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!

January 2011 Update

With two young kids, I never know when or if I am going to blog. So I take the opportunities when I have them! Since I'm probably not going to blog again in January, I thought I'd just give a general update.

I haven't gotten around to doing my end-of-year 2010 Knits collage, but I've definitely been knitting. Currently, I have 3 projects OTN: Herringbone Rib Socks, Laura's Cardigan, and Wright. The Herringbone Rib Socks pattern was a freebie book excerpt from the Handpainted Socks book via Knitting Daily. I'm beginning to dread the stitch pattern less, but that might be more due to the fact that I'm nearly done with one sock than due to me having become familiar with it. If you're in a hurry, these aren't the socks to make. Also, I should mention that I'm not exactly pleased with how my colorway is lending itself to the stitch pattern. I'm using Berroco Comfort Sock, and the colors are muted and therefore don't pop on the crosshatched sections. I would suggest a more variegated yarn than what I'm using.

My Laura's Cardigan is nearly done. Notice the lack of exclamation point: I'm crossing my fingers that it fits well enough to wear this spring. I lost 10 lbs to begin making it, but I think it will take another 10-15 lb before it fits how I'd imagined. All I have left are to sew in the sleeves, weave in the ends, and sew on some buttons. I have a lot of tails, so that part might take a while!

Wright has been sitting on the back burner... again. But, once Laura's Cardigan is finished, I'll be able to focus more attention on it, though I plan to cast on for Opulent Raglan next - yay! My Opulent Raglan by Wendy Bernard is going to be done in Knit Picks Merino Style in the Basset colorway (no longer available, but I can tell you it's a lovely brown with gray undertones).

Very recently, I finished an OSU Football double knit hat for Jared. Fallingblox (blog site), the moderator of the Double Knitting group on Ravelry who had a pattern (Four Winds) published in the 2009 Winter Twist Collective usually double knits by twisting all stitches. The twisted stitches create a totally different effect whether using just one color or more. I happen to really like the look of the twisted stitches, especially since they get tighter when stressed. Using twisted stitches, I made the following hat. I should mention that I knit each hat separately rather than double knitting them. Using Judy's Magic Cast On made it very easy to start the second layer.





As for running... I'm just about injury free! I've been running since 3 weeks after getting injured, but suffered lasting pain and difficulty in movement for a while. However, I can now stand up quickly without pain after sitting for long spells, and I can shave my legs in the shower without the fear of sudden pain. Hopping and jumping is possible again. It's nice not to hobble around anymore :-) All that's left is slight stiffness or faint stabs of minor pain (I call it phantom pain) that requires extra stretching attention. I've been running 1-2 weeknights (w/my headlamp) and either Saturday or Sunday afternoon.

I bought two things with my Christmas money: Icebug MR4 trail running shoes and Cookie A's Knit. Sock. Love book. I love them both so much! The Icebugs were designed for ice, snow, and slippery, wet surfaces. They're waterproof breathable and have little retractable carbide stud spikes on the sole which grip into the ice and hardpacked snow (i.e., NOT to be worn indoors!). I just ran in them at Highbanks this past weekend on 3-4% grade hills covered with hardpacked and loose snow -- easy peasy (the footing, not the hills)! As for Knit. Sock. Love., I can't wait to finish my current socks so that I can cast on a pattern from my new Cookie A book!

Over the last month or two, I've been checking out the Harry Potter audiobooks from the library. So far, I've finished the first two books and started the third. It's a slightly different experience listening rather than reading them. Jim Dale is an awesome narrator! How he does all those different voices with their detailed mannerisms, dialects, and pitches is incredible. Since Hagrid and Professor McGonagall sound almost exactly like the actors in the movie, I'm guessing that they (the actors) listened to the audiobooks before filming. Anyway, I plan on finishing the audiobooks before the next movie comes out :-)

Thanks to Kerin at Knit Picks: You Saved My CPH and Tubey!

