I originally started this post in mid-December. Fitting or ironic that a post on sustaining and finishing things has lingered in draft form all these many weeks.

So I ran a marathon a few weeks ago. Yeah, I finished and it’s great to be back at it after a decade of not racing, even with 15 miles in a downpour with headwinds. But I haven’t run since. Sure, I had plans of easy recovery runs a few days after the race, alas, I chose lounging in bed with the dogs and my iPhone each at 6:30 a.m.

I noticed the same thing during my training. Leading up to our trip to Iceland in October, I was running four times a week. I barely missed any workouts. I even ran before we caught a cab to the airport at 8:00 a.m. and on the first morning that we work up in Reykjavik. Then, because it was too cold or I told myself it was supposed to be vacation, I took a few days off. Which eventually became three weeks off. The fact that they were the three most important weeks of high-volume and the longest long runs would eventually show itself during the race.

And it’s not just limited to physical activity. I can get on a roll with knitting, plowing through inches of a project for weeks at a time. I finished a lopapeysa for Chris a few nights ago (after a month-long sprint), but the armpits still need to be grafted shut and some ends that need to be woven in. I haven’t touched it since I bound off the last stitch. Instead, it joins a mega-fringed lopapeysa, a outerwear coat and a cowl-neck pullover, all of which need buttons, pockets and flaps attached, or a single seam sewn. Basically, by the end of this weekend, I could have four new garments (technically three, but I plan on borrowing Chris’). In the sock department… well, let’s not even go there.

According to Sir Isaac Newton’s first law of motion, if an object experiences no net force, then its velocity is constant. More often described as intertia, this is the concept that an object in motion tends to stay in motion or an object at rest remains so unless an outside force acts on it. My question is, what is the force that’s changing me?

It could be the motivation that was sufficient to start a project or compels me to run is not sufficient or even related to what’s necessary to sustain it. The “getting over the hump” carries me pretty far down the path, but that desire is sated before the end goal is achieved.

Self-pity aside, much of this post’s whining is irrelevant now, as evidenced by the picture above of the aforementioned fringed monster of ends to be woven in. C’s sweater is also complete, however the other two remain. I did finish a pair of mitten-capped fingerless gloves started during my first year of knitting before the end of 2012. So I’m feeling slightly more bad-ass in the completion department.

And, for the time being, I’m a week back on the running wagon.

Proof that the blue lopapeysa has been done since Friday, but still no photograph. A friend took a picture of C and I at Rainbow Grocery, as we were both Icelandically wool-clad, but I don’t have a copy of the picture to share. I hope it’s worth it, what with all the build up.

Another lovely vacation day: bread was baked, doggies napped, I napped, knitting on a 5 or 6 year-old WIP was completed, 5 miles scampered, groceries procured, homemade pizza shared with S.

Shucks. Clock just turned to midnight. I wanted this to be Sunday’s post. In 24 hours it will be next year. Here’s to hoping everything that needs to get woven in and finished will for the New Year.

Words cannot begin to describe how amazing and inspiring it’s been to watch my pal Sonya create one hundred dresses over the past year.

When I finally get behind a sewing machine again, I will have her to thank. Read more at 100actsofsewing.com.

Now if only I could create four new knitted garments within a year…

It’s high time I post about knitting, eh? Here’s my third lopapeysa. Number two is striped with many different colors of wool, therefore has a lot of ends awaiting their weaving in.

Thus guy (Sátt from Lopi 29) was started on November 2nd. It would have been done within the month of November, had I not left the sleeves in San Francisco when we drove up to Eugene for thanksgiving weekend. Late nights at work also ate into knitting time, so there were days at a time without touching it. Luckily, it was a simple stockinette sprint and mighty mindless.

It’s not me modeling the sweater. It’s Chris. I made the sweater for him, starting the day we landed back from Iceland. I figure I’m safe from any boyfriend curse as we are technically married and have survived a decade and change. Part of me secretly hoped it would be too small for him so I could keep it for myself. I trust that it will suit him just fine, and if I need to borrow it, I’m sure he’d oblige.

Before I begin another one, I’d really like to get lopapeysa #2 all sewn up. It’s been months and I have yet to reap the fruits of that labor. The inside looks like a fringed Cher costume, with the mane of loose ends from all the colors.

Furthermore, it’d be more prudent to swatch for a new design idea, rather than knit someone else’s work. There have been so many brewing that need to get out of my head and onto some needles. I have a vested interest in creating original work once again.

A day late for NaNoSweMo’s start, but a fitting contender. Two strands of plutulopi, all stockinette, minimal colorwork on 5.5mm/US 9s. Alas, for C, not for me.

Keeping Iceland memories alive via wool.

4. a stranger #

Amen, sister.

First run of the year. 4ish miles 9:41/mi.

From me and mine to you and yours. May you be surrounded by warmth, friends, family & that which you love.

Sleeves. I have lopapeysa sleeves. Heading into the fun part… the yoke.

Speaking of the “Occupy” movement, the following video reminds me that that all police are not bad.

Another month, and just a few disappointing drops into this word urn. Sure, I owe you a travelogue. Heck, I owe it to my camera to get the pretty pictures off it. In the meantime, I just live in the present of phone pictures and twitter posts.

November is NaNoWriMo (National Novel Writing Month), something I’ve attempted four or five times, but never really made it even halfway. And that begat NaKniSweMo (National Sweater Knitting Month, yes, they don’t follow the naming convention), something I’ve never been foolish enough to try. More examples of embers-to-be, like New Year’s resolutions, marathon training, 750 Words and Health Month, in the bonfire of un(der)achieved goals

But here I am, brimming with the optimism of a month’s beginning. I am not officially declaring anything, but I wouldn’t mind getting the above sweater finished. (Irreverently started on October 31st.) I would love to perhaps read a book (read: listen to an audiobook… maybe by Murakami whilst I knit). I’m not going to write anything, except for a post or two or thirty here. It’s been pretty nice weather in SF, so I have no excuse not to run. If it does rain, I could always start a one hundred pushups program…

I’ll be happy just doing one special thing a day. But, heck, I may even try to finish a second sweater.