Category: Tuesday Topics

Tuesday Topics: My Spring 2024 running plans/race schedule

Tuesday Topics-233This week’s Tuesday Topic:  What are your Spring running plans or race schedule?  You can write about this topic or post any running-related blog post.  Remember to link up with Jenn and Zenaida!  Visit at least two of the other linked posts – the more the merrier!  Remember to come back for later linkers!

Happy Tuesday!  Today is the first day of Spring.  It is my 2nd favorite season – Fall is #1.  Also, today will be a long day for me.  I have parent/teacher conferences and need to be at school at 7pm.  I have appointments with 19 set of parents and hopefully all show up.

I am excited for my upcoming races.  I am bummed I missed the NYC Half Marathon on Sunday but I know it was the best decision.

Here are my plans for this Spring.

• Run the Bank of America Shamrock Shuffle 8k (3/24).  This is one of my favorite races!  I will admit that I am not ready for it but will run it anyway.  It is only 5 miles so what can go wrong?  Did I just jinx it?  I know I will not set a PR since I plan to walk more than run it. 

Run the CARA Lakefront 10 Miler (4/7/).  I’ve run this race in the past.  Last year it was cold, windy, and rainy and at the last minute I wanted to run the 5k, but was told I “couldn’t”.  I sucked it up and ran 10 miles.  It wasn’t too bad once I began running but I was sore afterwards.

• Run the CARA Spring Trail Chase 10K (5/19).  Last year was the first time doing it.  I enjoyed it and decided to do it again this year.  I remember a few of us got lost getting to the race site, but this year I know the same thing won’t happen again.  

• Walk more.  I need to catch up on my 2,024 goal!  I made a chart showing where I should be now and I am way behind.  The chart is based on walking/running 5.53 miles each day.

• Be consistent with running.  I’ve been slacking the past couple of months.  I need a goal and a plan.  Last year I was toying with the idea of working with a coach and didn’t move forward with it.  Maybe this year.

Next week is a FREE topic.  Feel free to write about any running-related topic.  We hope you’ll link up with us!

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Tuesday Topics: A letter to my 90-year-old self

Tuesday Topics-236This week’s Tuesday Topic:  How do you organize your running gear ?  You can write about this topic or post any running-related blog post.  Remember to link up with Jenn and Zenaida!  Visit at least two of the other linked posts – the more the merrier!  Remember to come back for later linkers!

I was planning to write about this topic but realized that I wrote about it in 2021 and nothing has changed since then.  I have more gear but it is still stored in the same places.  

I am going to deviate from today’s topic.  I was in San Antonio for a few days for my aunt’s 90th birthday party.  She is my mom’s older and the last one of her sisters.  They are like night and day but yet so much fun to see them together.  My aunt laughed and danced on her special day.  She was surrounded by her sons and daughters, grandchildren, nieces and nephews and their kids, her sister and brother, and her friends.

Letter-1

Hola Zenaida:

Wow, 90 years old!  I know you look and feel amazing.  Taking care of yourself and going to the doctor paid off.  You are still running, not like before, but you are still active and that is what matters.

You are enjoying your retirement after working for over 20 years as a teacher.  Have you seen more of your previous students?  I am glad that many of them still keep in touch with you.  You made a difference in their lives.  I know teaching was not an easy job but you were patient, did the best you could, and loved your students.

I hope you are enjoying the condo life by the lakefront.  I know that it always want you wanted.  Owning a house is a lot of work and comes with more responsibilities, but I am glad you still bought a house because you looked for one for YEARS.

You love your nieces and nephews very much and I am happy that they visit you.  They make sure you have what you need and still make you laugh and smile.  

Do you remember when you turned 25?  You celebrated by going to Lalo’s with friends.  You were so happy because you were a quarter of a century.  Then 50 came along and you thought you were old.  But that didn’t last too long because you then said that age was just a number.  You were not old.  You were healthy, had a place to live, had a job, and was surrounded by family.

You lived a good life.  Things happen for a reason.  Your failures and your good choices shaped you into the person you are now.

Keep doing what you are doing.  You might see the year 2072.

The topic for next week – What are your Spring running plans or race schedule?  Feel free to write about this or any running-related topic.  We hope you’ll link up with us!

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Tuesday Topics: My running motivation

Tuesday Topics-227This week’s Tuesday Topic:  How do you maintain your running motivation?  You can write about this topic or post any running-related blog post.  Remember to link up with Jenn and Zenaida!  Visit at least two of the other linked posts – the more the merrier!  Remember to come back for later linkers!

This is the perfect topic for me to write about because right now I am lacking motivation to go running.  My last run was yesterday and prior to that it was February 14. 

