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So I could sit down this Monday evening and give you all a blow-by-blow of everything that's happened in the past few weeks. However - the thought of doing that bores me rigid and I think that means it an even more tortuous prospect for you all. So I'll sum things up for you in a few bullet points. I could do a powerpoint presentation - but again, I'm saving you all.

• Our skiing holiday was FABULOUS. Fabulous. Fabulous. The hotel is incredibly amazing. The staff warm your boots up for you in the morning, there is a ski valet, they take your boots off when you come back in the afternoon, there are hot tubs and morning yoga classes and oh everything is amazing. Nothing is cheap - though occasionally things are free, like yoga - but oh boy is it nice.
  
• Skiing is FABULOUS. This was my fifth ever skiing holiday (yes, I know, I grew up deprived. No, silly. I grew up in the tropics). And my running is making me a good strong skier. I love it. I absolutely love it. I took lessons for 2 days and just cranked it up a notch - I could have stayed all season. In fact, I am brewing a plan to move to Jackson Hole for a season when my kids leave home - rent a little condo and just ski all winter. I am entirely serious about this plan, actually. Anyone care to join me in dreaming about becoming a skibum?
  
• My husband is fabulous. He just is. Taking some time away from everyone else made me just re-appreciate (is that a word?) how fabulous he is. He is just a great, wonderful, kind, funny, intelligent, loving, lovely, handsome and fabulous man.The fabulous man skiing Grand Targhee (we took a day trip to Wydaho..)
• I did what you're meant to do on a holiday but what I so rarely achieve. I relaxed and I sat back and I evaluated my life and worked out what was and wasn't working for me. Marriage and motherhood, you will be relieved to hear, are still working. But I've decided to make a change in one aspect of my life (hey it's still January and anyway I resolve year-round) I am a worrier. Not a warrior, a worrier. I fret. I agonise. I lie awake at night and go over things, over and over and over and over again and nothing good ever comes from these sessions. The small amount of insight I've gained over many years over worrying is that nothing is as bad as it seems at 4am. But that doesn't stop me at 4am. I want to do something about that. I've spent a good 25 years fretting. I'm bored with myself. So what am I going to do? Well, one evening while I was putting my feet up in the relaxation suite (told you it was fabulous) I was reading a magazine which recommended meditation as a way to let go of persistent thought patterns which you know are doing no good. And I have thought about meditating in the past - I even bought a CD course (Guided Mindfulness Meditation by Jon Kabat Zinn) last year but never got round to doing it. And so I decided that I was going to devote some time to this. I'll keep you posted.
  
• Another decision I made was that, for the time being, I am not doing triathlons. Wait, wait, wait! Before you jump in listen to why. Fundamentally, I am just loving running too much to want to divert my attentions elsewhere. I am enjoying my bike - I have found a buddy to go on Monday (cross training) bike rides with and I am really keen to make more of that - but I don't want to race my bike, or self, yet. And the same with swimming. I really like the swimming club, I want to go regularly but I don't want to race yet. After years of plodding I am getting somewhere with my running and I have a few more things to do there before I need a break from it..
  

So that's all good right? I'm feeling good. Old-time readers of this blog will remember that last time I came back from skiing and went running I injured my knee and was out of London and out of running for months. This time I kept up my running while on holiday, though I had given myself time off my schedule. And as soon as I came home I got straight back into it. The earlier runs were hard last week - jetlag was pretty brutal - but I managed a 50M week. 12 weeks before Boston people - that feels good. My 18 miler was particularly interesting - at mile 13 I lost the will to go on but I inadvertently started up a podrunner mix and it made a HUGE difference. Last 5 miles were the fastest miles in the run! I love me my podcasts on my long runs but it was really good to know to leave those mixes on the iPod - clearly they can move me when nothing else can.

Righty-oh everyone - it's off to bed I go. I am exhausted and heading into a 55 mile week this week - my first 20 miler of the schedule is somewhere in there. And finally - this one is for Jeanne who says nothing happened if there is no photo - this is me out on my bike ride this morning:
Forgive the fugly face there - it's Monday morning.

Finally finally finally - I am WAY behind on blog comments and emails. It's all going to happen, I promise. See you shortly!