Foothills Half Marathon

Just a quick post about my other hobby, running.

I did the Foothills Half Marathon today. It was tough, but mostly because I didn't prepare enough. However, I finished with no major injuries. I'm pretty slow but I try to remember, that I am out there, and be thankful I can do it.  I set a new personal record in this third half. Barely, but I think a couple of minutes.

Merry Monday

Love my Monday's off work. Finished up the remembrance quilt yesterday. Take a peek....

Then I made a couple of blocks for our guild president's quilt.

Then today, I've done some house cleaning, got in a run.....

....and also have six loaves of honey wheat bread in the oven.....

I eat this every single morning for breakfast. Sometimes with honey and butter, sometimes with cinnamon, sometimes with jam. Yum. Thankful I have a convection oven so I can make a double batch at once. It is a mess but so worth it.

Saturday Sewing and Running

Good day.  Finished the quilting on the latest Remembrance Quilt.

This was difficult to make and quilt.  Sometimes that happens with shirts.  I was not too happy with the outcome but Jim likes it and think she will love it.  I decided to bind it in Harley Davidson orange.  The big emblem didn't work out on the back, so I plan to try to hand sew it on the back after I get it bound.

I did a 5k this morning. I was a little worried because I hadn't run since Monday and my knees really hurt Monday night.  No problem at all with my knees today and I am pleased with my results.  First (of two) in my age group, and finished in 34:38.

I met a friend there who finished first in her age group too. She did awesome at about 32 minutes.

Friday

This may not have been such a good idea......

I had eight miles I my training schedule for today and it was raining so I did it on the treadmill. My treadmill isn't working properly (they are sending a new computer board for it). It works but isn't registering the correct speed.......I watched Jenny Doan from Missouri Star Quilt Company the whole time.....many, many quilting tutorials......when I finished running, I went to their website and ordered a bunch of quilting supplies...... :)

Anyone made anything with their half hexie ruler?

 

Monday

I say this every week...I love being off work on Mondays! Very productive today. Did some things for mom, ran three on the treadmill, made good progress on my two projects.....

Blocks for the shadow quit are coming along...And only nine more blocks to make for the remembrance quilt.

...but looks like I'm going to have to calibrate the treadmill. I've noticed it says I am going really slow when I feel like more. I think normally most people are able to go faster on a treadmill than outside.

I compared the Garmin to it, and sure enough.....it isn't working properly. I didn't calibrate it when it was set up. I guess I figured that was one of the things I paid for in setting it up, evidently not.

Saturday

Beautiful fall day......

Got in a long run this morning. Cooked chicken, mushroom, wild rice soup and homemade bread for supper...oh yeah, and a chocolate cake too. Even did a little sewing on both quilting projects I've got going. And the best part was facetiming with baby girl Emma. Love to hear her say, Maymaaw.

..those eyes.....be still my heart.

This was last night's supper. It was delicious. Kale, shrimp, sweet potatoes, onions, garlic, olive oil, salt and pepper. Gluten free, healthy, and yummy.

 

Labor Day

The hubs got up early for a day of fishing. Me, spent the morning with my mom at the hospital. After I got her back home, my back was hurting. I must have had sympathy pains for her. She was at the emergency room due to acute back pain. I was determined to walk mine out. I needed to run three miles today but I had settled on walking due to my back. Walked the first mile but then was able to slowly run the last two. The activity seemed to help it.

The shirt cutting I did yesterday may have something to do with my back ache, so I decided not to do anymore sewing today. Just taking it easy on the swing, enjoying the holiday.

Here is the progress on the latest remembrance quilt....Seven blocks down, 23 more to go.

My DIL sent me this great picture of my son in his new kilt.

I actually won a contest last year from Gordon Nicholson kiltmakers, and he got the free kilt. He picked the University of Edinburgh tartan, and he will wear it to his graduation once he completes the work for his PhD. I think he looks very handsome, and..oh so Scottish!

 

Taking a break

I guess I've taken a break from quilting lately. Still doing a little running though.........

Three miles today. I've got the shirts for a remembrance quilt but they have a lot of Harley Davidson patches on them. I'm sure she wants those in the quilt, but that means I can't use my two go-to patterns for remembrance quilts. Going to have to think of a new pattern that will work with them......need to put my thinking cap on for this one.

