Karen writes: Giant Christmas present

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First thing this morning it was time for a quick trot up my favourite small mountain, then home for a second breakfast, keeping in mind my need for increased carbohydrates!    It was a white gift wrapped mountain today, I walk/ran up in about 35 minutes, paused on the rock platform at its top while the shreds of cold cloud blew past me, and then took 20 minutes to scoot down to the bottom again.   Then off for a walk to get my un-energised children moving, they would much prefer to watch TV.     I kept thinking “this time last week I had finished the half IM swim”, or “this time last week I was half way through the ride”, it seems like it was forever ago though. 

Tomorrow morning is the 25th, I plan on another trip up the mountain. It is my ritual on Christmas morning, I sit at the top for a while and look around, at Whangarei to the East, the Heads just below me, Ocean Beach on the other side, Auckland to the South, then I stand up, close my eyes and spin slowly around, and appreciate just how very lucky I am. 

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