Category: Tuesday Topics

Tuesday Topics: Hello and a birthday giveaway!

This week’s Tuesday Topic is:  What did you learn from your worst race?  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 today’s topic to say “Hello”.  I took some time off from blogging to get my life together.  😊 While this school year has been a lot better than last year, it’s still been very challenging.  Two new curriculums is kicking my you know what.  I have 22 students but many are below grade level (a few are nonreaders).  We are expected to teach the curriculum as if it were a “normal” year.  Umm, no.  Nothing is normal about this year.  Everything is so hard for the students.  Doing simple things is challenging.  I’ve had to teach them to line up quietly, walk, etc.   They eat breakfast in my room and many make a mess and do not even know how to clean up.  They were home all freakin’ year!  What the heck did they do?!?!?!?

Many of my students have been absent because they’re either sick or quarantined.  For the latter it is because they’ve shown covid symptoms.  They can come back to school after 10 days or with a negative test result.  There was a time in which  7 students were quarantined.  Right now I have 2 in quarantine.  One has been absent for 2 weeks.  His brother is in a classroom in which a few students tested positive and the whole class was quarantined.  I feel like the guidelines are not clear nor consistent.  There are many siblings in our school.  One may be sent home to quarantine but yet the other siblings can still go to school.  

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Last week were parent/teacher conferences.  I was expecting to meet with 21 parents (one student came into my room at the beginning of October but was absent for about 3 weeks due to health requirements).  Only 12 made an appointment and I met with 8 of them.  It wasn’t even in person conference..it was virtual!!!!  Ugh, I was even more annoyed because I had to be in school till 7pm.

I had mentioned I want to run a 50k next year.  I haven’t written about my training but have been posting on Instagram stories.  I like that they’re easy and fast to do.  The race I want to do is the Chicago Lakefront 50k.  Still no exact date but it usually takes place end of March/beginning of April.  So far running is going well.  I’ve had some great and bad runs.  Don’t we all?  I remember in the beginning I had a good week and then a bad week.  And by bad I mean that I felt very tired and didn’t want to run.  Then around the 3rd week I got the booster shot and flu shot and felt very tired after my 5 mile run (I also had a headache that day).  Then the rest of the week and the week after that I was fine but woke up exhausted on Saturday.  I didn’t want to get up and stayed in bed till about 11am.  It could have been both shots and/or work.  Who knows.

I began this training cycle with 3 pairs of Brooks shoes.  Recently I purchased the NYC Edition and then added the November/Thanksgiving Edition.  I got them from Zappos so I have close to a year to decide if I want to keep them.  There was a time in which the Launch was my favorite running shoe but now I am leaning more towards the Ghost.

To date I’ve run 800 miles (80% of my goal).  It looks like I might be able to make my goal of running 1,000 miles this year or at least very close to it!  Glad I changed my goal from 1,200 miles.

My mother is doing well.  I see her on the weekends when she comes to stay with me.  She is getting older and has different doctor appointments every few months.  My nephew, Ivan, came home from California for a few weeks.  It was a surprise!  It was great to see him and to hug him.  He left again last week and I don’t know when he’ll be home again.

Mateo and Lola are doing well.  They still fight but sometimes they have their good days.  The photo of Mateo cracks me up.  What do you think he is thinking?

Enough about me for now.  I am hanging in there.  It could definitely be worse.  I am taking it day by day and trying not to worry or stress too much.  I have some pain in my right hand/wrist.  It might be a pinched nerve or carpal tunnel.  For now I am wearing a wrist brace to help with the pain.  If it doesn’t feel better soon, I will go to the doctor.  

Now let’s talk about the giveaway.  My birthday is Saturday.  There will be one prize for a $49 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 November 21st at 11:59 pm.  The winner will be selected on November 22nd. 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!!!

Tuesday Topics
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It’s National Savings Day! How to save money on running gear/races

This week’s Tuesday Topic is:  It’s National Savings Day!  How do you save money on running gear/races?  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 like to spend money (I work hard for my money) but I also like to save money.  As you know right now I am saving money to buy a house and also for retirement.  <<My goal is to retire way before I am “supposed” to.  😀  Anyway, here are some ways that I’ve been able to save money on running year/races.

💰 Sign up early for races.  I haven’t signed up for a race in about 2 years.  But I do remember that when I signed up for the Publix Atlanta Half Marathon, I did so months in advance and ended up paying only $50.

💰 Buy gear on Amazon, Zappos, or Running Warehouse.  I bought my Garmin 235 for only $100 from Amazon!  I’ve also used a discount code from a running club when buying from Running Warehouse.

💰Sign up to be on company email lists to receive discount codes.  I’ve received codes from Liquid I.V. and Headsweats.  I recently received a code for 28% off from Liquid I.V.  It is my new favorite product and you bet I stocked up. 

💰Shop during popular times of the year.  I’ve found some great deals during Black Friday and also after Christmas.  

Tuesday Topics

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Tuesday Topics: An interview with my running coach

This week’s Tuesday Topic is:  Interview your favorite blogger.  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!

My running coach is Juan J. Arrieta.  I’ve known him for a few years (we met when I was a BibRave Pro) and have been working with him for over a year.  I took a few weeks off last month because I was feeling tired and not motivated to run.  Now we are working together again as I train for a 50k.  

I enjoy working with him and love his workouts.  I love how he motivates and encourages me.  He also knows the right words to say when I have a great and a bad run.  For this post I decided to ask him a few questions so that you can all get to know him. 


What made you decide to start running?  I was looking for ways to develop my endurance and stamina to do better as a racquetball player, and someone recommended running could help me do that. Before long, I had switched entirely to running and stopped playing racquetball altogether!

