Last night I slept in a cashmere sweater. It’s cold. This week marks the beginning of winter and an enormous storm has swept into Mammoth to welcome the season. As I type this we have already received eight feet and we are expected to get four more. Cinnamon rolls are in the oven in attempt to warm the house more quickly.

You can say I have a bit of “cabin fever”, but last night I got ready for bed and without thinking grabbed my favorite sweater. Cashmere. I got into bed thinking, “What an indulgent way to embrace winter!” I started making a mental list of other ways to enjoy this time of year. I can jump to material items that should make your Christmas wish-list like Gel-Arctics to run in the snow, a new jacket to train in, a GARMIN to track your training or a copy of The Spirit of the Marathon to motivate you on a stormy day. But I’m talking more about benefiting from mere experience. I decided that I wanted to enjoy more of this winter spirit, so tomorrow I am going up to the lakes basin to snowshoe under the full moon, that is if the moon reveals itself.

There are so many ways to embrace winter with the merriment and joy it deserves. Download some holiday music on your MP3 player for your next run. Invite some friends over to run through the neighborhood and look at Christmas lights followed by peppermint hot cocoa at your house. Put jingle bells on your running partners’ shoes if you think it won’t drive you insane. Start a snow-ball fight after practice. Break out your grandmother’s China after your run even if it’s just for a lousy piece of fruit cake and a cup of coffee. Sleep in a cashmere sweater and dream of running through eight feet of snow! Winter is here and we should make it the most indulgent, fun and playful one on record.

Happy Holidays….

I returned to Mammoth in time for rain and snow to wipe out my allergy problems.  The quick change of seasons has been refreshing in many ways.  Not only is it nice to get out and run on these crisp mornings, but it is also nice to have a change of running clothes as I bring the tights and long-sleeves to the front of my closet.

I am only home a short while before heading to Chicago for this weekend’s marathon. The men’s and women’s fields are very impressive so we are bound to see some dramatic races unfold.  Although I’m not running this year,  I am helping NBC with their television coverage as I ride the women’s lead vehicle.   I travel with the lead pack and give up-to-date information on how the race is unfolding.  Sometimes it is easier to race because we have trained well for it; television commentary is relatively new to me.  I like the challenge since my challenges aren’t coming in training these days.  I am more than halfway through this pregnancy and feel great.  The joys of starting a family have been more powerful than I ever knew possible.

But, this week I’ll be in Chicago with my extended running family.  Marathon week in Chicago is so much fun.  The city welcomes runners from around the world with so much to do even before race day.  The places I will frequent will be the waterfront for great running, the ASICS booth at the marathon expo and the two screenings of Spirit of the Marathon that also take place at the McCormick Place Expo. The screenings of this great documentary will be at 5:30 p.m. on Thursday and 8 p.m. on Saturday in room E350. Other than that, there are great races lined up for the 45,000 runners and a cheering crowd of 1.7 million on the streets of the city.