30 DOT ....and... 92% complete

Day Thirty: The BF

Today is the last day of 30 Days of Thanks ... sooo.... Last but not least, I must mention that I am truly thankful for the BF. What a wonderful, caring, person he is with a great sense of humor. He makes me laugh all the time...even if I sometimes roll my eyes at a comment here or there!

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Wow. I just can't believe that 2010 is almost over. Where did the time go? Seriously.


Once again, let's look at the stats:



Month in Review: November 2010

Swim - 1,700 yds ................ 00 yds in October
Bike - 101.31 miles ........... 157.39 miles in October
Run - 31.75 miles .............. 41.10 miles in October


Total Number of:
Swims - 1
Bikes - 8
Runs - 13 (including runs off the bike)
BodyPump Class - 3
Pilates Class - 1
Yoga Class - 0
REST Days - 13


Highlights of the Month:

• Weekend in the cities with an awesome Vikings victory over Arizona (in overtime)!
• Wonderful Thanksgiving weekend with my family and the BF's family - it was great to be able to share the holiday with such wonderful people!
• Running the Full Moon 5K at night!

Lows of the Month:

• limited swimming, pilates, and BODYPUMP
• no Yoga
• Being sick for over a week
• lack of workouts Thanksgiving week

Goals for the Month of December:

• Make the most of the last month of 2010!
• One more 5K for 2010 - Jingle Bell 5K this weekend!
• Enjoy turning 30 on the 9th!
  

Year-to-Date Stats:
Swim - 62,800 Yds
Bike - 1145.36 miles
Run - 357.38 miles

Time to start thinking about 2011 and all it has to offer! What does your December look like? Anyone racing?

30 DOT & HBBC Update

Day Twenty-Seven: fun afternoon with the girls

Saturday afternoon, my sisters, mom, and I spent a couple hours using our creative juices. This was part of my youngest sister's birthday present. We went to Creative Clay in Bismarck, picked out a ceramic piece, and painted it. It was so much fun. Can't wait to see what they look like once they have been fired and finished by next weekend! Afterwards, we went to grab a cold beverage and chips and salsa from one of our favorite mexican restaurants. It was a great way to spend time with the girls! I have the best sisters and mom a girl could ask for.


Day Twenty-Eight: Long weekends

Having a 5-day long weekend this time of year is wonderful. We are just finishing up our first trimester and the kiddos were extremely restless and ready for the long weekend last Tuesday. It was nice to be able to go home and visit with friends and family.


Day Twenty-Nine: Amazon.com

What is a better way to do your Christmas shopping then from the comfort of your couch?! I have been looking around on Amazon.com quite a bit lately and think I will be doing most of my Christmas shopping there. It's so easy and if you spend more than $25 you get free shipping! Score!

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The annual Holiday Bootie Buster Challenge kicked off on Saturday, November 20th! Amanda over at RunToTheFinish has done a great job putting this together, and I am excited about how many people are participating. Sounds like there is going to be some wonderful prizes too!


Looking back, this past week couldn't have been more challenging, but that's the point right? Finding a healthy balance between working out, eating right, and busting your bootie?!


Let's take a look at the week:


Saturday, Nov. 20: 7 pts
Bike 21.6 mi
SSC - 10 min


Sunday, Nov. 21: 4 pts
Run 3.2 mi
SSC - 25 min


Monday, Nov. 22: 3 pts
1 hour of shoveling :) - I was so sore afterwards


Tuesday, Nov. 23: 0 pts
REST/Work/Travel Day

Wednesday, Nov. 24: 0 pts
baking and prepping for Thanksgiving dinner


Thursday, Nov. 25: 1 pt
REST - Turkey Day - got 7 fruits and veggies


Friday, Nov. 26: 4 pts
Run 3.5 miles
SSC - 25 min

Overall, been struggling with the 7 servings of fruits and vegetables. I didn't plan my meals very well for Monday and Tuesday, since it was such a short week and I was trying to clean out my fridge before leaving town Tuesday afternoon. And, I really struggle to eat well on the weekends. There's just so much on the go that I don't think much about it ahead of time, and that doesn't work for me.

