The Pieceful Ewe

Needle Felted Pumpkin

2011-09-10T08:54:00.000-07:00

The Community Ed Catalogs are out! My first CE class on needle felting is now available. We'll make this 3-D pumpkin out of dyed wool. The class is scheduled just a little before Halloween, so those who attend will have plenty of time to make up more to decorate for the fall.

As I look back, it was only a few years ago that I learned needle felting. It was an instant success - the medium is like sculpting with wool and no water needed. Something I could do while watching TV or listening to an audio book. Most recently, I made up a few pincushions out of old teacups. It's a great way of recycling those chipped, mismatched or orphaned teacups. Plus, the wool keeps needles sharp. They will be available for sale around town this fall and Christmas season.

On Being A Starter

2011-07-02T12:28:00.000-07:00

I've always been creative, love to plan, dream, implement, then get bored once things are going. And so things that I would dream about would fizzle out and I would feel like a failure. A new dream or idea would come, and I'd think, plan, implement, carry it out, get bored, fizzle, feel like a failure again.

These last few years I've discovered more people like myself. I've even had people encourage me to find jobs that rely on me starting things up and getting them running well. A couple years ago, I discovered that there is a term for this - it's called being A Starter.

Being a Starter does not mean that you don't have the ability to finish things, rather, it's that you start things so that the "Worker Bees," who enjoy maintaining well running things, can take over. Being a Starter is about knowing when the starting stops and letting go.

What does that mean for me now? I'm entertaining some ideas about becoming a small office organizer. I'd go in, assess the office, help to get them running and organized, and then when it's like a well oiled machine, move on to the next office. Or something like that, that leans on my natural giftings.

It's hard to be a Starter though, in a culture that values the every day routines, the consistent work, the finishers. It may be akin to being a seed planter in Christianity - you sow, but don't reap, therefore your "success" is less measurable. I was taught that if you start something, you finish it. While that may be true for some things, it isn't true, true, to the way I work at projects. It's not that I can't finish something, but there are some things that I need to be able to let go and let others take over.

After being clearer on this Starter thing (I'm still learning to lean into it), I am more able to let go of things and not feel like I failed. On the other hand, when a new dream or idea starts, I can better manage how I go about it, knowing that this may not be something that I do for more than a year or two.

Some things that I'm recently letting go are:

Quilting
Running
Gardening (though that may shop up again)

It feels good to be able to let go and not hang onto those things anymore. No guilt or shame. It's just time to make room for new dreams.

Extreme Makeover, My Edition

2011-07-02T12:04:00.000-07:00

I've been watching Extreme Makeover shows, the Home Edition and now the Weight Loss edition. Some of those people are losing 50-130 pounds in 3 months. Granted, they are equipped with knowledge, a coach, tools, etc. and do it as their job. But that is some serious weight loss.

What if...I could do my own edition? I noticed that the most weight that they lose is in the first quarter of the weight loss, then it gets a little less. So, here's my own edition - lose 40 pounds by the end of the year.

My gosh, that sounds...like a big goal. And a little scary too, because I will be so different too - in many ways. But, it is also a good and doable challenge.

Here's the breakdown:
July - 10 pounds
August - 9 pounds
September - 8 pounds
October - 7 pounds
November - 6 pounds
= 40 pounds down

I'll give myself December off to maintain and then review in January.

The contestants also get rewards for reaching their goals. So, if I lose the 10 pounds for July, then my reward will be a complete new outfit - head to toes; shoes, clothes, accessories, lingerie, maybe even something for the hair. No new clothes before that. I don't know what the rewards will be for the other months, I'll probably set those as I go.

Weigh in is once a month, so I will have to keep myself from stepping on that scale. My weigh in this morning was _ _ 9 (you didn't think that I'd really post my weight, did you?).

Next weigh in - August 1st.

Neon Daisies

2011-06-13T13:44:00.000-07:00

This is one of my wallpaper pics on my computer. For some reason, whenever I see it come on, it feels as if my heart opens up like one of the daisies. Maybe it's because of the bright colors and it gives off some color therapy; or because its nature-like and spring. I just want to sit and stare and it, and thought maybe you would like to as well.

P.S. I was bad this morning. Yes, I did wake up on time, but then I thought, my in-laws are coming for an overnight and I won't be able to run on Weds, so why not just do Tues-Thurs-Sat. But now my legs feel restless like they wanted me to take them for a run and now have excess energy. Sort of like my dog.

Not that I'm saying I'm a dog.

Surprise! New Plan

2011-06-08T19:34:00.000-07:00

And once again, I have concocted a plan. It'll be our little secret, just you and me. Because you know by the fact that this blog is quiet response-wise, it really is just you and I together here. So don't say anything awhile, k?

The plan: run a 5k at the end of October.

No, this isn't a repeat post. I'm going to do it again, though I am starting about 15 days earlier this time. Plus, I am in better shape and not passing out when I run a minute. I may want to pass out if I run 5, though. But we'll cross that line later.

This time, I'm not really going to tell anyone, it's just you that knows. I think I work better this way, so there isn't the pressure of expectations and I can come from behind like an underdog and say, "hey, I ran 2 miles this morning, I think I'm almost ready for that 5k" and THEN it'll be cool to talk about it.

The plan I wrote up is a 20 week thing (which you know I will be revising as I go) but this is different than the cookie cutter 5k programs. I took into account the times that I will be out of town. I took into account how I ran last fall and trained naturally. And then I took into account the fact that I never stick to a plan, even my own.

I start on Monday, and I will be going outside. I haven't run outside yet this spring, so I will start very slow and see how it works. My goal will be to run just 1 minute 3 times during my morning outing. And I think I may take the dog, which means an extra reason to take it easy. He isn't quite there yet for healing. But that also will mean that I need to get up earlier so that it doesn't screw him up with his feeding times.

So, my dear friend, think of me on Monday morning as I roll out of bed thinking, "dang, what did I get myself into," and roll onto the street.

Let's really hope it's not raining.

You have walked 25 miles.
You have passed Green Hill Country.
It is 2 miles to the next landmark.
You have 433 miles to reach Rivendell.

Wandering Banyan Tree

2011-06-06T07:12:00.000-07:00

Last week I scoped the occasional and weekend shops around town to see if there were any that I could sell my handmade things at and/or the crafts from India. For booth rental, the cheapest I could find was $125 a month. I don't think I even have that much inventory to last for very long. But what I stumbled onto was consignment.

I am going to take in my t-shirt necklaces into Urban Violet this week. She loved my necklace before I told her that I made it, and she said she'd take all I had.

I only had one made - and that one was made that morning that I brought my samples in. I had not intended to market them that day.

sounds of scurrying ensue

Over the weekend, I've made about 25, and then it came to tagging them. I did want to create a "brand" or image that involved some kind of unique crafting and something to do with India - thus Wandering Banyan Tree was born. The Banyan Tree is the national tree of India. Under its shady branches, villages had their merchant fairs, was a gathering to buy and sell things or just a cool place to chat and gather. The name Banyan in Hindi means merchant. And since I now wander between here and India, I added that adjective to make the name unique. Do you know how many businesses are called "Banyan Tree?" Google it, it's amazing. But none other has the "wandering" part that I can find.

Anyway, my fundraising for the next India trip has begun. I am hoping to sell about 10 t-shirt necklaces a month and have another lead at a different shop in town. I may even try a third shop this week as well.

You have walked 23 miles.
You have passed Green Hill Country.
It is 4 miles to the next landmark.
You have 435 miles to reach Rivendell.

Not A Team Player

2011-05-24T07:22:00.000-07:00

Watching my body change each week is a new experience for sure. I've never really lost weight before, despite all the "trying" over the years. Even when I was a teenager and came home from school, rode my horse and did aerobics. My mom would prepare a hearty meal filled with meat, starches and butter and our veggies came from cans or jars. Sometimes I still crave those foods of childhood, but I find they are usually too rich for me now.

Today I ran a little on the treadmill. This is the first time since I had a little injury in April. I had thought that I would want to just keep walking. But my legs had other ideas - they were longing to run. And that makes sense, because running has always been one of my strong sports. I was never good at team sports, when the whole team depended on you to stand there, and hit or catch or block. Maybe I was ok with basketball except I'm short, and soccer was a good game, except we only rarely played it and there was no girls soccer team at our school then.

Instead, I went out for things that required myself to challenged such as choir and art and track for one season. It's not that I was never athletic, even though my experience with team sports may lead you to believe that. I was athletic - but not as a team player. I needed the freedom to do my best for my own self, and not think about how it affected others. And that is the truth in about anything I put my hands to whether it is following a knitting pattern or writing a blog.

To my own self be true.

There is an athlete still inside.

This week's goal - to get to the 20 mile mark by Saturday evening.

You have walked 17 miles.
You have passed Last View of Hobbiton.
It is 1 miles to the next landmark.
You have 441 miles to reach Rivendell.

Scale-ing Back

2011-05-20T07:30:00.000-07:00

I had an interesting conversation at the yarn shop last week. The shop is where I get the best news around town, the world and interesting conversation. Missy is a dietitian and encouraged me to get rid of my scale. After some thinking, I think she's right. I've seen more changes in my body than the scale shows. So on one hand, it feels as if I've become a bit smaller - but on the scale side, it doesn't seem like much is happening at all. I've decided to put my scale away in our closet and only weigh in maybe once a month. This is much better than my almost every day obsessive weigh-ins!

Changes I've seen lately:

My shirt arms seem to have become longer and the shoulder seems are hanging down my arms
Stomach continues to change in the way it carries the weight - looking like a slowly deflating tire
The shirt I bought a few weeks ago as an incentive because it was tight when I put it on - is not so tight now. Just a little bit bulgy. I may be able to wear it come summer.
I look and feel smaller and can see changes

On the other hand, or foot, if you will, my "official" exercising has been slow going this week. It doesn't mean that I am not moving around, though. I still hope to get to the next landmark by Sunday.

You have walked 14 miles.
You have passed Last View of Hobbiton.
It is 4 miles to the next landmark.
You have 444 miles to reach Rivendell.

The Long Journey for Joy

2011-05-14T18:49:00.000-07:00

I drove 1 1/2 hours each way to a special shop today. As for the item that I picked up, well, I am still taking pics and will post that soon. So you will have to wait until I can take nice pics outside for the big reveal!

Speaking of journeys...

You have walked 13 miles.
You have passed Last View of Hobbiton.
It is 5 miles to the next landmark.
You have 445 miles to reach Rivendell.

Not so many miles logged this week, I was a bit lax. I am going to make it my goal to make it to the next landmark by Friday.

In Which We Realize There are no Dandelions in Our Yard and Rejoice

2011-05-09T17:59:00.000-07:00

When we took a walk tonight, I noticed these funny yellow little flowers in some peoples yard. And then it struck me - for the first time since we moved in, we aren't one of the first on the block to have them! We've had a lawn service come in and spray, seed and things like that in our front yard.

And then when we got home, I walked the dog to the back yard and the rejoicing stopped; plastic pool, bags of leaves from last fall, dead spots from moldering leaf piles and assorted debris. Yuck.

You have walked 10 miles.
You have passed Last View of Hobbiton.
It is 8 miles to the next landmark.
You have 448 miles to reach Rivendell.

Go, Sheep, Go

2011-05-09T15:16:00.000-07:00

Last weekend was the annual Shepherd's Harvest Festival at Lake Elmo. 4 barns of vendors, extreme sheep makeovers, sheep dog demos, good food, lots of fun to be had.

My SIL and her adorable son met me there in the morning. Oddly enough, Sam was more interested in the cute little girls than the sheep!

I went to the ravelry meet-up in the afternoon and had spindle envy. Why, oh, why didn't I bring anything to spin or knit? What is wrong with me? On the plus side, I won some silk hankies in the drawing. So spinning (or at least drafting of) commenced at home.

Today, I can sit and admire the plunder of the day. I can reach into my basket and remember fondly the fun sheepy weekend, and savor the memories until next year.

Walking to Rivendell

2011-05-09T09:13:00.000-07:00

In an effort to repost and update things at the same time, here's my update on Walking to Rivendell.

You have walked 8 miles.
You have passed Last View of Hobbiton.
It is 10 miles to the next landmark.
You have 450 miles to reach Rivendell.

Yesterday, I had plans of making my maiden voyage outside for a walk/run. I woke up to sounds of rain and thunder and hit the treadmill. I actually am enjoying walking now, not so much running. And if I do it right, I still break into a nice sweat and get my heart going. So I will continue to walk and add in a little jogging when I feel like it.

CRAAAAP!

2011-05-08T08:03:00.000-07:00

Well, if you found me here, then you are a better blogger than I am. I started playing around with exporting/importing my blog posts into one blog, to simplify everything. But in so doing, I accidentally DELETED MY NEW BLOG!!!! All those lovely new posts gone. Luckily, I was able to fish the export files of the other blogs from my recycle bin and add them all onto this blog. Unluckily, I didn't export a copy of my new blog before doing all this.

Well, and why not. This was my first blog here on blogger, so the old is new again.

*sigh*

PLEASE - post that you found me here when you do.

I promise to try not to do any fancy blogging things for awhile again.

Home Again

2011-02-24T13:40:00.000-08:00

Yes, I'm home again! I have been home for a week but am still getting over jet lag (12 hours difference) and was sick for awhile. My legs are starting to feel restless and ready to run again. I did have plans to start running right away, but I was so exhausted that I didn't push it. But starting tomorrow, we're back at it again.

The neat thing is, I still lost weight while away, about 3 pounds. I didn't run, didn't even have time to skip rope. Just the activity and the foods and that was it. I am well on track to lose that 20# by May 30th! Maybe even by the end of April. We shall see!

February Legs

2011-02-24T13:37:00.000-08:00

I Think My Scale is Broken

2011-01-31T08:41:00.000-08:00

Over the weekend, I didn't work out at all. But here's the thing - I lost weight, a pound each day.

Now on one hand, I suppose you're not supposed to weight yourself every day because of fluctuations. So someone could argue that it's just water loss. On the other hand, I haven't weighed this little in over a year or more. I'm not counting on being down to this weight tomorrow, but it was so joyful to see the number on the scale!

As to what happened, I did a little investigation.

Wife: I lost another pound today.
Husband: nods
Wife: did you mess with the scale?
Husband: smiles, kids around, but didn't do it.

Another thought came to mind. When I was reading Make the Connection, Bob Greene had said that the first week he worked with Oprah, she lost no weight. But the next week, she lost 5 pounds. He said that this can happen a bit when losing fat through diet and exercise. Your body will hold onto the weight in water that you lost, until it is ready (adjusted to the changes) to release it. I wonder if that's what's happening to me as well.

Side note: When I read that book, I thought that I couldn't do that, it would be too hard. But now, I am doing something very similar! Maybe it's time to re-read that book.

Well, whatever is happening, I am going to keep going. I have 2 more days of run/walking before I take off. And wouldn't it be nice if, during my travels, my weight continues to go down? Not that I am expecting it to. In fact, I am expecting to be up a couple pounds. But it's nice to dream.

It CAN be done!

2011-01-29T07:04:00.000-08:00

I've lost another pound today! I am down lower than I was when I was running. One week, 2 pounds down.

WoohooooooooooooooooOOOOOOOOOOOOooooooooooooooo!

Why, you may ask, didn't I lose this weight before, if I could do 2 pounds in a week the week before I leave the country? Good question. My guesses are:

I know more about fitness and weight loss now than I did last summer
I am more motivated now than I was before
I am working toward weight loss, not a race
I am eating healthier and have made changes that were needed - and I am not craving the junk

When I stepped on the scale this morning, I was very hopeful. You see, I have been doing what diet people tell you NOT to do - weigh yourself everyday. But everyday, I would stay the same or go down a little. We have a digital scale that shows ounces. I'd be down a fourth or half a pound here and there, and yesterday, I was right on the dot of my lowest weight, no ounces. I knew if I could work hard enough and eat right, I could get below that number.

