Several great finishes

I finally did it! I finally ran an entire 5K! Okay, so really I jogged it. But still, I didn't stop to walk at all. And I finished in 36:23, which is pretty awesome as far as I'm concerned. It's a little slower than the first Komen 5K (which I did in 36:08), but better than any other race I've done. Now that I know I can jog the whole way, maybe I'll start working on improving my times. But for the moment I'm just going to let my achy knees recover a bit... Thanks to Robyn for convincing me to do it, sticking with me most of the way, and joining me and Dad for a delicious breakfast at J. Christopher's afterwards. What a great morning all around!

On a different note, several years ago I bought a cute little sling-style purse from The Other Tiger in Westerly. I bought it because it was a fair trade product, but also because I thought "What a cute style! I bet I could make this." Then low and behold, I did make it! Katelyn had asked for a purse like it after the wedding, and I finally found the time to make a pattern and try it out. I really, really like the final product!

And for Katelyn's I even experimented with putting her name on a ribbon on the inside pocket. Pretty cute, eh?

Lastly, another example of seeing something and thinking "Hey, I could make that cheaper." Introducing the Doggie Car Hammock a la Skye! I've had this upholstery fabric since I worked at JoAnn's (which, if you were wondering, was almost 10 years ago) and I finally came up with the exact, perfect thing to do with it. There are straps to drape it from the front headrest, elastic straps to secure it to the front and back seats, Velcro to keep the edges secure to the floorboards, and a few ribbon ties to keep it from billowing in the breeze. It is amazing at keeping the dog hair and paw dirt contained.

Love. It.

Accountability

A very quick post to thank my friend Robyn for keeping me accountable. I somehow talked her into signing up for the Susan G. Komen 5K, then talked myself out of it! With just a bit of encouragement (and a little dash of guilt) she convinced me to go ahead and run the race anyway. Way back in October I had started what was going to be a 6 month run-training program. I started strong, for about 2 weeks! Then I got all distracted with P90X for about 8 weeks. When the wedding planning kicked off, I totally fell off the workout wagon. Which means that for the last 2 months I haven't done much more than walk Harley! I was a bit concerned that I'd be totally out of shape and disappointed with my race performance. So I Sunday I decided to try one lap around the park to see where I stood (which, conveniently, is one mile). I was able to jog the whole way without stopping and finished in 12:27. Not too shabby! Yesterday after work I gave it another go and finished in 12:29. Granted, it was two seconds slower than Sunday, but it was also a lot warmer and was at the end of the day instead of the beginning, so I was still happy. For the next two weeks I'm going to slowly increase the distance that I'm jogging. Hopefully by April 16 I'll be in a good place for the 5K. And even if I don't finish with a great time, at least I'll have done it!

A New Goal

If you didn't already know, Brian is home from Iraq!! It is very comforting to know that he is not only in the same time zone but just a mere 40 minutes away. The past 13 months went by faster than I could have imagined... most of the time. Of course there were moments when it felt like he'd been gone forever, or that there was still an eternity left to the deployment. But that's all behind us now and, if I do say so myself, I think I held up outstandingly well. He's doing great and is happy to be back and driving his new 2011 Mustang convertible.

As Brian was approaching his departure date, and I could no longer send packages because they'd arrive after he left, I began to wonder: what am I going to do with all this time that I used to spend baking and writing to Brian? Well, of course the simple answer now is to actually spend that time with Brian. And believe me, we will be spending a good deal of time together! But you know me, I'm a goal oriented person. And having just accomplished a fairly impressive goal (namely, sending 43 care packaged over the course of a year) I was feeling the need to set my sights on something new.

Just as I was pondering what I should strive for next, an email popped up in my inbox announcing that registration for the 2011 Susan G. Komen Race for the Cure has started. Now, I've participated in several 5K races before, but I've always done a mix of walking and jogging. An interesting idea occurred to me: If I started now, I would have five and a half months to train. And if I were really dedicated, motivated and focused, then I could set my goal to run the whole 5K.

