Wednesday, March 31, 2010
Monday, March 29, 2010
Two Short Weeks & Training Schedule
The next two weeks are going to be short with having Friday and Monday off for Easter, but that doesn't mean that it's going to be smooth sailing around here.
Just for my sanity, I need to do a run-down of what's going on this week:
Just for my sanity, I need to do a run-down of what's going on this week:
- Today I have an early morning assessment results meeting, a mid-morning bi-weekly building check-in meeting, a follow-up intervention meeting after school and then my ever-so-needed hair cut and color (I may post before and after pics later).
- Tuesday morning I have swim practice, my building rep meeting at the end of the school day, and then my CEC class until 730pm
- Wednesday is somewhat normal (I may see the end in sight)
- Thursday evening is the committee meeting for the Fargo Youth Run (part of the Fargo marathon). It's going to be a whirlwind
- Friday - OFF. breathe.
I thought I would warn y'all - I may be posting on a consistent basis over the next couple of weeks, but my comments may be quite sporadic. I apologize ahead of time!
Now, let's take a look back on this past week's training. In black is what I wanted to accomplish, in red is what I did do:
3 runs with one 5-6 miler - 3 runs but not a 5-6 miler (3.1 mi, 3.25 mi, 4.65 mi)
2 bikes (one short and one long) - NADA
2 swims - 2 swims (4000 Yds total)
1 bodypump class - 1 class
1 hour of yoga - NADA
1 hour of pilates - NADA
But, I did get in a couple good days of my TriPower and tons of stretching. I am constantly struggling to balance everything. It seems like one week things will be all good and the next week something will suffer whether it's biking, running, or swimming. grrr! This week will be better!
Here's the plan for week 9:
3 runs with one 5-6 miler
1 bike
2 swims
1 bodypump
3-4 TriPower routines
1 hour of yoga
Not too different from last week but we'll see how things go!
Have a great week, y'all!
Friday, March 26, 2010
I'm Listening
After all your wonderful comments and advice in regards to my post yesterday, I decided to can my short run yesterday afternoon and head home to relax. I have been going going going all week and with trying to get over this sinus infection, I was starting to run out of gas. I was going to do my short run this morning, but instead chose to sleep in and rest. I need to just chilax a bit.
Thank you all, for being my voice of reason!
In addition to that, many of you made comments about my cramping while swimming, saying that it was probably due to not getting enough electrolytes. Many of you suggested trying Nuun. I do happen to have a package of Nuun in my cupboard but just have never tried it. I guess I just never knew when the right time was to take it. Any suggestions?
Well, I am off to work... and then heading home to Bismarck this afternoon! Happy Friday, everyone!
Thank you all, for being my voice of reason!
In addition to that, many of you made comments about my cramping while swimming, saying that it was probably due to not getting enough electrolytes. Many of you suggested trying Nuun. I do happen to have a package of Nuun in my cupboard but just have never tried it. I guess I just never knew when the right time was to take it. Any suggestions?
Well, I am off to work... and then heading home to Bismarck this afternoon! Happy Friday, everyone!
Thursday, March 25, 2010
Three Things Thursday
- I was bound to hit a wall right? Given the fact that I am still recovering from this dang sinus infection, increased my workouts the past couple days, and haven't had a rest day since Friday (when I came down with the sickness)... I was bound to crash right? Yesterday morning I was so sore and completely EXHAUSTED. It didn't help that the day before was a long day and quite draining - physically and mentally - and I KNOW I didn't eat as well as I should have, or enough. Live and learn.
- Last night I chose to do swim team then, rather than this morning. Swim team is offered T/Th from 545 to 7am or Wednesday night from 6-7pm. I make sure I go two times a week to get my dollars worth. Wednesday night and Thursday morning practices are the same, so I usually do T/Th. I enjoyed having practice last night, but I ended up with a huge cramp in my left calf midsession. We were doing a lot of sprints last night, and it got really bad when I was finishing a 50yd sprint. I was afraid I wasn't going to get to the other end of the pool. Scary. I don't know what the deal is - maybe I am dehydrated. So I ate an extra large banana when I got home and guzzled 20 oz of water. My calf is still sore.
- I am loving my TriPower. Many of you have asked about this and my workouts. I forget that I have a lot of new followers/readers (welcome!) since I first started talking about this almost a year ago. I have to actually give Carolina John (over at Smoke Training) props for bringing this glorious book to my attention! You can also click HERE to read my first post about it from almost a year ago. Or, you can click HERE to purchase your copy. Seriously, it's great! If anyone wants any more information or personal testimony from me, I am more than willing to do a follow-up post on it! Just let me know!
Tuesday, March 23, 2010
Off to a great start!
Yesterday, the plan for my afternoon workout went as follows: run, BodyPump, run , and then head home to do my TriPower routine.
I had enough time before BodyPump to run a mile, and for some reason had enough gas in me to run 2.1 miles after BodyPump. It's probably been 2 weeks since I was last at BP and after all that squating, I didn't think I would have anything left in me for running, but I did.
When I got home, I proceeded to dive into my Monday TriPower routine. I haven't been following this much at all for the past 9 months (gasp) and miss it dearly. Today's workout took me about 20-30 minutes (and I can do it all while watching tv!) and consisted of: upper, mid/lower, hip/lower body stretches, about 5 core workout routines, and then foam rolling. Ahhh. It was perfect!
Then, this morning, swim team started up again after a week break. The break was definitely needed, but I was ready to get back into the pool. I finished 2000Yds later and felt like I could have done another 1000. I was feeling strong and happy! However, my legs and glutes are starting to feel sore... it's definitely a good sore, though!
On my way to work I decided to treat myself to Starbucks. Actually, I had a $5 giftcard from a co-worker and to top things off, they were giving out a free baked good! I walked out with one amazing coffee drink and a blueberry scone! I do love my Caribou Coffee, but I can't get over the wonderful service (politeness, mostly) at Starbucks!
I hope the rest of the day goes just as well! Have a great day!
