Comments (30)

By kilax, October 12, 2015 8:06 am

After my first knitting in the round project turned out to be a disaster, I was eager to make a different tubular project, with hopes it would actually turn out. So I bought the needles to make this hat, since my snister had gifted me a skein of Yarn Bee Whimsy Bulky.

And… success!

It turned in to something one could actually wear!

Phew. Ha ha.

Knitting this hat was simple, and I enjoyed it! The only tricky part was the last few rows, when I was still using a circular needle to knit, but only had a few stitches left, and it was hard to move them around. But I figured it out!

I did adjust the pattern, because it noted to cast on four additional stitches after you finished the ribbing, which I was able to cast on, but then it seemed like they were going to leave a gap in the hat. It looked goofy, and I didn’t want the hat to bulge out after the ribbing anyway. So because I didn’t cast on the four additional stitches, when I started my decreases, it was at every eight stitches instead of every six (per the pattern), which just means the hat is taller. Which is fine, because I am giving it to my snister, and our family has large heads. Ha!

Surprising to me, but obvious, knitting has taught me a lot about (knitted) clothing design. For example, Steven prefers knitted sweaters that don’t have ribbing on the bottom, because he doesn’t care for that look. However, the ribbing pattern is what gives the bottom band of the sweater structure, and makes it lay close on the wearer (which is why he doesn’t like the look). If the bottom of this hat didn’t have ribbing, it would be loose and not stay on my head, unless I knit the hat too small on purpose (and then it would probably pop up, anyway). I’ve also seen different methods for casting off, to make things tighter or looser, depending on how structured you want them to be. Neat-o!

Now I am eager to start another hat! I have a few other fun patterns saved!

Comments (14)

By kilax, October 11, 2015 1:26 pm

Highlight of the Week: Feeling strong on my runs and while teaching class!

Monday | October 5, 2015: 5.3 m run + teaching strength class
Loc: hood, Temp: 57°/58°, Time: 48:54, Pace: 9:13 avg, Difficulty: easy, Felt: great
Strength: plates and BOSUs, Difficulty: easy, Felt: good
Tuesday | October 6, 2015: 10 m run
Loc: Millennium Trail, Temp: 63°/59°, Time: 1:35:35, Pace: 9:33 avg, Difficulty: easy, Felt: fantastic – needed to decompress after work
Wednesday | October 7, 2015: rest
Thursday | October 8, 2015: 5 m run (incl. 2/4/6/8 ladder) + 10 mins kettlebells
Loc: hood, Temp: 74°/75°, Time: 45:21, Pace: 9:04 avg, Difficulty: hard, Felt: hot, challenged by the wind, SPENT
Friday | October 9, 2015: teaching strength class + 11 m run
Strength: plates and BOSUs, Difficulty: medium, Felt: great
Loc: Millennium Trail to Nippersink FP, Temp: 53°/56°, Time: 1:49:12, Pace: 9:55, Difficulty: easy, Felt: good
Saturday | October 10, 2015: 15 m run
Loc: around town, Temp: 42°/56°, Time: 2:35:37, Pace: 10:22 avg, Difficulty: medium, Felt: decent, sick to my stomach last 6
Sunday | October 11, 2015: 4 m run + 20 min ride
Loc: Millennium Trail, Temp: 59°/63°, Time: 37:56, Pace: 9:28 avg, Difficulty: easy, Felt: good
Loc: Millennium Trail, Temp: 63°/63°, Time: 20:00, Pace: 12.4 mph avg, Difficulty: easy, Felt: good, wish it wasn’t so windy

Notes:

