Zenaida Arroyo

15
Mar
2022

Tuesday Topics: My Spring bucket list

This week’s Tuesday Topic is: What’s on your Spring bucket list? You can write about this topic or feel free to post any running related blog post. 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!

Spring is here! Well, not officially but yesterday it was so nice outside. My students and I enjoyed our recess time outside. It felt great being out there!

Still not running yet (can’t think of a reason since the weather is nice now) but I still wanted to put together a small bucket list.

💐 Continue to use the Peloton bike. I want to finish all of Camila’s classes. I’ve been lazy (more like too tired) and haven’t kept up with the classes. She has 111 classes and I’ve taken 68 leaving me with 43 more to go. I am leaving the 45 minute classes till the end. Those intimidate me.

💐 Leave work stuff at work. Lately I’ve been staying late a lot, checking email, and doing school stuff in the evening and on the weekends. I need to find a balance between work and my personal life. I start work at 8:30am but usually get there by 7 so there is really no need for me to stay late that much. Working so much has left me exhausted and not liking my job anymore.

💐 Start running again. I wasn’t running because of the weather. Finally it is warming up. I need to find that groove and energy again when I would be up very early to run. I keep thinking of how I ran everyday for one year. Now I am exhausted. I have no desire nor energy. I can’t say I am burned out because, well, I haven’t been running. Maybe having a goal will motivate it.

💐 Take a few days off. There are days when I do not want to go to work anymore. Last year I took a few days because I was tired and hated going to work. I thought last year was tough. No. This year is way more tough. There is just so much to do for these students since many are below grade level. Kids still do not want to put in the work and I find myself talking almost all day because they do not want to participate.

💐 The last item is this 🏠. I know you are all tired of hearing me talk about it so I won’t. 😀

Topic for next week – What do you do after a long run or race? Feel free to write about this or any running related topic. We hope you’ll link up with us!

11
Mar
2022

Fit Five Friday: 5 things I am loving

categories: Fit Five Friday, Things I Am Loving

Hello there! I am very happy it is Friday. I was off on Monday but it still feels like a long week. I have two more weeks till Spring Break and I am even more excited about that. My plan is to relax and take it easy. I have a race (8K) on the 20th and am not ready for it. What was I thinking signing up for a race when I haven’t been consistent with running? I am debating on whether or not to run it.

For today’s post I’m sharing 5 things I am loving.

💖 Noxgear Tracer 2. I have written about this before. I know I haven’t been running as much as before but I still love it. This is seriously the best running gear I purchased last year. It provides maximum visibility, lots of different color modes, and it is rechargeable. If you run in the dark, then you need to get it for you!

💖 Liquid I.V. I was a huge fan of Nuun but wanted to try something different. “A single serving offers 2-3 times the hydration that a single glass of water may provide. What’s more, the hydration multipliers contain electrolytes that are absorbed into your cells faster than drinking water.” There many yummy flavors but my favorite is grape. One thing I do not like about it is the sugar – each serving has 11 grams of sugar. I use one packet for 32 ounces of water and it is sweet enough for me.

💖 Salud – I found out about these from my coach. I sent him a few samples of Liquid IV and he sent me some of Salud. The flavors are horchata, mango, jamaica (hibiscus), pepino limón (cucumber lime), and tamarindo. I’ve tried them all and my favorite is pepino limón. Even my mother likes that flavor. The packet is small and it is enough for 24 ounces of water. “Each serving of Salud is packed full of powerful benefits to support hydration and improve immune health.” The best thing about it is that each packet is 1 gram of sugar.

💖 Cable management box. I think I saw this in one of those work from home or home organization articles on Facebook. I have a surge protector on top of my desk where I plug my laptop along with several USB adapters to charge my Garmin, computer mouse, etc. This box keeps all of the cables organized. I did have some trouble closing the lid because one of the adapters was too high but I replaced it with another one.

💖 Jot Ultra Coffee. You all know I love coffee. Jot Ultra Coffee is concentrated. You add one tablespoon of it to whatever liquid you want to make an espresso, americano, cappuccino, hot coffee, or iced coffee. The flavor is smooth and delicious. I was actually very impressed with the taste. Each 200ml bottle is $28 and makes 14 cups. I bought this from an ad on Facebook or Instagram and there was a promotion going on. I got two bottles of the coffee, a tablespoon, and a 12oz mug for around $40. You can sign up for a subscription to get 25% off each order. If you are interested in this coffee, use THIS LINK. You get a free gift with your first order and I get a free bottle of coffee.

Have you tried any of these products? Thoughts?

Thanks for linking up with us again this week! We’ve got FIVE incredible co-hosts, and we are ready to link up every Friday to share YOUR weekly fitness favorites! Join hosts My First 5K and More, Running With Attitude, Run Laugh Eat Pie, Runs with Pugs, and Zenaida every Friday for Fit Five Friday! Please add your link below.

08
Mar
2022

Tuesday Topics: Would I rather do a short or long run?

categories: Tuesday Topics

This week’s Tuesday Topic is: Would you rather do a short or long run? You can write about this topic or feel free to post any running related blog post. 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!

To me a long run is anything over 6 miles. Both have benefits. The shorter ones are easier to fit in a schedule and the long runs build endurance and strength.

I prefer short runs – even more if it is too cold or too hot. It is easy for me to get up, get ready, and head out from my house. No need to drive anywhere. I’ve run up to 6 miles going up and down the streets. For the most part it is quiet and if I go early there are fewer cars (I like running on the street instead of the sidewalk). Midway Airport isn’t too far away and one loop around it is 4 miles.

