Dare To Tri

It's been a while...

2011-12-14T21:06:00.000-06:00

.... that's for sure.

I haven't been on here in over 3 months and I don't even know where to start. I can honestly say the last 6 months have been a whirlwind of an experience for me with a wide variety of emotions, changes, and so forth. I don't even know if I want to blog anymore, as I don't want this to be something that I feel I have to keep up.

For those of you I am not friends with on FB, yes, I just recently married and am enjoying married life very much so. Love it. Work is crazy, but it's a job and I am greatful. I am not doing what I love, but I am working in the teaching profession. Every day I count my blessings and think about my high school students often outside of school. Not many of them have it easy, or good.

I haven't been training for anything and can't remember the last race/event I did. Sad. Workouts have been few and far between, but I THINK I am getting back into the swing of things. Like I said, I am not training, but just enjoying workouts here and there, changing things up and bit and trying to try different things.

I will leave you with one of my favorite wedding photos. We haven't gotten all of them back from our photographers, but I do have a handful and this one reminds me of how happy I was that day!

Testing testing

2011-12-13T08:15:00.002-06:00

Is anyone still out there? I know it's been quite a long time, but I am thinking about getting back into blogging...

... my peeps still there?!

Wordless Wednesday: Monday's Stormy Sunset

2011-08-17T10:34:00.000-05:00

Three Things Thursday

2011-08-11T15:00:00.000-05:00

Just keep swimming! I absolutely love how swimming makes me feel. The feeling of jumping into the pool and just gliding through the water. It get this sense of clarity, as I often spend a lot of my swim clearning my mind. Something I feel I can do more swimming than running or biking. But, after a mile or more of swimming, I am sometimes left with a feeling of complete exhaustion. After Monday's swim workout of 2400 Yds, I came home and fell asleep for a half hour. After waking I felt so groggy and out of sorts. Anyone else deal with this and how can I overcome this? Is it something with nutrition?
Running with the fiance.... J and I have ran together in the morning before he heads off to work a handful of times. These runs have been some of my favorite runs this summer. This morning was absolutely gorgeous - 58*, cool, no humidity, and we got to witness how beautiful our surrounding neighborhood is with the sun coming up and pink skies. I look forward to more runs down the road. I wonder if I am going to be able to get him to join me for outdoor runs this fall/winter as the mornings will be dark and cold?!
Hills ... I have never really been fond of hills. I mean, who is? Over the past 10+ years, whether I was living in Grand Forks or Fargo, there were minimal hills to run. In all honesty, I don't think there was a single hill in either city, unless you count a bridge going over the interstate or railroad tracks. Now that I have moved back to the central part of the state, there are more hills, trees, beautiful scenic views.... And in our neighborhood? You can't run a mile without going up or down a hill. And I love it! There's a hill a couple blocks from our house that I couldn't run all the way up today, but I am bound and determined to conquer that hill this summer!

Weekend in the cities & Twins Territory 4K Run

2011-08-08T15:00:00.000-05:00

My fiance, J, and I spent the weekend in the cities with my sister and BIL. Saturday afternoon, we did a little bit of shopping and Steph and I found shoes for me for my wedding! I was so excited when I found something that fit, that I liked, and were comfortable for only $34! So pumped!

That afternoon, before heading to the Twins game, we hit up a restaurant that was new to all of us... Psycho Suzi's! If you are ever in the cities and looking for something to try I highly recommend it! They have some crazy drinks and awesome pizza! J and I decided to "create our own" and had chicken and BBQ sauce on ours. It was delish! Afterwards we headed to the Twins game and watched them lose. Booh.

Yesterday all four of us participated in the Twins Territory 4K Run. My sister and BIL participated last year with my parents and enjoyed it, and I was sad I missed it, so J and I decided it would be fun to do this with them this year.

Prior to the start of the 4K, my tummy was not happy with me. In fact, it had been bothering me for almost a day and I think a lot of it had to do with the icky food I ate in the past week. Steph and I made one last pit stop at the porta-potties before the race start, choosing the slowest line ever. It was so gross and I couldn't believe there was NO hand sanitizer in my stall what-so-ever. To top it off, when I was exiting the potty, TC was standing outside my stall, pointing to his imaginary watch on his wrist and shaking his head. Everyone started laughing and I was totally embarassed!

A few minutes after that we were at the starting line, ready to go. This was to be J's first race ever and I was super pumped to be running with him! The race started at 7am, and as we all complained about getting up so early, it was a nice, calm and cool morning, with a beautiful sunrise.

The course was laid out, starting just behind the metrodome (home of the Vikings), and finished at the new Twins outdoor stadium. There were markers for each kilometer that we ran, first base, 2nd, base, 3rd base, and home plate across the finish line. I missed the first base, so I didn't even notice until the 2nd base showed up. By this point, I had been running most of the first half of the 4K run, but my right knee started bothering me. I was so frustrated and spent most of the 2nd half of the 4K walking/running. booh. The outside of my right knee was feeling icking, like my ITBand was tight. I was frustrated, but finished strong across that finish line. It seems like I never know when my knees are going to act up.

At the finish line, we grabbed our metals, water, fruit, and snickers protein bars! I had never tried them before, and I really enjoyed it! We took some photos and walked the long walk back to the car!

I am looking at some other races or events in the near to distant future, but fear I won't have much time to train with wedding planning. There's a 5K in September that I might check into.... we'll see!!

Three Things Thursday

2011-08-04T11:28:00.000-05:00

All moved in! This past Saturday, with the help of many friends and family, we were moved into our new home! We are still working to figure out where everything is going to go. Not working right now has allowed me to spend most of the day unpacking, organizing, re-organizing, and cleaning at my own pace. Pictures to come soon!
Still Jobless.... yes, I am still looking for work. In fact, it seems like more positions are opening up as we are getting closer to the start of school, but still really no jobs in my area. It's so frustrating, but I am trying to make the most of it and hope something good will come of this situation.
Workouts have been sporadic, but I am still trying to get in 5 workouts a week. The past week has been a little crazy with moving but I am doing something. I just wish I had something I was training for... hmmm..

Friday Fun Facts

2011-07-22T10:25:00.000-05:00

Once again, it's been a while since my last post.... life is still crazy busy. Here's an update:

Finishing up my grad class for the summer. Don't know if I will be taking my last grad class this fall, since I don't qualify for the traineeship scholarship without a teaching job in place for the fall.
I have my fifth interview of the summer this afternoon. It's a different position, so I am still weighing the pros and cons, but will have to wait and see if I actually get offered the position before I decide if I want it for sure.
Wedding plans are still going: wedding dress is in and fits wonderfully, just ordered a couple pairs of shoes online and hoping one of them fits perfectly, flowergirl dress has been ordered, still working on decreasing the guest list, wedding bands have been picked out, groom's and groomsmen's tuxes have been figured out... all and all things are going well. I have designed my own invites and the paper has arrived - I am looking forward to putting them together. We haven't figured out our honeymoon plans, as it kind of depends on my job situation - teachers don't get much personal leave.
We move into our house in a week and I can hardly stand the wait. I am so excited to get into our home.
Looking forward to a weekend in the Twin Cities with my sister and brother-in-law in two weeks. We plan to go to a Twins game Saturday night (against the White Sox), and then take part in the Twins Territory 4K! I missed out on this last year due to other committments so I am super excited! Check out this Swag! Love it!

What's new with you?

Bigger Update

2011-06-30T10:59:00.000-05:00

Sorry it's been so long, peeps, but things have been crazy busy around here. I can't believe how much has happened in the past couple of months. It's been quite a ride.

In May...

... I did work on the house, painting door frames and had a new door installed to apease a buyer that was interested in my twinhome..
... Many meetings with the Fargo Marathon Committee. Had a great turnout for the Youth Run. Walked the 5K with family and friends. Was designated photographer for those running the half marathon Saturday morning, as I was not up to par to run.
... My fiance closed on our new home, but we are not in it yet. We said they could rent it from us until August 1st (at the latest) to allow them to finish building their home. We are renting from his roommate who bought his house.
... My parents, with the help of many friends and family, began fighting for their home along the Might Missouri River. We built a dike around the house, moved things upstairs. Then we decided to move more things out - including all appliances and other larger furniture.
... still on the hunt for a teaching job in Bismarck/Mandan
... finished up my 4th grad class... working towards my ASD credential. 2 more to go!

In June....

... I finished out the school year, tears and all. It was bittersweet to leave my team at school, and my kiddos, but I was ready to move back home and be with my fiance and family.
... Kicked off my summer by participating in the Tour De Cure Bike ride with my sister, a friend, and brother-in-law. The Fiance came along to witness such fun and took some great photos. It was a perfect day for a nice 28 mile ride to fight for a cure for diabetes!
... I stuck around a couple weeks to pack up the house. My parents and fiance came and helped me move things out. Fortunately, we were able to find a couple storage units in Mandan to store all my crap for a couple months - since most were taken by those displaced from their homes with the Missouri River Flooding...
... I closed on my house in mid-June and walked a way with a sense of releive and a nice little check form the title complany.
... I moved in with the Fiance and we are enjoying the fact that we are able to see each other every day - unlike every weekend when we were 200 miles apart.
... Started my 5th grad class working towards my ASD Credential...
... My parents took a two-week trip to Germany with my sisters and brother-in-law. I chose to stay back and watch their dogs. It's like training for kids. I also took it upon me to check in on the house from time to time... Things are still dry - thanks to the dike that was built around our neighborhood. It still may be another couple months before my parents get to move back in...
... I am still wedding planning... but there's a lot to do. Trying to figure out invites, cake, flower girl dress, and guest list as of right now! It's fun tho!
... I have had a couple interviews this month. One with the state - that I didn't get, but I was glad I got an opportunity to interview. The other was with Bismarck Public Schools and I am still waiting to hear from them.. Cross your fingers, I hope this is the one!
... I have no training plans or races scheduled as of right now. But I am getting back into the swing of working out on a regular basis again. Unfortunately, Bismarck Y does not offer BodyPump but I was thinking about trying a couple other classes... maybe Kick Boxing?!
... I am thinking about the Bismarck Half Marathon in September... or maybe just the 5K. They don't have a 10K. We'll see.

What have you been up to? I am hopefully going to get into some of your blogs in the near future. We don't have internet at the house so I get to enjoy my time at starbucks each day, working on homework and a little web surfing if there's time!

mini update...

2011-06-24T11:13:00.000-05:00

I can't believe it's been a month since my last post. However, if you knew everything that has been going on since the 24th of May, you would understand my MIA.

I am working on an "Update Post"... so bear with me. As for now, I am slowly trying to get back into the swing of things with working out and such. So many changes in the last month and I am trying to find my routine and get comfortable with all the changes!

Maybe tomorrow I will catch you all up. 5 months until our wedding so I am looking at some good pre-wedding workouts!

Fargo Marathon Weekend Recap

2011-05-23T11:30:00.002-05:00

I wasn't going to do a recap becuase I was not 100% happy with how the weekend played out. But, I knew that if I didn't write something up, I would be kicking myself for it. So, here goes.

Fargo Marathon Weekend kicked off with the Youth Run Thursday evening. The weather couldn't have been better with 72 degrees or so, a slight breeze and partly sunny! We had approximately 2,000 little kiddos running either in the 1/2 mile race or 1 mile race. There were kids as little as 2 years old running. It was so exciting to be a part of something like this ... and watching kids fall in love with running!

The forecast for the rest of the weekend wasn't looking nearly as good as it was during the Youth Run. Storms were supposed to roll in Friday, leaving us with 70-80% chance of rain and thunderstorms. Lovely.

Friday evening was the 5K. The plan for me, my sisters, brother-in-law, parents, and another friend was to walk the 5K and then run the Half Marathon the next day as part of the Go-Far Challenge. Well, we walked the 5K and the weather was decent, in the low 60's, but extremely humid. I think it is honestly more painful to walk a 5K than it is to run. It seemed to take us FOREVER to finish.

After Friday night's 5K, I knew I didn't have the Half Marathon in me. I wanted to run it so bad. I knew that I probably could have finished the 13.1 miles even if I had to walk a good chunk of it. But, I knew that I didn't want to injure myself further for lack of quality training. It just wasn't there. So, I made the decision to not run it. I was kind of excited to be on the other side of the race, watching, cheering, and taking photos of family members coming to the finish line.

The weather held out. It was in the low 60's again for the morning events, with a few sprinkles from time to time. Over and over again, I heard so many people saying how the conditions were ideal for half marathoners and marathoners. Cool temps, flat route, tons of fans, music at every mile marker, etc.

The excitement of being a fan on the sidelines soon diminished as everyone took off running and I realized I had a good 2-3 hours of nothing to do. I took some more pictures, ran into people I knew who had finished the 10K, and spent a lot of time thinking about my running. I thought about my poor training, about my struggles with random "injuries" occuring just as things seem to be falling into place, I thought about what my goals are, whether or not I want to attempt the HM distance again... etc.

I have an awesome long-sleeved Half Marathon shirt in my closet that I will probably never wear and it bugs me a lot. I feel like I owe it to myself to redeem myself and get back out there. I want to do another half. Someday.

Overall, the weekend was nice and it was wonderful to spend it with family. My brother-in-law completed his first HM. My sister completed her first since being diagnosed with Type 1 Diabetes, and my parents completed there 12th or 13th HM! I am so proud of all of them!!

Three Things Thursday

2011-05-19T11:15:00.002-05:00

It's been too long...

