Satisfying sewing - Roman blinds and a Pneuma Tank

It's been a good week for training. A brutal session on the turbo saw me too tired to even wave when the lovely fiance walked in mid-way through. A long and plodding long slow run where I was more bothered about going gently and trying to start to build some happy memories along the doomed Richmond route, and a good run/swim session today.

Fresh Beginnings

Despite the horrible cold weather there are occasional days when it feels like Spring might just be around the corner. After our failed trip to Kew Gardens earlier in the month, the lovely man and I went again, this time on a day when the sun actually shone and the orchids weren't completely rammed with people. It was still absolutely freezing and the orchids were still very busy, but wandered around the quieter, further reaches of the gardens and had a lovely morning.

The Long week

I'm trying to be a bit structured with my training this year. I've notoriously always just winged things a bit, very much listening to my body. But now with my snazzy planner in hand I'm able to, well, plan things more. So I'm working on the traditional 4 week cycle - three weeks building in distance, one rest week. And I've just hit the rest week. This week consisted of a hard NTC workout, an insane 90 mins on the turbo trainer, a long (horrible) run on Sunday, and a 2km swim (made up of drills). I'm really feeling it today. Things ache and hurt, and I've woken up with a crick in my neck. Time for a rest before starting all over again.

The (horrible) run was to Kew Gardens. There's something of a curse when it comes to me running along the river to Richmond. A route that is doomed to end in pain and frustration (like the Richmond half marathon last year that saw me have a massive tantrum and then throw up everywhere at the end). I wore the wrong shoes - should've been trail but they give me blisters anything over 10km. I was running with a big rucksack containing my nice camera and change of clothes for the gardens, which weighed me down and made my shoulders ache. And I was still tired from the epic turbo session. I got killer stitches, blisters and couldn't have been more pleased that the route was 3km shorter than anticipated. But I stuck it out and got there in the end.

We sat and had breakfast at the hugely inefficient and always quite disappointing Orangery cafe, before heading to see the orchids. We walked in, took one look around at the massive crowds, and went home. I managed to snap this little guy posing in the entrance before we left.

Being members means we were able to write off a bad morning, and come back another day.

We spent the rest of the day sat on the sofa(bed) watching the rugby.

In other news, I've finished one half of my new pair of mittens. This got frogged once after I realised the large was going to be way too large, but I'm pleased with how it's turned out. I looooove the little thumb top!

Further sewing plans afoot, and I promise I will write a Linden review, as soon as the light improves enough for me to take some decent pictures!

Cloudy Day legwarmers, and proper training

In the past two weeks since I wrote last, a few things have happened. They break down quite nicely into categories. And since this is the 'knit and run' blog, I'll start with some knitting and running...

I finished my 'Some Cloudy Days' legwarmers. These absolutely flew off the needles, a very satisfying and quick knit. I've yet to wear them out properly but from the few times I've tried them on indoors they're very cosy indeed.

I had originally planned a shawlette/scarf with the remainder of the alpaca stash, but on the one time I've had to pull on my mittens I discovered the dreaded moths had got to them. Only one hole, but a terminal one. So the rest has been earmarked for some podster gloves (already well under way).








On the running front, I've actually been doing some!! I haven't run properly in months and months, and the last run of any distance was probably the ill-fated Richmond Half from Kew Gardens (lesson learnt - don't run a half marathon you haven't trained for after two days of weddings). My little trot down to the gym ( a downhill 3km) had been alarmingly hard work the first time I'd tried it. Fortunately my legs quickly seem to have remembered what running should feel like, and the next week the downhill jog felt a lot more comfortable.

So with the lovely fiance getting into the business end of his marathon training, we both used Sunday morning for our long runs, before crawling back into bed for an afternoon of lazy film watching. I did a tried and tested route - out to Bushy park and back along the river, a nice 12km. For the first time I tried running to heart rate. Not so much a zone, but just keeping a constant number where I felt comfortable. This kept my attention away from worrying about pace too much. A focused 175bpm and I felt surprisingly good. Yes my legs started to ache, and my trail shoes gave me blisters, and my waistband started to chafe but it was so good to feel like I was back doing some positive training.
I felt part of the Sunday Long Run club that I've been away from for so long. And I loved it.
Also turned out to be a not at all shabby 6:05/km pace.

