She Was Also A Knitter

Gone too soon... Today I got onto Facebook only to find out that someone I knew years ago from high school died from cancer. Following the link to her obituary, I thought, "I hope it's not who I think it is." We were not really friends, but then, she was friendly to everyone. Full of spunk and sass and the owner of a crazy orange VW Beetle, I can think back to her making everyone laugh in marching band. It's funny how someone older in high school can leave such a lasting impression. I think we might've been friends if I'd been older. Or, at least, in hindsight I think we would've been friends.

Her obituary revealed that she was an avid knitter. A knitter! Immediately, I went to Ravelry and looked her up, recognizing a pic from her Facebook photos as her Ravatar. Turns out, she was the moderator of a very large Stitch 'n Bitch in Champaign-Urbana, Illinois. She also had an Etsy shop where you could find stitch markers and earrings. From looking at her projects on Ravelry, she seemed to dabble in a little bit of everything and took on some challenging projects.

The hardest part of today for me was reading her blog posts. They revealed the terror and sadness she felt. She had two little boys and was hoping to have a third child at 40. Instead, she was diagnosed with breast cancer and underwent chemo and radiation. It was sobering and maddening to read the thoughts of someone so full of life experiencing it being taken away. The blog posts ended in 2012, and her steady flow of knitting projects on Ravelry petered out.

Coincidentally, Kelli and I went to Knitters Connection the same year and were in the same room for the super exciting first meeting with the creators of Ravelry, Jess and Casey. If I'd only known she was there, maybe we could've gotten to share our common love of knitting and been knitting buddies.

It makes me angry and sad that someone so full of life, humor, and kindness with a keen eye for noticing quiet beauty in the little things (posthumously discovered by reading through her posts) is gone from this world. Not fair. Cancer sucks. This news makes my day quiet and reflective. Sad.

Columbus Hot Chocolate 15K - November 17, 2013

Warning: Long race report ahead!

Obviously, I haven't raced in a while... It's been a long 18 months since I last pinned on a race bib. In May 2012 I ran a disappointing half followed by a better, but not great, 5-mile Memorial Day run. The only memorable runs I had for the remainder of 2012 were a coastal forest trail run in June while on vacation in North Carolina and a creekside trail run with my daughter on a beautiful and mild December 1st. My mojo came and went for several months. Finally, I decided that the only way to get out of my running slump was to sign up for a race. By summer 2013, I'd narrowed down my choices to either the Columbus Half or the Hot Chocolate 15K. I liked the route and lower price of the HC15K. Plus, the goodie bag was a snazzy black thermal hoodie, and the finisher's mug sounded yummy. The HC15K it was! It turned out fortuitous that I chose the shorter distance because my training was pretty lax. Many times I only ran twice during the week. I was sure to get in some key long runs in order to ensure a finish, but I didn't work at all on speed with my low frequency of runs. My goal was to finish and try for a 12:00 pace.

The week before the race, I unknowingly developed and popped a blister while doing a 7-mi run. It not only popped - it bled and ripped off the skin, staining the ankle of my shoe. I didn't notice until I was more than halfway through my run and could only stop and re-tie my laces for comfort. I only mention all this about my blister because it became important on race day. I'd never gotten a back-of-the-heel ankle blister before, so I was a little anxious about running with one for 15K. During race week, I bought some clear blister bandaids and moleskin. They worked while dry, but I wondered if they would stand up to the predicted rain on race day.

The night before the race, I purchased and printed my parking garage pass despite the developing weather alerts for my city. It was supposed to be very windy and rainy with possible tornado warnings later in the day. Mentally, I prepared myself to spend the entire race running in rain and wind. At bedtime, I stayed on the couch and fell asleep about 2 hours before my alarm (very typical for me). At 5:30 when my alarm went off, I awoke to a pretty intense downpour! My heart sunk wondering if it would be heavy rain like this for the entire race. But, a quick check of the radar showed that there would soon be a break for a while. I continued as planned and got to the parking garage at 6:45. It was only a light misty rain out, and luckily the temps were in the mid-50s. Despite the potential for more rain and increasing wind, it wasn't cold. In fact, I wore a longsleeve tech shirt and knee-length stretch shorts with a running hat. I was never cold during the race - so thankful for that!

After casually walking through the finisher's area and visiting the porta-potty one last time, I walked a couple of blocks to my corral. Once the race began, each corral was moved up and released in waves. I was in the 5th corral back, so my chip time began at about 7:44. While waiting to start, I watched a black trash bag get picked up and blown many stories up into the sky. I thought, "Well, now. This wind should be interesting."

The first 5K was entirely in downtown Columbus and included two bridge crossings. Those crossings were a bit windy with a wetter mist of rain, and it was a bit uphill toward High Street after crossing the second bridge. That first 5K flew by fast! When it got close to the 5K turnoff, we 15k-ers had to stay to the right and continue straight ahead. Someone behind me joked, "How I wish I could turn left right now!" Nearby runners including myself laughed in agreement since we knew this would be a challenging race, thanks to the worsening weather.

The longest stretch of the race was down High Street from downtown, through the Short North, and then finally coming upon Ohio State University, my alma mater. The wondrous smells coming from food establishments like the new sandwich restaurant Melt in the Short North and Buckeye Donuts on campus distracted me. I kept thinking ahead to how wonderful the hot chocolate and the chocolate fondue would taste at the finish! I carried Shot Bloks with me and thought of them on this part of the course, but it was too early to start them. Funny... this would be the last time I thought of my Shot Bloks until I got back into my car post race.