 

Sneak peek

I finished my bright scrap quilt. I've named it Hashtag Graphics. I won't show it all just in case......some of the magazines are kind of picky about that. I've sent pictures off to McCalls. They have been so very nice and I want to give them first chance at publishing it. If they don't want to, I'll be sending pictures off to a few more. One at a time, with a 30-90 day response time, is a very slow process. It will be worth the wait though if I get a taker.

I'm really, really happy about how this one turned out. Pattern number three in my repertoire.

After church and lunch I got in my Monday three miler. Run and done. I love having Monday's off. I've got errands to do in Knoxville tomorrow, so now I won't have to find time to run.

My kids sent me this today. I had to laugh. They are still in Paris and have attended a few churches trying to find a good English speaking one. It seems not many have nurseries (Or crèche as they call it in Scotland) and Emma is pretty wild. This is how they distracted her today.

 

 

3 mile Friday

 

 

Edinburgh Square Quilt

I got this massive quilt back from the long armer today. It was just too big for me to quilt. More pictures are forthcoming......

In other news....I started my training today for a November half marathon.

 

 

A little this and a little that

Yesterday was not as productive as I had hoped but I made up for it today. I ran five miles in the horrendous heat and humidity this morning. Took my Nunn water with me, had a GU (salted caramel with caffiene, yum) at mile 3. Both helped me to complete the five.

As I ran over the little pedestrian bridge, I saw this duck taking a rest. After running I finished washing the windows in the garage and even mopped the garage floor. That was a first.

I am so pleased with how the garage update has gone.

After a rest, I took the paddle board out ...

I went a little past the bridge today. There were lots of boats out so it was pretty choppy, but still great to get out.

So I've had a very busy active day, just the way I like them. So thankful I can work hard at playing.

 

Friday

Today was a long run day. Perfect weather for it.

Really wanted to run over this bridge, but chickened out.

Received some new pictures and videos of my baby girl....

She is growing up so much! 15 1/2 months old already!

Her daddy is awfully happy, but obviously she is not.

After running and getting cleaned up, decided to do a 'What I Wore' pic.

The top is great. It is from Dress Barn. The jeans are Loft jewelled ankle jeans, and I'm wearing my five year old Chacos. I've worn these every summer for five years and they still look great. I really like them but my Teva sandals are more comfortable. Too bad the Teva straps aren't nearly as durable. This is only the second year with them and the straps are fraying. :(

 

CASA Run for the Child 5k

I won Grandmasters today! No PR but it was my second best time ever.

First time running a race in my new 261 Skirt Sports skirt. Really, really like it.

 

Monday run and healthy smoothies

Doing a bit more reading abut Jeff Galloway's running method. Today I did five slow miles at 3/1 run/walk intervals. I am going to try to follow his recommendations for a while. I do think I'll be faster with a more frequent walk break. It was a beautiful day for a run. Sixty degrees, sunny skies.

I've been a fan of protein smoothies for a while now. Today I added some spinach to my regular frozen banana, strawberries, almond milk, and protein powder.

It looked pretty gross, but tasted awesome. I couldn't taste the spinach at all. I'd like to try it with kale too.

 

 

261 Fearless and fishing

Skirt Sports is having a 261 Fearless campaign today in honor of Katherine Switzer who was the first woman to compete in the Boston Marathon in 1967. It's a great story. The officials tried to pull her off the course, but she prevailed and finished. In her honor, many of us did a virtual race today with number 261 bibs (that was her number in the 1967 race).

This afternoon I did my virtual race.

In other sports, we had our annual husband and wife fishing tournament today. It was fun.

On the lake by 7 in the fog..

Jim caught a buzzard! Really. There were about 15 on a dock and he cast towards them to try to scare them away. The hook got caught around one's leg, and went in. We got the hook out and he went on his way, but we videoed it. They decided it would qualify for the biggest "trash fish." Hence, the award below.

We only had one big enough to count. Below our little friend is putting it back in the lake after the weigh in.

I did catch one, but it was too small to keep.

No quilting going on here at Around the Blocks, but there was some other fun stuff!

 

Saturday

We have been blessed with perfect weather for today. Perfect for a long run, perfect for a wedding shower, perfect for sleeping in the porch swing....

First, the long run......

Then the wedding shower........regretfully no pictures of the beautiful bride to be.....then sleeping in the swing...Under a couple of quilts....

....And me, I'm enjoying the sunshine and cool breeze with the windows open......resting. Tomorrow is Easter. I love the reminder of what our Lord Jesus did for us. He gave his all so we could be forgiven of our sin, and be accepted by the Father in Heaven one day.