April 2021 – Page 2 – Zenaida Arroyo

18
Apr
2021

Weekly Run Down: Ask and it will be given to you and cat pictures

categories: Running, Weekly Recap, Weekly Run Down

Hard to believe it is Sunday again! This week definitely went by fast. Work wise it was exhausting. I come home and I am mentally exhausted. I am trying very hard to be patient and stay positive. I know everyone is struggling but it is just so hard right now.

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This was another another great week of running. Let me tell you all about it. I had 4 days of recovery/easy runs and 3 days of speed workouts. I enjoyed them again!

This week’s workouts were the same as last week but my coach had me run an extra interval and mile. On Tuesday I ran for 3 miles, then did 5 surges each lasting 30 seconds and recovering 1 minute after each surge, then running easy till I hit 4 miles. I felt really good again. I asked my coach if I was going to do 6 surges next week. He told me no and that next week it will still be 4 surges and each will be for 45 seconds.

Another fun workout I did on Thursday was run four 1/4 mile intervals at a target pace with 1/4 mile recovery. My coach asked me to do them in in 11:15-11:30, 11:00-11:15, 10:45-11:00, and 10:30-10:45. I was flying! I ran them in 10:28, 9:58, 9:37 and 9:02.

Saturday was 7 miles with six 90 second intervals with a 90 second recovery (one in each mile). The interval and the recovery is about 1/4 mile so then I run easy for 3/4 mile before doing it again. I also enjoyed this workout and would definitely do it again. I have a feeling next week I will be doing 8 miles with 7 intervals.

Another week and I am very happy with all of my runs. I also did 4 bike classes with Cody, Jenn, and Robin. The classes I enjoy the most are those with 80s music. I wished there was a way to pick classes with that specific type of music.

I didn’t take any pictures during my runs so I have nothing to post here. But I did take some of my cats. I know Jenn likes my cat pictures. 🙂

Linking up with Kim and Deborah for the Weekly Run Down.

16
Apr
2021

Fit Five Friday: 5 things I am looking forward to this Summer

categories: Fit Five Friday

Spring is here and Summer is two months away. I know I am ahead here but thinking about Summer gets me excited because Summer means the end of the school year. Yesterday was just awful. No matter what I did, nothing seemed to be going right. I know everyone is tired but I really need this school year to be over.

Anyway, let’s talk about Summer. It isn’t my favorite season for running, but I don’t hate it anyway.

🌞 End of the school year – It has been an awful year. It has been my worst year of teaching. Part of it is the number of students I have but also the expectations from administrators. Tests, tests, and tests. Oh, and let’s not forget teaching the curriculum and the priority standards. Oh, and make sure we give grades each quarter. It makes no sense. It is really hard to accurately assess the students. By the way, my last day is June 9th. I know technically it isn’t Summer but it still counts. Also, I will be teaching summer school but at least it will be with different students and curriculum.

🌞 Running in shorts and short sleeve shirt – I wrote the same thing in my post about Spring. I love running in shorts. I dislike running in tights with a long sleeve shirt AND a jacket. The less the better. It gets me in a better mood and more motivated to run. Gotta keep going with my run streak! Today is day #231.

🌞 Reading more books – I love to read! I am excited to sit out in the balcony or on the sofa with a glass (or two) of wine. Please send me your book recommendations.

🌞 Spending more time with mom – I feel so lucky that I still have my mom. While sometimes it is so hard to take care of an elderly person, my sisters and I are doing the best we can. Depending on how things are with the pandemic, we will either spend HOURS on the balcony listening to music and talking or hopefully visiting family. I would love to take her on a short getaway.

🌞 Relax and maybe sleep in – Many days I want to do “nothing”. Well, what I mean by that is sitting on the sofa while I read or watch TV (so many shows to watch). I know in the Summer I have to run early in the morning to avoid the heat. However, there are some days when I am so tired and just want to stay in bed and catch up on sleep. If that happens then I will just run in the evening.

What are you looking forward to this summer? Any summer plans?

Thanks for linking up with us again this week! We’ve got FIVE incredible co-hosts, and we are ready to link up every Friday to share YOUR weekly fitness favorites! Join hosts My First 5K and More, Running With Attitude, Run Laugh Eat Pie, Runs with Pugs, and Zenaida every Friday for Fit Five Friday! Please add your link below.

13
Apr
2021

Tuesday Topics: Listening to podcasts while running

categories: Tuesday Topics

This week’s Tuesday Topic is: Do you listen to podcasts while running? List some of your favorite ones. You can write about this topic or feel free to post any running related blog post. Remember to link up with Kim and Zenaida! Visit at least two of the other linked posts – the more the merrier! Remember to come back for later linkers!

I have mentioned before that I am not a fan of podcasts. I prefer to listen to music while running. Give me some Spanish songs and 80s and 90s fun music and I am happy. I tried listening to the audiobook “A Promised Land” and just could not get into it while running. I even tried listening to it while driving but got distracted. Yeah, not good while driving. 😬

One day Darlene told me about a podcast with Matty Maggiacomo. He is one of my favorite Peloton instructors. You bet I listened to it on my way to work. I enjoyed it a lot and it was not distracting at all. I found myself laughing and wishing that one day I could meet him.