First week total: 19 pts

30 Days of Thanks

Day Twenty Five: Two Thanksgivings

Yesterday the BF and I were able to get in TWO Thanksgivings. My mom always hosts Thanksgiving for her side of the family, and it's a pretty big holiday around our house. I was happy that the BF's mom was able to host a Thanksgiving supper for his family so we could do both. It was so much fun!


Day Twenty Six: well overdue run

With the busy-ness of this week, I haven't done any real workout since Sunday. I would like to add that I shoveled for an hour monday night, worked and traveled tuesday, helped mom prepare for thanksgiving all day Wednesday, and ENJOYED my turkey day. So, today I finally got out and ran 3.5 miles at the gym and did some strengthening, stretching, and core work for a half hour afterwards. In addition, I pulled out the foam roller and cussed at myself for not using mine in months. YOUCH.

30 Days of Thanks

Day Twenty-four: Cooperating weather

After a foot of snow on Monday, I was a bit nervous about getting home for Thanksgiving before the next storm was to roll through Tuesday night/Wednesday morning. However, I left work shortly after 3 on Tuesday and made it out west before the 2nd storm rolled in, thankfully.

Hope you all have a wonderful Thanksgiving! Anyone doing anything special?

30 Days of Thanks (Day 23)

Day Twenty-Three: Educational Interpreters

The method of using interpreters while assessing a student that speaks proficiency in a language other than English was mentioned while I was going to school. I can't remember if it was brought to my attention while working towards my elementary degree, but it was briefly talked about during my graduate program. That is, it was brought to our attention that a person who speaks a language other than English, should have the option (and it's best practice) to be assessed in their primary language,with the help of an interpreter, and compared to the assessment done in English (that is to determine whether or not there difficulties are due to lack of understanding of the English language).

If someone would have told me when I was going to school that I was going to stay in North Dakota, teach students with special needs, AND have to work with interpreters on a regular basis, I would have laughed in their face. I mean, this is North Dakota. Right?!

Oh the things I never knew.

During my Grad school residency, I taught in a small town K-12 school with a heavy migrant population. That is, a good amount of our students attended school there until the snow came, and returned in the spring. Their parents worked for potato and beet farmers. I remember assessing a 4th grade student who struggled to learn early literacy skills, in his primary language - Spanish, with the help of an interpreter. He spoke some English and his parents were ablet o speak some English as well. That was an eye-opener.

Now, I have been working in this ever-growing school district for the past 3+ years and asside from being amazed at our cultural diversity in this part of ND, I continue to work with interpreters on a regular basis - Bosnian, Roma-Bosnian, Somalian, etc. It can be very difficult to find reliable adults that understand English well enough to interpret for us - some of them haven't been in the US very long, either. However, without these wonderful interpreters, I wouldn't be able to do my job to it's fullest potential. I wouldn't be able to set up meetings with parents, meet and discuss assessmsent results with parents, set goals for their children with the parents' input, etc. As much as I complain about how difficult it may be to add another wheel to the multidisciplinary team, and work with parents through an extra person, I am thankful for the hard work and willingness of the interpreters that i have work with to help me help a child. I am very thankful for them!

30 Days of Thanks (Day 22)

Day Twenty-Two: Productive Weekend

Last Sunday I posted how I was thankful for my lazy Sundays. This one was quite the exception. In fact, the whole weekend was far from lazy. The BF stayed home to get things done and I stayed in Fargo to get things done, knowing that I would be heading back that way Tuesday anyway. so, I got a lot done. Such as:

• Saturday morning bike ride - 21 miles
• 3 hours working on SSI assignment for my ASD class with a friend - while enjoying coffee
• cleaned out my walk-in closet in my bedroom and have tons of clothes to donate
• Sunday morning workout - 3.2 miles run and 25 minutes of strengthening, stretching and core work.
• Finished the SSI assignment/reflection- only took a couple more hours but I have an extremely better understanding of SSI, Social Security Disability, Housing Assistance, Medicare/Medicaid, etc.
• Cleaned my bathroom
• Spent a lot of time reading Could It Be Autism by Nancy D. Wiseman, and just have about 100 pages left before I can write an 8-10 page book summary and review, stating how it relates to our class topics, AND make a powerpoint presentation for my final project
• Watched the Vikings/Packers game - blech
• 3 loads of laundry
• Did some holiday baking

What did your weekend look like?!

