3 Merry and Bright Gift Ideas for 2020

Merry and Bright in our Synergy Hats,Three-in-One Mittens, 
Tahoe Performance Fleece, Squall Jacket

I cannot believe tomorrow is the first day of December. Already! The year has felt like the longest year ever, but somehow it'll be over before we know it...well, okay, we know it will be over in 31 days. But do you know what that means? With Thanksgiving behind us, the holiday season is in full effect and I haven't even started my Christmas decorating or shopping yet! Yikes!

I don't know about you, but this year's holiday season has given me a bit of anxiety and sadness. It's still not safe to gather indoors, and the weather has turned grey and cold here in New England. But as I mentioned in my last post, Creating Joy During Stressful Times, it's important to focus on what brings us joy. There will be future holidays to celebrate indoors with family and friends. In the meantime, this holiday season can still be merry and bright. We just have to think more creatively about how to celebrate. Here are a few gift categories that are sure to brighten this holiday season.

Virtual Races

You can donate to Safe Passage through my race page

Just because the days are shorter, colder, and darker (if you live in New England) doesn't mean you can't stay active. There are so many virtual race options, and many of them donate to various charities so your gift keeps on giving. Virtual races are a fun, healthy way to stay connected with family and friends while keeping your head clear and your body moving. There are races for every athletic ability, including races that count walking  toward your team's goals. The more the merrier! Sign the whole family up! Gift a virtual race to your friends! Celebrate your "wins" with a post-race Zoom party!

Mike and I have already signed up for the Hot Chocolate Challenge, which supports Safe Passage (donate here!) and the Hartford Marathon Foundation's 12ks of Christmas, which supports Foodshare. Check out my Instagram for #HMF12ks tags each day from December 1-12 if you want to follow along! There's still time to register (11/30 deadline!). Check out details at HMF 12ks of Christmas. And if you'd like to join our team, we're the Delicate Freaking Flowers!

Virtual Events

Hawks & Reed Performance Arts Center, Oct 2019

As society adjusted to the national shutdown due to the pandemic, more and more events have turned virtual. While virtual events aren't quite the same as in-person, there are many perks to attending them. For example, they often cost less (especially when the whole household can watch on one screen), you can attend any virtual event anywhere in the country (world, actually), and you can enjoy them from the comfort of your own home. There are so many options: musical concerts, theatrical plays, and college events, story slams, museum tours, and more!

I've already attended a few prerecorded virtual writing workshops and live mingles for writers. I've also attended live virtual story slams. 

Don't know which virtual event to choose? I'd love to see you at mine! I'm actually performing in a live virtual event on January 16 for the Best of Valley Voices Story Slam, hosted by the Academy of Music and NEPR, where virtual audience members can choose their top storyteller! Who will be the Best of the Best? Buy your ticket here to watch and participate! The storyteller lineup is phenomenal! You won't want to miss it!

Winter Clothing and Accessories

Early Riser for this early hike! 

Make sure your loved ones are properly dressed for the holidays! Since outdoor activities are the safest way to socialize right now, check out IllumiNITE's new winter clothing line for warm, comfortable winter clothing that protects against the elements and looks fashionable. IllumiNITE uses reflective ink technology that lights up as bright as a Christmas tree in the dark when light shines upon it. If you shop on Cyber Monday, use code 20CYBERMONDAY for 20% off. But if you don't have time to shop on 11/30, don't worry. You can use my discount code RUNBRIGHTLY for 15% off your order at anytime! 

© Matt Francis Photos

Our winter favorites include:

Long Sleeve Reflective Women's Piper Tee—This has become my go-to shirt for every day comfort. It's so soft and cozy! And I love the pop of color! Whether I'm watching one of my virtual events or heading outdoors for a run, this is my fave thing to wear! 

Early Riser Reflective Men's Pullover—As much as I love my long sleeve tee, Mike loves his Early Riser! It's perfect for any occasion, and keeps him warm and bright outside. Plus, the Hawaiian Blue looks absolutely amazing on him!

All bundled up on this cold
but bright day

Satellite Reflective Women's Running Tight—What are jeans these days? I'm all about comfort. These are my go-to pants, whether I'm at home, running errands, or staying active outside. Plus, they look great paired with my Piper Tee or a nicer sweater when I want to look good but stay cozy for one of my virtual events!

Women's Reflective Windbrite Pant—Not only do these pants have fleece lining for extra comfort, their outer shell protects me from the coldest, windiest conditions. They've saved me too many times to count!

© Matt Francis Photos

Men's Reflective Mercury Running Tight—These tights keep Mike dry and visible during cold night runs, and also are great for layering under a more technical pant for hiking. They wick moisture away while keeping him warm.

Tahoe Performance Women's Softshell Fleece Reflective Jacket—I swear by this jacket no matter what activity I'm doing: running to the grocery store, hiking up mountains, or running 10 miles on a ten degree day/night. This jacket keeps me warm, comfortable, and bright—and also is quite stylish, if I do say so myself!