I am still not listening to podcasts while running, but instead listen to them in the evening and sometimes in the car. Here is what is on my list.

🎧 The Michelle Obama Podcast – What is not to like about her? I have read her book and watched her documentary on Netflix. She is the type of person I would love to sit down and talk while enjoying a cup of coffee or a glass of wine.

🎧 Contrapoder, con Jorge Ramos – He is a well known and respected Mexican journalist. My mom and I watch his show (Al Punto con Jorge Ramos) every Sunday morning. Each episode covers the latest news and many controversial topics. There is something about his voice. I like it. I also like that they’re in Spanish so my mother can listen to it.

Do you listen to podcasts? What else should I add to my list?

Tuesday Topics

11
Apr
2021

Weekly Run Down: Two months to go and great runs this week

categories: Running, Weekly Recap, Weekly Run Down

Happy Sunday. I am excited with how this week went. I had 4 recovery runs and 3 days of different workouts.

I was off on Monday and it felt good to be off. It was a beautiful day. Tuesday was awful because it was a professional development day. Yep, from 8am-1:30pm I listened to a speaker about who knows what. Honestly I was too annoyed to even pay attention. I have two months to go at school and seriously the last thing I want to do is learn something new. The good thing is that at least I did not have to go to school but instead worked from home.

A fun workout I did on Tuesday was running for 2 miles, then 4 surges each lasting 30 seconds and recovering 1 minute after each surge, then running easy till I hit 3.5 miles. I felt really good and told my coach that I could have done more intervals. I am sure he is going to do that for the next workout. Tuesday was a gorgeous day and after my PD I went outside to the balcony to read and enjoy some wine. I didn’t finish the book that day, but I finished it this week. Who else has read it? Let’s discuss!

Another fun workout I did was running three 1/4 mile intervals at a target pace with 1/4 mile recovery. My coach asked me to do the first two in 11:00-11:15 and the last one in 10:45-11:00. I don’t know what happened but I felt good and ran them faster in 10:32, 10:16, and 9:39. Finally I am seeing some numbers that I like (again)!

Saturday was 6 miles with five 90 second intervals with a 90 second recovery (one in each mile). The interval and the recovery ended up being about .25 mile so I ran easy for .75 mile before doing it again. I also enjoyed this workout and would definitely do it again. My paces for the intervals were 9:52, 9:46, 9:04, 8:35, and 8:53. My coach told me that I crushed it! 😊

I am very happy with all of my runs this week. The weather was great. I ran in shorts and felt awesome. Bitmoji Image

Linking up with Kim and Deborah for the Weekly Run Down.

09
Apr
2021

Fit Five Friday: 5 things I am loving

categories: Fit Five Friday

Hello there! I cannot believe it is already Friday. Have I told you that it is my favorite day of the week? Yep, usually by Friday I am excited and I look forward to the weekend.

For today’s post I’m sharing 5 things I am loving.

🌟 Sport Suds Sport Detergent – I found out about this detergent from Wendy. I have tried a few other brands, but this one is my favorite. I sweat a lot on my runs and my clothes are always soaked with sweat. I use it each week and I love how my running clothes always smell clean. This detergent is hypoallergenic, non-toxic, fragrance free and free from bleach, parabens, harsh sulfates and other questionable ingredients.

🌟 Colossal Pedicure Foot File – I get really bad callus on my right foot. This foot file removes it all and I end up with soft and smooth feet. Sometimes I also use it on my heel. But be careful, it is sharp, and if you rub too hard, then you will remove more skin than you’d like.

🌟 ChomChom Roller Limited Edition Cat – My coworker told me about this and she heard about it on TikTok. As a cat owner I have bought several rollers/brushes to remove the hair from my bed and sofa. Don’t laugh but it does work. My cats love to sleep on my bed and I have to clean it every single day. It is easy to use and it doesn’t use any batteries.

🌟 CRZ YOGA Women’s Stretch Lounge Pants – I’ve been eyeing these type of pants but didn’t have the guts to wear them. I felt they were too short. They’re actually not that short and I like wearing them with a pair of Tieks. It is a great look and perfect for work! They have an elastic waist and the fabric is soft and does not wrinkle. They also come in other colors such as navy and savannah (reddish).

🌟 BURST Sonic Toothbrush – I think I found out about this toothbrush from an ad on Facebook or Instagram? I know, I know, that I have been complaining about them in previous posts. Well, I do not regret buying this toothbrush at all. The toothbrush has three cleaning modes – whitening, sensitive and massage, 2 minute timer (30 second intervals) and a long lasting battery. I get a new brush head every 3 months (free delivery) and the toothbrush comes with a lifetime warranty.

Thanks for linking up with us again this week! We’ve got FIVE incredible co-hosts, and we are ready to link up every Friday to share YOUR weekly fitness favorites! Join hosts My First 5K and More, Running With Attitude, Run Laugh Eat Pie, Runs with Pugs, and Zenaida every Friday for Fit Five Friday! Please add your link below.

Month: April 2021