At Home - On the Bike and Off

My dad and I rolled into Hamilton Thursday afternoon.  I finally got to ride the entire Hamilton-Brantford Rail Trail, and it was great to share it with my father.  Along the way, we encountered a group of people peering over the edge of the path and signalling us to slow down and be quiet.  We stopped, and they told us a doe had just given birth.  We got to see the fawn take its first steps - an auspicious homecoming. to say the least.

But first we had to finish our trip.  From Granville, OH, where we'd enjoyed some time off, we made our way way to Galion where we stayed at the Rainbow Motel.

Our next stop was Sandusky.  Along the way we encountered far more motorcyles than we had previously (we were also off our beloved trails - sigh).  Riding into Sandusky, we saw signs that said, "Welcome, Bikers!"  Of course we wished they were for us, but they were for the bikers coming into Sandusky for Biker Week.  What great timing!

We had five or so hours to kill before taking the ferry to Pelee Island, so we naturally parked ourselves at a bar (pictured above) where I repeatedly disabused patrons of the idea that my father was actually my "old man" and endured a few comments ( or what straight drunk men think of as compliments) about lesbians.  What great timing!?

I did love that the bar seemed to be a family affair, with this young guy washing dishes.  I think the couple behind him are his grandparents.

Eventually we boarded our ferry

and made our way to Pelee Island, Ontario.

The ferry got in a little after 10pm, and we then made our way to the campground on the other side of the island.  Thankfully there is very little traffic on the island, and it's small.  It was great riding along roads lit only by our headlights.  You don't get to safely do that very often.

The next day was basically a day off for us, so we made our way around the island.  They'd just had the Pelee Island Half Marathon the day before, but many of the runners had already left.  It's not high season yet, so a lot of things weren't open, but by stopping by one of the marinas, we found out the Canadian Legion served breakfast.   After breakfast, we were ready for our Pelee Island Winery tour.
It was actually one of the best and most informative tours either of us have taken.

Antique wine press

We took another ferry to Leamington where we had accomodations with a Warm Showers host.  Robbie is quite the athlete and bicycle tourist, having toured Chile and Patagonia this year already.  It was too bad we didn't have enough time to learn more, but maybe another time.

Being in Ontario made me feel like the trip actually had an end to it although we still had three days of riding ahead of us.  I was concerned about where we were going to stay between Leamington and Woodstock as there didn't seem to be a lot of options along the Talbot Trail, which we'd chosen as our route.  [Note:  it's not really a trail but a road.] We found a campsite via Google Maps and decided to try to make it there.  Along the way, we stopped at this great cafe and gift shop (a rare and welcomed sight along the road) - the Crazy 8 Barn.

Not only did we have a great piece of rhubarb crumble there, but we also learned that our proposed campground for the evening was to be avoided.  Thankfully, they suggested a couple of other options, and that's how we ended up at the Port Glasgow Trailer Park.  It was like a combination of Brigadoon and Cocoon - a totally charming community! (I also learned from the people at the Crazy 8 Barn that the local counties were doing a quilt trail like I'd seen in Kentucky - images of the quilt blocks we encountered are on the next page).

We were helped by a really sweet couple, Larry & Pauline, who not only showed us where we could camp but offered their hose to wash the mud off our bikes (we happened to have been on a dirt road when the brining truck came by).  Later, Larry took me on a tour in his souped-up golf cart.

They also had a snack bar (yay! dinner) and a beautiful beach on the shores of Lake Erie.

We really felt lucky to find such a great place to camp.

The next day we rode to Woodstock, and it was the longest day we've ridden - 87 miles.  We hadn't intended for it to be so long, but somehow it ended up that way.  We were also on some high-traffic roads, which made it seem even longer.  But we had a campground in Woodstock, so that should be good, right?

Wrong.  The campsite was not only ridiculously expensive ($40 to pitch a tent?) but off a main road without any nearby services.  It also felt like we were in someone's backyard (again, for $40?!).  I was deeply unhappy and asked my father to see if we could get a refund.  I figured we could take our chances in town; plus, I knew there were hotels in the vicinity, and I was willing to ride a bit more to get to a better place to stay.  It was our last night on the road, and neither of us wanted it to suck.

Thankfully we found a Quality Inn, and they really hooked us up.  It was perfect - nice room, laundry, and an attached restaurant/bar where we could watch the Rangers-Kings game (sigh).  The only thing that could've been better is the beer they served and the outcome of the game.  But I'm not complaining; just commenting.