• It’s so fun to run this time of year and see people’s Halloween decorations in my neighborhood! Some people really go all out.
• My stomach didn’t care too much for the honey stinger waffle I ate at mile 9 of my long run on Saturday. I hope it’s just because it got hard (from the cold), not because my stomach doesn’t like those anymore (those waffles have become part of my successful long run strategy and it would be annoying to have to replace them). Speaking of the “cold,” I ran by a man walking his dog, and after we greeted each other, he goes “it’s so chilly!” I told him the sun was keeping me warm (I was wearing shorts and a tank and not cold AT ALL).
• When I run or bike out by my house I say hello to everyone I encounter. Or at least smile and wave. It’s so funny to go from doing that, to being in the city for runs and just pretending you don’t see the other person. I still smile, but usually don’t get a smile in return (not that I run in the city that much – just thinking about it).
• Which kind of course do you think makes a long run feel “easier” – an out-and-back, or a loop (or my favorite, point-to-point, with a ride at the end)? I saw a link to this Women’s Running article about making your long run feel easier, and was surprised they said recommended an out-and-back. Their reasoning was that you just mentally tell yourself to run half the mileage, then turn around, and tell yourself to do that again. I prefer a loop, because I like to feel like I am running someplace “different” – the hardest part of my loops is the 2 miles I almost always have to run to get in and out of my neighborhood. Otherwise, I like that I am not running back by something I already ran by, that day. (Not to say I never do out-and-backs – I sure do! I just like loops).

Link to Training Week 311

Comments (6)

By kilax, October 9, 2015 4:09 am

When Gina and family were visiting, Steven and I took Luca to the park. Luca saw some kids there wearing Cubs jerseys and said to me, “I’m not really a Cubs fan. I’m a Yankees fan.” It was so cute! He was so earnest and matter-of-fact when he said it!

So when I was looking through old photos a few days later, I saw the one below and sent it to Gina. She showed it to Luca, and he said he wondered why he was wearing that! (I think we got it for him, to be funny?)

Don’t worry, Luca. We know you’re a Yankees fan!

I didn’t grow up in a family that follows professional or college sports. So I don’t have a love for any sports team ingrained in me. When people ask me if I like the Cubs or the White Sox, I just tell them I think a baseball game is fun no matter who is playing (and if I can get a vegan hot dog).

However, answers like that don’t always fly. Recently, I was questioned by a little girl (maybe 8 years old?) while in line at Starbucks about my favorite football team.

It was the day of the Bears vs Packers game. I was waiting a long enough time in the Starbucks line that I chatted up the girl’s mom saying “I am surprised the store is this busy! Why aren’t people home watching the game?!” We were both laughing, and the daughter asked me “Are you a Bears or Packers fan?”

I joked around and told her I am a Chiefs fan (not true, I don’t know a thing about football, but Steven is from KC, so why not), and she wasn’t buying it. “But if you had to choose, would you choose Bears or Packers?!”

It completely cracked me up that this little girl wanted to know my answer (I answered her favorite team, phew, ha ha) and I thought it was cool she was in to football! It’s fun to see what kids pick up from their parents. I wonder what I got from mine…

And I have to note, even though I don’t really follow sports, a goal of mine for next baseball season is to learn all the Royals players/stats/other random info so I can completely blow my brother-in-law’s mind when I know it. Ha. (Yeah, it’s totally going to backfire, I know.)

Comments (15)

By kilax, October 8, 2015 6:19 am

Steven and I have been upgrading some furniture items in our home – new chairs, a new entertainment center, an actual headboard for our bed, new lamps, a few other things…

We were both commenting on how it makes our house feel much more “adult.” And how much we like it. AND WHY DID IT TAKE US SO LONG TO MAKE THESE CHANGES?!?!

Ha, it’s not like we had a house full of dorm furniture. It was just missing some finishing touches here and there.

Steven hypothesized that we were being lazy. I hypothesized that we had other priorities – other things we’d rather spend our money on.

But we both did agree, that when we move, we’ll make the effort for the house to feel this way from the get go!

Comments (20)

By kilax, October 7, 2015 6:13 am

I’m stoked to see the new Star Wars film. I plan to see it on opening night (hopefully, midnight or earlier the day before!) and already know what I am going to wear to teach strength class the day it comes out.

But you know what doesn’t have me as excited? All the darn merchandising for the new and old films that seems to have exploded, everywhere.

I don’t want to know much about the new film – I want the characters and plot to be a surprise when I see it. And that’s not exactly easy with Star Wars branded on EVERYTHING. Even if I stay out of the toy aisle, I see Star Wars food, clothes, stationary, home goods, and so on.

