Training for September #2

Pre run munch: cereal and half a banana
Post run munch: other half of banana, drink of milk
Time of run: 10am gozen ju ji
Distance: 4.2km
Time: 32 mins
Category: steadier
Feeling: ready to eat

Having been feeling a bit run down for the last few days I maybe shouldn't have gone for a run but I really wanted to, especially as I had a full day of eating ahead of me.  I needed to work up a proper appetite ready for lunch out, a tea party with the KniTWells crew and then a roast dinner in the evening at my brother's. Full on xmas style constant eating from 1pm to 8pm.  It was legendary.  I was impressed at how far I ran, especially as it started off too hot and I was considering cutting it short.  There was a cool and very blustery wind and eventually the clouds covered the sky and it was a more pleasant temperature.  As I was running, I started tailing a walker who was ambling along in her smart trainers and smoking.  I found this an interesting combination and wondered where she was going.  I had to run round her and tried to project extra healthy fitness vibes (ie I sucked in my stomach some more and ran a bit faster) then passed her again on my return journey.  I thought I ought to say hello as I couldn't pretend not to have seen her and a runner said hello to me earlier from across the road.  Running on Sunday morning is quite fun as there seems to be more of a local fitness community out and about than at other times.  Cyclists and runners in particular. The rest of the day disappeared in a haze of eating and driving and chatting to some of my nephews.  I played Mario volleyball and won the flower cup much to the oldest nephew's delight as I started off pretty rubbish AND was playing as Peach who made the most annoying fake girly noises. i didn't knit at all so will have to make up for that today but have another full day of eating and seeing family planned - which is how a bank holiday should be.

Saturday restfulness

I've decided I definitely don't like any of the buttons I have for Flossie's cardigan so I'll have to go to another shop with a broader selection.

I've been watching the Cheyenne Social Club while working on Bob. It's a gentle comedy starring James Stewart as a cowboy who inherits what he thinks is a saloon and ends up, with the help of his friend, Harley (Henry Fonda), shooting all the mean cowboys in Cheyenne and riding back to Texas together. A precursor to all the bromances we have now.

I'm feeling better today but I've mostly been sitting in bed reading or sitting on the sofa knitting.  It's gloomy looking outside so a perfect, restful Saturday so far.

Last night's classes

Well it's the weekend, and a bank holiday one at that.  I am feeling really queer and have been for a few days.  I'm not sure if I'm overtired or aneamic or dehydrated or what but I feel really lethargic and queasy.  I'm self medicating with cake which may be counterproductive but it's my mum's homemade cake and she makes really good cakes. 

I woke up yesterday to my alarm like normal and shut my eyes for a moment - then woke up again to find it was 20 minutes later.  I spent the whole day yawning and trying to wake up so I wasn't sure I'd make it all the way through to dancing.  I almost didn't make it to Japanese as my license plate had fallen off the front of my car.  It had been held on with double sided tape which surprised me but apparently this is ok and can be fixed and no extra cost at my MOT appointment.

We had an all time low turnout at Japanese.  Only five people! I had to move seats and work with Dan-san and Helen-san which made me a bit nervous - I've become a terrible creature of habit.  My seat is in the corner with Salah-san and Bob-san or James-san but all three of them were absent.  keseki desu! We didn't work for very long anyway. We had cakes in the break time. I had a mini Colin the Caterpillar cake as I had chosen them especially when I was sent out to the shops. I felt like I'd been thrown out for being disruptive. Possibly, I am disruptive.

