The Thing About New Running Shoes

There is nothing quite like a brand new pair of running shoes. Especially when they are the same as the old running shoes except better -- fresher, whiter, and gentler on the feet. Here's the thing about runners -- we find a pair of shoes we like and we stick with them, pair after pair of the same shoes. And here's the thing about a runner who hates change (read me) -- getting a brand new pair of running shoes that are the same as the old running shoes not only feels good for the feet, it isn't scary at all. And I can embrace that.

The New Year Post

This is the post where we look back on 2009 and look ahead to 2010.

I know for sure that the biggest change in 2009 was The Boyfriend losing his job and our decision to relocate back to Minneapolis. The house here in Austin is still on the market and we haven't moved yet. This means we know for sure one thing 2010 has in store for us is The Move. I think I'm doing pretty well with this change--I'm sick and tired of the house being on the market and the constant cleaning and interruptions that go with it, but I'm also looking forward to the house shopping on the other end, and the return to Minneapolis. Minneapolis is home, it is where my family is, and it's great city.

As a knitter 2009 saw the successful launch of ElizabethCarls.com. And the inclusion of my designs on Patternfish.com. I started my affair with sock knitting, self-publish several new patterns, and taught several workshops. I finished a plethora of projects, but sadly did not finish my gift knitting in time for Christmas.

2009 was the year I became a "Texas Gardener". The Boyfriend and I built the Kitchen Garden back in March. I wrote about the whole process here on the blog and for the Oct/Nov issue of Texas Gardner Magazine. The garden was pretty much a huge success. I'm still eating the pesto and the baba ghanouj I made and froze.

This past year has been an interesting one when it comes to food. In 2009 I made a return to eating meat, which is really a much longer story and I should and probably will write about it sometime, but the short version of the story goes something like this: I have be en a non-meat eater for more than 20 years and my reason for abstaining has always been the lack of clean meat. I didn't want to eat all those antibiotics, and hormones, and I certainly didn't want to support an industry that is so destructive to our environment. But in 2009 I discovered Greenling and found myself buying good clean meat for The Boyfriend. Everything was pasture raised, organic, drug free, and local. I could support that. And one day while cooking a clean local lamb burger for The Boyfriend I thought "I'm going to eat this." And I did. And now I can hardly call myself a vegetarian--we still only eat meat a couple of times per week, and we only eat local, pasture-raised organic meat. It's a big change.

2009 was also the year I decided to learn to can, as in food preservation. I did jams when the strawberries hit the farmer's market, and peach sauce when the peaches were in. I also pickled peppers from the kitchen garden. I organized a couple of Soup Swaps in 2009. And did lots of shopping at the Farmer's Market.

As a runner I did the 3M Half Marathon in January, several charity 5Ks, and of course the Thanksgiving Day Turkey Trot in 2009. I've taken on a new running partner and never lace up the shoes without Aaron Johnson at my side. It's nice to have the company.

So what lies ahead in 2010... The Move of course... Minneapolis of course.

2010 promises many new knitting designs, a few new workshops, and the publication of 1,000 Fabulous Hats (which will include several of my hats.)

I know I'll have a garden again in 2010, but it will be in Minneapolis. Which is fine, because Minneapolis is a great place to garden and I have lots of experience growing in the Upper Midwest.

We will of course continue to eat as locally, and as organically as possible. I have started researching sources of local clean meat in the Minneapolis area, and even found a meat CSA, I suspect that 2010 will see us continuing to eat clean and local meat. We will also continue to shop the Farmer's Market, and at our local food co-op.

There is already talk of a canning party with several of my Minneapolis friends. And I suppose there will be soup swapping as well. And I'll continue to post recipes here on the blog.

As a runner I look forward my return to Minneapolis also--I'll never have to run on the road again as Minneapolis is a runner (and cyclist's) dream in terms of paths and green-ways. The Boyfriend and I have said we will run the Valentine's Day 5k at Lake Harriet if we're there. I'm sure there will be plenty of running in 2010.

I'd love to learn to cross country ski, and to make pasta. I'm planning a reunion with my Austin knitting friends--we'll meet the first weekend in October in Taos NM for the Wool and Fiber Fest.

