TOT Training Week 16

Tower of Terror 10 Miler

Down to 10 more weeks until the runDisney Tower of Terror 10 miler. I know last week I said I was contemplating joining a gym so that I could use the treadmill indoors, but I'm thinking that won't happen. The rain is supposed to be letting up, so it will just be the heat that I have to contend with. Not fun, but it's not going to be that much cooler in September, so I might as well learn to deal with it...for now.

I did run on the treadmill last weekend when I was visiting my parents. I had forgotten how different it is. I still prefer to be outside. It's easier to push myself further. When you have no choice but to finish, you do.

After the one day on the treadmill, K1 and I decided to get up early and hit the road. I needed to get a long run in after the week off for our beach trip. Hubby decided to sleep in, but after our run later in the week, I think he regretted that decision. It's so much harder to get back into the running grove when you take time off.

Georgia gets warm early and can be quite muggy, but we got out as early as we could drag ourselves out of bed. Luckily, the roads were empty and the route we ran was completely flat (whew). The roads are also lined with trees, so it gave us plenty of shade. Oh, I forgot to mention that they live on a swamp. Really. The bugs were in full force and attacking at every step. K1 was miserable from the bugs and the lack of running outside or for any distance in quite awhile. She was quite surprised when we completed 4 miles.

I let K1 end her run at that point while I refilled my water bottle and grabbed a quick bite of banana to refuel. 2 more miles would keep me on track with my training and I wasn't going to let a little heat or exhaustion keep me from hitting it, so I headed back out. I don't mind running solo, but I prefer to run with someone. What I didn't count on what that someone being a pack of wild dogs. There hadn't been any cars out all morning, but one did pass me. When I saw the three shadows up ahead, I just assumed that car hit an animal and the turkey buzzards were having a feast. As I got closer I realized they were wild dogs. I stopped dead in my tracks. Maybe that isn't the best saying for the moment - ha! I wasn't sure what I should do. I was afraid if I turned around an ran that they would chase after me. There were some rocks on the side of the road, so I picked some up and yelled at the dogs to go. I was hoping to not need the rocks, but I wanted to be prepared. After shouting at them a few times, they finally jumped a fence and ran over a hill. Whew!

I don't know how I convinced myself to keep running, because I really just wanted to turn around and go home to safety. Somehow, I just did. Not only that, I got another DR (distance record)! 7.11 miles under my belt. Less than three miles to my goal. I'm more confident than ever that I'll be able to finish the TOT race and with a decent time (for me). Little victories, it's what keeps me going. Who knows? Maybe I'll even consider a half marathon some day. And yes, dad, I'll take the pepper spray next time I decide to go by myself.

Easy Baby Sweater and Hat

After searching and attempting to create the perfect - and quick/easy - baby sweater to give as a gift, I finally just combined a few to make the one I wanted. This particular one is more what I would envision for a girl (regardless of color) because of the lacy pattern created with the shells. My next step to find/create one for a boy. This one is simple enough to work up quickly. I only have a few hours of crochet time at night and I completed the set within 3 days. I imagine if you had half a day you could easily finish it in one setting, depending on your skill level. Sweater Materials: 3-4 ounces 3 ply baby yarn Hook - size F for newborn size G for 3 to 6 months size H (and 4 ply soft yarn) for 6 to 9 months 2-3 button for closure Pattern: (Shell = 2 dc, ch 1, 2 dc) Starting at neckline, loosely ch 38. Row 1: sc in 2nd ch from hook & in each ch to end. (37 stitches) Row 2: ch 2, turn (counts as 1st dc throughout) 1 dc in ...

Organize It - Shoe Rack Grips

Do we really need all these shoes? You can only wear one pair at a time. I guess it's a necessary evil. Shoes aren't my thing. I have more flip-flops and athletic shoes than anything else. I'm happy with that. My favorite shoes are actually my slippers. I could wear them all day and would wear them out if I thought I could get away with it. My hubby, on the other hand, can't have enough shoes. Our youngest K takes after him. We have a fairly large rack for our shoes in the closet to accommodate all those shoes. It's nothing fancy and fulfills my two requirements. It's functional and doesn't take up a lot of space. But there is one huge flaw. Our shoes don't stay put! It ok for shoes that have heels on them because they hang on the back bar. Shoes like this: But if they are flat, like tennis shoes or flip flops (like most my shoes) then they slip right off and I trip over them trying ...

Crocheted Adventure Time Fiona Hat

Well, my cosplaying kid asked for another crocheted creation, but I don't watch Adventure Time. I wasn't sure what I was getting myself into, but this was easy enough and I get to share a free pattern with you. It straps around the chin with a crocheted button and I had the yarn stashed away. I love projects that use up leftover yarn, don't you? I started out with Lilana Wofsey Dohnert's Finn hat pattern on Ravelry. She's brilliant. Then I made adjustments to make it Fiona and fit a bit more snugly. Materials : Crochet Hook (Size US G-6 (4.0mm)) Yarn Worsted Weight Size 4 Medium ('Soft' recommended) Yarn Sewing Needle Fiberfil Batting Abbreviations : st: stitch ch: chain sl st: slip stitch sc: single crochet hdc: half-double crochet dc: double crochet tr: triple crochet inc: increase (crochet 2 st in single st; preceeded by type of st to use, i.e. 'sc inc') dec: decrease (make 2 st become 1; preceeded by type of st to use, i.e. 's...

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