Triathlon. I'm very much trying to keep an equal focus on all disciplines this year. And in time for my birthday my latest weapon in my training arsenal arrived - a turbo trainer. Bargain from sport pursuit, it's got 5 different magnetic resistance settings. I downloaded some encouragement from Chrissie Wellington and had my first home spin session last week - brilliant. Sweated buckets, destroyed my rear tyre, loved it.
Swimming-wise I've upgraded my swimplan account and have started to get back into regular 'workouts'. I'm still committed to putting a tumble turn at the end of each joined up length. Unfortunately my watch really doesn't have much luck at counting lengths (I hate to think how it would do with strokes or SWOLF stuff) and regularly comes out at least 400m short. But still, it all goes on strava.

I've also done some sewing, but I'm so proud of it I'll save it for another post. Clue - it involves my first encounter with knit fabrics....

Everything starts somewhere...

As the late great Terry Pratchett wrote, "Everything starts somewhere...". This very much feels like the start of something. I have a need to mark out the start of 2016 as a proper Beginning.

New Years always bring a feeling of renewal, of starting afresh, of new beginnings and better resolutions. But this year is a little bit different. I (and indeed the lovely fiance too!) started a new job on the first Monday of the year. Mine is very different to where I was. From a clinic in central London where appointments with patients would last hours and courses covered weeks, to rooms in offices in Surrey and Slough where appointments are 30 mins including paperwork time. I'm also working by myself. And for rather long days, up to 12hrs at a time.

This is all rather a big step forwards. The long days mean I spend 3 and a half days at work (unfortunately including Saturdays, so parkrun is lost to me). Giving me plenty of balance with my 'life' days - Mondays and Fridays no less! The lack of time and energy over the latter part of last year to do anything creative/fitness related is related in the neglect of this blog. I'm very hopeful that now that I have so much more 'life' time, I'll be able to do a lot more of the things I love.

I'm planning a lot of knitting, sewing, crafting, wedding prep, running, swimming, cycling, workouts. I've already started!
I have big goals for the year. There is another marathon to run. Triathlons I want to enter. Things I want to make.

But I'll save the goals for another post. Today I just wanted to place my finger, and say 'here is where the journey began'. I hope you'll come along for the ride

Celebrating 3 years

It's (again) been a little while, and much has been happening. Two major themes today; sewing and running.

But since this is the knit and run blog I should probably fill in an update about what's on the needles. I've got a Lichen and Moss scarf that's gone into hibernation now that I'm confident I won't need it any time soon (well, as confident as I can be with British summer weather). There's a Liala that gave me a bit of a mental block before I worked out there was an error in the instructions - and being crochet and therefore not my most experienced yarny craft it took me a while to accept that I was indeed right and the pattern wrong. But this has also given way to the latest project; an Echo Flowers Shawl in a beautiful maroon colour (technically 'Loganberry') for a friend's wedding present.

As for sewing, my little brain is full of plans. Myself and the fiancé were out touristing this week (hooray annual leave!) and dropped into Foyles…where I bought a lovely little book called The Secrets of Sewing Lingerie. Instantly wanted to make it all. Started fairly simple and wanting something to celebrate our 3 year anniversary I made the 'Boudoir Blushes' camisole and french knickers. And I'm pretty darn pleased with how they turned out.

It's all about the bike

Since I last wrote, my weekends have been dominated by the bike. My sister had signed herself, her boyfriend and me up for a 45 mile charity ride in Kent the first weekend of May. The lovely fiancee was invited too, but there was the small problem that he didn't own a bike. Or at least not for long…

On the road again...

...I can't wait to be on the road again…

I used to cycle quite a lot. In London it was my transport of choice - more reliable than the tube, often faster than buses, and free! I used to cycle to uni, and to various hospitals for placements. I enjoyed it. Battled through the winter weather, gloried in the brief summer sunshine. But it was only ever to get from A to B. Which meant a couple of things
1) I would always have a rucksack full of the stuff I'd need when I got to B. Namely a change of clothes, and some food.
2) I would be trying to get there as quickly as possible. Cycling in London amongst the commuting pack turns the journey into a quietly deeply competitive race. Surely with everyone going about their own private cycles and concentrating on not getting hit by cars/buses/lorries/crazy van drivers/seemingly blind pedestrians you can't really race? Think again. There's a whole system of points out there, and trust me, it rings true.

Spring is here...

I know Spring is here. There's a couple of tell-tale signs…

1). The sun. It's back, and glorious.

2). The spring flowers are coming, and they're also glorious.

3). I get inexplicably faster at parkrun.

Good news everyone!

Hello poor neglected blog!
I've been gone for a while and many, many things have happened…but I'm hoping to be back here more regularly now. Because in terms of knitting and running and sewing and crafting I'm going to have a LOT to write about.