Thanks to the video below, I saved both my Central Park Hoodie and my Tubey sweater. Kerin, from Knit Picks, explains how to fix holes in your knitting. She has other videos (Do a "darning" search on the tutorials page at Knit Picks to see all 6 videos) showing how to knit stockinette patches for socks, but I was particularly interested in how to replicate the stitch pattern and make it look unnoticeable. You need contrast waste thread or floss to act as an temporary anchor/skeleton for your new stitches. Kerin shows how to do the sideways version of using waste thread, but I know I've also seen somewhere (book? internet?) a vertical version, too, in which the waste thread skeleton looks like very tall stockinette. Either method is valuable to know. I should mention that, while it might seem intuitively easily, it's a little bit tricky to actually do! Here's Kerin's horizontal version in two parts:

Thanksgiving and Since

I thought I'd share a few snapshots that touch upon what I've been up to in the last few weeks. Lots of eating, knitting, running, and, though not shown in pics, reading. It's been a nice few weeks.

As you can see by the plate of food, I have photographic evidence of my ever first Thanksgiving dinner. Since my mother-in-law was sick, I fixed the noonday meal with just a 24-hour notice. Instead of cooking a big bird, I got some turkey breasts and slow cooked them on the stove to use in a turkey cranberry Pampered Chef wreath. I'd never made that particular wreath recipe, so I was pleased to discover just how good it is. Since the crust was crescent rolls and eggwash, it was crispy on the outside and soft on the inside. This recipe is a keeper! For the sides, I made cornbread casserole, green bean casserole, mashed potatoes and gravy, baked mac-n-cheese (at Marie's request), and rolls. It sure was nice to have leftovers to enjoy for the following three days!
The next picture was taken tonight right after returning from my run. I had to show what I've been wearing lately on my runs! Check out my newly knitted running gaiter and hat, as well as my new headlamp. If it weren't for these items, and also my fleece headband and weatherproof jacket, I wouldn't be running in this crazy weather we've been having. Besides what you see, I'm also wearing a fleece jacket and longsleeve tech shirt under my weatherproof jacket. Crazy cold! Luckily, my Land's End running pants have kept my legs warm enough. If it gets down closer to zero degrees though, I'll probably have to wear warmup pants over the running pants.

Since the gaiter turned out to be a success on my frigid runs, I cast on another one, this time in 100% merino and in warm, squishy brioche stitch. I think this second gaiter will be even warmer than the first. I've gotten almost seven inches done and am considering continuing on into a balaclava by binding off about one-third the stitches for the eyes opening. Gotta measure my face first, though! As for knitting any other winter running accessories goes, I might knit some warm, closely knit mittens for single-digit temps.
The mess of yarn and stripes you see in the last picture are from when I was knitting the plaid intarsia hem of my Laura's Cardigan. It took patience and effort, but I believe it will be worth it in the end to have that nice little detail which balances out the rest of the sweater design. Currently, I've finished one short sleeve and have cast on the other. The only knitting left after that will be the neckband, button bands, and collar. I'll have to record how long it takes me to weave in all those ends!

A few weeks ago, I finished my first audiobook, Water For Elephants. Now I'll be ready for the movie when it comes out next year. After seeing Christopher Waltz in the movie Inglourious Basterds [sic], I'm looking forward to him playing August. He's perfect for that role.

After finishing Water For Elephants, I decided to finally listen to all the Harry Potter books. So far I've been loving it, sometimes even listening while I'm running. I've been lucky that my library has been so speedy on my requests for them to date.

That's it for now!

Maze Jumper and Toque FO Pic

Marie finally wore her maze jumper and toque to school, so I snapped a few pics, this one being the best of the lot. Doesn't she look cute?!! For more project info, here's a link ;-)

Around Halloween I cast on for a long-awaited cardigan pattern, Laura's Cardigan. Lots of progress on that, so I'm hoping to have a new cardigan in the near future. I love the fall colors I chose for it!

As for reading and running, I'm getting more of the former done due to a cold. But, I hope to get some running in when the weather warms up this weekend. I just finished the audiobook version of Water For Elephants and am now thinking of revisiting HP7 since the movie is coming out this week.

Columbus Half Marathon 2010 Race Report

What a difference seven weeks made! Seven weeks ago, I was happy just to finish my first half marathon and happy that I did it in just over 2:30:00. Since then, I altered my training, lost a little more weight, and had the confidence to set a race goal. I turned out to have an amazing race!!!