We learnt how to say I'm learning Japanese, although predictably I've forgotton! We then learnt more about positioning, saying the sofa is next to the window and so on.  In Japanese, the order of words is often the reverse of English and this was no exception.  Helen-san started saying that the book was on top of the table but Hiromi-sensei corrected her and started saying the table was under the book.  Doh! If you want to say the book is on the table you say
table, on top of, the book is.   This perturbed me greatly. 
taberu no ue ni hon ga arimasu
たべるの　うえに　ほんが　あります

I think to say there is nothing on the table is
taberu no ue ni nani mo arimasen
たべるの　うえに　なにも　ありません

And the word for flower is the same as the word for nose: hana

Well, I was feeling a bit woozy anyway so it didn't go in terribly well but we've got half term next week so there'll be time to revise.  I perked up enough to make it to dancing and I'm really glad I did. Only three of us managed to turn up! Must be something in air tonight.  The routine is really fun - slower than usual so more technical. At first I couldn't remember it at all and the teacher kept asking us to do it without him but after a few more run throughs it all flooded back.  I slept really well last night so I'm glad I went but then today I was back on a woozy/cake cycle.  I don't think the cake is actually helping so I'm making an effort to finish up all of the cake in my flat. You know, for health purposes ;)

Training for September #1

Pre run munch: pb&h on toast
Post run munch: fish and beans
Time of run: 6.15pm gogo loku ji jugo fun
Distance: 3km
Time: 25 mins
Category: trying out a new app
Feeling: super sleepy

I downloaded an app to track me on gps and tell me how far and how fast I ran.  It was interesting reading. Apparently I travelled 3km. I'm pleased it seems to work but taking my phone and my ipod out made my armband heavy so that's probably why I didn't run for long ;)  I'm glad to have just broken the psychological barrier of my first run after the race and a break.  I still enjoy running which is good to know.  Bob is coming along.  I'll start another section tonight. I'm a bit concerned about having enough yarn so I'll knit a different section and make some more yardage calculations. That's if I can stay awake for much longer - the run turned me super sleepy which is great, as I don't always sleep very well. I'm also relieved I booked my car MOT as I kept forgetting to do that.  

Knitting, knitting everywhere, and not a stitch to blog

I've noticed that now I'm knitting something for the magazine, and on a little running break, I've far less to blog about.  Annoying! So I guess I'd better start running again before I turn into a blob or repeat myself too much. I"ve signed up for another 10k race.  It's in the same venue, but this time it's for charity and I'm doing it with a friend.  It's in September so I've got plenty of time to leave all my training until the last minute.  I might treat myself to some trail shoes but we'll see.

I'm working on the magazine project, let's call it Bob, and it's going swimmingly so far.  I'm enjoying the yarn, a blend of alpaca and wool, but I wonder if it's irritating my eyes a bit.  I love alpaca but my eyes are particularly sensitive at the moment from mild hayfever. I'd prefer to be able to blog it as I go along but I don't think that's ok.  I'm trying to take pictures as I go along so I can show how it progressed when it's published.

Keeping me and Bob company are many tv programs.  The walking dead finished (brilliant) and Smallville season 10 will start soon.  Desperate Housewives is good to knit to as there's so much dialogue.  Action films and Doctor Who are no good for knitting.  I love the 11th Doctor! Next Saturday's episode is the last one for a while and I wonder if it will be a total cliffhanger ending or a partial one.  Where is crazy Eye Patch Lady from? I treated myself to a boxset for my birthday and now I'm debating about preordering another one.  It's not available until September but it's only £1 more with a whole extra season. That's possibly a downside to blogging more - I sit and look at Amazon and although I don't have 1-click, it only takes a couple more clicks to have spent a ton.  I suppose I shouldn't buy any boxsets until I've watched all the ones I already have.  Hmph.

Turn it up to 11

My lovely squooshy yarn arrived from the yarn yard today.  It is gorgeous! It was a bit much first thing this morning as I had a supreme tiredness hangover and my eyes were really sore.  The colours of the yarn were a lot brighter than I expected.   The pink had definitely been turned up to 11!  It is 50:50 merino and silk and has a lovely sheen. It makes me think of sweets and ballet dancers and lipstick.  The purple is 100% merino, 750m to 150grams.  It's a heavy lace weight, only a little finer than the sock yarn so seems like a good compromise for me.  I have only finished one shawl in lace weight, for my mum's 50th birthday present, and then it went AWOL.  I've started another shawl since but the pattern doesn't seem to be at all memorisable so I only seem to do a few rows at a time.  I like to knit in front of the tv and I definitely wouldn't enjoy either the program or the knitting if I tried it with that shawl. I'd like to cast on the patterns that I queued but I'll have to wait until my project for Let's Knit is finished.  It's well under way and quite relaxing which is what I need tonight. I'm watching Alfie (Jude Law) to keep me company.

