I love to read.  I don’t always make time to sit down and read a book, but when I do, I could spend a few hours reading a book.  I also like to read books to my students.  My favorite are the ones from Dr. Seuss!!!

This week’s Tuesday Topic:  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!

For some reason I am fascinated by John Grisham’s books.  I have a list of all of his books and check it off when I am done reading a book.  I did skip a few that were not about lawyers.  Currently I am reading “The Rooster Bar” and am liking it so far.  

I don’t know exactly how many books I read last year but here are a few that I enjoyed.  They’re listed in no specific order.

1. Becoming
It took me a long time to finish it.  Once I was done, I felt like Michelle was my BFF.  I loved learning about her and her family.  She is someone I would love to meet!

2. I am not your perfect Mexican daughter
I think I read this in 2018 but read it again last year because a few of my cousins were talking about it and wanted to discuss it.  The book made me sad, angry, and happy.  I loved the story but loved even more that I could relate to it. 

3. Chicken Soup for the Soul-Running For Good
Who doesn’t love these books?  I enjoyed reading the stories from runners talking about their struggles, goals, and accomplishments.  

4. Living with a SEAL
I read this book in 2018.  Hilarious book.  I would not last one day living and training with a SEAL.

I love this Dr. Seuss quote.  I always say it to my students.

What book(s) are you reading?  Any John Grisham fans?

Happy Tuesday!  Was anyone off yesterday?  I was and it was definitely nice.  This past week I explained to my kids the reason for being off on Monday.  Many had heard of Martin Luther King, Jr.,  but couldn’t remember much about him.  No worries.  We watched a video and did various activities to remember and honor him.  I will ask them again today and see if they remember.  🙂

This week’s Tuesday Topic:  What’s on your Winter 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!

As you know, so far I haven’t had much luck with running.  I got sick and then I fell.  I know it is only the 3rd week in January and I have plenty of time to achieve my goals this year.  However, I have two races this Winter that I want to do and hopefully get a PR in one of them.

• Publix Atlanta Half Marathon, March 1
I’ve been wanting to run in GA for years and I finally have a chance to cross it off my list.  This race is the day after the Olympic Marathon Trials so you know I have to go.  I know Atlanta is hilly so I was never expecting to get a PR.  At this point, my goals are to enjoy it and to finish it (similar to the Detroit race).

• Bank of America Shamrock Shuffle, March 22
One of my goals this year is to get a PR in the 8k distance.  There aren’t that many 8ks in Chicago and I do this race almost every year.  My PR is 48:38 from 2014.  I was close in 2015 with a finish time of 49:49.  I remember the first time I did this race in 2006.  My goal was to finish under an hour (I did).  I also remember running the whole time and stopping only once for water.  It is one of my favorite races in Chicago.

Wish me luck.  If I don’t get my PR at the Shamrock Shuffle, then I will find another 8k race.  This year I am determined.

So maybe these are not exactly bucket list items.  Oh well.  I still want to get these done.

What’s on your Winter bucket list?

Thanks to everyone for their comments from my post on Sunday regarding my fall.  I am not done reading everyone’s post/comment.  The bruise is slowly going away and my face looks so much better.  🙂

This week’s Tuesday Topic:  What’s your plan to achieve your 2020 goals?  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 wrote about my goals in December.  Here is the post.  I didn’t count them when I wrote my post but yesterday I counted them and I have 10 goals for this year.  Maybe it is too many and maybe it isn’t.  🙂  Read along to find out how I planning on achieving my goals this year.

1. Be injury free.  Please go away plantar fasciitis.
Last year I got a taste of plantar fasciitis.  I didn’t know that’s what it was (although I did suspect it and my doctor confirmed it) and it is one of the most painful injuries I’ve ever had.  As of now, I want to say that it is gone.  I did a lot of stretching, used my massage gun, wore a sleeve at night, and wore gym shoes with inserts during the day and while out running.  I am also obsessed with my Oofos.  I wear them every single day.  Of course, I could get a different injury.  Injuries like to follow runners.  This year I plan to get stronger by taking up swimming, strength training, and/or cycling.  I already have a Peloton so now I need to look into the other two.

2. PR in the following distances: 5k, 4 miles, 8k, 10k, 10 miles, and 13.1.
This might be a tricky one.  Last year I signed up with a new coach and was determined to make it work and stick to my workouts.  I didn’t expect to get sick and to fall this year.  I am not sure when I will run again.  My PRs are so many years old and now am wondering if it is even possible.  Maybe I should stick to the shorter distances?

3. Get a sub 2 half marathon.
I’ve been wanting to do this for a number of years.  My last couple of half marathons have been done just for fun and to run in a new state.  I have a few I will be running this year but haven’t decided which one to make my sub 2 half marathon.

4. Run a marathon.  I am hoping either the MCM in October or the NYC in November.
This one depends on the lottery.  I entered the early lottery for NYC but didn’t get selected.  My entry was automatically entered into the regular lottery.  The lottery registration for the MCM is in March.  We’ll see what happens.

5. Buy a house.  
I have to figure out exactly what kind of house I want.  I’ve been looking for over 2 years.  Isn’t that long enough?  Honestly, I am tired of waiting and looking.  I saw the perfect house last year but by the time I was ready to make an offer, the owners had accepted an offer from someone else.  Again, things happen for a reason so the question now is why didn’t I get that house?

6. Travel to Mexico.  It’s been years since I’ve been there and really hope I can make it next year.
I can cross this off my list.  I bought my mother’s and my ticket on Saturday.  We will be going in March/April for Spring Break.  I told my sister and niece that I want to go to 3 places: Xochimilco, the pyramids in Teotihuacan, and to the Frida Kahlo Museum.  Cannot wait!