Stress at work is decreasing! with the end of the year approaching us fast (9 more days after today), things are finally starting to slow down a work a bit. Kinda. Almost all of my paperwork and assessments for the year are done. I just need to compile grades and write up progress reports for IEP's next week. YAY!
It's Fargo Marathon Week! The past couple weeks have been super busy with committee meetings. The Youth Run is this evening and we are expecting over 1,300 kids to participate! Friday my sisters, brother-in-law, parents, and a friend will be walking the 5K. Saturday morning almost all of us plan to run the Half Marathon. However, I am not very well-prepared wtih taking a couple weeks off after my longest run of 8 miles. Eeks. AND... the weather doesn't look to promising. Rain will be rolling into the area late tonight and staying until monday with a huge chance of thunderstorms Saturday morning. grrr..
Almost Sold! I think it is safe to say I have sold my house, almost. The fourth person to look at it made an offer, I counter offered, she counter offered, and I accepted ... pending an inspection and appraisal. The inspection went will with only having to replace the front door due to wood rotting, and some trimming around another door. A little spending, but it could have definitely been worse. The door has been replaced, I have a little painting to do, and the appraisal needs to be done. We are hoping to close in mid-June! It won't be long before I am back home for good!

April: Month in Review

2011-05-01T15:35:00.000-05:00

April has been another crazy busy month. I haven't posted since the 7th, and have had little desire to do so. I am just going to update with some number and such and hope to be posting again in the near future...

Month in Review: April 2011

Swim - 00 yds ....................... 00 yds in March
Bike - 157.63 miles .............. 90.74 miles in March
Run - 11.54 miles ............... 35.27 miles in March

Total Number of:
Swims - 0
Bikes - 11
Runs - 4
BODYPUMP Class - 2
Pilates Class - 0
Yoga Class - 0
REST Days - 12

Highlights of the Month:

Tried something new - this massively huge stair stepper that looks like an actual set of moving stairs. Doesn't bother my knees while on it, but I did notice that if I am on there for too long, it does start to bother them - like when I was on it for 45 minutes on Saturday - going 3.2 miles and 170-some flights of stairs... my knee was bothering me quite a bit after that.
Participated in the Great American Bike Race back home with the fiance and friends from his work. The proceeds for this went to families of children with Cerebral Palsy. It was so much fun!

Lows of the Month:

Ankle pain got worse (only when running - not when walking or biking) - took 2+ weeks off of running. This has killed my half marathon training and I will probably have to switch to the 10K. I am not happy with this at all.

YEAR-TO-DATE:

Swim - 3200 Yds

Bike -441.99 miles

Run - 90.88 miles

I have a feeling May is going to be a better month, all around!

Three Things Thursday

2011-04-07T10:40:00.001-05:00

1. The house is ready to be sold! This past weekend my fiance, mother, and sister came to town to help me do some things around my house to prep for sale. My personal attendant for the wedding helped out too! In 24 hours we were able to paint a bedroom and a bathroom, clean both, fix the fan in the bathroom, clean windows and kitchen, vacuum and shampoo all rooms but one, run garbage to the city dump, fix the vent cover ouside, and organize and pack up some clutter. Phew. On Sunday I finished shampooing my bedroom, put up curtains in the bedroom and bathroom, cleaned some more, and de-cluttered some more. I met with a realtor last night, filled out paperwork and figured out my asking price. Before he left a lock box was put on the door and a sign is in the yard! Such a good feeling! Let's hope it sells fast!

2. Training is still going .... This half marathon training seems to be on one week, and then off the next. I can't get my running in consistently with everything else that seems to be going on, but I am surviving. Actually, my ankle was acting up again after my 5 miler on Sunday. I was only able to get in 2 miles Tuesday morning. It almost feels arthitic and sending pain up the inside of my shin. However, last night, it felt like a needle was poking me in the back of my lower calf every time I stepped, but my ankle felt better. I might try and run a couple miles tomorrow morning to see how it feels...

3. Wedding planning and getting ready for the move is in full force! In a matter of a month from the engagement we have chosen the date, church, reception location, rehearsal dinner location, attendants, found my dress, found the bridesmaid dresses, chosen the photographer, chosen the DJ, made an offer on a house back home, put my house on the market, put in my resignation at school, applied for a job in two different districts... yada yada.

How's you're week going?

Month in Review: March

2011-04-04T08:25:00.001-05:00

I can start this post like I do with every month-in-review... April already??? March has been crazy, wonderful, busy, stressful, all at the same time, but.....

LIFE ... IS... GRAND.

Month in Review: March 2011
Swim - 00 yds ....................... 00 yds in February
Bike - 90.74 miles .............. 105.59 miles in February
Run - 35.27 miles ............... 28.96 miles in February

Total Number of:
Swims - 0
Bikes - 6
Runs - 9
BODYPUMP Class - 3
Pilates Class - 0
Yoga Class - 0
REST Days - 14 (Yikes!)

Highlights of the Month:

Got engaged on March 4th!
Spent a long weekend in Las Vegas with the fiance and another couple
Put in my resignation at work
Applied for a couple teaching positions (still waiting)
8 mile long run
Found my wedding dress!

Lows of the Month:

Telling everyone at work that I was not going to be returning next year :(
Sporadic training for the half marathon... trying to make it work with my crazy schedule

YEAR-TO-DATE:

Swim - 3200 Yds

Bike -282.36 miles

Run - 79.34 miles

March has most definitely been a whirlwind of a month and I can only expect the same from April. I am getting my house ready to put on the market, moving some things back home, training for this so-called half marathon in May, planning a wedding, finishing my grad class for the semester, and trying to stay afloat with paperwork and meetings at work. Love it!

How did the month of March treat you? Or how did you treat March?

Test

2011-03-29T15:02:00.002-05:00

This is a test...

Just checking...

Week 8 HM Training

2011-03-28T06:20:00.000-05:00

I finished off week 8 of half marathon training with a nice long 8 miler (on the treadmill). Overall, this week of training was quite successful and I am happy! WEEK 9: HALF MARATHON TRAINING MONDAY (3/21): Run 2.6 mi (30:00) Stretch 10:00 TUESDAY (3/22): Bike 21.6 miles (1:00:00) SSC (25:00) WEDNESDAY (3/23): Shoveling - 1 hour THURSDAY (3/24): Run 4 mi (45:00) Stretch 15:00 FRIDAY (3/25): REST SATURDAY (3/26): REST SUNDAY (3/27): Run - 8 mi (1:32:05) Asside from training, I think we booked our reception/dance site for the wedding this week, and got a bit of a discount on the rental of the ballrooms. The fiance was able to use his charm and get the hospitality room that we are going to use for rehearsal dinner for free! This weekend my parents, as well as my sister and bro-in-law, came to town to help me find my wedding dress! I didn't purchase one, but I found the one I want! I think we also found the dress for the bridesmaids! Exciting! Okay...why can't I get my posts to post right, with correct spacing?! It's all one BIG paragraph!? help?

Snow day and Training

2011-03-23T13:55:00.000-05:00

Today was a snow day for us. The weather yesterday afternoon and evening was the weirdest I have ever experienced. Just as our snow was almost gone, it started raining/sleeting yesterday afternoon. Once I got home from work, the lightning and thunder show began. The snow started in the evening and overnight.... leaving us with heavy drifts and a day of no school. I don't know how much snow we got but I think it was close to 10 inches. As happy as I was to have a day off from work - to get work things done at home, I am sad to see us have to make it up Easter monday. Oh well.

I wanted to post my Week 7 of half marathon training... not because it was great, but because I have posted the last 6. Anyone notice that my last two weekly posts said week 5? hehehe.

Week 7 HALF MARATHON TRAINING:
MONDAY (3/14):
REST

TUESDAY (3/15):
REST

WEDNESDAY (3/16):
BODYPUMP (1:00:00)

THURSDAY (3/17):
REST

FRIDAY (3/18):
REST

SATURDAY (3/19):
REST

SUNDAY (3/20):
REST

Isn't that sick? What kind of traning is that? Two nights of conferences, another late night at work, and a weekend of wedding planning sure got the best of me. Oh well. That's life. This week is already looking better!

Today's workout was supposed to be BODYPUMP class. Instead I spent over an hour doing a shady job of shoveling. It felt more like I was shoveling sand, instead of snow. That stuff was stinkin' heavy! It was a nice core, back, shoulders, legs, and glutes workout! haha

Updates!

2011-03-17T10:50:00.000-05:00

Wow, the past couple of weeks have been quite the whirlwind. I don't know if I am coming or going!

Last week Thursday the fiance, I, and another couple took a nice 4 day/4 night trip to Las Vegas! The weather was a perfect 75 degrees or so each day! We enjoyed some comedy/magic, a cirque du soleil show, dueling pianos, time at the pool, sun and warmth, and lots of good food and drinks. It was my second trip and their first, so it was definitely a new experience!

I cam back to a short week of school, but it has been long enough with evening conferences Tuesday night, and then again tonight. 12 hour days are not my style!

Some of you gave me a hard time for slipping my engagement announcement into my last post as if it wasn't a big deal! Well, I just want to clarify that it is a huge deal! BIG DEAL! I just didn't know how much I wanted to put out there, just yet!

This spring/summer is going to be a busy one with me finishing my spring grad class, starting a summer grad class, finishing out the school year, selling my twinhome, moving back home, finding a new teaching job back home... oh, and planning a late fall wedding! It's going to be an exciting 8 months! The thing that makes me the most nervous right now is trying to sell my home with everything else going on!

With everything going on in the past week or so, training has been so darn sporadic and oftentimes non-existance, but I am hoping next week will be a bit better! I was excited to get in a solid run while in Vegas... I guess we did do a lot of walking!

WEEK 5 HALF MARATHON TRAINING:
MONDAY (3/7):
REST

TUESDAY (3/8):
Bike 10.8 mi (30:00)

WEDNESDAY (3/9):
Run 2 mi (25:00)
BODYPUMP (1:00:00)

THURSDAY (3/10):
Bike 15.07 mi (42:00)
SSC 20:00

FRIDAY (3/11):
REST - walking in Vegas

SATURDAY (3/12):
Run 4.5 miles (52:00)

SUNDAY (3/13):
REST - walking in Vegas

Maybe I will have a little time to check into your worlds next week?! Who knows!

40 days ... and a random update

2011-03-09T10:14:00.003-06:00

Let the Lenten season begin. I am a firm believer that Lent is not all about what you give up, but what you do to better yourself. So, I will be trying to do a little bit of both by doing the following:

Cutting back on soda - hopefully to nothing :)
Drinking more water
Cutting back on Caribou and Starbucks... allowing maybe one a week
Taking my vitamins and supplements on a regular basis again
cutting back on sweets - no baked goodies, bars, cookies, donuts, etc. The work place is consumed by it and I need to stay away!
doing more yoga

Are any of you giving up or doing anything to better yourself?

Other random updates:

Maybe I should be giving up running for the next 40 days. After my okay 6.4 miler on Sunday, I attempted to run today and the shin/ankle was bothering me again. It's weird and I am afraid if I keep running on it, it will get worse. Maybe time to see the doc?
I got engaged over the weekend! Time to start planning a wedding!!!
It's been snowing like crazy here and I can't wait to leave for Las Vegas tomorrow with the fiance and another couple. We will miss the cold weather and yet another storm system rolling through on Friday/Saturday! 70 degree weather will be greatly appreciated for 4 days!

Another one down!

2011-03-07T07:00:00.000-06:00

This past week was another successful week of half marathon training. I was able to get in 6 days of solid workouts. Still, no yoga or swimming, but hope to get some of that in the next week or so... promise!

WEEK 5 Training:

MONDAY (2/28):
BODYPUMP (1:00:00)

TUESDAY (3/1):
Run 3.6 mi (43:29)
Stretch 15 minutes

WEDNESDAY (3/2):
Bike 15.10 mi (45:00)
SSC - 30 min

THURSDAY (3/3):
REST

FRIDAY (3/4):
Run 3.17 mi (35:05)
SC (25:00)

SATURDAY (3/5):
Bike 10.88 mi (30:00)
Stretch 10:00

SUNDAY (3/6):
Run 6.4 mi (1:18:12)
Stretch 20:00

My long run on Sunday felt really long. I look forward to backing off a bit this week. Next week I hope to get in a 7.5 miler... but until then, I have a busy-short week before leaving for Las Vegas on Thursday! Woot woot!

A New Month is upon us....

2011-03-02T07:00:00.000-06:00

March already??? February sure came and went so fast. Wow.

Month in Review: February 2011
Swim - 00 yds ................ 3,200 yds in January
Bike - 105.59 miles .............. 76.04 miles in January
Run - 28.96 miles ............... 15.13 miles in January

Total Number of:
Swims - 0
Bikes - 9
Runs - 10 (with a couple less than a mile)
BODYPUMP Class - 4
Pilates Class - 0
Yoga Class - 0
REST Days - 10

Highlights of the Month:

Four busy weekends with the BF, family, and friends. Busy, but so worth it!
Doning more runs - and longer than 2-3 miles!
Really hitting the strength and core training, as well as doing A LOT of stretching!

Lows of the Month:

No Yoga or Swimming - March will be different!
Getting yet another cold. This school year has been the worst for me getting sick.

YEAR-TO-DATE:
Swim - 3200 Yds
Bike -191.62 miles
Run - 47.67 miles

How was your February?

HM training

2011-02-28T07:00:00.002-06:00

WEEK 4 of Half Marathon Training looks like this....

MONDAY (2/21):
REST

TUESDAY (2/22):
Run 3.15 mi (40:00)
SSC - 20 min

WEDNESDAY (2/23):
Bike 7.28 mi (21:00)
BODYPUMP (1:00:00)

THURSDAY (2/24):
Bike - 11.53 mi (34:00)
SSC (30:00)

FRIDAY (2/25):
Run 3.15 mi (39:00)
Stretching (10:00)

SATURDAY (2/26):
REST

SUNDAY (2/27):
Run 5.44 mi (1:05:00)
SSC (25:00)

No swimming, no yoga, but A LOT of stretching, lifting, core work, and my first long run in what seems like ages!!!! It was so nice to be able to run more than 2 or 3 miles yesterday! 5 miles makes me super happy. I can't wait for my 6-7 miler in the next week or so!

Happy Monday, everyone! Here's to a wonderful week ahead of us all!

Where have I been?

2011-02-22T18:30:00.000-06:00

Boy, time sure does fly by when one is having fun! I would like to say this month has been ALL fun, but I would be lying ... it's been fun, crazy busy, extremely stressful, but all is GOOD.

