August snow storm

I have never experienced any other place where the weather is as unstable as here in Iceland. No surprise that the term "Icelandic Low" is established and is available in many languages in Wikipedia, together with a striking picture.
During the last couple of days the news were putting out a "snow storm warning" for Friday evening. Not quite the forecast one would expect for the end of August (though it doesn't seem to be unusual in Iceland!). Farmers started to gather their sheep from the highlands last week, two weeks before the offical big sheep gathering event in the beginning of September. Quite understandable, last year a severe snow storm had hit the Northern part of the country at almost the same time of the year burying many of the sheep under deep snow. This year, the low-pressure area didn't hit the land quite as hard as the year before but it uprooted some trees in Reykjavik, still blows untamed over the North East, and it brought snow. Snow in August. The wind had become colder and colder during yesterday afternoon forcing me into three layers of overgarmets and wool gloves. Grey thick clouds were blown rapidly over the tops of the lower mountains covering them into a thin layer of icing sugary snow. Mentally I said Goodbye to the summer and thought about winter preparations and skiing ... just to wake up this morning in bright sunshine and mild temperature. Puzzled, I took a walk up the mountains, and the sun was shining and the birds were singing and the leaves were green while I took pictures of the mountains of the highlands covered into cold white coats.

Mt. Strútur in a cold white coat in the morning light.

Glacier Eiríksjökull completely white on the last day of August.

Close-up of Eiríksjökull in his ice sugary snow topping.

What I learnt from running

One week ago I ran 10 km in the Reykjavik marathon. It was the first race I ever did and it still feels a bit weird and exciting when I think about it. I had never done any race before and I ain't even a very passionate runner (I am actually more into hiking, biking and cross-country skiing). But however, running provides some benefits and taught me some interesting lessons. I am grateful for that and I decided to write about them.

A blog article about a few good lessons I learnt from running.

So, how did I get the idea to start running though I am not crazily passionate about it? It was March and I was restless. I was unhappy in a PhD program (this is another story for another day) building up negativity inside me. Furthermore, it was between the seasons meaning there wasn't enough snow left in the Swedish lowlands for skiing but still too much ice on the ways for biking without special tires. But the negative energy was urging me outside and getting moving. So I grabbed some crampons to put under my shoes (we had just bought little gum crampons to put under walking shoes) and started running slowly. I then ran several times per week and got the idea that I could take part in a race if I just would become good enough. At first, I ran 25 minutes in slow pace and then added five minutes per week until I could run longer than one hour feeling good.

The benefits of running are apparent: movement is healthy for the body and the mind and the same goes for getting outside into nature regularly. And I learnt some precious interesting lessons:

Pace. It is sooo important to run (or move actually!) in your own pace. When running too fast I would end up breathless or with stitches in the side after a short while. So I started slow, very slooooow (almost walking) and I did not only learn that this is just okay but that it is the only way to make long distance running work and enjoying it.

Time. Time actually goes hand in hand with pace: give yourself enough time to get used to the running movement and for improvements in performance, for example for extending the training session or your pace. Don't get angry on yourself when you are not as fast or don't run as far as you would like in the beginning. It will come. Trust in it, relax and give yourself time.

Rhythm. It is easier to run when you adjust to a certain rhythm. This rhythm is yours and you have to find it yourself (remember: it is slow in the beginning). Music might help you to adjust your steps to a certain rhythm. I actually never listened to music when I ran but used the sound my feet made when hitting the ground as my rhythm. This worked well most of the time.

No matter the weather! You are more independent of the weather when you are running than you might think! I have been running in the cold, in snowfall, in pouring rain, in fog and in gusts of wind, and it didn't matter to me. I am heating up fast when I am running, so the first 10 minutes are not so pleasant but after that it is great to look at the "bad weather" and feel warm and cosy by my own body heat.

Strength. I felt regularly how I got stronger in my feet and in my legs and I even see it in the leg muscles. That is a great feeling!

Diversity. I learnt about myself that I am very bad at running the same route many times. I just get so bored and feel tired and exhausted after a little while. However, when I change the route often and when I choose ways which offer a wide beautiful view then I am running much longer and often faster than I would have imagined! The good thing about Iceland is that there are wide beautiful views almost everywhere.

Alternating. When I am not in the mood for running I go on little mountain hikes. It improves the stamina just as well as running and makes life much more interesting than running monotonously.

Believing. In the beginning I thought "Running for 10 km? Never, I can't even do 5 without feeling exhausted." Wrong! I did 10 km in the Reykjavik marathon and it wasn't a big problem. So I guess the same goes for 21 km ... or even 42 km?

No matter the weather! Running in pouring rain and 2°C in Húsafell.

