The Updated Annual Holiday Post

The Current just played David Bowie and Bing Crosby performing Little Drummer Boy/Peace on Earth, but I prefer the late Kirsty McColl singing with the Pogues:

But credit The Current for reminding me of Christmas Wrapping by the Waitresses:

So let us all devoutly hope that 2018 is better than 2017, for ourselves and for the country.

Scottsdale Half Marathon 2017

I was due for a bad race, and not only was this a bad race, but unlike my last bad race (Tempe Triathlon in 2015, when I couldn't run with plantar fasciitis, and dropped out at the halfway point), there was no good way to pull out, and I stupidly ran 10 miles until I couldn't, then walked to the finish. Walking also hurt, and I guess I injured myself. Results, and a video of me limping across the line, here.

I had a great 5K (8:40 average), a pretty good 10K (56 minutes), and I made it to 10 miles, even with a number of stops and walking breaks, at close to a 2:00 pace (the goal), but then walked the last 3 for a pretty woeful (and painful) 2:25:28.

The grimace above is for real. A week later, I'm still limping, with a weirdly swollen left ankle. What bothered me during the race was my Achilles, so I iced that down, then 12 hours later it was fine and my ankle is shot. It could be a long recovery, but I have nothing on the race calendar until February. I'm just glad this event followed the Phoenix Summit Challenge and wasn't before it. And thus ends 2017. On to dim sum for Christmas.