Month: January 2023

Weekly Run Down: January 9-15, 2023

Happy Sunday everyone!  It was rough going back to work this week.  I couldn’t get up on Monday morning, my runs were OK, and I missed one day of running.  

I was behind (about one week) on reading and responding to blog comments.  Yesterday I finished reading and this morning I responded to the comments.  I may be late but I try very hard to read all posts and respond to the comments.

Here is how my week went:

January 9-15

Monday: Rest day.  I didn’t sleep well Sunday night and was up for about 3 hours after I thought I was tired and went to bed.  I could barely get up in the morning.  I also struggled at work and could barely wait to get home.  Once home I was too tired to even nap.  How is that possible?  I even did a Peloton Meditation class and while it helped me relax, I couldn’t sleep.

Lola was not happy I went back to work.  She missed me.

Tuesday: Ran 3.23 miles.  A good run.  I am not going to compare myself to other people – only to myself.  I like to see improvements.  That is what happened on Tuesday.  I did the same workout as the week before and ended up with one minute faster average pace.  I am still doing 5:1 run/walk and my fastest interval was 11:14 and the slowest 12:04.

I earned this badge.

Wednesday: Ran 3.49 miles.  A semi-good run.  I had to run 4 miles but ended up less than that.  I felt tired and didn’t have it in me to finish 4 miles.   I also got positive splits so there’s that.  Oh well.

Remember how last school year I had a student that would give me lots of trouble with his behavior?  One of my students this year is beginning to act up as well.  He doesn’t want to do the work I give him and starts to whine when he doesn’t get his way.  He didn’t want to leave the classroom to go to lunch and I had to call the office for help.  Then later in the day, it was like nothing had happened.

Thursday:  Did not run.  I rarely have stomach problems, but this morning I went to the bathroom plenty of times because something felt off.    

In school, we had to give the ACCESS test (it measures student proficiency in the four domains of English language development: speaking, listening, reading, and writing) to our students.  Unfortunately, we had many Internet problems so we had to postpone it to the next day.  It was an eye-opener because we rely so much on technology.  I was running out of things to do because a lot of my stuff is online.

Friday: Rest day.  I was cold and tired.  I didn’t have it in me to go outside for a walk.

Saturday: Ran 6.02 miles.  A good run.  Not too cold or windy.  These three classes were fun.  I like Jess and Robin a lot and I love 80s music.  One of the songs in Jess’s class was “The Sign”.  She made me laugh when she said “I saw the sign.  It said ‘MOVE!'” Too funny! 

Sunday:  Rest day.  It is almost 1 pm as I am typing this post and I am still in pajamas.  Nothing wrong with it, right?  I was invited to a Pampered Chef party but decided not to go.  Sometimes I don’t want to leave the house.  I may take a walk or bike class in the afternoon.  Or maybe both.  Or stay in pajamas.

I wish I could say it was another good week of walking and running, but I know not all weeks will be great weeks.  I am keeping up with my goal of taking a Peloton class every day.  On the days I don’t do a walking or running class, I do a meditation class with Cody.  I do like them!  The classes still count toward my goal.  😀

TOTAL:
Running: 12.74
Walking: 0
Cycling: 0

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

Weekly Run Down.jpg

 

Fit Five Friday: 5 things that motivate me

This week’s Fit Five Friday topic: 5 things that motivate you.  You can write about this topic or any fitness-related post.  We’ve got FIVE incredible co-hosts My First 5K and MoreRunning With AttitudeRun Laugh Eat PieRuns with Pugs, and Zenaida so be sure to link up with us. 

Happy Friday!  I am so happy it is Friday.  It would be even better if it was also payday.  Oh well, at least I am off on Monday.  I am taking Tuesday off to take my mother to the doctor so next week will be a short work week.  

Let me tell you about some of the things that motivate me:

🌟 Having to follow a schedule.  I like to know what I am doing for the week or for two, three, etc. weeks.  There is something about having it visible that gets me excited.

🌟 Gear and weather.  I like my gear to be nice and comfortable.  In the warmer weather, I love running in a short sleeve top and shorts.  During the colder weather, I prefer to wear less bulky clothes.  We’ve had some decent weather for January, making it much more enjoyable for me to get out for a run.

🌟 A goal.  It can be a race, a PR, a specific number of classes/miles, etc.  That is something that will also get me up and training in the morning during the hot days of Summer and the cold days of Winter.

🌟 Be healthy and active.  I turned 50 not too long ago and intend on being around for a few more decades.  I am hoping I can retire in 10-12 years and want to enjoy my retirement.  I have worked too hard not to enjoy it.

🌟 Fun workouts.  I enjoy running and look forward to it.  I’ve worked with many wonderful coaches and have been excited and looked forward to my workouts.  Some may have seemed daunting to me but coaches know what is best for me and I’ve had to let go of my fear and trust them.

 Topic for next week – 5 struggles you face reaching your fitness goals.  Feel free to write about this topic or any fitness-related topic.  We hope you’ll link up with us!

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Tuesday Topics: My Winter 2023 running plans

This week’s Tuesday Topic:  What are your Winter running plans and/or race schedule?  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! 

❄️ Be consistent with running.  I am following Hal Higdon: Half Marathon Novice 2 Plan.  I run 4 days a week and I like it.  I do think I could have done his Intermediate 1 Plan but decided to play it safe.  I’ll see how I am feeling after week 6 and then see if I want to move up to the other plan.

❄️ Continue to use the Peloton bike.  I guess I should clarify and say begin instead of continue.  I haven’t taken a bike class this year.  

