Star Path top & A new color in my kitchen!

Star Path (65"x75")

Quilt top ready!  Again, I didn't follow the suggested pattern for the pieced border; rather I used up the bonus triangles from the star points.  And once that was finished.......the quilt was just a bit too small for my liking (many of these QOV mysteries are on the small size of the QOV requirements).  I looked around my quilting space, and I really didn't have ANYTHING that would work nicely as an outer border----but I had WHITE!  So, white it is.

I pushed to piece a backing for the quilt right away; hoping to keep this AWAY from the UFO pile :D  And then, sadly I need to pry myself out of my quilting room in order to get lunch on the table and make it to Cassie's Dr. appt on time. :}

Then......once home.......it was MORE BEANS!!!!!!!!!!!!

But -- guess what??!?!    

I'm DONE WITH BEANS!  No more!  Nu-uh!  I'm going to put an all-call out on Facebook to see if anyone in the area is interested in picking their share ---- otherwise, well....they'll just continue growing and growing and live out their life being happy, FULL beans :p

And now--------------------------------------

A NEW COLOR joins my kitchen! 

Deep breath.  No downtime for me!  And this is ONLLLLLLLLLLY the beginning.  

Not to mention all the corn on the stalks that is ready for blanching and freezing!  I simply must accept right NOW that I MUST spend my next couple of days in the garden and kitchen!

And now-----Cass and I are heading out for a run.  

Happy Tuesday!

Be sure to read my 1000th post.  I'm fairly certain the time spent reading it won't leave you disappointed ;)

{{Update}}

And, we're back!

While Cass was dressing for the run, I grabbed her new shoes and placed them next to mine.  Sure, sure...they're all shiny and new, but are also a full size-n-a-half larger than mine!  Size 9.  My goodness!

And the roles have reversed!  Daughter now pushes Mom instead of the other way around.  Shortly after my "Ready?" question at the end of the driveway, she was already taking off, pushing the pace and extending the distance between the two of us.  Turkey!

My run with Cassie

The date of my last run:  June 27

.... ALMOST a full month ago....

Ugh!  Not good :|

Having spent two days at the beach, seeing members of my running email list out-n-about.... I felt the urge to find some motivation again.

I asked Cassie if she was interested in signing up for Cross Country now that she is a 6th grader; she said 'yes.'

We talked about the importance of being in some running shape before season starts (mid-late August). So, for the past two evenings, she's asked if it was cool enough outside to go for a run.

Tonight...we finally hit the road.

When we started out, I gave her a few pointers..... remember to breathe .... keep feet light.... use your arms.... be tall.....

And after our first planned walk break, I gave her the okay to pull ahead if she wanted to....

psht!  

and by the time she hit the next planned walk-break location (foot of hill), she had increased the distance by quite a bit.

When I caught up to her, I asked her how she felt.

Seeing tears in her eyes when she looked at me.....she said.... "my toes hurt.  I think I have a blister between them."

So, after a little discipline, we started jogging again after reaching the top of the hill, but it was short-lived, and our 2 mile run was cut short to 1.67 miles.  Cassie's skiis feet have grown so much lately that she's outgrown her shoes.  Therefore, there may not be much running for Cassie until we get her some new shoes {{and those blisters heal}}.

The numbers:  1.67 miles (19:31; 11:43/mile)

Running week #2 schedule

I didn't complete all of my week #1 runs (did NOT get even close to the ten-mile "long run" this past weekend!!!)

This is the schedule for this week (#2).  Off to a good start;  didn't quite run 3 miles on Monday (only 2.1), cross-trained yesterday with my 18 mile bike ride.....

so today:  Speedwork.  I think I can handle much of it on the school's track after dropping the girls off at summer school shortly.

Happy Wednesday.

Summer vacation; week 2

Summer school began yesterday, bright-n-early! The girls are signed up for classes from 8 AM until 2 PM everyday. Cassie has a 1-hour Archery course, a 2-hour reading "Dog Days" class and a 2-hour Tennis instruction course. She LOVES her schedule! Caitlyn has 1 hour Reading Rocks, 1 hour Tumbling, 1 hour Art with Food, and then 2 hours of outdoor physical activities after lunch. Candace, only being fresh out of Kindergarten, has a 3-hour "Hopping into 1st grade" class with one of the Kindergarten teachers in the morning, doing activities that involve math, reading, arts-n-crafts, etc.... And then she has a two-hour Kindergarten Kapers course after lunch that includes some outside play time, some "rest" time, and some smaller activities.

