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!

This week’s Tuesday Topic:  Show us your year in bling!  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 am deviating from this week’s topic because I have no bling from this year.  Nada.  No races at all.  I know next year that won’t be the case.  So far I’m signed up for the NYC Half Marathon in March and am planning to add a few more races to my calendar.

For today’s post I am writing a few things that come to my mind that start with the letter “M”.  Why that letter?  Well, it is the 13th day in December and the 13th letter of the alphabet.  Ready to see what I come up with?

➡️ Mail – Right now I am getting impatient with the US Mail.  I ordered $500 worth of Target gift cards and received an email notification that they were delivered on Thursday.  No they weren’t.  I reached out to Target and was told that sometimes carriers mark packages as delivered before they are actually delivered.  I will wait till Thursday and then reach out to them again.

➡️ Music –  I listen to it every single day.  On the way to school, in the morning before school starts, and on the way home.  I like Christmas music but cannot stand listening to it all day.

➡️ March –  The month of the NYC Half Marathon!  I am excited and looking forward to it.  I made my flight reservation and now need to plan what to do there.

➡️ MAP – Seriously the worst standardized test that students need to take.  My students take 4 tests – 2 in English and 2 in Spanish.  One of my students arrived from Mexico about a month ago.  He took a Reading test in English.  How is that fair to him?  

➡️ mile – Would love to do one mile time trials like Kim did.  But Winter is coming and you know I dislike running in the snow.  But I need to train for my half marathon so I guess I can do it.

➡️ Monday – I dislike Mondays and wish we were off that day.  

➡️ moody – Yesterday I experienced being happy, sad, angry, and annoyed.  And that was in a span of about 2 hours!

➡️ mother – As tiring as sometimes it is to take care of her, many times I am glad she is still with us to keep enjoying life.  I know it hasn’t been easy for her, but family members are always happy to see her. 

➡️ move – Will 2023 be the year I move?  Everyone please cross your fingers and toes for me.

󠁍󠁍➡️ movie – The last time I was in a movie theatre was in March 2020.  Right now there are two movies on my list-Black Panther: Wakanda Forever and Puss in Boots: The Last Wish.

󠁍󠁍➡️ Mexico – Oh beautiful Mexico!  I haven’t been there in over 10 years.  I’ve been to Cancun but that doesn’t really count.  Haha.  It’s been so long since I’ve been to the state of Guerrero (where I was born) and am not sure but I think the last time I was there was in 1991 when my dad died.

I know there are more words that start with M.  I ran out of time last night.  I got home late, ate dinner, and then was ready for bed.  

Topic for next week – Your year in photos.  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:  Holiday gift guide for runners.  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!

Thanks for everyone that entered my Birthday Giveaway.  The winner has been notified and I am curious to know what prize she will pick.

Also, I am behind on reading and commenting on posts from last week’s Tuesday and Friday linkups.  I promise I will get to them.  It will be late but I will do it.

It is time for this year’s Holiday Gift Guide.  My list has items that I use and love.  Oh, and it isn’t limited to runners.  Hopefully you’ll find something for you or to gift to someone else.

🎁 Koala Clip – Every runner needs this.  I take this with me on all of my runs.  

🎁 Noxgear Tracer 2 and/or Tracer Lamp – These are perfect for those that run in the dark.  I feel like I look like a Christmas tree with all of the lights/colors.  The photo on the right is to show how bright the lamp is.

🎁 Athena Club Razors – I’ve been using them for a few months and still love this razor.  I signed up for the subscription plan so I will never run out of razors.

🎁 OOFOS Recovery Sandals – I love putting these on when I come home from work.  They’re soft and comfortable!

🎁 Jot Ultra Coffee – You know I love my Dunkin’ Donuts and Starbucks coffee, but I am also a huge fan of it too.  Recently I ordered a bottle of toffee caramel and it is delicious.

🎁 Lululemon Clean Lines Belt Bag – I bought this after I saw so many people with it.  I don’t carry a purse anymore and take this with me wherever I go.

🎁 Turkish Linen Waffle Knit Lightweight Kimono Spa & Bath Robes – The robe is lightweight and highly absorbent.  It also comes in various colors!

🎁 Shiatsu Back Massager – I have this at work.  I’ve used it to massage my neck, upper back, lower back, and calf.  I love that it comes with a heating function to soothe my aching muscles.

