214.85

Just like not getting the Christmas tree discarded before New Years, my running blogs are getting published a little behind schedule as well. At just over 200 miles in to this blog, we have found ourselves in the midst of Christmas season. The eve of Christmas to be exact. I came up with the idea to dress up like (slim) Santa and and run my usual short route around our small town. It was a real hit!  Definitely a Christmas Eve tradition going forward. While never missing a good opportunity to make a complete idiot of myself, I donned the fake beard, put on my ugly running Christmas sweater (free gift from Brooks this holiday season) and hit the town. 

It was a huge hit!  Running down the main road I must have gotten 20 honks. On smaller streets kids stuck there heads out rolled down windows to wave and cheer me on. People at local businesses that were open that day laughed and gave me waves, thumbs up and cheer. There were a few people that looked at me like I was a lunatic, but they must have been a Scrooges. 

All in all it was one of the most fun runs I had all year. It wasn't particularly fast or scenic and I could hardly breath under that beard but it was so nice to see strangers in the Christmas spirit. Afterward, my neighbors who spotted me leaving brought over some homemade tamales wrapped in banana leaves to share with us. It was so nice to try someone's traditional food and those are the true things that make Christmas so special!