Reykjavik marathon

When I am not working, hiking or knitting I run marathons.
...
Just kidding, I never ran any race. Until yesterday when I ran 10 km in the Reykjavik marathon. I have been planning this since March but I was not sure if it would come true. Until August when I signed up for it. I have been running more or less regularly since March starting with running in slow pace for 25 minutes and now I can run longer than one hour feeling good.
The Reykjavik marathon is the biggest sports event of Iceland and takes place in August every year. There are several distances: a full marathon (42.2 km), half marathon (21.1 km), 10 km, 3 km and shorter distances for little children. This year around 14.000 people had signed up for it and alone in the 10 km race were over 6.000 people competing. Quite a big event!

Reykjavik marathon 2013 (www.visir.is).

Many famous Icelandic persons are taking part in the run and promoting the races to encourage people to take part in it. This is for example Pétur Jóhann Sigfússon, a popular and funny actor doing the main advertisements for the races and taking part in the half marathon:

Pétur Jóhann after finishing the half marathon (www.visir.is).

It was possible to run for a broad range of charities and after thinking a little bit I decided to run for the birds of Iceland collecting money for them. And I managed to gather 6000 Icelandic kronas (almost 40 EUR)! Thank you so much, dear contributors!

Having gathered 6000 ISK for the birds of Iceland.

The 10 km race started at 9:35, so we had to leave early in the morning from Húsafell (it is a 1.5 hours drive to Reykjavik). The weather was very rainy and foggy and I was thinking that I will freeze my ass off in the marathon T-Shirt and the thin trousers. (No need to worry about that, I found out later, when I was running and heating up a lot.) The participants in the races were supposed to pick up their race material (T-Shirt, number, time measurement chip, information booklet) the day before and Gauti's aunt was so sweet to do this for me because we live so far away from Reykjavik. She was taking part in the race herself and treated us with a good runner's breakfast with toast, cheese, bananas, apples and juice. When we went into the city the streets were crowded with cars trying to find a parking space and runners in vibrant neon-coloured shoes. And I was getting so excited! Everybody looked so professional in their tight neon-coloured clothes, headbands, heart rate watches, and belts with tiny water bottles around the hips - and here I came with some thin hiking trousers and socks pulled over the trouser's legs, my pink hat which I wear all the time everywhere, and one half-bloody shoe (from a former run accident where I had hit my little toe on a stone). But nonetheless, the exciting happy atmosphere was very contagious and the excitement made butterflies dance around in the stomach and made my legs and arms tickly and I couldn't wait to start the race! There was music in the start area, happy chatter and laughter, lots of children and volunteers holding big coloured signs with numbers between 40 and 65. Those were the times we estimated to finish the run. Running 10 km in less than 40 minutes is a very very good timing. I knew a bit of my personal times from my training but honestly, I had never run 10 km before and no real idea how much time I would need for it, so I joined the "60-65 minutes" group deciding that this would be a good timing for the very first 10 km race. (And I am a slow runner.)

Me at the 60-65 minutes time estimate mark.

Then all of a sudden there was a shot in the air and the race started and the whole big crowd around started moving. Walking actually, because we were 3 minutes away from the start mark and were walking slowly towards it, the runners in front us were starting to run and I was dancing on my feet because of excitement.

Walking/dancing towards the start mark.

And then the start mark was above us and everybody started running at once, chatting and laughing and waving. It was just great! All of a sudden there was a propeller plane coming from behind flying low over us (landing on the nearby Reykjavik airport) and I was so tickly in my body because of this exciting atmosphere that I started to run faster and faster. ... Until I reminded myself that I had to run 10 km and not waste my energy within the first two km. We were moving as a big mass through Reykjavik and everybody was chatting and laughing ... until the first km mark. Then it became a bit more silent people saving their breath for running and at the second km mark it was quiet apart from the many feet hitting the ground and the breathing of people. We were running through some residential areas and people were standing with their kids in front of their houses cheering for us, clapping their hands, playing music and using big metal candy boxes and wooden spoons as drums. Children were reaching out their little hands exchanging high fives with us runners. The course continued along the coastline giving view on the grey Atlantic ocean. It started raining and the wind blew waves of tiny drops into our faces. Running running running. I kept a rather slow pace for seven kilometres, grapping some water at km number 4. At km number 8 they offered us more water and energy drinks. I usually dislike energy drinks because of their crazily sweet and artifical taste but I was curious if it would feel any different after running 8 km. ... It was. It tasted good. I threw the cup on the street and started gaining speed. The ballons with the "60-65 minutes mark" were at least half a kilometre in front of me and I was zig-zagging between people and overtaking in order to reach the white balloons. 9 km mark! I gained more speed and reached the 65 minutes balloon around 200 metres in front of the finish line overtaking them and running through the finish line with arms raised into the air!

Crossing the finish line with arms raised in the air.

My timing was 1 hour, 4 minutes and 2 seconds which I think is good for the very first 10 km race. They gave all of us who had finished the races medals. This is mine:

Finished the 10 km race and proud of my medal.

Later on when we took a little walk on Reykjavik's shopping street Laugavegur we did a little photo experiment: Icelandic Christmas Lads meet Reykjavik marathon runner. :)

Icelandic Christmas Lads meet Reykjavik marathon runner.