I had enough time before BodyPump to run a mile, and for some reason had enough gas in me to run 2.1 miles after BodyPump. It's probably been 2 weeks since I was last at BP and after all that squating, I didn't think I would have anything left in me for running, but I did.
When I got home, I proceeded to dive into my Monday TriPower routine. I haven't been following this much at all for the past 9 months (gasp) and miss it dearly. Today's workout took me about 20-30 minutes (and I can do it all while watching tv!) and consisted of: upper, mid/lower, hip/lower body stretches, about 5 core workout routines, and then foam rolling. Ahhh. It was perfect!
Then, this morning, swim team started up again after a week break. The break was definitely needed, but I was ready to get back into the pool. I finished 2000Yds later and felt like I could have done another 1000. I was feeling strong and happy! However, my legs and glutes are starting to feel sore... it's definitely a good sore, though!
On my way to work I decided to treat myself to Starbucks. Actually, I had a $5 giftcard from a co-worker and to top things off, they were giving out a free baked good! I walked out with one amazing coffee drink and a blueberry scone! I do love my Caribou Coffee, but I can't get over the wonderful service (politeness, mostly) at Starbucks!
I hope the rest of the day goes just as well! Have a great day!
Monday, March 22, 2010
Monday Madness
So, is anyone else following March Madness? I just couldn't seem to get enough of the basketball this weekend and rightly so... there were some pretty awesome games.... and upsets at that! I was disappointed to see Kansas lose to N.Iowa but it was an awesome game. And how about St. Mary's beating Villanova? And the ending to the Michigan State and Maryland game with a buzzer 3-pointer?!? Clemson beating the Badgers? I wasn't expecting that, but another great game! (Edit: Badgergirl corrected me... Cornell beat the Badgers, not Clemson...duh... must be the cold medication because I KNEW that....lol)
Despite a few upsets and some of the lower seeds making it into the Sweet Sixteen, 2 of my 5 brackets are still going strong and I am in the lead on both!
In addition to basketball, I was able to catch all three of the Sioux hockey games this weekend and become the WCHA champs! Now they are a number 2 seed for the tournament and play Yale this coming Saturday. I hope I can catch the game on tv!
Anyway, enough about that.
After a weekend of resting and relaxing, and tons of sports, I am feeling much much much better today. I still am sick, but so much better. So better that the first thing I thought of was my workout for today. I wish I would have gotten to the gym this morning, but I hope to have a good workout this evening - an hour of BodyPump and maybe a run or bike to follow! We'll see!
Happy Monday, y'all!
Despite a few upsets and some of the lower seeds making it into the Sweet Sixteen, 2 of my 5 brackets are still going strong and I am in the lead on both!
In addition to basketball, I was able to catch all three of the Sioux hockey games this weekend and become the WCHA champs! Now they are a number 2 seed for the tournament and play Yale this coming Saturday. I hope I can catch the game on tv!
Anyway, enough about that.
After a weekend of resting and relaxing, and tons of sports, I am feeling much much much better today. I still am sick, but so much better. So better that the first thing I thought of was my workout for today. I wish I would have gotten to the gym this morning, but I hope to have a good workout this evening - an hour of BodyPump and maybe a run or bike to follow! We'll see!
Happy Monday, y'all!
Sunday, March 21, 2010
Sickness & Training
Wednesday I started coming down with something. I couldn't tell if it was cold or allergies related, but as time went on things got a bit worse and I realized it was probably due to spring allergies and has turned into what I think is a sinus infection. I didn't go to the doctor, but I have had my fair share of sinus infections and know one when I see one. Thus, most of my workouts were pretty low key this past week - if I did anything at all - three complete rest days, 52.35 miles on the bike, one 5.8 mile run, and a lot of stretching/abs/core work.
For the past 7 weeks I have been attempting to train for the Fargo Half Marathon. I have been kinda following the Jeff Galloway run/walk program. With that schedule, I was to do 8 miles this weekend and that just didn't happen with this sickness and all. I still have 9 weeks until the Fargo Marathon, and I think I could still train for the half. However, I do have a couple other ideas in mind, depending on how training goes.
Here are 3 options that I am contemplating for the Fargo Marathon this year (depending on how training goes):
I have never done a 10K before, and think that the 5K/10K challenge would be something fun but not to strenuous on my body. That is probably the one I am leaning towards the most at this moment. I am able to run 6-7 miles pain free and would like to keep it that way, rather than pushing myself too much right now. I am going to stay optimistic and keep my options open for the next few weeks!
Tomorrow starts week 8 of my "training plan". Instead of typing out what I plan to do each day, I am going to write out what I hope to get accomplished this week. Things get juggled around so much but I hope to accomplish the following:
3 runs - with one 5-6 mile run
2 bikes - one short and one long
2 swims - swim team starts up again this week
1 bodypump class
1 hour of yoga
1 hour of pilates
That is 10 workouts and I know I will have to double up a few days to get them all in this week! Wish me luck! :)
I know many of you had races this weekend and I look forward to reading your race reports!
What are YOU training for? What's your week look like?
For the past 7 weeks I have been attempting to train for the Fargo Half Marathon. I have been kinda following the Jeff Galloway run/walk program. With that schedule, I was to do 8 miles this weekend and that just didn't happen with this sickness and all. I still have 9 weeks until the Fargo Marathon, and I think I could still train for the half. However, I do have a couple other ideas in mind, depending on how training goes.
Here are 3 options that I am contemplating for the Fargo Marathon this year (depending on how training goes):
Plan A - the Fargo Marathon Challenge = 5K Friday night & Half Marathon Saturday morning.
Plan B - the Fargo Marathon Challenge = 5K Friday night & 10K Saturday morning
Plan C - the Fargo Half Marathon
I have never done a 10K before, and think that the 5K/10K challenge would be something fun but not to strenuous on my body. That is probably the one I am leaning towards the most at this moment. I am able to run 6-7 miles pain free and would like to keep it that way, rather than pushing myself too much right now. I am going to stay optimistic and keep my options open for the next few weeks!
