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 September went for me:

Mileage:  In September I ran 25.15 and walked 29.67 miles.  

Run the Year 2024:  I signed up to run and walk 2,024 miles this year.  So far I have completed 430.43 miles (per the RTE Tracker) and have 1593 miles to go.  I know I will not reach this goal.  I am curious to see how many I actually do.

Current Book:  I read “To the Gorge: Running, Grief, and Resilience & 460 Miles on the Pacific Crest Trail” and am still reading “What Could Be Saved”.  I LOVED, LOVED the first book.  I enjoyed reading about her experience while running 460 miles.  I honestly cannot imagine running that many miles.  I am curious to know how she trained.  

It was so sad reading about her mom.  I felt like I was there with her and I wanted to comfort her.  Andrea sounds like an amazing woman!

Injuries:  I am doing a better job with stretching and using my massage gun everyday.  That has helped my plantar fasciitis.  

Races:  None.

Health:  I am still dealing struggling with hot flashes.  The number on the scale isn’t going up so I am happy about it.  Now I just need to lose the weight!

School:  I wish I could say it is going better.  I have OK days, bad days, and awful days.  I know I have said it before but I come home mentally exhausted.  I know I do too much for work and I need to stop.  I am always looking for things to help my students, make school more fun, etc.   It is burning me out.  

What I am looking forward to next month:  Spectate The Chicago Marathon and a day off for Indigenous Peoples’ Day.  

The topic for next week:  Share your favorite running item(s) you’ve tried this year.  Feel free to write about this or any running-related topic.  We hope you’ll link up with us!

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!

I went back to work and let me tell you that I am EXHAUSTED already.  I have 24 students and 6 boys and 2 girls with behavior issues.  The boys are the worst.  Every single day I come mentally tired.  It takes me about 5-10 minutes to line up to leave the classroom (bathroom, lunch, dismissal) because they are constantly talking, touching, etc.  I have separated the boys and put their desk in the back of the classroom (one is next to mine), I have given positive and negative behavior points, and have talked to parents.  Oh, one student cannot write his name and about 6 students CANNOT read.  One mom even told me earlier in the week that her son didn’t learn to read last year in first grade.  I looked at her and wanted to say “So why didn’t you teach him?”

I am doing a lot of work to prepare my Reading and Foundational Skills lessons.  Our reading curriculum from last year is OK but we were never trained.  I got by last year but told myself that this year I would do better.  So far it is going well.  The students are engaged with the stories we’ve read (The Fisherman and His Wife, The Emperor’s New Clothes, Beauty and the Beast, and Paul Bunyan).  The good thing is that I alternate between an English and a Spanish lesson.  Skills I have to teach in English and in Spanish.  I have the English slides that I bought from TpT but need to do my Spanish slides. 

I decided not to run the Chicago Marathon.  It wasn’t an easy decision to make.  I couldn’t finish my long runs.  Running during the week wasn’t happening either.  The main reason was that I was tired.  I would wake up with my alarm and then turn it off.  I am still doing my daily running and/or walking so at least I am doing something for myself.  However, I am enjoying my walks more than my runs even if my runs are shorter runs.

Let me tell you MORE about how August went for me:

Mileage:  To date I’ve run 32.25 and walked 39.50 miles.  Interesting that I have logged more walking miles than running.

Run the Year 2024:  I signed up to run and walk 2,024 miles this year.  So far I have completed 369.51 miles (per the RTE Tracker) and have 1654 miles to go.  I know I will not reach this goal.  I would need to run/walk 13.8703 miles per day to reach my goal in time.

Current Book:  I read “The Bright Side Running Club” and am currently reading “What Could Be Saved”.  I loved The Bright Side Running Club.  That is my 15th book I read this year so I am on target to reach my goal of reading 24 books this year.

Injuries:  I am still dealing with plantar fasciitis.  It is worse in my right foot but I think I have it in my left foot.  I have no one else to blame but myself because I am not doing anything to make this go away.  I have some discomfort/pain in my left knee too.  Sigh.  

Races:  None.

Health:  I am still dealing struggling with hot flashes.  The number on the scale isn’t going up so I am happy about it.  Now I just need to lose the weight!

School:  See my paragraphs above.  🙂 

What I am looking forward to next month:  A day off for Labor Day.  

The topic for next week:  Tell us how your running journey began.  Feel free to write about this or any running-related topic.  We hope you’ll link up with us!

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 about how July is going for me:

Mileage:  To date I’ve run 61.62 and walked 36.36 miles.

Run the Year 2024:  I signed up to run and walk 2,024 miles this year.  So far I have completed 291.61 miles (per the RTE Tracker).  I am training for the Chicago Marathon and I am excited to see how it will go and to see how many miles it will add to this goal.