I haven't updated on the last couple weeks of Half Marathon training, so here's what the past two weeks looked like:

WEEK 2:
MONDAY (1/7):
REST

TUESDAY (1/8):
Run 1 mi (12:00)
Bike 13.05 mi (36:00)
SSC - 25 min

WEDNESDAY (1/9):
Bike 15.87 (45:00)

THURSDAY (1/10):
Run 3.26 (40:00)

FRIDAY (1/11):
REST - traveling for work

SATURDAY (1/12):
Bike 21.61 (1:00:00)

SUNDAY (1/13):
REST

WEEK 3:
MONDAY (2/14):
BODYPUMP

TUESDAY (2/15):
Run 3.5 mi (40:04)
SSC - 20 min

WEDNESDAY (2/16):
REST

THURSDAY (2/17):
Run 2.75 mi (32:00)
Bike 12.75 mi (35:00)
SSC - 20 min

FRIDAY (2/18):
REST

SATURDAY (2/19):
Bike 15.17 mi (42:00)

SUNDAY (2/20):
REST

As much as I would like to say I am happy with that, I am not... not 100% happy. But, given the time and every thing going on, I am okay with it. You do what you gotta do with the time you have... *smiles*

Tuesday Tidbits

2011-02-08T06:45:00.002-06:00

Because there's so much going on, and so much on my mind, I bring you my random tidbits via da bullets:

One step forward, two steps back - Sunday I had a glorious 3.36 mile run, the first run that was longer than 2 miles in weeks. It was completely pain free and followed by a good 35 minutes on the bike. Today I went to run 2-3 miles and couldn't go past 1 mile due to some achy pain in my shin/ankle area. Either I need rest for another couple weeks and then try again, or schedule an appointment. Suggestions?

dealing with the blues? - no not really. However, a couple times in the past week I dealt with my left hand fingers turning blue. No lie. The first time this happened was a week ago saturday, after sitting on bleachers and leaning on my hand for over an hour while watching high school wrestling. A sharp pain on the top of my hand followed by intense tingling and fingers turning white and blue. It was scary. Then, it happened a little bit last monday afternoon, without the tingling. Then again, This Saturday afternoon, where I began to panic and took a trip to the walk-in clinic. Diagnosis? Raynaud's disorder. I am not quite sold on this, because my elbow, wrist, and shoulder, were in bit of pain/discomfort, so I thought there was a pinched nerve. If it happens again, I don't know what I will do....

Don't mess with me - Today I have a day long training in CPI. Crisis Prevention Institute, that is. I have had this training before, but now that I am one of the official members of our CPI team at our school, I have to have the 8 hour training again.
Sandbag Central - Monday marks the first day of Sandbag Central here in the Fargo area. Yes, we are already starting to fill sandbags in preparation for the 2011 Flood. Remember what we dealt with a couple years ago? Last year wasn't as bad, but we have more snow and ground moisture than we did a couple years ago. This should make for quite the interesting spring...

Stressed much? I am trying to gauge how stressed I am right now. I don't think I am that stressed, but when I think about my blue fingers, everything going on at work, grad school, etch... maybe I am a bit overwhelmed? I need a vacay.... March can't come soon enough!

Definitely starting out slow, but good...

2011-02-06T12:00:00.000-06:00

Week 1 of many for the 5K/Half Marathon training is in the books! Here's what it looked like:

MONDAY (1/31):
Run 2.43 mi (30:00)

TUESDAY (2/1):
Bike 18 mi (50:00)

WEDNESDAY (2/2):
Run .75 mi (10:00)
BODYPUMP (60:00)

THURSDAY (2/3):
Run - 2.6 mi (32:00)
SSC - 25 min

FRIDAY (2/4):
REST - conference out of town

SATURDAY (2/5):
REST - conference out of town

SUNDAY (2/6):
Run 3.36 mi (40:00)
Bike 11.86 mi (35:00)

Overall, the week was pretty good. The only things that I didn't get in that I would have liked was yoga and swimming. But, the week was pretty crazy busy with work and traveling for a conference, so I am pleased with what was accomplished. To top it off, my run on Sunday was the longest run since December and I am happy to say it was completely pain free!

On Friday I had to get up early and drive 75 miles to a conference.... on icy roads. The conference was okay, but I was hoping to get a little more out of the two days of speakers. Oh well.

This coming week is going to be just as busy, if not more. I have an all day training on Tuesday and then leave Thursday after school for Mandan. A handful of us are visiting a couple schools there that are school-wide title schools. Planning for a sub one day is one thing, but two days in one week is just insane. I think my 2nd week of half marathon training will keep me sane!

January done, already!

2011-02-01T06:30:00.001-06:00

I seriously can't believe today is the first day of February. January was a whirlwind of a month ... let's look at the stats:

Month in Review: January 2011
Swim - 3,200 yds ................ 1,600 yds in December
Bike - 76.04 miles .............. 115.38 miles in December
Run - 15.13 miles ............... 20.70 miles in December

Total Number of:
Swims - 2
Bikes - 5
Runs - 8 (most under 3 miles)
BODYPUMP Class - 5!
Pilates Class - 0
Yoga Class - 1
REST Days - 15

Highlights of the Month:

Starting a new year!
Signing up for the Tour De Cure ride to fight Diabetes with my sister and others. Check out my fundraising site HERE or click on the picture in my sidebar if you are interested in donating!
Getting in BODYPUMP class at least once a week, sometimes once every 5 days!
Celebrating one WONDERFUL year with the BF! Boy time sure does fly!

Lows of the Month:

Taking two weeks off due to shin pain. Hopefully it helped prevent things from getting worse while I train for my half marathon!
Getting the flu one weekend, and then a cold 5 days later.... it definitely influenced how many days I went to the gym!

Did you kick 2011 off with a bang?

Tour De Cure 2011

2011-01-27T07:00:00.001-06:00

Almost a couple years ago I participated in the American Diabetes Association's Tour de Cure in Fargo, ND with another friend.

This year, on June 4th, 2011, I will be cycling in the American Diabetes Association's Tour de Cure fundraising event. I will be riding with my sister, Steph, who was recently diagnosed with TYPE 1 DIABETES this past summer. Along with her hubby, and possibly a few other friends, we will be riding 25 miles in Minneapolis, MN!

Each mile I ride, and the funds I raise will be used in the fight to prevent and cure diabetes and to improve the lives of all people affected by diabetes. Through my sister, I have have learned that it is so much more than pricking her finger and taking insulin multiple times a day. I have seen how this has changed her life and how she is still learning to make the most of it. She has been so positive in almost every way possible.

I will not beg all of my readers to donate to this cause. However, if you feel the desire to support such a great cause, no matter how small or large, your generous gift will help improve the lives of nearly 24 million Americans who suffer from diabetes, in the hope that future generations can live in a world without this disease. Together, we can all make a difference!

If you are interested in making a donation, please refer to my fundraising site by clicking HERE and leave a comment with this post. And, thank you, in advance for helping to make a difference!

P.S. For those of you unfamiliar with my sister, check out her blog HERE.

Random Update

2011-01-25T11:00:00.000-06:00

It has become apparent to me that I am struggling to keep up with this blog, but I am no where near ready to leave the blog world. I peek into your worlds from time to time but don't always leave a comment. Please accept my appologies.

Moving on.

What can I say, the new year has been a busy one at work and at play. January has been an exceptionally busy month of assessments, meetings, trainings, committee meetings, with some good workouts and fun times in the mix. Life IS good.

I haven't run at all for the past week and a half and have enjoyed the time to get in some more time in the saddle and under water. I have been going to BODYPUMP class at least once every week, if not every five days. I went to a Yoga class last week on my day off and it left little to be desired. I was truly disappointed with the instructors desire to fill us with random yoga facts and his personal believes on cleansing and so forth. I would have much rather enjoyed an hour of intense stretching, strengthening, and flexibility. Silly instructor let us know of all the times he teaches Yoga, so now I know which classes to AVOID at all costs.

This past weekend I was inflicted with the flu bug and it pretty much came out of nowhere. I had traveled back west to attend the BF's Christmas party and see family, but ended up spending most of the weekend on the down low. By Saturday night, I was feeling a lot better and we still attended the Christmas party for a few hours. I was present, but wasn't able to really take advantage of ALL of the wonderful appetizers and OPEN BAR. Oh well, it was fun to meet some of the BF's co-workers and their spouses. The BF took good care of my sick self all weekend. What can I say, I am a lucky girl!

Today I am finally at 100% and was able to hit the gym for a short ride. Next week, I hope to get back into a running routine and jump start my Go Far Challenge training schedule! Let's hope that my shin gives me the good-to-go sign and we can get rollin'!

Are you training for anything specific at the moment?

Second week

2011-01-17T13:10:00.000-06:00

This past week was supposed to be my second week of base building before I start following a plan for the Go Far Challenge (5K/HM) in early February. The idea for these three or four weeks was to get back into a routine with running at least 3 times a week, biking once or twice, swimming once, and BODYPUMP at least once a week.

However, I was still dealing with some minor shin pain. The pain isn't as nearly as bad as it was during the week of Christmas and the week that followed. My runs this past week were very short, but not so sweet. I kept them short, to avoid further injurying my shin. So, now I have decided to take this week off from running, COMPLETELY. In fact, I might even take the following week off as well to play it safe. We'll see.

Here's what this past week looked like:

MONDAY (1/10):
Run 1.5 mi (17:13)
BODYPUMP (1:00:00)

TUESDAY (1/11):
Bike 21.68 mi (1:00:00)

WEDNESDAY (1/12):
Run 2.5 miles (30:00)
SSC (25:00)
Shovel (30:00)

THURSDAY (1/13):
REST

FRIDAY (1/14):
Swim 1600 Yds (40:00)

SATURDAY (1/15):
Run 1.05 mi (12:15)
BODYPUMP (1:00:00)

SUNDAY (1/16):
Bike 12.6 mi (35:00)
SSC (25:00)

I went to yoga this morning and wasn't to thrilled with the class. The instructor really knew his stuff, but spent more time talking about yoga than actually doing it. Or so it seemed. Don't get me wrong, I was glad I went and happy with the stretching, breathing, and balancing work, but it just wasn't what I expected. I might go to yoga class again later this week.

Now, I need to spend the rest of my day off getting some paperwork done. Oh, and maybe watch a little college hoops while doing so!

Happy Monday, everyone!

2011 up and running

2011-01-13T07:00:00.001-06:00

It's been over a week since I have posted last and I am struggling to take the time (and effort) to post anything with relative meaning. So, a random post it is. *smile*

2011 is off to a good start. Work is extremely busy and overwhelming right now. It seems tom go in streaks for weeks on ends, so I look forward to when things slow down. At least I hope things will slow down a bit - maybe in the end of February.

My graduate class for this semester is just starting. I am taking my fourth class, of six; working towards to my Autism Credential. This course is an elective and we will be focusing on Autism assessments and screening tools.

The workouts/training for 2011 is going well so far. I have spent the last week and a half working on getting back into a comfortable routine and a base for my running. I hope to begin half marathon training in early February. Ironically, my left shin has been bothering me on and off for the past couple of weeks and I am wondering if I should just lay off running for a complete week and let it heal, rather than making it worse? I think I just answered my own question.

As of yesterday morning, the Fargo area had 51 inches of snow this winter. A year ago this date, we had 29 inches of snow. Last year we were worried about flooding; not as bad as two springs ago, but still worried. Add in the fact that we had a really wet fall and almost double the snow we did last winter, I hate to think what March and April is going to be like. To top things off, I think we are expected to get another few inches over the next few days.

Quote of the day:

A pessimist sees the difficulty in every opportunity; in optimist sees the opportunity in every difficulty. -Winston Churchill

Goals & Resolutions: It's all about BALANCE

2011-01-04T07:00:00.006-06:00

Last year I broke my goals into three different categories: personal, health, and fitness. I also mentioned 4 races that I wanted to partcipate in, and completed only 2 of the 4. But, I did end up doing 6 events in 2010, so it was good in that aspect!

At work we were asked to think of ONE WORD that we think of when thinking about 2011. The word I chose was BALANCE.

So, here are a list of my goals, resolutions, etc. for 2011, broken into the following categories:

Fitness/Health/Training:

Train smart = stay injury free
More Yoga, Pilates, and Strength Training/Core Work (BODYPUMP)
Run outside more and ride my bike more = stay away from the gym when weather permits
Swim more yards than 2010 (64,400)
More clean eating
Vitamins and Suppliments
Fargo GoFar Challenge = 5K Friday Night/Half Marathon Saturday Morning (REGISTERED!) - May 20/21
Tour De Cure - Ride for Diabetes - Minneapolis, June 4th
Possibly another triathlon or two, mixed in with a 10K or something

Career/Work:

Complete my ASD Credential (3 classes to go!)
Enjoy my job
Spread positivity at work/don't feed into negativity and complaining

Personal:

Volunteer for the Fargo Youth Run Committee, and work the event
Travel and visit friends
Do more reading for fun
Do more painting for fun
Enjoy the busy-ness of life
Attempt to learn more about gardening and photography, and apply it
Find BALANCE in life, work, and training - enjoying every minute of it all

What's your overall goal or ONE WORD for 2011?!

Month in Review: December

2011-01-03T12:35:00.000-06:00

Three days into January 2011 and here I finally post my December Month in Review . A little late, but not forgotten.

Month in Review: December 2010
Swim - 1,600 yds ................ 1,700 yds in November
Bike - 115.38 miles ........... 101.31 miles in November
Run - 20.70 miles .............. 31.75 miles in November

Total Number of:
Swims - 1
Bikes - 9
Runs - 10 (including runs off the bike)
BodyPump Class - 1 (Gasp!)
Pilates Class - 0
Yoga Class - 0
REST Days - 14 (TOO many!)

Highlights of the Month:

Jingle Bell 5K!
Two Birthday Celebrations for my 30th!
Wonderful Christmas with my family and the BF's!
Enjoying a long week and a half break from work!
New Years with the BF and another friend - dinner and movie!

