Three Things Thursday

1. 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?
2. 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?!
3. 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!

Three Things Thursday

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

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?

Three Things Thursday

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?!

Three Things Thursday

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!

Three Things Thursday

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!

Three Things Thursday

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!

Three Things Thursday

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?

Three Things Thursday

1. How do I clean my Camelbak water bottle? I mean, I know how to wash it, but I can't seem to get the "spout" of it really clean and it looks like there is mold growing inside both of my bottles! YUCK! I drink out of them all the time and actually end up drinking more water when using these! Help!!!



2. I have been rocking the workouts this week! Anything to keep me away from my darn project! No, just kidding. I have been pretty consistent this week and feelin' strong! Especially knowing that starting next Wednesday, I don't know what I will be able to get done while away on vacay. Here's what I've been rockin':

Monday -
Run 3.62 mi (AM)

Strength, Stretch, Core (SSC) - 2o min - 35 pushups, 40 tricep curls with 8# ball, 60 side crunches with 8# ball, 70 sit-ups with Bosu ball, stretching

Bike - 21.61 mi (PM)

Tuesday -
Swim 1600 Yds - 600 Yds w/u, 250 Yds swim with paddles and pull buoy, 50 Yds streamline kick, 250 Yds swim with fins, 50 Yds streamline kick, 250 Yds swim with paddles and pull buoy, 100 Yds c/d

Wednesday -
Run 3.61 miles

SSC - 20 min - 60 pushups, 80 side crunches with 8# ball, 100 sit-ups on Bosu ball, stretching

Today -
Bike 10.05 mi
Run 1.1 mi (Brick)

Bodypump Class - 60 minutes

Tomorrow?! - Probably a rest day. I said I would help a friend that just got married move some boxes and such... (some rest day, lol)

3. My mind has been consumed by Autism Spectrum Disorders, due to my grad class. This week I have been listening to audio powerpoints, reading articles, and working on my final project. Symptoms of autism consist of difficulties in three areas: communication, social, and repetitive behaviors. Symptoms can usually be observed by the age of 18 months, so parents, please be aware of what your child should be able to do at certain months of age; early intervention is key!

Asside from that, I have a perfect video that shows the difficulty children with ASD have making friends (social skills/communication). How many of you watch the Big Bang Theory? Sheldon is definitely somewhere on the Spectrum - possible Aspergers. I love how he talks! Watch this video... it's great!

The Big Bang Theory - The Friendship Algorithm
(via YouTube)

Three Things Thursday

1. A week at home - I just spent the last week at home, in the Biz, and it was great. While home, I was able to get a lot of homework done for grad school, sleep in, workout, see my sister and bro-in-law, attend a couple of the BF's softball games, help decorate for my cousin's wedding, relax a bit, and do some pleasure reading (asside from grad textbooks) on the patio in the sun... A little manual labor was done as well - helping my parents clean out and epoxy their new two-stall detached garage. I guess I can't stay there for free that long without putting in a little manual labor. It was hard to leave the Biz and head back to Fgo yesterday afternoon.

2. Weddings, weddings, WEDDINGS! - Last weekend the BF and I not only went to one wedding, but TWO! He had a family friend getting married early Saturday afternoon, and as soon as the ceremony was over, we high-tailed it out of there and drove 20 minutes to my mom's hometown (where he is from as well) and attended my cousin's wedding, reception and dance. In two days, a friend of mine will be getting married, lake-side in Minnesota. It's going to be a small wedding, but I am super pumped. After this weekend I will have attended 4 weddings between June and July and have a couple more before the end of September!

3. LOVE my sisters - Just wanted to point out that I have two wonderful sisters that constantly remind me of how blessed we are to have each other and our family! My youngest sister who has faced her own challenges and difficulties growing up (health-wise and educationally) has been working minimal hours in a nursing home but has worked her way up to almost a full-time employee! I am so proud of her! My other sister is facing a challenge in regards to her health as of last week, but in the midst of learning more about it and trying to figure things out, she appears to be quite a trooper and continues to stay pretty positive. I know she is worried about continuing to train for our triathlon which is less than 5 weeks out, but I reminded her that she is a natural athlete and should focus on her health first, and see where she is at in a couple weeks, then decide. I don't know if she wants me to share with the blogworld what she is dealing with, but please send positive thoughts her way.