Gauge swatch

I had such a lovely time at Cath's birthday party yesterday.  I sat on her brand spanking new decking and coloured in fairies with her neice, chatted with her friends, ate curry, ate cake, ate chocolate and had a full day o' fun.  It turned into a late night but I even set my alarm to get up at a reasonable time this morning and I'm not feeling too bad.  I have spent a lot time already playing computer games and tidying so the next thing on the list is food shopping, then knitting!

I washed Flossie's cardigan ready for blocking and I made that mistake of lifting it out of the water by the collar. It went FLOOP and doubled in size.  Ack. I smooshed it back together a bit but it's still a lot bigger than before it was washed.  It makes we wonder what the point of kntiting swatches is.  Swatches lie.  I think the only accurate gauge measurement I can take is from the finished cardigan!

This week's Japanese

This week at Japanese, we learnt two new verbs and how to use them: arimasu and imasu.  They are both used for existence but arimasu is for inanimate objects and imasu is for animate stuff like people and dogs.  I'm not sure if it includes plants.  For the last few weeks, we were learning how to use public transport so now once we've arrived we can ask what there is to do there.

I'm going to Nikko tomorrow.
watashi wa ashita Nikko ni  ikimasu.
わたし　は　あした　にっこう　に　いきます

What is there in Nikko?
Nikko ni nani ga arimasu ka
にっこうに　なにが　あります　か

There are large temples and shines.
Okii o-tera ya jinja ga arimasu.
大きいおてらや　じんじゃが　あります

There is a woman at the reception desk.
Uketsuke ni onna no hito ga imasu
うけつけに　おんあのひとが　います

There's quite a bit of new vocab to learn and lots to practise with the different verbs and particles.

Nearly there

The cardigan is very nearly done. I need to block it and attach the buttons. I possibly need to buy more buttons, some that actually sympathise with the colour scheme this time.

I've been at work all day and my brain is fried.  I'm looking forward to a weekend of knitting, seeing my friends, more knitting, tidying (!), knitting and playing ds games.  I've been doing pretty well with keeping things tidy as I go along.  It is a lovely feeling being able to walk unhindered to open the curtains in the morning and to make my breakfast without fighting for a place to put my bowl.  Or even find a bowl. there are still things I'm struggling with though as they don't seem to have a home.  Flossie's cardigan is one of them, along with my knitting bag and notebook.  They seem to spread themselves out along the sofa rather than belong anywhere. I guess that's another reason to hurry up and finish!

718 out of 730 can't be bad

My yarn from the yarn yard hasn't arrived yet and I'm a bit sad about that even though I have a full bag of wool (as seen yesterday) to play with.  It's not rational, I realise, as even after I've finished with the bag of wool, I've got all sorts of wips I'd like to do all sorts to. I like to finish things, after all, it's like getting free clothes, and that cuts down on the need to wash and iron.  It seems I like to start things even more than I like free clothes though. And I like to buy things even more than I like to start things.  This is evident in all the dvds and computer games I have, still in their plastic wrapping, with another box of treats arrived from Amazon today. Some of the dvds are from myself from xmas 2009, films I'd already seen but were on special offer and I felt I ought to have them. I think I felt a need to boost the number of presents I would get for xmas, as I was feeling very divorced that year.  I'm not sure why I need this buffer of possessions, especially as I would have to work really hard to watch or play or knit them all.  I also have a tv recorder which is nearly full of films, boxes of yarn.  I haven't bought much yarn since the unicorn club in 2009. Sometimes I get yarn stress - I worry that I've invested so much in all that yarn that wouldn't it be awful if it caught moths, or sometimes I feel guilty for having it and not using it.  Yes, it's an investment for when the apocalypse comes or the next cold snap. There are evenings when I like to look at the skeins of sock yarn before I go to bed, like saying good night to the Walton family.