Tomorrow starts week 8 of my "training plan". Instead of typing out what I plan to do each day, I am going to write out what I hope to get accomplished this week. Things get juggled around so much but I hope to accomplish the following:
3 runs - with one 5-6 mile run
2 bikes - one short and one long
2 swims - swim team starts up again this week
1 bodypump class
1 hour of yoga
1 hour of pilates
That is 10 workouts and I know I will have to double up a few days to get them all in this week! Wish me luck! :)
I know many of you had races this weekend and I look forward to reading your race reports!
What are YOU training for? What's your week look like?
Thursday, March 18, 2010
Three Things Thursday
- Kids are sick ... then I am sick. Not usually, but right now 9 out of 10 of my kids are coughing and snot-nosed and spreading it everywhere. I would have never thought that I would be teaching 5th graders the proper etiquette to blowing their nose. Now I am fighting some sort of cold or allergies.
- The sump pump in my house is music to my ears. Well, not really. I find myself keep track of the time between runs, and it seems like it is running every 40 minutes now. At least I know it's keeping the water out of my basement.
- I look forward to a weekend of college hoops and college hockey. March Madness games begin today ... I only filled out 5 brackets for 5 different "bets". Today kicks off the WCHA Final 5 as well. My alma mater, UND, plays Minnesota Duluth tonight and then Denver (gasp) tomorrow night. It should be a nice relaxing weekend, right!?
Tuesday, March 16, 2010
Race Against Time, Again?
I have received some questions for my Q&A post after the fact and I would be willing to do another post if I can get enough questions to do so! Soooo... if you would like to know more about me, throw me another question... or a handful and I hope to get the answers posted early next week! Just leave me your questions in this post!
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The fight against the Red River flooding is in full force again here in Fargo, North Dakota. Earlier than last year .... and earlier than anybody expected. Things to prepare for this fight have been put into motion earlier, as the city/area now seems to know what needs to be done to prepare for this, again.
A couple weeks ago they talked of how we needed a slow melt - it was okay to reach above freezing during the day but temps needed to be below freezing during the night. We had that for a while, until the past week. Then, add in a few days of rain and drizzle and that hasn't helped at all.
Saturday will be the day. That is the day the Red River is expected to crest again - in less than 5 days. Convoys of trucks carrying sandbags (or clay for the dikes they are building) are being escorted by police. Our Mayor is telling everyone to stay out of their way otherwise he is threatening to shut down local businesses. That was a huge controversary last year.
Supposedly we have plenty of sandbags put together right now, but need the people to go out to the specific sites and start tossing. I remember how overwhelming and emotionally draining this situation was last year and hope that this year we can fight it again. People at work are already talking about whether or not we will have school next week.
It just seemed like yesterday that we were filling sandbags in the Fargodome for hours...
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The fight against the Red River flooding is in full force again here in Fargo, North Dakota. Earlier than last year .... and earlier than anybody expected. Things to prepare for this fight have been put into motion earlier, as the city/area now seems to know what needs to be done to prepare for this, again.
A couple weeks ago they talked of how we needed a slow melt - it was okay to reach above freezing during the day but temps needed to be below freezing during the night. We had that for a while, until the past week. Then, add in a few days of rain and drizzle and that hasn't helped at all.
Saturday will be the day. That is the day the Red River is expected to crest again - in less than 5 days. Convoys of trucks carrying sandbags (or clay for the dikes they are building) are being escorted by police. Our Mayor is telling everyone to stay out of their way otherwise he is threatening to shut down local businesses. That was a huge controversary last year.
Supposedly we have plenty of sandbags put together right now, but need the people to go out to the specific sites and start tossing. I remember how overwhelming and emotionally draining this situation was last year and hope that this year we can fight it again. People at work are already talking about whether or not we will have school next week.
It just seemed like yesterday that we were filling sandbags in the Fargodome for hours...
Monday, March 15, 2010
Monday Bullets
- If you missed it, I posted YOUR questions and MY answers last Friday.
Happy Monday, y'all! I hope everyone had a great weekend!
Friday, March 12, 2010
YOU asked, I have answers
WARNING... LONG POST!
A week ago, I asked you - my beloved followers and readers (aka stalkers) - to take the chance and ask me anything you would like to know. Thanks to many of you who sent me a question, or questions, I have many answers for you. I hope you all find reading this post as fun as I had writing it!!
A little bit of this... A little bit of that:
Julie from Julie's Running Blog asked the following three questions....
1. If you could run anywhere...any place, any race, where would you choose to run? I have limited myself to most local races here in ND and MN and there are so many that I would love to do. But one that seems to stand out for me and keep calling my name is the Virginia Beach Half Marathon. Someday, right?
2. Who inspired you most growing up? This is a tough one. My parents, especially, inspired me, pushed me, and stood right behind me in everything I did growing up. Another person that inspired me career-wise was my 1st grade teacher. She had both of my younger sisters and I still run into her every once and a while. Her passion for teaching and learning still inspires me!
3. Who's poster did you have on your wall? Who was your celebrity crush? I hate to admit it, but I never had a poster of a celebrity on my wall. When I look back, there weren't so many movie or tv stars that I had crushes on...how about Kirk Cameron and Joey Lawrence!?! If I would have had any posters on my wall it wouldn't have been those two though. It probably would have been Michael Jordan!
Jess over at Run Girl Run asked - If you could live anywhere else in the U.S. but North Dakota where would it be? North Carolina, hands down. I have always been drawn to that area (and traveled there) and really love it!
Big Daddy Diesel from Tri Diesel asked.... If you were unable to do endurance events, what other athletic adventure do you think you would be addicted to? This is a hard question for me. Living in North Dakota and having to resort to running, biking, and swimming indoor atleast 5 months out of the year leaves you with limited options for other athletic adventures. However, I really love softball and sand volleyball. Softball has been pretty hard on my knee so I would opt for sand volleyball in the summer and then indoor volleyball during the winter. I have also thought of participating on an indoor winter soccer league!
onelittletrigirl at Finishing Is Winning asked the following questions:
1. If you could take a free 7 day vacation to anywhere, where would it be and why? I would love to go backpacking through Europe. This is something that I really want to do! I think it would be a great experience and great way to get aquainted with Europe, as well as a great way to meet new people! Anyone wanna go?