And I do not have more to say than: Great run, great day!

TV socks

For my birthday in May I got two books filled with knitting patterns of socks and hats and mittens - a loooovely present! I already finished several pairs of socks, mittens and hats (I don't always stick to the patterns in the book but use them sometimes as a source of inspiration). But I sticked carefully to a pattern called "sjónvarpssokkar" (TV socks), a rather old and simple sock pattern. Actually I am not sure if they originated in Iceland or in Denmark but the idea is to keep the feet warm while sitting on the sofa and watching TV. The book suggested to use three strands of unspun lopi (which is the name of the unspun wool which is sold here in Iceland), so the socks became rather bulky and keep the feet very warm. Perfect indoor socks during the cold season! It is not always so easy though to knit with unspun wool since the yarn is rupturing so easily and so often ...

The pattern works different than most sock patterns: first a cloth is knitted using almost only knit stitches enlarging the part of heel a bit. Then the cloth is sewn together at its long ends and voilá, it becomes a sock.

Sjónvarpssokkar (TV socks)

Easy to knit interesting project. But probably it would get a bit boring to knit really many of them. 
They are a present for Gauti´s mom, by the way.

The tongue, the ostrich and the goat's mountain

Iceland has countless mountains and many of them have quite interesting names ... 
One of the easiest walkable and yet most beautiful mountains in the Húsafell area is Mt. Tunga (tongue). It is a rather flat and long mountain and at its Western end are two rivers confluecing, hence it carries the name tongue. It is a really good destination for evening hikes in the summer time, especially around sundown. The view is wonderful (three glaciers, a part of the highlands, a huge lava field, the Húsafell forest and the upper part of the Borgarfjörður fjord) and the declining sun bathes both landscape and the sky in beautiful yellow, orange and red colours. We were hiking up Tunga in the beginning of July and walked it up again some days ago. Gauti took some really good panorama picture and here it is:

Panorama from Mt. Tunga.

The panorama shows (from left to right):
Mt. Strútur (the ostriche). Really nice view from it. I was up there two years ago and Gauti and I want to hike it up again when we both have the same day off and the weather is calm and clear.
Eíriksjökull, the glacier of Eirik the viking. I have the (crazy?) idea in the back of my mind to hike this one up one day.
Hafrafell (male goat's mountain). Gauti and I plan to walk this one up some time.
Langjökull (long glacier), second biggest glacier of Iceland. I have been up there several times and it is gorgeous to be up there (but the weather can be very different in different parts of the glacier ...).
Mountain road Kaldidalur in the foreground. Closed for the longest part of the year. Possible to drive it with a normal car if you take care of the holes and the water and don't tell the car rentals or the person you rented the car from ... We did it once with the car of Gauti's family and decided to tell them afterwards. :)

Knitting labels

A new try to sell my selv-designed hats and gloves: Snorri gave me permission to put them into the shelf of his little shop at the waterfalls Hraunfossar. They are lying there now and I am sitting in the shop working a sunday afternoon for Snorri and I got some time to make knitting labels giving a bit of information about my knitting wear.

Knitting labels in progress.

 However, if you have ideas for changes or improvements (or correct my English) don't hesitate to tell me! I am going to print the labels tomorrow.

Oh, and by the way, here is a picture of Hraunfossar where the shop is. They are translated as the "lava waterfalls" because they arise from under a big lava field. Quite beautiful work place, isn't it?

Hraunfossar. The picture was taken in the beginning of August when a lot of melted glacier water was colouring the river grey.

Luckless at the farmer's market

Close to the village Reykholt is a little farmer's market hold every two weeks during the summer. I was invited by Gauti's family to try to sell some of my knitting work there. I knit a lot and started to design my own patterns this summer. Sometimes I am completely taken up by designing patterns, sometimes it is like an obsession. Usually I go out and take pictures of plants and birds or take in some leaves and use Excel to create a kind of "pixle pattern" out of them. The picture shows the three hats and the two pairs of gloves I was trying to sell. The green hat (a children's hat) has the Golden Plover on it, the red one white dryas flowers and the black one downy birch trees. The pairs of gloves have a simply white dryas pattern and the downy birch pattern in autumn colours on them. They were between 3.000 and 3.500 Icelandic kronas (20-25 Euros). Maybe too much?

My knitted hats and gloves with selv-designed patterns.

So this is not much to sell yet but I am knitting more at the moment. I was pretty luckless at the farmer's market today, I didn't sell anything. Gauti's mom said it would be good to get a bigger collection people can rummage in, having both children's and adult wear, socks, shawls, fillets, and so on. That is probably true. But I think I did not have the right customers. Mostly there were women coming in wearing beautiful Icelandic pullovers and shawls which they probably knitted themselves. No need for some more knitting wear of course!
Maybe it is best to try to sell to tourists coming to Iceland. I don't know. Maybe it might be good as well to knit some small things which can be sold on little money. Let's see. Maybe I will be more lucky the next time or in another place ... Or maybe I should try to sell the patterns themselves ...?