Somewhere around last summer, I decided not to buy anything if I already had it. No new shampoo until I used up the old one, no hoarding bubble bath, no music until I'd really listened to the stuff I already had.  It was prompted after a holiday in July, where the enormous credit card bills kept coming.  The holiday itself was a huge treat so I suppose I partly didn't fell I needed anymore treats.  I wrote about it here and seemed to have been enjoying myself immensely.  I'm not sure where I forgot about it - certainly I've kept some of the habits but have really fallen off the wagon in the last week or so.  And I realise, like before, it's very easy for me to stop shopping, as I have previously bought everything I could possibly need and then some...

...although I been eyeing up Kindles again.

Yes sir, yes sir, a big bag of wool

I have a lovely big bag of wool ready for a new project for Let's Knit. I had meant to get started on it at the weekend but I was a bit busy basking in the glory of stumbling round a wood for an hour and a half.  My limbs are still achey and today I felt grim - I think it was a come down from the high of the physical exertion.  It's just aswell I have all these presents lined up for myself which will hopefully start arriving tomorrow. I don't know how sensible it is buying more yarn and computer games, though, when I don't find the time to use up the ones I already have.  I thought I would finish Flossie's cardigan this evening but had a mini mental breakdown and did my ironing instead.  I just wanted to put it away.  My younger sister has been encouraging me to tidy up as I go along and to be honest, I was so fed up this weekend of my house looking like I'd been subjected to an FBI investigation, I tidied on Sunday and I did my washing up before bed last night and today I put my clean clothes away.  Freakish behaviour, I doubt it will last long.

Rewards

I'm very much one for rewarding my own good behaviour.  As there were some definite feelings of panic and impending doom before the race, I made a little list of things to buy for myself as something to help look past the run itself.  As it turned out, I really enjoyed the run so didn't need any cheering up afterwards but I shopped anyway :)

I bought a selection of songs from the recent Glee episodes, including Pretty/Unpretty as the TLC album was one of the first I bought at uni.  I've also become the last person on the planet to buy Lady Gaga, Fame monster.  I should say Queen Gaga. I've never seen her perform before and I was totally impressed watching coverage on the beeb of the big weekend.  I can fully understand why she is the total superstar she has become. 

I went to The Yarn Yard and ordered a skein of pink Sugarsugar sock yarn (it was reduced dontcha know) and bought Manolo to use it up on. This pattern looks like a nice balance of patterning and stocking stitch so I might make it all the way through without too much cursing.

I also bought a skein of purple Enchant lace yarn for a Simplicity cardigan.  I rarely use lace yarn and it's even rarer that I finish something using it so maybe a one skein cardigan is the right idea.

Oops, I've just had a little splurge on Amazon but let's call those birthday presents and save them for another day.

Race Day!

I did it and I am so pleased! 

It was a long day and I'm quite sore this morning so I'm planning on spending most of the day in bed or in my pyjamas. I don't know how this is going to impact my trip to the supermarket but I think I will need to buy food today.

Here's the very long and selfindulgent full story:

I got up in time to have a normal breakfast and a bath.  I packed all my bags with spare clothes, my parking permit, my wallet, my ipod, my laptop, my knitting, my gameboy, a notebook, a cuddly toy and a set of silk ties.  Ok, not the last two but it was an epic amount of organising as I went straight to my sister's after the race as I was due to babysit in the evening.  I wanted lots of things to do and to be able to tell everyone straight away of my triumph/misery. I was nervous and excited and not as worried as I thought I might be.  I realised there were no real consequences to this.  I had felt a little like I was going to sit an exam I wasn't ready for but there was nothing like the sick feeling before my accountancy finals.  That's because it didn't matter how well it went in the race to anyone but me.  If I liked it, I could do another one, and if I didn't I could just laugh about it later.  I felt more relaxed when I realised that.

