Zenaida Arroyo

01
Sep
2020

Tuesday Topics: Best fitness advice I’ve ever received

This week’s Tuesday Topic is What is the best fitness advice you have received? You can write about this topic or feel free to post any running related blog post.eel 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!

As runners there is always something new to learn. Whether it is a new gear, fuel, or shoes, it never hurts for us to be in the know of these products. Throughout the years I’ve learned so much from my running friends and my blogger friends. – THANK YOU!

Here is a list of best advice I’ve received throughout the years:

✅ Get fitted for shoes. I think I bought my first pair at Kohl’s. Don’t know why I went there. Months later I went to Fleet Feet and got fitted for a pair of Asics Cumulus and ran my first marathon in them. However, I was in so much pain and don’t know if it was the shoes or simply because I was running longer than I’ve ever had in my entire life. Probably the latter.

✅ Easy runs should be EASY. Took me a long time to figure that one out. Better late than never. Now I believe that that is how I’ve been able to recover much faster and am rarely sore after a hard workout.

✅ Do strength training and/or speed workouts. I was simply lazy and would only run. I had time but didn’t make time for it. Now I have a Peloton and have been enjoying it. It’s been also fun seeing the faster paces in some of my workouts too.

✅ Celebrate each race or run. They’re not all going to be perfect or turn out the way we want them to. Still be happy that you ran XX number of miles. Remember, we don’t HAVE to run but instead we GET to run.

✅ Make sure to rest and sleep. Umm, yes please. Life is busy as it is and I rest whenever I can. I used to sleep better before but now am struggling with it. Too much stress – don’t like being an adult! 🙂

✅ Have fun. I’ve mention this a few times in my blog. Running is a hobby and not our job. So while we can be competitive, we must still be able to enjoy it.

What would you add to this list?

30
Aug
2020

Weekly Run Down: I’m back!

categories: Running, Weekly Recap, Weekly Run Down

Thank you so much for your comments, thoughts, prayers, and support. I was in tears reading them. It was a difficult and scary time (still is but not as much) but now I feel better. Now what is stressing me out is going back to work. It is still remote but there is so much work to do and I am not ready for tomorrow.

I continued with my Peloton cycling classes. I had been doing the 45 minute classes but on Thursday I couldn’t do another one. I was just so T-I-R-E-D and did a 20 minute class. On Wednesday I did the Billy Joel Ride and was excited for the playlist but it was disappointing. There were 11 songs and I knew 2 of the songs. Not the lyrics but at least I had heard the songs before. It is my fault because I should have paid more attention to the playlist.

The rest of the week was busy getting ready for school. We had three Institute Days and I was very annoyed that we got so little time to work on our stuff for school. I mean do we need to know about grading NOW? No, that could have waited since grades are not due till October.

I am still not ready for tomorrow or this week. The rest of the day today I will be working on my Google Classroom and figure out what exactly I will be doing. My teammates decided that we will spend the first week going over rules, expectations, assignments, etc. Also, I have no idea how many students will join me in the morning. I have 27 students and only 13 are in my Classroom. Today I will I reach out to parents again to have their child join my room. I know, I know. I need to be patient with them. 🙂

I went to the doctor on Friday for my yearly physical exam. She told me I could run outside and no bloodwork would be needed to check my glucose, cholesterol, and all the other fun stuff. She said that last year’s numbers were really good so I can skip it this year. I did get a Tetanus shot and a referral for a mammogram.

I went out on Saturday for a run. It had been almost 2 weeks since my last run. It felt HARD. Could have been the wind or the fact that I was very tired. I have not been sleeping well these past couple of weeks. Regardless I was very happy to run outside. I was supposed to run 4 miles but stopped at 3.25. I simply could not keep going. Mentally I was done.

Today I ran 3 miles. It did not feel as hard as yesterday but it didn’t feel easy either. Did I lose that much fitness while running and I were on a break?

Remember how last week I wrote about how I didn’t think I would complete the California Coast Challenge? Well, before I knew I could run outside I got the following message from the race organizers. Good to know I have the extra time!

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

25
Aug
2020

Tuesday Topics: California Coast 500 Virtual Challenge Part 2

categories: Ambassador, BibRave Pro, Tuesday Topics

Disclaimer: I received a free entry to the California Coast 500 Virtual Challenge as part of being a BibRave Pro. Learn more about becoming a BibRave Pro (ambassador), and check out BibRave.com to review, find and write race reviews!

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!

Back in June I wrote about the California Coast 500 Virtual Challenge. It was 3 months into the quarantine life. I was looking for something motivating and exciting to do while in quarantine and this looked like the perfect challenge!

This challenge was to run 100, 250, 400 or 500 virtual miles from LA’s Santa Monica Pier to San Francisco’s Golden Gate Bridge along California’s idyllic Highway One. It began June 8th and ends September 7th. I signed up for 250 miles which is about 84 miles each month.