(me, baby sis, middle sis)

Three Things Thursday

1. Where does the time go? The past couple of weeks have been a whirlwind. I don't know where the time has gone, but it's been crazy busy. Why is it that when you have more time on your hands, you seem to have more things to do and struggle to get them done? I think I only have 5 weeks until my next triathlon and less than 3 weeks until we go to San Diego!

2. Do you believe bad things come in threes? Do you believe that good things can come in threes? Last week I noticed wet carpets in one of the spare bedrooms in the basement. After fixing the discharge hose on the sump pump on the outside of the house, calling carpet cleaners (hard to get anyone's help unless it's an emergency), watching them rip my carpet back, rip out carpet padding, put holes in the sheet rock to see if it's moldy and insulation is wet, pay a hefty bill to have them do that and set up 5 turbo fans to dry it out... I am not liking this homeowner business. In addition to those fun things, I bought a car the same week. Crazy.

3. With the flexibility of having the rest of my summer off, I am taking advantage of it in full force. I will be in the Biz for a while, probably a week or so... watch the BF's softball game tonight, cousin's wedding saturday evening, possibly squeeze in another wedding with the BF before then, if time - help the 'rents epoxy the new garage, and if the weather is nice Monday I might try and take my god-daughter to the water park.

Three Things Thursday

1. Once again, I am amping up my workouts and struggling immensely with my nutrition. I feel that every time I start getting on a roll with my workouts (and rest days), I start feeling sluggish and can't kick that feeling. It's frustrating and I want to figure this nutrition thing out, asap! Any suggestions, tri-peeps? I am on the verge of scheduling an appointment with a nutritionist...

2. A couple girlfriends and I finally got in our "girls night out"! We have been wanting to see the movie Last Song since April I believe but finally got to go last night! We waited so long that the movie was in the cheap theater, but that meant the tickets were only $2! Aftwards we grabbed a drink out on the patio of a local restaurant and caught up on each other's lives since school has been out. It was a great time!

3. Yesterday's great weather allowed Jill and I to finally to do an outdoor ride again. Our plan was to ride to a small town near the FM area and back... finishing it up with a short run. The weather was a beautiful 78 degrees with a little bit of wind. Our short 1 mile run to follow left little to be desired, however. Also, Jill struggled with numbness and tingling feeling in her hands and arms while we were riding (and has previously) - does anyone know what might be causing this?

Happy Thursday, y'all!

3 Things Thursday

1. Allergies stink! I went to bed last night with a slight headache behind my eyes. I couldn't tell if it was just a headache or allergy issues. This morning I woke with a worse headache. Caffeine from my coffee hasn't helped. Now I am sneezing a bit, so I am about to try Zyrtec-D. It's great stuff!

2. The BF and I are planning a trip for this summer! In July we will be heading to San Diego for 5 nights! We have our hotel, airfare, and rental car all taken care of! We look forward to getting in some sight seeing, time on the beach, and a Padres/Dodgers game! Those of you who have traveled to SD or live in Cali and can think of anything that we should look into, feel free to share!

3. Random thoughts and comments in response to everyone's questions this week...

• Yes, I took that photo of the sun and clouds in my last post - while I was driving back home last weekend.
• I would prefer working out in the morning before work, but now that the weather is getting nice I look forwards to getting in those runs/rides outdoors in the afternoon. It's still too dark in the morning when I would need to go.
• Many of you asked for more info on the BF? I don't know how he feels about me sharing much on here, so I am going to keep it minimal for now. He's 28, an auditor or a bank, very family-orientated, and the truly the nicest guy I have ever met. Fo reals.
• I only have one picture of the two of us from this past weekend. However, it's not the greatest and I think I would need his permission before posting. In due time, peeps.
• When we changed our FB status it was after he gave me a hard time for still being "single". So we pretty much took care of that at the same time. It was mutual. lol.
• 200 miles back home is not a 6 hour drive. I go 75-80mph... do the math! hehe
• Any other questions!?!?

3 Things Thursday

1. Like never before, I have been dealing with nasty calf/feet cramps. Mom thinks I am drinking too much water and flushing out my electrolytes. Maybe mom's really do know best. :) So during my run yesterday I drank water with a little something something in it - Nuun. I use the Tri Berry flavor and love love love it.

