New Challenges

I did survive my 5 mile run this past week with NO PAIN!

I also survived my first 5 day week back to work (somewhat painful...)

And I have found out that I will be teaching 5th grade, starting on HALLOWEEN!!!

If you haven't read my last post, I was waiting on my principal's decision to move me to the 5th grade teacher position that will be open at my school at the end of October. I have many reasons for wanting to make the move from special education to a regular ed classroom. Job security, working with people I love, and getting to teach kids I already know and love are just a few of the reasons. I am very excited, but a nervous wreck. The next 2 months will be a process of saying good-bye to my old job and preparing for my new one. A challenge I am looking forward to!

As for running, I have been so exhuasted this week, getting into a new routine has presented it's challenges for my training schedule. I managed a 2 mile run and a 1 mile hill walk/run. Cross training consisted of Yoga Meltdown (with Jillian Micheals-I have become a fan of her workout videos).  A 6 mile run will happen sometime this weekend. Another challenge I am looking forward to. Wish me luck!

As for eating, back to school means back to junk food, unfortunately. My well-meaning co-workers often bring donuts, muffins and other sugar and carb filled goodies.

I have no self-control, especially when peer pressure is involved! Thankfully, I lost around 6 lbs this summer and I am starting to get into the longer running distances in my training, so I have less guilt than I should. And I definitely do not eat as much of these things as I used to. But I can tell a difference in the way I feel when I eat that stuff.  I do eat salads, fruits and veggies for lunch everyday, and typically eat a light dinner. When it comes to friends providing me with sugar, I just can't say no. My new mantra: MUST HAVE SELF-CONTROL!!!

How do you control your sweet-tooth and food related peer pressure?

Any advice from fellow teachers to help me prepare for my debut as a classroom teacher??

An Unexpected Day Off

Working and blogging apparently don't work well together for me...hence the last post being from last Wednesday. I started back to work last Thursday, and today was suppposed to be the first day of school in my school district. BUT IT WAS CANCELED! How often does that happen? First day of school...canceled!

Saturday we had a pretty mighty storm that literally blew through the city (70 mph winds) and 150,000 people lost power. That included about 48 schools. As of last night, there were still around a dozen schools without power, so classes for the first day were canceled. I got an unexpected day off. What to do, what to do??


Running

Over the last 4 days, I have been taking the dog out for a quick 1 mile run at night. Thank God the weather has been cooler and actually bearable to run in. I have taken my iPhone with me and used several different apps with GPS to track my mileage and time. Here's my last 3 runs:

Thursday - 1 mile - 12:00  (really fast for me!)

Saturday - 1 mile - 11:14  (fastest time thus far!)

Sunday - 2 miles - 27:58  (what the heck, Cindy?)

What the heck happened last night? Shins were screaming, so I stopped at 2 when I was supposed to do 5. I knew from the first few seconds of that run that I wasn't going to make it 5. I know my body and can definitely tell when it's going to be a crappy run early on. I'd rather have a slow, short run than no run at all, I guess. 

Ripped in 30

I am on week 4 now, and I am just going to continue a few times a week, mixing up which week a do from this point on. I really, really love this workout. And I really, really hate this workout. 

I love it because it has changed my body. Running has done a lot for my confidence and cardiovascular endurance. But I never lost weight. And I really didn't build much muscle. Ripped in 30 has given me a weight loss boost (just a few pounds, but still good for someone petite like me) and I can see a difference in the muscle tone in my arms and legs. I feel stronger. I have "slimmed down" as my husband has told me. He says I've lost weight in my face. That's interesting. 

I think a combo of running and this workout have been the 1-2 punch that I needed to build strength and lose a little weight. I would highly recommend it to anyone looking for a quick strength workout for cross-training. I hope now that I'm going back to work I can keep it up. 

Today I guess I will do a Ripped in 30 workout, take the little one for allergy shots and run some errands. I need a running break today to let my shins rest. I will try to run again tomorrow, hopefully completing the 4 miles on my schedule. Today is one of those days I think that a half marathon is not in the cards for me. But a big part of me says don't give up. Only time will tell...

I'm baaaaack!

Did you even realize I was gone?? Here's an update of what's being going on...

Work

Been a wild and crazy week so far, with no slowing down for the next 2 days. It's that time of year when teachers start getting ready for the new school year by spending countless hours in professional development, meetings and setting up our classrooms, or for me, my closet.