Yesterday, I did a walk/run workout and pushed myself to sweat for awhile. I even ran for about 3 minutes straight (could have gone longer). And before I went to bed, the Trader Joe's milk chocolate bar was calling me to eat a square. I have had a couple small squares this last week when I craved something sweet. But I thought to myself, "self, if you eat this chocolate, it could mean the difference between your next pound lost."

That last statement is a new way of thinking for me. Instead of feeling like a kid whose mom has forbid them something good, I was making a choice between weight loss, or a sweet something. What happened to my head?! Who took over my brain?! Who is this woman, and how can I get more of her thinking?!

Anyway, back to the scale. It was *** pounds and 8 ounces, just barely under. But it's there, and it's good. I really had wanted to lose this pound before leaving for India. For one reason, I won't be able to eat as healthy while traveling, so I could sure use that "buffer" of another pound. For another reason, I wanted myself to know that I could do it. That I could come back home, after 2 weeks of semi-bad eating and not as much exercise and KNOW, really know that I CAN do it. I can lose weight by diet and exercise.

Because, I've never done this before and had success. But now I have, and I know it can be done.

Go Hard or Go Home...wait, I AM at home!

2011-01-27T07:19:00.000-08:00

On Tuesday, I wanted to change up my routine a little, the muscles in the back of my legs were tired from all this running and walking. So I unwrapped my "30 Day Shred" DVD by Jillian Michaels. Note that I bought this DVD before I started running. I was a little hesitant to switch to a video, because I wasn't sure if I could make myself break a sweat.

I should've known. This is Jillian Michaels, after all.

I was sweating within 3 minutes.

At one point, you could hear me saying, "I'd rather be running."

What I learned from this video, was that I am the one that has to push myself to go harder, to finish. When I've done videos before, I've always just done what I could and didn't push it. Burning calories is burning calories, right? But now, after this summer and learning more about fitness, I was ready to put it all out there for a video. There are places that I can go to if I push myself harder. And even then, I wonder if I can go harder than that. The video brought home to me all the things that I've been learning the last few months.

Then yesterday, back to running; 1 minute on, 2 minute walking. I had thoughts of 2 minute runs and 2 minute walks. And then, the plans went down the drain. My legs were fatigued almost from the first set. Yes, I was going at a faster pace, but from my run on Monday, I thought I could push myself more. Instead, I struggled to finish. I kept thinking, "I can stop now, I'm tired." And then the other voice responded, "just go one more set." I finished. Gotta keep listening to that second voice.

Today I'll let my body rest and then be back at it on Friday.

It's Still There

2011-01-25T07:38:00.000-08:00

I had wondered, when I wasn't running, how long it would take to get back into it again. Would it be as hard as before? Would I be sucking air, would my lungs be burning, would I tire at 30 seconds?

Well, something, some part of running, is still there.

When I started last summer, I could barely do 30 seconds and then when I got up to 60, I couldn't do it more than 3-4 times in a session. I ended up being able to go about 10 minutes straight before feeling that lung burn.

Now, when I've started over doing 1 minute running, 2 minute walking, it's no problem, really. I've been playing with speed to make it more of a workout. Yeah, I could probably go up to the next level of 2 minute runs, but...then there's that overseas trip coming up and I may have to start over once I return.

Sidenote - but is this one of those "why wait" things again? Why wait to step it up if I can?

I'm able to do the workout without the lung burn. The difference is, I'm sweating more (see previous day's post). When I ended last fall with a 10 minute run, there was lung burn, but no sweat. Huh. I'm a bit puzzled by all of this.

Perhaps, now that I'm running to get into shape, improve my body and lose weight - rather than to train for a 5k. My focus is different. I'm focusing on getting my heart rate up, and being in that fat burning zone. I'm doing this by increasing my speed each rep, both the walk and running parts. I even increased it to a speed I hadn't been to before on the treadmill during my runs last night. It felt good, and even felt like I could go more.

So, something is there still, from my running last summer and fall. It didn't all leave and I didn't completely have to start over (even though I kind of am). And my body is ready to go again.

And I have to get over this "why wait" thing that's stuck in my head and propel my progress forward.

Breaking A Sweat

2011-01-24T08:33:00.000-08:00

This last week, getting back into running again, I did something that I haven't really done in awhile. I broke a sweat.

When I first started running and could barely go a minute without gasping for air and thinking I was going to die, I was sweaty all the time. But after awhile, when I was outside running, I hardly ever got sweaty, not even during my 5k.

Yeah, it was cooler out, so maybe it was harder to get real sweaty. But maybe not.

Another thing that I noticed was that I lost weight more when I sweated. When I was just out there running and pushing my endurance, and not sweating (and I don't know why not because I sure thought I was pushing myself), I didn't lose any weight.

My conclusion: sweat = weight loss.

It also probably means that I'm in my target heart rate. I don't have a good way to measure it, and there are so many different ways that you can find to find a "correct" one. So I'm just going by what I notice my body doing.

On Saturday, I walked and made sure to get myself up to the sweaty zone for at least 5 minutes. I did this by increasing the speed of the walk. I was almost up to running speed in walking!

BTW - the "sweaty zone" is when I am consistently perspiring; dripping down my face and other places.

This week, I'm going to work on getting into the sweaty zone for 5-10 minutes during my training sessions. This is my last full week before I leave the country for a little while! I am a bit nervous about how travel may set me back. But I am also glad to have started to get back into it now. Should make it easier when I get home.

I have been making exercising a priority. Tomorrow I have book group and they are doing the annual dinner & movie thing. Well, in order to have time to exercise, I'd have to get up early, and that probably won't happen. So I'm doing dinner only (bringing a salad that I can eat) and skipping the movie. Schedules can be worked out so that you can have a social life and get fit.

Why Wait?

2011-01-21T18:40:00.000-08:00

I just finished my first run of 2011.

Oh, thank you for your applause and cheers! Yes, yes, it did take me awhile to get back into it. But yes, it's good to be back. I had a health scare this week, my numbers were not looking good. Which was the motivation that I needed to get back to running NOW.

As I ran/walked on the treadmill and listened to the Phedippidations podcast, I wondered, why did I want to wait to start? What possible reason was there to put off getting back into health?

It's easier not to.
The view from the couch is good.
I don't have the time now.
Why start now when I'll be out of the country for 2 weeks?

But these are really just excuses. There's no reason why I can't start now, so I did. After dinner, we finished watching Chuck and I told my husband that afterwards, I was going to exercise. It wasn't easy. It would have been so nice to sit there, watch another show, knit, and put it off until tomorrow. But I got off my butt and did it.

1 min run, 2 min walk x10, or thereabouts.

Embracing Winter

2011-01-12T11:14:00.000-08:00

We're into January, and I've finally made peace with winter. Or at least a truce. In the beginning, I was so sad to not be running outside. The dark, the cold, the streets that were lined with piles of snow, all contributed to the malaise.

The treadmill workouts were like going from a 5 star restaurant to a family diner. Yes, you can still run, but there is so much less color and interest. Odd, because when I first started running outside, I was so self-conscious and wanted to hide inside. There were flirtations with workout videos and thoughts and plans for other alternatives. But this last couple of weeks I just simply started to move. And with the moving, came the truce.

Just 10 minutes of jump roping, that's all. And in the upstairs hallway, where no lights could be hit or things broken. Believe it or not, sometimes I'd sweat or get out of breath rather easily. I used to be so good at jump rope, could do 100 and be just fine. Now, I find myself tripping up quickly. But it was movement and it felt good.

This week, I've been tromping through the snow with my dog. Since I take him out at least 2 times (my hubby the other) I've been lacing up my snow boots. The snow is knee deep in places and there are layers of soft snow, crunchy snow, and all measures in between. We've made a track of sorts, breaking trails and tromping down unusual places. Just 2-3 laps at a time and I am slightly winded.

Let the snow fall!
I will tromp it down.

Let the cold winds blow!
I will jump inside

Let the winter be over soon
And I will run again.

2011 Goals

2011-01-12T11:07:00.000-08:00

My goals:

Get back into running starting February 28th
Run a 5K - no walking in Sept or Oct
Weigh less than 200 #’s by the end of the year

I will do this by:

Following Amby Burfoot’s running plan
Working out 3 x’s a week minimum
Changing 1 thing in my diet each month for the better

My Sisters, My Cousins, my aunts and nieces

2011-01-06T22:01:00.000-08:00

Lately, my heart has been burdened for girls and women who are victims of gender inequality. I'm not just talking about women not earning as much as men, or that we have a gender neutral Bible or even that we need to burn bras to make a statement.

The issues that my heart is breaking for are for the women in third world countries. These women are infants or even in the womb, are treated as much less than equals. In the worst or sometimes best of circumstances, many girls and women find themselves as modern slaves, and most of them in the sex trade.

For many years, I have known this, yet turned my eyes away. If I couldn't see it anymore, it didn't exist in my world. Yes, I did feel bad and wondered if there were things to be done about it. But someone else was taking care of such injustice, surely.

Because this is the injustice that God spoke about. To care for widows and orphans in their distress. Jesus commanded us to do this, but what have I done to obey? Sent caring thoughts and sometimes money and then conveniently forgot.

But now, I am looking this injustice in the face and beginning to see it. It is horrible, but there is hope.

When I was reading the book, "Half the Sky," there were statistics about the Asian countries and the girls who were slaves. It suddenly hit me - that could have been me. I was an orphan in an Asian country. Were some of these women my sisters, my cousins, my aunts, and now my nieces? Was I born and taken away for such a time as this - to help them in their distress?

I don't know the answers to these questions. But I lay the burden of this at Jesus' feet. And perhaps he can show me what can be done, because I AM SURE and willing to help. My burden has become a promise.

Hibernating

2011-01-06T13:45:00.000-08:00

Yes, I am still alive!
No, I am not running!
Yes, I do feel a bit guilty about that.
No, I am not giving up totally.

After the 5k, I ran some and then when daylight savings hit, I was constantly tired and sleepy. My perfectionist mode kicked in that said, "if I can't get up early 3 mornings a week, then it's not really running."

Side note: I haven't gained any weight over the holidays. I tried to be sensible in my food choices. So this means, that the weight I lost in running, was true weight loss.

Now, after the holidays, it's time to regroup. I recall that when I first started, I ran in the afternoons or even the evenings. When I started to feel more awake and healthier, I got up in the mornings. I have started to exercise in the evenings again. As someone once said, the best time to exercise is when you have time.

Note the word "exercise." I haven't worked up to running yet. I've done some treadmill walking and last night I did some jump roping. 10 minutes of that was a workout. What I like about jump roping is that I don't need to change clothes or even put shoes on, I can just grab the rope and do it wherever. I am also using more of my body in this one exercise.

The idea for the rope came when I started to think about my upcoming trip to India. The places that I'll be traveling are not safe for women to go running around alone in. So with a jump rope, I'll be able to do that anywhere, and can do even 10 minute segments and stay active.

After I return home, it will be more warm out and I'll be putting together another running plan. I already think I know what I'll do - Amby Burfoot's plan. It's a nice, no pressure one that is a bit lengthier than the C25k. In the fall, I WILL do another 5k and run all or most of it.

Will it be a barefoot runner?
A Chi runner?
A Pose Runner?
A person who just gets out there when she can and does whatever she can?

Tune in and find out.

New Flight Schedule

2011-01-06T13:24:00.000-08:00

My flying took a bumpy landing over the holidays. But the new year has a new Fly Lady theme - 7 in 2011! I've scaled back my flight plans to be more managable and will add more things as more habits are formed.

In 2010:

I learned the Babysteps of Flying
I made making my bed each morning a habit. Even though it's not perfect, it looks nicer
I am doing a load of laundry each day, as needed. No more clean clothes on the couch waiting to be folded. I have to have the time to do a load or I won't start one.
The upstairs living room was decuttered
The upstairs closet was decluttered
The kitchen was decluttered
We had a stress-free Thanksgiving hosting because of Flying
We had a delightful garage sale, getting rid of stuff
We got rid of over 30 boxes of stuff to charity (mostly after the sale)

GO ME!!

In 2011 I will:

Continue decluttering the house
Bless others with or extras
Work towards working at home
Develop more Flying habits

I’ve picked out 7 things each day that I will do (plus a 7 minute before bed routine). Eventually the decluttering will give way to zone cleaning and missions, but I can’t do all three anymore. I’m also only doing the 15 minute declutter and the 2 minute hot spots, because the 5 minute room rescue and the boogie seems like almost the same thing.

Here’s what a day looks likes:

Make bed
1 load of laundry
Empty purse & bags after work (this is a big issue for me)
Exercise/swish & swipe/dry mop, depending on day
Change sheets/clean fridge/desk time, dust, vacuumdepending on day
2 minute hot spot
15 minute declutter

Before bed:
Shine think
Check calendar & thaw meat
Take meds if needed

Whew - it feels a lot lighter and much more doable! We’ll see how this goes for this month, and then I leave the country for 15 days! May have to regroup after that with some crisis cleaning at the end of February.

2011 - The Year of Catching Dreams

2011-01-02T15:13:00.000-08:00

Before I go into what I've been doing the last couple of months, I'm posting about my thoughts on the New Year. I don't make resolutions because they fail, and then one feels that one can't start again until another year. Instead of that, I am declaring a theme.

2011 - The Year of Catching Dreams

I am done with chasing them, it's time to take out the butterfly net and catch one or two. If I merely say to myself that I'll chase dreams, it is too vague of statement and gives no direction. But to catch something - that takes planning, action and a solid goal.

A little while ago, I felt restless at work. This is my usual modus operandi - after a few years, the challenge is gone and I am maintaining things, not creating and innovating. I am a Starter. If I must work for someone else, I enjoy places that I can mostly control my environment, that needs some help that I can do, that I can initiate and follow through with changes, helping things function better and be creative as much as you can in an office setting.

For years I have been following this pattern. Each job ended with mostly the same result. I grew bored after there was not much more to improve, and then started dreaming about leaving and writing as my career. With my current job, I can't even muster enough energy to look forward to another "Starter" job even though I am bored and restless now. So now, I think it's time that I really do catch that dream of writing.

I won't be able to do this all at once and still maintain our lifestyle. So there are other dreams that I am taking my butterfly net to. Here's a list, though it may not be comprehensive:

Writing/working from home full time. Will include writing articles, the great American novel, writing knitting patterns and selling things in my etsy store
Having a decluttered home - thanks to the Fly Lady
Maintaining a clean home - thanks to the Fly Lady
Being fit and active - due to running
Taking a more active role in social justice such as the oppression of women globally, which leads to a host of bad things
Drawing closer to God in the "Interior Castle"
Communicating better with my relationships

I do have an outlined plan for a few of these items. Not all of them can be done properly in the course of one year. But just catching one of them and moving forward on others is something that I can resolve to do this year.

Kitchen Declutter

2010-11-07T18:12:00.000-08:00

I decided to start early on Zone 2 which includes the kitchen. Before I can really clean it, I'm supposed to declutter it! Last month, I was able to make headway with the files, the desk and the glassed shelves. This time, I'm attacking the cupboards.

Here's some stuff that I'm finally letting go of:

A broken hand blown votive holder. It was beautiful! Someday, I was going to do something with the pieces, not sure what.
Fridge Magnets. I must admit to something here. I covered the side of the fridge that faces the stove with magnets. Why? Because I could never keep that side clean! So, I'd switch the magnets out and throw away the dirty ones. And the magnets were things that I thought I should keep. But why really, do I need them?
Expired food
Matches - for some reason, I have a big box of these.
Napkins from our wedding. I had these idea that I'd save the leftovers for our anniversary party. But let's face it, these napkins - we didn't even want to use them when I was trying to use them up!

