Tussey 50-miler Confirmation

Oh boy. I'm officially registered for the 50-miler on October 16th.

VHTRC Practice Run at Fountainhead Park

Thanks to the Virginia Happy Trails Running Club for hosting the practice run and leading us to the elusive Do-loop. Mandy and I have tried to run the Do-loop before but could never find it. I'm still not sure we could find it on our own.

Oak Island, NC

Many thanks to Steve's bro Ron and his wifey Missy for letting us visit last weekend. Not only did we get in plenty of beach time, we also had lots of oysters and the best mussels I've had since Belgium.

Craft Project Update

I had lunch with my friend Bubba last week and he made me realize that I haven't blogged about any craft projects in months. Here's a rundown of my projects-in-the-works.

I had started to crochet my Mom one of these shrugs for her birthday back in June. Unfortunately, I realized that the armholes were probably going to be too small for her so I ended up getting her something else. I told my sister she could have the shrug once I finished, but I just haven't been motivated to finish it. Too bad, because all it needs is for me to crochet one more sleeve and weave in the loose ends.

I am determined to knit some kind of cardigan this year just for the sake of saying I've completed one. Since my previous attempt didn't work out so well, I decided to start with a baby cardi. Settle down. I'm not preggers. I just figured it was smaller and less work than an adult cardi. I opted for this Provence baby cardigan and have all the parts and pieces knit. Now I just have to actually knit them together. (Notice the theme? I love to start projects but have a harder time finishing them.)

My last unfinished project is this featherweight cardigan. The yarn I'm using is a lightweight cotton in a cream-ish color. I've knit about 4 inches below the armholes and have another 5 inches to go before I tackle the sleeves and the collar.

We'll see if this one can keep my attention long enough that I can finish it. If not there's plenty of other projects in my queue including this shawl:

These mittens:

And this hat:

There's always another project to start.

Trail Mishaps

You know it's gonna be a long run when you fall 3 miles into a tough 22-mile run on the Bull Run trail.

I look forward to the day when running on that trail doesn't leave me deflated. The constant up and down makes the footing around the tree roots and rocks trickier the more exhausted you are. 2,534 feet of elevation gain according to the Garmin.

My post-run recovery included a few Belgian ales at Sweetwater.

FOB Family Pics

A classic from the 70's. I'm guessing this was taken around 1975 after we moved to D.C. Don't you just love the furniture and decor?

It didn't take long for the American culture to rub off on Dad. Mom sent him out to buy a family car and he came home with a red Camaro. I'm guessing it didn't handle too well in the snow.

The 'rents

My parents on the day my Dad was shipping off with the U.S. Navy.

Steve's parents living it up in the '70s.