30 Days of Thanks & Shout-outs!

Day Twenty-One: Short Weeks

I am so thankful that this week is only a two-day work week and then I am off for Thanksgiving! Actually, our school district is one of the only ones who has the Wednesday before Thanksgiving off, and I think that's great! It allows me to drive back to Bismarck Tuesday night and spend all day Wednesday helping my mom prep for the big turkey day! This is our big holiday and my mom spends a lot of time getting ready for it! In fact, I even made invites for her to send out...

Even though we have a short week, I have tons of things that I would like to get done in the next few days! A lot of little things, so I am hoping today is a productive Sunday - rather than my usual lazy Sundays!

SHOUT-OUTS!

I want to take a moment to shout-out to those racing today, particularly Jess and Laurel running the Philly Marathon AND Wes doing Ironman AZ! Good luck to you all and I look forward to hearing all about the races!

30 Days of Thanks (Day 20)

Day Twenty: Taking a Graduate class with a friend

Up until this semester, J was a semester a head of me and we were taking different classes, but both working towards our Autism Credential. This semester has been by far our favorite class and being able to take the class together has been wonderful. We have been able to bounce ideas and questions off each other, in addition to our other classmates. Today, I realized how truly thankful I am that we are taking this class together. We spent three hours working on a Special Needs assessment/budget assignment, discussing many different factors when it comes to SSI and adults with disabilities working and living a normal life to the best of their ability. It is a very big assignment and challenging as well. It was so nice to be able to work together, arguing our points, seeing eye to eye, and walking away from it with a new understanding of the difficulties an adult with special needs may encounter in order to function as an adult in our society. Big eye opener, for sure!

30 Days of Thanks (Day 19)

Day Nineteen: Fridays & LIVE Music

This was one of those weeks where so much was going on and I felt like I was constantly on the go. I mean, heck, I barely got time to watch ESPN in the evenings. So, with that in mind I am so very thankful for Fridays! And this one is no exception! A few friends/co-workers and I are grabbing beverages after work (approximately 4pm on the dot, if not sooner) and then heading to Hairball - a 80's coverband - from there. Bring on Kiss, Loverboy, Prince, ACDC, Def Leppard, Bon Jovi, Twisted Sister, White Snake, Van Halen, etc. They dress the part and sound just like these musicians... it's awesome. Should be a great time!

If interested, check out this LINK to see a recent video clip of the band...

Hope you have a great weekend, y'all!

Humptastic Day & Day 18 of 30 DOT

30 Days of Thanks....

Day Eighteen: Good Music

I am all about the music; music in the car, music while at work (thanks Pandora), music through the Bose at home, music on my run, and usually the music at the gym. One of my favorite parts about BODYPUMP class is the upbeat music. A lot of the music are dance remixes of older songs and I just love it. It sure makes an hour of pumping iron go fast, and I am thankful for that! Plus, Good music leaves me in a super happy mood! How about you?

Here's one of my new FAVORITE songs....





On that note, I went to BODYPUMP class last night. I really really really try to go once a week, but with my cold last week, it's been probably 2 weeks since my last confession, I mean BODYPUMP class. Sooooo, I am afraid of how sore I am going to be today.

Before heading to BP, I had enough time to get in 2 good miles on the treadmill. I always try to run a mile or so before class, depending on when I get to the gym. But today, for some reason, I had enough time to get in two "speedier" miles. In fact, the run was going so well, that I almost canned BP class to see how far my legs would take me. I haven't done more than 6 miles since early October. I quickly reminded myself that it's been too long since my last BP class that I NEEDED to go. I HAD to go.

Sidebar .... Has anyone ever tried zipfizz before? A friend at the gym had me try it today during BP class. I drank the entire 20 oz. during class and by the time I left (an hour later) I was quite shaky but feeling like I could run a marathon. *note* I have never run a marathon before. It's supposed to give you energy for 4-6 hours and it sure as heck did... left me lying awake listening to my heart beat, last night. Have you ever tried it before? I don't know if I will ever try it again... not at 430pm.... maybe for a long run in the morning, or something...

