elvisknits

It's marathon week!

I just burned with tongue eating scalding hot oatmeal topped with molten banana lava.

By hey! It's marathon week! I'm run-walking my very first marathon this weekend in San Antonio! I'm just a wee bit excited about that. I've had a long and challenging training season, struggling with an iliotibial band injury and a list of other various aches and pains, but overall it's been great. I don't think I could have done it without the help of Houston Fit. I highly recommend training with a group if you are going to take on a challenge like the marathon. It's 26.2 miles people. It's faaaaarrr. Having people with you along the way makes it much more doable and a whole lot more fun. 

What next? I'm signed up for a few 5k's to keep me running, and I also sent in my application for the New York marathon next November. I won't find out until March if I'm one of the lucky 40,000 names drawn for race entry, so keep your fingers crossed for me.

I'm also happy to report that I've caught the fall knitting bug. It happens every year. The cooler weather hits and I want to build a little nest and fill it with yarn and kitty cats and pumpkin muffins and everything warm and fuzzy. I'm working on a chunky wool cowl at the moment and will try to remember to post a pic later this evening after knitting group. I'm really interested in cowls and chunky knitted things to wear about my neck. I like the idea of wearing a simple monochrome outfit and then throwing on a bright orange wool cowl to really make a statement. Cowls, cowls, cowls...say it a few times and it starts to really sound weird.

Road trip!

Last weekend, James and I drove out to Fredericksburg in central Texas to check out the local scene.  We met up with some friends, and rented this great old house in the middle of town.  Our weekend consisted of shopping, touring wineries, eating, drinking lots and lots of wine, and playing games back at the house.  I also stopped by the local yarn shop, Stonehill Spinning - one of my TX favorites.  This shop is a little wooden cottage just a few blocks from Main Street.  It's quite cozy inside, and they have a good selection of yarns, including some local wool that I picked up.  It has the store's label, and I believe the owner spins it herself.  It's a lovely natural brown wool, and I plan to knit up a rustic garter stitch tablerunner with it for our dining room.

I'm almost finished with the felt bowls for my friend's birthday gift.  I have a few more rows to knit, and then they're going in the washing machine tonight for the felting.  Next up on my knitting agenda is a gift for a coworker's baby.  The baby shower is next week, so I need something quick and cute.  I'm thinking of making a baby cocoon out of a bulky wool - maybe Malabrigo or Rowan Big Wool.  I have them both in my stash just waiting to be knit up.  I'm so happy to be knitting again!     

Knitting is back!

I got a bit of knitting done over the weekend, which is remarkable because we had my boyfriend's nephew visiting us for the weekend.  He's a wee toddler, and thus requires constant attention and entertaining.  While terribly cute and adorable, being around the wee ones sometimes triggers my pessimism about child-rearing.  I'm sure I'll do it one day soon enough, but I'm really going to savor my peace and quiet until that time comes.

I've completed bowl #1 of a nesting trio of felted bowls that I'm making for a friend's birthday.  I'm now on to bowl #2.  I'll post pics of the completed set later this week.  I really enjoy making felted bowls.  And they are very useful around the house too for gathering loose junk that would otherwise clutter my desk and craft space. 

Next up in my queue - a knitted Vespa scooter!  This pattern is too cute and absolutely genius.  I just hope it will be able to stand up and not look like it's a flat tire scooter.  That would be disappointing, especially since this will be a gift.  Perhaps I could put a wire skeleton of sorts in each of the wheels to give them more structure.  We'll see.

I did an 8-mile run/walk on Saturday morning.  Luckily, I was joined by my friend Rob who helped the time and pain go faster.  I feel my endurance getting better, and my body doesn't seem to be fighting the training so much lately.  This week is a "recovery" week on my marathon training plan, which basically means I'm taking a step back to allow myself to "rest" during training.  The plan builds for three weeks, and then has a rest week to allow for recovery.  I really like this plan.  4.5 months to go until marathon day!

In addition to my running program, I'm trying to incorporate some cross-training (aka "ass-kicking") into my weekly routine.  This morning I got up at the happy hour of 5:30am and went to the gym for "Basic Training".  There was nothing basic about it people.  It was a military style workout - pushups, jumping jacks, tug-o-war, etc.  After the workout, I crawled back to my car whimpering like an injured dog.  Washing my hair proved to be challening, and my knees now look like two bruised and swollen boobs on my legs. At least my shoes and toes look cute.

 

Big week

Last week was nuts!  I've been studying for the LEED AP exam since April, so I haven't been getting much sleep.  Studying for that thing took up most of my free time, which turned me into a nutty, stressed-out, irritable person for several weeks.  I am very excited to report that I passed the test on Friday! I am so glad it is finally over!

In addition to long study sessions, and lack of sleep, I also had a birthday last Thursday.  And on my birthday, some big things happened - first Farrah, then Michael Jackson, and then a good friend's baby was born.  Thursday was a big, big day.  Wow.  I don't know what to think about Michael's death other than it feels strange to me.  I think that's because he's been around my entire life, and I was a huge fan as a kid - fully outfitted with a red leather Thriller jacket and sparkly glove.  I was a super fan.  I have many childhood memories that involve Michael Jackson.  Weird that he's gone now. 

I continued to run during this very stressful week.  I believe running is very important for keeping me sane, so becomes a necessity in rough times.  However, my endurance suffered.  I think the lack of sleep, and also not drinking enough water every day affected my performance.  Plus, it's stupid HOT here in Houston.  I hate the summer time here.  The extreme heat and high humidity are a recipe for a headache, so I try to avoid the outdoors from June to September here.  But for my long runs, the outdoors are unavoidable.  I do not want to run 5+ miles on a treadmill, so I get up at 6:00 on Saturday mornings to run around the park or my neighborhood.  Pretty soon, I'll have to get up even earlier as the miles increase.

Now that my studying is done, I am so ready to get back to some regular knitting.  I've been craving some sock knitting, so I think I might wind up some Lorna's Laces this morning and get started on some.

Yes, my last post was in November

Oh well.  I struggle with blog commitment, but I think I'll try again now.  I am sitting at work waiting for 5:00.  I finished up all of the urgent projects, and since I did not take a lunch break, I'm taking it easy until it's time to go.  I'm very excited about a trip I'm taking this weekend to Shiner, TX - touring the Spoetzl Brewery, and then going to Schulenberg to see the opening of Sengelmann Dancehall.  I can't wait to put on my sweet cowgirl boots and do some dancing.

So since it's been about seven months since you heard from me last, here's a few updates:

• Elvis and I moved in with James last December.
• I finished EMT school and got my EMT license.  Now I'm looking for a place to volunteer.
• I retired from roller derby. 
• I'm slowly starting a little craft business to sell stuff I make.  Got my permit, just need to make some stuff. 
• I'm still running, and now I'm training for my first marathon!

Now everyone is caught up and we can move forward.  Oh, I'm also studying for the LEED exam in a few weeks.  Most of my time lately is spent studying or running or seeing doctors for the running injuries.  My body is fighting the extra miles - iliotibial band and hip issues, herniated disc, lots of fun.  Physical therapy helps the leg, and the chiropractor did some snaps and pops and fixed my back so all is getting better.  I have running running running on the brain.  I'm reading books about marathons, training, what to eat, how not to kill yourself while running, etc.  I'm learning a lot about a sport that I once thought was way out of my league to even try. 

I haven't been knitting much lately.  I usually only knit on Tuesdays at knitting group, but I'd really like to get some knitting time in every day.  Maybe I could start doing some morning knitting meditation.  I think that might be a good way to start the day.