It didn't start out so amazing... The night before the race, I had to put my kids to bed when I really should've been in bed myself. I got to bed an hour late, and then it took me forever to fall asleep. Just as I was finally drifting off, my daughter crawled into bed with me because she'd had a bad dream. After trying to endure her constant tossing and turning and providing heat like a furnace from Hades, I finally got out of bed to carry her back to her room. Not ten minutes later, my son began crying really hard and wouldn't stop. Poopy diaper? Since I was the only once who heard him, I had to go get him and change his diaper. By the time I took care of him and crawled back into bed, I only had one and a half hours to sleep before my alarm went off at 5:30. Yep, you read that right: 1.5 hours of sleep before the race! I wasn't very pleased about that. I cried a little.

When my alarm went off, I was so tired that I hit snooze. Bad idea. Luckily, getting ready and eating my pre-race breakfast went without a hitch. I had instant oatmeal, half a banana with peanut butter, a small glass of milk, and some coffee. Later as I sat waiting in line to get into my pre-paid parking garage, I was really regretting hitting that snooze button! Since I was behind schedule, I had to rush to the porta potties and then try to push my way through the non-moving crowd to Corral 3. It was so crowded that I didn't notice that there was a small opening in the fence by one of the Corral 3 flags. Luckily, a race official directed us to the opening just before the singing of the national anthem. Since it was shoulder to shoulder like cattle, I didn't have room to stretch. Not being able to stretch was icing on the cake considering that it meant my lower legs might be in jeopardy for the race. With all the hindrances I'd endured leading up to the race, I was a little mad. Then... something good happened.

The starting gun went off for the elite runners. The crowd cheered, music was playing, and fireworks went off. What a big to-do this was! It was exciting! All the sudden I got fired up. I could feel the energy of all the runners around me. Sometimes being pissed off can be a positive because I turned all my pre-race frustration into excitement and motivation. I had the desire to get out there and run like mad! It was amazing to be among so many fellow runners all going a long distance, half or full. As we scooted toward the start, I was ready to go! My watch said 7:40.

Just like my first HM, the first three miles were crowded with not too many opportunities to easily pass people without exerting some effort. But once I felt warmed up at Mile 3 in Bexley, I began my quest to run my pace. My legs felt great and the racewalkers were annoying me. I wanted to get around them. My goal was to visit all the water stations but make them extremely brief and not walk between them for as long as I could. My time goal was 2:24:00, or at least better than 2:31:43 (my previous time). So, I needed to aim for 11:00-min miles. I'd made it through 10 miles at that pace in my previous HM before "the wheels came off."

At Mile 4, my watch said 43:xx. Then at Mile 5, my watch said 53:xx. At Mile 6, it said 1:04:xx. Wow, two minutes ahead of pace?! That was unexpected. I wasn't pushing hard yet. I was just going at a pace that felt good. Since I had the time and truly thought I had to pee, I stopped at the next set of porta potties. It was a short line, but I got in there and surprisingly discovered that I didn't need to go. At all. Huh?! Two minutes wasted! Once back on the course, I panicked and sped up my pace to put this mistake behind me. At Mile 7, my watch said 1:17:xx. Whew, back on target for pace! Not good enough, though; I wanted to get back under 11:00 again, darn it! Around Mile 7, I'd taken a strawberry CLIF Shot and some water. The gel kicked in somewhere between Miles 8 and 9. I pushed the pace the next few miles and got it under 11:00 again. The only things that challenged me at this point were the blinding sun on Third Street and the upcoming large groups of marathoners.

It was running down Third Street that I first encountered several teams of marathon runners. For the first time since the beginning of the race, it was difficult to pass without effort, especially around Schiller Park. This was a blessing and a curse: a blessing because these groups literally kept me from walking since I was surrounded at times. It also helped me keep a steady, mindless pace. While I was still pushing the pace, somehow I also felt like I was drafting these groups which gave me the break I needed to endure the final stretch up High Street.

I passed Mile 10 and saw that my watch said 1:49:xx. In my previous HM, this was where the wheels fell off. Fortunately in this race, I still felt okay enough to squeeze out 3.1 more miles and was determined to not let things fall apart again! Since it became a total mind game at this point and I got panicky, I suddenly "felt tired." This pissed me off since I knew I had the training to finish this thing right this time. So I began passing people to take my mind off the final miles. At Mile 11, my time was 2:00:06. That meant I had nearly 30 minutes to run 2.1 miles. Booyah! I smiled and felt like I got a second wind! That's just what I needed as motivation to get up the one major hill we had in the race. Many runners didn't make it up the hill. It was the first time I noticed people who weren't racewalkers walking during the race. Thank goodness I hadn't walked yet and had run 11 miles in training because I got up that hill running, even if it was at a slower pace.

