Zenaida Arroyo

07
Apr
2023

Fit Five Friday and April 2023 Ultimate Coffee Date

categories: Fit Five Friday, Ultimate Coffee Date

Welcome to the April edition of the Ultimate Coffee Date hosted by Coco and Deborah. It’s also time for another edition of Fit Five Friday hosted by My First 5K and More, Running with Attitude, Run Laugh Eat Pie, Runs with Pugs, and me!

Now, grab a mug of your favorite beverage, and let’s chat briefly!

If we were having coffee…
I’d tell you that I have been enjoying my Spring Break. I caught up on reading blog posts and reading and commenting on comments. I also went downtown for what I thought would be a Lasik consultation, met a coworker for lunch, and met the family for lunch. I also watched TV and read my book.

If we were having coffee…
I’d tell you that I am going back in May for another Lasik consultation. Since I already had Lasik years ago, I have to get a different set of tests. I have to pay for them (I have HMO so my insurance will not pay for them). I walked out annoyed on Monday because I didn’t know about it and didn’t want to pay. However, if I really want to get this procedure done, then I will just suck it up and pay.

If we were having coffee…
I’d tell you that I am also off on Monday. We usually get Good Friday off and this year we are already off because of Spring Break. Our next day off won’t be until May for Memorial Day and then we are done for the school year that Friday. I am taking a few half days off for doctor appointments for me and my mom. These next few months will fly by!

If we were having coffee…
I’d tell you that on Wednesday I signed up for 4 races! There is another one that I am interested in next month but will play it by ear. The price will increase on May 1st so I have until then to decide. These are all local races with the next one taking place on April 16th.

If we were having coffee…
I’d tell you that I had missed out on the opportunity to meet and hear Desi talk about her new book “Choosing to Run”. I have met her a few times and didn’t want to pay to see her again. Does that make me cheap and am I really missing out since I didn’t want to pay? The event was postponed to April 20th because she was stuck in NYC and couldn’t make it in time to come here.

Earlier this week I read part of her book and was HOOKED. I wanted to read more. I am waiting to get a copy from the library so I can read it. I could buy it but I really do not need another book. Soon I need to start decluttering again and do not want to bring extra stuff into the apartment.

The topic for next week’s Fit Fit Friday – 5 words to describe yourself. Feel free to write about this or any fitness topic you’d like. We hope you’ll link up with us!

04
Apr
2023

Tuesday Topics: How I get my Vitamin C

categories: Tuesday Topics

This week’s Tuesday Topic: Today is National Vitamin C Day, how do you get your vitamin C? 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!

I admit that I do not get enough Vitamin C. I do what I can to at least get some of it. Here is what I do:

🍉 I drink a smoothie Monday through Friday. My smoothie has oatmeal, almond milk, protein powder, and either spinach or frozen fruit (depending on my mood). Sometimes it is without the spinach or fruit.

🍉 Eat fruit. I don’t have fresh fruit in the house (I know, I know), but if I see fruit already cut up, then I will grab a plate or two of it. It tastes so much better with Tajín.

🍉 Take Emergen-C. I don’t take this every day. I take it here and there and even so when I feel like I will get a cold.

The topic for next: If you had free entry to any of the World Major Marathons, which one would you pick? Feel free to write about this topic or any running-related topic. We hope you’ll link up with us!

Tuesday Topics

31
Mar
2023

Fit Five Friday: 5 things about the Shamrock Shuffle 8k

categories: Fit Five Friday, Race Recap

We’ve got FIVE incredible co-hosts My First 5K and More, Running With Attitude, Run Laugh Eat Pie, Runs with Pugs, and Zenaida so be sure to link up with us. For this week’s Fit Five Friday we don’t have a topic but instead, invite you to also join in Runfessions with Marcia.

I am behind on reading and commenting on posts. I haven’t forgotten. I will be catching up in the next couple of days. For today’s post, I will write about the Shamrock Shuffle 8k. I ran this fun race on Sunday and am very happy I ran it again.

Here are some fun things about the race:

☘️ It was my 13th year running this race. My first time was in 2006. I’ve run it every year since then except for 2009, 2012, 2013, 2020 (it was canceled), and 2021. I didn’t realize I had missed it many times but remember that one year I missed it because I went to a wedding in Mexico and another time it was because it had snowed the day before and I didn’t want to run in the snow. 🤣

The photo below is from 2007.

☘️ The weather was perfect! It was in the 30s but no wind. I wore pants and a thicker wool shirt. At one point I was actually too warm. The outfit I had would have been perfect for the NYC Half Marathon.

☘️ I didn’t train for this race. It didn’t matter. I still wanted to run it because it is one of my favorite races. I had just run a half marathon the week before so what could go wrong? Absolutely nothing. I didn’t use the run/walk method but ran by feel. I felt really good and ran one mile nonstop.

My PR is 48:38 from 2014. This year I did better than expected and bettered my time from last year. All of my finish times have been less than one hour.

☘️ The finish line is the same as the Chicago Marathon. I dislike the finish line. To get there you need to run up a bridge. Why? Why? I walked a bit but tried just to keep running. I don’t think I’ve ever only run up that darn thing. I was shocked that I ran that last mile in 11:24 and it was also my fastest mile.