I have rediscovered:

3/4 of a shelf free, under the pans. I can keep all my pots on pans on one shelf. the 2nd shelf in that cupboard holds our waffle maker, that's it.
My yarn dyeing drawer

Mornings - Who Knew?

2010-11-02T11:18:00.000-07:00

I've been getting up early 3 mornings a week to go running since about July or August. So as I was trying to figure out how to get in all my Fly Lady tasks, I thought, why not add one thing onto each morning schedule? I can slowly work it in, and if I can't get it done in the morning, then I can do it later that day. The driving reason behind all this, was that I would like my evenings to be free, and not have to do any cleaning.

So, new tentative schedule made, we'll see how this goes.

This morning, I hit the snooze button a couple times, hoping my husband would get up and take the dog out. No such luck. I got up, took out the dog, did my list and then it was time to go vote. Came back, had breakfast and then went to work. All of this in the morning and I am not a morning person. Granted, I wasn't fully awake the whole time and maybe that's a good thing. And I am very grumpy still in the beginning. But I did get through my stuff and still had time to spare. It was like magic!

Now, though, I'm feeling pretty tired. Do you think my work would mind if I scheduled in an afternoon nap?

First 5K Report

2010-11-02T08:37:00.000-07:00

It was a beautiful morning, a little chilly but warming up. We picked up my friend, Cris and headed over to Como Lake for the Fearless 5K and 2 laps around the lake. I had my hand knit mitts and cowl, so I was ready to go.

Oddly enough, I wasn't nervous. In fact, I think I was a little too laid back. I remember in high school I did a presentation where the teacher commented that we were a little too laid back. Maybe when I get too nervous my nerves shut down and I just survive that way.

We lined up in the back of the pack. What I didn't realize until afterward, was that they started the 1.5 mile walkers at the same time! So we were lined up with the walkers. Because of that, it was hard to start running. So we had to walk until there was open space. There were a few people in costume and even a wedding party.

I think that I started off too fast, even though I didn't think I did. I started to run a minute, walk a minute and had a hard time running just a minute! What happened to my 6-8 minute runs?! For the recovery walks, I was going faster than usual because Cris can walk just as fast as I run. So perhaps I wasn't getting my recovery walks in quite right. Whatever the case, I was feeling very turtle-like.

May I just say, that I had the best cheering section? My brothers & sisters in law came out to cheer me on. Even baby Sam made an appearance, but apparently sleeping was more important to running to him right now. I even got flowers and a balloon.

And so we started our second lap. We seemed to hit more of our stride. I started to walk slower, at a better pace and was able to run at least a minute in between. I also noticed that there were not many people behind us anymore! That must have been when the walk was over. The crowd was definitely thinned out and I was thinking, "are we last?"

But there were at least a few people behind us. There was one lady that was very inspiring. She walked and ran like us and was always just a few yards behind. This whole time, I was running and walking, and I realized that my mind was still thinking this was a training run. That I didn't want to push too hard and get injured or tired out or whatever. But then I said to myself, "Hello - this is a race! This is what I was training for." And then I pushed myself more. I was still frustrated that I couldn't run as much as I had in the past. I'm not sure if it was because I hadn't run much the 2 weeks before, if it was a different location or if it was just nerves. But anyway, we did finish.

I was hoping for 45 minutes, but the time was flipped to 54. We were some of the last ones, but hey, I knew that I might be last going in. The good thing is, there is a lot of room for improvement for the next race.

This was a good race to go to for a first one. It was fairly low key and we only had about 5-6 people pass us during the first lap. The people were very friendly and helpful as well. Thank you to all of my cheering crew!

First race done. Now we'll see what's next.

November Legs

2010-11-02T08:23:00.000-07:00

Before my race report, let me get my legs out here...

Excuse the messy floor. The puppy seems to drag in leaves and such each time he goes out.

Garage Sale 2010

2010-11-02T07:39:00.000-07:00

A couple weeks ago, I had my garage sale. This was after the FlyLady had said not to do this because you can't recoup the money from all the stuff you bought. Well, I had been saving stuff up for quite awhile. I had decided not to save things that I might price less than $1 in order to have a nicer and not a junk sale. The rest I either threw away, recycled or donated to charity.

I was actually kinda dreading the sale. But with my new FLY tools, I was able to prepare 15 minutes at a time and could plan out my set up better. Before FLY Lady, I most likely would have worked like a dog until I dropped. But this time, I stopped every 15 minutes to drink some water and think about what was next.

Last time, I remember being so tired. When it went to take down the signs, I recall being so weary that I could barely pull them up. And we didn't make much more than $200, so why bother? But for this time, it was too late to NOT do it. I had boxes of good stuff saved and a bit of small furniture to unload. My prayer the night before is that it would be a "joy and delight" to everyone, including me.

By the end of day one (Weds), we had cleared $200. Day two, I decided to do 1/2 price because it was my last day. We cleared $450! And got rid of a bunch of junk in the process. A few people told me that they hadn't been to such a nice sale in a long time. A few people went away very happy. One lady commented that she felt like I was giving her things, boy did she have a big smile. Another lady said that she had almost lost her faith in garage sales and was going to stop. But my sale renewed her faith in garage sales. I had no idea there was a faith in garage sales, but whatever it is, that lady had it.

By the end, I wasn't exhausted, not energetic, but pleased. It was my best garage sale yet. Will I do it again? Not for awhile, maybe in 2 years. But then again, I am getting rid of stuff NOW so maybe I will never again have that much nice stuff at one time to sell.

Whatever the case, it was a Joy and Delight.

Jitters

2010-10-29T09:37:00.000-07:00

Ohmigosh! I'm really doing a 5k tomorrow.

What am I going to wear?

Where's the camera?

Where's the race, anyway?

!!!!!!

(deep breath)

Ok, got my list going of stuff to bring.

Lay out clothes tonight, make sure they're washed.

Got my handknit mitts done last night.

Okay, let's do this thing already!!

Revenge of the Treadmill

2010-10-28T08:45:00.000-07:00

We've been having some really rough storms this week. The winds have been so strong, that I actually broke a door going into a restaurant! The wind took it out of my hands and it hit a brick wall (that it normally wouldn't hit) and shattered.

With this in mind, when I woke up Wednesday and heard the winds still blowing, I headed downstairs to the treadmill. I haven't been on it for quite awhile, and had to wait until my husband took off his computer equipment.

10 minutes in, I was sweating like it was summer. Maybe it was the warmer air inside, but I did feel as if I was putting in quite an effort. I did the 2 min run, 2 min walk routine. With these shorter runs, I can't get into the groove of running, though. The whole thing feels like effort and I was constantly checking my watch. In some ways, it almost feels like I should be on week 2 or 3 of the C25K program.

Not a great workout, but it's my last until the 5K. Tonight I'm going to walk 3.2 miles to let myself get the feel of that distance. But that's it, no more exercise until Saturday morning.

I'm not sure what you're supposed to do a week after a race, but I'll probably just let myself rest and do fun runs on Wednesday and Friday. I'm even thinking of trying an easy running program after the pressure of the 5K is off.

5k, here we come!

Tired, but Happy Wings

2010-10-26T13:57:00.000-07:00

Last night, we got ready for dinner and I was tired. There were 3-4 things on my "to do" schedule and I just wanted to sit on the couch and knit. But if I did that, then important things would not get done! So I went to hulu, put on a show and started in on the dishes. Within an hour, all my stuff was done and I was on the couch, knitting.

Tomorrow, our mission team is coming over. Normally, I'd be doing the "stash & hide" thing t and all these boxes or bags of misc junk would find their way into the craft room or bedroom. But not this time! All the main areas are mainly clutter free and fairly clean. I only need to mop floors and empty out a wastebasket or two. Easy, peasy. This is so wonderful, to just be able to relax and touch up a few things before company comes. I'll also have time to make some cookies.

This is SO Not the Way to Get Ready for a 5K

2010-10-25T08:27:00.000-07:00

Last week I only ran once, you could say I started my taper early. With the garage sale, I was just strapped for time and tired. I'm back at it again this week now with a run this morning. Since it had been a little while, I decided to be nice to myself and take it slow; 2 minute run, 2 minute walk for 1/2 hour.

And then, I thought, why not run the 5k this way? I timed myself and I did about a 14 minute mile this way. At that rate, I could do about a 45 minute 5K and not wear myself out. I also think it might work for my friend who isn't as fit for running. She could probably walk as fast as I run sometimes, so it could all work out fine.

I'll run again on Wednesday and then take off until Saturday. The forecast had a possibility of snow and high of 30 something. I'll have to see if I can find my long underwear and see how it feels running in that. I suppose I have to figure out what to wear on Saturday too.

The Looming 5k
Man, I'm a little unsure about this first 5k. This morning I woke up from bad dreams!

In my dream, we were in some sort of stadium waiting for people to show up. None of my family had come, and the 20 seats that I had reserved kept getting filled by other people until I thought, "forget about it then, they can find their own seats." And then, I went somewhere to get a drink of water and the race started without me! I ran toward the race and couldn't find the starting line. By the time I got to the starting line of sorts, the second wave event had started which was motor bikes and skateboarders. I had to dodge these guys while running through muddy tracks and not seeing a runner in sight.

Well, with that bad experience out of the way, my 5K should be a breeze.

Tromping Through Leaves

2010-10-18T11:28:00.000-07:00

I was tromping through leaves this morning, they do accumulate a bit on the side of the roads. My feet make a distinct sound anyway without leaves. The trees are almost bare but have not taken on the stark dead look yet. I am becoming more aware of seasons passing while going outside 3X a week.

I passed a group of walking senior ladies twice. I see them often if I leave from home at a consistent time. Their feet make no sound! They are tromping through leaves, they're just chatting. The first time I see them is as I'm walking my warm up. The next time is during my first run. I wonder what I'll be like at their age; will I still be running? Will I have a group of girlfriends to walk with? And then I thought, I wonder if I had waited another 10 years to get in shape? Would I still be here or even able to do such a thing as a whim? Or need strict doctor supervision because of maybe getting diabetes or heart disease?

This morning I was thankful for the freedom of possibilities. That there is really nothing holding me back from eventual success in anything I want to do (within reason of course, I still can't fly or freeze time). I have a fairly good support system of people to cheer me on, or if I tell them to cheer me, they'll do it. I am very fortunate for being in this place, at this time. So I tromp through leaves; the things trees shed to prepare for the next season. And I shed a little more of my past to go toward my next season.

The Run & Upcoming 5K
I didn't push myself, much. Managed to run about 13-14 minutes worth, about a mile or so. I've also been getting ready for a garage sale this week, so I have been physically tired. Wednesday, the start of the sale is also my next scheduled run. I may just do a shorter run then. My concern is, this is the last week before the 5k and my training is limited. But I'm slowly getting accustomed to the thought of being last. But not to worry, I won't be last by myself!

My friend, Cris called me Friday. She started talking about running with me in the 5K and I did a mental facepalm. Mentally, I had already given up on running it. But now she reminded me that she was planning on running with me. I told her that I didn't feel ready, since she had said she wasn't doing so well. Instead of her saying let's forget it (like I wanted her to) she sealed the deal.

"We'll walk and run it together."

And so, now I won't feel so alone in being the last one on the course. I figure if we look like we're having a fun time which we have a tendency to do, then everyone else may wish they'd ran slower. Also, we talk a lot when we're together, so we'll need our breath for the chatting, not the running! But seriously, I am glad that I have a friend to go through this with me. She mentioned she can't do more than 1/4 more, so SCORE!! I am a little farther than her in the distance department, although it's slow. We should be able to somehow adjust our run/walk. Mentally, I'm back in the race and will be fine with however I can do it.

After the 5K, I'm not sure what I'll do about running. I still want to do the 3x's a week thing. But it's getting so cold out. The thought of the treadmill is so boring to me. Maybe join the gym - but then that's driving somewhere. It's so easy to just put on shoes and do it.

Pause.

Did I just say..."It's so easy to just put on shoes and do it?"

You can't see me, but I'm laughing. Just a few months ago, that wasn't easy. So, I'm going to stop thinking about after the 5k.

Changes
Skip this part if you don't want to hear me talking about fat. Anyway, my body is still changing. That one little spare tire I had is almost gone, I can barely pinch it now. However, I noticed this morning that I'm getting another crease, it's like the fat is folding in half. Yuck! I know it sounds gross and sorry to tell you all about it. But why I mention it at all, is that as gross as it is, these changes are because the fat is melting away. Eventually it'll be a good things. It is sorta interesting to see what my body does with the changes. My weight hasn't gone down very much, but I have been getting a lot of compliments on how I look, even how I stand differently.

Changes are happening. This week, I can tromp through leaves. But next week, I may be tromping through snow. Life is so seasonal.

Rebooting

2010-10-14T15:24:00.000-07:00

I ran again yesterday but wasn't able to get my goals. In fact, I ran about 3/4 of what I did on Monday. I've been thinking about what Barefoot Fresca had commented on from Monday's post.

How do I want to do this 5K?

Why do I want to do it?

And why, after 4 months of running, can't I go 1/2 mile yet? Am I really that out of shape, or is it a mental block?

Why?
I'll answer the 2nd first. I don't really want to do the 5K. I really only want to run one, if I can run one. And before I started running, the 5K was the only thing I really knew about to test yourself. But without a goal to motivate me, I won't have a driving reason to be consistent and push myself. However, I'm wondering if running itself has become a habit enough without a 5K motivator. I've thought about dropping out of the race, or seeing if they'd let me run one in the spring instead.

How?
If I do run this, how? On my last run, I thought that it's ridiculous to have the goal of running 3/4 mile increments in 3 weeks when I can't quite do 1/2 mile yet. So, why not go in 1/2 mile increments? I'm very close to being there, within 1-2 tenth. Run 1/2 mile, walk for a couple minutes, repeat. It may mean that I'll be the very last person to finish, but if that's what needs to happen, then so be it.

The Elusive 1/2 Mile
Finally, why can't I do 1/2 mile yet? I'm not sure. I do seem to be inching up in progress each week I go out. However, whenever I make out new running plans I don't attain them. I sat down Wednesday and did the math on this last plan I put together. There's an adage where you're only supposed to add 10% to your training each week. Well, I was adding 10% 3 times a week! No wonder I was so exhausted.

For now, I'm going to take a break and not run until Monday. My body is still a little sore and I'm unusually cranky and short fused. Both signs of overtraining, or so I've read. How I feel on Monday will really decide how I race. Or not.

Flying and Limping

2010-10-13T20:04:00.000-07:00

FLYing
Well, I've managed to get through FLYLady babysteps through day 25...in about 2 weeks. Some of the days are no brainers for me like get up and dressed every morning, read something, etc. So I skip and do 2 days. But I'm wondering if I should've just done one day at a time and was thankful that it was easy. Because now that I have the FLY schedule thing going, it's feeling overwhelming. I didn't have the time in between to get used to it and gradually add things in.

So, like usual, I'm modifying. I like the zone ideas, but I don't like that it switches each week when I'm decluttering. I've decided to just declutter in order of the Zones, maybe up to a month if it's really bad or I'm busy. (sounds kind of like the house diet program I tried to start). I'll still do the Hot Spots 2x a day in the places that have been cleaned out, laundry load a day, Home blessings and some other small things that I can do each day. But for the 15 minute things, I'm decluttering in the zone.

That leaves me with the issue of having a clean house, if I may not get to the downstairs bathroom until about February. Eww. What I'll do, is I'll combine the 5 Minute Room Rescue with the Zones. I'll clean in the Zone for that week for 5 minutes a day. That way, I'll be able to keep up with having things clean or at least presentable.