2. I NEED new running shoes. BAD. I think I realize this at about the same time I realize I need to get my hair cut - when it's well over due. The shoes I have right now look like their in good shape, but I feel like my feet are sliding all over the place in them. I checked out Scheel's after my run yesterday and they had ZERO pairs of Brooks Trance. Supposedly they are out of last year's style and probably not getting the new style in until June 1 or July 1. The guy didn't know for sure. Some help he was. I can't wait 1-2 months to get new shoes! Dang.

3. I skipped swim team this morning. I just didn't have it in me and have already swam 2500Yds between Sunday's triathlon and Tuesday's practice. As much as I was disappointed that I didn't make it (since I am paying for it) it was nice to try and get an extra hour of sleep. Once again, I am having a hard time falling asleep and sleeping through the nights this week. This is so not like me, because I usually can fall asleep shortly after my head hits the pillow, whether it's 8pm or 10pm, and can sleep for 8+ hours if given the chance. It's so frustrating, but I think it might be stress related. I am not overly stressed, just extremely busy at work and such.

3 Things Thursday

1. Triathlon!
I have my first triathlon of 2010 in 3 days! I am so excited I can barely stand it. It's been 2 years since I did an indoor triathlon, so I am looking forward to seeing what kind of improvements I have made! (Oh my, what if I didn't make any?!)

An indoor triathlon is set up a bit different from the typical sprint triathlon. You earn points based on the distance you have gone in a set time frame.

• The swim is 10 minutes (earn points based on the number of lengths.)
• T1 - transitioning from the pool to the bike - 10 minutes.
• Bike for 30 minutes.
• T2 - transitioning from the bike to the treadmill - 5 minutes.
• Run for 20 minutes.

What's my goal this time around? Last time I swam 17.5 lengths, biked 11.4 miles, and ran 0.55 miles. If I were to have a B Goal, it would be to beat my previous distance in all 3 areas. But...My A Goal?

• Swim: 19.5 lengths
• Bike: 15 miles
• Run: 1.75 miles

2. Grad Class
After waaaayyyy too much procrastinating, I am almost finished with my grad paper. I actually punished myself by staying late after work yesterday to work on it...until I had to go to swim practice. There were no distractions (read: TV) at work.

This is my first class of 6 for my ASD credential and I am starting to question why am I taking grad classes again!? I mean seriously! Wasn't I just doing this 3 years ago? The paper needs to be post-marked by May 2nd.... which I think is an absolute joke because May 2nd is a Sunday and you can't mail anything on Sundays which makes the post-marked date actually May 1st and now I have May 2nd stuck in my head and have to change my mindset to May 1st which actually gives me one less day to work on it and I am feeling cheated. lol...... *sigh*

3. Roses...
....just because...

3 Things Thursday

1. Work - There are only 27 days left of school; less than 5 weeks. That scares me because I still have to hold a handful of meetings and finish a tedious amount of paperwork. Time is running out, people! The kids are still working very hard and haven't shown many signs of spring fever, yet. It's great, but I know it's only a matter of time before they start talking more about summer plans than multiplication arrays, comparing and contrasting information, or what a complete sentence looks like...

2. Earth Day - Everyday should be Earth Day! What are you doing to make a difference? I am trying to make things more green around my house: recycling, using green light bulbs, etc.

"Man must feel the earth to know himself and recognize his values.... God made life simple. It is man who complicates it." ~Charles A. Lindbergh, Reader's Digest, July 1972

"Earth provides enough to satisfy every man's need, but not every man's greed." ~ Mohandas K. Gandhi

3. Training - The past couple of days I was feeling a bit exhausted and know it had more to do with nutrition and sleep than it did with over-doing my workouts. So, after a horrible night's sleep, I decided to skip swim practice this morning. I made the decision at 4am when I was tossing and turning, but struggled to sleep much more after that. Grrr. My schedule called for a swim this morning and a short run this afternoon/evening. When I looked over my schedule from the past week I realized I haven't had a full rest day since a week ago yesterday. I have managed to swim 4100 Yds, bike 45 miles, run 12 miles and go to BodyPump class once within the last 7 days. It's time. I am going to rest today and get back at it tomorrow!