2. As a teacher, do you feel your kids teach you how to be a better person? This was a great questions and even though I haven't really thought about this before, I do feel that they inspire me to be a better person. They test my patiences and teach me to not sweat the little things. They inspire me to be an advocate for them and their needs at school and in my every day life. Seeing their difficulties and life struggles reminds me of how I want to raise my children and the things I want to be able to offer to my children. It's an on-going learning experience, that's for sure!
3. Do you take home with you lessons that help you as a triathlete? I would like to think so! When the going get's tough, the tough get's going! My students struggle on a daily basis but they keep going!
MCMama asked... Are you from ND? If not, how did you end up so far north? This made me chuckle! Yes, I am from North Dakota, born and raised and have never moved out of the state! Both parents are from small towns ND and I lived in Bismarck for my first 18 years, Grand Forks for about 8 years, and Fargo since then! I love being able to experience all 4 seasons, even if winter gets to be a bit long. I am not too far north...still at least 3 hours from Canada!
Joel from Tri Madness asked... How would you like a new follower? Bring it on Joel! The more the merrier! :)
Badgergirl from Adventures of Badgergirl asked... What's the best music to workout to? And is there one song that you consider your "kicks me in the butt" song - as in, it comes on and you automaticall start working harder? If you are to learn anything about me and my music preference, I have quite a variety of music on my iPod. It's crazy. But, some of my favorite music to workout to is hip hop, dance remix songs, and some punk.... usually anything with a good beat! Right now, the crazy song that kicks me in the butt is Monsters by Hurricane Bells from the New Moon soundtrack! Check it out HERE.
Triathlon Related Questions:
Amanda from Run To The Finish asked... I feel like I'm wearing a diaper if I try on bike shorts... How do you get over this? Oh I don't know if you ever really get over this. I do know that some padded bike shorts have more padding then others. I really only wear my padded bike shorts on long training rides and NOT during traithlon events. They feel weird when you put them on and walk around in them, but your rear thanks you after an hour plus ride on a road bike!
Marlene over at Mission to a(nother) Marathon asked... What do you love most about triathlons? Least? I have only done a few, but the one thing I love most about triathlons is the combination of doing all three disciplines in one race. It's just a great experience! The thing I like the least would have to be getting used to the open water swim. I had two races in lake (and dam) water and the second one went much better in comparison to the first. It will take some getting used to!
Julie over at Julie's Running Blog also asked.... Who was the person who inspired you to attempt tris? My parents are big Half Marathoners, my sister is a runner, but no one in my family has done triathlons before. So when I think back to who inspired me to start doing tris, the first person that comes to mind is a southern gent who goes by the name of Wes from A Code Geek's Tail! There were a handful of other triathlon blogs that I started reading a couple years ago, but he was the first and probably the most inspiring! Thanks dude!
Melissa over at Melissa's Adventures in Living Life asked....What is your favorite outfit for running and for biking (if it isn't the same)? I have many different favorites, for all seasons of course, but since spring is coming and summer soon to follow (right?) I will share my favorite summer outfits: Running - my Nike shorts and a razorback tanktop. Biking - my padded bike shorts (giggle) and my white and black sleeveless cycling jersey with pockets on the back!
Kelly from She Wears a Red Sox Cap asked .... What do you eat before your triathlons for breakfast? What do you eat during? Great questions Kelly! Before my traithlons (about 2 hours before) I will eat a piece of toast with peanut butter and a banana. Then, a half hour before I start I will down a Gu (Tri Berry preferably). Since I have only done sprint triathlons and the distance is short, the only time I consume calories is on the bike. With about 10 minutes left in the ride I will take another Gu with water and then some Powerade. This really helps me get through the run!
Mom on the Run asked... How do you find time to train when you are a full time teacher? Girl, I ask the same question of those that work full time, or even part time, and are full time parents! I am single and don't have any kids, so my schedule can be pretty flexible. I try to do most of my runs/bikes/swims in the morning, with a two-fer once a week, at least one rest day, and then have more time in the evenings for stretching and strengthening and some yoga or pilates. It's hard to juggle with my teaching schedule, late meetings, and my weekly grad class, but if I prepare a lot on Sunday for the week (nutrition and workouts) I can get most of my workouts in with little to no trouble! Plus, my workouts are great stress relievers which I am sure my co-workers and students are thankful for!
Annette from Running Again asked... Indoor triathlon??? How do you bike indoors? Well, first off, indoor triathlons are not similar to outdoor triathlons except for the fact that you swim, bike, and then run with short transitions between. However, indoor triathlons are done at a gym and based on how far you go in a certain amount of time: 10 minutes in the pool, 10 minute transition, 30 minutes on a spin bike, 5 minute transition, and then 20 minutes on a treadmill. I highly recommend something like this for those who are thinking of getting into triathlons! This was what I did for my first traithlon last year, and plan to do another one in May to jump start my triathlon season!
Career/Work Related Questions:
Anne Marie over at Goals for the Week asked... If you weren't in Special Education, what career would you pursue? Oh I have so many ideas for this, how does one choose one? I still would like to do some creative work of some sort, like wedding announcements, programs, and such. I have also thought about working towards a degree in personal training. How about a professional mother? Someday, maybe!? So many ideas....so many ideas..
Lisa over at Chasin' Bunnies asked... I want to know if you always knew that you wanted to be a special education teacher or how you decided that... I didn't always know I wanted to be a special education teacher specifically, I just sort of fell into that position and LOVED it. A part of me always wanted to be a teacher, ask any one and they will tell you that they are not surprised that I choose the education career path. My middle sister claims that my bosiness and controlling personality growing up was a dead giveaway for her. When I graduated with my teaching degree I didn't land a job right away. My first year out of college I worked as a paraprofessional in a special education resource room and loved the kids (not the job). Then, the next school year I took a long-term job in a Learning Disabilities position (K-5) for the school year as a teacher quit 2 weeks before school started. I loved everything about that job; the kids, working in small groups, the teachers, and even the paperwork. Then, that position was filled for the next school year by someone highly qualified (as I didn't have my SPED degree), but my director helped me weasel my way through the application process/interview for the resident teaching program and I earned my masters in special education, while teaching, in one year. Boom, here I am, almost 3 years into my position. This is where I am meant to be! My youngest sister has struggle with special needs growing up and I would have to say that she is part of my inspiration as well!