So that's what I'm going to do! Starting on Monday, November 1, I will begin a training plan that will end with me running for a full 3.1 miles. I am really excited about this, and will be logging lots of miles on my treadmill over the winter. Dad even said that he'd participate in the race with me, so we'll be training buddies. And I'm telling YOU this so that you can help me stay focused and on track. I am not a great runner, so I'm sure there will be times that I could use a pep-talk, or just some loving folks to help me be accountable to myself. Thanks in advance!

Second 5K in one month... what was I thinking?

I may have mentioned before that I'm not a fan of making New Year's resolutions. To me, it implies that I am somehow lacking and need to "fix" something about myself. I don't like this idea. I am hyper-self-critical most of the time anyway, so why develop a plan that will do little more than beat myself up even more?

Instead, I favor the idea of having positive intentions in my life. The concept of living my life with intent is very appealing to me. It means that I make positive choices to steer my life in a healthy direction. One of the intentions that I started working on last year was to make my physical health a priority. I started doing Pilates 6 days a week back in October and have, with only a few exceptions, stuck to that schedule. I picked up a punching bag to increase my cardio and build more upper-body strength (still working on incorporating that into the schedule on a regular basis). And I walk Harley 3 miles a day most days.

All in all, I've pretty happy with the progress I've been making. Most days I have an incredible amount of energy. However, last week I was dragging a bit. The biggest problem is that I didn't get to bed on time but once in the last 2 weeks. Granted, I only lost about an hour or so each night, but that adds up for me.

So I was a little disappointed that I was slow in the Preservation 5K today, but I can't say that it was unexpected. I finished in 40:30ish, and I know that I didn't push myself as hard as I could have. I'm okay with that, because I still finished and I'm at least out there trying. But I did realize that walking my dog 1.5 miles twice a day is not enough training for jogging 3.1 miles. Time to take a closer look at my schedule and see where I can fit in both some extra bag work and a few additional laps around the park. The Turtle Trot on Tybee is coming up in April, so I have a few weeks to prepare...

Another VPW (Very Productive Weekend)

I have a love/hate relationship with making lists. I hate the fact that lists emphasize how much I have not done yet. However, I love the feeling of crossing things off of a list. I love that it feels like I have accomplished something meaningful if I can look at a list of "to-dos" with every single one of them crossed out.

This weekend, I was able to cross three kinda biggish to-dos off a list.


First, I participated in my first 5K of 2010: the Wesley Community Center's Love Run/Walk. I take that title very seriously, so I traded off running and walking to finish in 36:26 (Corrected time now that the results were posted here). It's a few seconds slower than the Komen race last year, but I'm okay with that. Saturday the temperature was only about 34 degrees when the race started, and I was very stiff and the cold air made breathing a little difficult. Not making excuses, just saying.


Second, I finished the second knitted elephant I was working on.
I stuffed this one with loose fiber-fill and was so much happier with how it turned out that I re-stuffed the first one. Now they are both much more plump and happy looking!


Third, I finally FINALLY finished a pair of socks that I started back in ... 2008! It's ridiculous to me that it has taken me this long to finish a very simple pair of socks. But once I put them down there were so many other projects that I wanted to work on instead of picking them back up again. The concept was really cool: knitting two socks at one time to avoid the dreaded "Second Sock Syndrome." I guess it didn't work too well for me in that I still avoided finishing the project! The pattern started at the toe and worked up to the cuff with an after-thought heel that I really don't like. It's just not as clean or well formed as a short-row heel (if you're not a knitter that probably won't make a lick of sense). But I am glad to have finished them and can now return to the knitted shrug that has been hibernating in my ottoman since this summer...

And I still have all day tomorrow off for President's Day! To-Do List, here I come!


A few other quick notes. On Wednesday I went to my first Town Hall meeting to hear the Mayor's "State of the City" address. It was interesting to see the whole council and kinda cool to be up to speed on most of the topics that were discussed. But it was disappointing to see that there were only about 200 people present. On Friday I met a few friends at the performance of the Lula Washington Dance Troupe. The show was great and the dancers were awesome. But again, low attendance was a bit of a disappointment. It's amazing that there are so many people in Savannah but they have such a hard time showing up...