What does 2010 have in store for you?

Happy Thanksgiving

For the third year in a row The Boyfriend and I got up on Thanksgiving morning and ran the Austin Turkey Trot. A five mile run with a huge crowd - 14,000 runners this year. It's a lot of fun, the course is fairly scenic and really challenging. I'm pretty sure this is my favorite tradition here in Austin, and one of the things I will miss when we are gone.

I hope to carry on the tradition of running on Thanksgiving morning when we return to Minneapolis by participating in the Drumstick Dash at Lake Harriet.

After the run I cooked for 7 friends. Last year I cooked a turkey for 2, this year I went with a very non-traditional menu - Pumpkin soup, homemade bread, a cheese board, smoked salmon, apples, pomegranates, a beet salad, and the guests brought desserts. Everything was delicious.

And now with Thanksgiving behind us, my attention is turned back to trying to get moved and of course to Christmas gift knitting.

Happy Holidays Y'all.

Twitch

The uncertainty in my life still looms large and I've developed a twitch in my right eye. I'm not joking. For four days now my right eye has had an intermittent twitch that is disconcerting to say the least.

As of this moment we still have no idea which city we will be living in in the coming months. I suppose that even if there is a new job in a new city it will take a few months to get moved, and so it is safe to say we will still be in Austin for Halloween. But what of Thanksgiving? And New Year's? I just can't know for sure. I wouldn't hate a white Christmas. In fact I might love it a little bit.

But the right eye is all a flutter.

Here's a taste of what's not happening; I'm not registering for either the 3M Half Marathon or the Austin Marathon. I did 3M last year and would love to do it again -- it's a great race. Austin would be new to me, and it just so happens to be on my birthday. On October 11th I will officially start my training schedule and train as if I'm running both races. But I won't register until I know for sure that I will actually be here to run.

I'm also not applying for the Cherrywood Art Festival, which I would love love love to do again -- it's a great show with good crowds. But again, I can't say for sure if I will be around to actually do the show, so I haven't applied. Just as soon as I have even the slightest indication that I'll be around I'll apply, although the deadline is fast approaching and I may miss out all together.

And I haven't sent those queries, or scheduled those workshops, or ... or... or...

And all the while the right eye twitches and sleeping for more than 5 hours in a row eludes me.

Here's what is happening; I'm knitting some. I found solace in The Urbanity Vest by Amy Swensen -- it's straightforward and uncomplicated, and round after round of stockinette leaves my mind available for worry, which is, as I have said, what I do in times like these. This is progress.

At least some of the design work has moved beyond half-baked to just not done. I've got yarn ordered for several new projects, and have made real strides on a trio of hats. Here's the teaser: one pattern, three hats, the common thread is itty-bits of hand-spun yarn.

Again, it's progress.

I read Into the Wild -- captivating enough and more difficult than third grade. I also read Elizabeth Zimmermann's Knitter's Almanac -- a pithy, and smart little number that every knitter should read.

But the nuno felting remains untouched. And the embroidery goes slow. And the house is still really clean. And there's not a speck of laundry left to do.

And the uncertainty looms large. And my right eye has a twitch.

Progress!

Sunday Brunch - A Celebration

It is no great revelation that we as people have a long history of food as the main attraction at our celebrations. Most of our major holidays center on the idea of feasting, Thanksgiving is of course the most obvious example. Even those holidays that are not completely food-centric still have a canon of traditional foods associated with them - Easter Ham, Christmas Goose, July Fourth BBQ, and the favorite of many The Birthday Cake. We commemorate major occasions and accomplishments with food and beverage - A champagne toast, a graduation buffet, and a post funeral potluck are just a few examples.

These food traditions help to define us culturally, they ground us geographically, and unite us with a common bond. I'm no social anthropologist, in fact I'm mostly just a girl with her own sordid history with food, but it seems to me that this is at least partly because food, quite simply, makes us feel good. It gives us comfort, nurtures us, and when it's at its best it can bring us oh-so-much joy.

It was in the spirit of traditional celebratory feasting that I planned a recent brunch. I run, and most of my friends run, and so it was no coincidence that several of us were all running the same local Half Marathon. And since running hard for 13.1 miles is both an accomplishment worthy of commemoration, and enough to make a person darn hungry, I thought what better way to celebrate, and to feed our well-earned appetites than a post-race Sunday Brunch.