How was your hump day?!

30 Days of Thanks (Day 17)

Day Seventeen: Words of Appreciation

I didn't go into the education field to make big bucks like some of you may think, but I did go into it because working with children, helping them succeed, make progress, or feel better about themselves has been a passion of mine for as long as I can remember. (My sister claims I went into teaching because I like to boss people around. That might have a little bit to do with it.) This week is American Education Week and the kind words of appreciation from our Principal, other teachers, district personel, Superintendent, PTA, local educator's association president, and parents, mean more than you can ever imagine!

I received the following quote in my email this week and thought it was very fitting:

“One looks with appreciation to the brilliant teachers, but with gratitude to those who touched our human feelings. The curriculum is so much necessary raw material, but the warmth is the vital element for the growing plant and for the soul of the child.”

~ Carl Jung

30 Days of Thanks (Day 16)

Day Sixteen: homemade coffee

In hopes to break my addiction to the sugary drinks at Starbucks/Caribou, I have been trying to make more coffee at home.... and it's wonderful. Dunkin Donuts French Vanilla with Low Fat Caramel creamer is delish. I have also tried the Dunkin Donuts Mocha Mint, and even though I like it, I don't taste the mocha or the mint. Another favorite is Starbucks French Roast. This is a bolder coffee, and I think I like it because it reminds me more of espresso.

30 Days of Thanks (Day 15)

Day Fifteen: Unexpected Hellos

I am thankful for those unexpected hellos from students that I do not work with on a regular basis. One morning, a student that I worked with during summer school and ND state assessment this fall, showed up at my classroom door just before the start of first block. I was going to question him on why he was in my room, thinking that he was just wasting time in the halls but before I could, he said he was just stopping by to say hello. As much as I want to think he was confused and in the wrong place at the wrong time, I would like to believe that he was just stopping by to say hello and ask me how my day was going. What a sweetheart!

30 Days of Thanks (Day 14)

Day Fourteen: Lazy Sundays

I know many people spend a lot of their Sundays dreading over the upcoming week, but I try to take some advantange of the tail end of the weekend by relaxing a bit. It is a supposed to be a day of rest, is it not?! With many weekends of traveling, I find that it can be hard to get to the gym and I am okay with that. And with the weather getting colder, who wouldn't want to spend a Sunday afternoon/evening curled up on the couch watching football?

The BF and I spent the early part of the afternoon watching the Vikings/Bears game before I left town. He being a Bears fan, and I being a somewhat Vikings fan, I was happy to see we both made it out alive. I still wonder what it would have been like if the Bears would have lost, however. :)

30 Days of Thanks (Day 13)

Day Thirteen: Blogger Support

I started blogging in 2006 (wow) and even though I have not met a single one of my followers, I feel like I know so many of you and your families from reading your blogs. I know a handful of you have been around since 2006 - you know who you are!! You all have been so supportive, encouraging, and motivating, in all of my training and daily endeavors! I really appreciate all of you and the kind words, or kicks in the ars, when needed - whether it's been over the past years, or past few weeks. Thank You, thank you!

Full Moon 5K and 30 DOT (Day 12)

"30 Days of Thanks"
Day Twelve: Weekends

I know most people look forward to the weekends, but in the past I haven't been much of a person to complain about it being Monday or if the weekend is ever going to get her, etc. Life is too short; we should enjoy every day, shouldn't we?

But, I still look forward to the weekends for many reasons, but right now my number one reason is for this:I am thankful that I have been able to spend time with the BF almost every weekend for the past couple of months, whether he comes here, I come there, or he rides with my parents here or to the cities with us. We have been lucky, busy, but lucky. It seems like there is always something going on every weekend. I dread the winter that will be joining us soon and how it has the possibility to affect our weekend traveling, but we'll worry about that when we need to. :)

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Full Moon 5K:
Thursday, November 11th, 2010
7:00PM

Pre-race: I picked up my race packet yesterday morning as soon as Go Far Sports opened up shop. Before grabbing my packet, I took some time to look around and drool over all the nice running attire. Fortunately, I kept the plastic in my purse and walked out of there with nothing but my race packet.