When I reached Mile 5 near Buckeye Donuts close to my next turn, the misty rain had developed into a more steady light rain and the wind picked up quite a bit. I was completely soaked by this point, except for my shoes. Fortunately, after turning onto Lane Avenue, the course was downhill toward the bridge over the Olentangy River. I think this was where, despite the downhill, other racers started to get worn down by the gusty wind and rain. Instead of being dismayed, I took advantage of the downhill. I picked up my pace and started passing some people. This continued the rest of the race. Unfortunately, I stepped in my first puddle on Lane Avenue and soaked my shoes (Oh, no! My ankle! How would the blister bandaid and doughnut-shaped moleskin hold up? Luckily, pretty well.). Then, while crossing the bridge and being more fully exposed to the gradually increasing wind and rain, I could see that we'd be running directly south into the wind and rain at the next turn. Yeeks! The moment we all turned the corner, I heard a collective and very audible groan. More than a few people stopped running and walked. As for me, I saw the 6-mile and then the 10K markers, so I was jazzed that there were only 5K left! I felt grateful for the brim of my hat shielding my eyes as I tilted my chin down and leaned into the pelting rain. My mantra at that point was, "just one more mile and one hill till 7."

Between 10K and Mile 7 was one of two mentally challenging parts of the race. Even though my pace had picked up since Mile 5, there was the hill on John Herrick Drive up to Neil Avenue. I passed two small groups of college-aged runners on this hill. But, when I reached the top and turned onto Neil Avenue, I was tired for the first time and made sure to walk a full minute at the Mile 7 aid station. Thank goodness there were only 2.3 miles left because it did get quite dismal running down Neil through Victorian Village. It was a long, bleak, forgettable rainy stretch back toward downtown. My sketchy memory and tunnel vision on that part of the course were limited to big puddles, heavier rain, and thanking every police officer I passed. I knew I was going to finish and possibly even meet my goal time of 1:50:00, but I finally wanted to be done. At least it wasn't pouring, but ugh!

To get through Victorian Village to Goodale Park, I needed to focus on the fact that I was almost done. I can't tell you how happy I was to turn left onto Park Street! Short lived joy, though... My mind played tricks on my perception of distance because it seemed like I was on Park Street forever. I'd run the entire race up to this point (not counting aid stations). But, I agreed to let myself walk for 1 minute as long as I ran the rest of the way. I almost made it, too! But, I walked again about 2 blocks before the final turn. I could've slapped myself upside the head! Instead, I quickly got it together, started running again, and zeroed in on the final turn. Approaching it, I thought, "After my two cute little walking sessions, I better sure as heck turn it up for the finish!" I made the last turn and about 30 yards ahead of me I saw a young guy. I chose him as my finishing target and sped up to pass him right before the finish. My watch said 1:48:18, and later I found out my official time of 1:48:17. Since this was my first 15K race, it was an instant PB. Even so, I was pleased that I beat my goal time. That was unexpected! Yay, another race in the books, and one that turned out to be satisfactory :-) My split times: 5K/36:34, 10K/1:11:50. Average pace was 11:38.

There were several runners cheering people on near and at the finish. Very cool, especially since there were very few spectators along the course due to the yucky weather. The friendly volunteers at the aid stations every 2-3 miles turned out to be the ones who encouraged runners along the course rather than the usual family and friends. They were fantastic! Despite the weather, they were all smiles and remained positive. After crossing the finish line, I headed straight to the finisher's mug tent to get my chocolate. I guzzled the hot chocolate so fast that I burned my tongue - oops! Next up was the chocolate fondue, and so I ate my banana, marshmallow, and pretzel. But, the wind was getting strong and blowing things everywhere. So, I decided to pause my enjoyment of the fondue, quickly get a picture taken by a race photographer in front of a blown-up mug of hot chocolate, and head for the nearby parking garage. Just in case none of the race pictures turned out, I asked two female runners parked next to me if one of them would take my picture. Good thing I did that because the race photos of me aren't the best.

Next up might be a two-part trail series in January and February. The course is a bridle or mountain bike trail that's only open to runners for that specific trail series. It skirts Alum Creek and has lots of rocks and roots, hence the name of the series, Rocks and Roots. If you pay for and run both times you get a trail series package which includes extra goodies that aren't available if you only do one race or sign up separately for each race. I'm interested to mingle with some other trail runners including those who are crazy enough to go for a buckle by completing both 50Ks. I'd be doing just 10K for each, the shortest distance offered, which is far enough for me in the winter!

Musical Memories, a Reunion, and a Tribute

For once I will not be writing of knitting, running, books, recipes, or some cool math-related topic. For most of you that read this blog, you probably know nothing about my musical side. For all that knew me prior to teaching and knitting, they know me primarily as a musician. Music has always been the most integral part of my life and a major descriptor of my being. This weekend I get the opportunity to reunite and celebrate with many of my fellow musicians as we come together for a choral event at my old high school. We will be celebrating decades of service to the local musical and theatrical arts by Mr. and Mrs. B and supporting the funding for a community performing arts center that has long been a dream of theirs. The arts center will be located in Old Hilliard where the old silos, longtime familiar landmarks, used to be. This tribute concert will feature alumni who have made it on Broadway and off-Broadway. I look forward to seeing many familiar faces and songs from the past up there on stage on Saturday!

For those arriving into town early, we are all meeting on Friday night to join up with the monthly alumni meetup. I don't know about anyone else's frame of mind going into this weekend. Are they feeling a mixture of happiness twinged with underlying sadness as I am? You see, it will be a celebration ...and, though no one may directly address it, it will also be a goodbye. My heart is heavy just thinking about it. The timing of this event is sensitive and meant to celebrate life while Mr. B. is still around. I have been told that he has Stage 4 lung cancer and am not certain of his present condition.

