Zenaida Arroyo

02
May
2025

Fit Five Friday and May 2025 Ultimate Coffee Date

Welcome to the May 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 More, Running with Attitude, Run Laugh Eat Pie, Runs with Pugs, and me!

Now, grab a mug of your favorite beverage, and let’s chat!

If we were having coffee…
I’d tell you my last day of school is 3 weeks away! I will not stop talking about this until May 23rd. I am literally burned out and do not want to go to work anymore. Many of my students are out of control and don’t care to do the work. I get it. We are all tired. I also need to clean and pack up the things in my classroom. Sometimes I want to take off the rest of the school year.

If we were having coffee…
I’d tell you that today we receive our assignment letters. These letters let us know where we will be teaching next year. Earlier this year I told my Principal that I would like to stay at my current school teaching the same grade. I also told her that if she needs to move me, to please not move me to another grade, but instead to move me to another school. I think 2nd grade is THE grade for me that I would like to teach until I retire.

If we were having coffee…
I’d ask you why is it so difficult to schedule doctor appointments? I went for a mammogram at the end of March. Based on the results, I have to go back for another mammogram and an ultrasound. I go to Loyola and while there are many options available, I chose the one closet to me. Well, the next availability wasn’t till the end of May. Then somehow that appointment was cancelled. When I called again, the next opening was in August. I was almost in tears. I asked to have someone call me from another location to schedule an earlier one. Sure enough the next day someone called me. There is an opening for May 6th in the afternoon but in a different location. Yes, schedule it for me! She even told me that August was too far out for a mammogram.

If we were having coffee…
I’d tell you that when I scheduled my mammogram, I also made an appointment to see a dermatologist. My appointment is for July 2026! Yes, 2026!!! While this doctor isn’t urgent like a mammogram appointment, I still want to see one because I have tinea versicolor. I saw a dermatologist years ago in a different hospital and was prescribed lotion for it and that helped.

If we were having coffee…
I’d tell you that starting again to run is hard. I was doing intervals of 1 minute running and 1 minute of walking. Total of 19 minutes. Then somehow my Garmin watch didn’t sync properly yesterday and I did 1 1/2 minute of running and 1 minute of walking (those runs were scheduled for next week). Whew! That felt tough. And I wasn’t even running fast. I guess that is the price I pay for skipping months of running.

I hope May is a wonderful month for everyone!

The topic for next week’s Fit Fit Friday – 5 Training Tips for Running Moms. Feel free to write about this or any fitness topic you’d like. We hope you’ll link up with us!

29
Apr
2025

Tuesday Topics: April 2025 in Review

categories: Monthly Review, Tuesday Topics

Happy Tuesday! This week’s Tuesday Topic is a FREE topic. Feel free to post any running-related blog post. Remember to link up with Jenn and Zenaida! Visit at least two of the other linked posts – the more the merrier! Remember to come back for later linkers!

Let me tell you how April went for me:

Mileage: I started running again! Prior to this, my last run was on January 2nd. I didn’t feel like running in the snow/cold weather, so I didn’t. While it is Spring here, we still have our chilly days now, but at least it isn’t cold anymore. This month I ran 15.77 and walked 5.27 miles. It isn’t much, but I am slowly getting back to it.

Run the Year 2025: I signed up to run and walk 2,025 miles this year. I don’t know how many miles I’ve completed and won’t check for a few months. I know the number is really low. I will check once I’ve been running and walking consistently.

Current Book: I finished reading “What the Fireflies Knew” and am currently reading “The School for Good Mothers”. The latter book – WOW! I am not a mother and the things I am reading in the book make me scratch my head.

Injuries: None. However, I was a little stiff when I started running again. I am doing run/walk intervals.

Races: None.

Health: For the most part I am feeling OK. I’ve lost a couple of pounds, but still have a way to go.

I had some blood work done through Inside Tracker. I was worried about my HbA1c, but it came back normal. Cholesterol levels (LDL, total cholesterol, triglycerides) are high, but they’re a little lower than from the last time I was tested in December. Baby steps.

School: It is the same song here. I am counting down till the last day of school! We have 18 days to go

What I am looking forward to next month: The last day of school!

The topic for next week – Mother’s Day gift guide (mom, sister, friend, etc). Feel free to write about this or any running-related topic. We hope you’ll link up with us!

22
Apr
2025

Tuesday Topics: Five Tuesday Prompts, Part 4

categories: Prompts, Tuesday Topics

Happy Tuesday! Thank you for joining me and Jenn for another edition of Tuesday Topics. Remember to link up with us! Visit at least two of the other linked posts – the more the merrier! Don’t forget to come back for later linkers!

Here is another post with some interesting prompts in the Jetpack app. Ready?