For a $25 5K race fee, I am pretty impressed. This includes a timing chip, which isn't always present at 5K of this size (500 or less), a long sleeved technical shirt, and a pair of Fitsocks! Plus, we got a coupon for $10 off a purchase of $50 or more at Go Far Sports as well as a coupon for 25% off a Fitsock purchase! Sweet!

Weather: I have been thinking about this all week, especially since I have been fighting this nasty cold. I finally have my voice back to 100% and I can keep the coughing to a minimal now without sounding like a barking dog. But, I still worried about the cooler temps causing me to cough more.

This clip was taken at 4pm. Notice that at 7pm it was expected to be 39 degrees. I was excited for this because prior to 4pm today, it said it was going to be 36 degrees at 7pm for the past 36 hours! 3 degrees is 3 degrees, dude!

Clothing: Oh how I struggle with this, especially this time of year. I wasn't going out to break any PR's or world records, I do these fall/winter 5K just for fun... or insanity. So, I decide just to wear my capri running pants, long-sleeved black shirt, white adidas ClimaMax jacket, black headband, blue softball socks, and red gloves (trying to put a little RED, WHITE, and BLUE in for Veterans Day).

The Race: The start and finish of the race took place at a local middle school, just a mile from my house. It was an out, do a loop, and back race. There were 400 participants and the temperature was actually perfect.... or I was dressed perfectly for the temperature. I ended up taking my gloves off halfway through, which is no surprise because my feet and hands are the first things to get over heated.

It was dark, and the only light we had were from a few houses here and there as we ran through the neighborhoods. The race director warned us of ghosts and goblins, but I thought he was joking. No joke, my friends. There was a werewolf, ghosts, the Scream, etc. Just after the 2nd mile marker, I saw the Scream walking down the middle of the street, but as I was about 3 feet from him he turned to me and screamed. I screamed and was afraid I wet myself.

J and I stayed together for most of the race, running the entire thing. It was a bit slow, but felt good to run the whole thing. She had some knee issues and had to back off a couple times in the last half mile, but I was feeling strong and wanted to finish strong, kicking it up a bit in the last quarter mile.

The Results:

Number: 417

Age: 29
Division: 20-29

Division Place: 74/86

Sex Place: 263/316

Time: 39:00

Pace: 12:33

After thoughts:

• This was a fun race, at a different time, with different expectations. Like most 5K's this time of year, I go out just to do it and have fun - and that's what we did.
• However, I would have like to have done it a bit faster, but I was glad I ran the entire thing.
• The past couple of weeks I have been thinking about marathons and the posibility of training for one in 2011, but after last night I started to question it. Now, this run was a good one, but my right knee wasn't perfect. In fact, it started to bug me a bit 2 miles in, but I focused on my stride and kept the thoughts positive.
• I need to do more running outside, on real roads and end my love/hate relationship with running outdoors.
• I know that there wasn't a full moon last night, and I too have questioned why it was called a Full Moon 5K, but with the orange light from some street lights and houses, it kind of felt like moon light. I will go with that.
• I would definitely do this race again next year!

Happy Friday, Y'all. Off to work for a Professional Development Day. Yay...

30 Days of Thanks (Day 11)

Yesterday I posted about being thankful for Tom & Jerry's. Some people did not know what it is, so I will clarify here: The actual Tom and Jerry is a batter mixture made of sugar, bettercream, more sugar, egg whites, and nutmeg. I use it by adding it to a hot water/whiskey mixture (usually a shot of whiskey) and sprinkling nutmeg on top. Some people prefer brandy over whiskey. It's your choice! It is so sooo yummy, but like I said, it's much better when homemade, than store bought. You must try it! I have a homemade recipe, but it makes a huge amount - if you're interested, let me know and leave me your email address.


Day Eleven: Veterans,those who are still serving their duty, those who have fallen, and the families who belong to all these



It would be foolish of me to not take the time, today, to thank all Veterans, those who continue to serve, those who have unfortunately fallen, and the families that those listed belong to. And, it would be foolish of me to be thankful for my favorite soldier of all time, my bro-in-law, B. Thank you for your two tours of duty in Iraq and the time you have spent away from your life back here in the states. You are a true hero to me, and the rest of our family!





