking forward to it. There's something about winning the entry that makes it even better.

My training session was good, although the jury is still out on how much the sessions are helping me. When I lived in Ann Arbor, I worked with a trainer in a group setting and she really kicked our butts. I pushed myself and felt very toned and strong. I'm now working with a trainer in a buddy session, and he has a very different style and focuses much less on weights and reps. Instead, we do the exercise for a given length of time and use lighter weight or body weight. I generally feel like I've worked out, but I don't get the same fatigue and soreness that I came to expect. The best part of the sessions is that we use the Power Plate, a machine with a base that adds vibration to your body. It is supposed to help with better stretching and bone density, and I admit I feel looser when we use it. I'd never used one before working with him, but I've become a fan. Hopefully the sessions will make my knee stronger post-injury and become more challenging over time.

On to the last part of my day - the early Christmas gift from Kevin! I've been looking for a good work bag that has room for gym stuff AND work items. I found one from Lo & Sons last week, and although it's a little more than I might usually pay the holiday sale helps. Kevin bought it for me as my Christmas gift early so I can take it home to Ohio as a carry on. The bag is called the O.G. and my fave features are the lavender interior, the outside pocket with organizer and the side shoe compartment for my running shoes.

Good size, with handles and detachable shoulder strap.

Look! Running shoes hiding inside.

Space for the computer, tablet, and workout toiletries with the shoes. It's all in there.

Nice outside, organized pocket for phone, wallet, umbrella, etc.

Hopefully this bag will enable me to carry one bag each day instead of a separate bag for work and fitness, and I can't wait to pack it up with workout clothes for tomorrow.