So, as you know from Sunday’s post, I am not running. Since I began this challenge, I was on track to complete it last week. My last run was August 15 in which I had run 223.6 miles. Most likely I won’t complete the challenge. I have a doctor appointment on Friday (for my yearly exam) and I will double check with her (she told me it was OK to see her). I want to do the right thing but I am also itching to run outside.

The California Coast 500 Virtual Challenge is a fun and great virtual race. Let me tell you why:

✅ Weekly email from the race organizers. Each email came with digital badges and mini challenges to win prizes (i.e. log 24 total miles from Monday 6/29 to Sunday 7/5 or log 50 miles during Week 9 of the California Coast 500). I didn’t win but it was still fun to enter to win a prize.

✅ Motivation from my BibRave Pro friends! I am in awe of those that selected to run 500 miles and finished weeks ago. There are 6 of us on the team and my coach, Juan, and I are the only ones that close the 250 mile challenge. I am close to San Luis Obispo.

✅ Thanks to the team at PWR Lab, there was an interactive map to keep track of the mileage. It was fun seeing how far along everyone was on the route.

✅ Support from Run Local.

This was from an email I received on June 24. KK Fischer finished in about 2 weeks. Wow!

While I am sad that I won’t complete it, I am glad I signed up for it. I was motivated to get out there and run. On the days I did not want to run, I reminded myself of this challenge and knew that every mile helped (or .10, .18, etc). I am not sure what I will do once this is over. I’m having a great training session with my coach and hope to continue, but don’t think I will sign up for virtual races or challenges.

23
Aug
2020

Weekly Run Down: Covid Edition 1

categories: Running, Weekly Recap, Weekly Run Down

There was no running for this week. I’ve been in quarantine. My mother was with me for a few days and someone she had been in contact with tested positive. We went to get tested and my mother tested positive. I am negative. Another sibling tested positive too. My mother is now with her. I keep hearing different versions of what to do and what not to do. I don’t have any symptoms and feel fine.

Mateo must have known something was wrong. He was all cuddly with my mother.

I don’t have a treadmill, but can I go outside to run? I run by my house and don’t see many people and when I do I simply move over to the street. Now I regret not buying one years ago.

How could this happen? We were careful. I know that without a vaccine sooner or later we would get infected. Is that really true? So many questions.

I am behind on reading blog posts and haven’t even read all of the ones from Tuesday’s Linkup. I will. I promise.

This past week I was angry, sad, and confused. I feel helpless. I finally broke down and cried on Thursday. I was holding it in and trying to show a brave face but then simply lost it. I was checking work email and saw one that I had questions about. I replied to the sender. I guess I wasn’t supposed to do that because minutes later I received a phone call from my Principal. That person told on me instead of responding to my email. I should have asked the questions to my administrators instead of responding to the person that sent the email. I was so angry. Childish, right? No, not me. The person that told on me.

With no running I did the next best thing – Peloton! I took a cycling class each day and man were they hard! I did a few of the Epic Sing along and those were fun. Check out this playlist. So far this is the best one. I could have sworn that Jenn mentioned someone in the class was taking their 4,100th class?

I did one upper body strength class with Matty and then on the other days did wall pushups and kettlebell swings. Sometimes I am not motivated at all.

With all of my Peloton workouts I have lots of stinky workout clothes. I don’t have access to a washing machine so I’ve had to hand wash my clothes. It isn’t as bad as I thought it would be. At least it isn’t work clothes. 🙂

So that’s my week. Obviously very different from the other ones. I am trying to stay positive but I am just tired of all of this..I know many of you are too!

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

18
Aug
2020

Tuesday Topics: My strength training plan

categories: Tuesday Topics

Happy Tuesday and welcome to another edition of Tuesday Topics! Thank you again for join me and Kim each Tuesday to share your tips, advice, support, and experiences. It is a difficult time right now for everyone but we are trying to make the best of it. I hope everyone is staying safe and doing well.

This week’s Tuesday Topic: What kind of strength training do you do? 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!

I understand the importance of strength training and for years stubbornly did not do it. I would read various blogs from runners talking about it. For years my form of exercise was “just” running.

Fast forward a few years and I have a Peloton bike and an assortment of classes thanks to the Peloton app. A few weeks ago I did the Pelothon 2020 Challenge and did a variety of classes (strength, stretching, walking, and meditation). To be honest, they’re classes I wouldn’t have thought of taking since I was mainly focused on the cycling classes.

I am so glad I did the challenge! Debora, Kim, and Coco have talked about the various classes they take. I am sure you’ve read all about them. 🙂

My strength workouts are mainly the lower body and upper body classes. I love that there are many options. You can select the length, class type, instructor, music, and level of difficulty.