For those who don't know, besides playing the flute and, much later, alto horn, I was primarily a piano accompanist for choirs and instrumental soloists throughout my childhood and into college. There were children's church choirs, middle school choirs, 9th grade choir, and finally Senior Choir and Madrigals - a traveling choral group. I got to sing occasionally, too, when it was something a cappella or when I chose to be in the chorus or snag a bit part rather than play in the pit orchestra for the high school musicals. But, mostly I sat at the piano while Mr. B directed the Senior Choir and Madrigals. I remember his coffee-and-cigarettes breath from being in close proximity as we went over vocal parts and how he could quickly - amazingly quickly - put a person in his or her place during practice with his high expectations and zero tolerance for immaturity. His sharp-witted and sometimes humor-laced sarcasm would cut you to the quick, and deservedly so. He demanded and commanded respect. But, I also remember his reverence for the beauty and sacred nature of choral music. That respect and love for achingly beautiful music was contagious, and, just for one period during the school day, we would quit goofing off, forget what cliques everyone belonged to, and seriously strive to achieve something meaningful together. I remember how there were not just music kids in the choir; there were jocks, nerds, many of the coolest kids in school, and several who weren't a part of anything else in school but who absolutely loved choir. Mr. B, though temperamental as all get out at times, attracted ALL the kids. Everyone wanted to be a part of Senior Choir.

Mr. and Mrs. B put on a spring musical each year, and they also co-directed summer community musicals which brought back many talented and loyal alumni. Once or twice I played in the pit orchestra for those summer shows. That was definitely not as fun as being part of the chorus, but it was still a unique and memorable experience (playing in a hole in the ground where you can't see the audience!). I loved that there was always a good turnout of alumni each summer. However, my favorite performance memories are of the spring musicals. We put on Anything Goes, in which I had a minor part as one of the angels with singing, dancing, and maybe two lines; I got to be a nun and briefly lead off The Sound of Music in Latin (in the dark and unseen, but who cares, it was exciting!); we had an extremely talented senior play Tevye for Fiddler On The Roof. I so loved singing alto in the chorus on Sabbath Prayer and sneaking into the back of the dark auditorium during rehearsals to hear Jess sing as Tevye. He also played Harold Hill in The Music Man the previous year. We had so much fun doing musicals that immediately following their close most of us went through a minor depression from missing the camaraderie, joy, intensity, and fun of it all. Mr. B was the musical director while Mrs. B was the theatrical director. Quite a team, those two! The assistant choir director and technical theater director for all those years under Mr. and Mrs. B will both be leading the tribute concert.

Most competitive high school marching bands go to or hold band camp. With choirs it is less common, but we did it. Every summer we would go to Hocking Hills and stay at a horse camp that had large cabins up in the woods, a lake, and a mess hall that acted as our practice room between meals. Since my high school band didn't go away for band camp, choir camp was the only opportunity for me to do camp away from home. During that week, we would get to know each well, have loads of fun, and get a head start on the music we would be singing in the fall. Besides meeting and making good friends there, I will never forget the last night of camp. Throughout the last full day there, alumni would show up one by one. Following dinner we would put on an informal concert for them under their unwavering and appraising gaze. To close the evening, we would circle up and join hands, young and old, to sing what we always sang a cappella at the end of any concert: The Lord Bless You And Keep You.

When the tribute concert comes to a close on Saturday night with many old musician friends in attendance, I am certain, even with no knowledge of the program, that we will end it with The Lord Bless You And Keep You, and I can guarantee that there will not be a dry eye in the house. I found the version we sing on YouTube. If you watch the video below and see the alumni surrounding the audience, then you might get a feeling of how meaningful this will be for us on Saturday since we'll be singing it for the very people who began this tradition and created many wonderful and lasting memories at our high school.

ETA: Oh my goodness! How could I forget that it was Mr. and Mrs. B who took the Madrigals on a trip to New York City?! If it weren't for them, I would never have experienced Cats, Central Park, the World Trade Center, etc. I HAD to get back on here and mention that NYC trip owning a place among my many fond memories of being in choir.

Trapeze MKAL Update

Three clues finished! Here's my progress in the Trapeze Mystery KAL

Running Shoe Shopping

kicks2012.side, a photo by jmfknits on Flickr.

My new (same old model) running shoes! Kinvara 2's :-)

Nothing that I tried on compared to these. They are just too awesome.

What's For Dinner: Chicken Quesadillas

This is the second time I've made this black bean quesadillas recipe by Budget Bytes. It's so good! I like to add diced grilled chicken and use less red onion than indicated. The sweetness of the corn blended with all the other ingredients is the key ingredient for me. Check it out, I took pics this time. My favorite is the last one. Sidenote: I actually didn't mind the whole wheat tortillas! Then again they were toasted ;-)

Mockingjay Socks WIP Pic

Since I'm clearly on a roll with blogging tonight, here's a pic of my current socks on the needles :-) They're the Darjeeling socks by Cat Bordhi from The Knitter's Book of Socks (Clara Parkes, author). They're toe-up with the center cast-on stitches bordered by the toe increases. The stitch pattern is simple yet exquisite and slimming, a vertical line running up the center flanked by spaced purl ridges. Notice that the center vertical strip is a continuation of the centered cast-on stitches. A very pleasing knit so far! The upcoming gusset will be underneath the foot - never have done it that way before. That should be interesting! I named these Mockingjay Socks since I'm in the midst of reading The Hunger Games Trilogy, I just saw the movie, and the yarn (Knit Picks Stroll Tonal in Foliage, colorway no longer available) suggests a flaming mockingjay (to me!).

Twisted Interlock Bind Off

In doing a test knit of my Mockingjay illusion knitting chart, I experimented with my bind off to match my cast on. My cast on was done in two colors using the Old Norwegian (aka German Twisted) Cast On with purple as the base and green as the working yarn. It's basically Long Tail Cast On with an extra twist of the thumbloop. On the last row before binding off my knitting, I knit across in green (In hindsight, yes, I could have also worked back an extra row on the wrong side in purl. But, this was a test knit, so I wasn't really going for perfection.). Then, following Jeny Staiman's directions for doing her Interlock Bind Off (Knitty link; Ravelry link) for stockinette stitch, I added just one simple element: I twisted each loop to the right (a half turn) before inserting the yarn needle through its front. Here are pictures of each end of my knitting. Hopefully that bottom picture is clear enough to compare.

