This week’s Tuesday Topic:  What’s your plan to achieve your 2023 goals?  You can write about this topic or 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!

In December I wrote about my 2023 goals.  Let me tell you how I plan to achieve these goals. 

 Complete 500 Peloton rides.  To date, I’ve done 359 classes.  I need 141 additional classes which is about 12 classes per month.  It can be done.

 Run 800 miles.  It was tempting to make this number again 1,200 or 1,000, but who am I kidding?  I want to be a bit more realistic.  800 miles is about 67 per month.  I am starting slowly and hopefully can soon ramp up the mileage.  I know someone that has a goal of 2,023 miles, but it includes running and walking.  That is tempting too!

 Run at least 5 races.  I am signed up for two but have been eyeing a couple more: 4 on the 4th of July, Lakefront 10 Miler, and Soldier Field 10 Mile.  I also need to start looking into my goal of running a half marathon in each state.  I have 8 more to go: South Carolina, Kansas, Wyoming, South Dakota, North Dakota,  Idaho, New Mexico, and Hawaii.

 Do one Peloton activity each day.  Many of you know this but there are many Peloton classes.  On the days I don’t run, I take either a walking or meditation class.  I know I can do more.  Once I figure out a schedule, I will add cycling, strength training, and stretching classes.  

 Read 12 books.  One book a month.  I am on book 2 and we are halfway through the month.  If you need book suggestions, definitely check out Wendy’s book reviews.  I’ve loved all of the ones I’ve read, some more than others.  

Topic for next week – What are you looking forward to this year?  Feel free to write about this topic or any running-related topic.  We hope you’ll link up with us!

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!

Welcome to the first edition of Tuesday Topics for 2023!  Kim and I have more fun topics for this year and are excited for you to join us every week.  We will continue to have the last Tuesday of every month to be a FREE Topic.  

This week’s Tuesday Topic:  Your word for 2023.  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! 

Below are the words I’ve had in the past.  I thought I had more than two, but I must and never wrote about them.

2022-Patience

2021-Joy

Last year my word was “Patience”.  It wasn’t easy but I did well last year.  I am working on a post about it and will have it ready by the end of January.

For 2023 I decided my word to be “Balance”.  It was hard to pick a word.  I thought about happy, smile, and enjoy.  I want to be happier.  I want to smile more.  I want to enjoy more things in life.  Then I realized that I could be happier, smile more, and enjoy more things in life if I can find a balance in my life.

Something that I definitely need to do is to stop spending so much time working.  It leaves me exhausted and frustrated.  I care about my students but no matter how much I do, it will never be enough.  I can only do so much. 

There have been times when I wouldn’t go for a run in the morning because I was doing stuff for school.  I need to do more fun stuff (travel, meet with friends, go to the movies, etc.).  While I know work is important, it shouldn’t consume my life.

I found these suggestions to help me find and keep my balance:

• Build healthy self-esteem
• Receive as well as receive
• Create positive parenting and family relationships
• Make friends who count
• Figure out your priorities
• Get involved
• Learn to manage stress effectively
• Cope with changes that affect you
• Deal with your emotions
• Have a spirituality to call your own

Here’s to 2023 and to find a balance!

Topic for next week – What are your Winter running plans and/or race schedule?  Feel free to write about this topic or any running related topic.  We hope you’ll link up with us!

This week’s Tuesday Topic:  What are your goals for 2023?  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 can’t believe 2022 is almost over.  And what a year it has been!  I know I said this before.

Time to start thinking about next year.  Last year I wrote my goals for 2022.  I will update you on how I did and then talk about my goals for next year.

❇️ Stay injury free.  I was doing good until plantar fasciitis decided to visit.  As if that wasn’t enough, hip pain came too.  They’ve both overextended their stay and they need to leave.  

❇️ Buy a house.  I came really close by making an offer but then decided not to move forward.

❇️ Travel.  Does it count that I traveled downtown for a race and to the suburbs for another race?

❇️ Continue to be patient at home and at work.  I did good here.  It wasn’t easy.  It also helped that I picked my battles.

❇️ PR in my 50k.  I tried twice to run a 50k but it didn’t happen.  I guess it never will and I am OK with it. 

❇️ Run 1,200 miles.  This was not my year of running.  I ended up with 481.71 running miles and 7.37 walking miles.

❇️ Complete 300 Peloton rides.  Done!  I am currently at 359 rides.  Is it cheating if I am counting my warmup and cooldown rides?  The Peloton instructors tell me I need to take them so I am listening to them.

2023 Goals:

➡️ Complete 500 Peloton rides.  

➡️ Run 800 miles.

➡️ Run at least 5 races.

➡️ Do one Peloton activity each day.

➡️ Read 12 books.

And that is our last Tuesday Topics of 2022.  A HUGE thank you for joining me and Kim each Tuesday to talk about running and other things not related to running.  I love this group of bloggers!  

Wishing you an (early) Happy New Year!

Topic for next week – Your word for 2023.  Feel free to write about this topic or any running related topic.  We hope you’ll link up with us!

This week’s Tuesday Topic:  Your year in photos.  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!

This has been one of my favorite posts to write.  I wrote one in 2020 and 2021.  I had fun reading those posts again and thinking about how much has changed since 2020.

What a year this has been!  Thanks to everyone for linking up with us this year.  Kim and I are already planning for next year.  Let us know if you have fun topics you want us to add to the linkup.

Let’s recap this year.  

January:

⇒ Went back to work after a nice 2 1/2 weeks of being at home.

⇒ Chose my word of the year: Patience.  Next year I will let you know how I did.

⇒ Ran once (and last time) on the treadmill in the gym in a mask.  It was awful!

February:

⇒ Had a couple of remote days because of the snow.  It was tiring preparing for them but it was nice to be home teaching without a mask.

March:

⇒ Ran the Shamrock Shuffle 8K and had a great time!  I had forgotten that I ran two races this year.

April:

⇒ Met up with my former coach for dinner.

May:

⇒ Began packing up my stuff.  Received official notification that my school will be closed and I would be moved to a different school.

June:

⇒ Finished the 2021-2022 school year!

July:

⇒ Ran the 4 on the 4th Race.  It was my 2nd and last race of 2022.

⇒ Met up with Wendy and Marcia for lunch.

August:

⇒ Taught a group of kindergarten kids.  There were 7 in my class and they were adorable.  The goal was to make it fun for them and excited to start school.  Read for the first time the book “The Kissing Hand”.  Adorable and it made me cry.

⇒ Saw a few actors from Chicago PD.  Fun!  Not sure why I wrote ‘characters’.  I meant actors.

⇒ Began the 2022-2023 school year.

September:

⇒ Celebrated my mom’s birthday.  We made mole.

October:

⇒ Spectated the Chicago Marathon.  It was a fun day!  I met Renee.

November:

⇒ Got excited to participate in a month long challenge for National Blog Posting Month.  I stopped after 12 days.  While posting wasn’t that difficult, it was the reading and commenting that took most of my time.  I lost track of the posts I read, fell behind, and then I couldn’t do it anymore.  I tried.

⇒ Celebrated my 50th birthday.

December:

⇒ Counting down the days till Winter Break!  Thursday is my last day.

⇒ Soon will say goodbye to 2022.

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