Zenaida Arroyo

This week’s Tuesday Topic is:  What are you goals 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!

Well, this is an interesting post.  Last year I wrote my goals for 2020 and well we know how this year went.  I added a few of them again in today’s post and crossing my fingers I accomplish my goals.

✅ Stay injury free.  The last injury I had was plantar fasciitis.  It was painful and one of the worst injuries I’ve ever had.

✅ Buy a house.  Yep, still on my list.  

✅ Travel to Mexico.  I bought tickets for me and my mother to go during Spring Break.  Hopefully we can make it next year.  

✅ Be more patience at work and at home.  With everything that happened this year, I think I did OK here.  It wasn’t easy but many things weren’t easy this year.  

✅ Just in case there are more live races, my goal is to PR in the following distances: 5k, 4 miles, 8k, 10k, 10 miles, and 13.1.  OK, so maybe not all but at least 1 of them?

This week’s Tuesday Topic is:  Share your best running views.   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!

Happy Tuesday!  I am counting down the days till Winter Break.  This morning I am in a training session for a new math program we plan to pilot for our students.  The one we currently use isn’t really the best so I am excited to hopefully use a better math curriculum.

I love running in Chicago.  Of course my favorite place to run is the lakefront.  The views are amazing!  I haven’t run there in months and truly miss it.  I cannot make it there to run and then be ready to start work at 8:30am.  

For the past couple of months I have been running by my house.  It is so easy to just head out the door and run 5 or 6 miles and be back in time for work.  I like it that it isn’t dark when I head out.  However, that will change once I go back to school.  I will need to be out there again at 6am.  Oh well.

This is one of my routes.  Not my best drawing but it works.  

Sometimes I go a little further north because it is in the area that I am interested in buying a house.  I get excited when I see a sign in the front yard, but it turns out it s a sign congratulating a graduate.  I keep on looking for a house for sale.  I almost bought one last year but someone beat me to it.  Then earlier this year there was one that I wanted to check out but someone else beat me to it too. 

Anyway, here are a few pictures of my running views.  They may not be as exciting as a lakefront view, but to me it is more than that.

This fire station is 2 blocks north from from my house.  Whenever I see it I think about that day last year in March when my mother had a stroke.  Thanks to the paramedics she was quickly rushed to the hospital where “luckily” it was a mild stroke.

This is heading out south.  It is the train station (Orange Line) which takes you to Midway Airport and downtown.  How I loved taking this train when I worked downtown.  This train has taken me to the airport many times (I miss traveling) and to Grant Park for a race.

Running north on Pulaski is my favorite store.  You see it, right?  It is also close to the area I want to live in.  

Pete’s Market is next to Target.  Now you see why I want to live in this area?  Target and Pete’s Market are the two places I shop to get pretty much everything I need.

I’ve run these streets and sidewalks a lot.  I’ve laughed, smiled, and cried while out there.  I’ve mentioned that running is my ME time.  It is the time for me to think or not think and simply enjoy my music.  It gets me ready for the day.  More than even I am thankful for running.  

This week’s Tuesday Topic is:  Show us your year in bling!  You can write about this topic or feel free to post any running related blog post.  Feel free to post any running related blog postRemember 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!

No doubt this has been an interesting year.  I started off the year with a few races in my calendar.  Now I don’t remember how many but I do remember that a couple were half marathons in various states.  I was really hoping to complete my goal of running a half marathon in each state.  Maybe 2022?

I may not have run many races but I have been busy running all of the miles.  Those that have been reading along know I started working with a coach in May.  I have made many improvements and each month have also increased my mileage.  And let’s not forget my running streak!  🙂

Here is a list of the races I ran this year.  They were not all live races but I still ran and got some swag (except the last one).  

Publix Atlanta Half Marathon – This was only real race I ran this year in March.  It was hilly and hard.  I had more fun spectating the Olympic Marathon Trials the day before.  The medal was OK but I definitely earned it.

The Great Run Across Illinois – I did this with Marcia.  The goal was to run 210 miles and we did  it.  I did not order the medal but did get a shirt. 

Quad-City Times Bix 7 – A virtual race done with friends too.  Thanks to Kim for organizing the group!  We had lots of run coordinating our outfits.  Running 7 miles was not easy due to the heat but still made the best of it.   No medal but I got a shirt as well. 

California Coast 500 Challenge – I did this with my BibRave Pro friends.  The goal was to run 250 miles from June 8-September 7.  I wasn’t sure if I would complete it because I had to quarantine and could not leave my house (I don’t have a treadmill either).  I needed about 20 more miles.  Once I was able to run outside, I got it done.  However, I then found out that the deadline had been extended due to the fires happening at that time.  I did get a medal, but got the wrong one.  I was told that I could send it back and I would get the correct one.  I got lazy and just kept it.  🙂 I also got a shirt.

Unofficial virtual 5K – I had to add this one.  No medal and no shirt, but being proud of meeting my goal.

Overall, it wasn’t too bad.  Like many of you, I made the best of it.  I got 2 medals and 3 shirts.  I like the shirts that I got.  They’re soft and comfortable.  They’re a reminder of the challenges I did during this “awful” time.