Hunger Games Mockingjay Illusion Chart Project

Inspired by recently reading the books (almost done with book 3), seeing the movie, and by a new multi-colored Dishie yarn from Knit Picks, I took to learning all about illusion knitting from the Woolly Thoughts illusion knitting site. Using Inkscape, which is free and open source, I followed Woolly Knits' directions on how to create an illusion chart using the mockingjay symbol. After posting it on Ravelry yesterday, my friend Karen and I pulled out scrap cotton yarn and did a quick test knit. Here are my pics (below). Note: there are two Ravelry projects with separate notes for each; one project is the test knit (purple and green) and the other is for when my Knit Picks yarn order in flaming orange and black arrives :-) I plan on fine-tuning/editing/shrinking this chart. Thank you Karen for graciously and voluntarily testing this chart! You're such a dear knitting comrade and friend :-) Pic 1 is supposed to match the original symbol. Pic 2 is rotated. Pic 3 is a a straight-on shot that amazingly shows a hint of the mockingjay if you look closely. Pic 4 is of the wrong side of the knitting which shows a negative of the front. What a fun project! Future plans for this chart: a Mockingjay birthday gift for my SIL who suggested the Hunger Games trilogy when she and my little brother got me a Kindle gift card last summer...

Italian Crockpot Meatloaf

Dinner! Italian Crockpot Meatloaf. Some key ingredients: sun-dried tomatoes, parmesan cheese, garlic, provolone cheese. Yum.

February 2012 Update: What I've Been Up To Lately

If your know me well, you know that I love trying new recipes. I have my tried and true dishes, and then I like to experiment, too, to spice things up. Many new recipes I've tried recently have been tasty, but tonight's was a keeper! Budget Bytes' Hearty Black Bean Quesadillas were easy to fix, and I only made a few modifications. Ingredients: black beans, corn, red onion, garlic, cilantro, taco seasoning, shredded cheese, tortillas. The flavor combination of the beans and corn were what scored high points for me. I pared down the amounts of cilantro, red onion, and taco seasoning and just eyed it. After mixing everything together and measuring out 1/2 cup of filling per tortilla, I made sure to spray the skillet with cooking spray. Before turning the folded tortilla, I lightly sprayed the top/uncooked side. (My pans are old and require a bit of extra help.) The filling mixture makes 10 quesadillas just like the recipe says, so we had 6 remaining quesadillas to cool and then freeze for later. Next up this week: Italian crockpot meatloaf (with sundried tomatoes!), crockpot sweet potato chili, and the recipe mentioned next.

Another awesome recipe that I discovered recently comes from an e-cookbook. For obvious reasons, I can't re-post it here, but I will say that making French Dip Roast Beef sandwiches using a crockpot with a few simple ingredients makes for some great comfort food when served on toasted sourdough dinner rolls with provolone and banana peppers. Yum!
Correction: this recipe is from online, not an e-book. Here ya go:  http://bakingbites.com/2008/02/slow-cooker-french-dip-sandwich/. You're welcome!

Lately I've been spreading myself thin reading several different books and such. Due to the number of books I'm reading, it feels like I never make progress! Some of my more recent book are borrowed digitally from the library, all five of them knitting e-books. Mastering Color Knitting by Melissa Leapman, The Knitting Answer Book by Margaret Radcliffe, and three others. Besides those, I'm (still) reading Under the Tuscan Sun by Frances Mayes and The Terror (this one in paperback, a present from a brother) by Dan Simmons. In addition to books, I've been regularly downloading a knitting periodical I set up in Calibre to my Kindle that reads selected knitting blogs like an e-reader newspaper. This works great for blogs that don't open all the way in Google Reader (like Yarn Harlot or Knitting to Stay Sane). I also regularly follow an Italian language/culture blog meant for English-speaking people in the U.S. One of the latest posts on the difference in customs of how to make tea was truly a humorous read. Supposedly, Italians brew tea in the same large pots used to boil pasta!

In knitting news, I've been re-organizing my Ravelry queue and creating PDFs and/or Kindle books of sock patterns to pair with my sock yarn. I'd already done this before, but now I've made a few deletions and additions to my queue. At the top of my list are two patterns: Darjeeling by Cat Bordhi and Achilles Heal by Lucia Light. For the former I'll use Stroll Tonal in Foliage, and for the latter I'll use Stroll Handpainted in Hayride.

My current projects are two pairs of socks and weaving in the ends of a summer top. With the mild winter we've been having, I might need that top sooner than expected! Marie's Double Heelix socks are finally receiving attention again. I'm close to finishing one sock and beginning the next - woohoo!

In tv/Netflix news, I'm so sad to see the end of Season 2 of Downton Abbey - such a great show! I guess I'll be watching The Amazing Race now... On Netflix I happened upon a cute caper called Wild Target. It stars Bill Nighy (Love Actually), Emily Blunt, Rupert Grint (Ron Weasley from Harry Potter), Rupert Everett (My Best Friend's Wedding), and Martin Freeman (Sherlock, The Hobbit). I love silly, romantic, fun movies like this. I would categorize it stylistically along with French Kiss, a movie starring Kevin Kline and Meg Ryan. Not Oscar material, but enjoyable nonetheless.

In running news, I'm training for the Cap City Half Marathon (May 5), my 4th half!

My Fun New eReader Travel Bag!