 

WELL! WhatEVER they did yesterday absolutely tuckered Candace out!!!  She can't be THAT out of school mode already! When we arrived home after running a few errands, she walked straight to the couch, snuggled in....and was OUT! Literally in SECONDS!

Now that they have started their summer schedule, it helps me get motivated in the morning for some physical activity myself.  I ran 2 miles yesterday after wishing the girls lots of love, and then did a little bit of everything once back home.  I spent a couple of hours slicing into fabrics, preparing 10.5" and 20.5" squares to be pieced into backings for a few of my flimsies.  I picked a small bowl's worth of the first strawberries of the season.  Ummm......oh yeah;  dishes; laundry (the unexciting aspects of life).

Today's schedule sadly didn't look like yesterday's.  I had a day-long Summative Math Assessment workshop;  not a bad day by any means.   The group of ladies I worked with I've known through other math grants, so we accomplished a good amount of assessment writing together.

THEN...
on the ride home, I started thinking about what I wanted to do once back home.  Running didn't sound too appealing.  I really don't know what made me think of it, but I thought....."HM!  I bike ride into town and around the lake sounds good."

17.74 miles and a sore butt later.......I will remain positive!  Umm.........thinking...of....a ..... positive......thought.......... 

........"it was a GREAT wind-resistance training ride."

Tscha!  The WIND was not too much of a welcome force of nature tonight.  The entire way back home was with a full head-wind.  BUT...I did it.

AND, it added quite a few miles to my Virtual Vacation progress :D

Running 2012 - Week 1 training plan

I figured it was time to get a training plan printed out, so off to RunnersWorld.com.....

I entered 2:11 for my Half-marathon goal time (I figured I was still young enough to reach that bugger!);  I will have about 10 weeks before my first planned Half this summer (Paavo's, Aug 12).

I hit submit...and.....

Hm!  I think I can handle today's scheduled task!!! :)   It's a good thing too, cuz shortly I'm off to a morning RTI meeting at school, and then the family is heading out to watch Paul's nephew play Sectional tournament baseball.  The weather outlook looks like it'll cooperate too!

Happy Tuesday!

2012 Running (Virtual Trip)

Call me crazy (I kinda think I am with my newest goal/challenge/motivational idea!)

A big THANKS going out to Amy (Infinity Quilter) for the idea of running a Virtual Vacation Trip.

Months ago, she posted about running and tracking the mileage on a virtual map.....and she chose ME as her first visitor! She has long since made it to my house virtually, so, it's time to return the favor!!!  I don't have her exact address, but it's near the Sheboygan, WI area, so....for now, that's my plan.

320 miles. Psht! I can do that in one year, right?!?!?!?!!? 

Truth be known...... my ULTIMATE ULTIMATE vacation virtual spot is .....

FLORIDA!!!!!!!!! 

 It's only 1570 miles away!!!!!!  8-)

Um.....I think I'm going to include BIKE mileage to my Virtual maps too! 

SO, to catch myself up....

At this point in 2012, I have run 27.9 miles (I STARTED doing so well in March, but then began allowing too many excuses to keep me off the pavement).

Hmmmm..... if I realllly hope to make it alllll the way to Florida, I don't think running and biking alone will get me there in one year. SO.....I'm adding another "rule" to this Virtual Vacation....

Rule Addend #1:  For every 15 minutes of exercise (I won't count gardening), I earn another mile!
That's fair, right???
SO, today's ball-time with Cassie will earn me at least one mile (I didn't work all that hard)....

Plus she and I biked 4 miles today..... (I think I'm going to forget to log some miles/points from time to time)


So that brings me up to 32.9 miles

:\
Oh boy!  I think I need to kick it in gear if I hope to make it anywhere special :)

A good day with a run

Being a teacher of statistics...I love numbers. I love data. I love conjecturing hypotheses and testing them out. My newest hypothesis: Having "mental" break days scheduled in the school year leads to positive mentality and increased production."

Unfortunately, I've only come up with it today during my after-school run and haven't had any time to design an experiment to gather data. But, speaking from my own personal experience these past two days...........**non-stressed sigh**....... I REALLLLLLLLLY needed those two "spring break" days last Friday and this Monday. I've had two days of decent lessons; a little more patience with the students that need it, and productive prep periods to get done with MOST of my school work during the "working hours" of the day.