I don't remember my time at Mile 12 because I was trying to pass people and ignore how far away Nationwide Boulevard seemed. But, I do remember rounding the final corner and seeing my family and the awesome downhill finish. I got so excited that I totally gunned it at the end! It was so nice to finish sprinting down that hill, knowing that I'd done my best and surpassed my expectations. Not counting the 15-sec water station breaks, I'd run the entire 13.1! Holy crap!!! My training runs always included walking breaks, so this was quite a feat for me. Two other things astounded me: 1) My legs felt fine the entire race; and 2) I had the energy to sprint at the finish.

After the race, I enjoyed the food, drink, and music. After my family left, I lingered a bit, listening to the band while sitting on the sunny lawn. It was gorgeous out!

As I said earlier, I did a few things differently this time around for my second HM. First of all, I didn't even plan on running this race. I thought I was done when I did the Spirit of Columbus Half in August. I actually laughed when my friend Ronnelle suggested I also run the Columbus Half. But, while I reduced my weekday training schedule, I found myself continuing to do long runs in September, steadily upping the mileage until I finally broke down and registered at the end of the month. Not having the mental stress of training for a race for many weeks, reducing my weekday training a little, and being more aggressive (less walking breaks and higher mileage) in my long runs helped tremendously. By allowing my legs to recover more during the week, I had more productive long runs. I also lost some more weight which helped reduce my pace some and seemed to make my long runs a bit easier to endure. I felt so much stronger and faster in this race :-)

For the knitters: I bought some girls over-the-knee striped socks in pink, charcoal, purple, magenta, and silver metallic to convert into some excellent arm warmers to wear at the race. All I did was cut off the toes and make a small thumbhole in each heel. Voila, $2.00 arm warmers! Sure beats the boring $20 ones ;-)

It's Nice When Hard Work Pays Off

All in all, today was a very good day! Lost some more weight, made it outdoors to do 8.2 miles despite the sketchy weather forecast, and fit into a pair of jeans shorts that I haven't been able to wear since B.I. (Before Ian: Fall 2006). Yep, I'm feeling mighty fine! Btw, these are the first pics I've taken of myself (below the chest) since March 2009 - that was the last time I, a "sweater knitter," knitted myself a top since I'd gained too much weight to satisfactorily knit any of the patterns I had queued. (Usually, I choose close-fitting styles. Those have been out of the question until now.)

The week before my half marathon (8/29), I dipped down to 149.4 out of sheer nervous energy. It was the first time I'd gone below 150 since December 2007. I knew it wouldn't last long: soon after that weigh-in, I carb and water loaded for the race, making a special trip to Hometown Buffet to aid in my endeavor ;-) So I didn't see that number again until last week when I hit 149 on the dot. I got excited until it jumped back up to the 151 range for the rest of the week. Bah! I'd seen enough of that number. This morning when I stepped on the scale, I wasn't expecting anything different. Imagine my surprise when I saw 148.8! Knowing that I had a long run (i.e., major calorie burner) later today, I was stoked.

It took me forever to get around to doing my long run this weekend. I got up early to my alarm on Saturday and realized that I didn't have the energy or hydration level to do a long run: 6 hours of sleep and not enough pre-hydration. Oops. Instead, I slept in on my one day to do so, and then watched the Buckeyes beat the Wildcats. Since I'd skipped my run, I decided to at least go for a short 2-miler before dinner to warm-up for the next day and to add more to my weekly mileage. My easy 2 miles turned out to be very slow because I walked the first 11 minutes. My tendonitis was flaring up again. Not fun! I crossed my fingers that the 2-miler would ultimately loosen up my right anterior tibial tendon (in English: near the inside shin, below the calf muscle). It helped: I cranked out 8.2 miles tonight! I did my 7-mile out-and-back, Antrim to Worthington Hills, and then I finished with one lap (1.2 mi) around Antrim Lake. I won't lie - that last 1.2 miles were challenging; I was D-O-N-E at 7. But, I had some good tunes to motivate me, and I kept telling myself it was only another 12-14 minutes. I stopped my watch timer for 3 minutes to pause and gather myself at the deck on the lake before completing my run. Somehow the legs kept moving, and I only walked 30 seconds of it. 892 calories burned - yeah!