☘️ It is a great race to run in Chicago. Seriously, this race is so much fun and I love it! For me, it is easy to get it via public transportation and the 8k distance is just perfect. I love that packet pickup is easier to get to (at least for me).

The topic for next week: Ultimate Coffee Date with Coco and Deborah. We hope you will link up.

28
Mar
2023

Tuesday Topics: March 2023 Review

categories: Monthly Review, Tuesday Topics

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!

March is almost over which means April is almost here. That means Spring Break is around the corner! One week off to relax and enjoy. I am not going anywhere and that is OK with me. I want to stay home.

Let me tell you about how March went for me:

Mileage: It wasn’t low but neither high. As of today, I’ve run 59.62 and walked 1.87 miles. There are still a few more days this month so I am sure those numbers will go up.

Current Book: I finished reading “Three Sisters”. Wow! Beautiful and sad book. I cried many times while reading it. The love among the sisters was so strong while going through a horrific time.

I am currently reading “The Husbands”. It is book #8 for this year.

Current Shoes: Still running in the Brooks Ghost. I need to retire these soon. I also have the Launch 9 and the Hyperion Tempo. I’ve been eyeing another pair of the Ghost but will not buy them yet. Nope, self-control.

2023 Running Goal: My goal this year is to run 800 miles. It is about 67 miles per month. Total mileage to date is 138.07. It is low but I know I can make it up in the upcoming months. As long as I stay healthy and injury free, I am confident I will reach my goal.

Injuries: None. The hip is better. It isn’t 100% better but not as bad as before.

Races: I ran two this month – NYC Half Marathon and Shamrock Shuffle 8k. Both went well and I did better than expected. My running/training hasn’t been great but I am pleased with how I did.

School: Almost less than 2 months to go. Right now what keeps me going is knowing that I am off next week. I think my students need a break too…from me.

Health: The hot flashes continue. It is awful! I got some bloodwork drawn and found out that my HBa1c has increased. That worries me because I don’t want it to get higher and be diabetic. I’ve been eating pretty much the same (in December my HBa1c was 4.9) but do wonder how much my lack of running has caused it to increase. I’ve been more stressed than usual and haven’t been sleeping well because of the hot flashes.

March was OK. Hopefully, April is better. I was supposed to run the Cherry Blossom 10 Mile but have decided not to make the trip to Washington DC this weekend. There is one race I want to do next month. I know I keep talking about it and now just have to sign up. I may do just well just like my last two races, right?

The topic for next week – Today is National Vitamin C Day, how do you get your vitamin C? Feel free to write about this or any running-related topic. We hope you’ll link up with us!

Tuesday Topics

24
Mar
2023

Fit Five Friday: 5 things about the NYC Half Marathon

categories: Fit Five Friday, Race Recap

This week’s Fit Five Friday topic: 5 sources of mental clutter for your training. You can write about this topic or any fitness-related post. We’ve got FIVE incredible co-hosts My First 5K and More, Running With Attitude, Run Laugh Eat Pie, Runs with Pugs, and Zenaida so be sure to link up with us.

I am going to deviate from this week’s topic to write about the NYC Half Marathon. It was my first race of the year and my first half marathon in 3 years. I’ve entered the lottery many times but was never selected. This year was THE year to go!

Here are some fun things about the race:

🗽 It is a tough course and I didn’t train like I wanted to. I had a training plan and was determined to follow it but I missed a few runs. I paid for it. I walked a lot but at the same time did better than expected. I was surprised when I saw the finish time on my watch. It isn’t my worst time.

I used a 5:1 run/walk method. For the most part, I followed it but there were times when I walked more than run.

🗽 It was freaking cold and windy in the morning. I was in Wave 3 with an 8:20 am start time. I stayed with my nephew in Brooklyn and arrived before 7 am. I checked my bag and then went through security. From there it was a 1.5-hour wait time. I was miserable. I had a mylar blanket and waited in the sun and those two things helped. I knew I would warm up once I began running. I wore a jacket and kept it on until past mile 12 when running in Central Park.

I also wore shorts and I know that didn’t help in the morning. I had pants on but took them off when I checked my bag. I should have worn another pair to throw away once the race began.

🗽 It was my first time running in Central Park. I’ve heard so much about it and was excited to run there. I walked a few times but don’t know why I didn’t take more photos.

I remember people telling me that I was almost at the finish. I saw a sign letting me know I still had 800 meters to go. Then either another sign or someone telling me I had a quarter mile to go. I was so close to the finish line. I ran as fast as I could and saw my nephews and one of their girlfriends with about 100 meters to go.

🗽 There was amazing crowd support! I am glad I didn’t listen to music like I usually do. I soaked it all in. My favorite part was running in Times Square. The crowd and the lights were magnificent!

🗽 This race gave me a chance to visit my nephews and explore the city. The last time I was in NYC was in 2008. It was definitely time to go again. We had bagels and coffee for breakfast. For lunch and dinner, we ate Thai food, hot dogs, pizza (was not impressed with the NY style), Szechuan, and sushi. We went to the 9/11 Memorial and to see “The Book of Mormon”. Oh, and I drank a lot of beer!

Will I do it again? Maybe.

The topic for next week: Runfessions with Marcia! We hope you will link up.