I like this idea because it enables me to complete an area and do a whole house clean while keeping things up. I also won't have to switch to a new place each week and have to remember where I left off. I've made such progress in the kitchen already! The area under the desk is cleaned out and only a couple necessary things remain. I wish I would've taken a before & after picture!

Storage?
IKEA is currently my favorite store, at least for dreaming. I've been looking at getting some storage things and such but have decided NOT TO BUY MORE STORAGE CONTAINERS. Instead, I'll get rid of stuff and maybe empty out some storage places and containers and use them where they're needed. I do have plans though, and they include a trip to IKEA.

My husband took the initiative to look for closet organizers last night. I was pleasantly surprised! Perhaps my new cleaning mode has inspired him. We haven't figured out yet what we'll do with these 70's style reach in closets.

Garage Sale
Next week is the garage sale. In a way, I wish I wasn't having one because of all the time and energy they take. But in another way, I'm glad I'll be able to make some money off all this stuff we've accumulated. I'm trying not to have much in there under $ .25 and just donating that little junk and dated stuff to charity. If it's only worth that little to me, why put the effort into displaying and selling it? And if it's not worth more than a quarter to me or someone else, why am I keeping it?

I am hoping to sell about $400 worth and maybe get a new sofa for the living room. If all goes well, I'll have another sale next year. If not, then freecycle and the charity pick-up will be at the top of my list.

Oops! It's past time for me to get ready for bed. Time to make sure the sink is shined and my clothes are laid out for tomorrow. Babysteps, babysteps.

Weeble Wobble

2010-10-11T07:12:00.000-07:00

I'm ready for a nap or for a massage or something because today was my most grueling workout yet.

Maybe it was because I was tired all weekend, not getting enough sleep. Or that my legs felt stiff and puffy yesterday. Or that I hadn't run for 2 days when I was supposed to run yeterday. Whatever the reason, it was hard work.

The Run
7 Minute Run. Looks like a lot to me, but I just went for it, no problem. When I did my recovery walk, I only needed 5 minutes to make it up to the top of the big hill.

9 Minute Run. Started off well. As I got to the bottom of the hill, it suddenly dawned on me that there was a slight incline all the way up to almost my next run start. So I thought, what is better; a long, slight incline or one big hill? I prayed through the Lord's Prayer again and was 2 minutes short and still going up that incline. The street is a busier one and I felt very self conscious with my crippled turtle run. I slowed to a fast walk for a block and then got on the straightaway and did another 30 second run. I only managed to do about 8 minutes and my legs were rubber.

6 Minute Run. I walked the 4 minutes and went past the start of the run to the next street and back - my first route increase! The last 6 were fairly easy and I actually went 6 3/4 to make up a little for the previous run. I could've kept going, but I needed my recovery walk time. As it was, I only had 2-3 minute of that.

When I was done, I was ready to crawl back into bed. I managed to stumble around and get ready for work but my husband just looked at me and shook his head.

I think I'll change up my route for Wednesday. Right now, it's like a weird Y shape. So I'll take the right side of the Y first and have my long run on more of the straight and decline areas. I really hope the 5K doesn't have too many big hills.

The Looming 5K
I was looking at my training schedule and realized that I only have TWO WEEKS to really prepare for the 5K. The week before I put in fun short fartlek runs to taper down to it. Do I need to taper for my 5k? I'm not sure, but it sounda like a good idea.

I really don't know if I'm going to be ready for this. Can I really do it when I couldn't run 9 minutes today? My 2 mile run seems so small compared to what I'm going to need to do. Why didn't I sign up for the Turkey Trot 5K and give myself another month?

But maybe, I'd be like this no matter when the 5k was. Sort of like cramming for a final. I always did this! Would have fun on the journey and then all of a sudden have to get serious and knuckle down. The sooner this is over with, the sooner the pressure is off and I can run just for fun again. Not that this isn't fun sometimes, but if every morning was like this, I probably wound't be a runner.

Cobwebs, dirt and bugs, oh my!

2010-10-09T12:42:00.000-07:00

This morning, we cleaned through the garage. It wasn't an entire clean through, but re-organizing and clearing out of the corners. Things got moved to better places, the place was swept out, I even took a broom and got rid of the cobwebs on the walls and doors. All the while, feeling like Pigpen from Peanuts. The boxes are still on the shelves and the equipment and things are still in their unorganized drawers. But we got through the area and it looks so much better! The only thing left is to dispose of the old toilet. Next Saturday I'll be able to set up tables and start getting ready for the garage sale.

Next up is laundry. I have a laundry basket that keeps getting filled with cleanish clothes in the bedroom. I think that if I had a perfect closet system for my husband, it would involve baskets to throw his clothes in! So today I'm going to empty out the basket and put everything away. Now, I do this every couple of months but it doesn't seem to solve the problem. However, I'm hopeful that the FLYLady's system will help in this area.

She suggests doing a load every day. I grew up thinking that you spent one day doing laundry and doing all of it! This continued at college and when we lived in an apartment, because you had multiple washers & dryers. You'd go until you had hardly anything left to wear and then wash it all. Usually, I let it accumulate into we had a few loads and then we'd spend the evening folding while watching a game or a movie. But to do 1 load complete every day? That might just actually work.

I like this because:

It won't take as much time to do 1 load as opposed to 4
I won't have to wait for a large block of time before doing some and can keep up easily
We don't have enough laundry in a week to do one load every day, so it won't be every day
I won't have those hanger-oners things to wash that always seem to be in the bottom of the dirty basket but never get washed (I hope)

So, I'm going to add 1 load of laundry to my schedule. I probably only need to put it into 3 days, and 1 on Saturday for the dog. Time will tell if this is the key for easier laundry.

Digging Deeper

2010-10-08T07:10:00.000-07:00

Each run, I'm increasing each of my 3 run segments by a minute. Today, I started off with 6, then 8, then 5. I'm finding that not only do I need more recovery walk between runs, but it's more than that. It's also because I want to get to the top of the hills before starting my run! So, if I stick to the same route until the 5k, then I'll be able to naturally decrease recovery time as my runs get longer. I do have alternative streets to increase my runs as well. It'll be fun to see how much farther I can go each time.

During my long run, I decided to go through the Lord's prayer to keep my mind off of what I was doing. It totally worked! By the time I had prayed and expanded parts, I was about a minute shy of my time. I think having some sort of structured thoughts to go through during the runs may be good for my mind games. I could memorize a verse, a poem, some famous sayings.

I make it up an incline to an open area and my breath caught (and not because of running). There was a lovely orange/pink glow in the background, framed by chocolate brown tree trunks and gold and orange leaves. It's one of those moments that can't be captured in a photo or even words. Something to soak up for the long winter ahead.

On my last 5 minute run, I got to a steep (to me) hill. Instead of slowing to the pace of a crippled turtle, I told myself, "dig deeper, dig deeper." I did, and I went up that hill at a jog. It was a Rocky Balboa moment! Or something like that.

Onward
I've decided to change my training from M-W-F to every other day until the 5k. And dangit, I just remember I was going to knit a hat or crown or something for the occasion! May have to go and hunt up a pattern and yarn. And I'm still not sure what I'll wear, the weather is so changeable.

Tonight I'm getting together with the Norman women (in-laws). When we last got together, I asked them all if they'd consider running a 5K with me next year. D, because of hip issues, is going to train to walk one. J is currently training for her first 5K on Jan 1. MIL is not training, but will cheer us on, I'm sure. I'm looking forward to catching up with them. And so amazed that we three are working on these goals.

House Diet Stats

2010-10-07T07:33:00.000-07:00

I'm retiring the House Diet, but recording the last stats that I had on my sidebar.

The house has lost:

40# - garbage & recyclables
57# - for charity

= 97# Lost!

(updated 2/23/10)

Not too shabby for 2 months work! And I KNOW the house has lost more than that as well.

Ch-Ch-Changes

2010-10-07T07:05:00.000-07:00

What happened to the house diet, you may ask? Well, no one is asking, but I'll tell you anyway.

I fell off the house diet awhile ago. Got to my craft room and man, it's still not right. That room needs a forklift or something more and it derailed me. But...I didn't stop doing stuff. I decided that what was really needed was to simplify my life, my house.

Clothes Cull
I read a book about Elegance and how you shouldn't keep clothes that didn't suit you, didn't make you look good. Although I'm not planning on buying Chanel or Hermes anytime soon, I was able to do a huge cull of my closet. I had thought after I was done that I needed then to go shopping to fill up the holes in my wardrobe. But you know what? I have less than 2 weeks of outfits now and it's working just fine. It's easier to do laundry, to choose what to wear and it's less clutter in my mind.

A few years ago I heard a lady say that she had streamlined her wardrobe by only wearing one color - cream. Because of that, she only needed a couple pairs of shoes, and everything matched. That inspired me to cut out different colors of pants such as navy or red, etc. I've gone another step further now, and am cutting out brown. I am now only going with black, cream and khaki for pants/skirts and letting my shirts be the color. This is going to help when I buy shoes and accessories as well.

And lastly, I've streamlined my jewelry. I've been wearing the same pair of earrings for the last couple of months! I remembered a lady I worked for did that. Of course hers were gold and diamond, but hey, we work with what we got. I wear the same bracelet as well. Sometimes I'll change my necklace if I want to wear one. So someday soon, I'll be culling my jewelry. I really don't need a drawerful when all I really need is one or two of each.

Quality, not quantity.

In Other News
This summer, I've started to run, which you can read about here. In a way, it's a form of simplifying. It's causing me to get up early in the mornings and my schedule is different now.

I've also started to FLY with the FLYLady. There's a bit more of stuff to talk about there, so I'll save it for a new post.

In summary, I'm continuing to go forward with my life; decluttering, better health, simplifying. I was emailing a couple friends about why this is happening now. For many years, I've wanted to make these changes but haven't. And now they're happening and it's not such a struggle.

The reason why I think this is happening now is simple. In the last couple of years, I've truly been able to see a better picture of how God sees me. Just as I am, overweight, disorganized, sinful...he loves me. I can't do ANYTHING that could increase that love. All he really desires right now is me to just BE with him. Not DO something for Him. It doesn't matter if I go to church, Sunday School, Bible Studies, humanitarian efforts, etc. What he really wants is me to just sit with him and enjoy my company. (This is a bit simplified, but you get the picture.)

I've been able to accept this truth. For years, I've KNOWN it, but couldn't experience it. Now that the truth has become a part of who I am, I am able to really accept myself the same way. And in really accepting myself where I am right now (not where I'd like to be or what I'd like to look like), I am able to make the changes that I want to. I am so darn comfortable in my skin now, that there's less head baggage. There's now room to just go ahead and make changes just becase I want to.

I make the changes not because I want to be the person on the other side of the changes, but because I am taking the person that I totally love and accept now on that journey.

Ufdah, that's a mouthful! But it's a mouthful of truth.

Turtle Run

2010-10-06T07:11:00.000-07:00

My runs are getting a titch longer but the route that I'm on now is a bit shorter. What that means is, I have a shorter recovery walk time. I still need a little more time (1-2 minutes) of recovery walking between runs. I am hoping that will change as I progress.

After about 3 minutes of running, I get into a sort of groove where my feet just take over and keep going. It only happens, though, when I'm not thinking about running and how many more minutes/seconds to go. And finally, today, I was able to concentrate my thoughts instead of having them go around like a pinball. I was actually able to pray something more than, "help!" and for a minute or two, it was controlled thoughts. I count this as big progress.

I am also a little less conscious of my turtle running. Sometimes, when a car comes, I pretend to be the hare and increase my effort but it really throws off the groove that I'm in. So I'm learning to just accept that I run like a turtle. People can laugh or think badly about my pace, but hey - I'm out there running. This is where I'm at, and I'm happy about that.

Cool Down
On my cool down walk, I turned down the street I live on, which had been re-paved yesterday. My right arch was achy so I thought, why not? I had already decided the socks were going in the trash (it was dark in the bedroom when I fished them out). So I stopped, unlaced my shoes and walked the rest of the way home in my socks.

Instantly, everything felt changed and different muscles were working. The ground was cool and pleasant and smooth. I concentrated on my mid-foot strike and pushing off more and not overstriding. A car passed and I acted like carrying running shoes and waking down the street in socks was what everyone does nowadays. I really liked how the road felt and how my feet felt. My right calf was tighter but my arch stopped aching. By the time I was home, everything was feeling good except where I picked up a pebble for a few steps.

I think that I'd like to do more of this kind of training after my 5k. Although it'll be colder out by then, I may be able to find a more minimal shoe or slipper to go around in. I really do not like what my running shoes are doing to my feet! Just 16 minutes of running and they make my feet ache. How will I get through 45 minutes of the 5k? Hmmm.

In Which My Training Switches Gears

2010-10-04T07:23:00.000-07:00

This morning was the day that I really kicked my training into gear. Just for this month, I'm putting aside my fun fartlek runs, my "let's see what I can do" runs and gear up for the 5K. I do like the fact that I have a good plan in place to be able to run/walk about a 45 minute 5k. It is very doable and is not overwhelming (as long as I don't look at what I'm supposed to do next week). What I am fearful about is that I will lose interest or have a set back and won't be able to complete it. I have to, have to, have to do this training schedule!

My next step while doing this, is adding better nutrition and eating habits. I keep losing and gaining the same 7 pounds. This morning I was up near my starting weight again (nevermind that I had a great cheeseburger yesterday). Although I've never been one to fluctuate my weight this much, so I know something is happening in my body.

My stomach continues to sag and the creases are more pronounced. In one way, this is very interesting; to see how the fat is melting away. But in another way it's kinda gross to see flabby floppy parts. I'll spare you the details. I don't even like looking at this part.

Anyway, I'm going to explore better nutrition and eating habits now. Funny thing is, though, I haven't really had cravings for food like I used to. When I think about what I want for dinner, I really don't care. Used to be that I would have a definite craving or idea. But now? Meh.

Can I, Really?

2010-09-30T07:45:00.000-07:00

Ufdah. The hold up on the posting is a mix between perfectionism and technology (I wanted to get the pics posted and it involved finding a mini usb and an adapter for the card reader). Last weekend, I broke my running "fast" after being sick, and ran while at the in-laws. I had mapped out a 3.3 mile route and it was a gorgeous morning all around. They have the perfect set up for a 5k training ground. The above pic is the 5 minute walk/warm up section on a hard packed dirt road.

Then, I played telelphone pole tag. I tried in the beginning to time my run, but since I didn't have my watch and just my phone, I realized the futility. Instead, I saw the line of telephone poles along the road and remembered someone saying that they used to run between poles, then walk between one. I did that, even though I can run farther than between poles. What was different was the greater distance and I was actually running half my run, not 1/3 to 1/4 as usual. I loved this change of pace.

This week, I'm back to my schedule, sort of. I missed Monday so I'm off a day but will get back on track in a few days. Today I thought I'd try the actual CP25K week 4 run, which is run 5 minutes, walk 2 minutes for about 36 minutes. It was a bear! I'm used to more recovery time between my runs. So I extended it to a 3 minute walk. I ended up not quite doing the whole thing, but still ran about 18 minutes. I may try this again on Saturday along a different route. It seems every time my run was to start, I was going uphill, and walking was downhill.

The Upcoming 5K

I've been thinking about the upcoming 5K, with October just around the corner (tomorrow!). I have 4 weeks of training left and:

I got behind a week from being sick
I haven't run longer than 6 1/2 minutes at one time
My mile time is still around 20 minutes, average walk/run rate
I haven't run longer than 1/3 mile at one shot
My run is often not much faster than a fast walk

October is my time to really hit it hard. I think I need to go back to the C25K running plan because with missing a week, my modified is not going to do it. I won't be able to run the whole thing right now. Even though I've seen improvements each time I go out, my body isn't there yet.

