This week’s Tuesday Topic is: Your six favorites of 2020.  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!

Oh, 2020.  We will never stop talking about it.  It wasn’t all that bad.  Here are some of my six favorite things of 2020.

⭐ Favorite Day.  It was September 9th.  That day we celebrated my mother’s birthday.  A few weeks ago she had tested positive for Covid.  She got tested again and on the 8th her results came back negative.  Happy she was able to celebrate another birthday.

⭐ Favorite Group Run.  We did not run together but we all ran at the same time in different locations.  It was a HOT day too in Chicago!

⭐ Favorite Cat Photo.  This was hard to pick.  I have so many photos of them but chose this one because they’re both being nice to each other and enjoying life in the balcony.  I love my balcony.  As you know last year my mother and I spent hours there since we couldn’t go anywhere.  I felt bad for her because at least I could go outside to run and to the store for errands but not her.  She only left the house to go back and forth to my sister’s condo and my apartment.

⭐ Favorite Run.  For 9 weeks I trained for a 5k.  I had many great and not so great runs.  Then in December everything came together.  My coach had picked the date for this race but I did it before.  I was out for a run and I was feeling good.  The weather was perfect too and I went for it.  

⭐ Favorite Purchase.  I love Picky Bars but this Drizzle is AMAZING.  It can be eaten with apples, oatmeal, yogurt, bread, etc.  I have eaten it straight from the jar too.   If you can interested in joining the Picky Club, click on this link to get $10 off.

⭐ Favorite Thing I Found while Decluttering.  Can you find me in this magazine?  The photo is from when I ran my first marathon, The Chicago Marathon, in 2006.  I remember submitting it but didn’t think it would be selected for the magazine.  It was published in “Chicago Athlete” in March 2007.

This was another fun topic.  It was great going through my photos and remembering that not everything in 2020 was horrible.  One of the most difficult things was finding ways to make eLearning/Remote Learning work.  Months later I think I figured it out.  40 kids in my classroom?  Sure, why not?  Haha, JK.

This week’s Tuesday Topic is:  What did you learn about yourself during the pandemic?  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!

Last year was a shock.  Sometimes I think about the things I did last year during January and February and then to think that everything changed in March.  

These past couple of months were an eye opener.  It was hard but I tried to stay positive and make the best of it.  Here are a few things I learned during this time:

😷 The importance of family.  A bunch of us would get together on a regular basis.  We would gather around the kitchen table to talk, eat, and drink.  Then in March we couldn’t do that anymore.  We had a few Zooms calls but it still wasn’t the same.  Now we text each other all of the time.  We check in on one another.  We make each other laugh.  If anyone needs anything, we are there to help that person.

😷 My mother is a strong woman.  I know I have mentioned it before but she is a tough person.  I loved listening to stories of when she was growing up in Mexico.  I also love listening to how life was when she emigrated from Mexico.  She and my dad worked long and hard hours to give their 7 children everything they could not do in Mexico.  My mother and I would spend hours on the balcony talking and listening to music.  Now it is my turn to take care of her and give her everything she needs.

😷 Life is short.  I think this applies even without a pandemic.  We really don’t know what is going to happen.  Treat yourself to that extra cup of coffee.  Enjoy that piece of cake.  Buy yourself those shoes.  I had a hard time justifying buying a new car but then I realized that I work hard and deserve to treat myself to it.  Now I love my car!

😷 Patience.  As a 2nd grade teacher I already am a patient person.  During remote learning I had to be even more patient with my students.  I struggled a lot because I knew they were struggling and going through a lot but so was I.  Many times I had to put a smile and pretend that things were OK.  Running and crying is what helped me get through some really rough moments.

😷 Everyone was going through the same thing.  It was so easy to feel sorry for myself thinking that no one would understand.  That was not true.  Everyone was struggling.  Many were even in worse situations.  Many people were getting sick.  Many were dying.  Many also lost their jobs.

😷 I really am a lucky person.  I did not get sick and I did not lose my job.  I am still standing and moving forward.

This week’s Tuesday Topic is:  What was your favorite book you read last 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 love to read.  I find it so relaxing to sit down on the sofa or anywhere comfortable and read a book.  Add a glass of wine and it is much better.  :-). Reading takes me to a new place.  Reading transports me to the place where the story takes place.  It is a whole new world for me. 

Thanks to Wendy for posting the books she has read.  I go through it and then pick a few to place a hold at the library.  Others I have read based on other people’s recommendation as well.

I don’t have a favorite book that I read last year.  I read a few interesting books and it was hard to pick one.  I wished I could say that I read more books since I did have more time last year.  I didn’t.  I also watched a lot of TV last year.  Thanks Netflix!  Also, none of the books I read were running or fitness related but I do have one on my list to read this year.

Unorthodox – Wow!  I enjoyed everything about it and learned about Hasidic Jewish traditions.  I also enjoyed the Netflix series.  It was a perfect thing to do during the beginning of quarantine.

Truths I Never Told You – I could not put this book down.  I knew it was a very different way of living in the 50s and 60s but to read about (illegal) abortion made me feel sad and angry.

Ghosted – I was not too crazy about this book.  I only finished it because I wanted to see how it ended.  Rosie Walsh meets the perfect man.  Somehow he then starts to avoid her.  Ha, I thought he was just a jerk.  He wasn’t.  There is a family tragedy that took place years ago and it involves both families. 

Darling Rose Red – This was another I could not put down.  At one point I remember it was late and dark and I was still outside in the balcony reading.  It was twisted but yet interesting.  I had never heard of Munchausen syndrome by proxy and this book is an example of it.  Cannot imagine how this could be happening out there.