Several people contributed to the spread - we had two different quiches, we had biscuits, we had muffins, and we had strata (which incidentally those of us originally from the Midwest were familiar with, while the native Texans had never heard of). We also had mimosa. Because nothing says celebration like champagne, but also because 9:00 AM is a little too early to hit the bottle straight, and everything's better with orange juice.

My contribution to the meal was fruit - The Sunday Fruit Salad. I dreamed up the recipe while tossing and turning sleeplessly from pre-race jitters the night before the race.

(See previous post for recipe)

I was victorious. My friends liked it. It's a pretty simple recipe really, but the basil and honey add an unexpected twist. Together they are the little something different that will prompt your guests to ask, "What did you do to the fruit?" The mostly tart fruits make this salad bright, and refreshing, perfect for after a long run, or when the weather turns warm and sticky. I would recommend that you cut your fruits into rather small bits, about the size of the blueberries. Doing so will make the salad a touch delicate and slightly elegant.

There are not a lot of choices for Texas local fruits in January. In fact, I can only think of citrus when pressed. So while everything in my version of The Sunday Fruit Salad was organic, only the honey and basil were locally produced. Depending on what time of year you make this dish, and where you live, you may or may not be able to go local. Either way, I would advocate for the fruits I've included - they play off each other perfectly both in appearance and flavor.

Enjoy!

Another Charity Run

We participated in another charity run this morning - Run Like The Wind 5k was put on to raise funds for The Schrodi Memorial Training Fund. The Schrodi Fund was founded by one of our trainers, Shari, in memory of her dog Schrodi. The fund is designed to help people who could otherwise not afford training to get the top notch training they need, often allowing them to keep a dog they may not have otherwise been able to. It's a great cause, and was a nice way for us to give back to our favorite trainer.

It's a proud moment for us when we can get out and do events like this with our dogs. They've all come along way with their training. Especially our Layla, when we adopted her out of the shelter 2 years ago she was shy, and terrified of everything, so terrified you could barely bring her for a walk. Today she ran like a pro, with lots of people and dogs around. A year and a half ago Aaron Johnson was living under a boat in a junk yard, today he wore a blue ribbon.

Dale and Aaron Johnson won their Race.

Layla and I also ran.

Cheers.

Happy Thanksgiving!

It's becoming a Thanksgiving tradition in my house to get up and run the local Turkey Trot on Thanksgiving morning - If two years in a row can qualify as a tradition. My Sweetie and I and one of our three dogs did the 5 mile run through Downtown Austin. The course was nice, fairly scenic, and the crowds were amazing. This is not a run you run for speed, too many people, 12,000 to be exact, this is a run you do for fun. And it was was fun.

I'll cook today. Only for three, but I'll cook. I am a vegetarian and haven't eaten meat in over 20 years, but I'm cooking for two carnivores, who kind of want some tradition. So I bought the free range, organic, and locally farmed turkey and I'll see what I can come up with. It's good to try new things.

Happy Thanksgiving!

The Race Report - My First Half Marathon

I'm back from a fantastic weekend in San Antonio TX where I ran the inaugural San Antonio Rock N Roll Half Marathon. It was a first for San Antonio and a first for me. Overall it was a well organized, and very fun event. Kudos to the folks who pull these things together, it can't be easy getting 30,000 people to all run the same course at the same time.

Pre-Race: It was cold, and I mean really cold by Texas standards, on Sunday AM. I never did check the official temp, but it was for sure in the 30's. Being a Minnesota girl, and having maintained my thick blood I wasn't sad about the cold. In fact I love running in the cold, so this wasn't a problem for me the way it was for many and I was thankful for that.

We rose bright and early to catch the shuttle at 6 AM, despite the line, which I expected, the whole shuttle thing went smooth. As did the other pre-race activities of checking our extra gear, and waiting in the porta-potty lines. So despite the fact that it was a little on the chilly side I was able to start my race relaxed. You can't ask for more than that. Perfect!

