Chinese new year

We went to a dinner to celebrate Chinese new year this weekend. Best Chinese food we've had in two years, since last time we had Chinese food. Turns out Chinese do more than just buffet. And this was delicious.
So the Chinese woman who was the host gave us new chopsticks (don't you replace yours ever year?), some gummy bears (who knew?), and a back scratcher.
I also learned, and this may not be a surprise to many of you, that I am a pig. Not just any pig, mind you, but a METAL pig. Sweet.
I think that means I'm stubborn. Chinese astrology has me dead to rights.
Allison is a fire snake. We are totally incompatible. But we're not Chinese, so maybe it doesn't count.
Speaking of stubborn, it does have a limit. This weekend, my better sense (aka Allison) suggested that maybe I should think about doing the half-marathon in March instead of the full distance.
While out on my run, I decided she was right. I have nothing to prove, my ankle isn't getting better fast enough, I haven't done more than 11 miles yet and the race is less than a month away, and I'm just not going to be ready. Switching to the shorter distance is the smart, adult thing to do. I could struggle through the whole race, be miserable, and hate running for the rest of the year. Or I could treat this one as a warmup, have a great, injury free season, and kick ass at the NYC marathon in November. It's hard not to feel like a quitter though. But it is a real relief to have that pressure off. I can run a half-marathon today. But that distance between 13.1 and 26.2 miles is just beyond my reach right now.
Maybe next year, year of the earth rat, in case you wondered.