Gosh Almighty.

If the first weekend of 2013 is any indication of how this year will turn out, it’s safe to say it’s going to be a fun one! Last night we went to Mad Mad Whirled in Marietta to play whirlyball, a lacrosse/bumper car/basketball hybrid, with some coworkers of mine. If you’ve never played, go do it! It’s a little tricky to get the hang of at first, but it’s so fun once you do.

This morning I woke up, scarfed a bowl of peanut butter oatmeal, and went for a 4-mile run around the neighborhood. After a few more runs in the Old Navy running top I raved about in this post, I went back and picked up another pullover this week since all their activewear is on sale right now. Lululemon it ain’t, but it keeps me warm and looks pretty cute doing so! Throw in some texting gloves, and I was good to go – can’t get enough of those thumbholes.

The thing most motivating me to finish my chilly run? The BBVA Compass Bowl’s 1 o’clock kickoff! Mitch, Novelette, and I went to Black Bear Tavern, Atlanta’s Ole Miss bar, to watch the game; it was so nice to be amongst fellow fans! The Rebels whomped Pitt (final score: 38-17), and I think we hotty toddy-ed five times with the man at the table next to us.

A solid run, a Rebel win, and a week left until the Hot Chocolate 5k! Not a bad way to spend the first weekend of 2013. How is your weekend so far?

Anything Could Happen.

Christmas has come and gone, and it feels like life is slowly starting to return to normal. Our time in Highlands with my family was everything a vacation should be: relaxing, full of time with family, and not so nice to the ole gut.

It’s been nearly three weeks since my last (awful) run, and with the Hot Chocolate 5k looming around the corner, I know I need to step up my training…like now. The temperature was in the upper 40s around lunch time with no signs of warming up, so I bundled up in my favorite running tights, a long sleeve tech tee from the 2011 Gobble Jog, this running top (thumb holes!!) I recently picked up at Old Navy, my well-worn Braves hat, and my trusty Brooks Ravenna 3s.

Luckily the sun came out to warm things up ever so slightly just as I parked at the Cochran Shoals unit of the Chattahoochee River.

This trail was a new one for me, and I was pleasantly surprised. It was crowded enough to not have me looking over my shoulder every two seconds but peaceful enough for me to enjoy the scenery, thanks largely in part to its position next to the trusty ‘Hooch.

There are multiple hiking and mountain biking trails that shoot off from the sides of the trail, but the main stretch is flat and has multiple benches and water fountains along the way – something I’m definitely taking note of for future summer runs.

At the end of my 3 1/2 miles, Ellie Goulding came over my Nike+ app to tell me I had run my fastest mile. My app isn’t always so GPS-friendly, but I guess anything really could happen! Although it was relatively short, this run was just what I needed to kick my ass into high gear for my upcoming races, especially since there is talk of running this year’s Warrior Dash in April.

Its looking like this weekend will be another windy, chilly one. I’m hoping to catch Les Miserables with my mom tomorrow and Django Unchained with Mitch on Sunday with some yoga and perhaps a short run in between. What are your pre-New Year’s Eve plans?