Tag Archives: run

A Summer For The Books

Here we are, three days into September. It’s cooler out and dark at 6 AM; almost like someone flipped a switch to turn summer off. Fall officially starts on Thursday, September 22 at 7:21 AM PDT. But, in so many ways, I’ve mentally made the jump and I’ll look back at summer 2016 with fond memories.

We hung out with family and friends. We made short trips to Victoria, Penticton and Calgary and enjoyed three wonderful months on Denman Island. Old chores that have been put off for too long got tackled and I finished several projects that had been starting to weigh on my mind.

Our home on Denman Island is built on a piece of property that was once rented to a stained glass artist. For some reason, and I honestly can’t think what it would be, he disposed of piles of leftover glass bits in the yard. When it came time for us to build, we unearthed this glass and I gathered up a small box full. I’ve saved it for 8+ years, wanting to use if for something. I found the perfect table for my project at a garage sale in Victoria for $4. I painted the table, using Annie Sloan Chalk Paint. https://www.anniesloan.com Then, using mosaic glue, I stuck the glass bits to the table top. Blake took over with the grouting, making a nice flat surface. It’s been sealed and is good to be used indoors or outdoors. Here are before and after shots.

Two years ago our neighbours sold their home on Denman Island. The new owner inherited three metal fish and was going to send them to the trash. I asked if we could rescue them and she was thrilled. Again, using the Annie Sloan paint, I fixed them up and have attached them to a retaining wall. They don’t all fit into one picture, but here’s an idea.

Other victories include finishing a pair of socks, a scarf and a rag rug, (6 years later!). The postage stamp quilt that I’ve been working on since January has been quilted and I’ve just started to hand sew the binding.

Yesterday I competed in a sprint distance triathlon as part of the Americas Masters Games. A sprint triathlon comprises a 750 metre swim (ocean), a 20 km bike and a 5 km run. It’s been more than four years since I’ve raced and I was both nervous and excited. The night before, the weather was terrible with torrential rain and high wind. Swimming and running in bad weather don’t bother me at all, but cycling is another story. Thankfully, conditions during the race were ok and I was pretty happy with my finishing time. (I missed the podium by 10 seconds and have replayed that many times as it was firmly in my grasp. I’ll have to work on my killer instinct!!) I realized how much I enjoy triathlon and the challenge and variety of training for three sports. Such fun and a perfect way to cap off the summer.

Today I’m feeling a bit lost. We’ve settled back into city life, my projects are all done, the big Modern Quilt Showcase is over and I’ve completed the race that I’ve been training for all summer. It’s a good time to sit back and take stock of what I’d like to work on and achieve in the next few months.

I hope your summer memories are special and I wish you a pleasant Labour Day Weekend, wherever you are!

Until next time, thanks for reading.

Abbreviations

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Saturday is kind of a ‘wordy’ day for me as it’s the day that I tackle the cryptic crossword in the National Post. There are cryptic puzzles throughout the week, but I like the one constructed by Henry Rathvon and Emily Cox. Sometimes I can crack it in one sitting, usually I work at it throughout the week.

On the topic of words and language, I’ve been thinking about the abbreviations that have worked their way into my speech and writing. For example, in my sewing room right now I have two UFO’s, several WIP’s and I’m about to start some FMQ on one of the WIP’s! The UFO’s are UnFinished Objects. They differ from WIP’s (Works In Progress) in that they’re tucked away and haven’t seen action for several months. I really am working on the WIP’s. The FMQ,(Free Motion Quilting), will get me very close to finishing one of those projects. And, when I’m in need of supplies, I’ll check out my LQS, or Local Quilt Shop.

Abbreviations come into play in my sporty life too. Recently I signed up to race in the Ironman triathlon 70.3 race in Victoria in June. The distance is one-half of a full Ironman race, (140.6 miles), but instead of calling it a ‘half Ironman’, it is often referred to as a 70.3. Training has begun and that means it’s time to focus on my DPS, RPM and to throw in a weekly LSD run. DPS is Distance Per Stroke. Swimming is all about technique and greater DPS means fewer strokes, which equals less fatigue. RPM is for the bike and it is the number of Revolutions Per Minute the crank is turned. The LSD run has nothing to do with psychedelic drugs! Rather it’s a Long Slow Distance run, which is now 10 km, but will build to 20 km in the spring.

I love words and language. And right now I’m going to exchange today’s WIP for the cryptic crossword and a cold beer.

Bye for now.

A Grand Day

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Last night we had our final big meal of the holiday season – a beautiful standing rib roast with Yorkshire Puddings and all the trimmings. That meant today’s slate was free. I could do whatever I wanted, or I could choose to do nothing at all. The latter isn’t my style so I mixed it up a bit.

I went for a lovely run alongside the ocean, early enough that I saw only two cars. It was just 6km and maybe cancelled out 1/2 of a Yorkshire Pudding. I spent some time on the cryptic crossword and made good progress.

Then I hit my sewing room for an hour or two of stitching while our son hung a quilt rack on the wall. I’m working on a Postage Stamp Quilt, made entirely of 1 inch squares. The first 16 square inch block is now complete. It’s a perfect project to pick up whenever I feel like sewing, but don’t want to tackle something intricate or complicated.

Now it’s getting dark and it’s time to turn on the Christmas lights for the final time this season. Onwards to new adventures in 2016.