Current Book:  I read “Bright Burning Things”, “Leaving”, “The Taste of Ginger”, and “Lucky”.  Currently, I am reading “The Bright Side Running Club”.

 

Injuries:  I’m still dealing with plantar fasciitis.  I purchased a pair of orthotics for running.  I like them but the size I bought doesn’t fit correctly in my shoes.  They were bothering me during my long run on Sunday.  I bought a bigger size and those fit better.  Today I will see how they feel.

Races:  None.

Health:  I am doing OK.  I am still dealing struggling with hot flashes and the weight gain.  I went to the doctor because of the weight gain.  She ordered a blood test to check the thyroid, A1C, etc.  Crossing my fingers that my A1C level went down.  The last time I had a blood test, I was pre-diabetic.

School:  Still on Summer Break and will return to work on August 12th.  I am a little excited about it.  Currently, I have 23 students in my classroom.  I’ve sent them all a welcome letter and they should receive it this week.

What I am looking forward to next month:  A new school year with new students!

The topic for next week:  What are you focusing on this month?  Feel free to write about this or any running-related topic.  We hope you’ll link up with us!

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 about how June is going for me:

Mileage:  To date I’ve run 26.99 and walked 6.53 miles.

Run the Year 2024:  I signed up to run and walk 2,024 miles this year.  So far I have completed 178.16 miles (per the RTE Tracker).  I am training for the Chicago Marathon and I am excited to see how it will go and to see how many miles it will add to this goal.

Current Book:  I finished reading“The Bad Muslim Discount”, “The Last Thing He Told Me”, and now am reading “The Unsinkable Greta James”.  I am liking the book.  It reminds me of my cruise to Alaska and now I want to go on another cruise.

Injuries:  None.  My knees don’t hurt anymore and the pain with plantar fasciitis comes and goes.  I will be running more and I don’t want this injury to affect my training .  I have an appointment with a podiatrist next week and hopefully we can find a solution (maybe a cortisone shot).

Races:  None.

Health:  I am doing OK.  I am still dealing struggling with hot flashes and the weight gain.  I had some blood work done and my A1C level came back as pre-diabetic.  I couldn’t believe it.  This is the 2nd time it has happened.  I see how much diabetes has affected my mom and it frightens me that one day I will be diabetic too.

School:  The last day of Summer School is Friday.  I will miss some of the students.  There is one that is clingy and always wants to be next to me.  Another one likes hugging me.

What I am looking forward to next month:  I am going to Minnesota for a few days.  I still need to find an Airbnb.  There aren’t too many places available and the ones that are available are too expensive.  We’re talking $800-900 a night for a house – there is a house for $4,000 per night!  I realize it is cheaper than a hotel but that much money for a place in Minnesota?  Or is that what the rate is now?

The topic for next week:  Your 2024 mid-year review.  Feel free to write about this or any running-related topic.  We hope you’ll link up with us!

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 about how May went for me:

Mileage:  To date I’ve run 30.89 and walked 5.31 miles.  I ran everyday for 34 days.  Then one Sunday I skipped my race because I felt very tired.  I meant to run later that day but it was too hot for me.  I still haven’t run since then.

Run the Year 2024:  I signed up to run and walk 2,024 miles this year.  So far I have completed 144.65 miles (per the RTE Tracker).  I laughed when I saw the mileage because I have a LONG WAY to go.  But I am determined to not give up.   I will achieve my goal.

Current Book:  I finished reading “Doctors and Friends” and am currently reading “The Bad Muslim Discount”.

Injuries:  None.  My knees don’t hurt anymore and the pain with plantar fasciitis comes and goes.  It isn’t as painful as before so I am happy about that.  

Races:  None.

Health:  I am doing OK.  I am still dealing struggling with hot flashes.  The number is still on the high side.  My shorts and pants still feel tight.  I love wearing jeans to work but haven’t been wearing them because they’re too tight and I don’t want to buy new ones.  I am wearing black pants with an elastic waist to be more comfortable.

School:  The last day of school is Friday.  It was supposed to be Thursday but we used one snow day in January so we have to make it up.

What I am looking forward to next month:  I start Summer School on the 10th and finish on the 28th.  Then the real Summer Break starts.  Unfortunately this year we start the school year a bit earlier.  Many teachers are not happy about it for various reasons.  It doesn’t bother me because I don’t have kids and don’t have to plan back to school stuff for them.

The topic for next week:  How will you celebrate Global Running Day tomorrow?  Feel free to write about this or any running-related topic.  We hope you’ll link up with us!