Tuesday Topics: My goals for 2020

How is it that it is almost the end of December and the end of this decade?!  Honestly, how did 10 years go by so fast?  Or did it go that fast?  I have no idea what I was doing December 31, 2009 but I do know I wrote my first blog post a year later on January 2, 2011.  🙂

This week’s Tuesday Topic: What are your goals for 2020?  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!

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I have a new coach and am excited to be working with him.  I love the personalized plan and the constant communication with Dan.  We have a weekly call on Monday at 5pm in which we discuss my upcoming runs, concerns, and anything else I want to talk about.

When I signed up with Dan I told him my goals.  I think there were too many.  One can dream, right?  🙂  Well, I didn’t say I wanted to achieve them in 2020 but sometime in the future.  Now that I’ve had a chance to think about it some more, I want to focus on a few of them.  I am also including some personal ones.  Ready to find out?

⇒ Be injury free.  Please go away plantar fasciitis.

⇒ PR in the following distances: 5k, 4 miles, 8k, 10k, 10 miles, and 13.1.

⇒ Get a sub 2 half marathon.

⇒ Run a marathon.  I am hoping either the MCM in October or the NYC in November.

⇒ Buy a house.  

⇒ Travel to Mexico.  It’s been years since I’ve been there and really hope I can make it next year.

⇒ 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.  

⇒ Be more patience at work and at home.  

⇒ 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.

⇒ Find joy in everything that is possible.  Life is short to not find joy in it.  

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My mother will be making mole today.  My sister and nephew are coming over and it should be fun.  One of my cousins invited us over to her house on Christmas Day so that will be fun too.  Happy Holidays to everyone!  Enjoy this special time with loved ones!!

Tuesday Topics

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Weekly Run Down: Fun activities with the kids and Winter Break

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Not much running this week and I am OK with it.  Did I want to run more?  Yep.  But I have been sleeping well that I haven’t been able to wake up in the morning.  Then a few days I came home and took a nap too.  So weird.  I am on Winter Break so now I don’t have to wake up THAT early so definitely no excuse not to do all of my runs.

On Monday the school administration made a delicious breakfast for us.  I went back for seconds!  🙂

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Later on we made ornaments with the kids.  I made one with a picture of Lola and Mateo.  The kids were excited to make one for their parents.

I did get out to run in the evening.  It wasn’t cold but it was slippery.  You can see the ice on the sidewalk.  Luckily it was 3 miles and I took it nice and slow.

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Tuesday was “Whoville hair” and it was fun to see teaches and students participate.  My coworker had a former student’s mom come in and do our hair (there are 5 second grade teachers).  In her words “I want to win.”  She was one of the winners.  The winners had the students go to the gym on Friday to watch a movie.  We thought that everyone in the grade level had to participate in order to win (we thought for sure we would win).  We then found out it was only individual teachers.  I went back and forth with the principal but nothing was done about it.  I was pissed!  I ignored her the rest of the week.  Well, not just because of that.  Other things had been going on and that just did it for me.

My hair is very thin and straight so it was hard to do something Whoville related.  I ended up with a present!  I went running with my hair like that and it was a mistake.  It was windy and I got very cold.  Even my head hurt from the cold!

This was after my run and after I removed the rubber bands and bobby pins.  Check out those pretty waves!  Anyone know of a good curling iron I can get to get waves like that?

Wednesday was another fun activity with all of the 2nd grade teachers.  We use HERO to reward students that are respectful, responsible, and safe as well as give negative points to those that are not respectful, responsible, nor safe.  We held a different activity in each room and students had to pick one.  I had the board games room.  At one point there were 30 students in my room.  Another teacher had a drawing/coloring room, one was the holding room for those that had too many negative points, and two teachers had a movie room.  

Not exactly a board game but my students love using the Magna tiles.

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That is how I felt Thursday morning.  

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I don’t have pictures but I had my students use Tempera paint to paint whatever they wanted.  They rarely get a chance to paint and it was fun to see their pictures.  Some are very creative!

It was a long week at school but I made the best of it.  The students for sure had fun!  I did leave right at 3pm on Friday.  🙂

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Saturning morning I went running at the Arboretum.  It has been months since I’ve run there.  I am planning to either go there or to Waterfall Glen every Saturday for some hill training.  My next race is in Atlanta and I’ve heard that the course is hilly.  I was supposed to run 8 miles but I’ve missed so many of my runs this week so I did four.  Yeah, that was enough for me.

