Category: Running

Weekly Run Down: Making progress and Lakefront running

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A great week!  Ran 6 days for a total of 20.91 miles.  The last time I ran 6 days was in March after the Atlanta Half Marathon.  I did feel tired (need to go to sleep earlier) but luckily most of my runs were at an easy pace.

I tried a new product.  The taste isn’t that great (I have lemonade).  It is a combination of carbohydrates, electrolytes and BCAAs to help with rehydration and muscle building after long and/or intense workouts.  Has anyone else tried it?

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The highlights of my week was my workout on Thursday and my long run on the Lakefront.  Last week one of my workouts was 2 sets of 3 minute intervals.  The first set was positive splits but the second set was negative splits.  I did the same workout on Thursday and all intervals were negative splits.  I could not believe it when I saw my splits.  I remember that I felt tired that morning and did not want to get up.  🙂

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Saturday morning I got up at 4:45 am to get ready for my long run.  I was excited because I was going to the lakefront.  Ugh, it was so humid.  I ran but also walked when needed.  I stopped a few times to take pictures.  I was just happy to be there.  Average pace was 12:33 with 11:56 being my fastest mile.  Overall I am pleased with how it went.

Does GU go bad?  I took one yesterday and afterwards I realized that it didn’t taste good.  I know it doesn’t taste that good anyway.  I could not find an expiration date and honestly cannot remember how long I’ve had it.  

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

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Tuesday Topics: My summer bucket list

Happy Tuesday and welcome to another edition of Tuesday Topics! 

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This week’s Tuesday Topic:  What’s on your Summer bucket list 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!

This summer will definitely be different!  We are entering Phase 4 on Friday but I don’t think I am ready yet to venture out.  However, I am hoping to enjoy my Summer Break and check off a few things off my list.

California Coast 500.   I signed up with this virtual race with a few other BibRave Pros.  With this challenge I had the option of signing up to run 100, 250, 400 or 500 virtual miles this summer from LA’s Santa Monica Pier to San Francisco’s Golden Gate Bridge along California’s idyllic Highway One.  This challenge runs from June 8-September 7.  I signed up to run 250 miles and as of this morning I’ve run 40.5 miles.  I still need 205. 5 miles to go.

→ Declutter.  I have accumulated many boxes to help with this project.  Right now they’re in the back porch.  I’ve cleaned out the pantry and part of the kitchen.  The place I was planning to take my donations only accepts them on Friday.  I need to call and double check so I can make a trip this Friday.  

→ Move.  I’ve been talking about this for how long?  I really want to move this summer or sometime this year.  I do like where I live but I need more space.  I want a house with a small apartment for my sister so she can have her own kitchen and space.   I know what I want but just haven’t found it.  I am going to wait till June 30th which is the end of teacher contract year before I make a decision.  <

→ Not get sick.  I am doing the best I can to avoid contracting Covid.  I go out to do a few errands but mostly have been staying home. 

→ Continue talking to friends and family via Zoom.  It isn’t really my favorite thing to do but I don’t have much of a choice.  Would I like to get together with them?  Of course.  I know it isn’t the same but I am still enjoying these conversations.  One of my friends lives in Texas and the rest of us are in Illinois so it is nice to see all of us together in one place.

Not a very exciting list.  🙂  It will be interesting when I go back to school in the Fall.  For now I am not going to worry about it.  

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Weekly Run Down: New shoes and hello Summer

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A good week!  Ran 5 days for a total of 20.91 miles.  Pleased with how this week went.  

Wednesday’s workout was 2 sets of 3×3 minutes with 90 seconds recovery.  I did this later in the evening.  I thought about doing it the following day but I realized that if I did, I would lose the RunBet Challenge.  Talk about motivation!  🙂

My first set was all positive splits but the second one was all negative splits.  I will confess that I did stop my watch to quickly catch my breath.  Then I kept going.  It still counts, right?  

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On Saturday I ran my longest run since the Atlanta Half Marathon in March.  It was tough.  It was the first day of summer and it was HOT.  My overall pace was 12:36 and I thought that was pretty good since it was hot and an easy run.  It was fun running around my neighborhood seeing all of the graduation signs.  

I’ve mentioned that I have way too many pairs of shoes.  I knew it was time to wear a new pair and could not decide between the Ghost 12 (NYC Marathon) or Launch 7 (Brave like Gabe).  I checked out what other pairs I had and found the Launch 5 Tie Dye.  Yes, Launch 5.  I bought these in Denver when I ran the RnR Denver Half Marathon.  I wore them 3 times and then put them aside since at that time I was running in a different pair.

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I saw on Facebook that the lakefront will be open tomorrow.  It’s been months since I’ve run there so I am excited to go there.  I won’t be able to make it tomorrow but my plan is to go on Saturday for a long run.  I did get annoyed that they mentioned joggers instead of runners.  Isn’t it the same thing?