Additionally, I've been successfully scheduling AND accomplishing some running during my after-school hours. A coworker of mine, (I'll call her Jen :0) ) and myself have been keeping each other honest with scheduling in some runs every week. We both tend to use "I have so much to do" as an excuse to avoid running/exercise/strength-training----but that's ALLLLL in the past!

We both are good at being mad at ourselves for allowing our summerly training to go by the wayside once the winter months hit. :0) Therefore, much (not MOST) of our running time lately has been filled with LOTS of heavy breathing....LOTS of "why do we do this to ourselves?" and "why does it take SO LONG to get back into shape?" wails :0) BUT....we persevere because we know we will get back into shape sooner than later if we continue with a regimine.

Today was a good day running, which is good seeing that I took the entire last week off :\ We aren't quite back to non-walking 2 miler, but we're close; only 3 small walks today between some hills and quicker paced stretches.

AND, I'm just shy of being 5 miles away from running more than I did in 2010 altogether! (Oh......that was such a sad, sad running year for me)

Happy Sunshiny Wednesday!

Another BEAUTIFUL day!

And I RAN (again)! :0)

Oh, oh, oh......the discipline and constant 'mental-talk' I need to give myself.......

to remind myself that it takes TIME to get back into running shape....

and then the kick-in-the-keester that I do to myself,
....YELLING internally to myself "WHY DO YOU LET THE RUNNING SHAPE GO once winter hits? KNOWING how difficult it is to get back into good running shape!!!"

Only two (2) miles today, but they kicked my butt. If you look closely at the graph above (from my Garmin Forerunner), you'll see a moment early on in the run, and again at the end of the run when I surpass my Max (100%) heart rate. YIKKKERS!

But I survived. No heart attack. :0)

Oh Mother Nature----please allow Wisconsin to keep this weather; please don't merely tease us this week and then drop us back to the 20s and snow. Back in April, 2008, we had a snow day on April 1, again on April 11th, and then yet more snow on April 26th. :0( Can't winter be over for 2012???????? :0)

Joining the APP craze....

My Fitness APP
Fun little gadget I came across this weekend. For those of you who are number geeks and APP geeks and an organized geek...and a fitness geek...and a food-tracker geek (or geekess, I suppose).....this may be a fun APP to check out. FREE download this past weekend; not sure if it's still free. And hey! If you have the APP, or choose to download, let me know!!! There's a fun lil' feature where you can "add a Friend" and keep track of each others' successes. It'd be SWELL to keep tabs on each other. Besides, it keeps me honest :0)

I worked out tonight.....it's only been SEVENTEEN DAYS since my last workout! e-gah! Bad me, bad me, bad me. So, I TRIED to push myself a bit; besides I was in a pretty schnazzy mood after school today; smiling, happy, all-in-all, a great day today!

But....HA.....without having the consistency of working out, my running form was something to be desired. Twenty-six (26) minutes into my treadmill jog, with the monitor reading "Only 4 minutes left" to me....I started chanting....{{in my HEAD, because otherwise I'm sure I would have gotten a few strange looks, and a good amount of chuckling....}}

That which doesn't kill will only make me stronger.
And now, add the stress to the following parts and see if you can hear the cadence I had going on.....

(1)THAT - (2)WHICH- (3)DOESnt - (4)KILL will - (5)ONLY - (6)MAKE me - (7)STRONG-(8)ER
Each "beat" hit when my left foot struck the tread; must be all that HS Marching Band training I had growing up; the measure always starts with the left foot.

Anyway, with a good hearted sense of humor, I finished my 4 minutes with a pat on the back.

Then I figured....I hadn't had enough punishment yet, so.......SURE!!! Let's do some Tris/Bis and ABS!!!!!!! Again I say.....e-gah! My abs had a few choice words for me.....something along the line of "um, lady! Excuse me! You haven't been our friend for the past few years and you just NOW want to kick-it-in-gear as if you haven't sat on your duff for a few months!?!?!?"

Oh Abs....we have such a history! I thought it'd be like riding a bike; ya know.....you don't forget how to ride and you can get right back on....

Hmmm.....I think tomorrow they'll remind me JUST how long it's been since I've "ridden that bike."

In closing......I heard this quote today and I thought I'd pass it along...

Here’s an example of child abuse: Love without discipline.

It's fun to ponder things sometimes, huh?