Weekly Run Down: Some new PRs and a few days off

Happy Sunday!  The week does go by fast when you work for 3 days.  This week I took 2 well deserved days off.  But before I tell you about it, let me tell you about my runs.

I am on cloud nine because I had an awesome week of running.  My workouts were similar to last week – 4 days of easy/recovery runs and 3 days of speed workouts.

On Tuesday I did 4 miles and then 4 intervals each lasting 45 seconds with a one minute recovery.  Then I ran till I hit 5 miles.  I told my coach that I didn’t want to do the workout because I didn’t want to run 5 miles before work, but overall it was a great run.  It was even more fun with a 30 minute BHM: Motown Run.  Great music!

The past couple of weeks I did 1/4 intervals and this week it was 1/3 intervals.  It was a little longer which made me nervous.  I did 5 of them with the same distance in recovery.  Then I ended it with a half mile cool down.  Not only were the the splits faster than what my coach asked me to do, but they were all negative splits (11:02, 10:35, 10:08, 10:01, and 9:30).  😊

Yesterday I did the same workout from 2 weeks ago (6 miles with one 90 interval/90 recovery after each mile but stopping at 6 miles).  Splits from last week were 9:52, 9:46, 9:04, 8:35, and 8:53 and yesterday they were 9:16, 9:34, 8:56, 8:49, and 8:30.  I am making improvements!

Bitmoji ImageI took 3 bike classes and managed to get a PR in each one.  Normally I don’t start off a class hoping for a PR, but as the class progresses I then gauge if I can do it or not.  Sometimes I am so close and miss it by a few points but that is alright with me.  Tuesday’s 30 minute class was on the same day I ran 5 miles.  I don’t know why I thought it was a good idea to do that long of a class on that day.  I was tired and my legs were sore too but am happy with how I did.

I know a bike class needs fun music for it to be even more fun.  I have bookmarked all of the 70s, 80s, 90s pop music, Latin, and Live DJ rides ranging from 15-60 minutes.  Total is 555 classes.  Now I wished there were more running classes with that type of music.

As you know I’ve been so frustrated at work.  Everything has been bothering me and I was getting very annoyed with my students.  I have 28 students and only 4 girls do the work and participate.  The others are quiet or don’t do much in class.  A few goof off or log in whenever they want.  One student told me that she does not know how to find the weekly schedule and the assignments.  We’re almost in May!!!  Plus, I had to give two ACCESS Test (Writing and Speaking) to two of my students.  Oh, and then we had a bus evacuation drill which I honestly thought was a waste of time.  I had to wait longer than necessary and why are we doing this drill?  No one is going on a field trip.  The school/district is worried about cross contamination, but yet I was in a bus with 2 other teachers and 4 students that are not in my room (one is a sibling to one of my students).  All of this took time away from my other students since I had to give them asynchronous work while all of this was happening.

I was off Thursday and Friday.  It felt good to be off.  I caught up on reading blog posts and watched Grey’s Anatomy.  My coworkers kept me updated on what was happening at school.  On Friday one of them subbed for my class.  However, there was a room supervisor in my room because one of my students was there.  (You are probably wondering why that student was not in the other teacher’s classroom.  Students are “not allowed” to go to another teacher’s room.  Let me just say that everything about this is messed up).  I had told mom that I was not going to be in school hoping that she would keep him home.  She didn’t.  Apparently that student was eating in the classroom.  No!  We do not eat in the classroom, especially during class time.  I got really annoyed with his mom for sending him to school with food.  I won’t see him again till Wednesday and will ask him what happened.  Oh, and I decided to take off 2 more days the following week.  I joke with my coworkers that I have enough sick days to take the rest of the year off.  We have 30 more work days to go!

Matty asked this question in his class.  Which group do you vote for, The Temptations or The Four Tops?  My vote is for The Temptations.

Linking up with Kim and Deborah for the Weekly Run Down.