After showering, I noticed a pair of old shorts that had fallen off a stack of clothes - clothes that are too small for me. I checked the size: 10. I already wear a few 10's, but not many that are non-stretchy fabric. I thought I'd try them and see how close I was to fitting into them. Turns out, I fit into them perfectly. Non-stretchy jeans shorts. Woohoo! Payoff for all my hard work and determination! I guess I'll have to see what else fits again...

I also have knitting news for today: only 2 more chart repeats on Marie's maze jumper. After that, I only have the bibs in front and back plus the straps. Can't wait to start some new projects soon!

Race Report: Spirit of Columbus Half Marathon 2010

Wow, am I a procrastinator or what?! It's been two weeks since I ran my first half marathon, and I'm just now getting around to posting my race report... so glad I already posted the pictures and video!

Race Week:
The week before the race, it was taper time. So, less running, rest, and lots of water and carbs :-) Since my right leg was bothering me (more on that later), I only ran twice that week and less miles than scheduled. Carb loading was pretty fun! To be cautious, I did my pre-race pigout two nights before the race at Hometown Buffet. Oh my, did I ever enjoy eating what I wanted and in whatever amount desired! I even drank regular Barq's rootbeer -- a favorite! Turns out that I only managed two plates rather than my usual three. But, I hadn't been to a buffet like that in ages. I guess I get full faster now, which is fine by me! The night before the race, I dined in and made a Macaroni Grill Basil Pesto Chicken meal with garlic bread but no salad (following the "no roughage or fiber before the race" rule). After laying out and preparing my race day outfit and gear, I sipped on water until bedtime. Surprisingly, I feel asleep faster than I expected considering: 1) I was nervous, and 2) it normally takes me a while to wind down. However, I seemed to stay in a light dream state the entire night, waking up every hour or so, which is not my typical sleep pattern since I normally sleep like a bear.

Race Day Morning:
It's amazing how fast I got up out of bed to turn my alarm off on race day. Nerves. I got dressed and had oatmeal, peanut butter on a banana, milk, and some coffee while nervously pacing the kitchen. Once I realized that I was pacing, I sat down to drink my coffee. It was the last moment of quiet I'd have before the race since I knew my mind would really start to race while driving there. Just before walking out the door I suddenly remembered to spray sweatproof sunscreen on my shoulders and arms (Good thing because I would've gotten burned those last 5 miles!).

The drive there followed part of the race course, so I passed a few water stations and mile markers. Despite the distraction and excitement of seeing the race setup, I couldn't help but notice how long the drive felt. Was I really going to be running this? 13.1 miles?! The most I'd run in training was 10 miles the week before, and that seemed like forever! I was really hoping that adrenaline would be my friend and get me through to the end. When I started to think too much about the miles, the drive there turned out to be my mental pep talk. I told myself the following: 1) I trained 3 months for this and was ready, darn it; and 2) I was going to walk through every water station and drink water, even if I didn't feel like having water or walking.

The race starting point was at a shopping mall. Luckily, since the race was small, there was ample parking close to the start. When I say close, I mean that I could've gotten out of my car when the gun went off and not lost any time ;-) It was 7:00 a.m. and I had a half hour till race time. After putting on my hat and grabbing my Shot Bloks and mp3 player, I headed to the porta potties on the opposite side of the road to stretch. Soon after I finished stretching, I noticed the porta potty lines getting longer, so I got in one. Relieved I got to pee, I headed over to the start and waited, occasionally chatting but mainly staying quiet and taking in my surroundings. There were no corrals since it was a small race. While shaking out my legs and loosening up my ankles in anticipation, I realized I hadn't put BodyGlide on my thighs. Oh freaking crap! This was 5 minutes before the start. I immediately hurried over to my car, got in, and furiously coated my thighs. There was NO way I was going to run 13.1 miles without anti-chafing balm on my thighs, unless I wanted to start a fire. Whew, that was close! When I got back to the start, the anthem had started, and then we were off!!!

Mile 1:
My little clip-on mp3 player was set to play all songs alphabetically. That way I could count the total number of songs after the race was over (35!). First song? "4 Minutes," the Glee version of Madonna and Justin Timberlake's song. Good way to start! I kept the volume low so that I could still hear nearby people talking. Even though we were under 1000, it was closely packed that first mile. The pace felt slightly faster than I intended and turned out to be 10:51. Oops, too fast!