One very busy Saturday

Saturday, April 18, 2009

1:14 AM - Wake up to the cell phone ringing. Panic with the expectation that no good news comes at 1:14 AM. Get very frustrated when the called ID shows Ian's number but no one is on the line. Go back to sleep.

6:48 AM - Finally drag myself out of bed.

6:52 AM - Convince Harley that she must go potty in the backyard. Feel very guilty when she looks disappointed that we aren't taking our morning walk.

7:12 AM - Inhale an egg and cheese sandwich and hope I have enough time to digest before I start the 5K.

7:32 AM - Answer the phone. Find out that the 1:14 AM call was Pumpkin stepping on Ian's phone. Curse the furry devil and thank my lucky stars that Harley is so sweet.

7:42 AM - Head out the door to the Susan G. Komen Race for the Cure!

8:18 AM - Start the race!

8:54 AM - Cross the finish line in 36 minutes and 8 seconds! If I remember correctly, that's almost 10 minutes better than the Penguin Run/Walk in October!

After the race I did some grocery shopping and picked up a few essentials at Target. Then I walked over to Forsyth Park for the Earth Day Celebration. There were a bunch of interesting booths and vendors. I enjoyed a very yummy cherry Italian ice and picked up some informational brochures (neighbor gardens, kayaking, emergency response training).

A walking recycle bin. Savannah just recently began curbside recycling within the city limits (yippie!). Now we're working to extend the program to the rural areas.

I'm not quite sure if "Mr. Nas T Butts" is supposed to discourage people from smoking or just from throwing their butts on the ground... There was also a walking toilet, I think to encourage folks to check for leaky faucets...

It's not as charming as the labyrinth on Block Island, but it was still heartening to see this children's labyrinth on the lawn. On my way home I stopped by Brighter Day to pick up some Quorn for lunch this week. Yum!

No busy day would be complete without some relaxing time spent in the garden. It's not much to look at (yet) but this little patch will hopefully fill out as the weather warms. Most of the various items that create the border were unearthed while I was turning over the soil: I found whole glass bottles, metal pipes, iron stakes, bricks and stones and lots of broken glass. I planted two types of tomatoes (sweet 100 cherry hybrids and some type of larger, sandwich sized ones), red peppers, green squash, basil, parsley, and chives. Behind the garden, close to the fence, I planted 5 different types of sunflowers in the hopes of having a wall of flowers to attract butterflies and humming birds.

Inside the fence I planted Gladiolus and Caladium bulbs in these awesome Mexican pots that I got for $5 each from Well Traveled Imports. Because the back yard is in shade most of the day, there is very little ground cover. I am trying to transplant a bunch of the ivy from the side of the house to the ground around my pots. This will hopefully prevent the soil from turning to mud every time it rains. Like most gardening adventures, I'll have to wait and see!

Busy Busy

This will come as no surprise to anyone that has known me for more than two days: I have a very busy life! But I wouldn't trade it for the world.

This weekend is going to be jam packed with fun and exciting things to do. After work tonight I think I'm going to take Harley for her first visit to a dog park. I'm a little nervous: after a rough encounter with an over-excited American Bulldog she has been exhibiting a bit of aggression towards other dogs in Forsyth. When she first encounters other dogs her size or larger, she seems to get defensive and try to show dominance. But once she has sniffed and been sniffed, she calms right down. My hope is that she will feel less threatened in an environment where the dogs are able to sort out their hierarchy and play in a more natural way. Keep your fingers crossed!

Tomorrow morning is my first Georgia 5K: the Susan G. Komen Race for the Cure. I will admit that my training has been pretty slack since I got Harley. I haven't been jogging as much because I tend to enjoy walking with her. I think, though, that this is really a good thing. My knees don't ache as much and I realized that I don't have to push myself, I can just enjoy the process. The three miles a day that I walk with Harley is much more rewarding than the 3 miles I was jogging. I will try to do my best during the race, but I don't have to prove anything to anyone. That's a nice feeling.