I was pretty pleased with myself that I'd left enough time to go to the cash machine and didn't have to worry about being stuck behind really slow drivers on the A21.  I became a little less smug when I couldn't see any directions to the venue but it was just a little further than I'd expected. I did begin to wish I'd left earlier though as I wandered around getting more and more worked up as I couldn't find the registration tent.  I went to the start line to ask directions then walked back to pretty much where I had parked and a bit further in that direction was the event village.  Um, that was me being quite dumb but I didn't have time to berate myself further as I was too busy having a panic at how frightening the finish line looked.  There were people there and they would see me and it was at the top of a hill and there were lots of people looking half dead staggering across it.  These people were in the much earlier starting waves and I expect they ran the whole way.  I very nearly turned round and went home but I've been having so many conversations with Dan-san about not turning up to Japanese lessons you've paid for that I figured I couldn't chicken out now and waste all the entrance fee.  Dammit, I wanted my goody bag and you only got that when you finished.

I signed in.  I deposited my spare clothes.  I made a quick toilet stop (very pleased I did) and toddled off to the start line. I knew where that was already (ha!) and it counted as a warm up as I was hurrying and it was 5 minutes away. When I saw the people in my starting group, I felt some relief.  Most of them looked a bit like me.  None of them looked like elite runners (no offense), they were all wearing similar clothes to me, had similar looks of expectancy and nerves.  It was fine.  I guess, given the wave we were in (70 minutes plus) we were all planning on taking in the scenery and getting lots of race time for our money. The fastest waves had finished long before we started and the official medal ceremony would take place when we were somewhere around 3 km.

The organiser chatted to us for a few minutes before we started, telling us there was water at 4km and 7km, a toilet at 5km and the first km was uphill.  That was a perfect reason to start off walking.  I was right at the back and overhead the lady walking just in front of me tell a marshall she was planning to walk the whole thing as she had a knee injury. Oh, you cannot tell how relieved I felt when I heard that as even though I'd been advised plenty of people would walk some of it, I still wasn't convinced.  I chatted to her for a while, admitted this was my first race and she was really kind. She told me all about how an evil dog had tripped her and the evil owner wasn't remotely sorry.  If it wasn't for her, I'm not sure I'd have made it up the hill in the first kilometre but I managed to keep pace as she powered up. She then said she didn't mind at all if I wanted to run and as it was flat and I really like running, off I went.  I passed a couple and an individual and then I thought I should pace myself a bit.  I didn't want to make the mistake of starting really fast and then struggling to finish. In reality that's probably what I did do but I think it was unavoidable as I hadn't done anything like that distance before.  The trail went through really beautiful woodland, with bluebells along the edge of the track.  The weather was perfect - not raining but enough cloud cover to keep it cool and occasional bursts of sun. The first water station at 4km arrived surprisingly quickly.  I think I was there in about 30 minutes so I thought wow, I might manage my secret hope of 1hr 15min but this thought passed quickly because really, what's 5 minutes or 10 minutes here or there in real life? I wanted to focus on enjoying it and getting round in less than 1hr 30 minutes as I figured I could probably walk it that quickly. Actually, it was so hilly I think it would have taken much longer.

At 5km, the couple in front of me stopped for a toilet break and I'm not surprised they'd stopped as they drank a whole bottle of water each at 4km.  I took advantage of this and put on a short burst of speed.  I'd read that in races it's best to take every chance you can to get ahead.  I also made sure I ran past and thanked every marshall.  For the next few kilomotres, I was stuck behind another runner.  I couldn't get up enough speed to pass her convincingly and didn't want her to pass me a minute later so I just used her as a pace maker.  At 6km, I noticed the toes on my right foot were hurting, and at 7km, the ones on the left foot hurt too.  There was a super encouraging marshall at 7km who spurred me on to the next water break. By this time, I had already covered about double the distance I would do in even my longest training run.  My legs were feeling wibbly and I was walking much more than running.  At 8km, I noticed that when I tried to run, my legs didn't join in, so I had to accept that there was going to be a lot more walking, and the toilet couple were looming up behind me. Noone else had passed me and it wasn't like it mattered, so just after 9km, I pulled over and gave them a little cheer as they went past.  The final kilometre! I almost couldn't believe it.  My back ached, my legs and toes ached, I was sweaty and dusty and my lips were covered in gross mouth breathing goop.  So close to the finish, I kept on walking. Around 9.5km, there was a lovely tree lined path, then a sign saying only 250m left.  A hill in the way. More walking.  Then there was the finish line, and it was all me.  I ran along, heard the loud speaker announce my number and my name and there was clapping and I passed the finish line and threw my arms in the air and cheered.  I did it! I was so happy! I stumbled to the finish tent and was rewarded with my medal and goody bag and some water.  Then my pal with the bad knee from right at the beginning arrived, she'd sneaked in some running too, and the people who had clapped me turned out to be her friends from her running group.  I was really glad they'd waited for her although she was a bit embarrassed.