And so, we took off the next morning and wended our way into Hamilton.  I got home a little bit after 3pm.  The ladyfriend filmed our ride down our street.   I'm sure it's amusing.  It's good to be home, and my transition to "regular" life is including a lot of cycling.  I just signed up to do a two-day ride from Lake Ontario to Lake Erie next weekend, benefiting Environment Hamilton (if you'd like to sponsor me, you can follow this link:  http://bit.ly/LakePledge), and today I carted a 40lb bag of cat litter on our city bike.  I'm just exploiting the momentum!  Ride on!

We Own the Night - Nike Run

Despite my other experience registering (and then not) for another women-only run, I registered for the  We Own the Night run.  Hosted/sponsored/set-up by Nike, it seemed like a great way to finish my time Berlin and up my running distance.  It's been awhile since I've done a 10K.

If I were to give this run a score, it'd be a 6 or 6.5.  Here are some of the factors:

Firstly, I lost my chip (which was a €6 disposable chip - another issue (disposable chip)) but was able to get another at the start; however, none of my data was recorded.  Now, if the young lady (makes me sound old) said something to the effect of "it won't work," then she should've directed me back to the chip dude, and I could've gotten my money back.  Instead I paid €12 for no data.  Although I wasn't doing this for a personal record, I'm glad I wore my Garmin, which provides time stats.

The course itself was pretty fun.  It went wove through the Strandband Plötzensee, which is basically a lake-side park, so there were dirt trails as well as some asphalt and concrete bits.  The trails, for the most part, were well-lit although there were some stretches where I was concerned about those coming behind me because there were no lights and it was dirt, which means uneven.  We also ran through some kind of military base.  While the run through the garages/storage hangers was cool - projected sound levels, different light installations, etc., - I could've done without the military "I'm on the lame" theme that was present on the helicopter landing pad - the sounds of helicopters, dry ice, and a spot light trained on runners from towers.  Suddenly the run went from "women on a run" to "women on the run."

There was only one water stop, at the 5K mark, and there were no porta-janes along the way.  Ever heard of "runner's trots"?  Evidently not.  Even though there were plenty of woods around, one would've been risking their own "private parts" since there were stinging nettles everywhere (I know, I ran through some).  Thinking about that now makes me cringe.  Yow!

And finally, post-run water and food.  The run started at 8:30pm, so most of us probably ate somewhere around 6pm.  By the end, I was hungry and thirsty.  But to get my water, I had to make my way through security (which didn't allow the ladyfriend entry), and I didn't even look for where the bagels and bananas were (and they probably weren't bagels and bananas, but you know what I mean) since the ladyfriend couldn't come with me (!).  I ended up getting a Snickers bar at the gas station as we made our way to the U-bahn, and yes, it really satisfies (in those kinds of circumstances).

One other note - it has long been a part of my runner's belief system that you do not wear the t-shirt for the run you are doing while you are doing the run.  In other words, finish the race, and then wear the t-shirt.  But in Germany, it seems to be different.  I asked an ex-pat runner about this, and she said that she'd also noticed that a lot of people wear the t-shirt on race day like it's some kind of uniform.  While I like the t-shirt, I still say "no."  Run the race, wear the t-shirt.  Not at the same time.

Nice t-shirt, though.

Oh Essaouira!

We've been in Essaouira for the past five days, and it's been fantastic.  Not only is the weather milder than it was in Marrakesh - between 20 - 25C with strong sun and cool breeze - but the entire vibe is different.  People seem friendlier and more relaxed.  Even the medina is less aggressive when it comes to the sales pitches although once you're in a shop, good luck extracting yourself without making a purchase.  We've been pretty lucky with our shopping experiences (yes, multiple ones) although the guy who wanted us to buy the camel leather bag thought we were cheap.  Needless to say, we don't own a camel leather bag.

On our first day, we walked along this beach.

I ran along it today.  I'm talking heaven.

A demonstration of the strong wind.

Our first two nights were spent in the Ryad Lyon-Mogador, in the centre of the medina.  We had a great room (the Saffron Room), which was really nice - a little sitting area with a loft bed above it.  They also served a great breakfast every morning on the terrace.  We would definitely stay there again.

You'll notice a lot of scarves - both of us are suffering from a need for a haircut.

Some patternwork for Karen

Empathetic Run

Thinking about the runners and spectators at the Boston Marathon yesterday as I go for my run today.  It's simply mind-blowing, and my thoughts go out to all those affected.