Lows of the Month:

Very busy with two nights of parent-teacher conferences and finishing my final project for grad class. Definitely interfered with my workout schedule.
Once again... limited swimming and BODYPUMP
no Yoga or Pilates
Too many holiday goodies and lots and lots of food!

How was your December? Busy and a blur like mine?!

I hope to get my goals and New Years Resolution up in the next couple of days!

2010: A Year in Review

2010-12-30T14:45:00.000-06:00

I honestly can not believe that 2010 is already coming to an end. This year has been full of ups and downs, excitement, some tears and disappointment, lots of laughter, love, and many many great times!

I think it's safe to say that I can post 2010 stats because from the looks of this storm, I don't think I will ge to the gym tomorrow, but if I do I will make changes where necessary...

2010 Stats:
Run - 378.08 miles ........ 304.39 miles in 2009
Bike - 1260.64 miles ..... 1036.16 miles in 2009
Swim - 64,400 Yds ........ 110,350 Yds in 2009

When you look at these numbers, you can obviously say that running and biking increased in 2010, and swimming decreased from 2009 to 2010 ... but I am happy that I got into a routine of incorporating more strength training, stretching, core work, in addition to a yoga/pilates class here and there. Without those things, I don't think I would have been able to recover from that nasty knee issue!

Asside from the stats, let's take a look at all many things that occured in 2010!

Started dating the BF in January
A friend's fun birthday party in Downtown Minneapolis
Welcome home party for the BIL - returning from duty in Iraq (for good)
A few sessions of adult swim team
Indoor triathlon in May
A couple bridal showers
attended 6 different weddings
Two Twins games at the new Target Field
Two camping trips with the BF and friends
Bret Michael's concert
A long trip with the BF to San Diego!
Volunteering for the Fargo Youth Run
Participating in the Fargo Marathon Challenge - completing both 5K and 10K
A Sprint Triathlon in June - Average Joe
Women's Triathlon in Minneapolis in August
Bachelorette party in Wisconsin
Brad Paisley concert in October
Full Moon 5K in November
Vikings game vs. AZ Cardinals
Sioux Hockey game with the BF and family
Jingle Bell 5K in December
My 30th birthday -- two birthday parties, one a surprise by the BF!
Mannheim Steamroller concert

I am sure I am missing a handful of important dates as it has been quite an eventful year and I have loved almost every minute of it! I can only imagine what 2011 has to offer! I need to start putting together ideas for 2011 and hope to get them posted up here soon!

How has 2010 treated you?

12 Days of Christmas

2010-12-21T10:30:00.001-06:00

Day 4: Christmas Lights

I remember helping mom decorate the Christmas tree each year, reminiscing over our childhood ornaments - the ones we made at school and the ones we got as gifts. Usually, our Christmas tree was lit up with white lights and I would love to sneak upstairs to sleep on the couch next to the lit up tree. It was such a warm and fuzzy feeling. In fact, there were times where I would come home from college and would rather curl up on the couch in front of the tree than sleep in my own bed...

For many years, my two sisters, parents, and I, would climb into the vehicle and drive around town for hours looking at Christmas lights. We had a few regular spots that we had to hit every year because the entire street was decked out in lights or decorations. We would listen to Mannheim Steamroller, or Lori Line, while driving around, taking in the beautiful holiday sights. This is probably one of my favorite holiday memories.

There's just something magical and beauitful about the Christmas lights.

12 Days of Christmas

2010-12-20T18:00:00.000-06:00

Day 6: Holiday Baking

This is one of my favorite things about the holidays! I always like to make a handful of different things to share with family, friends, and co-workers. I have a few things I like to make every year, but like to try new things from time to time.

This weekend I feel like I spent a great deal of time baking, but didn't do too many different things. I guess a few of the things I chose to make this weekend were a bit more tedious and time consuming.

I made turtles, white almond bark covered pretzels, peanut butter cups, molasses crinkles, and attempted to make my grandma's angel candy. I have never made anything before that has required a candy thermometer, but I am bound and determined to perfect my angel candy making skills. I tried 3 times and the 3rd time was by far the best.

On the down side, I forgot I left one of my burners on my glass stove top on medium heat Saturday afternoon. Thus, I went to brush off some pretzel crumbs and wiped my left hand completely across the burner. It hurt so bad, but it doesn't look as nearly bad as it felt for the past couple of days. Just a handful of small blisters (no pun intended) and a lot of leathery looking skin, that's all. Geepers.

Day 5: snow, Snow, SNOW!

Another winter storm is rolling through. There's just something about having a fresh coat of white snow on the ground to put one in the holiday spirits! I can't imagine celebrating Christmas without snow. However, I can do without the 6-8 inches predicted for this storm. But, I wouldn't mind a late start for school tomorrow. Please don't wish for a cancellation for us, otherwise we will have to make it up!

12 Days of Christmas

2010-12-18T10:00:00.001-06:00

Day 7: Favorite Gifts for an Athlete

If you're looking for gifts for a triathlete (or running) in your life, here's a list of things I would love to receive that might help you!

1. running clothes - shorts, shirts, sports bras, tights, etc.
2. TYR swimsuit
3. Brooks Trance running shoes
4. cycling jerseys - there's a saweet UND Sioux one at Scheels!
5. Clif Bars, Gu, or ZipFizz
6. Coupon for 1 session of adult swim team/masters
7. Yoga mat, yoga bag, medicine ball, exercise bands
8. cycling shoes
9.Foam roller and The Stick
10. Registration for an event in 2011!

What other gifts do you think would be great for an athlete?

12 Days of Christmas

2010-12-17T13:00:00.000-06:00

Day 8: Puzzles

Growing up, my mom would take some time off work to stay with us girls while we were home on Christmas vacation. I have fond memories of spending hours and hours, for days and days, working on puzzles with 500 pieces.

Now, as I have my own classroom, I have a lot of hand-me-down puzzles, and I am constantly amazed at how excited my students get when I give them a few minutes here and there to work on a puzzle. They will ask me all the time if they can work on one. So many kids these days spend hours and hours in front of the tv or video games and don't own a single puzzle.....

Working on puzzles over the holiday break was such a great bonding moment with my mom.

12 Days of Christmas - Day 9

2010-12-16T09:00:00.001-06:00

Day 9: Favorite Treats

1. Frosted cut-out cookies - I have many memories of baking and frosting cut-out cookies. I am sure my sisters would say I was quite bosy with the frosting and letting them know how it should be done "the right way".

2. Mom's homemade caramel corn - it's the perfect mix of popcorn, peanuts, and caramel. It's very light and crunchy and with just the right amount of caramel!

3. Grandma's (and Mom's) chocolate caramels - My Grandma always made amazing homemade caramels and wrapped them in wax paper. My mom makes them every year, and last weekend my Grandpa reminded me that my mom's caramels are perfect, just like my Grandma's were...

4. Homemade Peanut Butter Cups - chocolate, peanut butter, butter, and sugar. Any problems with that?

5. White Chocolate covered pretzels - with red and green sprinkles (must use holiday shaped pretzels!)

6. Cinnamon flavored hard candy - Grandma made the best.

7. Spritz cookies - mmmm.

8. Chex Mix - there's just something so good about this salty mixture of cereal, pretzels, and nuts. My favorite are the cheerios!

9. chocolate covered peanuts - chocolate and peanuts, need I say more?

10. Peanut Butter Kiss Cookies - I have never made these, but they are at almost every holiday gathering and so delish. I love the soft chewy ones!

What are some of your favorite holiday treats?

Past Few Posts:
Day 10 - This or That? Holiday Survey
Day 11 - Favorite Christmas Movies
Day 12 - Favorite Christmas Tunes

12 Days of Christmas - Day 10

2010-12-15T19:40:00.000-06:00

12 Days of Christmas: Day 10 - This or That?

This is a survey that I have seen out in blogland a few times this past week. I figured I would use it for one of my days of Christmas! Feel free to play along!

1. Christmas Eve or Christmas Day? Christmas Eve was usually the day we opened our gifts growing up. I like the idea of opening up most gifts on Christmas Eve, just my sisters and my parents, and then enjoying the rest of the evening and Christmas day with the extended family.

2. Giving or receiving? I love, love, LOVE giving and finding the perfect gift for people... sometimes it makes me go crazy though, becuase I have a hard time deciding!

3. Real or artificial tree? I love real trees. My parents have gotten real ones for the past few years, and those Frasur Furs smell wonderful. The mess of pine needles is so worth the smell real trees give!

4. Angel or star tree topper? This one is a hard decision. I would have to go with Star, just because I have a really pretty one for the top of my tree and love it.

5. White or colored lights? Depends. I remember when my mom started decorating two trees. The upstairs tree was bigger with white lights and crocheted angles and pretty decorations. The downstairs tree was smaller, but had all of our kids ornaments (bought and homemade) on them with colored lights. I would like to be able to do both!

6. Tinsel or garland? Garland. I have it on my banister and above my cupboards, wrapped in white lights. Love it.

7. Wrapping paper or gift bags? Definitely wrapping paper. However, I lose patience with ribbons and bows, because they all fall off and get destroyed in my years of transporting them home. I have memories of my mom taking my gifts and adding a "little extra" before giving them. :)

8. Stockings: Before or after presents? After, preferably on Christmas Day morning since we usually opened most of our gifts Christmas Eve.

9. Snow or no snow? MUST HAVE SNOW ON CHRISTMAS! I couldn't do it any other way. It's just so magical! However, I can do without the 20 inches we got last Christmas Eve, that kept us home and not able to travel to visit family.

10. Candy canes: Eating or Decorating? EATING!

11. Hot chocolate, apple cider, or eggnog? I will pass on all three. Ask me if I want a Tom and Jerry and I am all over that!

12. Cookies: sugar or gingerbread? Sugar cookies... unless they are soft gingersnaps.

12 Days of Christmas Countdown - Day 11

2010-12-14T08:15:00.000-06:00

If you missed Day 12 of the 12 Days of Christmas, click here!

Day 11: Favorite Christmas Movies
(number 1 and 2 tie for first)

1. National Lampoon's Christmas Vacation
2. Elf
3. White Christmas
4. The Polar Express
5. How the Grinch Stole Christmas (w/Jim Carrey)
6. The Santa Clause
7. Home Alone 1 & 2
8. Prancer
9. It's a Wonderful Life
10. Miracle on 34th Street

I think I could watch all of these movies over and over again! What's your favorite Holiday movies?

The Birthday (cont.) & 12 Days of Christmas!

2010-12-13T17:50:00.000-06:00

Things have been crazy busy around here! I posted last week a little bit about my 30th birthday celebration the weekend prior. After a weekend of fun, I had a long week at work with two nights of parent-teacher conferences, but still found time to celebrate my birthday at work and afterwards with a beverage.

THEN, Friday I headed home to what I thought was going to be a christmas get-together with the BF's family and was surprised by a double birthday celebration with his family, my parents, sister, some relatives, and friends! The BF's brother-in-law also turns 30 this month! I think we were both shocked! I know I was! It was so much fun!

THEN, Saturday night, the BF and I had dinner with my 'rents before heading off to the Mannheim Steamroller Concert! So much fun! I am so blessed to be surrounded by such wonderful family and friends. And, in the words of my sister - the BF definitely has won the award for BF of 2010! I am so lucky!

In hopes of not letting the stress of work take the fun of the holidays out of me, I am starting to celebrate the holiday with my own 12 Days of Christmas. For the next 12 days, I am going to do daily posts about my favorite things about the holidays. Anyone is more than welcome to play along.

Day 12: Favorite Christmas Songs
(in no particular order, except for number 1)

1. O Holy Night - John Berry, Josh Groban, Mannheim Steamroller
2. White Christmas - Bing Crosby
3. Joy to the World - Mannheim Steamroller
4. Carol of the Bells - Lori Line
5. Jingle Bell Rock
6. Baby It's Cold Outside
7. Silent Night
8. Drummer Boy - Mannheim Steamroller
9. The Grinch Song
10. Deck the Halls - Mannheim Steamroller

Mannheim Steamroller probably shows up quite a bit in my list since I just saw them live this past weekend, but they are great! Here's a Christmas light show video that goes along with Mannheim Steamroller's "Hallelujah" song. ENJOY!

What are your favorite Holiday songs?

Jingle Bell 5K and CELEBRATION!

2010-12-09T18:22:00.000-06:00

Jingle Bell 5K!
Last Saturday J and I participated in the Jingle Bell 5K for the 3rd year in a row. Sistah Steph was supposed to join us, but weather promitted her from getting to Fargo Friday night (booh).

Two years ago, it was freezing. Last year, it was freezing. And this year, it was still freezing but not as cold as the past couple of years! We were going to do cute holiday outfits, but never had the time to do it, so our outfits weren't anything too special - besides our faux fur knee length holiday socks.

This was my best Jingle Bell 5K out of the three and I felt really good when I finished. The start wasn't too pretty, as the street was covered in slushy-sand-filled-snow. But, once we were on the path it was better - but crowded.

Let's compare the results:
2008: 39:16 (4 degrees with 10-15 mgh winds)
2009: 38:39 (5 degrees with 12 mph winds)
2010: 38:05 (11 degrees with a slight breeze)

Overall, it was pretty fun and I hope to do it again next year. It's become quite the tradition!

3oth Birthday Party!

Saturday afternoon, my sister, brother-in-law, and another couple made it to town in time for my birthday celebration! The six of us shared some laughes and drinks over a few card games before heading off to meet the rest of the gang for dinner.

We had dinner reservations for Kobe's Japanese Cuisine. If you have never been to one, it is definitely a must. The food is wonderful and the entertainment is awesome! We all had our share of saki and moonshine - squirted directly into our mouths by our wonderful chef - the caucasian sensation!

After dinner a handful of us celebrated with saki bombs and I got to enjoy some fried ice cream!

From there we ventured over to a friends house to enjoy some drinks, conversation and play games. They had the XBOX Connect and that was supper fun!

My sister, friend, and BF did a great job putting together the evening's events. I am truly blessed and spoiled to be surrounded by such wonderful people! This has been the best 30th birthday, EVAH!!!