The Run: My plan had been to join the 2:30 hour pace group for the half marathon, but at packet pick-up I learned that the pacer would be starting two corrals ahead of me, giving her a minute and a half head start. I hoped to catch her, knowing I could run a much more relaxed race if I had someone else worry about how fast I was going. I didn't want to go out too fast with the excitement, but I didn't want to psyche myself out and hold back either.

By mile one I had caught up to the 5:00 hour full marathon pace group, but still had not seen the half marathon group. I figured it's all the same when you do the math so I fell in with the 5:00 group and decided to hang with them until I either found the half group or until our course split, at which point I would only have 2.5 miles to go.

The pace leader was great! She ran us at a consistent pace to within just a few seconds per mile and we were running ahead just a touch. We caught the half marathon pace group at around mile 4 or 5, she was running a few minutes behind pace and honestly she really looked like she was struggling. Needless to say, when the 5:00 group passed her I went with them and stayed with them until the half marathon course split.

When the split did come I was feeling amazingly good. Nothing hurt and I could breathe. Breathing is key. I was amazed at how quickly the miles had gone by - I had not once got inside my own head and felt daunted by the distance. And I was still relaxed and even more importantly I was still having fun.

At the split the pace leaders parting advice to me was this "I want you to spend the next 2 miles looking at the backs in front of you and picking ones to pass. Just keep passing them one by one". I thanked her for a great race and went my way. I was even able to follow her advice and finish strong.

At mile 8 I was cheered on by my friends who had traveled down to cheer us on. They tried but missed me at mile 2 and again at the finish line, but we saw each other at mile 8. It's a great boost to see your peeps out on the course. I feel grateful to have such good friends.

All in all the course was fantastic. It was flat, and fast, and fairly scenic. There were tons of supporters all along the course. And the bands every mile or so were a great little boost.

I finished my race just under my 2:30 hour goal - 2:28:55 was the official time. More importantly I had a great time, and I left feeling really good. I have to shout out to my Sweetie who also ran. It was also his first and he ran it in an amazing 1:52:13, which in my book qualifies as WAY under his goal of 2:00.

Post Race: Post race was the only time I stopped having fun for a minute. The organizers had just not made the proper plans for dealing with the mass of runners that were going to be coming in around the same time. After crossing the finish line we all came to an abrupt stop and bottle necked trying to get into the post race secured area. Stopping is not good after a run like that and my calves immediately started to cramp. I had to fight my way through the crowds and the mayhem, and was barely able to grab any of the post race food. I managed to grab a couple of snacks and some water and found a little piece of open space between the medical tent and the information tent where I could stop and stretch and re-fuel. It took a long time to get there though and by the time I did I was pretty cranky. So I hung there for a while before meeting my Sweetie and my friends at the designated spot. No sense showing up crabby after an otherwise great race, it may have given them the wrong impression.

After we reunited we headed out to walk the 1.5 miles back to our hotel. That's when the funniest thing happened... We're walking along, we've got our finishers medals on, and we're still wearing the clothes we ran in, it was clear we had just finished this thing. So I spot another obviously just finished runner, and someone who was probably her mother, and they had a whole box of snacks. Because I hadn't been able to grab enough stuff, and hadn't grabbed any sort of electrolyte replacement or salt, I was like flies to crap on their multiple bags of pretzels. I walked right up and said "ooh, may I?" and the Mother says "No, they're hers", and I say "I really need some salt" and the Mother handed me a single pretzel, and the obviously just finished Runner scowled at Mother and gave me a bag of pretzels. I thanked her. We walked on. And my friend Kathy said in disbelief "did she just really give you one pretzel?" And I said "yep, that's going make my blog." We laughed. Maybe you had to be there...

After the walk back to the hotel we celebrated with a couple of cool showers, followed by a giant lunch of Mexican food and a couple of vodka tonics, followed by a well deserved 2 hour nap. We couldn't have asked for a better first marathon experience or a better weekend.

We felt so good about the whole thing we've decided to continue our training and signed up to run the 3M Half Marathon in January here in Austin. I'm actually looking forward to another 13.1 miles. And I never imagined I'd hear myself say that.

Cheers!

Another First...