Caroline at Boston Runner asked the following questions...
1. What kind of special education teacher are you? I am a special education strategist, a title I acquired due to having creditials in the following areas: Learning Disabilities, Mental Retardation, and Emotional Disturbances. I am working on obtaining my teaching credential (12 credits) in Autistic Spectrum Disorders. I work in an elementary setting, primarily with 5th graders this year.
2. How did you know you wanted to be a teacher? Specifically a special education teacher? I think I answered this one pretty good above! :)
3. Do you think you'll want to do anything else later in life? Yes, most definitely. I am afraid if I stay with special education for the next 30 years, I may get burnt about before too long and there is no benifit in that for me or for the students!
Eileen from The Running Knitter asked a couple questions...
What tips do you have for someone who is just getting into the teaching field - specifically the special education field? A tip I can give one going into the education field is to take a wide variety of classes, not just the required classes... and more field work if at all possible. When I was getting my bachelor's degree in elementary education, there was only 1 class requried that talked about students with disabilities and I think that regular education teachers need to have more experience with this, especially since more kids are being mainstreamed back into the classroom. Tips for those going into the special education field? Get your masters in as many areas as possible - if your university offers a program to work towards multiple credentials at one time, do it! You will be more marketable. I know that our director will hire anyone with their strategist over a person who just worked to get their degree in Learning Disabilities!
Also, what population do you work with, and do you ever thing about transitioning out of special education? Most of the students I work with are fifth graders. Most of my students struggle with learning disabilities. I have one student that has Aspergers. I have a few students that struggle with depression and anxiety (anxiety is really increasing). A few of my students struggle with attention difficulties. And one of my students and extremely low cognitively and struggles with partial complex seizure disorder - a week doesn't go by without having to work through a grand mal seizure.
Thank you to all those who participated in this fun Q&A! It was super fun!
Have a great weekend, y'all!
A week ago, I asked you - my beloved followers and readers (aka stalkers) - to take the chance and ask me anything you would like to know. Thanks to many of you who sent me a question, or questions, I have many answers for you. I hope you all find reading this post as fun as I had writing it!!
A little bit of this... A little bit of that:
Julie from Julie's Running Blog asked the following three questions....
1. If you could run anywhere...any place, any race, where would you choose to run? I have limited myself to most local races here in ND and MN and there are so many that I would love to do. But one that seems to stand out for me and keep calling my name is the Virginia Beach Half Marathon. Someday, right?
2. Who inspired you most growing up? This is a tough one. My parents, especially, inspired me, pushed me, and stood right behind me in everything I did growing up. Another person that inspired me career-wise was my 1st grade teacher. She had both of my younger sisters and I still run into her every once and a while. Her passion for teaching and learning still inspires me!
3. Who's poster did you have on your wall? Who was your celebrity crush? I hate to admit it, but I never had a poster of a celebrity on my wall. When I look back, there weren't so many movie or tv stars that I had crushes on...how about Kirk Cameron and Joey Lawrence!?! If I would have had any posters on my wall it wouldn't have been those two though. It probably would have been Michael Jordan!
Jess over at Run Girl Run asked - If you could live anywhere else in the U.S. but North Dakota where would it be? North Carolina, hands down. I have always been drawn to that area (and traveled there) and really love it!
Big Daddy Diesel from Tri Diesel asked.... If you were unable to do endurance events, what other athletic adventure do you think you would be addicted to? This is a hard question for me. Living in North Dakota and having to resort to running, biking, and swimming indoor atleast 5 months out of the year leaves you with limited options for other athletic adventures. However, I really love softball and sand volleyball. Softball has been pretty hard on my knee so I would opt for sand volleyball in the summer and then indoor volleyball during the winter. I have also thought of participating on an indoor winter soccer league!
onelittletrigirl at Finishing Is Winning asked the following questions:
1. If you could take a free 7 day vacation to anywhere, where would it be and why? I would love to go backpacking through Europe. This is something that I really want to do! I think it would be a great experience and great way to get aquainted with Europe, as well as a great way to meet new people! Anyone wanna go?
2. As a teacher, do you feel your kids teach you how to be a better person? This was a great questions and even though I haven't really thought about this before, I do feel that they inspire me to be a better person. They test my patiences and teach me to not sweat the little things. They inspire me to be an advocate for them and their needs at school and in my every day life. Seeing their difficulties and life struggles reminds me of how I want to raise my children and the things I want to be able to offer to my children. It's an on-going learning experience, that's for sure!
3. Do you take home with you lessons that help you as a triathlete? I would like to think so! When the going get's tough, the tough get's going! My students struggle on a daily basis but they keep going!
MCMama asked... Are you from ND? If not, how did you end up so far north? This made me chuckle! Yes, I am from North Dakota, born and raised and have never moved out of the state! Both parents are from small towns ND and I lived in Bismarck for my first 18 years, Grand Forks for about 8 years, and Fargo since then! I love being able to experience all 4 seasons, even if winter gets to be a bit long. I am not too far north...still at least 3 hours from Canada!
Joel from Tri Madness asked... How would you like a new follower? Bring it on Joel! The more the merrier! :)
Badgergirl from Adventures of Badgergirl asked... What's the best music to workout to? And is there one song that you consider your "kicks me in the butt" song - as in, it comes on and you automaticall start working harder? If you are to learn anything about me and my music preference, I have quite a variety of music on my iPod. It's crazy. But, some of my favorite music to workout to is hip hop, dance remix songs, and some punk.... usually anything with a good beat! Right now, the crazy song that kicks me in the butt is Monsters by Hurricane Bells from the New Moon soundtrack! Check it out HERE.