After the Race will be the Earth Day celebration in Forsyth Park. It looks like it will be very interesting and I can't wait to check it out. I'm debating whether to bring Harley, as I'm sure there will be lots of people and other dogs. She still gets a bit skittish sometimes and I'd rather not put her in a situation where she's going to feel overwhelmed, for her sake and my own (that is one of the toughest things about adopting a dog: not knowing their history). I also hope to stop by the farmer's market to pick up my veggies for the week.

I bought all the ingredients I need to make a dry dog shampoo. All I need now is a bristle brush to get the stuff out of Harley's fur. If I am able to pick up a brush, Harley will be getting a dry bath this week (I do have photos from the wet bath at Dad's, but haven't downloaded them yet).

Following up on a previous post, I am planning on attending the Celtic Mass at the Parish of St. Paul the Apostle on Sunday night. I'm still not sure that church is where I will find the peace and comfort that I'm looking for, but I figure it's as good a place as any to start. My friend, Eric, and I had a really awesome conversation about religion, beliefs, church, ritual and faith. He made an excellent point: go through the motions even if you're not "feeling" it and it's a pretty good bet you'll start feeling it again. I think this holds true in a lot of situations in life: If you don't feel like going for a walk, get up and go anyway and you'll feel better by the time you get home; If you don't feel like you're in touch with a friend or loved one, reach out and get in touch. It's a better use of the old yuppie phrase "Fake it till you make it."

Oh, I'm also going to try to plant some basil and parsley seeds. I say "try" because, really, I have a lot on my plate already!

Susan G. Komen Race for the Cure

In light of all the other changes in my life, I decided now was a great time to make good on a promise to myself: to take part in more 5K races.

So I signed up for the Susan G. Komen Race for the Cure. It will be held on Saturday, April 18 in Savannah (if anyone wants to come cheer me on). If you want to make a donation, feel free but not obligated: http://www.active.com/donate/komencoastalgeorgia/STyler14

I do personally know a few women who have fought breast cancer, and I believe in the importance of research and support for this cause. I have also had two little scares where I had to get breast ultrasounds for suspicious lumps, so I feel really motivated to join this race.

I haven't been exercising as regularly as I had in the past, and this is as good a reason as any to get back into it. The route goes through historic downtown and unlike Mystic, CT is virtually flat! For now, I'm easing myself back into shape by walking/jogging around beautiful Forsyth Park (pictures coming soon, I promise!).

Also, keep an eye out for upcoming St. Patrick's Day postings! Joy is coming down for the weekend and parade, so it promises to be fun.

My First 5K Race and a birthday party

This weekend was PERFECT for my first ever 5K road race! I signed up, and raised $90, for the Mystic Aquarium's Run (or walk) for the Penguins on Saturday, October 18.

The morning dawned cool and clear, and I woke at 6:30am to eat a few eggs for breakfast (with plenty of time to digest before the event!). I got to the Aquarium around 8:15 to get registered and warmed up. About 200 people had pre-registered, and another 300 or so showed up on Saturday! They ended up delaying the start by 10 minutes to allow all the new folks to get registered.

There were two very bored looking penguins at the starting line to get us going.

The race itself was a lot of fun. We ran part of the course on back roads in small neighborhoods, so there was hardly any traffic. The course also ran through a field scattered with not-quite-ripe pumpkins and along a trail in the Denison Pequotsepos Nature Preserve. I was somewhat unprepared for the two seemingly large hills, but am still proud of my finishing time (race results will be posted here...eventually). I jogged more than I walked, but didn't push myself to the point of pain.

The best part, though, is now that I have completed a race I know that it is something I can do. Just a few months ago I would not have imagined myself as the kind of person to run races (I used to claim "I only run when I'm being chased"). Now, I'm looking forward to the 27th Annual Knights of Columbus 5K in Westerly on November 9. I plan on taking part in at least four 5k races over the course of 2009 and hope to be able to jog the entire way by this time next year. The fact that I'm doing this for myself and my health makes it even sweeter. I may never come in first, but it's the journey, and the process, that matters to me!

After the race I baked a batch of yummy Whole Wheat Oatmeal Peanut Butter cookies and walked over to Westerly for Sammy's 3rd Birthday Party!

After a little encouragement, Sammy was willing to share his bat with the other kids.

"I had cake for you, but I eated it..."

The Girls!