• If you could be someone else for a day, who would you be, and why? I would like to be the School Superintendent. There are many days that I do not understand the decisions he makes. I know it isn’t an easy job, but I think it will help me understand his decision-making.

• Where would you go on a shopping spree? Menards and Marshalls! They’ve been my favorite stores since January. I know I didn’t mention this before, but the reason I haven’t unpacked all of my boxes is because I am doing some renovations in the basement and there is no room for the boxes. The renovation is about 80% done. Anyway, right now almost all of my purchases have come from both stores. I’ve had to buy almost everything new since a lot of stuff I had before was already old.

• If you could have something named after you, what would it be? A school. Though sometimes I wonder if it will be a cool name for a school. My name not common and hard to pronounce.

• What are you most worried about for the future? I know there are bigger problems out there right now, but I will be selfish and think about me right now. I worry about what is going to happen to me when I am older and cannot take care of myself. As you know, my sisters and I take care of my mom. It is a lot of work – mostly mental.

• If you could host a dinner and anyone you invite was sure to come, who would you invite? I would invite Barack and Michelle Obama, Des Linden and Kara Goucher. The first two might not come, but if I promise them a delicious home-cooked Mexican meal, then hopefully they would come.

Next week is a FREE topic. Feel free to write about any running-related topic. We hope you’ll link up with us!

15
Apr
2025

Tuesday Topics: Running in the rain

categories: Tuesday Topics

Happy Tuesday! Thank you for joining me and Jenn for another edition of Tuesday Topics. Remember to link up with us! Visit at least two of the other linked posts – the more the merrier! Don’t forget to come back for later linkers!

I have a love/hate relationship with running in the rain. I don’t mind it when it is hot and the rain cools me down. However, on a cold day, I don’t want anything else cold touching my body.

I have skipped a run just because it was raining. Add in lightning and thunder and for sure I will skip it too.

For those runs in the rain, I make sure to wear the following.

• Waterproof or water resistant jacket. I have several and a few that are insulated.

• Moisture-wicking clothes. I learned the hard way to never wear cotton on a run.

• Hat with a brim. I need to see where I am going so this hat protects from eyes from the rain.

• Gloves. To keep my hands warm.

• Anti-chafing balm. I chafed so bad when I ran the RnR Nashville Half Marathon. It rained throughout the entire race. I didn’t realize I had chafed until I was in the shower.

The topic for next week – Are spring allergies affecting your running? How are you dealing with it? Feel free to write about this or any running-related topic. We hope you’ll link up with us!

11
Apr
2025

Fit Five Friday: Things I look for in my running shoes

categories: Fit Five Friday

Happy Friday!

We’ve got FIVE incredible co-hosts My First 5K and More, Running With Attitude, Run Laugh Eat Pie, Runs with Pugs, and me for another Fit Five Friday link-up!

It’s no secret that I run in Brooks shoes. They’re my favorite. I’ve been running in them for many years. I’ve also run in Asics, Nike, and Mizuno. Right now my favorite Brooks shoes are the Launch and the Ghost.

When I started running I didn’t get fitted for shoes. I bought a pair of shoes (and now cannot remember the brand, but it wasn’t any of the ones I mentioned above). When I began training for the marathon, I went to Fleet Feet and was fitted for a pair of Asics. It was either the Kayano or Cumulus. When I was close to the end of my training, I bought another pair of Asics. I was told to not run the marathon in the new shoes. Did I listen? No. I was hurting a lot and almost quit. But now I wonder if it was because of the shoes or because my body was hurting due to never have run more than 20 miles. Who knows?

Because I run in the same shoes, I don’t look for things I am supposed to look for in running shoes (i.e. heel-to-toe drop, wide toe box, etc).

However, I do look for specific things that work only for me.

• Color. I like my shoes to be colorful.

• Price. Running shoes are expensive. I’ve scored some great deals on Running Warehouse, Zappos, and Brooks Running. There was a time when I loved the PureFlow and bought a few of them. Each pair was $50 and in purple.

Recently, I found a few pairs (Launch and Ghost) for $50 at Ross.

• Weight. Though heavier shoes offer more cushion and durability, I prefer my shoes to not be heavy. The Launch 10 weights 7.4 ounces and the Ghost 16 weighs 8.5 ounces. They’re perfect for me.

• Comfort. Comfortable shoes reduce fatigue, prevent injuries, and improve performance. A pair of comfortable shoes also make my runs more enjoyable. The first time I ran in the Launch 2, my feet hurt so I sent them back. I cannot remember why I bought them again, but I am glad I did, because now I love them a lot. Pretty colors too!

• Brand/Recommendations. My favorite elite runner runs in Brooks. If they are good enough for her, then they are also good enough for me. I know Kara Goucher also runs in Brooks shoes.

The topic for next week – Five breathing techniques to improve your run. Feel free to write about this or any fitness topic you’d like. We hope you’ll link up with us!