Ouch!

I decided to register for the Avon Running Berliner Frauenlauf (5km run at the beginning of May), but in order to register I had to take a health survey, which I did my best to answer honestly.  This is what it said to me:

"You have answered one or more questions with YES.! If you do not have excessive muscle mass, you are overweight. You have had a sports physical within the last 2 years.
This means that you likely already have one or more risk factors, and in the future you should monitor your health status on a regular basis. The fact that you are overweight increases your potential risk. The results of this test do not necessarily mean that you cannot participate in sports, but rather that your participation in sports should be monitored and controlled.
Please follow the recommendations from your doctor should any indications have been found during your sports physical. Your primary physician, if possible, together with a sport medicine specialist, should advise you as to under what conditions you can become physically active or continue participating in sports.
You should repeat your sports physical every 1-2 years. Information on what should be covered at such an exam and the guidelines from the German Society for Sports Medicine and Prevention are available on our website.
Please repeat the questionnaire once a year or when you have taken a break from sports for longer than 6 months."

Really?  I mean, I'm not skinny, but I don't feel like I'm risking my life. (I mean, look at the exclamation point at the end of that first sentence.)  Is there something lost in translation here?  Why so harsh?   Just because they're Germans?  Well, I'll show them.

Back On The Run

Finally, after a rather extended hiatus, I'm back to running and so happy about it.  Bonus:  I didn't get lost.

Another Death-Defying Hike

After our visit to Heath, we went to the Marin Headlands, which is part of the Golden Gate National Recreation Area.  I did a run there a number of years ago.  It was nice to walk it this time and take in the scenery.

I believe the following two photos were taken from the same vantage point, just in different directions.

Yep!  That's the Golden Gate Bridge in the background.  It was a beautiful day.

Where's Claudia?

 Sometimes the blog is a little like that running program you were really jazzed about and started earnestly.  But then you slowly kept finding yourself on the couch at 11pm with nary a shoe laced to run  because you got sucked up into whatever variation of a daily grind you participate in.  You find yourself thinking up blog posts (or dreaming about runs) that somehow never get written, and there's both hope and guilt in that.  For me, it's kind of like writing letters - I generally feel like the recipient knows the contents of my letter just because I've written it (which is problematic if I refer to the contents of a letter that's still sitting on my desk).  When I think of blog posts, sometimes I feel like they've already been communicated.  My mistake.

It isn't a lack of interest - not in the least.  It's just a lack of renewable energy.  I'm pretty pooped right now.  Yes, the fact that we've spent the past two days moving our studio (thankfully only across the hall in the same building), were up celebrating a friend's birthday til 5:10am (daylight savings time) last night, and then played a hockey game this afternoon (in which we unsurprisingly sucked) has definitely played a role in this.  But what has made it even harder to do more than just above minimum is the crazy amount of travel that has taken place over the last month and continues into this one.

Excuse or reason?  It doesn't really make any difference.  I'm just informing, but in February I was away for 10 days, and in March I will be away for a total of 11 days.  I'm not talking about April just yet.

The next few days will be "Retro Days" where I will actually post some of the blog posts I made up in my mind.  Let's just hope they still make sense.

Vacation Paradox

Yes, I'm on vacation, but why doesn't anyone write to me?  Out of sight, out of mind?

A brief accounting of some of what's happened so far:

1. Consumed copious amounts of lobster
2. Read Lighthousekeeping by Jeanette Winterson, Veronica by Mary Gaitskill, and four back issues of the New York Times Book Review
3. Sewed the buttons onto my Rowan vest (yay, another project off the list)
4. Worked on some stories
5. Ran, biked, walked, lounged

Tomorrow we sail to Newfoundland.  It feels like we're going to the edge of the earth.

Who Needs Shoes...

when you're on vacation?  (Well, evidently we do - I alone brought nine pair, am expecting a tenth in the mail (new running shoes), and the ladyfriend brought eight.  Stick with me, and you, too, will develop a thing for shoes.)

The theme of this post is lobster!  Lobster, lobster, lobster.  For the first time in the eight or so years that we've been coming here, we're here for the local lobster season.

That's six lobsters I'm holding!

So far we've had boiled lobster, lobster rolls, and lobster chowder.

I made a ton of stock for the chowder and reduced some down even more to use later in our stay for a lobster pasta.  Lobster season ends tomorrow.  We'll probably pick up a few more for good measure.