🎁 Slim Minimalist Front Pocket Wallet – I found out about it from Kim.  The wallet is slim and it goes perfect with my lululemon belt bag.  

Topic for next week – Show us your year in bling!  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 is a FREE topic.  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!

Thank you everyone for your birthday wishes and comments.  Life may not have turned out how I had planned or expected, but I am still lucky to be able to celebrate another birthday.

Before I talk about the many things I am thankful for, I will talk about my birthday giveaway.  In this case it will be a belated birthday giveaway.  I cannot believe I completely forgot about it.  🤦🏽‍♀️ 🤦🏽‍♀️  There will be one prize for a $50 gift card to one of the following stores: Zappos, Dunkin’ Donuts, Running Warehouse, Amazon, or Starbucks.

Please use the Rafflecopter below to enter.  This giveaway will run until December 4th at 11:59 pm.  The winner will be selected on December 5th. The giveaway is open to US residents only.  All entries are verified, so please be sure to complete them or a new, random winner will be selected.  GOOD LUCK!!!

Now let me tell you what I am thankful for.  There are definitely many things but for this post I will pick 5.

💖 I am thankful for my health.  I am young and healthy.  I can walk, run, and dance.  Ha, I was dancing my heart out on Sunday at my cousin’s birthday party.

💖 I am thankful for my family and friends.  They make me laugh and smile.  I always have a good time with them.

💖 I am thankful for the opportunity to be active.  I may not be running as much as before but I’ve been walking more and taking more Peloton cycling classes.  

💖 I am thankful for my cats.  My fur babies!  They’re both adorable and I love them so much.  Now if only they would love each other like I love them.

💖 I am thankful for my job.  I have my good and bad days at work.  Everyone does.  At the end of the day, teaching is still very rewarding.  My students also make me laugh and smile. 

Topic for next week – Holiday Gift Guide for runners.  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:  Tell us why you’re thankful for running this year!  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 am deviating from this week’s topic to write about this past Sunday when I turned 50.  I wasn’t planning to do anything for my birthday but at the last minute decided to have a small gathering/dinner with family at Home Run Inn Pizza.  We had a good time.  We ate, talked, and laughed.  

The weekend was full of emotions and thoughts.  Let me share them with you.

🎂 Really, 50 is just a number.  I do not feel “older”.  Society has us believing that 50 is old.

🎂 My mother remembers when she turned 50.  I have a vague memory of that day.  She mentioned that she didn’t think she would live long enough to see us turn 50.  I told her that she has one more child to turn 50.

🎂 Being 50 brings me closer to retirement.  I am giving myself 10-11 more years to work.  I cannot see myself being in my 60s and still being a classroom teacher.  Teaching is hard now and with the way things are going, it will get even more difficult.  Plus, I will not have the patience to deal with kids.

🎂 I hope I can travel more.  I did a lot of traveling in my 30s and in my 40s.  My last trip was a race in Atlanta in 2020.

🎂 Sometimes I compare myself to others that are the same age as I am.  I know I shouldn’t do this but I cannot help it.  Many people I know are married and/or with kids.  Sometimes I feel left out or that I am missing out.  Sometimes I feel as if I am not succeeding in life.  I know it is absolutely ridiculous!  I shouldn’t feel this way because not every woman is supposed to get married and/or have kids.

🎂 I am grateful that I am healthy and I hope I stay that way for a long time.  I look at my mother and all of her complications due to diabetes, high cholesterol, and high blood pressure.  Well, it is mostly diabetes that has caused the most complications for her.  Deep down I hope I do not require as much assistance as my mother.  

🎂 During my run on Sunday I thought back to how I celebrated when I turned 10, 20, 30, and 40.  Well, I have no recollection when I turned 10.  For 20, I was in college.  It was then that I learned the term “Golden Birthday”.  For 30, I went to dinner with friends and I think to a club.  That was what we used to do back in the day.  For 40, I went to dinner with friends (again) and then played Bocce.  It was my first and last time.  

🎂 I am excited to see what this new decade will bring.

🎂 I never pictured that I will be living with my sister and taking care of my mother.  Sometimes it is difficult.  Sometimes it is fun.  Sometimes I am resentful that I am in that situation.  Does that make me a bad person?  I remember years ago thinking that one day I would love to live in a condo close to the lakefront.  Maybe when I retire I will.

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