My Giraffes Can Dance Borsa Bella eReader Travel Bag arrived in the mail today :-D The main and front pocket are padded, so no more worries about managing Ian while carrying my Kindle. It's so cute, check it out:

WTTHM 2011 shirt, bag, medal

White Tail Trail Half Marathon 2011 Race Report

Yesterday morning I ran the White Tail Trail Half Marathon at Caesar Creek State Park in Waynesville, Ohio! My 2nd trail race, my 1st trail half marathon, my 3rd half marathon overall, and the hardest race I've done yet (even harder than that crazy EcoThon 5K last spring that broke me!). Caesar Creek makes Darby Creek and Highbanks (the hilliest trails near my town where I trained) look like bunny hills. The only trails I've run that are harder are at Clear Creek in Hocking County. Although, at Clear Creek, at least there are opportunities to catch your breath atop ridges or at ravine bottoms. There were no opportunities to catch my breath at Caesar Creek. It was ravine after ravine after ravine interrupted midway by a windy run over the dam.

Before I get into a play-by-play report, let me quickly describe my training prep going into this race. Living in a flat city and accustomed to road races where you don't have to look down constantly while you're running, I ran some occasional trail runs with longer, hillier ones closer to my race. I also upped the frequency and mileage of my weekend long runs (lots of 10s and even above) and did more speedwork to be sure that I built up my strength and endurance. What I didn't do, which I discovered in hindsight is necessary, is strength training and more serious hill workouts. (That, or living in a place where I can regularly run killer hills.) This race turned out to be a difficult 13.1-mile hill workout. No breaks. For this Columbus girl who was better prepared for a swift, flat road race, it totally hammered my legs and made me have to rely solely on my mind to get through the last 7 miles. I'm very happy to have and wear my medal to say that I completed this race! To finish was definitely an accomplishment. Around 40 out of 240 didn't finish the race. I never thought of quitting while running yesterday, but I wondered when I was ever going to get to the end!

Pre-Race
For dinner the night before the race, I went with my family to Golden Corral. With the increasingly cold temperatures and wind building, I noticed that my head was pounding! I ended up not eating a ton like I normally do before a race. Then, I suffered insomnia from my headache and pre-race nerves, only getting in maybe an hour of light sleep.

Getting There
I got up on time, ate my oatmeal, got dressed, and packed my gear. I kept vascillating between outfit choices, wondering whether to wear my running jacket due to the high wind. The wind was 20 mph and the windchill was 31 and would get up to 42 by the end of the race. I ended up wearing my favorite running pants, a longsleeve tech top, wool socks, thin headband, thin gloves, and brought my jacket just in case.Fortunately, my outfit turned out to be just right.

The drive there was a dark, rainy mist. Packet pickup and restrooms were at the finish, located at the park's swim beach. The goodie bag consisted of a small black nylon La Sportiva drawtring backpack with little samples: nuun, Aquaphor, CLIFbar, Gore-Tex lip balm, and a RoadID coupon. After taking the bag back to my warm car, I ate the mini CLIFbar sample and attached the little timing card to the top of my shoe. Like a lot of other people, I wasn't sure how many shuttle buses there would be to get to the starting point. So, I got on the first one, especially after seeing many people headed that way. Such a fool! I got there and had to stand in the cold wind for 50 minutes. On the upside, I had fun chatting, commiserating, and bobbing up and down with fellow racers.

Start
Knowing that the trail would be narrow, I made sure to place myself somewhere in the middle to back of the pack of 240 people. I chose well because I only got passed in the woods about 7-8 times, and 40 people (mostly behind me I'm guessing?) got a DNF. My starting pace was too fast, but I figured that people would start to thin out on the road before entering the woods. I reassured myself that I'd slow down and run my pace after the first mile upon entering the woods.

Miles 1-6
Just before the woods at Mile 1, it thinned out and everybody went to single file. The terrain consisted of rolling hills and small ravine crossings. At the time I was thinking, "This isn't too bad -- as long as it doesn't get worse." Ha! I had no idea... For a few miles, I had people in front and behind, all going the same pace. There were aid stations at Mile 2 and 3.5, and I still felt strong and that things were moving along at a good pace -- my guess, maybe 11:30-12:00. Faster than in training (on trails, that is). The ankle-deep stream crossing not far after Mile 5 turned out to go really well. I only got my left shoe a little wet, and it didn't bother me the remainder of the race -- a relief since I was worried about that. At an open spot that included a short stretch of park road, I came upon a shirtless man in front of me. He looked like he had lost quite a bit of weight and wasn't cold. I wasn't cold either now that I was running, but I wondered how he could stand the wind! Soon after we were back in the woods, I heard a tinkling water sound atop the hill I was climbing and came upon the shirtless man peeing just off the trail. I was glad to pass him and never saw him again. At the end of the first 6 miles was the 3rd aid station where the woods opened up near the dam. I noticed they had Hammer Gel and eagerly took some with water. From there to the dam it was white, finely crushed rocks and dry grass with lots of squishy puddles.

The Dam - Halfway Point
Up until the dam, I still had energy and felt like everything was going well. Then I hit open road in the strong wind atop the dam. Holy moly, that was painful! I tilted my head down and took smaller steps, getting passed by a serene runner whom, in passing by me, I could barely hear say, "The journey of 1,000 steps..." Crossing the dam by car, the time passes by in a flash. While running? Not so much. I was very glad to cross some grass and get back to the trail and the protection of the woods.

Miles 7-9.25
Just before entering the woods after the dam, I saw an unmanned aid station with water coolers but no cups. If I'd known that the next aid station would seem far away, I would've put my open mouth under a spout and taken some water! ...and so began the two longest and most difficult stretches in the race. This is when the super serious hills began. Earlier in the race when the hills and ravines were challenging but easier, I ran up part way and then would finish by walking to the top. I could catch my breath on the downhill. On this section of the trail though, the uphills were steeper and lasted longer. The downhills were so short and steep that I never had a chance to recover. I even got a side stitch at one point! That never happens! I couldn't afford to stop, so I only allowed myself to slow down by walking all uphills. Even by walking the uphills, I was beginning to tire, and I noticed that constantly scanning the ground was taking a toll. I asked a passing runner how far we were. She checked her Garmin which wasn't working and guessed between 8 and 9. She was the last person I saw for a long time. Near the end of this section is when I finally bonked. Luckily, the next aid station came at this time. Instead of walking while hydrating, I stopped at the table and caught my breath. This station had Hammer HEED. I took that and some water and thanked the volunteers. Sidenote: the Hammer HEED was quite interesting -- it was flavorless and clear!