Triathlon Related Questions:
Amanda from Run To The Finish asked... I feel like I'm wearing a diaper if I try on bike shorts... How do you get over this? Oh I don't know if you ever really get over this. I do know that some padded bike shorts have more padding then others. I really only wear my padded bike shorts on long training rides and NOT during traithlon events. They feel weird when you put them on and walk around in them, but your rear thanks you after an hour plus ride on a road bike!
Marlene over at Mission to a(nother) Marathon asked... What do you love most about triathlons? Least? I have only done a few, but the one thing I love most about triathlons is the combination of doing all three disciplines in one race. It's just a great experience! The thing I like the least would have to be getting used to the open water swim. I had two races in lake (and dam) water and the second one went much better in comparison to the first. It will take some getting used to!
Julie over at Julie's Running Blog also asked.... Who was the person who inspired you to attempt tris? My parents are big Half Marathoners, my sister is a runner, but no one in my family has done triathlons before. So when I think back to who inspired me to start doing tris, the first person that comes to mind is a southern gent who goes by the name of Wes from A Code Geek's Tail! There were a handful of other triathlon blogs that I started reading a couple years ago, but he was the first and probably the most inspiring! Thanks dude!
Melissa over at Melissa's Adventures in Living Life asked....What is your favorite outfit for running and for biking (if it isn't the same)? I have many different favorites, for all seasons of course, but since spring is coming and summer soon to follow (right?) I will share my favorite summer outfits: Running - my Nike shorts and a razorback tanktop. Biking - my padded bike shorts (giggle) and my white and black sleeveless cycling jersey with pockets on the back!
Kelly from She Wears a Red Sox Cap asked .... What do you eat before your triathlons for breakfast? What do you eat during? Great questions Kelly! Before my traithlons (about 2 hours before) I will eat a piece of toast with peanut butter and a banana. Then, a half hour before I start I will down a Gu (Tri Berry preferably). Since I have only done sprint triathlons and the distance is short, the only time I consume calories is on the bike. With about 10 minutes left in the ride I will take another Gu with water and then some Powerade. This really helps me get through the run!
Mom on the Run asked... How do you find time to train when you are a full time teacher? Girl, I ask the same question of those that work full time, or even part time, and are full time parents! I am single and don't have any kids, so my schedule can be pretty flexible. I try to do most of my runs/bikes/swims in the morning, with a two-fer once a week, at least one rest day, and then have more time in the evenings for stretching and strengthening and some yoga or pilates. It's hard to juggle with my teaching schedule, late meetings, and my weekly grad class, but if I prepare a lot on Sunday for the week (nutrition and workouts) I can get most of my workouts in with little to no trouble! Plus, my workouts are great stress relievers which I am sure my co-workers and students are thankful for!
Annette from Running Again asked... Indoor triathlon??? How do you bike indoors? Well, first off, indoor triathlons are not similar to outdoor triathlons except for the fact that you swim, bike, and then run with short transitions between. However, indoor triathlons are done at a gym and based on how far you go in a certain amount of time: 10 minutes in the pool, 10 minute transition, 30 minutes on a spin bike, 5 minute transition, and then 20 minutes on a treadmill. I highly recommend something like this for those who are thinking of getting into triathlons! This was what I did for my first traithlon last year, and plan to do another one in May to jump start my triathlon season!
Career/Work Related Questions:
Anne Marie over at Goals for the Week asked... If you weren't in Special Education, what career would you pursue? Oh I have so many ideas for this, how does one choose one? I still would like to do some creative work of some sort, like wedding announcements, programs, and such. I have also thought about working towards a degree in personal training. How about a professional mother? Someday, maybe!? So many ideas....so many ideas..
Lisa over at Chasin' Bunnies asked... I want to know if you always knew that you wanted to be a special education teacher or how you decided that... I didn't always know I wanted to be a special education teacher specifically, I just sort of fell into that position and LOVED it. A part of me always wanted to be a teacher, ask any one and they will tell you that they are not surprised that I choose the education career path. My middle sister claims that my bosiness and controlling personality growing up was a dead giveaway for her. When I graduated with my teaching degree I didn't land a job right away. My first year out of college I worked as a paraprofessional in a special education resource room and loved the kids (not the job). Then, the next school year I took a long-term job in a Learning Disabilities position (K-5) for the school year as a teacher quit 2 weeks before school started. I loved everything about that job; the kids, working in small groups, the teachers, and even the paperwork. Then, that position was filled for the next school year by someone highly qualified (as I didn't have my SPED degree), but my director helped me weasel my way through the application process/interview for the resident teaching program and I earned my masters in special education, while teaching, in one year. Boom, here I am, almost 3 years into my position. This is where I am meant to be! My youngest sister has struggle with special needs growing up and I would have to say that she is part of my inspiration as well!
Caroline at Boston Runner asked the following questions...
1. What kind of special education teacher are you? I am a special education strategist, a title I acquired due to having creditials in the following areas: Learning Disabilities, Mental Retardation, and Emotional Disturbances. I am working on obtaining my teaching credential (12 credits) in Autistic Spectrum Disorders. I work in an elementary setting, primarily with 5th graders this year.
2. How did you know you wanted to be a teacher? Specifically a special education teacher? I think I answered this one pretty good above! :)
3. Do you think you'll want to do anything else later in life? Yes, most definitely. I am afraid if I stay with special education for the next 30 years, I may get burnt about before too long and there is no benifit in that for me or for the students!
Eileen from The Running Knitter asked a couple questions...
What tips do you have for someone who is just getting into the teaching field - specifically the special education field? A tip I can give one going into the education field is to take a wide variety of classes, not just the required classes... and more field work if at all possible. When I was getting my bachelor's degree in elementary education, there was only 1 class requried that talked about students with disabilities and I think that regular education teachers need to have more experience with this, especially since more kids are being mainstreamed back into the classroom. Tips for those going into the special education field? Get your masters in as many areas as possible - if your university offers a program to work towards multiple credentials at one time, do it! You will be more marketable. I know that our director will hire anyone with their strategist over a person who just worked to get their degree in Learning Disabilities!
