I know it’s not even Thanksgiving yet, but bear with me while I talk about Christmas a bit. I love buying Christmas gifts. Giving presents that I know people will love is so much fun. I probably spend a quarter of the year planning and purchasing Christmas gifts for my family. A little excessive, maybe, but it always pays off on December 25th. Each year I usually buy something for myself as well. Last year I got my laptop, which was a fantastic choice because I love it and use it every day. This year, however, is going to be a little different. I’ve already mentioned that I got myself a hotel room near Disneyland for the Avengers Half Marathon last weekend and it turned out to be a great decision. I got a little more sleep, I didn’t have to drive anywhere at 3 AM, and I got to take a hot shower as soon as possible after the race. It wasn’t the cheapest option, but definitely worth the cost. (And I already have a reservation at the same hotel for the Tinkerbell Half Marathon weekend in May.) So this year my Christmas gift to myself is hotel rooms for a couple of races in December. I went a little crazy registering for races next month. I’m signed up for three – one 5K, one 10K, and one half marathon. Oops. I may have overextended myself. Plus, two of the races (the longer two, of course) aren’t exactly close to where I live. So to prevent lengthy pre-dawn and post-race drives (especially in my post-race clothes – gross), I got myself reservations at the closest hotels possible to the Holiday Half Marathon in Pomona and the Magic Mountain Holiday Run 10K in Valencia. They won’t be luxurious rooms, but when the time comes I know I will appreciate them. It might not be a tangible Christmas gift I’m giving myself, but I’ll probably enjoy it as much as anything else I’ve bought this year!