Books I am writing to get from the library are:

The Silent Patient

Win at All Costs

The Vanishing Half

The Promised Land (I have the audiobook and started listening to it but keep getting distracted).

Welcome to the first edition of Tuesday Topics for 2021.  Kim and I have lots of fun topics for this year.  We are excited for you to join us every week.  

This week’s Tuesday Topic is:  Your word for 2021.  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!

There are so many words and it was hard to pick one.  I thought about everything that happened in 2020.  I thought about what I was looking forward to in 2021.  I then decided my word to be “Joy”.  Then I realized that I had picked the same word a few years ago.  But, I feel like this word will mean so much more this year.

Why this word?  I know many bad and great things happen in 2020.  I struggled a lot in my personal and professional life.  I tried to be positive but many times it was hard.  However, there were many times that that is what got me through.  I had to find joy in things around me.  It probably sounds corny but honestly I had no choice.  I mean, there were times when I cried and was angry, but then felt better afterwards.  I had to move forward.

Where will I find joy?  This is not in any specific order and not everything is on this list.  

My health.

My students.

My running.

Spending more time with my mom.

My friends.

My coworkers.

My cats.

My iMac.

My Brooks shoes.

My Oiselle long roga shorts.

My MAC patentpolish lip pencil in Ruby.

Cooking with my mom.

My new car.

My running playlist.

Making apple martinis.

My pens and highlighters.

Working with my coach.

My blogger friends.

My family.

This week’s Tuesday Topic is:  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!

What a year this has been!  Thanks to everyone for linking up with us this year.  We’ve had many great conversations.  We learned a lot from each other and made it through this year.  It wasn’t easy but we did it.  

Let’s recap this year.

January:

⇒ I started off the new year with a cold.  I was on the sofa for 3 days feeling sorry for myself.

⇒ I fell and then was scared to run outside.  Had to do my workouts at the gym.

February:

⇒ Traveled to Atlanta to spectate the Olympic Marathon Trials.  Had lots of fun meeting up with other Oiselle friends and seeing the elite runners.

March:

⇒ Ran the Publix Atlanta Half Marathon.  It was my first and only race of 2020.  It was also a hilly and hard race.

⇒ After the race I went to The National Center for Civil and Human Rights.  Definitely a great museum to visit in Atlanta.

⇒ Due to the COVID I cancelled my trip to Mexico.  Later on United cancelled the flight.

⇒ Began working from home.  Saw that my cats slept pretty much all day. 

 April:

⇒ Took my first Peloton outdoor running class and said that it would be my last one.  Well, we know that wasn’t exactly true.  Matty is one of my favorite instructors.  I miss him!

⇒ Still doing virtual learning and mailed letters to my students.  I also got a chance to talk to one of them and it made me very happy.

⇒ Participated in a car parade for my students and parents.

⇒ Did my first Zoom meetup with my blogger friends.  Can we do this again?

⇒ My uncle died from Covid.  My mother had talked to him on Friday and he died the following day.  We couldn’t go to the wake/funeral but did see it via YouTube.  Here is Lola also watching it.  She definitely felt our pain.

May:

⇒ Teacher Appreciation Week!

⇒ Started working with a new coach.  Happy to be working with him and have been seeing lots of improvement.

June:

⇒ Done with school!  It was a rough and interesting 2 1/2 months of remote learning.

⇒ Started 4 weeks of Summer School.  Yep, still remote.

⇒ Ran along the lakefront.  The path has been closed and no one was allowed to run there.

 July:

⇒ I did not sign up for this race but the Chicago Marathon was cancelled.  I knew it would happen.

⇒ Signed up and completed the Pelothon 2020?  I was on team #LegendsofFun.  I liked that I was not only exposed to other instructors, but also encouraged to take different types of classes.  

⇒ The world almost ended for us runners because Garmin was down for a few days.

⇒ Ran the Quad-City Times Virtual Bix 7 with a few bloggers.

August:

⇒ Found out the 2020-2021 school year would start as remote learning.

⇒ My sister and mother tested positive for Covid.  My mother had a mild case but my sister lost her sense of smell and taste.  Mateo sensed that something was wrong.  

⇒ Without really thinking about it, I began a running streak.  Of course this was after my quarantine and given the OK to run outside.

⇒ First day of the 2020-2021 school year.   The power went out at 10am and I was done for the day.  It was a great first day!  🙂

September:

⇒ Celebrated my mother’s birthday!  She took another Covid test and was negative. 

⇒ With no race goals, my coach approached me with the idea to train for 5k.  Sure!  Goal was 33:30.

October:

⇒ Went to set up my classroom.  That day I found out a parent had complained about me to the Principal.  I was so angry and I cried.  Felt like quitting too.

⇒ Bought a new car.  I loved my previous one and thought I would keep it forever.

⇒ I voted!

November:

⇒ Had virtual parent/teacher conferences.  Out of 26 students, I talked to 13 parents.  Disappointing?  Yep.

⇒ Another stay-at-home order.

⇒ Got a new Garmin watch.  I love it.

⇒ Celebrated my birthday along with a few other bloggers.  Great birthday month!

December:

⇒ Celebrated 100 days of my running streak.

⇒ Ran my virtual 5k and met my goal.  Finished it in 32:22.

⇒ Got a new student in my classroom.  Now I have 28.  Angry and frustrated that the District would allow this to happen.

⇒ Began training for a 10k.  My goal is 1:05-1:06.

⇒ Winter Break!

⇒ Soon will say goodbye to 2020.