Zenaida Arroyo

24
Jan
2021

Weekly Run Down: Week #7 of training for a 10k and Inauguration Day!

categories: Running, Weekly Recap, Weekly Run Down

I thought I could handle the cold weather but I realized that I cannot. Brrr, too many cold mornings and I just wanted to stay inside in my warm apartment. But I still got out there even if it was just one mile.

I remember this day but cannot remember if I took an Uber to my car or ran back to it. I must have been about 3-4 miles from it.

It is quite an adventure running these days with the ice on the sidewalk and the potholes on the street. Ran 4.21 miles on Monday and did not rush to get back home since I was off.

I love how it is getting lighter earlier.

More snow on Wednesday. I did not care. I was too excited that day.

I watched the Inauguration with my students. There were many tears from me. My students are not back in the classroom. I had to present it via Google Meet on my computer.

During my lunch break I realized that I was saying Vice President Kamala’s name incorrectly. How embarrassing. Then my students laughed at me when I told them I was saying her name wrong. I told them that the First Lady is a teacher and one girl said “wow”. They had no idea.

I know Kim will have more Bernie memes but I just had to include these two. Chicago is known for calling “dibs” on a parking spot. Yep, Bernie is saving a spot.

This weekend I watched “The Trial of the Chicago 7” on Netflix. Has anyone watched it? OMG, if you have let’s set up a Zoom call to discuss it.

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

22
Jan
2021

Fit Five Friday: Five things I thought about this week while running

categories: Fit Five Friday

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 More, Running With Attitude, Run Laugh Eat Pie, Runs with Pugs, and Zenaida every Friday for Fit Five Friday! Please add your link below.

👟 Sunrises. Now that I have been out earlier in the morning to run, I have been seeing more sunrises. It truly amazes me how it is the beginning of a new day but in another part of the world it is already night. I know how or why it happens but to me it is still a wonderful thing that takes place. I like to teach this lesson to my students because many of them have no idea. I have also noticed that now it is lighter before 7am and it is getting darker later than 5pm.

👟 Being careful. It bothers me that as a woman I have to be extra careful when running outside. How many times do I hear or see an article of what I should or should not do? There is never anything like that for men. This week a man stopped me to ask a question about the bus. I was having a great run and was more than happy to help him. I answered his question and our conversation was about 2 minutes. He was grateful that I helped him. I felt good for helping him. However, moments later I realized that maybe I should not have stopped to talk to him. Yeah, at that moment I thought of what could have happened to me and it freaked me out.

👟 Sports bras. Why are they expensive and why is it so hard to find one that fits well? Mine are from Victoria’s Secret and I’ve had them for a few years. I love them because they provide enough support and they’re easy to take off after a sweaty run. I know I need to replace them but have not found any that I like (I hate the padded ones). I ordered 4 new ones from Victoria’s Secret again and received two already. I do not like them at all. Hopefully the other 2 will fit.

👟 Things happen for a reason. I am a firm believer of it. However, there are times that I think really hard about those reasons. Sometimes I like running in the neighborhood where I want to buy a house. I see the house that I almost bought. It was perfect for me. But I also know that it wasn’t meant to be. Right? This was almost two years ago. What is taking so long? It is meant for me to live in an apartment for the rest of my life? These past couple of months drove me crazy because I wished I had more room to move around. When I was in quarantine I was limited to where I could go. I also want more room so I can get a treadmill (I do want the Peloton treadmill). Ugh! I know, I know. I need to be more patient.

👟 My run streak. I slept in yesterday and did not have time to run in morning. I ran after work. However, I had to think really hard about why I “had” to run. I think part of the reason was that I was tired. Last week I was also tired and almost skipped my run. My coach asked me to think about why I started this streak and if that why was still valid today. I told him that “The why was to get out and run. To get some fresh air. To start off my day on the right foot. To clear my head”. I thought about those reasons and went running. It was just one mile but I felt better afterwards. Oh, and it was day #146.

19
Jan
2021

Tuesday Topics: What I learned during the pandemic

categories: Tuesday Topics

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.

17
Jan
2021

Weekly Run Down: Week #6 of training for a 10k and back to work in the classroom

categories: Running, Weekly Recap, Weekly Run Down

Happy Sunday! Another week that goes by fast when you are having fun. Right?