Run with Bauhaus

Surprisingly great running song.

Shoe of the Week: Time to Get Back to It

Sure it's freezing outside, but I've signed up for the 30K Around the Bay Race at the end of March.  Cold or not, it's time to start lacing these up again.

Images from the Bay Area

There really aren't many photos from my trip to the California bay area; however, I have a few highlights.

Britex Fabrics - four floors of fabrics & notions.  I demonstrated amazing restraint in the face of so much temptation and will try to get a photo up in the next day or so of the woven silk plaid I bought (on sale).

Ian and a giant pumpkin at the Berkeley Bowl.  A fellow shopper tried to use the photo op as a pick-up opportunity.  He seemed to mistake my interest in giant squash for more than it was.

The one photo Ian was able to take of me at the marathon.  I'm headed toward the finish line so I imagine my expression is one of grim relief.

And finally, it was the birthday of one of my hosts so I made him this hat out of some Malabrigo Celine gave me.  Thanks, Celine.  The hat turned out great, and he seemed to love it.  I got the pattern from Ravelry - Irish Hiking Hat.  I made one in black for myself last year.

(Note:  His favourite colour is orange so the colour choice was not as out there as it might initially have seemed.)

I finally feel like I'm catching up on, well - everything.  I'm rested, finally, and am getting back to my routines and rituals.  I'm hoping to go for a run tomorrow.  Today I'm deep into making stock (chicken & veg).  I'm feeling a heavy week of cooking and freezing coming on (inspired, in part, by Adawg).   Even though the weather here is pretty mild, I'm getting ready for some winter nesting.

The Week That Was and Will Be

Here's the thing - I'm constantly thinking about things to bring up here, but I can't quite sit down and post them.  Then suddenly there's a backlog of conversations I'd love to engage in.  At this point the first idea feels old, but still interesting, and the next thing I know I haven't posted a damn thing, and I don't want to put up an epic post.

So a return to my favourite:  the list.

1. Most pressing - I run the marathon on Sunday.  (My shoe of the week was going to be my running shoes, but I can't find my camera - sense a theme here?)
2. Went to the Sabres' season opener and saw the Rangers kick their ass.  Oh joy, oh rapture!
3. Attended the workroom anniversary party with Celine and a blog friend of hers from France.  She has friends that she only knows via blogging & email!  It is the modern-day version of meeting your pen pal.  Sigh.

Not surprisingly I thought this list would be longer.  However, there it is in a nutshell.  Hopefully I can find my camera so I can post photos from my trip out to the bay area.  Maybe there will even be a triumphant one of me crossing the finish line.

Expanded Ventures

I finally feel like I'm in a good groove for the new season and semester.  There's a lot I want to accomplish, and there are a lot of things that I'm working on simultaneously like finishing my short story collection, paying down my debts (while still finding ways to do the things I like to do), and meeting my obligations.

Not that this is new, but I'm on a budget.  We're trying to go to Berlin in 2013, and our goal is to be debt-free when we go.  The budget has been challenging; however, on the best days, I treat it like a new way to be crafty because to live happily on a budget you have to be crafty.

Some of the ways I've cut costs as well as added funding have been:  playing hockey only once a week (instead of twice), reimagining my existing wardrobe (new combos and so forth), doing an "energy exchange" for my yoga classes, selling stuff on ebay (my user name is "hopespringseternal"), and working one day a week at the Melissa (read a recent review here).  Here I am in front of the store last December:

I'm really excited to be working there.  It started as a way to help my friend out, and now it's become (even before my first day in the shop) another creative outlet for me - dressing for retail!  Yes, everything is an opportunity for a new way to look at your wardrobe.  I'm sensing a lot of hats for this one.

In other areas - I'm less than two weeks away from the marathon in San Francisco.  I ran 21.5 miles last week, and it made me feel good about the whole thing.  I'm in the lovely tapering phase right now; my runs are getting shorter in preparation.  I'm still nervous, but I've taken pressure off myself by just focusing on the run itself and not my time or any of those other concerns.  Plus, I get to see 'the boy' (aka our son), which is worth crawling the entire thing.

And prep is another theme for me right now.  Not to make your eyes roll, but I am thinking about the upcoming December holidays.  As someone who tries to make the majority of her gifts, I need to make a plan so that I don't spend all of December in the "craftory" - the craft factory.  Prep is a way to maintain holiday sanity as well.

