Goodbye November and Hello December!

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November clearly just flew by.  It was a great birthday month.  I had few days off for Thanksgiving break which was wonderful.  However, I did get sick one weekend and spent two days on the sofa.  I felt better on Monday and went to work but still had a cough that lasted about 4 days.  I was constantly tired.  I couldn’t get up early in the morning to run because I was so tired and just wanted to sleep.  So I didn’t run.  It was until a week later that I finally felt better enough to run.  I did 2 miles and it felt tough.

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About 2 weeks ago I started feeling some pain on the right side of my left knee.  I thought it would get better so I kept running.  It didn’t get better.  I went to the chiropractor and he told me I have a meniscus injury and not to run for a week.

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• Ran 54.14 miles.  It was a slow month for me.  Getting sick really took a toll on me.  I thought that this was the lowest month but it isn’t.  The winner is May with 49.44 miles.  As of December 3rd, I am now 84% done of my yearly goal.  There are 28 days left in 2018 and I still need to run 185 miles to achieve my goal.  Yeah, definitely NOT happening.  🙂

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2018 Goal

• Total time running was 11:03:24.

• Despite it being a slow month, I still had some great runs.

• 13 days of running.  In May it was 12 days.

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• No races for me.  I was supposed to run the RnR Savannah but then last minute couldn’t make it.  I am planning my races for 2019 and have a few in mind such as the Garmin Half Marathon (KS) and the Missoula Half Marathon (MT).

• Final Thoughts:  It was a slow month for me.  It started off good but then got sick which affected me more than I was expecting it to.  Now this injury happened and I am back to resting and no running.

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So how did November go for you?

Linking up with MarciaPatti, and Erika for Tuesdays on the Run.

TuesdaysOnTheRun

 

Random Thoughts Thursday 48

Random Thoughts Thursday

• I signed up for the StepBet challenge.   It is harder than I thought.  Each week (for 6 weeks) I have 4 active days (15,310 steps), 2 power days (18,511 steps) and 1 rest day.  The first week was a warmup so if I didn’t meet any of my goals, I would still be in the competition.  We started off with 546 players and we are now at 457 players.  

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• Have you ever tried Coquito?  Me neither.  Saw this recipe and plan to make it.  Pretty easy.

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 • This cold brew from Califia is actually pretty good.  The taste isn’t too strong but yet enough to enjoy.  Saw it at Target for $2.49 each container.

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  • I love avocado but was not very impressed with fried avocado fries.  I mean they are good but not in an out of this world great.

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  • I hate snow.  While it may look pretty for about 10 seconds, there is nothing pretty about it once it melts or it turns to ice.  We got our first snowstorm on Monday.  Chicago didn’t get too much (not enough to cancel school) but various other suburbs did while prompted districts to cancel school.  Forget running outside.  

  • I am bummed that I didn’t get accepted into the 2019 NYC Half Marathon.  On the bright side, I am saving money so maybe now I can get another pair of Tieks shoes.  🙂

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Random Thoughts Thursday 47

Random Thoughts Thursday

• Happy Thanksgiving!  I love this day.  It is not just about the food and being thankful for everything.  It is also about family.  And yes, I am thankful for many things in my life: friends, family, job, and good health.

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• My birthday was on Tuesday.  Started off the day with running 4.6 miles.  I had a good day with friends and family members wishing me happy birthday.  My coworker treated me to tacos.  We had to eat quick because we only have 30 minutes for lunch.  My students made lots of cards for me.

Birthday 2018-4 • Any Narcos fans?  I watched the whole season Saturday and Sunday and LOVED it!!  Diego Luna is awesome.  Just wished he wasn’t the bad guy.

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  • Yes, more pens and markers.  Got these on sale at Target for $15 each.  My coworkers and I are obsessed with them.  Now that means soups and sandwiches for lunch till the end of the year.  🙂

  • You know I am OBSESSED with Brooks shoes.  Got these on Tuesday.  I think I have enough shoes for now.  Or do I?  I know it is around January that the newest version of the Launch are available for sale.

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Random Thoughts Thursday 46

Random Thoughts Thursday

• Can you see me out on my run?  One of my favorite Oiselle pieces is the Lightening Layer.  I’ve worn it over a sports bra and over layers.  This is definitely a must to wear when running in the dark.  Recently I purchased the You Glow Grrl Tank.  I think I like it even more!

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• I was so sick this past weekend.  I rarely get sick and I stayed home in my couch for two days.  I felt better to go back to work on Monday but had a cough that kept me up at night.  The last time I got sick my doctor recommended an allergy relief spray.  Bought it and am feeling so much better.

Lola knew exactly how I was feeling and kept me company.

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 • I am addicted to pens.  I definitely do not need more but couldn’t resist buying these at Walgreens.

  • Aren’t these Tieks shoes beautiful?   My kids even like them.  One of the girls told me they’re Cinderella shoes.

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  • Everyone is antsy for a few days off.  Glad we are only in school for two days next week and then Thanksgiving break.

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So many cities and so little time!

I have been running for over 10 years.  However, it was 6 years ago that I decided to make it a goal to run a half marathon in each state.  By then I had already run in 5 states (two being a marathon and I went back to run a half) so I knew I had a long way to go.

One of the best things I did was purchase a Rock ‘n’ Roll TourPass in 2013.  This pass allowed me to register for as many Rock ‘n’ Roll races as I wanted to in a year.  And that is what I did.  That year I ran 14 Rock ‘n’ Roll races.   While it was exhausting, it was also fun and I made the best of it.

I may be biased but I love running in Chicago.  I love running along the lakefront.  Although for almost a year I have been running by my house.  I live 1.5 miles from Midway Airport and sometimes run loops around it (4 miles each loop).  It is just perfect for me.  I also love running in Chicago because it is flat.  Although that didn’t help when I ran in other hilly cities like Nashville, TN; Little Rock, AR; Tulsa, OKand Jackson, MS.

Besided Chicago, I have enjoyed running races in other cities as well.  They’re listed below in no particular order.

Rock ‘n’ Roll Las Vegas Half MarathonWhat’s not to like running down The Strip at night?  It is fun to see The Strip at night without any cars.  The best part of this race was that I got VIP status.  First and last time!

Princeton Half Marathon.   Getting there was a bit of a hassle but I enjoyed running through Princeton University.  Even though there were hills, there were so many trees and the colors were just beautiful.  The campus is lovely and it was fun learning about Albert Einstein.

• Boston’s Run to Remember Half Marathon.  This race was after the bombing at the Boston Marathon.  Security was very tight and I remember feeling a bit nervous but also sad.  The course was mostly flat and the turnaround point was Harvard University.   I also enjoyed running through Beacon Hill and Boston Common.

Glacier Half Marathon.  Running in Alaska was also so much fun!  I ran a half marathon, two 5Ks, and did a running scavenger hunt.  I ran these as part of the The Great Alaskan Running Cruise.  You can read all about my great adventures HERE.

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Linking up with MarciaPatti, and Erika for Tuesdays on the Run.

TuesdaysOnTheRun