Also, what population do you work with, and do you ever thing about transitioning out of special education? Most of the students I work with are fifth graders. Most of my students struggle with learning disabilities. I have one student that has Aspergers. I have a few students that struggle with depression and anxiety (anxiety is really increasing). A few of my students struggle with attention difficulties. And one of my students and extremely low cognitively and struggles with partial complex seizure disorder - a week doesn't go by without having to work through a grand mal seizure.
Thank you to all those who participated in this fun Q&A! It was super fun!
Have a great weekend, y'all!
Thursday, March 11, 2010
Three Things Thursday
- I got an email last week saying that my blog was added to a "triathlon blogs search engine". I thought that was pretty cool, but I thought the website was even cooler. If you are a triathlete or triathlete in training, there are tons of great blogs posted there... many of which I already follow and know are wonderful!! Check out Goodtri HERE.
- The weather is rediculous here... Roads are pretty clean of snow and ice here, but we still have feet and feet of snow on curbs and in yards.. and to top it off, we have received a lot of moisture in the form of rain in the past day or so. Makes me a bit nervous...
- I am heading home again this weekend. It's my Grandpa's 84th birthday on Saturday, class A basketball tournaments, and Regional tournaments for Class B - hoping to catch a game or two and see a cousin play.
Check back tomorrow (hopefully) for my answers to all of YOUR questions!
Wednesday, March 10, 2010
Time for some Randomness!
Badgergirl over at Adventures in Badgergirl so lovingly gave me the Gorgeous Blogger Award! How wonderful is she?!
With this award, I am supposed to tell you 6 random things about myself. She did her post based on a theme - six random things from her weekend, and as much as I wanted to do a theme as well, I just couldn't think of anything so you get stuck with 6 random things about myself (again):
With this award, I am supposed to tell you 6 random things about myself. She did her post based on a theme - six random things from her weekend, and as much as I wanted to do a theme as well, I just couldn't think of anything so you get stuck with 6 random things about myself (again):- Hello, my name is Stacy, and I am a Caribou Coffee Addict. Someone please help me, an intervention needs to be set in place immediately.
- I thrive on organization, but when things get too messy, I have no idea where to even start and tend to let things pile up until I HAVE to take care of them.
- Some might say I am a procrastinator as well (looking at above point). But, the busier I am, the more productive I am. (The same goes with my workout schedule)
- Last night we had our second night of parent teacher conferences. As a special education teacher, I look forward to these nights primarily because I only have 4 or 5 15-minute conferences each night and then get to use the rest of the evening to get paperwork done. Sorry classroom teachers, but this is one time that I don't feel bad for getting extra time to finish the piles and piles of paperwork.
- I swam 2500 Yds in the pool yesterday morning... in less than an hour. Booyah! It was one of my favorite workouts with sprints, tarzan swimming (head above water), using paddles and pull bouy, and fins.. fins are my fav!
- I am looking forward to having the next two days off as part of our midwinter break... yeah, we call it a midwinter break here in NoDak. Nothing like dragging out the winter, in March.
Time to pass on the love: Since I know this has been going around blogland for a while and don't know who has and hasn't received this gawgous award, consider yourself tagged if you haven't received it yet!
Happy Hump Day, y'all!
Monday, March 8, 2010
Virtual Run
First, if you missed my post friday, I am doing a Q&A session letting you all ask whatever you would like to know about me.... so feel free to leave any question(s) you have for me, and I plan to take those questions and answer them by the end of this week! Should be fun!
I had a wonderful weekend of R&R. To sum it up... happy hour Friday, Sioux hockey sweep, wedding dress shopping with a friend, two days of temps above freezing, sun shining, dinner with friends, movie night, a long run, and the Oscars.... It was great!
Jamoosh informed me, as well as many others I suppose, of this Virtual Run put together by RAZZ over at Running Off At The Mind. It just so happens that I had 6.5 miles on the training schedule for yesterday so I figured why not?! What's another .16 miles? Oh yeah, baby!
Here's the "race" recap....
Who: Me, of course ... and many other's I pressume.
What: Global Warming, My Ass! 6.66 mile Virtual Run
When: Sunday, March 7th, 2010 @ 2:00PM
Where: The freakin' treadmill at the beautiful YMCA. I haven't had my running shoes touch the pavement since prior to the first snow fall and I can't even remember how long ago that was... probably sometime in September. Pathetic, I know. It just confirms how sick I am of snow, ice, snow, rain, ice, and did I mention snow and ice?! geez.
Why: Because this weather is getting stinkin' old, and I have the right to say that living in Fargo, ND. We are jumping from "It's been freezin' cold here for 3+ months" to "Let's start filling sand bags and building clay dikes quickly before the snow and ice melt too fast and the river rises above flood stage" ... yeah if it's not one concern with the weather, it's another.
How (did it go): I have become so used to spending most of my running on the treadmill that I can't really complain. However, it was so packed in the gym for a late Sunday afternoon. It didn't help with the stuffy air and stinky bodies ....that is something that one does NOT become used to... ever.
Anyway, I was so pumped with the idea of getting this run done. But, by the time I finally made it to 4 miles, I was ready to jump off... no lie. I really struggled mentally to get through the last 2.66 miles, but I did! And I felt very accomplished, especially after the low key weekend!
I know that many of you participated in this and I look forward to reading your report as well! And, many of you did some other races out there too... looking forward to reading those reports! I always find them motivating!
Have a great week, y'all!
I had a wonderful weekend of R&R. To sum it up... happy hour Friday, Sioux hockey sweep, wedding dress shopping with a friend, two days of temps above freezing, sun shining, dinner with friends, movie night, a long run, and the Oscars.... It was great!
Jamoosh informed me, as well as many others I suppose, of this Virtual Run put together by RAZZ over at Running Off At The Mind. It just so happens that I had 6.5 miles on the training schedule for yesterday so I figured why not?! What's another .16 miles? Oh yeah, baby!
Here's the "race" recap....
Who: Me, of course ... and many other's I pressume.