All in all, everything feels pretty good.  I hope I can find ways to expand that feeling throughout the upcoming months and beyond.

Definitely Not Fashionable

On Sunday I ran 16.5 miles as part of my marathon training. I've switched to a 10/1 run/walk mode (run 10 minutes, walk 1 minute) for the longer runs, and it's making a huge difference - both physically and pyschologically.  I plan on running my marathon that way.  I ran a half marathon the previous Sunday, and it left me feeling a little despondent.  I felt tired, hot, and cranky and wondered how I'd ever run a full marathon, so having a new strategy and putting a few solid runs under my belt since then has helped immensely.

Besides being able to wear shorter skirts and dresses and my increased endurance, I have another, more hardcore, sign of my work pounding out the miles.  Note:  these photos are not for the faint of heart.

Behold!  Runners' feet:

My lovely blister (thanks to my poor choice in socks for the half marathon):

I know!  It's pretty scary, but are you surprised to learn that I'm proud as well?

I've never had pretty feet.  No one in my family has pretty feet, but we work with what we've got.  You'd be surprised what a little pedicure can do to make these bad girls fit for daylight.

(Almost) Over too soon

(The "yard horse" down the street from us) 

While it feels like we’ve only just settled into our routines here, we leave in just a few days.  This year I didn’t quite plow through as many books, complete as many projects, or read all the NYTimes Book Reviews I’d brought with me.  Such is life.
    I did finish the Elizabeth George book (With No One to Witness).  Reading mysteries is a must-do here, and I’m glad I got at least one in.  Although had it not been over 700 pages in length, I might very well have read another one too.
    As for knitting, I’m deep into my Noro sweater, which is giving me great love and satisfaction.  The Cash Iroha yarn is amazing.  I’ve finished the back (making a few adjustments like adding a selvedge stitch at each end and leaving the shoulder stitches live so I can use a Kitchner stitch to put the sweater together) and have started the front.
    Unfortunately, the love didn’t extend to the tank top I’d actually finished and stitched together.  Yes, after working the armhole a couple of times, I realized that the whole thing was too big and that I would never wear it in its current manifestation.  I’ve taken it apart and already ripped out the back.  I’ll rip out the front when I get back.  I just couldn’t stand it as it was and will reknit it (once I recover from the trauma of needing to “put it down”) in the smaller size.
    We’re not always just hanging around the cottage.  Last week we took a day trip out to Joggins (fossil cliffs) and Cap D’Or.

We’d never been to Joggins (the photo above is my feet on the rocks of the beach), but it was pretty cool.  We found what we think are fossils, which we photographed (on Liss’ camera).  I was really good and resisted my acquisitive desires by not taking one home with me (you can only take a fossil if you have a permit).  I was tempted.
    We’ve been to the Lighthouse on Cape D’Or before.  It was our “nice” dinner out – the restaurant is good and the setting is gorgeous.   However, my choice of footwear for the evening teetered dangerously on the border of foolhardy and stupid.
    Here’s the path:

Here’s where we were headed:

And this is what I wore on my feet:

    I am, however, determined and managed to make it down unscathed.  Going back up was no problem (as anyone who wears heels knows – up is always easier).
    We saw some incredible riptides after dinner:

And a great moon over the horizon sent us home.

Meanwhile, back at the ranch, I canned some beans from Green Dragon, a local organic biodynamic farm and B&B.

Before:

After:

Two pounds of beans actually ended up making four quart jars of pickled beans.  Because of the relatively small yield, I generally tend to hoard them rather than give them as gifts.  Last year I made a ton of strawberry jams and raspberry jam, but not this year.  I still have strawberry products left from last year, and we just didn’t make it to raspberry picking this year.  I imagine if we’d been here for our usual stay (four weeks), it might have happened.  But maybe not.
    And finally, I’m back running.  After taking advice from both my father and my physiotherapist (sent her an email with a photo documenting area of pain), I’m back on track.  The problem may have stemmed from my shoes so I’ve ordered a new pair, put new insoles in the old pair, and am switching between my old running shoes and my trail running shoes.  I’ve been running steadily since last Friday and did an 11-mile run on Sunday.  So far, so good.
    From here we’re going to the Michigan Womyn’s Music Festival (stopping near home along the way).  Yes, we’re headed to “the land.”  It’ll be our first time.  I’m looking forward to making Liss learn how to swing dance and playing some ultimate Frisbee.  We’ll see how it all goes.