HBBC: week 2 update

2010-12-05T13:30:00.000-06:00

Let's take a look at week two of the Holiday Bootie Buster Challenge:

Saturday, Nov. 27: 0 pts
no workout

Sunday, Nov. 28: 0 pts
no workout

Monday, Nov. 29: 5 pts
Run - 1.3 mi
BODYPUMP - 1 hour

Tuesday, Nov. 30: 7 pts
Run 1.7 mi
Bike 12 mi
SSC - 20 min
7 F/V

Wednesday, Dec. 1: 1 pts
REST
7 F/V

Thursday, Dec. 2: 5 pts
Run 3 miles
SSC -20 min
7 F/V

Friday, Dec. 3: 7 pts
Bike - 15 mi
SSC - 20 min
7 F/V

First week total: 19 pts

Second week total: 25 pts

Subtotal: 44 pts

Definitely better than week one. Still trying really hard to get in the 7 Fruits and Veggies. This coming week is going to be a bit challenging with all that's going on with work (2 days of evening conferences) and finishing up my final project for a grad class. Should be interesting!

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

2010-11-30T09:45:00.000-06:00

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!

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

2010-11-27T07:30:00.001-06:00

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!

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

2010-11-26T11:18:00.003-06:00

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

2010-11-24T17:39:00.002-06:00

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)

2010-11-23T07:00:00.002-06:00

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)

2010-11-22T07:00:00.003-06:00

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!

2010-11-21T08:00:00.000-06:00

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)

2010-11-20T18:15:00.005-06:00

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)

2010-11-19T07:00:00.001-06:00

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

2010-11-18T06:00:00.000-06:00

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)

2010-11-17T06:45:00.000-06:00

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)

2010-11-16T07:30:00.000-06:00

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)

2010-11-15T08:55:00.000-06:00

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)

2010-11-14T19:27:00.002-06:00

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)

2010-11-13T07:00:00.001-06:00

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)

2010-11-12T07:00:00.011-06:00

"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. :)

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)

2010-11-11T07:00:00.002-06:00

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!

2010-11-10T07:00:00.002-06:00

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)

2010-11-09T07:00:00.003-06:00

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

2010-11-08T07:27:00.000-06:00

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!

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)

2010-11-07T07:00:00.000-06:00

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)

2010-11-06T07:00:00.002-05:00

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

2010-11-05T07:00:00.000-05:00

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!

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)

2010-11-04T06:00:00.000-05:00

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"

2010-11-03T10:30:00.000-05:00

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)

2010-11-02T07:15:00.001-05:00

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!

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)

2010-11-01T19:35:00.002-05:00

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...

2010-11-01T07:00:00.008-05:00

.... 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?

Bodypump Basics

2010-10-29T11:15:00.003-05:00

I have been going to BODYPUMP class for a little over a year. I have gotten into a pretty good routine that has allowed me to go at least once a week, sometimes once every 5 days or so.

Facts about BODYPUMP:
(taken from Les Mills BODYPUMP Website)

60 minute barbell class that strengthens the entire body.
includes squats, presses, lunges, lifts, and curls.
every workout is choreographed with upbeat music. There is a new workout every 3 months.
class is designed to improve strength and endurance in the major muscle groups, and burning calories - up to 600 calories per class for fat loss.
improves bone density.

Our BODYPUMP Classes:

We have some great instructors that really make the class fun.
Every session starts with a warmup, working all muscles. Then each song throughout the class works a different muscle group, quads, hamstrings, glutes, triceps, biceps, shoulders, etc.
At the end of every class, it slows down with some ab/core work and planks, which sometimes includes walking and rocking planks.

Things I have noticed:

This class has been a fun way for me to corporate strength training (and more endurance) into my workout routine.
Being a runner, swimmer, and biker, I thought I was working many different muscles across these disciplines - but have realized that my legs (particularly quads/hamstrings), glutes, and hip flexors are still my "weakest link". If I go more than a week without taking this class, I find my hamstrings, glutes, and sometimes groin muscles to be extremely sore after a workout - mostly from the lunges and squats.
By incorporating this into my workout routine, I have noticed huge dividends in my running and biking. I have been able to run pain free (for the most part) for the past 6 months at least, by strengthening all of these muscles!
The music is usually pretty cool and the time flies by super fast!

Tips for Newbies:

Start out with minimal weights. I would even advise with some of the routines to just focus on doing them without weights, as your body may not be used to them (such as squats and lunges).
If you start taking a BODYPUMP class, try to get into a routine of going once a week. I find that this works best for me. Before increasing the amount of weight you put on your barbell, I think it would be more beneficial to try and go more often, but remember to rest between workouts. I would love to be able to go every 4 or 5 days if I could plan it into my schedule better. (LesMills recommends no more than 2-3 times per week.)
In addition to starting out with minimal weights, don't try and be "That Guy". You know, the guy that lifts daily, sometimes twice a day and then decides to take BODYPUMP class and use more weight than any regular in the class. This class is different from regular weight lifting and trainers have commented how it is more challenging than P90X.
If you can't keep up with the reps through the 3-5 minute song, then you have TOO much weight.
If you can't lift the weights appropriately, then you have too much weight. Example - if you are rocking your body or swinging your arms while doing bicep curls, you have too much weight.
Posture and doing each routine accurately is very important. Anytime you stray away from this, you are putting yourself in a position where you might injure yourself. The instructors are very good about reminding you of where your elbows need to be when doing bicep curls, how your wrists should be locked when doing shoulder presses, and where your knees should be when doing squats, etc.
Talking through the entire class with your friend or texting between routines is highly frowned upon. This is more a personal note of mine, but I know that it not only irritates others taking the class but the instructor as well. If you can carry on a conversation the entire time you are doing walking lunges and then between routines, you probably aren't working hard enough or don't have enough weight - just my personal opinion.

Have you ever tried a BODYPUMP class?
Do you like it?
What kind of strength training routine do you do?

(Note: I am not a personal trainer and I am not trained to teach BODYPUMP class. This post consists mostly of my personal opinions)

Tuesday Bullets

2010-10-26T10:45:00.002-05:00

Sorry so long since my last post. I guess living life is just getting in the way a bit! I have tried to sit down and write a cohesive post at least a half dozen times in the past week or so, but no luck. So, all you are getting bullets in typical-Teacherwoman-catch-up-style:

Even though I am not training for anything specific right now (but thinking WAY too much about 2011), my running is going really well. Really well. *knock on wood*. On the flip side, I haven't been in the pool yet this month. Actually I have only been in the pool ONCE since August 24th. I guess I just haven't had the desire to swim. Don't know exactly what the deal is.
Last weekend while back home visiting the BF and family, I got to experience two things for the first time - jelly and summer sausage sandwhiches and UFC. The BF was talking about those sandwhiches and how his family would eat them while working on the farm, so I had to try them. Very interesting combination, but I enjoyed it nonetheless! Saturday night we watched some UFC fighting at a friend's house. I was a little leary because I have never really watched it before and it was actually pretty fun. Brock Lesnar got his booty kicked in the first round - probably deserved it for all the smack talk he did.
Work is going well. I have a great group of kiddos this year, all very unique, but I love working with each and every one of them. With that, I am learning to read 6 year old body language a lot better and don'tt ell me you don't have to go to the bathroom when I ask three times while you are wiggling in your chair like fish out of water and proceed to grab your rear while running for the bathroom after I demanded that you atleast try. Thank goodness I have my own bathroom in my classroom. However, we are still working on remember to close the door behind you, flushing when you are done, and washing your hands. *smiles*
I want to shout out to my baby sister Susie who is working hard on losing weight. She joined LA Weightloss 9 weeks ago and has lost just a little over 26 pounds already! She is a determined woman!! I couldn't be more proud of her.
How many of you are thinking about 2011 already? Asside from potential races, I am just looking forward to what the year may bring. I turn 30 in about 7 weeks and I am excited for a new era!
Update: Forgot to mention that we are gearing up for some nasty winter weather here in North Dakota tonight and tomorrow. It's raining now, but wind gusts are between 26 and 39 mph. It's supposed to turn to snow tonight and tomorrow... with a possibility of 4 to 8 inches. WTH?! Have I mention that our days are getting even shorter by the minute? We currenlty only have about 10 hours of daylight here and I am at work for most of it! grrrrr...

Three Things Thursday

2010-10-14T10:23:00.001-05:00

1. Running Diva Mom's Virtual 10k
I woke at 430am a little tired but knew that if I didn't get this virtual 10K done this morning I probably wouldn't get it in tomorrow - especially since I have plans to swim tomorrow morning!

So, I flew out of bed, changed, and was to the gym and on the treadmill by 445am. It's nice to live so close to the gym and now have 24-hour access to the cardio and weight machines. Before 24-hour access was available, I wouldn't be able to get on the treadmill until after 5 and there was no way I would be able to run this distance and get ready in time for work.

I will admit, doing long runs on the treadmill is not ideal and I do not recommend it to anyone. I know that I run faster on the treadmill then I do outside, so I crank up the incline to "try" to give myself a more similar workout to running outside. Today I had it set on between 1.5 and 2.0 for the entire run. This also helps with my knees.

Breaking the run down - The treadmills are set to shut down after 30 minutes, so I broke my run down into 2 30 minute sessions, and then completed the rest of the 10K. (Unlike some of you, I need more than an hour to run a 10K.) Here's how it looks:

First 30 min = 2.56 mi(11:42 pace)
Second 30 min = 2.64 mi(11:21 pace)
+ 11:34 min = 1.1 mi (10:30 pace)
Total = 6.3 miles

For some reason, I always have this habit of adding a .1 or .2 to my runs. Don't ask. I just do it.

Overall, it was a good run and faster than I expected. My last long run left my right groin feeling a bit twinged, but today all was good. My left knee was a little tight, but I know that with a little extra stretching throughout the day and using the foam roller tonight, I will be golden.

Love, love, LOVE, these virtual races! Did you participate?

2. Brad Paisley Concert
This past Saturday, the BF and I and another couple, went to the Brad Paisley Concert at the Ralph Englestad Arena (Fighting Sioux Hockey arena) as part of the BF's birthday celebration. Even though we were up pretty high, our seats were perfect - just off the corner of the stage.

Justin Moore was the first opening act and even though I didn't know many of his songs, he did a wonderful job and I really enjoyed his music. Then Darius Rucker (Hootie) performed and did an AWESOME job. I would love to see that man in concert if he started his own tour. What an amazing musician he is! Brad Paisely did awesome as well. The music was a little loud for his concert and all of his mad-guitar skills, but overall it was a wonderful show! We definitely got our moneys worth with 3+ hours of music!

3. A Well-Needed Break
Next week we have Thursday and Friday off for NDEA conference. It used to be required that teachers go, or stay back and work in their classrooms, but now it's not part of our contract hours, so many don't go. Sometimes I miss how it was my first couple years of teaching and choosing to stay back to do grades, progress reports, prepare lessons, etc. However, I look forward to having these two days off. It will make for a nice long weekend ... to get some grad school homework done.

Three (+1) Things Thursday

2010-10-07T07:00:00.004-05:00

1. Changing the "Lable" - Yesterday I came to work to find this message in my inbox from our special education director ....

Granted, this is not exactly the terminology I would have chosen - was thinking something more along the longs of "Severely Cognitively Delayed" - but this is much better than MR and music to a special educator's ears. I know some states have changed from MR to something more easy to swallow, persay, but ND is a bit behind. Hopefully it won't take them years to change it.

Click HERE for the full article.

2. November 5K - I just signed up for the Full Moon 5K Run/Walk on November 11th. This run starts at our middle school (which is about a half a mile from my place). It's an evenign race - starting at 7pm, so it will be interesting to see what the weather is like then...

3. Flu shot - I can count how many times I have gotten the flu shot on one hand - 1. the year I student taught, 2. two years ago, 3. last year (but not the H1N1 shot), and now 4. YESTERDAY. I had heard from others that this shot was a bit more painful than the regular flu shot because it has the H1N1 in it. The actual shot itself wasn't too bad, but about an hour later I was in pain. After my shot I came home, did some laundry, vaccuumed a bit and then parked it on the couch to watch some news. When I would move my arm it would hurt so bad from my fingers to my jaw. I popped a couple Tylenol and felt a bit better. This morning it's a bit sore, and my upper arm and neck is tender to the touch. Crazy.

4. Minnesota Twins - When the Twins built their outdoor stadium, leaving the inclosed Metrodome behind, many were worried that the bonus of the noise factor in the metrodome would be lost. After watching Liriano strike out Derek Jeter in the 1st inning, and having a hard time hearing the announcers over the crowd, I quickly realized that the noise was still there. I could only imagine what the atmosphere was like last night. Unfortunately, we weren't able to pull through with a win (I think our relief pitchers suck). Odds are against us, but maybe it's time to put an end to this pattern?

Wednesday Catch Up Post

2010-10-06T10:15:00.000-05:00

Yesterday I woke with nasty sore throat. Just on the left side. Asside from that I didn't really feel crummy. However, as the day went on, I realized how tired I had felt for the past couple of days and went home to sleep. Plus, I was hot one minute and cold the next. I ended up sleeping 2 hours and skipping my run. Boo.

Today is the BF's birthday! Just want to give a quick shout out to him - HAPPY BIRTHDAY! I hope you have a great day and can't wait to celebrate this weeekend with friends and the Brad Paisley Concert (w/Dairus Rucker and Justin Moore)! It will be a great time!

This morning I got up, felt a bit rested, and hit the gym for a run/Bodypump combo. It was just what I needed to jump start this hump day. I ran 2.55 miles with many intervals (at speeds some of you consider slow) and off to an hour of pumping iron. Actually, I was pretty excited because I upped some of my weights today (on squats, triceps, and biceps)! However, before doing that again, I am going to focus on going to class more regularly - ever 3-5 days instead of every 7 days. I topped my workout off with a nice protein smoothie for breakfast!

