Happy November! Did anyone watch the NYC Marathon on Sunday? Wow, what a race! For sure I thought Desi was going to win since she had a lead halfway through the race. Joyciline Jepkosgei definitely surprised everyone! Watching the race inspired me to enter the early drawing for the NYC Marathon. 🙂
This week’s Tuesday Topic: How do you budget for races? 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!
Signing up for races is expensive. Add in travel and airline cost and it gets even more expensive. You also need to pay for food and additional travel cost. I’ve run a total of 167 races. I would say maybe 10 or so have been free but the rest I have paid for on my own.
Next year I am planning to run the Kona Half Marathon and 7 additional half marathons in different states. I would also like to run the MCM or NYC Marathon. I know those trips won’t be cheap. For now I am saving money using the $5 Savings Challenge. I save every $5 bill that I get. I rarely carry cash but use cash when I buy tamales. 🙂 I began saving money using this method in March 2018. At first I was saving it for lasik eye surgery. Not that important anymore. I can wear my glasses. 🙂 I don’t know how much money I have but I plan to find out when I start making hotel arrangements.
I know I won’t have enough to pay for it. Plan B is to use my credit card. I know it isn’t really the best option but I don’t have any other choice. I am very good about paying my bills on time. Also, I like the credit card I have (from Chase) because I get cash back every month. Then I use that money to make a payment on my card. I just realized that I could have transferred that money to a savings account and used it towards my traveling/race costs. 🙂
Running is definitely not a cheap hobby but I still love it. Let’s not forget that we still need to buy running shoes, clothes, socks, and additional gear.
Also, I remember when I would sign up for almost every race. Not no more. Now I am picky about the races I run. There are a few I like to run every year and those are the ones I sign up for in advance to get the early registration fee.
Have you run the Kona Half Marathon? Have you traveled to Hawaii? My race will be at the Waikoloa Beach Resort on the Kohala Coast so I am looking for a good and inexpensive place to stay.
Hello there! How is it that it is already November? Two more months till the end of 2019. November is my birthday month so that with Thanksgiving Day (and break) makes it my favorite month. 🙂
This week I did not run at all. I meant to but just couldn’t and didn’t want to get out there. I did take one Peloton class but was so bored with the music that I just zoned out of it.
We got snow on Wednesday and Thursday. Ugh! I hate it. Plus, it is so early in the year for snow.
On Wednesday we had our Monster Math Family Night. For sure I thought families would not show up because of the weather. It had stopped snowing but it was cold and windy. We had so many families show up. It was a fun night!
On Thursday my kids were EXCITED. We had a fun day! We did some work but we also colored, watched a movie, and did a fun math activity.
The picture on the right is my car after school on Thursday. The one on the right is from Friday morning. 🙁
Friday was the end of the 1st Quarter. Yep, 10 weeks working with my 2nd graders. That means 30 more to go. Sigh. 10 weeks felt like a lifetime. I really shouldn’t complain since I “only” have 16 students, but it’s been very challenging due to the different levels and some behavior issues.
So that night I went out with friends for dinner and drinks. We ordered a pitcher of cucumber margarita. It was so good. I drank it like I hadn’t drank any water at all. Yeah, I paid the price of it later since I woke up with a slight headache on Saturday morning.
Who else watched the NYC Marathon? I am a huge Desi fan and was rooting for her to win. She had a lead but ended up in 6th place.
I had no desire to ever run the NYC Marathon but now watching the race got me motivated. I entered the early drawing for 2020. I am also going to enter the MCM lottery and hopefully get selected for one of the marathons.
Have you run the NYC Marathon? What are your marathons plans for 2020?
Linking up with Kim and Deborah for the Weekly Run Down.
• I love coffee and I bought a new coffee maker. This one is a duo with a 12 cup carafe and a single serving machine. The only thing I don’t like is that for the coffee pot, I have to make at least 6 cups. With my regular coffee pot I had the option to make 1, 2, 3, etc., cups of coffee. Oh well. Not the end of the world because I still love it.
• Remember that awesome Halloween scratcher I bought the cats? Well not so awesome anymore. They have destroyed it. I got rid of it but kept the actual scratchers since that is really what they need.
• The Marine Corps Marathon was this past weekend. Kudos to everyone that ran it in that awful weather. I am definitely not in marathon shape but that is one marathon I would love to do. I am thinking maybe in 2020 or 2021?
• On Tuesday I took Mateo to the vet for his last set of shots. My handsome little guy weighs 4 lbs. He gained 1 lb since his last visit about 3 weeks ago? He is so energetic and loves to bite and play with Lola. She is not too happy with it but sort of tolerates it. I am still waiting for them to cuddle again. 🙂
• Yep, we got snow yesterday. Awful! How when it is only October?!?!!? I remember a couple of years ago the Northeast got hit with a lot of snow too right before Halloween. I hate snow. I can deal with the cold weather (a little) but the snow is what makes me hate winter even more.
This week’s Tuesday Topic is a FREE topic. 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!
On October 20th, I ran the Detroit Free Press/TCF Half Marathon. It was my 73rd half marathon. It was also state #42 in my goal to run a half marathon in each state.
I left Saturday morning and arrived in Detroit at 1:00. Once there I took an Uber to the hotel to check in and left for the expo. I stayed at the Rivertown Inn and Suites on Jefferson and Rivard. It was an OK place to stay. What I liked about it is that the expo and start line were less than a mile away.
The expo was fun with lots of vendors. I signed up for the International race so I had to show my passport in order to get my bib.
I tried on some shoes but didn’t buy any. 🙂 Although these felt more comfortable than another pair of Ghost 12 that I had but sent back.
I bought 3 pairs of Balega socks (it was buy 3 pairs and get one free) and an R3 foot roller.