Mile 2:
I didn't want to tire out too early, so by the second mile I managed to slow down and get behind a pair of younger women who held a steady, comfortable warm-up pace. We turned onto a quiet road that went downhill with houses on one side and a mist-covered field on the other. I made sure to enjoy the shade and cool temps, knowing that later, the last 5 miles of the race were out in the open sun -- this on a forecasted 90-degree day. (The sun is my kryptonite, so I cherished the shade I got in those first 8 miles!) I didn't look at my watch at Mile 2 because we had our first water station. Since I didn't turn down my music, I accidentally grabbed Gatorade. Oops! I took a sip and tossed my cup, then grabbed some water. After a few small sips, I started running again. Small sips and very brief walking were the norm at these earlier stations. I wanted to follow my water station rule, but I also didn't want to waste time either while I still had lots of energy.

Mile 3:
After that first water station, the course took us another easy mile to the bridge that crosses the Scioto. There were a few residents standing at the end of their drives watching us pass by while they enjoyed their morning coffee. Most politely smiled, but there were also a few who cheered us on. That felt nice because I knew there wouldn't be many spectators until the finish due to the race course logistics. After all, this was a scenic race course that didn't have many safe places for pedestrians. After turning to head toward the bridge, I walked and sipped some more water and took off. This is where the pack dispersed!

Mile 4:
Oh, yeah! Downhill time! It turned out to be the biggest downhill we had. Many runners, including myself, took advantage and flew down to the river. When I got to the bridge, I normalized my pace and looked ahead to the hill taking us back up. No problem! It wasn't as steep or as long as the downhill. We turned right onto Riverside Drive, which would take us the remaining 10 miles into downtown. No more turns - this was it: Now we were following the Scioto the rest of the way. I was looking forward to this stretch between the bridge and Griggs Reservoir at Mile 5. There were going to be some really pretty views of the river and a small inlet. When I got to the stone-bordered inlet, I saw some great blue herons and ducks. A few of the early morning sun's golden rays pierced through the dense mantle of trees surrounding the inlet. As I stared at the mist-covered scene, I took in a deep breath and closed my eyes for a second. I think that's when the first race photographer, unseen by me, took my picture. Instead of looking peaceful and content, as I knew I was, I looked like I was asleep! I don't remember where the Mile 4 water station was, but I do remember realizing that I was going to make it 5 miles without walking (between water stations, that is). Woohoo! I felt pretty good! Near the end of this mile, I caught up to and followed an older man who looked to be well over 70. I stayed behind him until the next water station and never saw him again since he skipped it and I did my usual walk-and-drink routine. Beat by a 70+-year-old man! Oh well, good for him!

Mile 5:
As the older man passed by the water station, I decided to take both water and Gatorade. I still only sipped, but I made sure to drink both. I could tell it was getting warmer. We were now in Griggs Reservoir: a 2-mile park along the Scioto River. This is where I began mentally breaking up the course into segments. I'd just done 3 miles to the bridge and 2 miles to Griggs. Now I had 2 miles through Griggs. My time was 55:something, approximately an 11:00-min mile. Well, all right then!

Mile 6:
I was still feeling good, although I could tell that I needed to get my Shot Bloks ready soon. There was GU at the last water station, but I declined it since I'd brought my own energy chews. My family would be near Mile 6. So just before going under a bridge before the water station, I stopped to walk and chew a couple of Shot Bloks. When I'd finished chewing, I reached the water station. There was another race photographer taking pics at about 5.5 miles. I wasn't expecting him and stepped in a rut right before he snapped my photos, so you can toatlly see my reaction. Oh my, my race photo prospects weren't looking too promising at this point!

Mile 7:
After running about a half mile past the water station, I saw my husband with our 5-year-old daughter and 2-year-old son. They were near the relay exchange point at Mile 6.55. I waved hi and grabbed a quick sip of water (an extra station!), this time while running. Only a half mile more of Griggs! There was a water station at the top of a short but steep little hill when exiting the park. I didn't let myself stop running until I got up to the station.