Tonight I look forward to curling up on the couch to watch the first game of the ALDS between my Twins and those Yankees. The Twins have to win this first one, for sure!

Tomorrow I was hoping to get to the pool or bike. I need to take a day or two off from running, as I am starting to feel it in my shins. Maybe this is a sign that I need new shoes. I haven't bought new shoes since May and even though I haven't put A LOT of running miles in them, I have worn them on the bike and at Bodypump class. Anyone looking to get rid of a SIZE 8 BROOKS TRANCE?? Sure would have been nice to win those in one of the giveaways out there, but oh well!

Happy Hump Day, y'all!

Virtual Non-Race 10K

2010-10-04T10:25:00.001-05:00

Yesterday I participated in James' Virtual non-race. As part of this virtual non-race, you could choose from a 5K, 10K, or 10-miler. I chose to do the 10K.

He called this a non-race just for that reason. There was no racing and no worries about time. The goal was to just get out there and run, remembering why it is we enjoy running in the first place.

When: Sunday, October 3rd, 2010 @ 5pm

This non-race couldn't have come at a more perfect time for me. I haven't done this kind of distance since the 10K in May and didn't know what I would be capable of accomplishing but looking forward to going the distance!

Where: I chose to do it on the treadmill for a few reasons:
1. I wanted to distract myself with some good Sunday football,
2. I wanted to focus on a good run/walk method, and
3. Even though it was 64 degrees outside, it was extremely windy and the wind hurts my ears.

Goals:
1. To enjoy the run and listen to my body.
2. Stay true to the run/walk method and increase my speed as the run goes on and my body feels strong.

Results:
I started this run with a nice 5 minute warm-up walk to get the legs moving. From there, I did a run 3ish/walk 1 minute method at a pretty slow pace (around 12:00 miles). The first 5K of this 10K was done in approximately 37:30 - averaging around 12:05/mile. I was feeling pretty strong when going into the second 5K and decided to pick up the pace a bit. I was able to finish the 2nd 5K in about 34:00 - averaging my pace right around 10:58/mile.

After reaching 6.2 miles, I walked a quarter of a mile to finish off my distance for the day at 6.45 miles.

After Thoughts:
My right groin muscles was starting to feel a bit tight and I knew it was from my form and the fact that my body was not used to lifting my legs for that long. I focused on changing my form a bit and the tightness in the groin subsided a bit.

I thought about goals for the coming year and what I might accomplish come 2011. Obviously these thoughts will be left for a later post.

This was a great run and I am not really sore this morning. It did wipe me out completely and I was able to sleep like a baby last night.

It's a run like this that makes me keep coming back for more... looking forward to my next long run!

I will leave you with a quote that I got in my email this weekend and absolutely loved:

"I think I get used to, even addicted to, the feelings associated with the end of a long training run. I love feeling empty, clean, worn out, starving, and sweat-purged. I love the good ache of muscles that have done me proud. I love the way a cold beer tastes later that afternoon. I love the way my body feels light and sinewy."
~ Kristin Armstrong, Author and runner

It was a good one!

2010-10-03T13:40:00.000-05:00

... September, that is.

I can't believe the month has come and gone. It started with a bang - less than a week into school and I felt some sort of illness creeping up on me. I took a couple days off from the gym, slept a lot, drank a lot of hot lemon tea with honey, and did I mention that I slept a lot? In a matter of a few days, I was feeling fine and managed to keep the a full blown cold or whatever-it-was at bay.

I managed to fall into a routine with work, kept up with grad class, enjoyed my regular workouts - even though I wasn't training for anything in particular, and had time to enjoy my weekends: a weekend of camping over Labor Day weekend, a housewarming party with friends here in Fargo, a weekend back in the Bismarck/Mandan area, and a weekend in Brainerd, MN for a couple of friends wedding!

Let's look at the numbers.

Month in Review: September 2010

Swim - 2,000 yds .......... 6,200 yds in August
Bike - 126.81 miles ...... 95.05 miles in August
Run - 30.08 miles ......... 26.30 miles in August

Total Number of:
Swims - 1
Bikes - 8
Runs - 13 (including runs off the bike)
BodyPump Class - 5!
Pilates Class - 0
Yoga Class - 1!
REST Days - 10 (16 in August)

Highlights of the Month:

Busy weekends with the BF, family, and friends!
Working out regularly, but not having to follow a training plan!
Getting in some longer runs!
Getting to BodyPump Class weekly!
Enjoying a good yoga class! Hope to do it more in the future.

Lows of the Month:

Only swimming once - but, to be honest, I just wasn't feeling it much this month. Not until this last week. October may be different, tho.
Yeah, that's about it.

Goals for the Month of October:

Train smart.
Get used to weekly long runs - between 5 and 8 miles
Try to have more purpose behind my workouts - ie. speed work, long runs, short/long rides, strengthening, stretching, core, etc.
Try to run outside more, even with the weather getting cooler - this is something I am horrible with!
Stay healthy and get the flu shot!

Year-to-Date Stats:
Swim - 61,100 Yds
Bike - 886.66 miles
Run - 284.43 miles

What are your goals for October? Only 3 months of 2010 left - is there something you are hoping to accomplish before December 31st?

Three Things Thursday

2010-09-30T09:00:00.001-05:00

1. Spreading the word and sharing the giveaway:

For those of you interested in joining in on the virtual race fun, check out these couple of races: 1. Runner's Bugs Virtual Race - You have the option of doing the 5K, 10K, or 10 miler. It's a non-race, and just for fun. You have until October 8th to run it, and then until October 15th to post about it. 2. Running Diva Mom's Virtual 10K - It's free and there's cool prizes. You can run it anytime between October 1st and 15th.

Carly over at Tri-ing My Hardest is hosting a giveaway. Check it out HERE!

2. How come I struggle with saying "NO"?
I think I might have signed myself up for another committee at work. Gasp. As if being the building rep for our department and on our RtI committee isn't enough in addition to managing my caseload and paperwork! This new committee and I are working on figuring out how to reach those kids that stuggle with behavior through positive behavior supports, mentoring, and such. I think much good will come of this.

3. Half Marathon/Marathon Training:
Do you make up your own training plans or do you follow one? What kind of training plan do you follow, or do you create your own to fit your needs based on other training plans?

When I trained for my first half marathon, I used the Jeff Galloway plan and found it to suit me the best. It didn't require running more than 3 days a week and the long runs were only every other week. I have looked at Runner's World training plans as well as Hal Hidgon's, but know that I would have to alter them a bit so they work for me. I am not really looking for speed, even though I would like to do better this time around.

Also, how do some of you train during the winter months? Especially those that are like me, and will have to do most of my long runs for this race in May during the cold winter months... on a treadmill! It's one thing to train for a half marathon on a treadmill during the winter months, but I can't imagine doing the training for a marathon during those months. How do y'all do it?!

(Semi) Wordless Wednesday

2010-09-29T06:00:00.000-05:00

Here is one of my top ten reasons why I LOVE living in the Midwest - witnessing Summer turn into Autumn!

"Autum is a second spring when every leaf is a flower." ~Albert Camus

Swim?

2010-09-28T07:40:00.002-05:00

This morning the alarm went off at 430AM and all I wanted to do was roll over and go back to sleep. I had reset my alarm for 530AM without thinking, but quickly realized that I had planned to meet a friend at the pool and going back to bed just wasn't an option. Plus, I haven't been in the pool since August and it was well-overdue.

So I got up, grabbed my bags and was in the pool by ten after five. I did my workout, showered, and realized as I was driving to work this morning why I don't like swimming in the morning: 1. I have to get there right when lap swim opens to get a lane - 5am, and 2. I am done with my workout well before 6am and to work before 7am!

Lap swim in the evening isn't that great of an option either. It doesn't open until 8 or so and leaves me wide awake when I try to get to sleep at my usual time (before 10pm).

Oh well. I got up and got it done and it gives me my evening to complete a few odds and ends: oil change, mow lawn (hopefully the last time before winter), and finish baking for our dessert cook-of tomorrow at work.

Here's the swim workout: 2000 Yds Total
500 Yd w/u
500 Yd swim with paddles and pull bouy
6x50 Yd swim with fins (25 sprint/25 dolphin kick on back)
500 Yd swim with paddles and fins
200 Yd c/d

Tomorrow's workout?! BODYPUMP!!

By the way, I want to thank this dude for trying to persuade me to do the Fargo MARATHON ... why you gotta be like that?!

Mark your calendars!

2010-09-27T06:00:00.006-05:00

Fargo Marathon!!

May 19-21st, 2011

Mark Your Calendars!

Rock Fast,

Rock Friendly,

RUN FARGO!

A little background information: The Youth Run kicks off the weekend that Thursday evening. The 5K is on Friday night, and the 10K, Half Marathon, 2- and 4- person relays, and Marathon are Saturday morning!

Did you know that they are going to have live music at every mile?

Did you know that Dean Karnazes will be speaking, not once, but twice, at the Pasta Feed?!

Did you know that registration last year exceeded the goal of 20,000 participants?

Did you know that it is known as one the of Fastest and Friendliest races around?

Did you know that this is a USATF Certified Course that allows you to QUALIFY for BOSTON!?

Okay, enough of that! I just absolutely love this event and want to tell everyone about it! I did the Fargo Half Marathon (my first and only) in 2008, the 5K in 2009, and then the 5K/10K Go Far Challenge this past spring!

A little over a week ago I got the flyer in the mail, with a magnet for my fridge, advertising for this weekend of festivities. You can only imagine how excited I was! I had posted that I have ideas for this race and I would share it at a later date. Well, today's that later date.

I am hoping to do the Fargo Half Marathon once again!

I have almost 8 months to train for this race which is MORE than PLENTY! I plan to train smart and take my time building those long runs. I haven't done much more than 4-5 miles at a time, for my long runs, for the past few months. So, I definitely have a lot of work to do and look forward to training once again!

Also, if all goes well, I would love to do the 5K the night before, in addition to the half marathon, and recieve my 3 medals as part of the GO FAR CHALLENGE once again! That would be sweet!

I have family and some friends already thinking about this race and what they would like to do train for. Who knows, I might be throwing a little post-race party for those that participated (and their significant others)!!

Any of you thinking of participating in the Fargo Marathon weekend events?

Happy Golden Birthday!

2010-09-24T07:00:00.001-05:00

Just wanted to shout out a HAPPY GOLDEN BIRTHDAY to my BABY SISTER, Susan!

I can't believe you are 24 ALREADY!

I hope you have a wonderful day and I look forward to spending the weekend with you!!

Three Things Thursday

2010-09-23T10:30:00.002-05:00

1. In the Baking Mood - The cold and wet weather has put me in a baking mood. Nothing extravagent, but for participating in our cook-off next week at work to raise money for United way. I was doing a little experimenting last night. I took a simple pie recipe, that doesn't require any baking to begin with, and altered it to make individual miniature cupcake size servings. In doing so, I had to use the oven a bit to make the crust, but I think all and all it turned out. We will be trying it tonight at my friends birthday dinner - I will let you know how it turned out! (Definitely not healthy, but a nice treat!)

2. How about them Twins?! For the second year in a row, the MN Twins have clinched the American League Central Division Title! How sweet is that?! My sister and brother-in-law were able to get tickets to the 2nd game (and 3rd home game if there is one) of the post-season since they are season ticket holders. I am super jealous!

3. Workouts - I am on a roll again with another great week of workouts. Last weekend while back in the Bis I was able to get in a 3 miler.

Quick side story: The funny thing about that run? My Y card fell from the shelf on the treadmill that holds magazines, bounced on the belt, and just hit the tip of my foot perfectly while I was running. Why so perfect? Because it ended up flying straight into the machine. They said they would try to get it out and mail it to me, but after one of the employees at the Y here in town heard my story this morning, she just printed me a new one for free (instead of paying the 5 bucks). Seriously, does these kind of things only happen to me?!

Asside from that, I enjoyed a Sunday of REST (the way it should be, right?!), and have had some good workouts during the week. A couple short runs, a couple short bikes, some wonderful strength training and stretching, and a good BODYPUMP session with a newbie last night (she is swearing at me right now, I just know it). Tomorrow I am hoping to do another long run before heading off to work so I can enjoy my weekend. I will be attending a friend's wedding, the last wedding of 2010!

Wordless Wednesday - North Dakota Sunrise in September

2010-09-22T15:04:00.001-05:00

Tuesday Tidbits

2010-09-21T10:22:00.006-05:00

Bullet style:

I went out west for the weekend and enjoyed time with the BF, my parents and sister, friends, and some of his family as well. It was jam-packed but enjoyable.
On my way back to the Bis area last weekend, the temperature dropped to 34 degrees at 5pm and it was sleeting. While we were eating dinner, we witnessed huge snowflakes falling from the night sky. Sure felt like December 17th, not September 17th. Thankfully it didn't stick around!
Las Vegas and the cabin in the woods idea for my 30th birthday have been dropped from the list of ideas. They're both just too much!
I am in a groove with my running (knock on wood) and just got THE announcement in the mail for the Fargo Marathon. I will go further into depth on this topic in a different post, but just wanted to inform you all that my mind is rolling with this and what may lie ahead!
Work, working out, and grad school are all consuming my time. That and busy weekends. But, I am enjoying it all! I just haven't had much desire or time to put towards blogging. Sorry, y'all!
Even though I am struggling to keep up with this blog, and yours, I have started another blog to keep track of nutrition and workouts. I need something to be more accountable and that's where I am going to start. I started working with TriMarni this summer and I will be honest, I fell off the bandwagon a bit. I need to get back on track and make some more healthy lifestyle changes. Feel free to check it out: Finding The Proper Balance - It's not very exciting, but it's there for me, not you. :)

Happy Tuesday, y'all!

Birthday Ideas

2010-09-17T10:55:00.000-05:00

As many of you already know, I will be turning the big 3-0 this year! December 9th to be exact, so mark it on your calendars!

I am not usually one who likes to make a big deal of my own birthday - usually dinner or drinks out with friends is enough for me. But, this year is different. I mean, it's my 30th birthday for cryin-out-loud and believe it or not, I am excited as one can be for turning a year older!