Also, I would like to give thanks to my wonderful sister, who has had the strength to peservere while her boyfriend (the first time) and hubby (the second time) was called to duty. She was, and is, a strong lady that I continue to admire and look-up to, even though she is younger than me. I have learned a lot from her and how she has dealt with difficult times like these.


Love you both very much!

30 Days of Thanks (Day 10) & Happy Anniversary!

First and foremost, I want to wish a Happy 31st Anniversary to my lovely parents! I hope you have a great one!

Day Ten: Tom & Jerry

No, I am not referring to the cartoon, Tom & Jerry, but the little tub of sugary goodness that makes the cold North Dakota holiday months all worthwhile. If you have been a follower of my blog for over a year, you probably remember me mentioning this stuff before.

Now, I am not a huge fan of buying it premade at the grocery store, or this brand stuff, but it suffices until I can get home for Christmas and enjoy the homemade stuff while spending our hap, hap, happiest Christmas since Bing Crosby tap-danced with Danny f***ing Kaye!

And, another reason why I am so thankful for this? It feels so good on a sore throat and helps me sleep like a baby!

(note: picture and drink consumed last night, not this morning)

30 Days of Thanks (Day 9)

Day Nine: Pilates



If you haven't tried it, don't knock it. Pilates is one of the classes that I have a hard time getting to on a regular basis because when things get going and busy, it's one of the first things I cross off my workout list. However, when I go, I am easily reminded how much my body (core) benifits from it. I feel recharged and ready to go afterwards. Pilates is WONDERFUL. It can be a social thing for me too. I have a friend that goes a couple times a week and it's a great way to catch up with her, and the other regulars!

30 Days of Thanks (Day 8).... and then some

Day Eight: Rest Days

For many of us, it's can be hard to enjoy a good rest day, a complete rest day - one that consists of no workouts what-so-ever, including yoga or pilates. It can be hard, but our body will thank us over and over again!

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This past weekend was fun and relaxing with the family in the Twin Cities. We did some shopping, watched some movies, and enjoyed a great Vikings win in OT yesterday. The BF is not a Vikings fan, but he sure was a trooper for coming with us and even cheering for them! even though we couldn't get him in Vikings gear, he was sporting his Twins sweatshirt.

Asside from a great weekend, I am taking a rest day of my own today. Last Wednesday I started to get sick and it progressively got worse through the weekend. Even though I felt pretty good Saturday, I lost my voice. My family was calling me squeaky and Dad was a bit surprised by how much I was talking for losing my voice. (I think it was hurting his ears.) Yesterday, I still didn't have much for a voice, but I started coughing more, which left me with an extremely horrible headache and pain in my chest.

Soooooo, I am staying home from work today. I hate taking sick days. As a special education teacher, writing sub notes can be so much tedious work! It irritated me that I spent 45 minutes this morning writing these notes and preparing all materials for the sub. It doesn't help that I have a lot of behavior students who are checking in and out throughout the day.

And, what bothers me more than taking a sick day? The fact that I haven't worked out since last Thursday. I am itching to get going again.

But, today I will REST. And get some grad school homework done.

30 Days of Thanks (Day 7)

Day Seven: A Good Run

There is nothing better than a good run. It doesn't matter if it's 1 mile or 10 miles; if it's good, it leaves you with a great feeling - almost as if you are walking on clouds. A good run to me is a run that can wash away all the stressors from the day at work. Or a good run is one that wakes me up and prepares me mentally for a long day ahead of myself at work.

30 Days of Thanks (Day 6)

Day Six: Saturday Coffee

I try to limit myself to one store-bought beverage a week. It has become a ritual that our family, when together for a weekend, enjoys good laughs and conversations over a Saturday morning coffee...whether it's at a local coffee shop back home, or a Starbucks or Caribou. One might say it has become a tradition. I am thankful for my coffee, but also the fact that it brings us together as a family!

I am secretly looking forward the nonfat, sugar free, peppermint mochas this winter... mmmm.

30 Days of Thanks (Day 5) & Weekends

Day Five: Jeans Day

This is very simple, but it makes the end of a LONG week that much better. Matching it with a fun sweater or sweatshirt and I am comfy (and happy) for the whole day! My students would probably be thankful for this as well! Every Friday is a jeans day at our school!