Perhaps what I'll try to do for my 5K is:

Run 3/4 mile
Walk 1/4
Run 1 mile
Walk 1/4
Run the rest
Finish

So maybe what I need to do in training, is do these 3 sections of running. Split my training into a smaller scale version and work up to it. I'll have to do some thinking on it.

October Legs

2010-09-30T07:34:00.000-07:00

Best Laid Plains

2010-09-21T07:39:00.000-07:00

I was sick yesterday, so of course I didn't run either. It's too bad, I had picked a "new" route to go on that's about 2.5 miles out and back. I actually thought of running it on Sunday, but slept in so there you go. I should be good to go for a run tomorrow.

I have been pondering something, though. Whenever I tell someone that I've take up running, usually the response goes like, "I hate running" or "I used to do that until my knees/ ankles/ hips gave out" or "I could never do that" or even "have fun with that (meaning that's crazy but if you like it, then, hey)."

Why do people feel like they need to justify why they don’t run? Or dismiss it as something weird?

The more I run and learn about running, the more I’m convinced that as a people, we have really lost something great. Not merely the physical and health aspects that have been lost, but the psychological, the societal and the spiritual. It’s all wound up in this one action. So simple, yet so seemingly unnecessary in our modern culture.

I Go Hard Core (or my version of)

2010-09-17T07:26:00.000-07:00

After a long and busy week, less than 7 hours of sleep and on a rainy morning, I head out the door. With 3 strikes against me; to me, at this stage, this is hard core. No sleeping in and snuggling under covers, waiting for tomorrow. I didn't even think of NOT getting up. Dusted off my rain coat and headed out.

Ok, so it wasn't that bad. It was sprinkling when I finally got out there and it stopped midway through. I was tired though. My runs were heavy. There was no way I was going to have another PR today, breaking my progress streak. I'd be lucky to make all my minimums.

But after my first 5 minute run, something happened. Maybe my body warmed up or woke up and realized that it needed to kick into gear. My next run just kept going, and I ended up doing another 5 minutes, 12.25 total. I knew that my PR for longest combined run time was 12.5, so I crested a hill and ran off again (when I just wanted to do my cool down walk).

I was planning on cheating. My minimum run is 2 minutes, but I only needed 15 seconds for my PR. How about just an easy 60 seconds? Nope. My body said, "we can do it, keep going!" So I did, and finished the 2 minutes.

My body continues to surprise me. Just when I think I know what it's going to do, it does something different. So I give it room to do well and still have some wiggle room in case it can't. It makes me wonder how I could ever be successful in a cookie cutter exercise program. No wonder I had so many past failures! I was trying to do someone else's version of what would work and failed again and again.

On another note, I really hated to put my running shoes on my feet. I apoligized to them and promised them that this would be the last pair of running shoes they'd have to suffer through. Next year, we'll be running more minimal, just wait and see! They sighed and shuffled out the door. They have heard my promises before and were a bit cynical.

But didn't they know? All I want for Christmas...are Vibram Five Fingers.

**

Raise Your Hand

2010-09-16T19:06:00.000-07:00

Last night I went to Gear West to see Christopher McDougall, author of Born to Run. I was thrilled to find out that he was going to be so nearby, so I had to go. There were about 150 there, coming out on a cold rainy night. Chris ran from a store in Wayzata to Gear West in Long Lake, about 3-4 miles, beforehand. I really wish I had been in shape enough to go, being curious about how he runs. Maybe someday, if I run an ultra, he may be on the trail. (Wait a minute...I haven't even run a 5k yet, and I'm thinking about an ultra? That's just crazy talk.)

If you ever get a chance to see him, I'd highly recommend it. I recorded the audio, so sometime I'll post that here (if I can figure it out) or somewhere around. I had some "aha" moments that spoke to my heart when he was talking. At one point, he had people raise hands, if they were a runner and I got to raise mine for the first time. This is it! I'm really beginning to be a part of this community. Even though I can't quite go for 1/2 mile, I'm already relating to things with runners.

I do believe, I have my Runner's Learner Permit.

Come As A Child

2010-09-15T07:39:00.000-07:00

Good things:

Each run I seem to make a new PR for one of my stats.
I am on track for a good 5k run and able to meet my goals
No more heel pain or heel spurs
I get to go see Christopher McDougal tonight at Gear West
My minimum run time is now 2 minutes when 3 weeks ago, that was my longest consecutive run time.

About the heel spurs thing. When I first started running, I was having awful heel pain, so that I would avoid walking on them and often walked on the outsides of my feet barefoot. I found that when I ran, I would land mid-foot and my heels did not hurt like they did when walking. It was only recently that I realized...I haven't had heel pain in 2 months! I wonder if this is because the muscles in my feet are building and therefore are stronger. Who knew that running would cure foot pain?

Yesterday, I drove past the middle school where kids were having track & field practice. I loved seeing how they run! It reminded me of when we went to the Twins game, we stayed longer to watch the kids run the bases. They run with such joy and openness. Their feet strike the ground just about under their body, and they push off into nice heel kicks. And best of all? They do it because they want to, because it's fun.

I can't wait to be able to run like a kid again.

and then again...

2010-09-13T13:54:00.000-07:00

My pants have been irritating me all day. I finally figured out why. They're too baggy! They've been sitting in the closet all summer and now, they're just too big. Keep having to pull them out and they're poofing out very unflatteringly.

So maybe progress is happening more than I realize.

Ho-Hum

2010-09-13T07:43:00.000-07:00

2.2 mile route...11.5 minutes of running, did a 6.5 minute when my goal was a 5. A good run, a good morning. But I'm feeling ho-hum.

This weekend, I wondered what would happen if I just stopped running. Would it really matter? I'm not that far into it that I'd go through withdrawl. On Sunday, my husband took a very unflattering photo of my face. It showed all the fat places in their finest glory. I had thought that maybe my face was showing a difference, but it did not in the photo.

What I really want, is change NOW. Mentally, I'm already a marathoner or maybe an ultra runner. Yet when I go out, I am barely plodding along, not even able to go for 1/2 mile. In the mirror, an obese woman looks back at me. This is after 3 months of run/walking. When will the changes happen?

I know, I'm whining. And yes, I know that it took years to get this way and will take awhile to get in shape. Mentally and logically, I know all that stuff. But psychologically, it's just not so good right now. Which really, is kind of my pattern. A couple of "hey, this is great!" weeks followed by a couple of weeks of whining. Bear with me for a little while and it'll get better.

Something I've been pondering, is the affect of the mind on running. I was talking to a friend about exercise and she wants to get back into a walking program. She went through this book before, went all the way through it, something about 90 days until your walking habit. She wished there was another book for the next 90 days because She quit before after 90, and didn't make it a habit.

What came out of my mouth next, surprised both of us. I said something about if we only work on our physical self and don't address the mental issues, then you may not be successful. We also need to become more mentally healthy. I'm not sure where that came from, but I think it has a ring of truth to it.

When I started running, I had been inactive for years. I would try out different things, but they just didn't stick. I'm not sure what happened years ago that I stopped being physically active. In the last couple of years, I had been growing more in mental health; boundaries, spiritual maturity, in so many internal ways. Then, my husband went through kidney failure and we spent a year in survival mode until he got his transplant. He had just become fairly stable when I felt I could breathe again. Once I could breathe, I found I was exhausted from holding my breath so long. Through the winter, I rested as much as I could and went through a down time. But spring was coming.

A variety of inspirations happened this spring/early summer. I was so tired of being overweight and tired. I had high cholesterol, pre-diabetes and high blood pressure. And I was only mid-thirities! I also started watching Losing It with Jillian Michaels and watched other people, in far worse shape, get better. It was my turn. In mid-July, I hit the pavement.

I was mentally ready for a change. Now, I just need my body to catch up.

6.30

2010-09-10T07:25:00.000-07:00

This week has been weird because of having Monday off. For some reason, I thought today was my hard run day. So, I mapped out a 2.2 mile route and pushed it hard.

6 minutes, 30 seconds straight! A new PR.

I also did a 4 minute, and some others for a total of 10.5 minutes of running. My last run, I could've kept going but I was running out of road and time. I'm just amazed to see what my body is able to do. This is so much fun!

Yesterday, I sat down with a bunch of free online 5K beginner plans and mapped out what they would look like for the 7 weeks left before my first 5k. It was interesting to note that I'm already out longer and farther than what they all recommend and am sort of running the same amount. So, I made up my own plan (like I usually end up doing) with the guidelines that I'm already using:

- Minimum miles on a route
- No runs under a certain amount of time
- Must run at least one run of a certain length each outing
- Must run at least a combined amount of minutes

Mondays are easy days, Wednesday are hard, Fridays are medium. The week before my 5k, I should be able to run 30 minutes at a time. Wow, that sounds so unattainable right now. But if I follow the plan, then it'll happen. I'm going to up my miles to 4 (which includes 5 minutes warm up and 5 for cool down) and then work down on my time.

An interesting note on this - I've already run my next Weds goals today. So maybe I should try to run a week ahead of schedule and add in that little grace time.

On Par

2010-09-08T07:32:00.000-07:00

Hot dog. I ran for 4 minutes in one swoop! Then a tiny 90 sec and then a 3 1/2. A new PR for me. I could have perhaps gone longer, but I really don't know how far I can go without risking injury. Besides, after 3 minutes of running, the roads turn into quad-killing hills.

I "passed" a couple guys out on their golf cart, they must be maintenance guys because they didn't have clubs. The one guy was looking at me oddly. Perhaps he was thinking that he could walk faster than my run. So can I.

One issue I'm having is that my right foot goes numb and then falls asleep. It usually does this between 26-30 minutes into my route. This time, I untied my laces and walked in my socks for the last 2 blocks home. Instantly, I could feel different calf muscles working and different pressure points in my right foot. By the time I walked in the door, my foot was fine. I think that because my right foot is wider, I may need to unlace my shoe a little more. That, and, learn how to run barefoot. I hope these are the last supportive running shoes I need to buy. After that, it may be ballet slippers for me!

I Forgot to Mention...

2010-09-07T11:18:00.000-07:00

...that I lost 5#'s last week. Went 3 weeks with no change and all of a sudden, 5#'s gone. I also bought a new bra and it was 2" smaller.

Funny thing, the poundage and inches don't matter as much as they used to, to me. The real changes that I'm enjoying seeing is how long I can run and and how well.

Running Is A Holiday

2010-09-06T10:27:00.000-07:00

This morning, I got up (late) and made pancakes for my hubby's birthday. Then I went off and treated myself to a run.

I did 2 main long run stretches (by Darrel's and 3rd) and wondering if I'm to the point of doing lesser but longer runs. I also ran out of road and went out again past Alice's and around my street the other way. This week I plan on having no runs under 60sec and increase my route to 2 miles. Now that I'm up to about 2-3.5 min long runs, it shouldn't be too hard, right?

Yesterday my husband and I went to Target Field, the new Twins Stadium for the first time. I loved it! I didn't think I would, but the whole thing has a more intimate feel than the Dome. We walked around it and I felt a difference in the way that I walked. Before, it would be a trudge to see how little I could do until I could sit. Now, it was wonderful to feel how strong my legs were now and they weren't tired after all the walking and stairs. I saw some people slogging along and thought that they could use some running in their lives. So many people are like electricity, the lazy old man. I used to be that way, but now, even if there is a shortcut, I am enjoying going the long way out. It's fun, like a holiday.

Happy Labor Day! May your running be a sweet labor.

It's Not Just Me

2010-09-04T22:56:00.000-07:00

Today, I had a confirmation that it's not just me noticing the changes in my body. After a small run this morning (6.5 min of running, 26 min total out), my husband and I headed out to run some errands. My main errand was to buy a new bra. My old one had room enough that I could stuff tissues down there. The lady at the store measured me, and I was 2" smaller than my last fitting!

These small changes in my body are giving me confidence, along with just feeling better and more in shape. Now, even when I walk through a parking lot, it feels like a good way to stretch my legs and not a drudgery. I may not look much different, but psychologically, I'm a shapely, slender runner. I also did something silly this morning. After my run, (and oatmeal and 1/2 glass of water) I weighed myself. I was down 4#'s. Hopefully for the official Sunday morning weigh-in, I'll still be down some. And slap my hand, but I had ice cream twice today. There goes the good and the bad. But can I help it that I enjoy both the good (running) and the bad (calories)?

Time to go to bed and get my running sleep.

ETA: I forgot to add that I had NO soreness from barefooting yesterday. I was expecting some soreness but my feet feel great.

September Legs

2010-09-03T10:42:00.000-07:00

Getting Dirty

2010-09-03T07:06:00.000-07:00

I never realized before how dirty my treadmill belt was until I ran on it barefoot. My feet were black when I was finished. And here I thought that running outside would make my feet dirty! Well, it probably will, but anyway.

5 minutes of combined treadmill barefoot running. I'm going to look into getting some sort of flat shoe so I can "barefoot" outside. My first run was an easy 2 minutes until my calf cried, "uncle!" Other than my calves stretching themselves into a new motion, there were no aches or pains; no arch burning or toes falling asleep.

What was most amazing, is that I didn't think about my form at all. My legs and feet naturally went into their own rhythm; mid foot or outer mid foot strike and rolling inward. I did try to pick my knees up a little more, but that's all I did consciously.

I think that I may knit some felted slippers of a sort for running outside. Wool may be a great thing to run in. It absorbs sweat, won't chafe if it's felted, because it'll form to my feet. Best of all, it give me a little bit of protection while allowing my foot to move naturally.

Since this was a light run, I'm going to go out tomorrow on another light run, this time with shoes. I know I need to build up the muscles that will help me go barefoot more. Now, if only I could convince my husband that barefooting is good.

So...Pronation is Good?

2010-09-02T08:32:00.001-07:00

Tarahumaran made sandals - tire treads and leather straps

I've been reading a book called Born to Run by Christopher McDougall. A fascinating story about the Tarahumara and how running is what they do - legs are their vehicle of choice. I've just gotten to the part about barefoot running and it's rekindling my desire.

As a girl, we never had much money for expensive shoes. My dress pair was always beige and boring, no matter what color I wore, I had to wear these plain beige shoes. So when it came to play shoes, which were often outgrown, we went with bare feet for the most part. I learned to be able to run on gravel. In our hayfields, I remember pretending to be a gazelle, leap running through our hilly hayfields and never falling. I could feel the ground as I landed and adjusted my foot placement if needed. The only times I sprained ankles was when I was walking.

I had a neighbor friend who lives 1/4 mile away, and I would run for fun down the road. I'd also run home from our bus stop, which was down a long hill. My mom would say should could hear me "thundering down the road." It made me more conscious of my running, but I still did it because I enjoyed it. And I did it in any shoes - which means cheap Kmart or Target ones.

All this to say that I used to know how to run barefoot. I didn't have to read books, articles, how-to's on the proper form. Granted, I was a kid and had a little more joint flexibility. However, I can't remember once ever having a running in jury or being sore.

Tomorrow, I'm going to do my run on our treadmill, barefoot. I think it's a good place to start because the treadmill is an even ground and is softer than asphalt. I may make Fridays my barefoot day if this works well. Eventually I'd love to be able to run barefoot, or with a flat shoe for all my runs. I remember the last time that I tried this, I felt no pain in my arches, no foot falling asleep and no calf burning. There was some foot soreness the next day or two, but I believe that was due to building foot and toe muscles. It wasn't an injured feeling, but muscle soreness.

The Tarahumara run in sandals that they make - a sort of rough form of flip flops (though more secured). Made from recyled tire treads and leather straps, they truly have the corner on green running. Ironically, you can now order these sandals using the link above for only $48.70. So much for being natural and free!

