So I've had these pictures for a couple weeks and have been dying to show them! But I couldn't because this was a gift by a person who occasionally reads the blog (well, she may not now with TWO munchkins!) and I didn't want to give it away!
Introducing...the Aisley Quilt
the backside...
You might recognize some of the fabric from The Carol Apron...
because it was for her baby!
Congrats Carol and welcome to the world little Aisley! (isn't that an awesome name???)
If you're interested in either a baby quilt or a custom apron, you can check out The Ruffled Owl!
On another note I've set a sort-of-crazy-what-are-you-thinking-goal for myself. Last Monday I decided to try to run a half marathon in January.
That's 13.1 miles, people.
That's farther than it is from my house to my job.
And I haven't really been running.
Am I doomed?
Possibly.
Why would I do this to myself, you ask?
I have to say I was initially inspired by No. 17 Cherry Tree Lane's Rachel Reeves. She ran her first marathon - a Run for Mobility marathon in which the Free Wheelchair Mission partnered with the Surf City Marathon.
It had been rolling around in the back of my head and I was running a bit more than I used to (which was not at all), but I'm the kind of person who needs a goal. And if I did a 5K I know I would slack off and then have a miserable time on the day of the race but still manage to pull it off. A half-marathon, though, I can't slack off on. Then I saw something in fitness magazine about looking up their half-marathon training schedule online...and did it. And thought, heck, I can do that.
I don't have a goal for how fast I want to run it...if i can drag myself across the finish line within the four hour cutoff point I'll be glad.
I'm hoping I cross it looking like this:
Somehow I have a feeling I'll end up going across like this:
I've had my current running shoes for quite awhile, so I thought I would test out the "barefoot" trend and try a pair of Nike Free Run shoes. They're so much lighter and more flexible than my old shoes!
And then I did something I've never ever ever ever done in my life before.
I joined a gym.
(gulp)
Matt has belonged to a lot of gyms and been talking about joining again, so when we found a coupon I figured it was worth $30 a month for both of us to sign up. With it getting dark so much quicker up here, and this gearing up to be a really wet and cold season, I figure a gym is a good backup for running and cross training.
Last night I laced up my new Nikes and hopped on a treadmill.
First I had to get over that creepy gym feeling. Plugging my ears with headphones I ignored the idea that everyone was looking at my jiggling butt with the ever-widening crack-sweat. No one really wants to see that anyways.
I also noticed I kept weaving to the left, and my right side felt like it was working a whole lot harder! Hmmm...what gives? I guess two years of walking Roy on my left side has messed up my running alignment! Woops!
Around 2 miles I started noticing that burning in my calves. So I walked. The next time running I felt it creep up into my hamstrings. By the time I stepped off the treadmill and felt like there was fire licking up the back of my legs and into my glutes I realized I may have overdone it a tad.
Wearing those light shoes makes you run on your toes...which is great...unless your muscles are used to running on your heels. In that case, you're focusing all that energy on previously lightly used muscles...and giving them one heck of a workout.
When we went to the grocery store to get some eggs and I found myself hobbling around the aisles I knew I had overdone it. Woops.
Good thing today is a cross training day where I'll probably just hobble around with Roy. Maybe I'll try walking him on my right side today.
So yeah, there's my ridiculous goal that involves a 12 week training program and probably a lot of sore muscles.
Wish me luck.
I love the quilt! What a great gift!
ReplyDeleteAnd best of luck with the half marathon :-)
Glad to "meet" you!