Monthly Archives: January 2018

Winter running gear

Winter is upon again, and that means cold, dark, rainy running.   Last Christmas, I wrote about winter running attire.  Honestly, at this point, I consider myself something of an expert on running in Seattle weather conditions at this point.

Shirts

  • Sugoi Half Zip I love this top.  It’s got a nice little zip pocket that’s just big enough for my running gloves, a true half zip (not a quarter zip masquerading as a quarter zip), comes in bright colors, and has long sleeves with thumb holes.
  • Lululemon Swifly LS Tee  I finally hopped on the Lululemon swifly bandwagon.  Honestly, this one is not worth the full list price ($80!) but I do like that I can wear is just as easily to work as on a run.  It shows up in basically every wash cycle I do.
  • I still own and run in the shirts I mentioned a year ago, so they’re holding up well.

Tights

  • Nike Epic Lux Tights  I bought a pair of these (not in this pattern) after seeing my favorite runner wearing them on the cover of Runner’s World.  I’m not sure I’ve ever done that before, but the tights are great for weather around 40 degrees.  And I LOVE the pattern.
  • My Sugoi Mid-zero tights still get a ton of use.  I wish they’d sell them in some more colors.

Rain jackets / vests

  • Lululemon Like The Wind Vest  I was hesitant about buying this since it’s water resistant, not waterproof, but it has turned out to be a great buy (one sale).  I get a ton of use out of it on days when it’s in the low 40s and it’s raining lightly to moderately.  (We get A LOT of days like that.)  That’s too warm for a full jacket, and this vest if great.  I wore it for the Seattle Half, and it was a great choice that day, too.
  • Amphipod Xinglet Vest  Last winter, I tried running at work on the darkest days, or treadmilling it at the Y.  We had really lousy weather last winter, but it’s been a bit better this winter, so I’ve been out in the dark a lot more.  This really lightweight reflective vest is small but, according to my husband, really improves my visibility.

Other

  • 12 in 1 Headband  This guy has proved surprisingly useful, and it makes me look slightly less ridiculous than my other running winter headbands.

The year in review: Books

According to Goodreads, I read 65 books this year.  I read 69 last year, so I’ve become pretty consistent now that the kids are a bit older.  I’ve loved reading since I was about 6 years old, and it’s just always been something that brings me happiness and peace.  Lately, I’ve really been enjoying trying to share this with L and B, and a few of the books this year were read to the girls, mostly L.

5 star books of 2017:

  • Chemistry by Weike Wang
  • When Breath Becomes Air Paul Kalanithi
  • Running With The Buffaloes Chris Lear (best running book ever)
  • Where’d You Go Bernadette? Maria Semple
  • Full Tilt Dervla Murphy

Honorable Mention:

  • Best Running Book: How Bad Do You Want It? Matt Fitzgerald
  • Other best running book: Running: A Love Story Jen A. Miller
  • Best beach read: Big Little Lies Liane Moriarty (I recommend the audio book)
  • Best memoir: Hillbilly Elegy  J.D. Vance (I liked this more than I expected)

Isla’s Books

The best ones:

  • Heidi Johanna Spyri
  • Anne of Green Gables L.M. Montgomery
  • The Secret Garden by Frances Hodgson Burnett
  • James Herriot’s Treasury For Children James Herriot
  • On The Banks of Plum Creek Laura Ingalls Wilder
  • By The Shores of Silver Lake LIW
  • Little Town on the Prairie LIW
  • These Happy Golden Years LIW

I loved so many of these.  James Herriot was perfect for Bri with beautiful illustrations.  I adore The Secret Garden and Heidi (and they have quite similar stories in a way.  Isla just loves Laura Ingalls Wilder.  We’re currently working on the first of the sequels to The First Four Years.

Others:

  • Over Sea, Under Stone Susan Cooper
  • The Boxcar Children  Gertrude Warner
  • The Trumpet of the Swan  E.B.White
  • The Family Under The Bridge Natalie Carlson
  • Betsy-Tacy Maud Lovelace
  • Lots of Little House on the Prairie Books.  Like, really, lots.  Maybe the whole series?  I can’t remember when we started reading it for the third time.
  • The First Four Years LIW