It's race week again. This coming Sunday I'll be running my first Half Marathon down in San Antonio TX. I originally joined a training group for this race because running has always been a little daunting for me. I do it because it's the most efficient way to get my exercise - no gear, no equipment, no special playing field, you just put on your shoes and walk out the door. It's also a way for me to be able to eat cheese, which happens to be my favorite food, and not weigh 500 pounds. So I run, and I hate most of it, until now that is.

The theory was that if I joined a training group, and ran a lot, and put in the time to train, and did the long runs, that I would get better. And if I was a better, stronger, maybe a little faster runner, that I might actually start to enjoy it some. And the theory was dead on. I've been training since August, and I've put some serious miles on my shoes with the Saturday long runs. And I've been pushed to run hard, sometimes really hard, on Wednesday Night Track Nights. And the result, after 18 weeks of running four days per week is I'm a lot stronger, and a lot more efficient, and a good bit faster. And most importantly the running doesn't suck anymore. It's fun, I like it, and I actually look forward to it.

So now it's race week. The big day is just 6 days away and it's time to get a plan and set a goal. The goals are easy - I want to finish, and barring some freak accident I will. I want to have fun, and most likely I will, at least a little, and probably a lot. My plan is also pretty simple, I'm going to join one of the official pace groups, and let someone else worry about my pace. I think this highly increases the odds that I'll have fun. It also highly increases the odds that I'll finish in less than 2 and 1/2 hours. I just need to stick with the group and enjoy the crowds and the atmosphere. Simple. Other than that I only need to plan for hydration and nutrition, and that should also be pretty simple - I'll carry my own water, which I've done for all my long runs, and I'll consume two packets of Gu - one at the 1 hour mark, and one at the 2 hour mark. I won't forget to Gu because I get down right surly and mean when my blood sugar levels get too low, so just as soon as I start feeling the slightest pangs of road rage I'll Gu. Simple.

This race will mark another first for me. The very first time I'll have run in a Marathon. I think I've mentioned before, and it's worth repeating - There is nothing more thrilling than doing something for the very first time.

I'll be back next week with a race report. Cheers!

And the Winners Are...

Congratulations to the lucky 6 winners of my Earth Day Contest - They are Christine P. , Amy C., Hoganfe, Contessa Kris, Kim aka Images by Kim, and Antjamie. Please send an email to bluevalentinepress@hotmai.com with where I should send your re-crafted re-usable totes and your issue of Croq "The Trash Issue" and I'll get them on their way to you asap.

Thanks to everyone who played along. There were some great comments and emails with some great ways to live a little greener. Kim would like to implement this idea in her home town, I say go for it, and right on! The less plastic in this world the better. Including plastic water bottles, which is why antjamie's comment about ditching the disposable water bottles is so great - I myself made that change some time ago and it's amazing how much money and plastic you save, for myself personally, I drink a lot of water, like on average of 90 ounces every day, and that's a lot of refills. I love the idea of swifter covers, and riding your bikes to work. I thankfully get to work here at home but my partner has been making a real effort to commute via bicycle when ever it's possible. I also really really loved the idea of getting rid of disposable cups at the office - it's the perfect way to put all those free-be coffee cups to a good use. All it takes is a little effort and a little dish soap. Perfect!

Here's some updates on the project: As of right now I have 124 shirts, and I know there is more on the way. Almost all of these are prepped and ready to sew - thanks to my super next-door friend who spent her Friday evening helping me cut shirts. Some of the finished shirts have made their way out into the world - like 36 of them. And I've only had one person say "no thank you" they didn't want a free re-usable shopping bag, but he was a little weird anyway so...

Here's the biggest most exciting update: Blue Dog Rescue, the local mixed breed rescue group that I volunteer for has an annual fund raising 5k run - Run for the Rovers. They have asked and I have agreed to recycle last year's left over runner shirts into this year's swag bags. This should be about 60 re-crafted tees, and will probably be distributed to the first 60 registrants. Although myself and my partner are already registered to run, so that'll be two more re-crafted re-usable totes for me to get out into the world. If you're reading this and you're in Central Texas, hop on over to the race website, and get yourself registered to run. It's a lot of fun, it's for a great cause, and you can run with your dog, as long as it's spayed or neutered, and current on it's vaccinations. We'll be running with Layla. Way to go green Blue Dog!