Flip Flop

2010-09-02T08:32:00.000-07:00

Tarahumaran made sandals - tire treads and leather straps

So...Pronation is Good?

2010-09-02T08:05:00.000-07:00

Tarahumaran made sandals - tire treads and leather straps

3:30

2010-09-01T07:14:00.000-07:00

My SIL has recently started training to run a 5k and she is up to a 5 minute non-interval run. I couldn't help but compare myself - I am only doing a measly 2 minute run. Is there more in me that I am holding back on? Could I possibly go farther? Am I not pushing myself enough? Time to break out of the Twilight Zone.

Along my route today, I walked around a block instead of doing a run interval - to conserve my energy. On Darrel's street, I shuffled off into a run. End of street came, and I decided to keep going...cross street...2:30...along next street...3:00...end of next street and up a slight hill...3:30!!

But wait, there's more!

I had only gone 6:30 and my goal was 7 this morning. So at the top of the hill, I shuffled off again, aiming for that 30 seconds even though I was tired from the last interval. Next thing I knew, it was 1:30 and I had blown through my expectations.

All this, and I almost stayed in bed, procrastinating. The rest of the morning, I was cheerful and singing a little while my hubby (who stayed up really late working) grumped about. What a change, I'm usually the grumpy, bumbly person.

Who is this woman?

In other news, I've noticed my butt is less firm and a little saggy now. Great, just what I've always wanted. And of course, I've also noticed that I'm losing weight in the area that women hate to lose - the bust area. At this rate, I'll need to buy new bras in a few weeks.

Legs - 2

2010-08-30T20:29:00.000-07:00

Awhile back I posted leg pics and you haven't seen them since! It's because I'm poky with getting the camera and internet together sometimes. Here they are from 2 weeks ago.

I can see a difference from the last time. My knees definitely show more shape and there's some toning going on. To see all my leg pics, just click on the "legs" tag at the bottom of this post.

From now on, I'm only going to post them at the beginning of each month.

And Then I Woke Up

2010-08-30T07:19:00.000-07:00

Last night I dreamt that I was walking along and all of a sudden, just started running. It was smooth and easy, like flying. The path turned into a tunnel and I needed to bend and run while part of my body was sideways. But it was beautiful!

And then I woke up.

Had to take the dog out to do his duty (which involved avoiding the step that broke last night on the deck, setting the dog down and watching helplessly as he slipped off and fell on the rocks [he's just fine] and feeling a little traumatized being half awake and it seeming all a dream).

By the time I hit the pavement, I had a head ache and was grumpy. I had routed a new way which took me alongside the highway. There is a strip of ground along the highway that is dirt so I thought it would be good to have a softer ground to run on. There were a lot of cars and I felt very self-conscious. But I did run about 90 seconds along the busy road. I had decided to do 6 minutes of running, so I was pacing myself.

On a stretch of road that goes by Darrel's, I started a driveway in and ran the whole thing! About 2 minutes of running, my longest of the day. Each run was a struggle at about 30-60 seconds in and then I'd play mind games and try to think of something else. I know that I'm building endurance and muscle, it's just a slower process than I originally thought it would be.

Now I'm grumpy and tired and am craving caffeine. Pass the endorphins, please!

I'm Like Electricity (it's not what you think)

2010-08-29T12:24:00.000-07:00

When I was in middle school, we built a light of sorts, that would connect to a battery. One of the lessons that the teacher taught was that electricity is like a lazy old man. It will take the shortest path home, so don't cross the wires between the battery and the bulb or it won't work. She was right.

Yesterday, I was like electricity. I wish I could say that I was energized or hot, or fast or something like that. But in reality, I was like the lazy old man. The whole run was a struggle again and since my shins were a little sore from the last run, I took it easier; and the shortest path home. I did manage to go about 1.1 miles and run about 5 minutes before the lazy old man took over.

I'm getting a little bored with my route and need to map out something new. Or maybe I need to have something to think about and do some mind games while running. Either way, I'll try to put something new into practice tomorrow morning.

Kidney Anniversary

2010-08-27T11:29:00.000-07:00

One year ago, Tuesday was the kidney anniversary. What a year it's been! We took the donor and his wife out to eat at Kobe in Plymouth for Hibachi. We caught up a little and reflected some about the last year. The donor said he'd do it again if he could, no regrets. His wife echoed the no regrets. What a wonderful gift to have been given and so willingly.

120 Seconds

2010-08-26T08:12:00.000-07:00

As I walked for my warm up this morning, I shivered. A woman sitting on her porch was bundled up in a warm looking wrap and here I was in shorts and t-shirt. Am I crazy? Should I put something else on? But 35 minutes later when I got home, I was quite warm.

The whole run seemed to be a struggle to push myself. I thought maybe the cool weather would help, but my body just did not want to move. Since this is my middle week run, it was the one that I pushed myself on.

Walk - 6 minutes
Run - 60 sec
Walk - 2 min
Run - 90 sec
Walk - 2 min
Run - 75 sec (wimped out)
Walk - 3 min
Run - 75 sec (made up for my time)
Walk - 2 min
Run - 2 min!!!
Walked the rest of the way home. I may have walked a little more between runs, but don't remember now. It was about 35 min out of the house.

On my last run, I got to the place where I was to start my 90 sec and there comes the garbage truck coming toward me. (And another reason not to run on Thurs is it's garbage day and it's not pleasant to run by.) I thought great, I can't wait until it goes by because it stops every few meters and I like this mostly flat place to get in a longer run. So I started off and committed to not looking at my watch until I ran past the truck. It was 75 seconds. I pushed myself past the road construction sign, 90 seconds. My legs started to complain, "hey, remember us? We're still going here. Are we done yet?" The next driveway...hey, only 15 sec to go until 2 minutes. Done!

What I learned is that if I don't push myself, my legs will get lazy and stop when they could have kept going.

In other news, I notice that my belly fat is getting floppier and kind of gross looking. I used to be somewhat glad that my fat has always been firm so I didn't have that puckered cottage cheese look. But now it's all sagging and there's a new crease near my waist. Reminds me of a balloon that you slowly let the air out of. I sure hope that the fat is being let out of my body.

The Heart of the Matter

2010-08-25T19:50:00.000-07:00

As I progress, I'm adding bits of things to help along the way. If I added them all at once, I'd get overwhelmed and most likely be paralyzed and paranoid about how I run. However, I think what would be important to know, would be if I'm in my target heart rate zone when out running around. This may be the key to having my training sessions be more effective and thusly, better results. So I googled.

Discovery Health - 93 to 138
American Heart Association - 93–157, Max 185
The Walking Site - referred to the karvonen formula found here. It requires some planning ahead and seems like the most sensible way to figure it out. The Walking Site also has a percentage range for your heart rate.
fitsugar - 93-157, max 185 (echo)
Fitwatch - calculates from resting hear rate - 184 (must be the running around with the puppy I just did)
about.com - 92-100

Talk about getting a complex, when all I want to do is find my target heart rate! If I do the averages though, it should be about 93 - 147. I guess that I'll probably stick to the low to middle end for now and see how it goes.

105 Seconds

2010-08-25T07:26:00.000-07:00

Monday
Took a 2 hour nap and there went my running time.

Tuesday morning, 7am
"I think I'll run later today," I said to her husband." He smile/laughed.

"You already delayed your run by a day," said a little voice."

"Hrmpphhh," I said as I rolled out of bed.

And so, I found myself, groggy, with a pair of running shoes on (and clothes of course), stumbling around the neighborhood. I usually try to smile or not to grimace when cars go by so that people don't think I'm in pain, or that they think exercise is bad. I couldn't muster more than an un-frown that morning.

On the first run, I decided to see if I could push myself past my Twilight Zone of 90 seconds. So I shuffle ran, sometimes not going faster than walking. At 90 seconds my legs said, "done!" But I told them to keep going, and so they grumbled along for another 15 seconds until I relented.

I did it!

But I didn't do it again then. The first run of the week I'm making an easier run, so I let my other runs be easy. I maybe ran for about 5 minutes during the 25 min workout. By the time I got home, I was awake and almost able to smile.

I'm so tagging this as Progress, because I need all I can get.

Resetting the Clocks

2010-08-23T11:27:00.000-07:00

This really stinks. I finally decided not to be obsessive about weighing myself, and am only going to weigh in on Sundays. And what does the scale say? It says I'm back up to my starting weight! I felt like stomping on the stupid thing and looked around to see if anything had their thumb on it. You know, like how people used to cheat people by putting their thumb on the scale so it looks like they got more than they did.

This last week was a good week for my running and I planned better meals as well. I should have at the very least, been down near my lowest weight.

My friend, Cris, tried to encourage me that I'm building muscle. But at this rate, I'm going to be 200+ of muscle and nothing else. Shouldn't things be looking better?

I'm also trying to tell Myself that what I'm doing is actually worth it in the long run. But myself isn't buying it much lately. In fact, Myself forgot to reset the alarm and so didn't get me up this morning to run. Myself may or may not help me run this afternoon or evening.

Anyway, I did have a good run on Friday, I went around the neighborhood for about 45 minutes and did about 6-7 min of running off and on during that. The weird thing is, I'm still in the Twilight Zone of 90 sec runs. I think I need to push myself into at the very least, 1.75 - 2 minute runs. Perhaps my body's time clock is saying that 90 seconds is all I can do, so stop it already! I need to reset that clock (just like my alarm clock).

I am SO tagging this entry as "Regress."

"I Should Be Doing What You're Doing"

2010-08-19T09:32:00.000-07:00

My first pair of running shoes - Saucony Women's ProGrid Ride 3

As promised, I went out for a run yesterday after work. I had mapped out a new route, one that went north of our home. This one is flatter with only slight hills so I felt it was a little easier. The first run, I went for 90 sec without tiring and checking my watch. I continued to do mostly 90 sec runs with a 30 sec speed run. It felt good to break out of my slow shuffle run to a greater range of motion.

As I was running by a house, a woman, who looked to be at least 50#'s up on me, waved and said, "I should be doing what you're doing!" I hope she does. 1 1/2 months ago, I couldn't run 60 seconds without being exhausted. Now, I can easily do 90 sec and run/walk a route of 1 1/2 miles (going on 2). The process is slow but it is the right direction.

Sometimes I feel discouraged when I can't run as well or as much as I want to. Or when I don't lose the weight or when it comes back on. But is there any other option? I'm going forward, in the right direction. Slow changes, but lasting ones.

I timed my training and route and figured out an estimate on how long it will take me to do the 5k. If I ran/walked a 5K tomorrow, I could finish in -

(Drumroll please)

52 minutes!

A bit longer than I was hoping, but it's under an hour. Then again, having such a high estimate means that there is a lot of room for improvement.

My new training plan is off the training plan. For now, I'm going to do more fartlek runs; run until I pant heavily, walk until I catch my breath. I know that I could right now, get through a 5K slowly with running and walking. So now all I need to do is improve my time. I also realize that I will most likely end up walking some of my 5k. I didn't want to do this, but it's my reality. There will always be more 5K's to run in. Most important to me is that I enjoy running and that I keep the injuries down.

Monday - easy run/walk
Wednesday - more intense run/walk try to improve times, push myself farther
Friday - easy/intense run, depending on soreness level

Oops

2010-08-18T09:23:00.000-07:00

This morning I heard my radio alarm go off and they were promoing a few interesting stories. So I thought I'd listen to those stories and then get up. Next thing I know, it's 45 minutes later and I missed my chance to run. I was so disappointed! Was looking forward to running. I'll have to go right after work or after my meeting tonight.

Another interesting thing to note, I got the book, Joan Samuelson's Running for Women from the library. The book hasn't appealed to me, with a pic of Joan on the cover, sweaty and on a track. And who is this Joan person, anyway?

So I had a few moments yesterday and went to youtube, looking for Kathrine Switzer videos. There was a link to the 1984 Olympics 1st women's marathon. I played it and wow, it was like a spiritual moment. Watching Joan Benoit just fly through the run and making history for women's running, choked me up a little. At the end I thought hey, that image looks familiar! Sure enough, on the cover of Joan Samuelson's book, there was Joan Benoit (can you see that the light bulb is about to go off?).

I thought well, maybe this Samuelson woman used Benoit's picture...hey wait, the full name of the author is Joan Benoit Samuelson!

*facepalm*

Needless to say, I'm excited about reading the book now.

Here's a link to the video, I hope you enjoy it as much as I have. Keep in mind:

Years of struggle went into this. In the 70's, women weren't allowed to run marathons in the US. Many women gave up their time, their own marathon running and resources so that a women's marathon could be added to the Olympics. This is history right here, in our time.

The First Gold

Escher

2010-08-18T09:10:00.000-07:00

Doug was cleared to be able to have pets about a month ago. So we were looking around at puppies. Last Thursday, on our 15th Anniversary, we picked up a 1/2 lab, 1/2 ?? and named him Escher.

I suspect that the 1/2 is a Springer Spaniel which would make him a Labridinger. Hopefully that's the case as that would make an excellent smart dog and also good for hunting.

He's already adjusting well and only wakes us up at night once to go outside. His favorite toys arent' the ones we bought him, but an empty paper towel roll and a rag that was tied in knots. Now, we just need to get the potty training thing down.

No Sweat

2010-08-16T08:41:00.000-07:00

Maybe it was the new shoes.

Maybe, the hour body massage.

Perhaps it could've been the 4 day muscle rest.

Or then again, maybe it was the beautiful, cool breezy morning.

In any case, this morning's workout rocked.

I came out of the house feeling good this morning and my brisk walk was truly brisk. I love cool mornings like this, probably was in the 60's-70's range because when the breeze blew by I got shivers. It only took about 9 minutes to walk around and up the hill to start the run.

My first run surprised me. Normally, I huff and puff and just try to make it to the next mailbox. I was going along and all of a sudden - hey! There's the end of the street! How'd that get there so fast? And so it went. I walked until my calves felt untight and then ran again. No timing or even listening to an interval podcast, just pure outside running and walking.

And so I turned or corner and realized that I was running out of road, I was near my home. I did one last 1 min run so that I could have enough time to walk it off. And voila, it was done.

I entered the house cheerfully and felt great. I wasn't soggy sweating, maybe due to the cool breeze. But on the other hand, I didn't push myself to long runs because I did have brand new shoes on and I also didn't want to strain my calves in case they weren't fully recovered.

If all runs could be this fun, then I'd do this twice a day if I could.

***************************

On another note, I spent the weekend being lazy and journeyed through the last 40 years or so of women's marathon running. We got a puppy who will be a future running partner. But for now, I sit with him and wait for him to have to pee and read Marathon Woman by Kathrine Switzer.

I devoured this book. It was well written, compelling and inspiring. I am so thankful that Kathrine was there at that time - a driven woman who had a true love of running. Where would the sport be now for people like me? Intimidating up the wazoo, that's where.

When I was in high school, my sister had gone before me and had been on the track team. There had been no question of IF a woman could be on the team, only if she wanted to take the time to do it. So in 8th grade, I joined up as a spinter. My track team stint was short lived because:

1. My shoes were stolen after the 2nd practice and we had no money for more
2. I joined a little late and was not as in shape for the practices. Can you believe that all they did was run back and forth? Gah.
3. I have a habit of starting things and not driven enough to finish. Until now, of course.

Anyway, the point is, there has never been a thought in my mind that women could not run when, where (at least in the US) and however they pleased. In fact, one of the best long distance runners on the team was a girl. It really floors me that about the time I was learning to walk and maybe run, women were just gaining ground in long distance running.

We've really come a long way, baby!

The Mental Wall

2010-08-10T12:48:00.000-07:00

This last week I've been feeling as if I've been training all along, and I'm still struggling to do week 3. I've let too much of life get in the way. Do I start over? I have time. I could start at week 3 and just go from here. Or, I could find another program and try that out for size.