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Last weekend:

The BF and rest of the family came to stay at my place in Fargo for the weekend. Saturday morning we (mostly the boys) worked on the trim in my basement bedroom. Later that afternoon we took the trek up to Grand Forks (one hour drive) for Red Pepper Grinders, Bonzer's Schooners, and Sioux hockey. The Sioux didn't play too well, but the grinder and long island tea in the schooner was well worth the trip!

This weekend:

The BF, parents, and baby sis will be picking me up on the way to Minneapolis. In addition to visiting my sister and brother-in-law, we have football tickets for Sunday. Yes, my friends, Vikings tickets. Gasp, I know. I hope they play well, otherwise I might have to officially write them off my list. The BF is NOT a Vikes fan, so we won't expect him to be sporting any purple and gold this weekend. I suppose I need to put my Vikings Moss jersey back into retirement and wear my R. Smith jersey (or Brett Favre t-shirt)!

30 Days of Thanks (Day 4)

I am currently trying to keep up with Middle Name Marie's 30 Days of Thanks ... so far so good. If interested, feel free to scroll down to view my first few Days of Thanks. On to today....


Day Four: Smiling Children

I work with an array of wonderful children from 8am to 3pm - children with learning disabilities, children delayed cognitively, children with autisim spectrum disorders, children with anxiety disorders, depression, and so forth. So, when I see a child smile while working on something that is extremely difficult for THEM, it makes ME smile. Their smiles melt my heart and reminds me of one of the reasons why I enjoy doing what I do.


What are you thankful for today?

Day 3 of "30 Days of Thanks"

If you missed my last couple of posts, I am following Middle Name Marie's lead and posting 30 Days of Thanks.

If you missed the first couple of days, here are the links:
Day One
Day Two

Day Three: A good night's rest

I am one who loves my sleep and strives to get around 8 hours of sleep everynight. However, it is usually closer to 7 or 7.5. Yesterday I wasn't feeling so well and came straight home to rest. I think I slept about 2 hours late yesterday afternoon/early evening and was to bed around 930! I slept like a rock until 6am! My body is always thankful for a good night's rest!

Tagged and Giving Thanks (Day 2)

I forgot to mention who I got the "30 Days of Thanks" idea from - Middle Name Marie over at Always a Reason to Run started 30 Days of Thanks and got me interested in doing so myself. I hope to keep up with this every day. Last night I posted Day 1. For today...



Day Two: Wonderful Co-workers

The elementary school I work at is full of wonderful teachers. But, this thanks go out to my team members, my special education team members. This group of ladies is one of the best things about working here, and I really enjoy working with all of them. You don't always see a team like ours get along as well as we do, helping out each other as much as we do, and share laughs as much as we do. All of the above makes the stressors of our job requirements very minimal. Thanks ladies!

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I was unofficially tagged Carly @ Chubby Chicks Run Too tagged everyone who was interested. I figured it was time for another wonderful get-to-know-teacherwoman-aka-stacy-post!


1. If you could eat anything without any health repercussions or guilt, what would your meal be? I would have to say Shoop Noodla (fried potatoes and dough mixed in with half and half) or almost any pasta meal. I lurve me some pasta with lots of cheese, chicken, and a whole lot of veggies. Stuffed tortellini is my favorite! Mmmmm.....

2. If you could meet anyone living or dead who would it be and why? I would love to sit down and have a good conversation with both of my grandmothers. My Grandma S. passed away when I was about 5 years old and the things I remember of her are limited. I remember the fake lemons she had on the dining room table and how their fragrance filled the air. Everything else I remember is from a few comments made here and there, and pictures of course. My Grandma K. passed away last year and it was an extremely hard loss. Both are deeply missed and I would love to sit down and converse over a cup of coffee and cookies. Both were great bakers.

3. Why did you start blogging and what did you expect when you started? I started blogging in 2004 when I first started running... consistently. I was hoping to do a fall half marathon with my dad, but we turned it into a 5K trail run instead. I started my first blog to be accountable of my training and learn from other runners. Not too long after that, I was came across a few triathlon bloggers and it's all got into the world of triathlons. Without blogging, and many of you bloggers out there, I probably would have never pushed myself as far as I have!