I have to say I am so pleased with response I've gotten to this silly little project. My hope was to get my friends and family and their friends and family and maybe a few strangers excited about not using plastic bags anymore. Clearly this has happened. And that my friends, makes me very happy! So thank you all for your enthusiasm, and thank you all for wanting to jump on board and go a little green, and thank you all for not using plastic.

That Holiday Spirit

I'll be frank - it's no small task to muster that holiday spirit when you're a Minnesota girl in Texas. I've always been a bit of a scrooge when it comes to Christmas trees and decorating, it seems like a lot of work - you drag all that stuff out of storage, you dust it all off, put it all up, and then turn around and take it all down again. Too much for my lazy bones.

My book group had our monthly meeting on Friday night. In the spirit of the holidays we read "Holidays on Ice" by David Sadarias, drank champagne, and had a little ornament exchange. I sat that part out, not being one to ever put up a tree or hang stuff about the house, I have no real use for ornaments, and thought it best to sit it out. I didn't really love this book either, I kept finding myself feeling offended, rather than humored. The champagne was good.

Despite my distaste for indoor decorations, I have always been a fan of lights, the outdoor variety - I love how they twinkle in the snow and get all reflective and defused, it's pretty. But here in Texas we have no snow. There is the Trail of Lights - a 1 mile loop through Zilker Park here in Austin with a pretty extraordinary light display. It's the annual tradition here in Austin, a town that loves to run, to have the Trail of Lights 5k the night before the light show officially opens to the public. It's a sort of sneak preview for those that sign up to do the 5k. In my attempts to muster that seemingly allusive Holiday Spirit, I registered and ran the Trail of Lights 5k on Saturday night. It was 85 degrees at the finish line at 7:30 PM - it was not feeling one tiny bit like Christmas for this cold weather runner.

Meanwhile back at the workshop... I'm not a complete Grinch and I do like to give gifts. This year, as I've mentioned I have taken the pledge to buy or give handmade, and that means knitting, and lots of it. And because the Etsy shop has had more sales then I can seem to keep up with, it has also meant journal making, and lots of it. Even the baby has tried to get in on the act.

bad puppy

The only holiday spirit I have been able to muster so far this year has been of the crafting variety, and I suppose there's nothing wrong with that.

Coming soon .... Pictures of the finished objects for Christmas 2007 - felted clogs for many, a felted messenger bag, a second Headline News newsboy hat, and Sock Monkeys.

What I'm Thankful For...

Turns out it did get cold, the front pulled in on Wednesday afternoon and temperatures here in Austin plummeted 45 degrees. It went from a record high of 89 degrees to a brisk 40-something in mere hours. It was absolutely Thanksgiving weather, and I was thankful for it.

I started the Thanksgiving Holiday by participating in the 17th Annual Turkey Trot 5 Mile (8k) Run for charity. Some 10,000 runners ran through Downtown Austin and the UT Campus. It was the perfect way to start Thanksgiving Day, I spent the rest of the day feeling healthy, and a little cocky, and absolutely guilt free. I was thankful for that.

After the race, and before going to dinner, I finished the Headline News Hat I had started, and as I said I would, I wore something warm, and hand-knit, and was thankful for it.

I really love this hat

Dinner was fantastic! Very traditional fare at a friend's, with tons of her family around. I made these Sweet Potatoes. They were well received and I was thankful for that. I was also thankful for the invitation.

I was especially grateful that all three of the Wonder Mutts were included in the invitation and joined us for the holiday. I am thankful that I have three dogs, I am thankful that they are really GREAT dogs, and I am thankful that I have friends who love them.

I spent "Black Friday" at home, knitting, and surfing Etsy. I will uphold my pledge to Buy Handmade for the next big holiday. And yes, I couldn't be more thankful for that.

I spent most of Saturday at an Adoption Day for Blue Dog Rescue. And a good part of Sunday at Brunch with friends at the best damn Mexican Restaurant in Austin. I am thankful for Blue Dog and the work that they do. I am thankful that I have friends who eat Brunch. And I am thankful for Mexican food.

I come away from the big Thanksgiving giving thanks, and that my friends, is what it's all about.