And it’s not just that I don’t want spoilers. The amount of merchandise seems excessive to me. A bit sickening, actually. It feels like it’s EVERYWHERE. I want to be excited about the film because it’s good – not because of all the “collectibles” that go along with it. No one needs all that stuff, but the advertising sure makes you think you do! I found myself in the women’s clothing aisle at Target on Saturday holding up a retro style A New Hope shirt wondering what size I should get… before I came to my senses and remembered I have many Star Wars shirts already! I don’t need that one, just because it’s new and cute.

This makes me wonder what it was like when the original Star Wars was released in 1977. I’ve seen the (yes, cool) toys from then. Were they branding food, clothes and home goods as well then, too? Was it as nuts? Maybe!

I say all this, and yet, I succumb to it. The reason I’m such a huge fan is because of the 1997 re-release*, and yes, partially because of how commercialized it was. And I’ve even purchased a shirt and Lego set from the new movie for my nephew for his birthday – I love that he loves Star Wars. (So, yeah, hypocrite.)

And that’s a huge part of how it’s being advertised – as a love for a story that you should pass down your family line. I’m all for that, I really am – I just don’t think it needs to be so forced (buah ha ha). It should be natural (after seeing the film), or at least, not completely driven by commericalism and seller influence. But, how else would kids learn about things, unless family or friends told them? And maybe those family and friends are stoked to see all this stuff in the stores, because it helps get their kids excited about the film? As an adult, all I needed was the movie trailer, to get me pumped to see it, but I’ve mostly outgrown a desire for toys and collecting “things” (mostly). Everyone’s different.

I’m cool with more people loving Star Wars. I just hope it’s for the story (first?) and the gadgets (later). I understand the merchandise makes a lot of money and I don’t think there should be none. And I’m sure that after seeing the film, there will be something I just have to have… but it won’t be available because everyone bought it in September. Ha!

I guess (after reading through this draft a zillion times) what I don’t like about all this now, is that it makes the studio seem so GREEDY. Too much focus on stuff and not story. There ya go. I should have just put that sentence at the top!

This post is all Star Wars, because that’s what’s on my radar, but there must be other films/shows/bands/etc. that are way over-advertised/merchandised?! Or maybe I’m the only old lady yelling at kids to get off my lawn, ha!

*Obviously, Han shot first

Comments (15)

By kilax, October 6, 2015 6:24 am

It’s been almost a year since I got my first tattoo!

Ha, “first” implies I have more than one now*. I don’t, but I have a lot in mind!

I’d like to get a compass rose tattoo – on my foot or side. This would symbolize my love of maps and travel <— I know, so original.

This is way too big, and only the start of what I’d like. But a similar style.

I really like text tattoos. I love asking people the meaning behind theirs! (And love when people comment on mine!) I’ve thought about getting my original family name “Alexciou” (see Oct. 24 post here). Not sure where I would get it, though!

And eventually, I think I will get a cat related tattoo (I really like 3, 15, and 22, here)!

I’ve seen some cool vegetarian/vegan lifestyle related tattoos, but that’s something I don’t think I will ever want. It is the diet I follow, but I don’t like using the label and the connotation that comes with it.

Anyway. I will spend a lot of time thinking about it, like I did with my first, before I get another!

*Ha, I was talking about getting another tattoo around my mom and she informed me I only get one. Ha ha, oh, Mom.

Comments (22)

By kilax, October 5, 2015 6:27 am

I was all excited to get started on making this cowl for a friend last week… then I sat down to work on it and realized I read the pattern wrong and didn’t have the right circular needles.

Mica deciphered the confusing directions for me!

So I ordered the right size needles, and while I waited for them to come, I looked through the yarn stash my snis sent me to find something to work on in the mean time. Only, every project I found, that I had the right amount of yarn for, required needles I don’t have. Sigh. The good news is, I read a lot about when to use circular needles (and what size) versus double pointed needles, and have a decent understanding of it. The bad news is, I “need” a lot of needles I don’t have (time to start making my holiday wish list!).