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Lakefront is open-2This week was my first week of Summer School.  It is going well with my 16 kids.  On a daily basis, about 13 or 14 log in my Google Meet session.  I like them all a lot.  They’re smart and excited to learn.  I made a postcard for them and was ready to mail it yesterday but the envelopes I had ordered were the wrong size.  I ordered more and should get them today.

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Summer is not my favorite season for running.  I prefer Fall.  I will try not to complain too much about the weather.  I do need to make sure to get out there before it gets too sunny and warm.  🙂

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

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Weekly Run Down: Not all runs are great and back to work

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Ran 4 days for a total of 13.64 miles and did 1 virtual race for the Uncanceled Project.  These past few weeks I’ve had some great run but this week they were OK.  Still, it is better than no miles.  🙂

This week was about staying home and decluttering.  I cleaned the pantry and took out so much stuff.  Baking pans?  I had a Bundt cake pan.  I don’t remember the last time I baked and don’t think I will.  Time to get rid of all of it.

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I had some good runs on Monday and Tuesday.  On Thursday I had to run 5 miles using a run/walk method (3 minutes/90 seconds).  I procrastinated and then decided to run Friday morning.  At the last minute I told myself “Why wait?  Just go.” and I did.  However, it did not go well.  There was a school issue that was bothering me.  I sent a text to a coworker and then that ended up with several other text messages with another coworker.  No matter what I did, I couldn’t shake it off and it kept bothering me.  I decided to go home.  I honestly thought I was about to get fired or moved to another school.  I had anxiety for two days.  The email system was down on Friday so you can imagine my anxiety level that day (I thought it was the first step in letting me go.  Now I know how ridiculous that sounds).  I hate being vague but right now I cannot say more as I don’t want to get in trouble if I provide specific details.  

Earlier that day I went to school to pick up a few things that I need for Summer School.  I was there for 40 minutes and it was sad to walk in my room.  It looks just how I left it on Friday, March 13.  🙁  

I almost skipped Sunday’s race.  The weather was perfect but I was still not up for running.  What got me out the door was Deborah’s RunBet Challenge and the California Coast 500 Virtual Challenge.  Ran 3 miles and then walked the rest home for a total of 3.57 miles.  Total miles for the challenge is 13.64 and have 236.36 miles to go.

Saw this by my house and it made me laugh!  I guess he had a rough night!

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You all know how much I love my Brooks shoes.  Did you see these?  Aren’t they adorable?

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Tomorrow is the first day of Summer School.  I am almost ready.  I spent a few days working on lesson plans and assignments.  Wish me luck!

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

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Weekly Run Down: Done with school and 92.88 miles

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Another great week for me!  Ran 5 days for a total of 20.84 miles and did 2 virtual races for the Uncanceled Project.  I was hoping to do 3 but needed a little over quarter of a mile for an 8K.  Oh well.

Last week was my last week of school.  While in a way I am glad it is over, it was sad.  I know this isn’t the way it was supposed to be.  I did the best I could with the tools I had.  I had mentioned in another post that the camera in my students’ Chromebooks were not “working properly”.  Due to security reasons, they could see me but I could not see them.  Thursday morning we got an email that the cameras were now (we knew they would for Summer School).  It felt so good to hold a Google Meets session on Thursday and Friday to see my kids!!

I mailed a certificate for those students that did some of the work these past couple of weeks.  A few did NOTHING so no certificate.  I did mail the “o-FISH-ally” gift to everyone.  Mailing wasn’t cheap and someone told me that I could have just delivered to save some money.  Umm, no.  That is 18 envelopes.  One of my kids received it yesterday and the mom sent me a picture thanking me.  

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Marcia and I are doing The Great Run Across Illinois.  We signed up for the 210 miles challenge and each of us is planning to 105 miles.  I am happy to report that I have run 92.88 miles since May 1st.  I need 12.12 miles, but of course will continue running to complete the challenge with Marcia.  I know virtual races isn’t everyone’s cup of tea, it wasn’t mine either.  However, they have motivated me to keep running.

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I also signed up for the California Coast 500 Virtual Challenge.  This challenge offers different distances – 100, 250, 400, or 500 miles and you have 3 months to complete it.  I am doing 250 miles.  Run Local will donate 5% of every registration fee to Team No Kid Hungry.   Make sure to sign up!

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Remember how last week I wrote about how great one of my runs went?  I did 3×5 minutes and not only did I ran them without stopping but they were all negative splits.  I did the run again yesterday and while it didn’t go as well like last week, I am still proud and happy with how it went.  This time I did stop a couple of times.  🙂

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

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