What was your first race?  My first race ever was a charity 5k, the Fort Bend Habitat for Humanity.

What was your best or worst race?  My worst race was probably one of the most important ones in my growth as a runner; it was the College Station Marathon. I didn’t train or prepare properly for it, physically or mentally, and also did a lot of things wrong in terms of nutrition, pacing, etc.  I feel my best race so far has been the Glass City Half Marathon this past year in which I did the complete opposite of what I did in College Station.  It resulted not just in a personal best time, but also in pure enjoyment from beginning to end. It was an unforgettable day for me, one that I will treasure forever. 

What’s on your Winter/Spring bucket list?  Next year in winter I want to go to Hawaii and run the Honolulu Marathon; it is definitely a bucket race for me. 

If you could go on a run with any celebrity, who would you go with?  I feel it’d be Will Smith, not just because I believe he is a great actor, but I also admire him as a human being and feel that he’d have a lot of life lessons he’d share that I could learn from.  

If you could run anywhere in the world, where would you run?  Japan.  I’d love to get into the Tokyo Marathon one day and run it, but if I can’t, I’d still love to visit and run a few times there.

How do you stay motivated to run?  Running is now part of my everyday life and will continue to be until the day I die. It is simply part of who I am. It helps me keep things in balance in addition to being great for my health, both physically and mentally.  I also know that even on the days in which I may be tired or not feeling up to it, there are several positives that come from being disciplined and staying consistent, so that helps me stay motivated throughout the year.

What are you training for now?  Right now I’m training for the Urban Bourbon Half Marathon and the Indianapolis Monumental Marathon as well.

Five words to describe yourself.  Friendly, learner, passionate, driven, and caring.

You recently moved to San Antonio, what do you like about running there?  I love how well-developed the running trails are here and all the options we have all over the city, as well as the variety in the terrain they all offer. They serve as an excellent training ground and environment to be around.

What is your favorite and least favorite part about being a running coach?  My favorite aspect of being a coach is connecting with each and every athlete I work with, listening to them, and sharing the various things I’ve learned over the years in a way that helps them reach their goals.  My least favorite part is not being able to meet in-person more with those I coach. There are many things that are difficult to evaluate, convey, and understand through online, digital, and phone communications.

What are some of your running pet peeves?  Can’t think of any at the moment.

Is there a popular race you never want to run?  Ha! I don’t think I would ever do something like the Western States 100 even though it is extremely popular with a lot of people.  I admire those who compete in it, but that is just something which I never see myself doing.

Make sure to follow Juan on Instagram and Twitter!

Tuesday Topics

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Tuesday Topics: My Fall Plans

This week’s Tuesday Topic is:  What’s on your Fall bucket list?  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 do not have any races coming up so I’m deviating from this week’s topic.  Well, sort of since my topic is still Fall related.  🍂 🍂 🍂

I am excited about Fall!  I LOVE Fall!  Can you tell?  Let me tell you what my plans are for this Fall.

🍂 Run in shorts and long sleeve.  Yep, it is still warm enough for shorts but cool enough for a long sleeve top.  Sometimes I wear compression socks.  I am not ready for tights.  Those belong in the colder weather/Winter.

🍂 Enjoy Thanksgiving.  I am grateful every day for everything I have.  I am lucky and fortunate to be in good health, have a job, and a place to live.  However, Thanksgiving to me is “just” another day.  I look forward to my days off and spending time with family.

🍂 Train for a 50k.  Yikes!  I guess now I will be doing it.  I am nervous and excited about it.  I already told my coach.  And now I will need to train to train for my 50k.  

🍂 Buy a house.  I have to add it here again and hopefully it will happen.  I know everyone keeps telling me to be patient and that the perfect one will show up.    

🍂 Stop staying late at work.  There is always work to do and I will never catch up.  Sometimes I feel like I do more than I should.  I am feeling better about work because I have my routine set up with my students.  I feel like I know what I am doing and that is making the day go smoother.  <<It’s been challenging to learn and implement two new curriculums this year.

Any fun plans this Fall?

Tuesday Topics

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Tuesday Topics: My favorite Twitter accounts to follow

This week’s Tuesday Topic is:  Your favorite Twitter running accounts to follow.  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 know it isn’t a Runfessions post but I will admit that I am not a big user of Twitter.  Mainly it is because I don’t know how to use it.  Does that even make sense?  I mean I can post, and read comments, etc., but when I start reading replies (not from my posts but others) is when sometimes I get lost. 🤷🏻‍♀️ 

I remember I opened my account after a book club meeting where one of the girls wanted us to follow Paulo Coelho.  I just checked my profile and I’ve been a member since February 2012.  I might have to unfollow everyone and start over.  But before I do that let me share a few that I have enjoyed following on Twitter.

@jorgeramosnews – I am a fan of his show on Sunday morning and his podcast.

Dwayne Johnson He is my celebrity crush.  Do I need another reason?  🙂

Oiselle – 99.9% of my running are from Oiselle.  I wear the tops, shorts, and tights.  I have clothes for all 4 seasons.  Some of the items are not cheap but sometimes I buy them when they’re on sale.

Cats of Instagram – You know I have to follow a cats account.

I realize it isn’t a very exciting list.  I may need a crash course on how to best use it.

By the way, I need someone to show me how to add the Twitter tweet box in my posts.  Kim already told me how but I cannot get it to work.  I am sure it is something fast and easy to do just like it was to fix this 500 Internal Server Error message I got last night.  Help!

Tuesday Topics

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