So, with that... there lies a bit of a challenge.

I really want to do something fun and out of the ordinary for my birthday. My sister, friend, and BF are willing to help plan something, it's just deciding what to do. Some of the ideas put out there consist of:

A weekend trip to Las Vegas - for those that could make it, but tickets seem kind of pricy right now.

A weekend get-away in a cabin somewhere in MN.

Rent a party bus here in town and bar hop - not really my thing though

Birthday theme party at my house - but what?!

Did you do anything out of the ordinary for your 30th birthday? If so, what? Do you have any wonderful ideas to share?!?! I know some of you out there are very creative and I am looking for all the help I can get!!!

Three Things Thursday

2010-09-16T10:00:00.002-05:00

1. Fall is just around the corner! This mornings temperature when I was heading to the gym was 34 degrees (5am). Yikes! The days are already getting shorter. But, I am looking forward to the many things that fall brings: caramel apple fragrance, chocolate chip pumpkin bread, homemade apple pies, pumpkin spice lattes, the colored foliage falling from my maple trees, and wearing jeans and sweatshirts. Ch-ch-changes.

2. Working the workouts! For some reason this week, I have been able to get in some really good workouts. I have been getting pretty good sleep and am feeling rested each day. Monday I ran a warm-up mile on the treadmill before heading to BODYPUMP class, Tuesday I biked 18 miles, yesterday I ran 5.52 miles - my longest pain-free run on a LONG time, and this morning I biked 23 miles before work! Throw in some extra stretching, strenthening and core work and I am a happy camper.

3. I look forward to my weekly treats! Do you have a local Herbal Life provider? We have about four or five distributors in the FM area. Each week, after a big morning workout, J and I enjoy one of the "Memberships" from Fusion Revolution before heading off to work. It's actually a meal replacement high in protien and very low in sugars, carbs, and calories - approximately 230 calories. What does the Membership consist of? Well, it starts with a shot of Aloe to cleanse the digestive system. Then, you drink a tea - hot or cold - flavor of your choice. I love the refreshing taste of the cold lemon tea. Then, you choose a smoothie of your choice - vanilla, chocolate, or fruit based. I usually get the Chocolate Caramel Cappuccino! It is so yummy. I find that this fills me up and gets me through most of the morning!

Wednesday Words

2010-09-15T06:00:00.000-05:00

It's so nice to be back and work and surrounded by children. And my 6 and 7 year-olds are quite a change from the 10-12 year-olds last year! Each and every day I tell myself that I should write down what some of my kids say, do, or ask. I really need to start doing so, because most of the time it makes me smile.

Here are a handful of quotes about children that I think are great:

"We worry about what a child will become tomorrow, yet we forget that he is someone today."
~Stacia Tauscher

"You can learn many things from children. How much patience you have, for instance."
~ Franklin P. Jones

"A child can ask questions that a wise man cannot answer."
~ Author unkown

"While we try to teach our children all about life,
Our children teach us what life is all about."
~Angela Schwindt

Looking for my next challenge...

2010-09-14T10:00:00.001-05:00

.... or race.

I haven't been doing any "training", persay, since the sprint triathlon on August 15th. Swimming has taken a back seat with no laps accomplished thus far in the month of September. Yesterday, I realized that I only ran once last week - bringing this months miles up to a whopping 7.6.

Yes, for reals.

On the flip side, it's been nice to take time to get back into a routine with work, sleep, and just getting my rear to the gym on a regular basis. I have gotten in a handful of two-fers and more strength training than prior to school starting. I have been able to get to BODYPUMP class at least once a week, a yoga class, and some pilates.

I think the routine of working during the day has helped, immensely.

However, I am a person that feels like I can stay on top of my game if I have something to reach for; an event or race, or a challenge for that matter. I have been racking my brain the past couple of days, trying to figure out what it is I want to do. When October rolls around, I would love to be training for something or another and change things up a bit!

Here's some of the things coming up that I am thinking about:

9/18/10 - West Fargo 5K - this would be a last minute decision, and just for fun, if I am around this weekend.
10/9/10 - Fargo Mini Marathon 5K - This weekend I have company, but might be able to squeeze this run in while everyone is still fast asleep. :)
10/10/10 - Running Diva Mom's 10K Virtual Race
11/25/10 - 5K Turkey Trot - I haven't done this one in a few years because the race starts midmorning and my mom hosts Thanksgiving dinner - so I feel bad not helping out that morning...
12/4/10 - Jingle Bell 5K (Arthritis Foundation) - J and I have done this for the past couple of years. And even though it's dang cold out, we keep coming back for more. This year we are thinking about wearing costumes related to the holidays - so if you have any wonderful ideas, please share!

Also, I have seen a blogger or two mention the possibility of a challenge that they are putting together that I might be interested in participating in. And, I am thinking about either putting a virtual race in order for my 30th birthday...

What do you have coming up? Are you doing an personal challenges? Anybody willing to give me any ideas of how to change it up a bit and challenge myself?!

Fit 4 Life

2010-09-09T06:00:00.000-05:00

... formally known as Drive 2 Fitness at our school. It's a wonderful program that our two gym teachers put together for our students. Last year, our school received a National Award for encouraging and promoting healthy lifestyles.

Our gym teachers are trying to encourage more teachers to participate this year, as we all know that kids need positive roll models and if any kids need positive roll models, it would be our school clientele.

The goal is to earn points each day for certain behaviors. A person can earn 2 points per healthy behavior; earning a maximum of 10 points per day. Point sheets are handed in the 1st of every month and the students with the top scores each month have their picture posted in the hallway. A student can work towards the year-end party, needing a certain number of points. Grades 1-3 attend a hotel water park in town for half a day and Grades 4-5 head to Grand Forks for the day to play at the water park.

Here is the five healthy behaviors:

1. 1 hour of exercise - this follows the NFL's Play 60 initiative to encourage kids to play at least 60 minutes a day.

2. 5+ fruits/veggies - our school lunches are slowly improving - so many fruits and veggies are offered with lunch every day. However, I still think they have a long way to go.. Some lunches are filled with way too many carbs.

3. eat breakfast AND try school snack - It's so important to encourage kids to eat breakfast every morning. Many of us adults skip breakfast due to the rush of the morning and getting kids ready for school - what are we promoting?! I know I didn't start eating a healthy breakfast regularly until I was out of college!

Due to a high poverty level at our school (40%+ - numbers are based on students who are on free and reduced lunches/breakfasts), we have qualified for a grant from the state of North Dakota that allows us to provide 1 morning snack to all of our students. The snacks consist of fruits and veggies, starting with something simple and hopefully moving into more exotic snacks that kids are not usually exposed to. Some of the snacks the kids have received so far consist of apples, plums, nectarines, kiwi, oranges, etc. So far, things are going really well and the kids are enjoying it.

4. Less than 1 hour of screen time - So many kids (and adults - including ME!) spend too much time in front of the tv screen and/or computer screen each day. This includes playing video games. Stats show that two thirds of toddlers and infants watch approximately 2 hours of tv every day, kids under 6 watch 2 hours of tv every day - which includes tv and video games, and kids and teens between the ages of 8 and 18 spend 4 hours a day watching tv and 2 hours a day on the computer (outside of homework) and playing video games! Wow!

Did you know that television in moderation can be a good thing? We all know that there are education videos out there. However, there are also some negatives: increases obesity, negative behaviors (ie. violence, bullying, etc.) and sense of anxiety (from watching scary and inappropriate tv/movies), and it reinforces gender-role and racial stereotypes.

5. No sugary drinks - When I asked to clarify the specifics of this, I was happy to hear that this includes Gatorade and Powerade, as well as soda. So many kids drink so much of those juices and they have so much sugar in them.

It's so fun to see these kids get excited about such a program! I look forward to playing along and hoping to share my excitement for a healthy lifestyle with my students and my co-workers!

What kind of things are you doing to promote a healthy lifetsyle at work or with your kids?

Labor Day Weekend, and then some...

2010-09-07T06:00:00.000-05:00

As we completed our first week of school, we were given permission to leave and enjoy our long weekend as soon as the kids were out of our room. I took full advantage of that and hightailed it out of there shortly after 3. I was heading home to the Bis to meet up with the BF and do a long weekend of camping with a couple friends and their little one.

It was an interesting weekend to say the least. We had the BF's parents camper which made camping in the cooler temps (50's and 60's) a bit easier. Saturday we had some trouble with the boat and our friend had an accident early that afternoon that ended up not being as bad as we first feared. Phew. Sunday afternoon the BF and I drove almost an hour to my Grandpa's house for a BBQ. He was having family and friends over to thank them for everything that everyone has done for him in the past 6 months, since my Grandma passed away. It was so nice to be able to go and chat with everyone, even if we were only there for a couple hours. Then we headed back to the campsite for what turned out to be a nicer night then we thought it was going to be. However, rain rolled in around 5am Monday morning and made packing up and loading up a bit interesting.

I rolled back into Fargo around 8 pm last night, threw in some laundry, worked on a grocery list, and my to-do list for the week. Why is it that it's never-ending?! I have quite a bit of things I would like to get done this week before the weekend comes around again. My sister and brother-in-law are coming to town and I hope to get the spare bedroom cleaned up a bit and usable for them. In addition, the 2nd week of school is starting and I am not sure I am ready. Sigh.

I don't know how much blogging I will be doing this week either. I have to figure out how to get most of my grad school work done during the week, since I figure most of my weekends are going to be busy with traveling and house guests.

I hope to catch up with you all very soon!

8 down, 4 to go...wow

2010-09-02T07:00:00.000-05:00

Well August was an unstructured month, that's for sure. And without structure, my workouts weren't the greatest, or as frequent as I would have liked. But, live and learn, right?!

Month in Review: August 2010
Swim - 6,200 Yds ...... 4,700 Yds in July
Bike - 95.05 miles ...... 98.23 miles in July
Run - 26.30 miles ...... 24.90 miles in July

Total Number of :
Swims - 4
Bikes - 7
Runs - 9 (including runs off the bike)
BodyPump Class - 1 (no wonder why I was so sore for days afterwards)
Pilates Class - 1
REST days - 16 (YIKES!)

Highlights of the month:

Doing a triathlon with my sister! I just wish it would have gone better!
Enjoying the last bit of summer.
Spending time with family and the BF.
Going back to work. Yeah, I am only a week in, so I can still say I am happy to be back. Check back next month to see how I feel about it. :)

Lows of the month:

Struggling through my last triathlon of 2010. So challenging, mentally and physically.
The high number of rest days. Some occured because I was just too lazy. You know how you get in the routine of not doing something for a couple days and then it's twice as hard to get back into workout mode? Yeah, that's what happened... multiple times.

Goals for September:

Not get sick. It seems like I have dealt with some sort of allergies/cold the first couple weeks of school and I don't like it one bit. My throat has felt pretty dry the past couple of days and my glands are swollen. Seriously?!
Plan better. This includes my meals, workouts, and everything else. If I can plan a bit better, I will have used my time more wisely. I think this will also keep me on my "A" game for workouts.
Enjoy the fall weather while we have it. When October comes, anything is possible in regards to 'weather'.
I was hoping to think of some sort of challenge for the month, but can't. However, I hope to get to Bodypump and Pilates class weekly. I hope to run 40+ miles this month, bike over 100 miles, and swim close to 10,000 Yds. We'll see!

Year To Date Stats:

Swim - 59,100 Yds

Bike - 759.85 miles

Run - 256.40 miles

It's a new year

2010-08-31T07:00:00.001-05:00

Today marks the start of a brand new school year! Last night we had "Back to School Night" and I got to meet most of my new students and parents. I think it's going to be a very interesting year, to say the least. However, I am going to keep an open mind with hopeful thoughts of a what I presume to be a wonderful school year!

On the flip side, trying to get the workouts in while adjusting to the "back to school" schedule over the past week has been a bit of a challenge. Last week started off all fine and dandy, and then before I new it, it's been 5 days since my last workout. Things like mowing the lawn, a wedding out of town, and long days with late nights haven't made the transition any easier. I guess I just need to plan a bit better.

This week better be different .... even though I got nada in yesterday. Today calls for a 2-fer!

And like every other first day of school, I am going to post my usual video from one of my favorite movies - Billy Madison! This song has been going through my head for the past week!

In what feels like no time at all....

2010-08-26T06:00:00.000-05:00

...summer has come and gone.

Today marks the first day back to work for me. Tuesday I will begin working with my little 6 and 7 year olds. Oh, how a change this will be from my 10-11 year olds.

This summer was the best! I was always busy, but I think that's what made this summer so great.

Let's take a look back:

May/June -
★ Kicked of my first weekend of summer camping with the BF and a couple other couples!
★ First weekend of June we went camping again, and took in a great Bret Michael's Concert at the Casino!
★ Attended a cousin's wedding.
★ Completed my 3rd outdoor sprint triathlon on a tough, but rewarding course (1st outdoor triathlon of 2010)
★ In attempt to clean my spare bedroom, I found water seepage and had a company dry out my drywall...and rip up my carpet and carpet padding.
★ Bought my new car! My 2009 Toyota Camry LE... black!
★ Taught 4 weeks of extended school year (special education summer school) to 2nd, 3rd, and 4th grade students.
★ Said my final goodbye to some of my 5th graders heading off to middle school this year - they gave me hugs and all!

July -
★ Went to my first Twins game at the new Target Field over the Fourth of July weekend! Witnessed some of the best fireworks I have ever seen in Chanhassen, MN!
★ Attended another cousin's wedding.
★ Attended (as good friend and personal attendant) a friend's wedding over looking Big Pine Lake in Perham, MN.
★ Finished my summer grad class
★ Took a trip to San Diego, CA with the BF!

August -
★ Attended a friends bachelorette party at a cabin on Long Lake in WI.
★ Finally made a decision on flooring for spare bedroom (mentioned above) and had carpet put in. Room is still empty.
★ Got to see the Twins play again at Target Field with fireworks to follow. What a treat!
★ Participated in 2nd and last triathlon of 2010
★ Went home for a week to visit the BF and family - got to have a nice dinner with the BF's family, dinner with my family for my Dad's birthday, dinner with my Grandpa, and some wonderful relaxing and downtime.
★ Going to the BF's cousin's wedding this coming weekend...