Miles 9.25-11.75
After the aid station, it got worse. My mantra was "keep moving." Really, I had no choice but to keep moving -- I had to get back to my car! There were lots of steep ravines to traverse, and I was getting much slower on the uphills. No one was around, and it was very quiet. My Achilles and calves were tired and aching, completely punished by the terrain. I started thinking weird thoughts, all silly and movie-related. From The Princess Bride, in Inigo Montoya's voice, I was thinking, "Hills and ravines galore!" Then I started hearing music from The Last of the Mohicans in my head, I guess to pretend that I was being "chased by a war party" to keep me moving. Like I said... weird! After a while my head went completely silent like my surroundings, and I just ran... Looking at my watch, I wondered where in the world the last aid station was! I hadn't seen any other runners since the lady with the non-functioning Garmin. Just when I thought I was close, I'd have yet another steep ravine to cross, many of these without footbridges and requiring some climbing to get out -- yes, climbing. Eventually, I came upon the lady who would finish just ahead of me. She was wearing a bright orange shirt (the official race shirt), and I tried to keep her in sight. When I finally heard sounds of a road approaching, I got excited and then sadly remembered that I had to go parallel to it for a while before crossing it. Crestfallen, this was the point in the race where I significantly slowed down and walked even though I wasn't going uphill. I was nearing the 3-hour mark and realized that I'd be going over it. Darn it... I knew I'd be slower, but really? If I could just get to the last aid station.

Last Aid Station to the Finish
Finally, I reached the 6th and final aid station, forgetting that it was at 11.75 mi, not 11. In my estimation and in assuming that I was only at Mile 11, I'd probably finish at about 3:20. Thankfully, the finish came sooner than expected! After the aid station, at which I was erroneously told I had 2 more miles to the finish, I went down a park road toward a boat ramp and re-entered the woods, soon coming upon the State Route 73 trail underpass. Inspired by finally nearing the finish, I was back to running again! Gotta finish strong and running no matter what! The terrain near the finish was mainly tall, grassy meadows and a kid's fishing pond. The trail took me between two final fields of tall grass and wildflowers, and I could hear voices and music ahead. The final stretch was on the swim beach parking lot leading to the shelter where I'd picked up my packet. The only people still there were the volunteers and family members of those still left on the trail (26 people). I was really happy to see my family waiting for me so that I could celebrate my finish. My kids ran along in the grass nearby yelling like crazy for me when I was approaching the finish. Very cute! A women volunteer congratulated me and handed me my medal and an envelope containing a $15 coupon toward a RoadID. I was absolutely starving and immediately downed several orange wedges, a yummy hunk of raspberry-flavored poundcake, and a mini CLIFbar. Looking down at my pants and shoes, I saw that I had mud splattered up to my knees and my shoes were covered and caked with mud. I hadn't even looked at my pants or shoes the entire race since I was too busy looking at the ground. Good thing I expected this and brought a change of clothes and shoes!

After the race, I met the rest of my family at a picnic shelter in another part of the park where we belatedly celebrated September birthdays and had a picnic lunch: brats, hot dogs, baked beans, fresh berries, Chex Mix, pasta salad, and yummy cupcakes -- chocolate chunk with peanut butter icing or chocolate with raspberry filling and chocolate icing! Next, we got a permit to park and look for fossils in the spillway, which the younger kids loved. They'd scream excitedly every time they found something. It was funny to see all of us wearing light winter coats and accessories in September. Everyone had on gloves, hats, mittens, etc. We even warmed our hands over the cooling grill! I couldn't believe I wasn't sitting down, but I felt that I had to keep moving to avoid stiffness. Later, I did have to site while driving the hour and 20 minutes home. I got sleepy and had to stop for coffee to finish the drive.

The day after wasn't too bad! I took an epsom salts bath last night which alleviated a lot of muscle achiness and exhaustion. My outer/upper quads and my Achilles are a touch sore today, and I'm a bit fatigued -- almost like coming down with a cold. At the moment though, I'm feeling improved. I might even be able to venture out for a short run tomorrow. More likely on Tuesday, though.

Will I ever do this race again? Not for a while, if at all! I plan on sticking to road races or much easier trail races where I can tune out and look at my environment and what's going on around me. Staring downward at my footing, torturing my legs, and not being able to look at my surroundings is not my cup of tea. Final time: 3:09:42 (goodness!), 174/200 overall, 19/24 AG, 14:29 pace (goodness!). I'm almost considering doing a 2nd half marathon this fall just to get a flat road race in to better gauge my level of running fitness. On the road, I'd expect a time around 2:15-2:20.

It Finally Feels Like Fall!

I don't know about anyone else, but I love being able to pull out my cooler weather clothes and wear jeans again! I also love my comfy pajama pants! This weather is very welcome here after experiencing temperatures in the mid to upper 90s over the weekend. Being able to sit and knit with my friends without sweating is so nice.

Speaking of knitting with friends, that was yesterday, Labor Day. I was fortunate enough to be able to both go for a long run in the morning and then go knit in the afternoon. Since I knit so soon after my long run, I'm sure I looked like an older version of myself hobbling around! Luckily, that only lasted a few hours. I was back to normal by the evening and feel like new today, as if I never ran.