At this point I should have done some stretching but I was a bit monged out and elated. I remember signing up for a free massage and eating a burger and stumbling around a bit. My massage was great. Local university students studying sports science were donating their talents and it was much appreciated. I kept telling people how this was my first ever race and they all seemed surprised and impressed. The race I chose wasn't really for beginners (did I mention it was all uphill) but it was such a lovely venue.  I only ever run outside and prefer fields to road so it was perfect for me. I managed to get back to my car and call my mum to tell her I did it and got the goody bag.  I called my sister but it kept cutting out so then she called me back, sounding rather worried. I confirmed I was all good and had my medal and was on my way after I'd finished a banana.  She ran me a bath and baked me a cake and cooked me dinner and assured me she wouldn't be back late. I wasn't impressed when that turned into 1am and I couldn't work the internet and had left my knitting at my house but all was forgiven by the time I crawled into my own bed.

So that was it.  I am sore today but I can still walk and it has definitely encouraged me to keep running and keep entering trail races.  I didn't manage any knitting last night which was probably just as well as I was really tired and spaced out.  I probably could have slept in the afternoon and didn't really interact with my family much.  All I could do was play pokemon ranger so I did get a level 5 assist power up (meaningless to anyone apart except my sister but just know it takes plenty of repetitive play and determination). 

Thanks to everyone for the support and encouragement and thanks to my legs and feet, you get a nice rest today.

Yesterday and buttons

Last night's classes were fun.  In Japanese, we learnt how to take a taxi somewhere, even though we'd been advised that many Tokyo taxi drivers will just get lost.  The set phrases were a little dry so we also learnt how to say put your foot down and follow that car.  Unfortuantely, the phrase for follow that car is a real mouthful and we figured it would have got away by then. I can't really remember them at the moment but I get the feeling we'll be tested on it next week so I'll have to do some homework.

Dance class was also fun.  I have some lovely friends there now and I particularly enjoyed this routine.  We were videoed but it hasn't made its way on to facebook yet.

I managed to sneak in some button shopping at lunchtime.  I didn't have the WIP with me so took a punt on three different styles in the hope that one would work.  I'm not sure that any is particularly better than the other but I really want to finish the button band so I'll use them as a guide and possibly get more later. 

Here is my lovely night before race dinner.  Chicken, spinach, courgette, red onion (it's not real cooking if you haven't fried an onion, unless it's cake) and pasta.  I have very mixed feelings about tomorrow.  Very mixed.  I've decided to add in some motivation and not let myself buy any presents (I'm thinking, Glee music, some yarn, Lego POTC for the Wii...) until after the race. Whether it's congratulations or commiserations, I'll enjoy some retail therapy.  I bought Lego POTC on the DS but left it at work.  STOOOPIIIDDDDD!!!!! I don't even know why I had it delivered to work as it would have fitted through my own postbox.  It's probably just aswell as I should focus on knitting this weekend.  I have so many things I want to finish and start!

conversation in Japanese:
ME: to the library and step on it!
toshoku onegai shimasu. motto hayaku onegai shimasu

としょく　おねがい　します　もっと　はやく　おねがい　します

Run #11

Pre run munch: banana
Post run munch: chocolate, oops should eat something else
Time of run: 5.45 pm gogo go ji yon ju go fun  ごごご　じ　よん　じゅ　ごふん
Steps: 2300
Time: 22mins
Category: mostly a walk
Feeling: oh yeah, I ate a bug

