Christmas Day grey.........

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So I have gotten some more sponsorship and its all so exciting...The last deposit was after my 'im so miserable' post...and it spurred me on to get out the next day and stop being a poopy pants....I have to confess the weather really is not being nice at the moment and it sucks you of the desire to want to do anything but lie in bed and be miserable...its warmer (between 0 and 4 degrees) and the roads are atrocious...so running is very slow and slippery....but I have managed two runs since the 'poor little old me' moment... I went, I did it and I suppose that means its miles in the bank?!  I suppose its not all going to be fun and games...especially at this time of the year..

Here are some pics so you can get an idea of just how tough it is at the moment, every step placed with caution....so I ache in bizzare places and the fact that I ache from smallish runs is testament to the strained running.....This run below was before Christmas Eve.....I enjoyed it a lot more than today's really short run at least :) The post run feeling definately made this particular run worth it!!

The frozen, but fast melting sea...A lovely old lighthouse., grey and brooding skies

A few days ago I posted a pic and this was all white with snow...

Very monotone landscape at this time of the year..only the colorful boats make a mark....

And then it was Christmas eve...In Finland one of the things I LOVE is that I get a personal visit (ok so its really for my son) from Joulupukki (Santa Claus) on Christmas Eve and we get to open our present earlier than what I grew up with....Its fun...

The celebrations in Finland are different to my traditional Christmas celebration, the foods served are radically different and its done a day earlier than what I used to celebrate as Christmas....Its also actually winter....I am used to celebrating Christmas in the pool....

However, I am used to it now and the only tough part is that Christmas day is quiet and its when I really realise just how different my life is and I miss my family back home so terribly much!! Today I felt the blues quite distinctly as the weather was very very grey and wet, and no chance of going out to get fresh air...so around 2pm I knew I needed to get out, even for a small trot...So I did.  The exit from our yard greeted me with the worst slush so far....

Ice, slush, water and gravel....

Some parts of the paths were ok, but a large amount of them were just as the image below shows...NO fun whatsoever, I had actually thought all the pavement ice would have melted as its been raining, but alas only in sections....However I persevered, I ran really slow and I managed 5k and well..i'm still walking :) No biking helmet needed.

Just very ugly snow/ice....

Here is to hoping that with the predicted cold weather coming up we get some nice snow to cover this....and some good thrilling runs in again!!!

Merry Christmas to you all whichever way you celebrate...its often a tough time of year for all sorts of people, to all of you, good or bad....may this little blog remind you just how special you are and how important you are too!!