Yesterday's long run was the furthest I've done in training and is past my usual half marathon training goal of 10 miles. There are 2 more weekends in my training before my 2-week taper, and I need to figure out how to finish my long runs since I've already reached my goal. I'm thinking that since my half marathon will be a trail race I should go to Darby Creek or Highbanks next weekend to fit in another long trail run, then follow that with another regular long run of 10 or 11. I'm just playing it by ear and listening to how my body feels. It's so nice this year, after having a year of half marathon training experience, to feel normal and not exhausted while training. Seriously, the way I feel today, the day after a really long run, it's like it never happened. That makes me feel so good and in shape!

Last week I bought some new trail shoes at CRC Westerville since I'm doing a trail half. I first bought Mizuno Ascend 5 shoes, but they ended up not working out: too narrow/tight and too much shoe. Since the Saucony Peregrines are the trail version of the Kinvaras I currently wear, I went with those instead. They are slightly more shoe than the Kinvaras, but they have the same structure and 4mm heel-to-toe drop. Yesterday's long run (12.6 mi) was the second time wearing them. Here they are:


Here's a picture of my Kinvara 2's to compare:


In knitting news, I'm working on a pullover sweater/hoodie for Ian since it's pretty cool on school mornings, even with the short trip from house to car. I've got the body and one sleeve finished and hope to finish the rest today. Other projects: Marie's Double Heelix socks, Opulent Raglan, Twisted Tulip socks, drapeneck pullover, and soon an earflap hat. Hopefully, I'll get in a blog post about my latest sock yarn stash :-)

It Was A Good Year Running!

Another year has come and gone. It's time to look back, and since there's been a lot of running, that's what I'll be discussing! Before rewinding the clock, first I'll begin with tonight's run.

It seems fitting that I ran 10 miles this evening, and shortly I'll explain why. Knowing it was the eve of my birthday, and after a personally aggravating week, I was bound and determined to go just a little beyond my normal range of 7-8 miles for a long run... and it felt great!!! After a storm passed through the area, I zoomed over to Olentangy Trail at Antrim. Still cloudy with heavily dripping trees, I headed north up to Worthington Hills, enjoying the fresh, rain-cooled air. My shoes stayed dry for a scant 27 minutes -- that's when I hit an ankle-deep puddle that covered the entire bike path. I figured, "If my shoes are getting wet, I might as well make this worth it," and then bounded through it like a little kid. Soggy shoe alert! When I got to the turnaround at Worthington Hills, I cracked open my Jelly Belly Sport Beans, drank a few swigs from my water bottle, and then headed back to Antrim making sure to keep my pace steady and slow so that 10 would be possible. My musical mantra, set to the beat of The White Stripes' Seven Nation Army was: "To last: please don't go fast." Dumb? Yeah, I know. LOL Whatever works, right? To avoid the lure of stopping my run at 7 miles by pausing at the lake deck, I ran by it. My lungs and energy level felt great, but I could tell that my legs were beginning to slowly lose power. Every subsequent time I took a walking break the last 3 miles, I had to make them brief so that my legs didn't stiffen up. Despite the legs beginning to faintly cry mutiny, I felt pretty darn good while doing this 10-mile run! My overall pace was 11:41. Not bad for a fat chick! This felt better and much more enjoyable than the last time I ran 10.

Last year at this time I can remember being in the final stages of training for my very first half marathon. It still makes me smile in wonder and pride that I ran from Tuttle Mall to downtown Columbus. That still seems far to me, one year later! The furthest I ran prior to the race was 10 miles, which is why I felt that doing 10 miles tonight seemed a bit magical. Last year's 10 in August was victorious, yet extremely grueling. When you go 10 miles for the first time, it's quite shocking, and I mean that both mentally (Yay!) and physically (Oh crap, my legs!). Here's a video near the finish line of the race. If you wait for me to cross, you can hear the announcer say my name :-)

After running The Spirit of Columbus Half Marathon at the end of last August, I decided to take September to decide whether I wanted to tackle the Columbus Half Marathon in October. Looking back, I'm so glad that I listened to my body and just ran however I felt. I modified my training by scaling back the frequency of weekday runs and focusing more on the long runs. After signing up for the Columbus HM, I made sure to get in some longer long runs, the last of which was 11 miles on an out-n-back from Antrim to Ohio State on Olentangy Trail. This ad libbed training style worked well for my 2nd race because I felt fantastic the entire race! My time was bettered by over 10 minutes, and I kept a steady 11:00-minute pace throughout.

Two days after my 2nd half marathon, I badly injured myself. While lifting my right leg, I snapped and/or pulled more than one thing in my hip and inner thigh area. It was excruciatingly painful to put weight on the right side of my body to crawl up the stairs to the phone. In hindsight, I should've gotten a second opinion and x-rays because I now believe that I had a stress fracture to go along with the "strained groin" that was diagnosed. My hamstring tendons and inner thigh tendons were pulling on a weak part of the bone which probably cracked a tiny bit. That was the end of my serious running schedule for a while. I ran through the winter, but managed only twice a week with very low mileage. My pace also got immediately slower. Despite those physical challenges and having to slowly recover over several months, I'm grateful that I was able to still exercise and get back to running fairly soon afterward. Running on the snow and ice proved to be funner than usual since I finally bought the proper attire to ward off excuses and the cold air. I even knit myself a neck gaiter for the coldest runs! My favorite gear were my jacket and Swedish winter running shoes. Wind? Ha! Ice? Ha!

Since late spring, I've been happily returning to a more regular running schedule. A few months ago, my knitting friend Ann and I completed a very difficult 5K on a hilly course at The Wilds (after which we got a really cool safari tour!). This 5K inspired me to try getting back into my busier summer running schedule. So far I've been injury free. I'd like to do a 10K or half marathon soon and just need to narrow down the races I've been considering. Scenery vs. large crowds of supporters, location, etc. So many choices!