One week ago, on Valentine's day, the lovely boyfriend asked The Question.

2014; a vintage year

Ah, in the blink of an eye 2014 was gone and 2015 is charging eagerly ahead. I'm always one to get sucked into buying a nice new note book and writing very neatly some utterly unattainable resolutions. But 2014 has been an absolute vintage year, and I'm actually keener to look back on it in awe than to wipe the slate clean and start again. Here's why…

The Venice Marathon

A couple of weeks ago my lovely boyfriend and I travelled to a city I've always wanted to visit, to do something rather amazing. We went to Venice, and ran the 29th Venice marathon.

Halloween and a finished scarf

It's been a surprisingly busy few weeks since finishing uni. There's been a LOT of running (*ahem, marathon*), lots of sewing and recently, a lot of knitting.

It was Halloween a few days ago - not that anyone told the weather that it was the end of October. 24 degrees no less! The boyfriend and I had made the mistake of going to the Tower of London to see the poppies, unfortunately several thousand other people had had the same idea. We gave up as soon as we saw the queues and just came home. To add to the disappointment our supermarket had sold out of pumpkins. My first pumpkin-less halloween.

So I made some paper ones, using this tutorial. I've never seen leaves on pumpkins, so just went with the wire twist. They looked surprisingly cute.

Richmond Running Festival Kew 10k

Ok, I've been away from the blog for a loooooong time. Plenty of things have happened, both crafty and running-wise (not so much progress on the knitting!). I really have loads to show off. But the thing that's finally spurred me back online was the race I ran on Sunday with my boyfriend.

It was the Kew Gardens 10k, part of the Richmond Running Festival which also includes a half marathon, and a post-race music festival. It's only in its second year this year, but sold out. We had originally wanted to do the half, but places were already gone by the time we heard about it.

Why I keep running

I've had a bit of a struggle with running recently. It felt like I was getting up early for too many mornings, to do a chore that I wasn't enjoying - and ending up with times that I was disappointed with.
So I took a week off from my entire training plan. I used it as a chance to make some changes with my diet. And now that I'm returning to my training, I've reassessed why I run - in the hope that I'll avoid any future similar grinding halts.

Summer throwback makes

It's actually been resembling summer here in London, most days anyway. I've not been able to sew as much as I want (I have SO many ideas!) due to uni work, but have still managed a bit.

What I have made has ended up being vaguely childhood throwback themed. First up, a friendship bracelet. I used to make these when I was little, and even set up a little card board 'stall' and tried to sell them to the uninterested members of my family. With a pattern refresher from here, I made up this little summer themed beauty;

Colette Madeleine Mini Bloomers

One of my recent sewing projects has been the Madeleine mini bloomers from Colette Patterns. I like to kick my legs around a lot when I sleep, so pyjamas just ride up my legs and shorts wedge themselves where no shorts should wedge. These seemed like a perfect solution to my nighttime wardrobe woes...

Sewing

I've been busy sewing recently. Including an epic weekend wrestling with a project for my sister's birthday...more of that soon.

Marathon training begins

...this isn't a triumphant return to training. I've left it a bit too long and my fitness has plummeted. We've recently moved house, and while we're now actually local to Bushy park for our weekly parkruns, I don't have any familiar running routes. I've just started my Masters dissertation this week, and the day by day timetabling combined with some serious mental overworking has left me feeling pretty fatigued. Not to mention my commute into uni now totals an hour each way. And depending on the time of day costs up to £15 a day.
So, despite my careful planning in a newly designated training diary, I've only managed one Nike workout and an 8km run. 3 days after the workout my legs were still sore for the run, which should've been perfect - glorious morning sunshine, little rabbits and baby geese along the river.... but instead was an unpleasant slog.
Still, got to start somewhere. Like I've been saying to my study subjects when I stick their hand in ice water - the first bit's the worst.

Long term WIPs

Just to prove that I do still manage to do some knitting (it's not all running and my new obsession with sewing), I'm finally making tangible progress on a project that's been on the needles for years now. Properly years.

To cut a long story short, it took me an age to knit the back piece, and once it was finished and looking lovely I placed it against a jumper I already had and realised it was a good few inches too short. No mention in the pattern of it being a more 'cropped style' jumper, just rumblings on ravelry about having to add length. I was a bit distraught and put it away in a bag of shame. Where it sat until something so mindlessly boring (lace knitting) made me feel ready to face it again.
And now I've got a front and a back! Of an appropriate length!

By the way, the pattern is Craft, from Kim Hargreaves' book Scarlet.