I saved all the patterns I found for a future date, and waited for the circular needles for the cowl to come.

And I started it when they did. And got the hang of working in the round, despite not really finding it enjoyable (although that could change). The cowl went pretty quickly.

But as I was working on it, I realized I really did NOT like the pattern. At all. I liked how it looked on the model in the photo, but not on me.

I can’t give this ugly cowl to anyone but Goodwill. It makes me look like a clown! Ugh.

At least I learned how to knit in the round on this, though!

Maybe in the future I’ll learn how to read patterns better, and know by looking at them, I won’t like how it turns out.

Comments (2)

By kilax, October 4, 2015 9:35 pm

Highlight of the Week: Running on a new-to-us trail with Rachel in Wisconsin!

Monday | September 28, 2015: teaching strength class
Strength: box, kettlebells & boxing, Difficulty: medium, Felt: ok, tweaked IT band on a reverse lunge
Tuesday | September 29, 2015: rest
Wednesday | September 30, 2015: 3 m run
Loc: Millennium Trail, Temp: 55°/55°, Time: 26:50, Pace: 8:56 avg, Difficulty: easy, Felt: good – just what I needed!
Thursday | October 1, 2015: 7 m run (incl. 4×800)
Loc: hood/Millennium Trail, Temp: 57°/55°, Time: 1:05:42, Pace: 9:23 avg, Difficulty: medium, Felt: challenged by the wind
Friday | October 2, 2015: teaching strength class + 4 m run
Strength: box, kettlebells & boxing, Difficulty: medium, Felt: good
Loc: Millennium Trail, Temp: 52°/52°, Time: 41:37, Pace: 10:24, Difficulty: easy, Felt: super irritated with running belt and music player
Saturday | October 3, 2015: 12 m run + 10 mins kettlebells + 4 m run
Loc: Millennium Trail to Nippersink FP, Temp: 50°/51°, Time: 2:05:22, Pace: 10:27 avg, Difficulty: easy, Felt: good
Loc: Millennium Trail, Temp: 51°/52°, Time: 37:36, Pace: 9:23 avg, Difficulty: easy, Felt: good
Sunday | October 4, 2015: 10 m ride + 11.4 m run (w/Rachel)
Loc: Millennium Trail, Temp: 51°/51°, Time: 51:15, Pace: 11.7 mph avg, Difficulty: easy, Felt: good
Loc: White River State Trail, Temp: 49°/50°, Time: 1:57:39, Pace: 10:19 avg, Difficulty: easy, Felt: good, but a bit tired

Notes:

• Gah, my Monday night strength class completely wrecked my legs for several days after! It’s odd – we’d been doing that mode of workout for two weeks, so I didn’t expect to have that reaction (my legs should be used to it!). A potential new instructor was taking my class – maybe I was going harder than I normally do because they were there?!
• I’ve been picking the wrong days for my speedwork, the last few weeks. My 9/11 session had 8 mph winds with 17 mph gusts, my 9/17 session was 16 mph winds with 23 mph gusts, and my 10/1 session was 16 mph winds with 26 mph gusts. I guess that prepared me for the last 5K I did having 9 mph winds (I really didn’t even feel them!).
• Speaking of wind, man, it was just nutso windy here most of the week. I think this (pdf here) has something to do with it! I didn’t mind the cold that came along with the wind, but it was frustrating to have it pushing me around.
• Rachel and I found a new meet-in-the-middle spot for running – the White River State Trail in Wisconsin! It’s a 19-mile trail on a former rail corridor. We ran 11 miles of it today, and we look forward to running the whole thing together, sometime! It was so nice to see Rachel and catch up on the run!
• It’s nuts that it’s already October, and time for another monthly recap! I ran 178.1 miles and cycled 54.7 in September. I taught 8 strength classes and swam 1 time. Hmm, unless I get a gym membership, that was probably my last swim of the year! I also did three strength workouts at home. I’d love to keep that up, but I’ve said that before… ha.