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Fit Five Friday: 5 things to remember from April 2020

Somehow I was looking for an old post and ended up reading posts from last year.  So many things have happened since last year!  While we are still in a pandemic, some things are the same and some are different.  Join me as I go down memory lane to remember a few things from April 2020.

🗓️ Martini – I do love my martinis but just recently finished that bottle of sour apple pucker.  I have no idea why it took me so long.  And even with that book, I have not made different ones.  I’ve been been drinking more wine.  😬 Still no Martini Party.  Maybe next year?

🗓️ Rainbow challenge – This was a fun one!  It was also during this time that our Governor extended the stay at home order till May 30th and school was also cancelled for the rest of the year.  It was a rough week for me and I cried during one of my runs.  I am still having rough weeks but no crying.  

🗓️  Remote learning – Who would have thought that I would still be doing remote learning?  So much has happened and changed and I am really frustrated with all of it.  I’ve been teaching from my classroom since January and I’ve had 3 students in my room since last month.  I still send letters to my students.  As a way to reward and motivate them, I send them $5 gift cards when they do well in class, a test, an assignment, etc.  Will remote learning continue in the Fall?

🗓️ Zoom meetup with blogger friends – Can we do this again?

🗓️ My first Peloton run class – I am so glad I decided to take another class with him again.  And then again and again.  He is one of my favorite instructors.  The constant chatting doesn’t bother me as much anymore.  He always has something interesting to say during class.  Many times I am learning something new from him.  I love his laughter and the many motivating things he mentions.  One of my favorites is “Wish for what you want and be ready to receive it”.  I might have missed a word or two.

Thanks for linking up with us again this week!  We’ve got FIVE incredible co-hosts, and we are ready to link up every Friday to share YOUR weekly fitness favorites!  Join hosts My First 5K and MoreRunning With AttitudeRun Laugh Eat PieRuns with Pugsand Zenaida every Friday for Fit Five Friday!  Please add your link below.

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Tuesday Topics: The night before a race or long run

This week’s Tuesday Topic is:  What do you do the night before a race or a long run?  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!

It was a busy weekend for me.  I am late in reading and commenting posts from Friday and Sunday, but I promise I will catch up this week.  😬

I’ve been over a year since my last race.  I am hoping either in the Summer or Fall I can do a race.  So far I’ve been having some great workouts and I hope that translates to another PR.

It’s been a while since I’ve had a night before a race.  Let’s see if I remember what I would do on those nights.  

➡️ Have a good dinner.  I could eat pretty much anything and be OK the next morning.  Yes, to spicy food, but not too much of it anyway.  Sometimes I have a beer too.  

➡️ Get my gear ready.  I don’t want to forget anything in the morning so I make sure to have everything that I will need for my race laid out on the sofa or next to me on the extra bed.  Items include sports bra, shorts/tights, top(s), socks, body glide, watch, gels, watch, credit card, room key, and ID.  

➡️ Set up the coffee maker.  I need to have coffee in the morning.  Sometimes the hotel doesn’t have coffee in the lobby or there is no coffee shop nearby so room coffee it is.  I know it isn’t the best but it is better than nothing.  The best has been where there was a Keurig in the room.  I remember during some of the RunDisney races, there was NO coffee maker in the room and the dining room wasn’t open.  I know, terrible.  I was able to get some later on before lining up for the race.

➡️ Set my alarm.  I remember having to use the room clock for my alarm.  Does anyone remember also having to call the front desk for a wake up call?  Now thanks to my iPhone I set the alarm there and go to sleep.

➡️ Use the bathroom again.  And then maybe again.  Being nervous always make me go to the bathroom multiple times.  

As for a long run, it is pretty much the same.  What I don’t do is set my alarm.  My cats wake me up.  

What about you?  What do you do the night before a race or a long run?

Tuesday Topics

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Weekly Run Down: Ask and it will be given to you and cat pictures

Hard to believe it is Sunday again!  This week definitely went by fast.  Work wise it was exhausting.  I come home and I am mentally exhausted.  I am trying very hard to be patient and stay positive.   I know everyone is struggling but it is just so hard right now.