I've been looking around the net and I found something interesting on the C25k site:

The fact of the matter is though that if history repeats itself, most of you will drop out somewhere around week 4 or 5.

This is where I'm at. I've been repeating week 3 for the last 3 weeks! And I still have not licked it. Do I just press on and go with week 4? I know that I have my weight against me. Starting at over 200 pounds is not easy to run around with. I also have not gotten real running shoes yet, I plan to rectify that soon.

I think my mind is becoming clearer as I write. I'll finish off this week on week 3, and that's it! I'm going onto week 4 whether I'm mentally and physically ready. I'm just not going to stress over whatever length of run I need to do, I'm just going to do it. And I'll get over this hump and move on.

Because I still have time to do 2 weeks of every week of the 8 week program, plus one. Thankfully, I gave myself plenty of time. I can still do this! I will do this. I've now told others, so I can't fail.

Good things:

I'm still ahead of many Americans who don't run regularly.
When we hiked .1 of a mile up a steep hill, instead of looking at it as a mistake, I looked at it as a good workout.
I'm going to buy running shoes hopefully, this weekend. Which I believe will help me to run better.

Plan:
Weds - run
Thurs - cross train
Fri - run
Sat - cross train
Sun - buy shoes!

Limping Toward Home

2010-08-05T11:44:00.000-07:00

Well, this morning I got in a combined run of....(drumroll please)...2 1/2 minutes! My all time low yet. What happened, you ask? Well, I started to feel almost a burning pain in my feet and my arches. The only thing different thing I did was to have different socks on - I put together 2 pairs of thinner sports socks. However, I wonder if running on the streets after the treadmill runs are just harder on my feet. I may have to rethink the treadmill runs.

Tomorrow I'm going to run again, because my workout couldn't really be considered a true run. But this time I'm going to run on our treadmill and do a barefoot run again. Why not?

I had a really neat thing happen last night - someone called to say that I had inspired them to run a 5K. I won't go into it here (but that person is welcome to post here if they wish). It was just neat to know that I, in all my failings could inspire someone by doing and asking.

Just don't tell her and the others that my secret, secret plan...is for us all to run the Disney Princess 1/2 Marathon (or ok, the 5k is good too) in 2012.

Pushing Forward

2010-08-03T11:40:00.000-07:00

Last night I was up until 1:30am, not on purpose, really! I thought that maybe I wouldn't run in the morning and let my body rest. But then I found myself up at 7:15am so I just up and went.

I ran around the neighborhood for about a half hour. Total combined run time was 7 minutes. On Thursday I'm going to push forward to 8 minutes. If I push myself to do another 30 seconds to a minute more each time, then I can see myself running the 5k easily.

I feel that doing the treadmill training really set me back. It's harder now to run outside, and I am 1-2 weeks behind in the training. Luckily, I plotted at least 2 weeks to do every 1 week so it's all good still. From now on, it's outside unless there's no other way.

And, I've dropped the training calendar for awhile, until I can get back on track. What I'm doing, is running as much as I can, wait until I can catch my breath, repeat. The first couple times I did this, I was surprised at how much less I ran. I know though, that when I push myself, I can do more. Thusly, I am counting the run minutes and pushing them forward.

Yeah, I always end up having to do things my way, whether it's a recipe, knitting pattern, whatnot. But there really is no cookie cutter method for everyone. I think the point is, to have a good guideline and try it, and take what works for you - drop what doesn't.

Scale was down another pound, I'm one pound away from being back down 6#'s like last week.

I've finished reading another running book. Seems like that's all I want to read lately! Yay for libraries.

Pilgrim's Progress/Regress

2010-08-02T11:18:00.000-07:00

Progress: The scale said I'm back down 4# from original weight.

Regress: But not down to my lowest weight from last week.

Progress: A friend told me that I was looking more toned around the middle and my face showed it too.

Regress: I looked at the pics of my legs, and they do not look like how I think they really look like.

Progress: Getting up in the morning is becoming a little easier.

Regress: I was trying on a pair of pants that I wore last spring. They didn't fit around the middle! Everything seemed mushy. Kind of weird because my middle, though ample, used to be more firm. My theory: The firm fat is leaving...the squishy floppy fat remains and thusly, it's harder to fit into some clothes.

Progress: I went to the Running Room last weekend and felt a connection to more runners.

Regress: I was the largest one there, and I bet they couldn't have picked me out from the group we were in that I was the runner.

Progress: I invited my sisters-in-law and my mother-in-law to run in a 5K with me next year.

Regress: I was feeling down on Sunday, like what I was doing really isnt' doing anything.

I wonder if this back and forth thing is the same with others like me who start running? I am hoping that the Regresses become less as the Progresses become more.

Here's my legs from yesterday. I'm going to continue to take weekly pics to see how they change.

Sigh

2010-08-01T06:57:00.000-07:00

Yesterday was our annual Norman Women's retreat. We spent the day walking up and down Grand Ave in St. Paul and eating a lot. I ate too much of course! Add on that with the fact that I had only done 2 runs last week and one was weak (ran outside and it was a lot different than the treadmill).

The scale told the sad news - back up a few pounds. Ground lost!

Luckily, I had woken up early enough to do a run before church. I mapped out a new route, west of our home. Little did I know that half of that length was a slow slog up hill. My total running time was probably 5-6 minutes, the rest was climbing. However, I did get a good workout because of the walking uphills.

I realized this week:

I run slower on the treadmill which combined with the even path, makes it easier
When I go outside after being on the treadmill a few days, I try to run to fast
I will to pace myself better outside
I will be nixing the treadmill unless absolutely necessary; 90+ weather, severe thunderstorm, somethng like that.
I will be getting up in the mornings for my runs.
I will keep whole grain bread on hand for a pre-run snack with butter and fresh local honey.
I will learn something new about nutrition this week
I will be taking pics of my legs each week. That's where I'm seeing so much change!

Note: I went back and deleted all the "I need to" phrases to "I will."

Back into the groove again. Tomorrow the scale should be more friendly.

ETA: before yesterday, I had been down another pound - 6#'s lost! I'm hoping my weight will drop back to that in the next couple of days.

Good Things

2010-07-23T07:35:00.000-07:00

On Wednesday, I got on the scale and I was down another pound - 5# lost total. Although visually I can't see a difference, I KNOW that change is happening. My legs and thighs have more definition. My belt notches tighter than before. And this may be weird, but the fat around my middle, seems looser.

Last night I ran my 2nd run of the week. One more run on Saturday and then I step up to week 4. It was a late run, I had finished skyping at 9pm. But I WANTED to run! I was so excited. Had a bit of foot pain but I kept pressing on and ignoring it. If it's not debilitating pain, then it's just muscles getting used to it. At the end of my 2nd 3min run, I just kept going for another 30 secs. Could have gone more, but I don't know if it's wise to push myself farther.

This morning I looked in the mirror and was confused. Who is that fat person? It surely can't be me, the runner. I'm strong and graceful. That fat person has to go.

Kegan

2010-07-21T10:07:00.000-07:00

Last weekend, I got to spend some time with my favorite cat and his human.
I'd put him in my suitcase when I left if I knew that it wouldn't ruin a friendship.
See what I mean? He's irresistible. And he likes the shawl I knit.

Blood, Sweat and Tears.

2010-07-20T22:38:00.000-07:00

Ok, nix the blood part unless you count...oh never mind. But I had the other two nicely in hand earlier this evening.

Back up to last week. I did the barefoot running thing and felt great the day after. Luckily I went away for the weekend and had no time or space to train. My feet felt oddly...odd. Sore in places and stressed from the run. To sum up, I think that I need to go at it slower to work up to full barefoot running.

Yesterday I ran out of steam before I was supposed to run. Yes, the key word is "supposed to." In my weak defense, I was on a new BP med and it made me tired and lethargic. But I also didn't push myself to run at all. So I vowed that the next day I would run and that I would just be a day off this week.

Which brings us to tonight.

I am on Week 3b; 90 sec walk, 90 sec run, 3 min walk, 3 min run, repeat. Earlier I had thought that the instructions said "5 min run" and panicked, so the 3 min looked fairly easy in retrospect. The first time through, I had to pause and take out my Tacco insoles as they were hurting my arches. I like the treadmill because of this; that I can shuck clothes or whatnot that's not working as I go.

The second 3 minute run I struggled with. I kept psyching myself out by saying that I was strong and that this was a piece of cake and that pain was just weakness going away. It worked! Filling my head up with all that stuff and pushing myself past the pain in my feet helped me to finish well. I really didn't think I could do it.

After the 3 min run, I kept walking, hung onto the rails and tears fell. I felt this rush of accomplishment and well-being that I couldn't help but weep with joy. I pushed passed my barriers and I had done my most running yet; 9 minutes.

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On a side note, a friend said that someday, with running, I will no longer need to worry about BP meds. Yay!

On another note, I am reading a lot of running books; how-to's, stories of, etc., so it helps me psyche up to a run.

I really want to run the Disney Princess Half Marathon.

Wait...

Did I just say I WANTED TO RUN? The mind boggles.

Running Free

2010-07-16T08:47:00.000-07:00

Things have gotten a little gang agly lately with training. Some weeks I'm only able to get in 2 runs and not that many other exercise times. I am considering getting up early (gulp) to make sure I have time. We shall see. But I am still going forward when I can.

Good things:

I've lost 4 pounds
My belt is notched tighter
there's more definition in legs and thighs
I feel more fit, and like a runner

Not so good things

Inconsistent runs
Pain in feet caused me to cut a couple runs short
Not eating healthy enough for my liking, but still better than it was

I've been reading up on something called "Barefoot Running." If anyone knows me, they know that I don't like wearing shoes and can often be found barefoot at work. This really intrigued me. Instead of running so my heel hits first, I would run so I would hit mid-foot or ball of foot first.

Last night I got onto the treadmill after doing a bit of research, watching videos, in my own DIY way. I took it slow and easy, run 2 minutes, walk 2 minutes. And you know what? I did 4 reps that way with very little pain. It used to be that I'd finish my run session and my arches would burn and my right heel would ache painfully. But after the barefoot run, I had NO ARCH PAIN and the pain in my heel was very minimal. The only painful part was my right calf. I think it's because the form of the leg is different and it had to move differently.

I think I'm hooked.

I'm even walking without heel strikes as much as possible. And I'm noticing that I don't have as much heel pain when I do this. Duh. I'll still use my arch supports when on my feet a lot, but not for running for now.

I am a runner and I love it.

Looking For the Dead

2010-07-02T07:39:00.000-07:00

Last night I did my 2nd run training that I was supposed to do on Weds (but fell asleep). Hubby and I found a lovely cemetery with slightly rolling landscape, trees and lots of flowers. I think with the 4th coming up, many graves are being tended to. I feel a little odd running in a cemetery because I don't want to disturb mourners. However, it was a little later in the evening and no one came until we were halfway through.

I did 5 full walk/run sets and then did a 60sec instead of 90sec run. My husband said that I could've done the full run. If I'm honest with myself, I think I could've done maybe 7 sets.

Why don't I push myself more? I watched the Losing It episode with the Vivio's and one theme that I'm seeing in the program is that if you have someone there pushing you beyond what you think you can do - you not only can do it, you may overcome something inside yourself as well. I'm wondering if there is something that holds me back from putting my all into these workouts.

I've never been a very athletic person. Was always near the last to be picked for any team in school, swam like a rock, shied away from balls, couldn't do gymnastics because of a back surgery, etc., etc.

However...

I was one of the fastest sprinters in our class.
I used to run through our hay fields, sure footed through the rows and holes.
I was good at soccer but unfortunately at the time, there was no girls soccer teams in the area
I could shoot a mean game of basketball, if only other people would get out of the way. Can we say HORSE?
I could do Jane Fonda's workout VHS after riding my horse and not sweat too much.

So perhaps I psyche myself out of doing well. I easily remember the bad things but it took me quite awhile to think up the good things. This needs more thinking time.

Oh, and the title of this post? I mentioned earlier that other people came to the cemetery while we were there. Three teenage girls had brought flowers and they were looking for a gravestone. They searched around and around and finally gave up and left.

They were looking for the dead and didn't find it.

I'm looking for a missing athletic person, and I will find her.

Yawn

2010-07-01T09:52:00.000-07:00

Yesterday was supposed to be my 2nd day of the 90sec run, 60sec walk. Notice the key words: "supposed to."

I laid down after dinner, having been sleepy all day for a 15 min nap before working out. 2 hours later I woke up and went "do'h."

New plan this week:
Thurs - Train
Fri - cross train
Sat - Train

Too bad "Train" mean training for a 5K and not that I'm taking off for somewhere fun on a train!

I Don't Wanna

2010-06-29T07:59:00.000-07:00

Whose idea was this anyway? The last few days I've been wondering if I've bitten off more than I can chew...or run. Perhaps I should have just started with a 1 or 2 mile goal. I don't feel in any better shape and have lost no weight. Is this typical? Or am I not pushing myself enough? Because I feel that I have been.

Last Friday I aced my workout, it was my last "run 60sec walk 90sec" workout. I did it on our new treadmill.

Sunday we went to the Science Museum. There were 6 flights of stairs - should be easy for someone who has been exercising, right? Wrong. It whipped my butt! I made it up 4 sets and then had to stop and admire the view over the railing while I panted. Where's the endurance? The leg strengthening? Not around here.

Monday was my first "90sec run, 60sec walk" workout. I went outside after I got home from a ladies night out and was already tired. I managed to do 3 sets, a far cry from the 6 I did on Friday. My feet were painfully sore because I was experimenting with arch supports. Oops!

Okay, I don't want to sound whiny. It is not an easy road to start this fitness thing off. There are other regimens which right now look pretty good. But is it really the case of the grass being greener on the other side of the finishing line? All in all, I am probably in better shape than I was two weeks ago. I run a little easier especially in the beginning. My legs are often sore which means my muscles are building. I am seeing new aspects of my knees.

My hope is that a couple months from now, I can look back and read this and laugh. Laugh at how out of shape I was and be happy for how much I had improved.

Hope is what keeps me going.

SUCCESS!

2010-06-23T19:20:00.000-07:00

Tonight, I ran the whole stinking workout. Ok, so it isn't all running, what I mean is, that I didn't cop out on any of the runs. They were all at least 60 seconds worth.

Hubby and I set out around our neighborhood. It was a nice night, a little humid but hey, it's Minnesota. We had a 2 min walk between runs 4 & 5 and I had to rest my foot (it got numb) before #6, but I did the whole thing. No, it's not perfect, but I ran as much as they told me, I just rested a little more than prescribed. One more training session like this on Friday and then it steps up.

Tomorrow is rest day, of which I am very ready for. I'm also hungry a lot. It's not the low blood sugar kind of hungry that makes me feel like a boneless chicken. It's my stomach being grouchy and wanting food! I take this as a good sign.

Running with the Dead

2010-06-23T13:17:00.000-07:00

Last Monday I went to a local cemetery to run around. It's a nice quiet place and no one hardly goes there. I'll be able to look silly all by myself. I used a podcast for the 5K training so I didn't need a watch. Just listen, and change pace when it tells me to.

First lap...hey, I didn't realize that the backs of the houses were so close to the cemetery. Lo and behold, there's a guy out on his deck, watching me. We wave. Next house, a dog barks, the owner comes out to look. I sure hope they don't tell me I shouldn't be running here.

After a few laps, I'm too tired and sweaty to care. The deck guy went inside and the other guy is puttering in his yard. A lady shouts from her house. "How many steps around is it? Is it a mile?"

The yard guy, "it's 32 rounds for you."

I laugh and tell them that I have no idea. I'd rather not know how many steps or how many times around is a mile. Perhaps it's not so bad to have people see me work out.