4. What is the one book you could read over and over again? I don't think I have ever re-read a book. I love to read, but there are so many unread books on my shelf that I would probably refrain from re-reading a book. If I choose to do so, it would probably be an easy read, such as any one of the Nicholas Sparks book.

5. If you could travel anywhere, where would it be?
Europe ... particularly Ireland, Germany, Italy, Spain, and Greece... who's taking me on this trip?!


6. If you could have a TV show on the Food Network, what would it be?
Horrible, that's what it would be. I don't do a lot of cooking, and most of the cooking I do do is from family recipes or recipes out on the interenet. I am not much of one to experiment in the kitchen... unless it's with baking.

7. What has the best meal you ever had?
I really don't know if I can narrow this down to one meal. If I had to choose, it would be my Grandma K. making Shoop Noodla. No restuarant meal could compare... evah.


8. Who has been the greatest influence on your love for food and learning to cook?
Did you read number 6? I don't really have a love for cooking, but baking can be a lot of fun at times. I would have to say my Grandma is my influence in that regards, I guess.

I am not going to tag a bunch of people... consider yourself tagged if you are interested in playing along!

30 Days of Thanks (Day 1)

I am going to try and keep up with this challenge... 30 Days of Thanks. There is so much to be thankful for, it's time I put it down in writing!

Day One: My Parents

Who isn't thankful for the parents? Mine are no exception. They are amazing, loving people that have been extremely supportive in everything I do. They've known when to push me when I needed it most. They've given me and my two younger sisters everything we needed. I can thank them for encouraging me to start running and finding a love of being active. My parents have done a couple marathons, and whole lot of half marathons all over the US. As I have grown up, I have realized that my close relationship with my parents isn't something that everyone has, and I am very very thankful.

What are you thankful for today?

Time to Say Goodbye...

.... to October! What a whirlwind of a month! I barely remember it starting and now 31 days have come and gone. You know it's been a quick month when you go to flip your calendar to the next and realized you have crossed off a day since the 13th! This is usually how things go once I get back into the routine of work, working out, and busy weekends. Wow. Only 7 more months left of school.


Let's look at the stats.




Month in Review: October 2010

Swim - 00 yds .............. 2,000 yds in September
Bike - 157.39 miles ....... 126.81 miles in September
Run - 41.10 miles ......... 30.08 miles in September


Total Number of:
Swims - 0
Bikes - 9
Runs - 12 (including runs off the bike)
BodyPump Class - 3 (barely once a week --- boooh)
Pilates Class - 0
Yoga Class - 0
REST Days - 12 (10 in September, 16 in August)


Highlights of the Month:

• Still more fun weekends with the BF, family, and friends!
• Brad Paisely Concert (with Justin Moore & Darius Rucker)
• Sioux Hockey - even though they lost in an ugly game.
• Baseball playoffs (Poor Twins, but yay the Yankees are done!)
• Football Season - College and NFL
• Enjoying running again... especially longer runs - completing TWO Virtual 10K's
• Registering for TWO 5K's - Full Moon 5K on Nov. 11 in the evening AND Jingle Bell 5K on December 4th
• 2 months into the school year and no sick days!
• Completing the trim work in my basement spare bedroom and hanging my new curtain rod (this 4 month project will be noted in an upcoming post)

Lows of the Month:

• No swimming
• No Yoga
• No Pilates
• Eating too much crappy candy and baked sweets at work

Goals for the Month of November:

• Eat smart. Fuel the body. Cut the crap. Period. - journal nutrition, sleep, stress level, and workouts.
• Probably going to register for the Turkey Trot 5K on Thanksgiving morning. I haven't done that race for a few years, since it's later in the morning and we have been busy helping mom prep for Dinner that day. I think we are going to try and sneak it in again this year - at least me, my Dad, and probably sister (and bro-in-law?!)!
• HAVE FUN at the Full Moon 5K on November 11th.

Year-to-Date Stats:
Swim - 61,100 Yds
Bike - 1044.05 miles
Run - 325.53 miles

How was your October? Do you have any specific goals for November?