What: Global Warming, My Ass! 6.66 mile Virtual Run
When: Sunday, March 7th, 2010 @ 2:00PM
Where: The freakin' treadmill at the beautiful YMCA. I haven't had my running shoes touch the pavement since prior to the first snow fall and I can't even remember how long ago that was... probably sometime in September. Pathetic, I know. It just confirms how sick I am of snow, ice, snow, rain, ice, and did I mention snow and ice?! geez.
Why: Because this weather is getting stinkin' old, and I have the right to say that living in Fargo, ND. We are jumping from "It's been freezin' cold here for 3+ months" to "Let's start filling sand bags and building clay dikes quickly before the snow and ice melt too fast and the river rises above flood stage" ... yeah if it's not one concern with the weather, it's another.
How (did it go): I have become so used to spending most of my running on the treadmill that I can't really complain. However, it was so packed in the gym for a late Sunday afternoon. It didn't help with the stuffy air and stinky bodies ....that is something that one does NOT become used to... ever.
Anyway, I was so pumped with the idea of getting this run done. But, by the time I finally made it to 4 miles, I was ready to jump off... no lie. I really struggled mentally to get through the last 2.66 miles, but I did! And I felt very accomplished, especially after the low key weekend!
I know that many of you participated in this and I look forward to reading your report as well! And, many of you did some other races out there too... looking forward to reading those reports! I always find them motivating!
Have a great week, y'all!
Friday, March 5, 2010
Friday Fun: You Ask and I'll Answer
Many bloggers have done the "ask anything" post in the past few weeks and I thought it would be something fun to try here. I have a lot of new followers and readers and I couldn't think of a better time to do a post like this!
Feel free to ask anything and I will do a follow-up post with your answers next week!
By the way, yesterday I registered for my fist event of 2010 - the Lifetime Fitness Indoor Triathlon in Eden Prairie, MN on May 2nd! I have done one of these tri's with a friend a couple years ago and it was my first. We both will be doing this one together again, as well as my sister and her friend! This will be my sister's first triathlon. Little does she know that she will be hooked after this!
Happy Friday, y'all!
So, peeps, what would you like to know about me? ASK AWAY!
(multiple questions are acceptable)
(multiple questions are acceptable)
Feel free to ask anything and I will do a follow-up post with your answers next week!
By the way, yesterday I registered for my fist event of 2010 - the Lifetime Fitness Indoor Triathlon in Eden Prairie, MN on May 2nd! I have done one of these tri's with a friend a couple years ago and it was my first. We both will be doing this one together again, as well as my sister and her friend! This will be my sister's first triathlon. Little does she know that she will be hooked after this!
Happy Friday, y'all!
Thursday, March 4, 2010
Three Things Thursday - What Makes me Happy
- Family (& Friends) - - For those who have been a follower of this blog for some time, you know how important and close I am to my family. A little background for those new - I have 2 younger sisters, one married and living in the cities (250 miles one direction) and the other living at home with the rents (200 miles in the other direction). We travel a lot to see each other and it seems like I get to see someone at least once every few weeks. I have a large extended family on both sides, equally about 19 aunts and uncles (not including spouses), 40-something cousins, and then there are about 10 great grandkids combined... Many of us are very close... and I am truly blessed to have such a wonderful loving family... The same goes for friends, both here and in blogland. You all have been so supportive, even when you didn't know exactly what has been going on in my life. Thank you, thank you, thank you.
- Music - - Sometimes I just can't handle silence - especially when stressed. This should be a good personality trait for me, considering I teach in an elementary school. I have kids in an out of my classroom all day. My room is located in the 2nd grade hallway - imagine 100+ seven and eight (sometimes nine) year olds running around. So, when it's too quiet at work - I crank up Pandora (even when I am concentrating hard on assessments). When it's too quiet at home - I crank up the iPod on the Bose... Music is such a stress reliever for me... it just makes me happy!
- The freedom of weekends with no plans - - As much as I love traveling to see family and friends, or busy weekends with birthdays or parties here and there... I sometimes just look forward to those weekends of nothing (but maybe a couple good hard workouts!). This coming weekend should be pretty low key... I was supposed to go to a UND hockey game this friday, but we decided to get rid of the tickets. Instead, it's going to be a lot of R&R, maybe a nice meal out, and hopefully getting in a nice 6+ mile run Sunday.... I haven't gone that far in a long long time!
What are a few things that makes you happy?
Monday, March 1, 2010
One Short Month
Another month in da books...here's the stats:
Month in Review: February 2010
Swim - 11,600 Yds ..... about 1,000 Yds in January
Bike - 105.00 miles .... 86.64 miles in January
Run - 30.00 miles ...... 31.17 miles in January
Swims - 6
Bikes - 7
Runs - 10
Spin classes - 0
Body Pump classes - 2
REST days - 9
Total minutes of:
Yoga - 20
Pilates - 30
S&S (Stretching and Strengthening) - 215
Highs of the month:
Lows of the Month:
Which February goals did I accomplish?
Month in Review: February 2010
Swim - 11,600 Yds ..... about 1,000 Yds in January
Bike - 105.00 miles .... 86.64 miles in January
Run - 30.00 miles ...... 31.17 miles in January
Total number of:
Swims - 6
Bikes - 7
Runs - 10
Spin classes - 0
Body Pump classes - 2
REST days - 9
Total minutes of:
Yoga - 20
Pilates - 30
S&S (Stretching and Strengthening) - 215
Highs of the month:
- Running 5+ miles pain free!
- Joining the adult swim team!
Lows of the Month:
- Slacking on Yoga, Pilates, and BodyPump class
- Nutrition... must get better!
Which February goals did I accomplish?
- Cut out soda - completely .....not so much
Follow a half marathon training schedule....check!Get my ars back in the pool....super-check!- Participate in the Legs Do It Challenge ... not so much... sorry Mary!
What are my goals for March?
- Continue with the Half Marathon training schedule, and make a decision by the end of the month on which race I will be doing in May- the HM or the 10K.
- Keep working on cutting back the soda (and coffee)
- Stick with the adult swim team
- More Yoga, Pilates, & BodyPump (at least one of each per week?)
I feel like there should be a challenge for the month of March. Anyone out doing anything special or know of any?
What are you goals for the month of March?
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