Running has been such an important part of my life, especially over the last year, beginning again in March 2010. It's my therapy, my chance to get outdoors, my way of escaping, my way of challenging myself and pushing the boundaries, and, of course, my exercise. I wish everyone experienced the same joy I get from running! You know that iPhone commercial where the guy says, "If you don't have an iPhone, then... You don't have an iPhone." I feel the same way about running. If you're not running, you're missing out on something great. There are few other forms of exercise that compare, and it brings together so many people who love the challenge, the fitness, and the endorphins.

Interweave Knits Fall 2011: Thoughts

At first glance, I didn't think I'd like the latest issue of Interweave Knits, primarily due to the large amount of bulky patterns. As a general rule of thumb, I don't care for bulky weight sweaters. The only things I like bulky, and that's only if I really like the design, are accessories or coats. Luckily, there are some coats and shawls in this issue.

Last night, I sat down to skim over the articles which I like to dog-ear for future reading... This is when the magazine captured my attention! Two articles immediately jumped to the fore: "Knitting By The Book" (p. 144) and "Extreme Double-Knitting" (p.16). The former I finished reading on the spot since it was short, while the double knitting article will be saved to read when my kiddos aren't around to interrupt. The author Alisdair Post-Quinn, known as fallingblox on Ravelry, is a very intelligent, innovative double knitter on the Double Knitting forum on Ravelry. He not only knows everything there is to know about double knitting, but he also has discovered how to accomplish never-before-done double knitting methods. I'm so glad that there's someone who understands and can explain advanced topics, not that I've delved too much into actual double knitting projects -- I've just read a lot on the Double Knitting forum. The Interweave Knits article looks to be a good sampling of what he does. Here is his website: www.fallingblox.com for further reference.

Favorite patterns from the Fall 2011 issue: Dahlia Cardigan, Honeycomb Jacket, True North Mittens, Canyon Cardigan, Varsity Stole, and Bryn Mawr Skirt. The Dahlia Cardigan is simply beautiful -- love the back! I'm surprised I like the Honeycomb Jacket; it's not typically something I would knit. It must be the collar and the textured pattern. The True North Mittens are a no-brainer as to why I like those: hello, Fair Isle. Plus the braided wrist adds to my liking. The Canyon Cardigan is yet another potential Eunny Jang steeking project to add to my queue. I've always wanted to do one of her steeked vests or sweaters. Annie Modesitt's Varsity Stole uses a very interesting and unique stitch technique that catches the eye. The Bryn Mawr skirt is probably not going on my queue unless I get skinny. But, one can still like the pattern, no?

Kinvara 2 Running Shoes: The Day After + Knitting News

Whoah, buddy! Ya know when you go walk all day at an amusement park or sightseeing, then the next day you wake up and feel every muscle in your legs? That's how I felt the day after first wearing my new Saucony ProGrid Kinvara 2 running shoes. Good thing I don't run again until Saturday/Sunday. I thought I'd show a collage of various angles of my cool new running kicks. Up close, can you see how minimalist they are? (Open in another tab to view, if desired!) There's not much to the upper other than a blue micromesh over top the shoe's inner skeleton (see the larger mesh innards?). The tongue is thin, yet comfortable, and sewn into the shoes. The heel is semi-firm at the base and soft and flexible around the collar with a ring of comfy inner padding. Just like the heel base, there is some protection at the very tip of the toe. Can't wait to see how my legs and feet respond/adapt to these shoes over more time :-)


The purple and blue-green yarn you see is what I plan to use on Double Heelix, an awesome new sock pattern by Jeny Staiman in the First Fall Knitty. I've been watching the video tutorial that Jeny graciously made for how to get started on the spiraling. Once I get Marie's Froot Loop socks completed (See the bright, girly purple-and-pink socks pictured. Yes, you can't see the froot loops -- I didn't have the informational yarn wrapper with me when I began knitting these... Oopsie!), Double Heelix are going on the needles!


Back in Spring 2008, there was a Chrissy Gardiner sock pattern in Interweave Knits that caught my eye, and I'm finally knitting it: Twisted Tulip. I only have one skein of the color I'm using, part of a set of 7 assorted single skeins. I thought that since I don't really want to do a full length sock of twisted cables, this pattern would do. The colorway is Granny Smith, and, as you can see, I haven't gotten too far yet -- maybe 12-13 rounds into the stitch pattern.


The last knitting picture you see is a baby hat knit in half brioche stitch that I just started. I'm using Dark Horse Yarns Fantasy in #63, a denim blue semi-variegated yarn. It's super soft and washable: great for lots of wear and wash :-) The person who asked me to knit it wants a few other hats as well, including a pageboy/conductor hat with brim and buttons and an earflap hat. I've got the yarn for these hats; I just need to knit them!


That's it for now! Have a great 4th of July weekend everyone!

New Shoes!

Got these today from Running Warehouse! They're the new Saucony ProGrid Kinvara 2 running shoes. My Omni 9s are very worn on the soles, but the cushioning is still good. So they're not going anywhere. Anyway, back to the Kinvaras! They are a lot less shoe -- very minimalist. I'm going to try them out tonight before dinner to see how they ride. I'm hoping that by feeling less like waffle irons, these shoes are less of an impediment when I run.

The poem I posted below is from Pinterest via Ravelry. If you haven't seen Pinterest, it's a collage of pics of interest that members of the site post. Basically, it's eye candy and a way to share things that catch your eye that you love.

Spring Update: Socks, Reading, Running

Since I've been focusing so much on sock knitting lately, especially with my recent participation in a Knit. Sock. Love. KAL on Ravelry, I wondered how many socks I've made all together. My first pair were Jaywalker socks, my only pair made on DPNs, followed by my first 2AAT magic loop pair, Los Monos Locos (Monkey socks, no-purl, toe-up). Once Ravelry began adding to their sock yarns, I've been a sock knitting fool! Here, documented in a collage, are the 14 pairs of socks that I've made for myself (21 pairs total including the 7 pairs I've made for others). That's my knitting contribution for the day!

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!