I am a resource teacher, so I spend most of my time in other teacher's classrooms working with kids that need extra support, as well as teaching with the classroom teachers. But I do have a small room that I share with someone, and I use it to pull kids out that need one-on-one help or for testing, etc. Unpacking, rearranging and paperwork have consumed the last 3 days. I'm ready for the kids, but I really am not ready for all the "logistical" and "political" parts of my job.

Speaking of political, I wanted to share this awesome video clip of Matt Damon going apesh*t on a reporter asking a question about teachers having incentives for test scores and job performance:

Training

I've had good days and bad days, as expected. Saturday's long run of 3 miles was pushed back to Sunday because Saturday was so busy. But I got it done. Not gonna lie. It. was. hard. I began to rethink the whole half-marathon thing. Again. But that was nothing compared to Monday. That was my first full day back to work. I was exhausted. It was a cross-train day, so I did Ripped in 30, at least I did most of it, and called it a night. Again, I am not a morning workout person, so going back to work then taking care of the little one, and finally working out at the end of the night was tough. I had forgotten how tough. 

Last night was a repeat of Monday night. Except, I was supposed to run 3 miles. Again. When I got home from work, we swam in our neighbor's pool for over an hour. I did lots of laps, and some with kids hanging on me. So needless to say, I was wiped out. So I modified my schedule and only did 1 mile. I would have done more if my chest didn't feel like it was going to explode. Sharp pain when I breathe. Weird side effect of swimming?? ever had that happen?

Today is back to cross-training. I'm thinking walking at an incline on the treadmill while watching Big Brother sounds like a plan. Maybe a little Ripped in 30 before that starts...I dunno. We'll see.

Five Thing Friday

Because I'm not cool enough to come up with "15 Thing Friday" like Cely, here's my 5 things:

1. I am super excited to go see Bad Teacher tonight with some of my teacher friends! We will be having dinner and drinks before hand, and maybe even some birthday cake. We found out after ordering a birthday cake for one teacher friend that she could not make it to the dinner, so what do good friends do, eat her cake for her!! Also, can't wait for Justin Timberlake on the big screen, in all his nerdy "teacher" outfits! So hot!!

2. Speaking of J.T., here's the video of him and Jimmy Fallon doing "History of Rap Part 2". So great...




3. I went to an Optometrist yesterday to have my eyes checked. I have had horrible headaches, dizziness and nausea all summer, brought on by spending time on the computer reading, writing (blogging!), using my iPhone to play games or read stuff on the internet, and just reading a book. So, long story short, my vision is 20/15 which is better than 20/20, but I have what is called "Accommodative Insufficiency" and I have to have Vision Therapy starting next week. Apparently the old eye muscles are weak and are struggling to focus at things up close. Glasses would have just been a crutch, and with therapy, the muscles will strengthen and the headaches from straining will go away. Guess I've been spending too much time working on other muscles in my body!! Can't wait to learn how to do eye exercises!

4. It's still hotter than Hades outside, like my Mom always says. I've been saying this all along:

5. I'm almost done with week 2 of Ripped in 30. I have noticed improvement in my ab strength, and some of the other exercises have become easier as the week goes on. However, I STILL HATE THE PLANK. Apparently, Jillian thinks it's funny to make someone plank and do other impossible movements while in the plank pose.

I have no upper body strength, although I am getting stronger, and my arm muscles are becoming more defined. My wrists feel like they are going to snap when I am planking. Even on my knees (the modified position). That's why I don't do push-ups.

Does anyone else have this problem, or is it just my little weak wrists?? I have had carpel tunnel syndrome in the past and have had to wear a brace on my wrist from over use injuries. Somehow, my weak wrists paired with my weak arms, cannot support my upper body in the plank pose. But I'll keep trying. It's all I can do!

I call this "Satan's pose"

Another Teacher Day And Why I Will Always Strength Train

Today I was in another lovely all day professional development session, but this time, no physical stuff. I really think these meetings where I sit all day are the worst. I cannot sit all day, I am a little ADHD (self diagnosed!). This was the first time I had to sit and focus in a long time, so I was really done by 2:00. And these little treats did not help the situation...

Don't get me wrong, it was a good session, just too long for me to sit. We did do some activities that were related to the new math standards that we will be teaching this coming year. Here's a sample of what my group did to show our strategies for solving a difficult math word problem:

This is what we would ask kids to do in a group to practice solving problems and having discourse about math with their peers. I love this kind of teaching. Inquiry based, student-directed and meaningful.