❄️ Run the NYC Half Marathon, the Bank of America Shamrock Shuffle, and the Cherry Blossom 10 Mile. So technically they do not take place in the Winter but I am adding them here anyway.

❄️ Continue walking.  It isn’t so bad.  I am liking them more than I thought I would.  Did you know that I’ve done a few times the Breast Cancer 3-Day Walk?  Yep, I walked for 3 days to raise money for breast cancer.  This was before I became a runner.

❄️ Stretch and foam roll.  I will admit that I am not doing it as often as I should, but I am starting little by little.  I bought a thick exercise mat at Aldi’s and have been using it to foam roll.  It hurts but also feels good.  I have noticed a difference in my plantar fasciitis, it isn’t as painful as before.

Topic for next week – What’s your plan to achieve your 2023 goals?  Feel free to write about this topic or any running-related topic.  We hope you’ll link up with us!

Tuesday Topics

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Weekly Run Down: Still running and 7 days of Peloton activities

How is it already Sunday?  This past week did go by fast.  I go back to work tomorrow but am not ready.  I still haven’t done my lesson plans, but how can I when I was on break.  Hopefully I can leave work at 3pm.  Balance, right? 

Here is how my week went.

January 2-8

Monday: Walked 2.63 miles.  My sister and niece came over and we made green pozole.  Not as difficult as I thought it would be.  It does taste different than white pozole and I prefer that one.

Tuesday: Ran 3.04 miles.  A good run.  My runs on Tuesdays and Thursday are 3 easy miles which I like. 

Later in the day I met up with a coworker for lunch.  It felt good to talk, laugh, drink, and eat!

Wednesday: Ran 3.05 miles.  I ran this with each mile faster than the previous one.  I did this a bunch of times with my previous coach.  However, I had no business doing this at the paces that were already set on Garmin Connect.  My first mile was to be done between 11:45-12:15.  That was too fast for me.  I did good though but it was still tough (average pace was 12:16).  I know for next time I will start slower.

I took a fun Peloton class with Matty.  I liked the playlist and enjoyed a song by Ace of Base.  I don’t remember it at all but now have added it to my Amazon playlist.

Thursday: Ran 3.04 miles.  Same workout as Tuesday.  Managed to run it faster. 

In the afternoon I was supposed to meet up with a former worker but felt really tired and stayed home.  I finished reading “Come Fly The World”.  One book down and 11 to go.  I already began reading my next book.

Friday: Walked 1.76 miles.  It was cold that morning.  I am enjoying my walks but need to do better about my gear.  I cannot wear the same thing I do for running.  Another option is to walk faster.

Saturday: Ran 5.11 miles.  I was up late on Friday and it was hard to get out in the morning.  It was in the 30s but minimal wind.  That is how I like it for Winter.  

Sunday: Walked 3.27 miles.  It was ideal walking weather, low 30s with minimal wind.  It also could have been because I was wearing a warmer jacket.

It was a good week of walking and running.  One of my goals is to do a Peloton activity everyday.  There are so many options.  This week I did either a running or walking class.  I haven’t taken a bike class but need to figure out when to add that to my training schedule.  Something else I need to add is strength training but not sure when to do that.

TOTAL:
Running: 14.24
Walking: 7.66
Cycling: 0

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

Weekly Run Down.jpg

 

Fit Five Friday and January 2023 Ultimate Coffee Date

Yay for 2023 and for the first edition of the Ultimate Coffee Date hosted by Coco and Deborah.  It’s also time for another edition of Fit Five Friday hosted by My First 5K and MoreRunning With AttitudeRun Laugh Eat PieRuns with Pugs, and me!  Let’s get started, shall we?

I am excited about this year.  I have a new word for 2023.  I will be traveling to NYC and Washington, DC for two races.  Once I have more information about another summer school program, I will make plans to travel to Mexico.  Finally, a project that I listed in DonorsChoose got funded at the end of December.  

There is more to tell.  So grab a mug of your favorite beverage and let’s chat for a bit!

If we were having coffee…
I’d tell you that I am a bit sad that today is my last day of Winter Break.  I enjoyed it.  I wrote a post of things I was looking forward to and I did all but 1 (to write a few blog posts).  However, Kim and I finalized our topics for Tuesday Topics and the Fit Five Friday team also put together a list of topics.

If we were having coffee…
I’d tell you that even though I just mentioned I am sad about Winter Break being over, I am looking forward to getting back to my school routine.  A teeny tiny part of me also missed my 2nd graders.  We have a bunch of assessments to do in January so it will be a busy month for us.  I will have snacks and words of support and encouragement for them.  It is all about the food.  🤣

If we were having coffee…
I’d tell you that I signed up for my third race this year – the Bank of America Shamrock Shuffle 8k.  You know it is one of my favorite races.  I took it as a sign to finally sign up when I received an email encouraging me to sign up for $45.  It was $5 less than the regular price but still that was my sign.

If we were having coffee…
I’d tell you that my mom turns 80 this year and we are planning a BIG celebration for her in September.  She has a big family so it will be fun to have many family members together and celebrate.  It won’t be a surprise party since she was at the kitchen table when a few of us were talking about it.

If we were having coffee…
I’d tell you that I finished reading “Landslide” and “Come Fly the World”.  I liked the latter much more than the first one.  My next book is “Crying in H Mart”.  I love to read.  Like running, reading is my alone and me time.  It saddens me to see that many kids do not know how to read or don’t like to read. 

Topic for next week’s Fit Fit Friday – 5 things that motivate you.  Feel free to write about this topic or any fitness topic you’d like.  We hope you’ll link up with us!

 

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