Mile 8:
Now came the one hilly portion of the course. It was gently rolling hills for exactly one mile. Believe it or not, this felt pretty good on my legs. As I mentioned earlier, I'd been having issues with my right leg: medial tibial stress syndrome, otherwise known as shin splints. Going uphill stretched out all the right muscles, so I didn't mind breathing harder to enjoy a good stretch. The biggest and last uphill of the race, right before the Mile 8 marker, turned out to be not scary at all. I quite enjoyed it! Why? Besides getting a good stretch, there was a water station at the base, and my family passed me by in their car just as I started to ascend (while running!).

Mile 9:
With my spirits buoyed, I experienced a second wind. I hadn't noticed I'd lost any pizzazz until this happened.  8 miles was the last distance I'd run solidly in training (10 being my longest long run). So from here on out, I didn't know what to expect of my performance. Since I felt great at this point, I decided to go with it and pick up my pace for the next mile. When I got to the end of this mile, I planned to eat some more chews and follow it up with an easy mile. Mile 9 felt awesome! The best and fastest mile of the race! And then I noticed the sun...

Mile 10:
This is when I started to slow down a bit. I'd already planned to, but I also felt like I needed to due to the rising temps and sun. I don't even remember which stations had sponges, but I took them all when I came to them! This mile was slow and, for the first time, I walked once between water stations for one minute. Time to reserve some energy. When I neared the Mile 10 marker, I wondered if I could pick up my pace again. As I thought about this, I realized I had a possible blister developing on my left foot. Really?! After all the BodyGlide I slathered on my feet? My mp3 player, which was still on songs beginning with B's, started to play "Blister In The Sun." Now that was funny! Oh, the irony! I got a mini third wind from the hilarity and picked up my pace as I crossed over Mile 10. Blister schmister!

Mile 11:
Energy renewed, I decided to do this mile at a faster pace, but with a few 1-min walking intervals. Luckily, I was running when the third race photographer snapped pics. I didn't even see him/her. As I approached the water station at Mile 11, my family were all shouting at me across the busy road, but I didn't see or hear them. Fortunately, I was running when my husband was taking video with our camera, unbeknownst to me. A lady at the water station shouted, "Just 2 miles to go!" I got excited, but I also realized that this would be a trying 2 miles. I didn't have much energy left. I would be running in spurts.

Mile 12:
The mile that lasted an eternity! I walked a lot more than I wanted to and dearly hoped that adrenaline would kick in when I got near downtown. I could see the skyline at this point and was nearing the big highway loops. This is where I looked at my watch and knew that, if I pushed it, I could make it under 2:30:00. I had 25:00 to go 2.1 miles. So doable, if only I hadn't just run 11 miles. If only there were shade! It was getting hot, and at this point I was double fisting the water and Gatorade - chugging, not sipping. This was the hardest mile. Make it end, I thought! When I reached the last water station, I strolled while finishing off my Shot Bloks and drank every last drop of water and Gatorade. There were sponges! I took my sponge, lifted my hat, and squeezed water on my face. Then I squeezed the rest down my back, holding the cold sponge at my neck. Stupid sun, I'll show you!

Mile 13:
This was it! The last mile (and a 10th)! Finally, I got some shade by going under the big highway loops. This helped a great deal. I was able to run in spurts of about 2 or 3 minutes. When I finally saw the last landmark, a train underpass, I decided that I wouldn't be walking after that point. There was a slight uphill, but I knew the finish line would be visible at and not far after the top.

Finish Line:
As I neared the finish line, I could hear The Blackeyed Peas' "I Got A Feeling" playing. The MC was calling out the names of finishers. Oh, cool! I didn't know that they did that at half marathons. Once more, my family was there to cheer me on and take video. After passing them, I had about 100 yards to go. I sped up just a little, sticking to my habit of finishing every run strong. I didn't feel the elation or sense of accomplishment until 10 yards before the finish line. It hit me all at once, and I did a little fist pump before I crossed over! I also remember saying, "Woohoo!" I got my finisher's medal and put it on immediately before grabbing some Myoplex and water. Before my family caught up to me again, I remember thinking to myself, "I did it!" Just then, I recognized the next song that had started playing as my family walked toward me. It was "My Hero" by Foo Fighters, which happens to be one of my favorite Foo Fighters songs! It was so fitting because my daughter's first words to me were, "You won, mommy!" You know what, I felt like I had won: I'd completed my first half marathon!