7. Run a couple more half marathons in new states.  I am registered for GA and KS but still need HI, NM, ID, ND, SD, SC, and WY.  
Only 9 more states to go.  I have an idea of the ones I want to run in NM, ID, ND, SD, SC, and WY, but need to check out logistics (airfare and hotel) before I sign up.  Anyone want to join me?  Also, not sure about GA since it is at the end of February and I don’t know if I will be ready for it.

8. Be more patience at work and at home.  
So far I am doing OK with this one.  I’ve been more calm at work and at home.  I’ve been paying more attention to my students because many times that is just what they want.  I need to remember that my students are little kids.  Many look forward to coming to school and will do anything for attention and to please me.  I’m also working on being more patient with my mother.  She is older and needs a lot of care and attention.  She isn’t patient either and tends to get angry because now there are many things she cannot do by herself and she does not like that.

9. Do more fun things with friends.  I realized that I always use the same excuse “I am too tired” with them and don’t do enough fun things with them.
I am at loss with this one.  Not sure how to tackle this one because honestly I am tired at the end of the day.  🙂  I guess I can make plans with them for either one day every other weekend or during the week.

10. Find joy in everything that is possible.  Life is short to not find joy in it. 
So far this is going well too.  I started off the year with a cold and stayed home for 3 days.  However, I watched TV, slept and took some much needed rest.  As for my fall, well, nothing fun about that but I am glad it wasn’t worse and that I didn’t break anything.  I know this sounds cheesy but in the morning I tell myself that it is going to be a good day.  🙂

Can you believe Kim and I have hosting this linkup for almost a year?  This was my first post from said linkup.  Thank you again to everyone for making this a fun linkup you all look forward to every Tuesday.  🙂

This week’s Tuesday Topic:  What’s one fun running related thing you did over the holidays?  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 going to write about the opposite: One fun non-running related thing I did over the holidays.  I could have sworn that that is what I wrote or read when we were thinking of topics for 2020.  🙂  Oh well, I hope you enjoy it!

As most of you know, I was on Winter Break these past two weeks.  I went back yesterday and my goodness, I was exhausted.  Plus, I was still a little congested so that did not help.  I left at 3, did a few errands, and went home to rest.  I missed my run in the morning so I thought I could do it in the evening and no that didn’t happen.  Anyway, going back to Winter Break.  The best things I did were eat, rest, sleep, and spend time with family.  I definitely needed that to happen.

However, the most exciting thing I did was visit the Starbuck Roastery Chicago.  I’ve been wanting to go there since since it first opened in November.  My mom and I went on Sunday, December 29.  The weather was perfect for a trip downtown. 

We took an Uber because I didn’t want to deal with parking and then walking from said parking lot to the roastery.  We arrived and we noticed right away a long line.  I did not know that was the line to get in.  The Uber driver had dropped us off in front of a hotel so I asked one of the guys there.  He said that the wait time was about 1 hour and to come back during the week or closer to closing time since that is when the line is much shorter.  We decided to get in line anyway since we were already there.  The line in the picture on the right is from across the street.  In order to get in, you wait there in line.  Then you cross the street and then wait again in another line.  Total wait time was maybe half an hour?

Once inside we took our time.  There are 4 floors.  We checked out each floor.  The first floor had a gift shop, a roaster, and a coffee bar.

The second had a bakery and a cafe.  There were so many people and it was hard to find a place to sit.  Eventually we found a place to sit because I saw a lady and there were a few empty seats next to her.  I asked if they were available.  I can’t remember what she told me but I do remember her saying that we could sit for a few minutes because she was waiting for her son and grandchildren.  I told her that that was OK because I just wanted my mother to sit down for a few minutes.  A few minutes later we left but went back there to eat tiramisu and enjoy some iced coffee and a chocolate espresso martini.  

The third floor had a coffee bar.  There were so many options for coffee drinks (I wanted to try the Nitro Mole Mocha) but the line was too long so we sat at the bar and watched people picked up their drinks.  They all looked pretty good!

The fourth floor had a cocktail bar.  We looked around but there seemed to be even more people there.  There was an area to sit but you needed a reservation.  I don’t know if that is always the case or just that day because there were a lot of people.

Finally, there is a 5th floor/roof deck but that is only available as weather permits.  Although it was a beautiful day, it wasn’t open.

My mother and I went back to the 2nd floor to relax and drink some coffee.  We sat at the bar and ordered a martini too.  My mother had never eaten tiramisu and I was actually surprised to find that out.  She did like it!

Couple of things:

⇒ The guy from the hotel told me that the place is overrated.  I agree with him but at the same time glad I went.  Obviously it is nothing like a local Starbucks coffee bar.  Not all of the drinks from the coffee shop are available at the roastery, but the “basic” one are like lattes, cold brew, and iced coffee.

⇒ It is EXPENSIVE!  Now I know a martini is not cheap but I paid $16 for mine.  The tiramisu and iced coffee was $15.

⇒ I am sure it would have been less crowded during the week.  However, we ended up not waiting too long to get in.

⇒ It is a nice place to hang out and quite an experience. 

⇒ I don’t think this is a place to take kids.  I didn’t see anything there that they would find interesting that those are my two cents.

⇒ You can buy something to eat such as pizza, salad, and panini but it isn’t the place to eat a full meal.  Did I mention that it is expensive?

⇒ Definitely check it out if you are in Chicago.  Let me know so I can meet you there too!  🙂

Would I go again?  Yes, I want to try the Nitro Mole Mocha.  Doesn’t it sound yummy?  Also, I want to check out the cocktails on the 4th floor.