February 19, 2013

A new project

Yesterday morning, I had intervals on the running schedule--but since I really want to hit 100 miles in February, I decided to skip the intervals (which would only have totaled two miles) and run 4-5 miles instead, at a tempo pace (push myself a little harder than usual). That turned out to be a good choice! I waited until almost 10:00 to head out, because it was supposed to just keep getting warmer through the day. It was about 25 degrees when I went out to run.

The sun was shining, and I just felt happy to be out there. Usually, I grumble about it and just go get it done, but I actually tried to enjoy the moments of my run yesterday.


I ended up going out just shy of three miles before turning around (if I was to keep going in order to hit three, I would have had to cross a busy road).

At mile 3.11, I looked at my Garmin to check on my pace--I had hit a new PR for 5K distance, with my time at 25:40 (previous best was 25:44). I still had almost three miles to go, and I still felt good. I pushed myself pretty hard, and certainly wanted to slow down, but I felt good.

I reached home at mile 5.67. The "type A" in me wanted to run around the block and call it an even 6 miles, but I restrained myself and just called it what it was. ;)

An 8:15/mi pace for almost 6 miles?! I'll take it! I'm excited to get some new PR's--I just need to start racing. I'm supposed to be doing a 10K next month, so I'll be going for my PR then. I have a half-marathon in April, where I can (hopefully) make my sub-2:00 "official".

After my run and shower, Jerry and I took the boys and went out for a little bit. We stopped at a house that my parents have been working on. This is a long story in itself, but here it is in a nutshell: My dad's friend was stricken with Guillain-Barre Syndrome several years ago, and it was (is) really severe. He's been a quadriplegic ever since. Anyway, the caretakers at his house were horribly unprofessional, and trashed the house. There was graffiti everywhere, garbage, clutter, and just STUFF. The house was completely trashed, and he had to be moved to the hospital because of his living conditions.

My parents asked their church and some friends to help them clean up this house so that it's liveable again. So my parents, along with the members of the church, and some friends who are great carpenters, have been putting LOTS of time into painting, redoing wood floors, replacing cabinets and appliances. The carpenter-friends even bought brand new appliances with their own money!

The whole thing has just grown to be really awesome. So yesterday, Jerry and I stopped over at the house to take a look, and it looks great! I saw the before pictures, and it looks like a completely different house.

While we were out, Jerry got pulled over for speeding. He hasn't been pulled over in years! The cop wrote him a ticket for impeding traffic, which has a fine but no points on his license. Not as good as a warning, but the ticket was deserved, because Jerry was speeding. It was a small section of road that was 25 mph, and he was going 39--the cop said if he wrote the ticket that way, it would have been 3 points!

After that, we went to JoAnn Fabrics so I could pick up a couple of things. My mom gave me a gift card for my birthday, and I decided on a fun project--so I needed the supplies. I've acquired way too many race t-shirts, and I rarely wear them; so I've decided to make a quilt out of them! I spent the afternoon cutting them up (it was SO very hard to make that first cut!) I've cut them ALL except for two sweatshirts, which I wear all the time.

This is just a few of them... I think I have 20-25 altogether!
So far, I've gotten them all cut and backed with interfacing to keep them from stretching. Some of the tech shirts would have been hard to work with otherwise. Now I just have to figure out how to lay them out, and start sewing. I'm going to put black sashing in-between each block. I love that there is a story behind each shirt, and I will love looking at them rather than having them sit on a shelf like they have been!

Last night, I went to the CPR/AED/First Aid certification training class. It was a breeze! I had to take a first aid course in college, where we spent ALL SEMESTER learning the same stuff in great detail. In that college course, we had to master our rescue breathing down to the breaths per minute (we had to hit exactly 100--not 99, not 101--100. If we didn't, we failed). We were certified after that course, but I never kept my certification current.

Yesterday's class was so relaxed and basic (considering it was only 3 hours, versus the entire semester in college). So anyway, now I'm certified again, and ready for RRCA coaching certification next month!


20 comments:

  1. YOU ARE FAST!!!!

    And the quilt is a genius idea that I am stealing. I never wear my shirts and they just take up space but I can't part with them.

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  2. I went to a certification class for CPR last year, and I was the only one there! Slightly awkward at the beginning, but in the end, it was nice to have the one-on-one training.

    Can't wait to see your finished quilt!

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  3. What a fun project! I wish I could sew, I just haven't had the time to take a lesson. I understand about being type A. I'd do the exact same thing, trust me!

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  4. Yay, congrats on your running accomplishments! Today I ran for 20 minutes straight on the treadmill at 4.5! Then I walked a bunch for a total of 4 miles. Progress :)

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  5. I love the quilt idea! What a great way to keep the memories.

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  6. Awesome quilt idea! I'm fairly new to sewing and can't wait to make memorable things such as that.

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  7. You are GENIUS! That quilt idea is awesome. My grandmother and great grandmother and great aunts used to get together and form a circle around the living room and set up these small wooden horse-shaped things to hold fabric and would work on quilting all day. They made massive quilts. This was over 20 years ago, and those quilts still exist today and feel brand new. You can't get that in a store! I've always wanted to quilt, but I just never had the coordination to sew.

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  8. I can't wait to see your quilt!

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  9. I'd have a really hard time cutting the shirts but then I do use mine in training. You've got the sub 2 in the bag!

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  10. Great job on the run! I would have wanted to do 6 on the dot, also. Who took the picture of you running?

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  11. The tshirt quilts are awesome. I've been making them for years!! They are a great way to preserve memories. I need to start working on my daughter's memory quilt for her high school graduation. As a military family, she has been to many schools in her life and participated in many extracurricular activities. She will get a quilt for graduation that has allllll of her school shirts in it. I can't wait to work on it for her and stroll down memory lane.

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  12. Melissa (@mrsridley)February 20, 2013

    I love the idea of your quilt! I really want to learn how to sew but don't know where to start/store the sewing machine, etc. How did you start and where do you keep the big thing?!?

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  13. I have thought about sending my tshirts away to have a quilt or a gym bag made for me. I am not crafty, but maybe this would be a good way to try. Do you have any tips for someone who has never sewed (sewn?) anything?

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  14. I am a type A person when it comes to running! I would have most definitely ran until I hit 6 miles.

    Love the quilt idea. Can't wait to see the finished product!

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  15. I've been wanting to make a quilt like that for a long time! But I've never made a quilt before. Hell, I haven't used a sewing machine before. Do you need the interfacing on cotton shirts? Can you keep us updated on the process?? Thanks for sharing!

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  16. I was thinking that in a few years, I'd make a quilt from my race shirts... but I was really thinking more along the lines of sending the shirts off somewhere and having someone else doing the sewing. LOL Now I feel like a slacker. ;-)

    Great tempo run, btw!

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  19. I get so excited as I watch you run faster and faster. We both have similar stories and massive weight loss. I can do endurance now I want speed. 9:30 is my fastest mile ever so I have a long way to go. I hope by this November I will be able to run a 4:30 marathon in Richmond. That's my goal anyway. You inspire me everyday!

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