Well this was a run of firsts.  I wanted to try out the secret sweets pocket in my running shorts before the race on Saturday but ended up eating a bug.  It just flew in and it was totally gross. It occurred to me that I was lucky it hadn't happened before as I breathe with my mouth while I run. It was right at the beginning of the run and I think that soured the whole experience so I ended up doing a really short circuit and walking home.  It was also too hot and there isn't much shade where I like to run. I think I ate my baana too early too as I felt quite sluggish. So it wasn't a great training run but I did test the pocket. My sweets pocket acted more as a safety deposit box - once they were in, it was not easy getting those sweets back out again. I took a few haribo with me and had wrapped them in clingfilm just in case there was any stickiness. The pocket has a lip on the top to stop things falling out and it did work.  Nothing fell out.  I persevered and concluded if I want to eat while running, I'll have to walk.  I had to stop to get the sweets out, then remembered that chewing on the run isn't that safe, especially as I like to chew with my mouth closed and run with my mouth open.  There is much potential for tongue biting, choking and further bug eating! I think for the race, I'll have to view any sweets as emergency only and to eat them on walking breaks. I did have an interesting thought on my walk back in the shade, about Flossie's cardigan.  If it's a cardigan, shouldn't I plan in some buttons on the button band? I'm just about to knit the edging and would have done it all without button holes.

So that's the end of training for the race on Saturday.  I managed 10 runs (as one was actually a swim) out of an originally planned 18. Just over half.  That's not bwilliant but there's nothing left to do now except turn up and give it a go.  I don't want to give up half way but it does feel very daunting.  I plan to run and walk and remember to smile and pretend I'm having fun and hopefully I will enjoy it.

Cheered up

I was feeling very stressy and grumpy today but someone just said something nice, so that's ok.  I think I might just leave it at that and do some knitting.

Next project is an old one

After the success of finishing the Honey cardigan I felt spurred on to knit another cardigan.  I started looking around for a pattern but my sister reminded me I should finish something already in waiting.  I like this idea as it's like getting free clothes - I've already got everything I need and I'm actually further on than I expected. I've been pleasantly surprised by this project before. Periodically, I pull it out of its bag and knit a few rows.

This time I found that I'd actually finished the back and front and done half a sleeve.  I also found some scraps of other yarn - I don't know what they're doing in there.

This is Scrumptuious DK that I bought waaaaaay back when, around the same time my husband was thinking of walking out on me*, so perhaps some of my reluctance to finish it is that association. Naah! I think the real problem is, I didn't get gauge so I blithely thought I'd make my own calculations.  It's hard enough putting down a project and picking it up again, but it's even worse if you have to remember what nonsense numbers you were using.  I did make some reasonable notes though, another nice surprise, which is why I managed to finish both fronts and make them match.  I don't remember which notebook I wrote them in though or where that notebook might be.

*I wonder if that also encouraged me to buy so much.  It's certainly entertaining to look back at all those purchases and see that I have knitted myself three pairs of socks from it.  THREE PAIRS, PEOPLE! Out of a possible 9 pairs, a cardigan, a jumper and a shawl! That is not entirely surprising. I think one hank of sock yarn went to my sister as a present, one is on the needles at present, the lace yarn was started, the cardigan started (see above) and the rest is admired fairly regularly.

Run #10

Pre run munch: cereal
Post run munch: smoothie
Time of run: 1.00 pm gogo ichi ji ごごいちじ
Steps: 2924
Time: 27mins
Category: short and warm
Feeling: fine

I wanted to have a training run around the same time as the race so I went out at 1pm today.  Ok, I had a really long lie in and didn't wake up until 11am so I had breakfast and did some knitting first AND put some washing on which I've been avoiding for ages but had run out of socks.  It was warm and humid and slightly cloudy so I didn't enjoy the weather.  I think the race will mostly be shaded but it could be very warm, which would make me think I won't get a personal best time except it's my first race. It doesn't matter how slowly I limp round, it will still be a PB.  And it will be slow.