Half Marathon Pics and Videos

Mile 5, Griggs Reservoir, Upper Arlington















Mile 11 Water Station, just west of Grandview Avenue


Crossing the Finish Line


Finish Line Photos

Reviews and More: Knit Picks Fall Yarn, Twist Collective, and Knitty

It's that time of year when cooler weather knitting looms not too far in the future. All the fall yarns and patterns stir up my excitement and imagination as to what I'd like to knit. Meanwhile, it's the perfect time to get late summer and early fall projects out of the way. More on those later.

Right now I want to list all the new colorways of Knit Picks yarns that struck my fancy. And here we go...
WOTA Bulky: Anchors Away, Vacation, Garden Party
WOTA: Bramble Hth, Black Cherry Hth (not new, but I've never noticed it before!)
Palette: Opal Hth, Bouquet Hth
Swish DK: Pampas Hth, Squirrel Hth
Swish Worsted: Lotus, Twilight, Lost Lake Hth, Marble Hth
Gloss DK: Guava, Gulfstream
Capra: NONE
Andean Treasure: Grove Hth
City Tweed DK: Tanrantella, Toad
Stroll Sport: Rouge, Baltic Hth, Jack Rabbit Hth (not that I'll ever buy sportweight)
Stroll: Agate Hth
Stroll Hand Painted: Watermelon
Imagination: Wild West, Ruby Slippers, Mermaid Lagoon (not actually new, but new to me)

From the new Twist Collective, I like two patterns: Coventry and Hawthorne. Coventry almost looks capelike. It's cute, swingy, sophisticated, and the cables are interesting! Hawthorne looks to be a good combination of garter stitch and lace, and I like the heavier weight. From the new Interweave Knits, I really like Leyfi Pullover! Normally, I despise the look of yoke-style patterns and have always been super picky as to fit and shaping since IMO they don't flatter most body types except those who are lean. But this one is truly awesome. I like the see-through yet modest leafy lace at the neckline, shoulders, and long sleeves; the lines that the lace creates are appealing to the eye and draw the eye away from the waist (a plus for most of us). And lastly, from Knitty: Coquille. I can see using Knit Picks Imagination or Stroll HP. I like the vertical lines, colorway changes, and near ruffles at the base edge. It looks like a fun knit!

Now back to my knitting plans. Currently, I'm working on a pair of Butterfly Garden socks for Marie with leftover Crazyfoot yarn. Lucky girl, huh?! On a sidenote: the yarn, a single ball, got tangled between these two socks a few nights ago, and it took about 6 hours over 2 nights and watching the latest Rambo twice in a row (WTH?!!) to untangle the mess. Anyway, I'm sure I'll cast on yet another pair of socks after that. But, I plan to re-focus my attention on finishing Marie's cotton mosaic tunic and my purple drapeneck top. Then, I want to begin my Laura's Cardigan, and following that, Opulent Raglan. I still have some light green yarn I intended as pajama pants for Ian. Also, I have a little bit of Christmas sock yarn left.

Lately, I've been searching for patterns specific to running: handheld water bottle cozies and hands-free music player holders. There aren't any knitting patterns for what I have planned with the water bottle cozy. Time to be creative! I'd like for it to be a full-bottle cozy (I just got a 17oz/500mL BPA-free plastic bottle) with the following unique additions: 1) a knitted-on "knucks grip" (i.e., holes for each finger) and a snug hand strap for added support; and 2) an optional afterthought pocket for ID, money, cell phone, and energy chews/gel that sits lengthwise on the far side of the bottle. It would be nice to drink water any time I want on long runs without having to tense/grip my hand around the bottle the entire time. Yes, they already sell things like this at stores and online. But, I thought it might be fun to come up with something myself via knitting ;-) For the music player holder, I want it to fit snugly on my upper arm, have cord management, and possibly have an adjacent pocket wallet (to hold the same items as the bottle cozy). Another running accessory that I've read about lately is arm warmers. There are female runners, elite and novice, who wear short-sleeve or sleeveless technical shirts with full-length handknitted armwarmers so that they can adjust to the varying temperatures during a race. It would be nice to roll them down from the top and have a convertible mitt (newborn style) to expose your hands if you get warm. Sometimes jackets are too warm for me once I'm warmed up, and then I have to suffer through wearing them heavily tied around my waist. Adjustable armwarmers might be the answer to this problem!