Below are a few tips I am following to get motivated:

• Sign up for a race.  I have a few races that I am signed up for.  Since I am no longer running the NYC Half Marathon, I want to sign up for a half marathon in Chicago.  There are plenty of those here, but this time I want to make sure I train for it.  

• Buy new gear.  One of my favorite reasons for running.  I ordered a pair of the Brooks Run Lucky Launch 10 and two luxe short sleeve tops.  

• Go outside.  It is warmer outside.  I love that it is light outside much earlier now.  The sunshine and warmer weather always makes me feel good. 

• Set a goal and keep track.  In my case, it is to remember my goals.  I still want to run/walk 2,204 miles and that won’t happen by itself.  I like the RTE Tracker to see how I am doing.  The bibs I get for meeting set goals are a bonus.

• Run one mile at a time.  Right now I am not training for anything (though I need to for my upcoming 8k in a few weeks) so I will run for whatever time/miles I want to.  This way I am not pressured and most likely will look forward to my run.

The topic for next week – How do you organize your running gear?  Feel free to write about this or any running-related topic.  We hope you’ll link up with us!

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Tuesday Topics: February 2024 Review

Monthly Review-February 2024This week’s Tuesday Topic is a FREE topic.  Feel free to post any running-related blog post.  Remember to link up with Jenn and Zenaida!  Visit at least two of the other linked posts – the more the merrier!  Remember to come back for later linkers!

Let me tell you about how February went for me:

Mileage:  So far I’ve run 14.87 and walked 1.64 miles this month.  It’s been a nonproductive run for running/walking. 

Run the Year 2024:  I signed up to run and walk 2,024 miles this year.  I have completed 59.69 miles (per the RTE Tracker).  I know I have a lot of work to do here.  Once the weather is better, I plan to walk to work a few times a week.  It is 6.2 miles to work so I think it is doable.

Current Book:  I finish reading “Nowhere Girl”.  There were some parts that were sad but overall I enjoyed the book.  Currently I am reading “The Lincoln Highway”.  I saw the map in the book and it makes me want to get in my car and drive along the highway.  

Injuries:  None.  

Races:  None.

Health:  I am doing OK.  Depending on how my day goes, I sleep well and on other days I don’t.  

School:  It is going OK.  Also, busy with tests and assignments.  We are learning about insects and the students are enjoying the lessons.  Lots of information!

We read a book in Spanish about saving the sea turtles.  We watched a video from the Dominican Republic which shows the baby turtles going to the sea.  My students enjoyed it.  Also, in the book, one of the characters made a turtle with clay.  We did the same thing.  They had fun with it too.

El regreso de las tortugas-1

What I am looking forward to next month:  A few days off from school (Pulaski Day and Good Friday).  I am going to San Antonio with my mom for my aunt’s 90th birthday party.  I am not sure if I am still going to NY because I haven’t been training for the half marathon.

The topic for next week:  How do you maintain your running motivation?  Feel free to write about this or any running-related topic.  We hope you’ll link up with us!

You are invited to the Inlinkz link party!

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Tuesday Topics: My running pet peeves

Tuesday Topics-226This week’s Tuesday Topic:  What are some of your running pet peeves?  You can write about this topic or post any running-related blog post.  Remember to link up with Jenn and Zenaida!  Visit at least two of the other linked posts – the more the merrier!  Remember to come back for later linkers!

I’ve written about this topic before.  So now I will combine all of them into one post.  There are quite a few.  🤣 🤣 🤣

Here is what I wrote in previous posts.  

Runners that post their pace all of the time (Garmin, Strava, and RunKeeper, etc.) 

• Walkers that start in the front of a race.

• Runners that make sudden stops.

• Runners that take up the whole path.

• Dog owners that don’t leash their dogs. 

• Runners that blast their music.

• Runners that talk non stop during  a race. 

• Long lines at the port-a-potties.

• Running out of food or swag.

• People that honk or catcall while I’m out running.  

• Races that start late.

• People that spit.

• Shoe companies that think they are making their product better, but really they’re not.  Don’t change anything!

• Chafing and not realizing till taking a shower.

• An ugly shirt or one that does not fit properly.

• People that do not throw their water cups in the trash can.  Stop being lazy.  

• Races that do not have a refund or deferral option.  Worse is when there is an option, but you have to pay again.

• Spectators with signs saying that I am almost there.  No I’m not.  Don’t lie to me.

• When I want to hit the pause button on my Garmin and instead hit the lap button.

Next week is a FREE topic.  Feel free to write about any running-related topic.  We hope you’ll link up with us!

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