However, on a cool Fall day then I do not mind a long run. I’ve done a few runs at the Morton Arboretum and Waterfall Glen. A run along the lakefront also has to be a long one. No way will I drive there just for 5 miles, well, unless it is for marathon training.

What about you? Would you rather do a short or long run? Topic for next week – What’s on your Spring bucket list? Feel free to write about this or any running related topic. We hope you’ll link up with us!

04
Mar
2022

Fit Five Friday and March 2022 Ultimate Coffee Date

categories: Fit Five Friday, Ultimate Coffee Date

Wow, it is already March and being excited is an understatement. March means Spring, warmer weather, and Spring Break. I am so happy that it’s Friday and that I am off on Monday for Casimir Pulaski Day! I’m starting off the weekend with a little catch-up over the Ultimate Coffee Date hosted by Coco and Deborah. So grab a mug of your favorite beverage and let’s chat for a bit!

If we were having coffee…
I’d tell you that as much as I like my car, I do miss my old one. I miss it mainly because of the cassette and CD player. Yep, my old car was from 2006. I listen to the radio on my way to work and sometimes I get bored and tired of the radio broadcasters and the commercials. I have 3 stations that I like and end up switching amongst the 3 of them. I also listen to Pandora and Amazon Music but now want to listen to my CDs and cassettes. Should I just get rid of them? For now they’re in a shoe box in my car.

If we were having coffee…
I’d tell you that our District is now mask optional. While it is refreshing and liberating not to wear a mask all of the time, I am still being careful. I do take it off while teaching since I am not too close to my students and put it back on when they are close to me. I find it easier to teach and talk. I also think my students like to see my facial expressions (mostly when I smile at them).

If we were having coffee…
I’d tell you that I’ve heard so much about Inside Tracker that I finally purchased one of their plans. I got a discount code from a former coach but when I went online to purchase it, the company had a special going on that day. Every plan was 28% off. You bet I took advantage of that discount and saved almost $50. Yesterday I made an appointment for Monday for the lab work. Looking forward to seeing my results. Has anyone else used Inside Tracker before?

If we were having coffee…
I’d tell you that while it feels good to run again, it was also hard. I went one month without running. It is weird how last year I was running everyday no matter the weather conditions. There was snow, ice, and freezing weather and I was out there. I thought about starting another running streak but already missed yesterday. I slept in for a little bit and then I was too cold to run after work. I didn’t realize how tired I was and ended up taking a nap after dinner. I have a race coming up in two weeks. Part of me wishes I hadn’t signed up but another part is also happy because I get to run a race again. It’s been two years since my last one. Let’s hope it isn’t too cold that day.

If we were having coffee…
I’d tell you that my one challenging student has had 2 good days and 2 bad days this week. On the bad days the parents had to come in to talk to him and the assistant principal. I was a nervous wreck on those two days. I want to only think about and remember the good days. I also had some concerns with another student and got a chance to talk to mom yesterday. I also talked to the student in front of mom. I reminded him that I care about him and that I want to help him. I also told him that he needs to talk to me and not shut me out. He is a sweet and amazing kid. I know that not every child can open up and talk about their feelings to an adult, but I am trying. I know these past two years has been hard on people, but I think that it has been TWICE as hard on children. Teaching is rewarding. It is the non teaching aspects that takes the joy out of it.

Thanks for linking up with us again this week! We’ve got FIVE incredible co-hosts, and we are ready to link up every Friday to share YOUR weekly fitness favorites! Join hosts My First 5K and More, Running With Attitude, Run Laugh Eat Pie, Runs with Pugs, and Zenaida every Friday for Fit Five Friday! Please add your link below. I am also linking up with Running with Perseverance and Confessions of a Mother Runner for the Ultimate Coffee Date.

01
Mar
2022

Tuesday Topics: 5 words to describe me

categories: Tuesday Topics

This week’s Tuesday Topic is: 5 words to describe yourself. You can write about this topic or feel free to post any running related blog post. 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!

My words from last year’s post are: Introverted, Proactive, Independent, Hardworking, and Beautiful

For some reason it was hard this year to come up with five words. After doing a lot of thinking, the words I came up with this year are:

Bilingual
Definitely and proud of it! I am grateful for the opportunity to speak, read, and write in two languages. I remember in college knowing that it was important but it wasn’t till I became a teacher that it made more of an impact. Having this experience and knowledge allows me to help other students become bilingual too. I could be trilingual since I do communicate with my cats. Does that count?

Emotional
I feel lots of feelings. Various things make me happy, sad, angry, etc. But aren’t we all emotional? I have cried while reading “The Giving Tree”.

Dependable
I get the work done. That could also be a bad thing because then I spend hours getting the work done. But no matter what it is, my coworkers know that they can depend on me to get it done. I know my family also depends on me for taking my mother to various doctor appointments (and she has quite a few).

Responsible
I may not have my own children but as a teacher I am responsible for 21 students. They’re with me for about 6 hours each day. That’s huge deal! I also responsible for my 2 fur babies. Also, I do as much as I can to make sure my mother has what she needs. She is getting older and requires more assistance.

Strong
Saved the best for last!

Topic for next week – Would you rather do a short or long run? Feel free to write about this or any running related topic. We hope you’ll link up with us!