Renewed Enthusiasm(s)

Running. I had been in kind of a running funk for a little while, and on September 1st, I decided it was time for that funk to come to an end. Since then, I've run (and walked) 183 miles. A friend of mine asked me to "train" her from scratch to start a running program, so a lot of my miles are thanks to her! We'd "move" for 5-7 miles each time we went out (usually 3 times a week) but most of that was walking. I'm counting it as distance though! Each time we go for our walk/run, I run to her house and back (4 miles total). I've also joined up with a local running group. They meet 3 times a week, but I've never gone all three times. Maybe this week? I went this morning, so I just have to try to make it Tues. and Thurs. evenings to have 100% attendance for the week! On Tuesdays we run about 45-60 minutes through the roads in town and on Sundays it's a 60-90 minute run on forest trails. On Thursdays there is some kind of speed training. I've only gone to one Thursday session and that was a 5k time trial where I surprised myself and cranked out a 23:26 5k...mostly due, I'm sure, to the fact that I didn't know the course, so had to keep the other 2 speedy guys in my sights. I also quite enjoy running on my own around my town. We have a nice path by the river, and some field and forest areas near my house, in addition to sidewalks and walking paths throughout the neighborhoods in town. On Fridays, I do my "Survivor Training Plan" and run on the treadmill at the base gym so I can watch Survivor. The treadmill would really bore me if not for all those buttons, and I looooove playing with buttons, so I usually end up playing around with some speedwork on Fridays. This past Friday I did mile repeats, but the past 2 episodes I ran at a moderate pace during the show and cranked up the speed during each commercial break. Anything to make the treadmill more entertaining. I'm getting ready to use a Road Runner Sports gift certificate that I've had for almost a year now on some cool/cold weather running gear. I only have 3 short-sleeved shirts and 3 long-sleeved shirts, since I amassed mostly sleeveless tops on Okinawa! It feels so good to be running so much!

Knitting. One of the forums on Ravelry hosts a "Single Skein September" de-stash project. I joined (and finished TWO single skein projects in Sept!) but didn't follow through on the photo posting, etc. Even so, those 2 quick knits kind of resuscitated my will to knit. I've finished 2 and a half little projects since last Sunday and have 3-sweaters-worth (and one pair of mittens worth) of yarn in my KnitPicks.com shopping cart at this very moment. And roving already ordered from Etsy...that's right, those mittens are going to be THRUMMED! (Remember the last ones?)I have officially forgotten what a pain the last thrummed mittens I made were and I'm ready to make (myself) another pair. Soooo selfish. I should probably add some yarn to my cart with the intention of making something for someone else!
Here are the projects I've finished in the last month:

Bella's Mittens. Watch Twilight...maybe (hopefully!) these will look familiar. These are a gift for my BFF, but I got to test-drive them a couple weeks ago. They are warm and snuggly!

Beer Gloves. I was sort of "commissioned" to make these for a friend. A friend who totally made fun of me for knitting the mittens pictured above...until he realized just how stinkin' cool knitting (and knitters, of course!) is! are! Quick, quick knit and I got to practice things like cabling without a cable needle and finger holes (my first!).

In Threes. My first time as a "test knitter". Pretty exciting. Especially because the friend mentioned above thought it was absolutely awesome that he has a pair of fingerless mitts made by a knitter expert enough to be qualified to "test knit" patterns. Little did he know that all I had to do was post a comment on the designer's blog offering to give it a try for her. Anyway, the sweater is adorable, although it has no intended recipient. And it was another single-skein project (but started and finished in October)

Spring Beret. It is not spring. But I needed a hat to wear in my house. That's right, IN my house. I don't want to turn the heat on until the 15th and I'm getting cold. Mr. Atria, my high school AP Biology teacher said that you lose most of your body heat through your head and that, if your feet are cold, you should put a hat on. So I needed a hat. And I made one. And what do you know, I have enough yarn leftover to make a super-simple pair of fingerless mitts to match it. One is done, the other...probably going to be finished tonight over a few episodes of Gossip Girl. 2 projects, 1 skein...love it!

Enthusiasms Yet to Be Renewed:
Scrapbooking. Perhaps after my table is clean...but I haven't been digi-scrapping either, and I can do that on the couch!

Cooking. I'm on my second box of Frankenberry, and rather surprised I haven't gone through more, as it seems that cereal, Ramen Noodles and toast are all I have eaten in weeks. I have been doing some baking though, so I eat cookies too.

Blogging. I'm trying, okay?