Race morning I woke up tired. My neighbors next door were loud and it took me a while to go to sleep. I got ready and made some UCAN gel for before the race and during the race. Then I went to the lobby because the clerk told me when I checked in on Saturday that there would be breakfast for the runners. I ate a waffle as big as my face with coffee. I walked with another girl to the start line while eating my UCAN. It took us about 15 minutes to get there.
One bathroom break and it was time to run. I was happy and excited. I almost skipped the race because my left foot had been bothering me so much that it hurt to walk. I blamed it on my inserts. I have two different pairs – one in my shoes for running and another in the ones for running. I switched them and hoped that I made the right decision.
The race began at 7am. It was dark. I didn’t worry about it too much and concentrated on my run. I was feeling good. The beginning of the race was in downtown Detroit. I couldn’t really see my watch but knew that I was going faster than I was supposed to. Still I kept running. I was determined to enjoy and finish the race no matter what.
Then came the incline to the Ambassador Bridge. It was long. I was beginning to feel tired. I stopped to take a few pictures because the view was gorgeous.
Running in Canada was so much fun! Lots of spectators cheering for us. I was running in Windsor, Canada while on the left was the Detroit River and left to it was Detroit. How awesome is that?!?!
My foot began to bother me. My longest training run was 6 miles so I was beginning to feel more tired. I didn’t want to remember this race as one in which I was in pain. Instead, I wanted to remember it as the race where I ran in two different countries. I soaked it all in. The weather was perfect and I loved seeing the Canadians cheering for us. So I kept going.
My time in Canada was coming to an end as I entered the Detroit-Windsor Tunnel which is under the Detroit River. Someone warned me that it would be hot in there. It wasn’t too hot but I did warm up a little bit. Love the middle picture with both flags!
Towards the end of the tunnel is another slight incline.
You know what I am going to say now, right? I was hurting. I felt even more tired. I wanted the race to be over. I still had about 4 miles to go. I kept going. I began to wonder if I had made a mistake in running the race. Well, at that point there wasn’t anything to do but to keep going. I am smiling in my pictures but pictures can be deceiving, right? 🙂
I ran and walked the last 4 miles. We were back downtown and I remember thinking that I was going be done soon. I could see more people lined up on the sidewalk. I could hear the announcer and knew I was close to the finish line. I kept running till I finally finished.
I enjoyed this race and would love to do it again. And this time hopefully not be dealing with an injury. It took me a few days to recover from the race but I don’t regret running it. My quads hurt a lot. I felt like I had run a marathon. The weather was perfect, there were a lot of water stations (there were signs letting you know how far the next water station was), and the volunteers were wonderful. Every runner also gets free race photos (low resolution but still free). Oh and the best part was running in CANADA!!!!
The swag bag had a long sleeve shirt, a pair of gloves, and a race wrap.
I am pleased with how I did. I enjoyed the race and finished it. That is all I wanted. Oh, and I got mostly positive splits. Isn’t that the way to do it? 🙂 And yes I did run with my passport and no a border patrol agent didn’t stop me to check it.
If you are planning to do this race, I hope I convinced you to do it. Save the date as next year it will be on October 18. There is also a marathon if you want to run more than 13.1 miles.
Whew! I can honestly say that this week went by fast! As usual, it was busy at work but still very productive. Parent/teacher conferences are on November 12th. Our school is doing student led conferences and I need to get some of my students ready for it. The main difference from traditional conferences is that in student led conferences, the students do most of the talking. I know I complain that my students talk a lot but yeah no so much for conferences. I have 16 students and will be doing individual/traditional conferences for 9 of them.
I am not sure what is going on but I was very tired l after school. I took a few naps. Did the race affect me that much?
I will have my race recap on Tuesday. The Detroit Free Press TCF Half Marathon was so much fun. The best part was running in Canada. If you want to run it next year, the date is October 18, 2020. Save the date!
Monday morning I saw a gorgeous sunrise!
My mother spends the weekend with me and my sister. It gives her a change of scenery plus it gives my sister a break (the one she lives with). Her caregiver drops her off on Thursday afternoon and then I take her home on Sunday evening.
On Thursday, after my nap, I was craving pozole. I called a local restaurant to make sure they were selling it. They did so my mother and I went there. It was yummy!
Saturday morning I woke up very cold. I did not want to run. I am NOT ready for this “cold” weather. Well, I finally went out for 2 miles. I overdressed. I was warm and sweating and it was OK. 🙂
My babies finally cuddled! Mateo is a trouble maker and likes to pick on Lola. He chases her, bites her, and jumps on her ready to play. She does not like it at all. There were both on the sofa napping and then somehow Mateo moved closer to Lola and went back to sleep.
Today’s run was GORGEOUS!!! It was warmer than yesterday. I ran 3 miles and in shorts. Fall is my favorite season! On December 14 I will be running the Kiawah Island Half Marathon. I have my ticket but still need to find a place to stay. I leave Friday morning and will come back on Saturday after the race. I might go in on Thursday or stay an extra night so I can explore a bit. Have you been there?
I don’t really hate Halloween but I do hate how chaotic it is at school. Students are allowed to come to school in costumes, so you can imagine the excitement. Because of said excitement, students are not in the mood to work so it is hard to do any teaching. Plus, we have a parade around 1 and then a Halloween party. I believe the party is optional but really can I say “No”? I don’t wear a “real” costume but just a small witch hat and a pumpkin skirt.
I didn’t run a lot this week due to recovering from my half marathon. I was more sore than I thought I was going to be. I felt like I had run a marathon. Well, that’s what I get for not training properly. 🙂
Have you eaten pozole? Did you like it? Are you a Halloween fan?
Linking up with Kim and Deborah for the Weekly Run Down.