In addition to that, I have proceeded to run 79.77 miles, bike 269.47 miles, and swim 16,100 Yds (or 9.1477 miles) Since the 1st of June!

Things I will miss about summer:

★ Staying up past 10pm, but not much later than 11pm.

★ The occasional cool summer mornings or evenings

★ Reading on my patio while soaking in some vitamin D.

★ Flexible workout schedule - which meant I could do workout at almost any time of the day.

★ Riding outside... even though I didn't do this nearly as much as I would have liked to..

★ Being able to pick up and head home to Bismarck almost any day of the week, for as long as I wanted.

Things I look forward to this school year:

★ Working with a different age group of students (I think)... I am so used to working with upper elementary students. This will be a huge adjustment for me!

★ Trying to bring more positivity into the school setting - with students (especially) and with my coworkers. This goes hand in hand with trying not to get sucked into the negative "teacher's lounge" crap talk. Teachers - you know what I am talking about.

★ Getting back into a routine - working out most mornings, an occasional second workout in the afternoon, getting up and going to bed at a regular time; eating better and drinking more water on a consistent basis (yes I do this better during the work day than any other day).

★ Sleeping with my windows open, until it get's too cold.

★ A friend's wedding in September, in MN.

★ Possibly a couple 5K's and a 10K race (October, November, December)

★ Brad Paisley Concert in October

★ Maybe a Half Marathon next spring (May)

★ Crossing off a couple more grad classes (one per semester) off my list of classes to earn my Autism Credential.

★ Turning 30! Birthday's aren't usually a big deal for me - I don't like making a big to-do of them, and I don't have a problem with turning a year older. However, this year, I am looking forward to joining the 30's club! Be prepared for a possible virtual race in December!

★ What am I missing?

Things That Make Me Smile

2010-08-24T10:10:00.001-05:00

After my YWCA Triathlon Race Report, I knew I needed to post on a more positive note. I like to think of myself as a positive person, and try to keep things optimistic and upbeat around here, but there was too much negativity in that post and I need to post something more cheery!

So, here's a handful of things that have made me smile recently:

My Students - When cleaning through student folders from last year, today, I opened one student's folder to find the following sentence written by one of my 5th graders (who will now be at the middle school): "Miss 'S' is a very nice teacher." I loved it - plus he used correct capitalization, punctuation, and spelling - this was his writing folder after all.

2-fers - Yes, I said TWO-FERS. There's just something about getting in two workouts in ONE day! Yesterday I ran 3 miles in the morning, and then in the afternoon I biked 6 miles and did 45 minutes of Pilates. All felt sooooo good!

Kind Words - all of your kind words/thoughts regarding my last triathlon. Thanks, everyone!

Haircuts and colors - tonight I am going in for a cut and color. It probably could have waited another 3-4 weeks, but I wanted a fresh look and feeling prior to the start of school.

Compliments - Why is it that some people have a hard time taking compliments?! Yesterday when leaving Pilates, one of the regulars was trying to remember who I was (since I had been there a few times before in June)... he asked if I had been doing some other training since I "looked pretty buff and in good shape".

Start of a new school year - As much as I am sad to see this wonderful summer come to an end, I am excited to get back into a work routine and start teaching again. I have a feeling there are going to be a few changes this year, and I look forward seeing what this school year will bring!

Happy Tuesday, y'all!

"Last Triathlon of 2010"

2010-08-22T21:45:00.002-05:00

...or... "the triathlon that almost killed my love for triathlons"

YWCA Womens Sprint Triathlon
Minneapolis, MN
August 15th, 2010
I did this race with my sister, and friends J and A.

Night Before/Pre-Race:

The night before the race, we ate out at Bucca Di Beppo in Eden Prairie, MN. Sometimes I am leary about eating pasta the night before a race, but we selected wisely and I ate just enough to feel comfortable.

I went to bed pretty early, close to 9pm, but struggled to get a good night's sleep. I fell asleep around 930pm, woke at 11pm, 3:10am, and then again at 4am. The alarm went off at 4:40am and I know that I didn't sleep much between then and 3am, but I felt ready to go. J and her hubby picked my sister and I up at 5:30am, and then met up with A.

We arrived at Lake Nokomis around 6am to find our spot and set up transition. With the high number of participants, the transition are became pretty snug. We had heard that close to 1,200 women were participating in this event and over half of them were first timers! How awesome is that?!

After getting bodymarked, timing chips, and checking the out the water, the transition area closed at 730am. Our wave (15 out of 18) wasn't expected to start until 842am so we had quite a bit of time to stand around on the beach.

If I remember correctly, I ate half of a clif bar at about 715am and then took my first gu at about 820am.

(please note the smile)

The Swim:
500 Yds - 15:24

In past triathlons, I never took the time to get aquainted with the water prior to jumping for the swim and in past swims there has been a going trend that my heart rate will jump through the roof when starting the swim. Other bloggers have mentioned getting used to the water prior to the start of the swim and that is what I planned to do for this race. About 20 minutes before our wave started, I spent a few minutes "warming up" in the water. The water was already 80 degrees and probably the warmest water I have ever swam in before.

Before we new it, our wave was on the shore line waiting for the countdown. The plan was to stay to the back and on the outside of the group. Everything started out just fine and I was feeling pretty strong. After we took our first turn, things started to go down hill. My breathing was off, probably too shallow, and I started to feel a pinch in the middle of my back every time I would breath in. At this point, there were multiple times where I would have to roll over on my back and catch my breath. When on my back, I would take a deep breath and my breathing reminded me of how one breathes while bawling their eyes out. You know what I am talking about?

So, needless to say, the rest of the swim was horrible and I was ready to call it quits. I had a bad attitude at this point that stuck with me through pretty much the rest of the triathlon and I wanted to be done.

Transition 1:
4:17

I reached the shoreline and it took everything in me to run/walk through the sand and into transition. The distance from the water to our transition area was the longest transition I have ever done.

I felt like the swim took everything out of me and I could barely manage to do much more than walk through most of the transition. Isn't it written all over my face?

I was hoping that if I took my time getting ready to ride that my heart rate would come down a bit and my breathing would become more regular. Once I was ready, I grabbed my bike and took off. But, I will admit, I struggled to get on my bike at first. It was rediculous.

The Bike:

15 miles - 57:07 (15.76 mph average)

I was so happy to be out of the water but knew I needed to take it easy to start, which was quite easy because it nearly seemed impossible to go more than 13mph at the start of the bike. geez.

The course was relatively flat, but there was some wind that never seemed to be at my back, no matter which direction I was going. In fact, there were a couple wind gusts that almost knocked me over while passing another girl over a bridge. I think if I would have fallen at that point I would have been done. For reals.

After about ten or 15 minutes of riding, I was able to pick up some speed, despite the fact that I felt like I was having breathing issues anytime I really picked up the pace or climbed any "hills". I saw 18-19mph quite a few times, but nothing to get me above a 16mph average. But, given the conditions, I will take what I have.

Usually, prior to the last few miles of the bike, I have gotten into a habit of taking a gu to get me through the run. However, this time, I wasn't feeling too good and was afraid I would puke if I took one.

As I was approaching the transition area, I saw my family and was happy to be done with the ride. Getting off the bike was much easier than getting on less than an hour earlier.

Transition 2:

2:34

Once entering the transition area, I didn't have far to go before reaching my area. I threw my bike on the rack, ripped off the helmet and bike shoes, threw on my tennies and visor and was off. It all seemed to happen so fast at the time, but when I think about two and a half minutes, that's a lot of time for the little amount of things I did. As much as I wasn't looking forward to the run, I was so glad to be off the bike and 2/3 done with this race.

The Run:

5K - 40:54 - 13:11/mile average

Like I said before, I had a pretty bad attitude and really just wanted to be done at this point. I don't think anything would have changed my attitude at this point. However, as soon as I left the transition area, I saw my family and was so happy to be running.

I found my running legs right away, but still struggled to get any good air. Breathing was still really shallow and my lungs just hurt. J and I ended up doing a lot of run/walk intervals and looking back I know I walked a lot more than I needed. We did do a lot of talking and became distracted at times.

Despite what I thought was a bad race all around, this picture makes me happy. My brother-in-law snapped this as I was starting the run... and I am smiling.

As I neared the finish line, all I wanted to do was finish in under 2 hours. According to my watch, I was cutting it close. I kept telling J, "leave it all out on the course"... and that's exactly what I felt like I was doing. The last tenth of a mile I picked up the pace and sprinted across the finish line with my Dad's words "Finish Strong" running through my head over and over again. It felt so good to be done! And done I was.

Results:

Bib#: 859

Division: 30-34

Overall place: 688

Division Place: 111 out of 142

Swim 500 Yds: 15:24

T1: 4:17

Bike 15 miles: 57:07

T2: 2:34

Run 3.1 miles: 40:54

Overall: 2:00:13

Post Race & After Thoughts:

After the race we were handed dog tags and water. There was a huge tent set up with a wonderful array of food: wraps, bananas, clementines, cookies, chips, watermelon wedges, nutrigrain bars, candy, etc.

I know my "training" wasn't ideal the last month leading up to this race, especially with a week of while on vacay. Looking back it seems like I was just putting in the workouts, but wasn't really following any sort of schedule or plan. That irritates me.

Does anyone else deal with such breathing issues? After talking with my mom about it a couple times, I wonder if there's anything in the water that irritates my allergies and affects my breathing. Sounds weird, but I just don't know what to do. I wish I had the ability to do more open water swims, but there isn't much for lakes that I know of around here.

This race was set up so well. There were tons and tons of volunteers that were amazing. I have had a week to think about this race and it bugs me know almost as much as it bugged me when I crossed the finish line. I was just so frustrated and still am. The idea of doing this race again next year has crossed my mind a handful of times. I feel like I have a fight to pick with it and want to do better.

Here's a picture of us after the race. Yes, another smile, but I think I was so happy to be done and just ready to go. Three of us are wearing our race shirts, which happened to be very nice technical tees. Love it!

Three Things Thursday

2010-08-19T15:00:00.002-05:00

1. Workouts - I took two complete rest days after Sunday's tri (race report still in progress). So, yesterday I took advantage of my parents treadmill and ran. I was hoping to do at least 3 miles and struggled through most of them. My breathing was very laborous and annoying. But, things seemed to fall into place and I pushed through another mile after the 3. Today, my legs felt fresh, so I hopped on the treadmill again today - working primarily on some speed. Nothing in specific, but just got the legs really kicking. Ahhhh. I am still trying to figure out what I want to do for workouts starting next week - a part of me wants to start training for a half marathon... a part of me wants to work on speedwork... a part of me just wants to focus on incorporating more strength training and yoga/pilates.... decisions, decisions.

2. Reads - One thing I am not looking forward to about going back to work and starting up with another grad class is that I won't get much pleasure reading in. In the past few weeks I finished The Shack (love love love - will probably re-read it), Deception Point, and am currently working on The Time Travelers Wife. I have so many books that I have borrowed from people that I want to get back before I forget! What are you reading?

3. Dinner with Gramps - Since I am home for the week, mom and I thought it would be nice to bring dinner to Grandpa. After my Grandma passed away this winter, all of my mom's siblings have been really good about making sure Grandpa had everything he needs to live on his own. My Grandma did everything for him and it didn't take long for him to realize this after she passed away - I remember when he made the remark that he has never had to make the bed before. It's been a surprise to see him do so well, considering he is legally blind with Macular Degeneration and can't drive a car. Must be due to the fact that he is a stubborn German, just like the rest of us. Many family members have taken turns bringing him meals, doing laundry for him while visiting, taking him to church, etc. I guess there's an advantage of having 12 kids... and 28 grandkids. And, it just so happens that tonights church mass is for my Grandma, so that will be nice to attend.

Happy Thursday, y'all!

Catching Up

2010-08-18T12:00:00.000-05:00

I can't believe summer is almost over. I have been so busy all summer and will be busy next week preparing for the first week of school!

So, in an attempt to catch up a bit, I will do it bullet-style:

This past weekend the whole fam was in the Twin Cities. Steph and I, as well as a couple friends, participated in our last triathlon of 2010 on Sunday. (Race report will be up as soon as it's finished and I receive my camera in the mail - left it at my sister's place - oops).

Friday night we went to a Twins game. They beat the Oakland A's. Woot woot!

I have been home in the Bis since Sunday night, rode home with the 'rents and the BF will bring me back to Fargo this weekend.

Monday morning I finally get my carpet installed in one of my spare bedrooms. Then the trim needs to be replaced and I can start putting the room back together and my basement living room will be more usable.

Tuesday I plan to get my haircut and colored before school starts.

My classroom is a mess and I need to get things organized... will be doing that all next week.

Next Thursday I am back to work and the following week we start with the kiddos. Yay.

Grad class starts next week as well. won.der.ful.

I am hoping to catch up with you all this week. I seem to have a lot of time on my hands during the day, while everyone is at work!

Three Things Thursday

2010-08-12T08:25:00.000-05:00

1. This weekend I will be participating in my last triathlon for 2010! - The YWCA Women's Triathlon in Minneapolis, MN. I will be participating in this event with my sistah and two friends. Because training has been minimal and not very organized this past month, I look forward to just going out there and having fun... soaking it all in. I am sure by Sunday night, I will be already thinking about what the rest of this year and 2011 will look like...

2. Two weeks from today I will be sitting in workshops. Gasp. Yes, that means two weeks from today I will be heading back to work. Three days of workshops and we start with the kiddos on the 31st. Am I ready for this? No. But, I know once I am back I will be okay with it... I think. Summer is really almost over.

3. Looking for a Challenge... After this weekend's triathlon, I don't have another race on my schedule. Thus, I am looking for a challenge. Something different. Something fresh. Any one doing anything special out there or have any ideas?