Last night's classes

Yesterday was super busy Thursday. I got to my Japanese class in good time and found that the cafe would be open on Wednesday (suiyoubi) and Thursday (mokuyoubi) evenings from now on.  My classmate bought me a cupcake (cuppukeiki ?) to celebrate. We continued practising sentences involving going someplace at sometime by somemeans, and then learnt to catch the train (densha).  I have to say, the new sentence construction has stumped me slightly as I feel like I'm saying Tokyo will arrive at 3pm rather than the train will arrive in Tokyo at 3pm. It's going to take some actual practise.

What time is the next train for Nagoya?
つぎ　の　なごや　ゆき　は　なんじ　です　か
tsugi no nagoya yuki wa nan ji desu ka?

At what time does it arrive?
なんじ　に　つきます　か
nan ji ni tsukimasu ka?

Ok, so only two sentences and a couple of phrases to learn really.

After the lesson, I was chatting with another classmate and something they said to me really resonated.  At first I thought I didn't understand what they were feeling, but I realised when I got home it was exactly how I feel about certain parts of my life. 

Dance class was good fun - quite a party atmosphere and great track, Wretch 32 unorthodox. This dance seems to have a particular move that aggravates my shin (whine whine whine about your leg, that's all you do) so I'll try gentle run tomorrow. After work today (worked late again, will be rich soon)  I enjoyed an evening of tv and knitting.  Friday night tv has really picked up now I know Doctor Who is repeated.  It means I can watch at the weekend, read all the discussions on ravelry all week, then watch again and see if I see anything new.

FO: Honey Cardigan

My honey cardigan is now finished - woot woot.  I attached the last two buttons today and made my mum take photographs for me. I'm not convinced it's the most flattering shape for me but it's definitely wearable. I'll probably put it away until the autumn and enjoy finding it when the weather gets properly cold again.  It hasn't really been warm lately as there has been a cold vicious wind around spoiling things but even so, I don't think thick knitwear is called for. I really liked the top down, one piece nature of the pattern so I might look for something similar to knit in a thinner yarn. I've got some green merino somewhere that might like to be knitted soon.  I can't remember if it's DK or not so it still might not be wearable until the autumn but then it probably won't be finished much before then.  Or I suppose I could copy my friends in my knitting group and try a whisper cardigan, although I slightly allergic to laceweight.

Currently on repeat: Ed Sheeran, The A Team

Starting the stripes

I've decided I've gone far enough in the pink pattern so I'm switching to stripes.  I had a brainache moment when I bought the yarn and didn't buy enough in one colour to do the whole cardigan so I'm striping the bottom.  It strikes me that this is just one of the ways an idea in my head is modified before it becomes a finished garment.  I bought the yarn online and I'm still not convinced that colours are super good together.  Perhaps I will be sure when it is finished. 

Bank holiday weekend

I had planned a run this morning but then I thought, why rush around? It's a bank holiday, use it wisely. So I've been reading and playing de blob2 on the ds, and now I'm knitting and watching the mentalist and blogging. Perfect morning. It would be better if I didn't have a massive pile of dirty clothes on my bedroom floor that still haven't yielded my missing running bra.  Later I'm going to my sisters and might swim and watch the losers. I went for a traditional sunday afternoon rummage in blockbusters yesterday, with my younger sister, and we struck preowned dvd gold.  We could have bought about 20 dvds but between us we stuck to a more respectable 7 (with a plan to return later for more) all for £22.  After lovely dinner at my mum's, we went back to my house to watch the switch and catch up on yesterday's so you can't think but you can dance. Busy busy. I even sneaked in a trip to London yesterday morning to see my friend so I guess I should say

きの　わたし　は　ォンドン　に　いきました　
kino, watashi wa london ni ikimashita
でんしゃ　で　いきました　
densha de ikimashita (I went on the train)

I had to stand up the whole way in, so I couldn't knit or play ds and just had to watch someone else reading. I have been knitting on Flossie's cardigan and have separated the sleeves out now. I'm going to work on the body in pattern for a while longer and then switch to stripes. It shouldn't take much longer hooray hooray, so then I'll consider whether I want to write this up in more than one size.

Thanks for the interest in the phone cosy! I've updated the pattern page with some more information.  I hope you like it :)