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This was another another great week of running.  Let me tell you all about it.  I had 4 days of recovery/easy runs and 3 days of speed workouts.  I enjoyed them again!

This week’s workouts were the same as last week but my coach had me run an extra interval and mile.  On Tuesday I ran for 3 miles, then did 5 surges each lasting 30 seconds and recovering 1 minute after each surge, then running easy till I hit 4 miles.  I felt really good again.  I asked my coach if I was going to do 6 surges next week.  He told me no and that next week it will still be 4 surges and each will be for 45 seconds.  

Another fun workout I did on Thursday was run four 1/4 mile intervals at a target pace with 1/4 mile recovery.  My coach asked me to do them in in 11:15-11:30, 11:00-11:15, 10:45-11:00, and 10:30-10:45.  I was flying!  I ran them in 10:28, 9:58, 9:37 and 9:02.   

Saturday was 7 miles with six 90 second intervals with a 90 second recovery (one in each mile).  The interval and the recovery is about 1/4 mile so then I run easy for 3/4 mile before doing it again.  I also enjoyed this workout and would definitely do it again.  I have a feeling next week I will be doing 8 miles with 7 intervals.  

Another week and I am very happy with all of my runs.  I also did 4 bike classes with Cody, Jenn, and Robin.  The classes I enjoy the most are those with 80s music.  I wished there was a way to pick classes with that specific type of music.  

I didn’t take any pictures during my runs so I have nothing to post here.  But I did take some of my cats.  I know Jenn likes my cat pictures.  🙂

Linking up with Kim and Deborah for the Weekly Run Down.

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Fit Five Friday: 5 things I am looking forward to this Summer

Spring is here and Summer is two months away.  I know I am ahead here but thinking about Summer gets me excited because Summer means the end of the school year.  Yesterday was just awful.  No matter what I did, nothing seemed to be going right.  I know everyone is tired but I really need this school year to be over.

Anyway, let’s talk about Summer.  It isn’t my favorite season for running, but I don’t hate it anyway.

🌞 End of the school year – It has been an awful year.  It has been my worst year of teaching.  Part of it is the number of students I have but also the expectations from administrators.  Tests, tests, and tests.  Oh, and let’s not forget teaching the curriculum and the priority standards.  Oh, and make sure we give grades each quarter.  It makes no sense.  It is really hard to accurately assess the students.  By the way, my last day is June 9th.  I know technically it isn’t Summer but it still counts.  Also, I will be teaching summer school but at least it will be with different students and curriculum.

🌞 Running in shorts and short sleeve shirt – I wrote the same thing in my post about SpringI love running in shorts.  I dislike running in tights with a long sleeve shirt AND a jacket.  The less the better.  It gets me in a better mood and more motivated to run.  Gotta keep going with my run streak!  Today is day #231.

🌞 Reading more books – I love to read!  I am excited to sit out in the balcony or on the sofa with a glass (or two) of wine.  Please send me your book recommendations.  

🌞 Spending more time with mom – I feel so lucky that I still have my mom.  While sometimes it is so hard to take care of an elderly person, my sisters and I are doing the best we can.  Depending on how things are with the pandemic, we will either spend HOURS on the balcony listening to music and talking or hopefully visiting family.  I would love to take her on a short getaway.

🌞 Relax and maybe sleep in – Many days I want to do “nothing”.  Well, what I mean by that is sitting on the sofa while I read or watch TV (so many shows to watch).  I know in the Summer I have to run early in the morning to avoid the heat.  However, there are some days when I am so tired and just want to stay in bed and catch up on sleep.  If that happens then I will just run in the evening.

What are you looking forward to this summer?  Any summer plans?

Thanks for linking up with us again this week!  We’ve got FIVE incredible co-hosts, and we are ready to link up every Friday to share YOUR weekly fitness favorites!  Join hosts My First 5K and MoreRunning With AttitudeRun Laugh Eat PieRuns with Pugsand Zenaida every Friday for Fit Five Friday!  Please add your link below.

You are invited to the Inlinkz link party!

Click here to enter