Link to Training Week 310

Comments (11)

By kilax, October 2, 2015 6:45 am

Most of my favorite memories of high school are of times spent with my younger brother, and don’t necessarily have anything to do with school-sanctioned activities – we just happened to be together, because of school!

I don’t have a good picture of us in high school (Fall 2000-Spring 2002) so here’s a picture of us in 1990! BARBIE TRUCK! 

I was reminded of this this morning when I was talking to a friend about her son’s request to be excused from today’s pep rally. Ha! My brother(s) and I skipped ALL the pep rallies. This started with my older brother (he and I were in school for my first two years of high school, then my younger brother and I were together for my last two years).

When I started high school, and my older brother was a junior, we’d ride together to school. For a bit, anyway. I didn’t understand, for the life of me, why he didn’t want to get there early, to hang out with his friends! We’d get there with a minute or two to spare. Eventually, the upper classmen friends I made would pick me up and drive me to school so we could hang out before. Awww.

However, I figured it out by the time I was a junior and my younger brother was riding with me to school. We had departure and arrival time down to a science, getting there with just enough time to grab our stuff before class started. Why get there early when it’s such a drag to be there all day, anyway? What was I thinking, my freshman and sophomore years?!

So a lot of my fun memories with my younger brother are us riding to school, or home, together. Like the time I decided to let him drive home. Even though he’d never driven a car before. Yeah… that lasted a few blocks.

Or how we’d stop, almost every warm day, after school, for ice cream! And not just any ice cream – Flavor Stop ice cream – where the vanilla cone has swirls of flavor injected in it (like this!). SO GOOD.

Or the days we’d go home and have to change in to our McDonald’s uniforms go work our shifts, together. It’s weird being your brother’s manager. Ha.

Writing this makes me sad I didn’t get to share any high school time with my snister (she’s five years younger). But we do have a kind of horrible story of me picking her up from middle school, on my first day of junior year. I had such a craptastic day, I got a migraine, and had to pull over to throw up, out the car door, when the car was stopped. Of course, a friend of my mom’s saw us.

Fun times, fun times.

Did any of you ride with a sibling to and from school?

Comments (33)

By kilax, October 1, 2015 6:18 am

• Has anyone tried RaceDots? They’re a magnetic alternative to using safety pins to keep your race bib secured on your shirt. I saw them mentioned in the October Competitor magazine and thought they looked cool. It says to keep them away from electronic devices though, so that wouldn’t work if you carry your phone at your waist.
• Also seen in the October issue of Competitor – an interview with Steve Jones (former world marathon record holder) saying: “Mass participation has hurt the sport and racing, in my mind. I don’t believe starting and finishing a marathon makes you a marathoner,” and the running industry is huge and magazines cater to “people who are running 4 hours for a marathon or 25 minutes for a 5K. And that’s not running in my mind.” Ouch, Steve! Tell us how you really feel! I wonder how many modern day elites feel that the masses are ruining the sport, with our slow marathon finish times. We’ve all seen stats that overall marathon finish times have gotten slower, as more people do the sport. But I always say (and it seems like I am saying this a lot, lately) – isn’t it better people are moving, at all? As long as it’s safe for them? If a marathon caters to that finish time and people want to train to do it at that pace, why not let them? What does it matter to you?
• Since I am already ranting… I don’t understand why people pronounce Data’s name wrong, after they’ve heard me say it. He is named after Data in Star Trek: The Next Generation, which is pronounced Day-tuh, not Dat-uh. I know people say it both ways, when they are talking about information, but this is a proper name! Don’t you want people to say your name right? Ha ha ha, I know, he’s a cat. I’ll stop before I get too crazy cat lady on ya.

He obviously cares, a lot.

• It’s October 1st! I have 31 days to figure out Halloween costumes! I am sure I’ll be scrambling the last week of October, per usual.
• Also, it’s October 1st and a government shutdown was averted! Hurrah! I’m still shocked I couldn’t work for 16 days in October 2013 when we had a shutdown. I really didn’t think it would happen. And that’s all I will say, here! Ha ha.

Link to Random Thoughts Thursday 76