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

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Random Thoughts Thursday 103

Random Thoughts Thursday

• Anyone like to color?  Get this from Amazon.  Isn’t it cool?

• I know my name is not common but if I have my first and last name in an email, should you know that Arroyo is NOT my first name?

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• I went to the post office and saw this.  I almost wrote a letter to send one too!

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 • Cannot go to the bathroom alone.  Mateo was waiting for me outside the door.

• Just because.  🙂Winter Break-3.jpg

 

Tuesday Topics: Turtle Gloves Lightweight Turtle-Flip Convertible Running Mittens Review

Disclaimer:  I received a pair of Turtle Gloves Lightweight Turtle-Flip Convertible Running Mittens as part of being a BibRave Pro.  Learn more about becoming BibRave Pro (ambassador), and check out BibRave.com to review, find and write race reviews!  

Tuesday Topics-22.jpgThis week’s Tuesday Topic:  How do you cool down after a 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!

I’m deviating from this week’s topic to write a review about the Turtle Gloves Lightweight Turtle-Flip Convertible Running Mittens.  I am always looking for new running gear to stay warm during the Winter.  When the opportunity came to try out these gloves, I immediately signed up.  

I was sent a prototype of the new running mittens.  When I received them, I was a bit disappointed because I was expecting them to be thicker.  I mean, running mittens have to be thick to keep your hands warm, right?  Never judge a book by its cover.  After my first run I knew these gloves were perfect for those cold days of running.

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The mittens are made of polartec material.  They’re also wind and water resistant.  My hands never felt cold on my runs.  As a matter of fact, my hands were a bit sweaty!  Not a problem.  I didn’t have to take my gloves off but instead just convert them to a fingerless glove.  See the video below.

Two things I was not crazy about:

⇒ 1) The color.  They’re an ugly and boring gray.  I made a face when I saw them.  Then I remembered that were a prototype and were made specifically for us to review.  Definitely cannot get picky about the colors.  🙂

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⇒ They were too big.  I ordered a medium and should have asked for a small.  Obviously that was my fault.  I used my watch on my left hand to tie the glove.  The gloves need an elastic around the wrist for a more comfortable fit.

Overall, they’re great gloves.  They’re thin but also wind and water resistant.  They keep my hands warm which is all I ever want from a pair of running gloves.

These have not yet been released.  You can still go to the website to check out the other styles that they offer.  Remember, use promo code TURTLEGLOVESBR to save 15% on your order!

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Weekly Run Down: A good week of sleeping and almost Winter Break

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I hope everyone had a great week!  Our kids had to take a couple of tests this past week.  They took a Reading and Math test.  The best part is that the test is in English and my kids are Bilingual.  I know, it does not make sense to me either.  

This week was 4 runs outside and 1 Peloton session.  It was supposed to be 2 but I moved my run from Saturday to Sunday and that is when I do the other Peloton workout.  Oh well.  

I have been sleeping so much better and it’s been a struggle to get up in the morning.  I know, it sounds contradicting.  What I mean is that I am in a deep sleep and don’t want to wake up because it feels so great sleeping.  I cannot recall Monday’s run (no photo but my Garmin says I ran 3 miles), but on Wednesday I did not want to run.  That day was 1/2 day at school but we had meetings till 4pm.  Long and exhausting day!  I went home and took a nap and set out to run 4 miles.  I ran a faster 5k!  It was 38:29 at the end of November.

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I did not run on Thursday but I saw another gorgeous sunrise.

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Friday morning I ran 3 miles.  It wasn’t too cold but I did have 2 layers and my lightening layer.

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After work I met a few coworkers for a holiday gathering.  It was my first time going (sometimes I am a party pooper) and was glad I did because I had so much fun!  We talked, laughed, ate, and drank.  I had 3 martinis and they were DELICIOUS.  The next day I woke up at 5 to feed Lola and Mateo and to make coffee but went back to sleep.  Then I woke up again at 7.  The rest of the day I felt blah and stayed in pajamas.  I did nothing.  🙂  Mateo felt the same way.

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Going back to my sleep.  I have been using Nuun Rest: Relaxation & Rest Aid Drink Tablets.  I drink it between 8-8:30 and I think that is what is helping me sleep better.  Sometimes I wake up once to go to the bathroom but then go back to sleep.  Check out Wednesday and Saturday night!  Could be the Nuun tablets or this week I am just mentally tired.  🙂

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Just one more week till Winter Break.  Friday will be here soon!

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

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