3 Things Thursday

3 Things that make me smile:

1. My students! I work primarily with 5th graders this year and am getting sad thinking about sending them over to the middle school. I have worked with most of them for 2 years (some 3) and am pleased to have such a great group of kiddos. This morning they had dress rehearsal for their music program and it was awesome! It was very patriotic and a tear jerker for me!
2. Successful training! I am feeling stronger and needing less recover time between workouts. I have been going to BodyPump class once a week, usually Mondays, and have been able to recover faster from that as well. Actually, I have been able to incorporate the "daddy" weight into my lunges and squats! Sometimes pushing myself through "heavy legs" has helped with recovery as well. I am finding that my rest days are probably my best or easiest days to fit in at least a half hour of yoga, considering I have been getting in a couple two-a-days per week.
3. Nice weather! Yesterday temps reached 74 degrees here in Fargo, ND! The sun was shining, I had my windows down while driving, and was tempted to turn the air on on the house. It reached almost 80 degrees upstairs. I slept with my bedroom window open! It's great!
   

Three Things Thursday - With Pictures

1. Here are the before and after pics from my recent hair cut and color... it was needed bad. Did I mention that I could barely get and keep my swim cap on? And it's a headache to have in a ponytail when it gets too long. The color is hard to tell, but there's more blonde...just in time for summah!

Before...

After...

2. Here's some lovely photos of my parents neighborhood in Bismarck, ND. These were taken on my way home Friday morning (before Easter) after a 8 inch snow storm/showers that included snow, sleet, rain, snow thunder (yes, that's for real), ice, etc. This storm killed our power at home for the afternoon, but left some homes and nearby towns without power for a few days.

3. I attended two wedding showers this past weekend - one was a cousin, the other was a cousin's fiance. At the second one, we had to work in teams and create a wedding dress. Guess who was volunteered to be the "bride"? Yeah, that was me. Actually our team was pretty creative and competitive.... and I am sure a couple of my teammates are still wondering why we came in second place! It was fun though!

Three Things Thursday

1. I was bound to hit a wall right? Given the fact that I am still recovering from this dang sinus infection, increased my workouts the past couple days, and haven't had a rest day since Friday (when I came down with the sickness)... I was bound to crash right? Yesterday morning I was so sore and completely EXHAUSTED. It didn't help that the day before was a long day and quite draining - physically and mentally - and I KNOW I didn't eat as well as I should have, or enough. Live and learn.
2. Last night I chose to do swim team then, rather than this morning. Swim team is offered T/Th from 545 to 7am or Wednesday night from 6-7pm. I make sure I go two times a week to get my dollars worth. Wednesday night and Thursday morning practices are the same, so I usually do T/Th. I enjoyed having practice last night, but I ended up with a huge cramp in my left calf midsession. We were doing a lot of sprints last night, and it got really bad when I was finishing a 50yd sprint. I was afraid I wasn't going to get to the other end of the pool. Scary. I don't know what the deal is - maybe I am dehydrated. So I ate an extra large banana when I got home and guzzled 20 oz of water. My calf is still sore.
3. I am loving my TriPower. Many of you have asked about this and my workouts. I forget that I have a lot of new followers/readers (welcome!) since I first started talking about this almost a year ago. I have to actually give Carolina John (over at Smoke Training) props for bringing this glorious book to my attention! You can also click HERE to read my first post about it from almost a year ago. Or, you can click HERE to purchase your copy. Seriously, it's great! If anyone wants any more information or personal testimony from me, I am more than willing to do a follow-up post on it! Just let me know!

Three Things Thursday

1. Kids are sick ... then I am sick. Not usually, but right now 9 out of 10 of my kids are coughing and snot-nosed and spreading it everywhere. I would have never thought that I would be teaching 5th graders the proper etiquette to blowing their nose. Now I am fighting some sort of cold or allergies.
2. The sump pump in my house is music to my ears. Well, not really. I find myself keep track of the time between runs, and it seems like it is running every 40 minutes now. At least I know it's keeping the water out of my basement.
3. I look forward to a weekend of college hoops and college hockey. March Madness games begin today ... I only filled out 5 brackets for 5 different "bets". Today kicks off the WCHA Final 5 as well. My alma mater, UND, plays Minnesota Duluth tonight and then Denver (gasp) tomorrow night. It should be a nice relaxing weekend, right!?