And I almost made it through the whole thing. The last 3 parts were not the best. I copped out about 10 seconds short, and the last run part I walked. But it was more than I had done before. GO ME!

Today is my 2nd training workout this week. My quads have been sore and I've been dreading it. But I have to get up and going. And to show how fearless I am today - I'm going to just run around my neighborhood.

The Oven Light Turns On

2010-06-22T12:23:00.000-07:00

This story is my inspiration, if anything is. Seeing Debra Jones, in her 50's, run a 5k in a few weeks was truly amazing. And very inspiring, while sitting and watching. But then I explored Jillian Michael's site, printed off some stuff, one being how to train for a 5K in 8 weeks.

That sheet of paper seemed to come to the top of my paper stacks time and again. It was doable. Something clicked on and without thinking too much, I decided to do it. If Debra could do it, I could! I am younger and weigh less, so it shouldn't be too hard, right?

And then, something took over my body (I think it was invasion of the couch potato snatchers) and I found a 5K that was a little way out and the philosophy was one I could get excited about.
My friends, I am going to be running in the Fearless 5K on October 30th.

From their site:

Only 4% of Americans ever run & less than 2% ever run/walk a road race! Most non-exercisers fear exercise, or fear that their own efforts to improve their health/fitness will be a fruitless waste of time.

Actively demonstrate your friendly fearlessness as an active runner/walker by sharing your run/walk with others who may have been fearful of RxExercise and entering a 5k road race.

Runners & walkers will be demonstrating the Power of RxExercise to improve lives, including overcoming fears, especially the many of us who are living well and courageously beyond health challenges like arthritis, brain injuries, cancer, diabetes, anxiety & depression, and heart disease with RxExercise.

I'm not afraid of a little 3.1 miles. Even though right now I can barely run over a minute at a time. I trust in the process and in the changes in my body. And I trust that God will keep my legs moving even when my mind tells me to stop.

And best of all, I intend to knit myself a little crown hat for my costume.

Crashed Diet

2010-06-22T12:10:00.000-07:00

Well, like any diet, this one has crashed a bit. Notice me not posting for awhile? anyway, work did get underway even if I wasn't posting. My husband helped me to rearrange some rooms and clean up places that weren't exactly in the order that I had planned. But I am very off course and probably won't be able to catch back up to the old plan.

So there must be a new plan.

I have still been dreaming of heading off in an RV or maybe a houseboat and just traveling. After being gone for 10 days on a vacation, I really did not want to go home. I wanted to just keep going and see where the road would take us.

The next plan, I believe, will involve some preparations for getting ready to be more minimalist. Right now, the thought of downsizing to an RV is very daunting. But with some sorting through, maybe we can make it one step closer. And if we never do the RV thing, at least we've unburdened our lives a little.

I've Fallen off the Face of the Earth...BRB

2010-05-11T07:40:00.000-07:00

So...I was busy with stuff (not sure what) and then went on vacation for 10 days, went to another fiber festival and am aiming to be back to "normal" soon. In the meantime, here are some pics of sheep to tied you over.

2010-04-14T17:26:00.000-07:00

The Power of Community

2010-03-29T12:17:00.000-07:00

One thing that I've been learning in my Christian walk the last few years, is the power of community and of continuity. I was in a triad study, just three of us, and since we were small, we could grow close and trust each other. As a result, powerful thing happened that wouldn't normally happen in a larger setting.

And then...there's knitting friends. Although I don't have anything like a knitting triad group, I do have my Friday afternoon group at my LYS, Silver Creek Cabin. I started going a few years ago and have been a little sporadic in attendance. When things heated up in my life, I went more often, needing to have just one place where there were no major crises. Of course there were always yarn crisis, but that's a different story.

The women have been very supportive. They have enabled me to knit my first sweater in a long time, followed by many more attempts. They have helped me in learning new things as I have also helped them. There's always food, laughter and a real down to earth group. We aren't pretentious or gossipy and don't require that you buy your yarn at the store. It's where I bought my first loom, borrowed a few wheels and started needle felting. They also come up with hilarious ideas. Like the time we had to dress up from the neck-up for Halloween (see pic below) or when the textile center had a Rowan exhibit, so we rented a limo and got champagne to go there. And then there are the summer things, such as the owner grilling us brats.

Last Friday, I brought my cardigan to work on. I had accidentally (of course, why would I do it on purpose) knit a sleeve on inside out. The only way to fix it was to rip and re-knit. I got it out, knowing that I couldn't tackle this on my own and alone. When I got to the point where I had knit up to what I had ripped, another lady cheered me on.

And so it occurred to me, that my LYS group was my support group for knitting. What had seemed at first to be a frivolous way to spend an afternoon when I could've been cleaning, has become something that I need to do to be sane. Where else would I go to get through the tricky things? To show off something new? To ask about a pattern or a color of yarn? Sure there are online places, but it pales in comparison to real live cheers and smiles. I am fortunate to have found a place where everyone truly does know my name, and they are glad that I came.

I sometimes wonder what makes our group so special. It is made up of:

The shop owner - who runs around ragged sometimes while we're there and never gets to work on her own stuff.
G - who knits a sweater every time you turn around and always leaves early to let her dog out.
A - who knits a sweater a week and always wears one. Who is the go to person for our knitting problems.
Jn - who is a newer knitting and whose 2nd project was socks. She is undaunted and she is fun. And can often be found busy doing something, probably gardening.
D - who sometimes fills in for the owner. Who is very sensible and put together.
Jnc - Who is true and caring, whose son we knit helmet liners for when he went overseas to Iraq. Whose wheel I currently have borrowed.
N - Whose humor makes us almost roll on the floor. Who is not afraid to laugh at her quirks, and not offended when we laugh as well.

And so many more personalities. We are very different in about every way; age, lifestyle, income level, skill level, but when we sit around the table, we are equals, we are friends.

What can be done when a group of fiber enthusiasts get together, is often greater than what one can do on their own. For many years, I had knit "in the dark" on my own, following my own tune. But without the honing of others, I would not be who I am today. I am now "in the light" wth the support of those who understand fiber. Just another aspect that knitting and Christianity have in common.

May everyone who reads this be as lucky as I am to have such a group of supportive crafters. And may they always be a friendly group to cheer each other on- through crafting and life.

From my LYS Halloween party, 2008. She won something.

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I thought it was interesting last night that since I didn't advertise my blog post giveaway, my responses went down a bit. But oh well, if people don't want to read, then that's the way that it goes. Thank you dear readers for reading and posting! It was great to hear from you all, and many of you are crocheters as well. Kudos to you hookers!

The RNG has picked #4, so Andrea - send me your info so I can get the book out to you. Congratulations!

For this week's giveaway, I'm going to put together a little surprise love package from my LYS. A few gifty things that are in the shop, some may be unique to it.

In order to enter for this prize, please reply to this post by Saturday March 20th midnight, CST. I will use a RNG to pick a reply at random. You are welcome to reply more than once, but only your first reply will be entered. Good luck, and have a fun fiber week!

Where it All Started

2010-03-22T14:02:00.000-07:00

My mind is a bit blank on topics, perhaps it's all those ideas that were bouncing around in my head the last two weeks. We still remain RV-less and on firm ground. The dream is getting farther away, but I still am simplifying my life. But I thought, why not tell the story of how I learned to knit?

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I grew up in the country where you could barely see the lights of your neighbor's house, and my closest friend on the street was about a 5 minute walk away on a dirt road. Of course walking to school was uphill, but only one way. My siblings and I had to find ways to entertain ourselves. I was the last of them, and 6 years apart so I was sometimes bored and watched a lot of TV.

One of my favorite cartoons was the Flintstones. Wilma often got out her needles and some birds and knit things. "Knit one, purl two, boys," she said to the birds or something like that. So I thought that it looked like fun. I had already learned to chain skeins and skeins of yarn into pretty braids, undo them and chain them again. Why not knit?

We also had a closet that was stuffed with fun things. Sort of like the treasures you'd find in the attic. Past the boxes of things we used regularly, I struck gold. A bag of yarn, needles and a couple of how to books! I brought them to my mom, wanting her to show me how to do it.

"I don't remember how to do that stuff," she said.

I was crushed. How was I going to learn? So I studied the half finished objects that were in the bag and took them apart, trying to figure it out. Finally, I sat down with the two how-to books and taught myself how. Pretty soon, I was churning out essential things for a pre-teenage girl; baby sets, acrylic mittens, acrylic washcloths and was thrilled.

Once the word was out that I was knitting, I got yarn! Bags and bags of colorfully, tightly balled acrylic. Oh, the joy! What nice people they were to give me all of that nice, nice, yarn. What a fun word knitting was. I found something that I could sit and do, to stave off boredom and when the girl down the road didn't want to play with me. It was bliss.

Years later, I was watching an Elizabeth Zimmerman DVD. She said something like, "some people wrap the yarn around the wrong way and twist their stitches." My mouth hung open. I did that! I had taught myself to be a twisted knitter. I promptly mended my ways and found that knitting wasn't as hard as I had made it out to be.

Thank you, Wilma Flintstone and Elizabeth Zimmerman. You made a real difference in my life.

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Thank you for all the posts from last week! I so enjoy reading them. I ran the RNG and it picked #5...so Cinnamoon send me your addy - you've won!

For this week's giveaway, I am giving a copy of one of my favorite books, America Knits. Originally published under the title, "Knitting in America," I picked up this book as one of my first non-garage sale knitting books and it gave me many dreams. Although I've never knit anything from it, I treasure this book.

In order to enter for this prize, please reply to this post with whatever you wish. I am doing something different this week, and not advertising my giveaway. Post your reply by Saturday March 20th midnight, CST. I will use a RNG to pick a reply at random. You are welcome to reply more than once, but only your first reply will be entered. Good luck, and have a fun fiber week!

Casting About

2010-03-15T13:43:00.000-07:00

So last week I was ready to hop in an RV. Today I'm feeling more adrift, like on water. I think there's a theme here - movement, travel, new places, new things, new experiences. Go, go, go!!

And yet here I sit, landlocked and not traveling, adrift; idling and just...here. Could this be because of cabin fever? Depression? Hormone changes? Too much sugar? Who knows. What I do know, is that I feel as if I'm casting about for something but I'm not sure what that is. Which is a stupid image.

Envision this: someone goes fishing but has no idea what they are going to catch. All they know is, they must go out and try this thing called fishing. They gather tools for it as they can, and try some different baits. They do catch some fish, but none are keepers. For a little while, the fishing is fun and good, but then it pales and the person tries another tactic. What the person is missing, is a goal.

And as I type this, I'm just watching what my fingers are typing because this isn't at all what I was going to say this week. I'm actually pretty amazed that the last couple paragraphs were in me; and that what I am seeking for is so clear. I need a goal. But casting about for a goal can be just as hard. What is needed is some time to think and write some more, off the blog. I'll spare you all the grizzly details and continue on with a kinda fibery blog post.

Anyway. There have been some fun developments lately:

Spring has finally come to Minnesota! We have had a string of days that are above freezing
My mother-in-law found me a fleece or two for free
I now have another borrowed wheel
I am about 1/3 the way done with cleaning my craft room

While I've been spinning, I've had this strange idea. What if I could hook up an exercise bike to a spinning wheel? While I peddle away, I could sit back and draft the yarn onto the spindle. Of course the ratio of the bike wheel to the whorl would need some adjustment, but think of the benefits! Exercise and freshly spun yarn in one. This would actually make me want to exercise more. Why has no one invented one yet?

My husband also had a great idea. Why not equip the wheel of the spinning wheel with blades - and make it into a fan as well as a yarn maker? Brilliant.

I think it's time for the spinning wheels of the world to become multi taskers and modern. We are (or at least I am) a modern spinner and I demand more than just making yarn for my money.

How long do you think it will take the wheel makers to catch on?

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I so enjoyed reading all of the responses last week. I love dreaming and hearing of others dreams. So readers - when are you going to make those dreams come true? Is today the day that you step forward? I hope that it may be so.

As for the winner, I have run the RNG and it has chosen #18- my neighbor kjgon of whom I am going to lunch with this week. She already has a club, so I will extend it for her.

For this week, I am giving away something that can be used in two ways - it's a yarn that multi tasks! Plymouth Yarn Happy Choices in color 5. This is sock yarn that comes in a scarf that has been dyed. You can wear it as a scarf or knit it into socks or whatever you choose.

In order to enter for this prize, please reply to this post and tell me of a crazy idea that you've had - fibery or otherwise. Post your reply by Saturday March 19th midnight, CST. I will use a RNG to pick a reply at random. You are welcome to reply more than once, but only your first reply will be entered. Good luck, and have a fun fiber week!

That Won't Fit in the RV

2010-03-10T19:11:00.000-08:00

Oh no...did I do a Rip Van Winkle? Were you all waiting for me to wake up? So sorry, I must have snoozed past my alarm. Okay, seriously, I have been tired this week and haven't had time to blog. If I don't do it Sunday, it's hard to get back on track. I'll try not to make it a habit. Now, we roll.

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Lately, I've been dreaming. Dreaming of something other than what my life is right now; traveling to different places, having a clean and organized home, house swapping, learning to cook Greek, foster care, spinning wheels, the list is endless. What I have been dreaming up is a new lifestyle.

Imagine this. We (my husband and I) clean up our home, sell it, then buy a great RV and travel the country. This could work! Because he works at home, he doesn't need to be any one place. At the end of the year of rambling around, we come home, buy a plot of land, continue living in our RV until we have a house built. Brilliant! My husband wasn't so excited. But, the dream lives on.

As I clean my craft room out this month (I need a forklift and a hazmat suit), I have a new mantra: "That won't fit in the RV." If I don't care enough to smoosh it into cabinets into my imaginary RV and travel around with it for a year, it's gone. So long. I now have 5 bags of yarn that are waving their little wooly ends good-bye. And I haven't even started on the other side of the room, or the closet. Yikes! I could fill an RV and call it my craft room (which isn't a bad idea, hmmm).

Where has all this stuff come from? I think that there's a clutter monster that comes into my house at night, throwing around my stuff and adding things in places that I won't find out about until I declutter. I want a simpler life, and a simpler craft life. I love going yarn and fiber shopping. So why deny the pleasure? If I can get rid of what I don't need, then when I want to make something new, I go buy the yarn or fiber! No cluttered craft room and worrying about moths.

Wish me luck.

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My giveaway this week is for something a little strange. I've started a little club on my etsy shop, for the stuff that I'm getting rid of out of Rosalind's Surprise Stash Cull of the Month Club.

Each month, you will receive at least a gallon ziplock bag of Fiber & craft items which will include:
- At least 1 full skein of Yarn Shop quality yarn
- Possibly other yarns; partials, other LYS and Big Store yarns, mystery yarns, fiber
- At least one notion or fiber goodie
- Other craft items as desired
- Surprises that I think you will like

If you're already part of the club, I'll extend it for you another month.

In order to enter for this prize, please reply to this post and tell me what you are or have been dreaming about - fiber or otherwise. Post your reply by Sunday March 14th midnight, CST. I will use a RNG to pick a reply at random. You are welcome to reply more than once, but only your first reply will be entered. Good luck, and have a fun fiber week!

Sleep Before Posting

2010-03-08T08:40:00.000-08:00

What? Today is Monday and there wasn't an update yesterday? For shame. I bet the lot of you were up late, refreshing your screens to see when my next update would be.

Ok. Seriously now, I was away for the weekend. My plan was to post after putting hubby to bed. But I fell asleep! I will do my regular posting tonight.

And to not keep you in suspense for our last week's winner of the lovely sock yarn, I have run the RNG! It has picked #12.

Kozmic - come on down! You've won the sock yarn. Thank you to everyone for posting! I've so enjoyed learning about your knitting places.

See y'all tonight.