Men's Reflective Squall Jacket—Not only is this jacket warm and bright, it's waterproof. Mike throws this wherever we go to keep him warm, dry, and bright all day and night.

Hoodie / Tahoe Performance Fleece
 and Squall Jacket for the win!

Three-in-One Mitten with Removable Glove Liner—What we love most about these is they can be used together or separately. Plus, there is enough room to throw in a hand warmer when you want extended heat on those longer runs or hikes. When not wearing them, we store the gloves inside their mitten for easy storage.

Cold Weather Unisex Reflective Hood—The fabric is versatile enough that you can wear it as a full face covering, or lower the face mask when you get too hot. It's also a quick way to mask up when passing by other runners or walkers.

What are you must-have gifts year? I'd love to hear your ideas! Leave a comment below!

Virtual Races: A Reminder I Didn't Know I Needed

Cape Cod Marathon Start Line
Oct. 2019

Every year, I plan out my races to keep myself motivated and moving. I sign up for my fave (fun!) races, such as The Westfield Flat Fast 5k and the Hot Chocolate Run 5k for Safe Passage, and I choose one or two favorite long distance races, such as the Cape Cod Marathon or Ghost Train Ultra Marathon, and then I sprinkle in a few races I've not tried before to spice things up. Destination races are my favorite, so I try to incorporate those when possible.

But this year, all races were cancelled due to the pandemic. I had signed up for the Green River Marathon, a one-way marathon from Vermont to Greenfield with a 1,450 foot overall drop in elevation (to make up for making Mike run his first marathon ever in Greece where the elevation gain was 1,150 feet!). And I had also signed up for the Ghost Train Ultra Marathon again, where I planned on running 45 miles in two days (30 Saturday; 15 Sunday). I told Mike that we should just train anyway, do the miles on our own, but it's been a real struggle getting high mileage in. 

Yes, we've been active every day, especially since we created our accountability schedule. But our long runs have plateaued at about ten miles...wah, wah, wah! And here it is October already, and I haven't run one marathon yet. I'm usually on marathon number two (or even three!) for the year by now. I feel the negative difference in my body and my mood, and I don't like it!

So the other week, I told Mike that we had to run a half marathon. No matter how long it took, we were

Unofficial Half-Marathon Complete
IllumiNITE MultiWrap, Early Riser, 
Ambition Hoodie, and Velocity Mitten

not stopping until we hit 13.1 miles. I was slow, real slow, but I just kept moving one foot in front of the other, and before I knew it, we were finished! It definitely helped that the sky was blue because it was cold! A mere 41 degrees. Thank god we wore our IllumiNITE pullovers AND gloves to keep us warm. But it gave me a sense of accomplishment. We may not be marathon ready, but we're halfway there.

I had planned on signing up for the Womxn Run the Vote relay race, where proceeds went to Black Voters Matter, but time got away from me. By the time I went to registered, they had hit their 10,000 athletes capacity! Whoa! I had no idea virtual races capped participation. Mike and I still logged about 35 miles that week, and I am still donating money to Black Voters Matter because it's such an important cause! But missing the sign-up bummed me out! I didn't realize how much I missed my running community until I missed out on an amazing race opportunity for a charitable organization.

IllumiNITE
Vision Men's Pullover
Endeavor Shorts

So, to keep our momentum going, Mike signed us up for the Running from 2020 virtual race. The finisher shirt definitely captures how we feel about this year. Then, on October 3, Mike asked me what day it was. Okay, okay, he didn't ask; he told me: Race Day! But I needed my total Mean Girls moment! Don't judge! Anyway, I was not feeling the race whatsoever! But I knew I couldn't let him down, and I also wanted that shirt! So I pushed my grumbling deep down, and we set off. Once Mike passed me, my racing instincts kicked in and I ran harder than I've been running most days. I'm so proud to say that I ran nonstop. I even sped up with each mile. 

10:42...

10: 25...

9:45...

9:06...

I tried my hardest to catch Mike, but he's just too fast for me. He won by four minutes! Yowza he's fast! But it was so much fun, and it made me realize how much I love racing. 

Feeling accomplished after our 5k
IllumiNITE Synergy Headband,
Packable Jacket, Savannah Women's Tee;
Vision Men's Pullover

So, what's next?

I truly believe in races that raise money for charitable organizations, so that's priority for me right now. I may not get my marathon in this year, but I plan on staying active throughout the winter. I'm hoping that the annual Hot Chocolate Run that I run every year goes virtual this year. Proceeds go to Safe Passage, an organization that helps "families achieve safety, build justice and rebuild their lives in the wake of domestic's violence."

What virtual races have you done this year? 

What virtual events are you looking forward to? 

Leave a comment below.

Perhaps we can run one together in the virtual world.

Check out the styles we're wearing and use my discount code Sera15 for 15% off your entire IllumiNITE order.