This week started off good but then we got snow and well you know how I do with snow. No bueno. I went back to working from my classroom so I had to get outside earlier since I needed to be at work by 8:30am. No more coming into the house at 8:15am. 🙂

I did not do all of my workouts the way I was supposed to but I tried. Either I ran out of time (now I know that if I am back home by 7:30 then I can make it to work on time) or the weather was an issue. I have no idea when I will run my 10k but I think my coach will have to add a few more weeks to the training cycle.

Thursday evening I had some pizza and wine. Then I noticed that “Sex and the City: The Movie” was on Netflix so I watched it. And then drank more wine. I got really emotional watching it. Then I watched the other “Sex and the City” movie. And drank more wine. Well, it was not a good idea because it was hard to get up on Friday. No time to run either. I then went out in the evening to run but it felt so hard. It wasn’t cold but my chest was hurting. Ran 1.02 miles and that was good enough.

Woke up Saturday morning to snow. Looked so pretty. Took is nice and slow and made the best of it. Not all days will be perfect. I am grateful that it has been a very mild Winter. The temperature then went up to almost 40 and most of the snow had melted.

But then of course more snow on Sunday. It wasn’t a lot but enough to make me nervous for fear of falling. I made the best of it again while listening to music. Stayed closed to my house since I knew I was not going to run far nor long. I felt really good and actually enjoyed it.

This was Lola last Sunday evening. She was not happy when I told her that I was not going to be working from home anymore. Mateo didn’t care. All is want is food in the morning and evening and he is a happy cat.

My room was set up already so I just had to move a couple of things to make it more comfortable. I got a bigger desk to put in front of my Prometheum Board to have another computer and bigger screen. I only leave my room to go to the bathroom and to check in on my coworker. I didn’t want to go to the teacher’s lounge anymore so I bought a little crockpot to heat up my lunch.

This picture is from before I put a bigger desk. You can see the difference between the screen size of my work laptop and the Prometheum Board.

The date to have kids back in the classroom has been changed again. It was supposed to be January 25th and now it is February 1st. Parents should just keep them at home. Students will be doing the same thing in the classroom as if they were at home. All of their learning will still be online. There will be no interaction with the teacher, no small groups, and no manipulatives to work with during Math. Basically I will be babysitting them from 8:30am-12:00pm. Ha, I need a raise!

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

15
Jan
2021

Fit Five Friday: Five things I am looking forward to Spring

categories: Fit Five Friday

Welcome To Fit Five Friday! It’s time for a brand-new Friday Five, and we are thrilled to bring you this Fit Five Friday link-up! 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 More, Running With Attitude, Run Laugh Eat Pie, Runs with Pugs, and Zenaida every Friday for Fit Five Friday! Who’s ready for some fun?

Here are the guidelines: Your link should center around some kind of fitness (exercise, wellness, mental health, nutrition… the possibilities are endless!) Please link back to your hosts! It’s the right thing to do! Share the link-up love by visiting and commenting on your hosts and at least two other Fit Five Friday bloggers! Feel free to share about Fit Five Friday on your social media! Tag #FitFiveFriday to get the word out!

Winter is here. While I am not a big fan of it, so far it hasn’t been too bad. We’ve had snow maybe 2-3 times and it hasn’t been that cold. Winter running is all about having the right gear too. I have plenty of it so so far I am surviving.

How many more weeks till Spring?

💐 Flowers – I enjoy seeing colorful flowers. They make everything look prettier and makes me feel better. With everything that happened last year and what is happening this year, we need to stop, admire and smell the flowers.

💐 No more snow – While there is never a guarantee that we won’t get snow, it is less likely that it will happen. As you know, I HATE the snow.

💐 Running in shorts and short sleeve shirt – I love running in shorts. I also love running in shorts and a long sleeve top. I dislike running in tights with a long sleeve shirt AND a jacket. The less the better.

💐 Spring Break – Honestly, I was planning to go on vacation but now am seriously doubting I will go. Yes, it is the same trip I was planning to take last year. If I cancel again then at least I will have a week off to stay home and relax. No complaints there.

💐 March 14 – Do you know what that day is? It is Daylight Savings Time. I know we will lose an hour but there will be more light in the evening. Eventually there will be more light in the morning too. Oh, and I realize the first day of Spring isn’t till March 20th, but it still counts.