In non-knitting news, I've been reading more since February, thanks to my Kindle. It's been great adding classics and free/bargain books as well as games and knitting pdfs. I follow Books on the Knob and Pixel of Ink daily for the latest Kindle downloads and book reviews. Other sites I've checked out are manybooks, smashwords, gutenberg, and mobileread. Ravelry's Kindle Corner group has also been helpful for book, e-reader, and techie info. While I still love the feel of an aesthetically pleasing book in my hands, I can appreciate having multitudes of books, games and pdfs in a single device that can be held with one hand without cramping. Besides the Kindle, I've also been listening to the Harry Potter books. Soon I'll be finishing Book 4 and starting Book 5. Jim Dale, the narrator, is amazing!
This winter I managed to survive running thanks to a nice running jacket and carbide-studded shoes. Admittedly, it also helps to have a tiny bit of determination, but you can't ignore the power of preparation. Being well prepared (i.e., smartly dressed) leaves no excuse but a flimsy one not to run. It was amazing to me how comfortable I was while running in low temps. Of course there were times beforehand when I'd rather curl up on the couch and knit or read in the warmth of my house. Yet a mile into my outdoor runs, it felt so invigorating and empowering to conquer the cold. All it took was the right gear. On March 22nd, it was my one year anniversary of running again - yay! Coming up at the end of the month, I've signed up for my first race of 2011: the Ecothon at The Wilds. It's my first trail race. You can do a 10K, 5K, or 5K walk. I opted for the 5K since 1) I've never been to The Wilds and am not familiar with the area, and 2) my mileage has been low this winter and spring. I might consider the 10K option next time if the course is pretty and I'm better trained. The Wilds is about 83 miles from where I live - gah! I hope my right leg isn't sore from driving when I do the race!