On to my running (or lack thereof). I have not ran since Sunday night. I took a rest day yesterday because of all the physical stuff we did in my training. I should have ran anyway, because today my glutes and hamstrings are screamin'!!! A little run will loosen them up, but Satan Jillian and her strength training is going to have to wait until tomorrow. I could easily do the upper body stuff, but lower body strength training is not happening.

Speaking of strength training, I read an article Weights Vs. Cardio: Your Guide To The Perfect Body (as if...). I have recently become aware of the need to strengthen my body by cross-training, which includes strength training. I have been injured in the past from just running and doing nothing else.

"It's not that running as an exercise is bad, but it puts a fair amount of stress on your muscles and joints. Recreational runners can have injuries caused by weakness in the core and hip-stabilizing muscles. The better plan is to take time to develop the muscles of your core and hips first instead of jumping off the couch and running three miles."

"For the hip stabilizers, start off with basic single-leg exercises like split-squats, lunges and step-ups. For the core, exercises like front planks, side planks and bird dogs will help get you stronger and more stable, making you much less likely to injure yourself when you do decide to run that 5K."

Read more: http://www.livestrong.com/article/421082-weights-vs-cardio-your-guide-to-the-perfect-body/#ixzz1SbG8rwaG

I cannot say enough about Ripped in 30. Though I may complain, I love the way my body is changing. Running changed my body, yes, but not in the same intense way as a little strength training has. I look more toned, I am losing weight (which I have not from running) and I feel stronger. Holding my 4 year old does not wear me out in 2 minutes like it used to.

I am stronger at 32 years old than I have ever been in my life. I'm not saying you need to go out and buy Jillian's DVD's or even any workout "program", heck, you could strength train with some hand weights on your own and get results. But for me, I needed directions on what to do and how long to do it in order to be successful.

Running is definitely improving my cardiovascular health, as well as my mental health. But because I haven't been running extremely long distances, there hasn't been a whole lot in the way of weight loss or improve strength. Yes, my calves have gotten more muscular from running, but the rest of my legs and body have been lacking. Since I have been strength training, I have been able to run longer distances without walking, and I am improving my time per mile by a few seconds every time I run. I highly recommend strength training to anyone, runner or not, in order to improve your overall fitness, lose weight or to just feel better. I know I do.

Will run for ice cream...

Today's weather was more like your typical summer day. Hot but not so humid. Satan decided to release us from his armpit for a few days...we'll see how long that lasts. Thanks a lot, Satan.

Here's a recap of the last 2 days' workouts:

Tuesday:
Elliptical - 20 mins.
Treadmill - walk at 4% incline for 15 mins. (1 mile)
Day 6 of Ripped in 30

I was feeling a little extra energetic and mixed it up a little. We have an elliptical, but in my opinion, elliptical workouts suck. My least favorite form of exercise.  It doesn't get used much. So I dusted it off, did as much as I could stand and then walked on the 'mill. Then it was on to week 2 (day 6) of Ripped in 30. All I can say is, crap. I'm screwed. Today I am very sore, therefore I did not attempt to do day 7 yet. I know my body and I know I need to rest those muscles. Week 2 is going to be the death of me. But I will finish!

Today:
Treadmill - 2 mile tempo run

This was hard, I really had to push myself. I don't know about anybody else, but running does not come easy to me most days, and today was just like most days. Good news, though, I got a mile PR for the second mile. I have cut about a minute of my mile time since spring. Not bad for a non-athletic lazy bum. Still slow, though, and I'm sure I always will be. 

I have found a training schedule that works for me, and I am going to listen to my body and only run 3-4 days, cross-train 2-3 days and rest one day. That is what I have been doing, and I have been getting faster, as well as increasing distance.

The training schedule that I have from the "elite athletes that create training schedules" requires 5 days of running, with 4 of those being consecutive. Not for me. I will injury myself that way. I need to build strength through cross training. It's the only way I am going to stay injury free and be strong enough to run 13.1.

Here's some pics from today's activities:

A yummy snack...

Playground fun...(thanks to better weather!)

A nice cold treat...

 A nice cold treat all over our face...

 And some blogging...

Questions for you...

I have been keeping a list of questions related to running my half-marathon this November. I've searched online and read what the "pros" have to say, but I'm really interested in finding out what other runners like myself do when training for half and full marthons. If you want to answer any or all of these questions for me, I'd be so thankful for your wisdom. Just leave your answers in the comment section, please and number them for me. I am going to answer them with what I am currently doing. Here goes:

1. Do you train for races outside, inside on a treadmill, or both?

• Lately, due to weather, I have been training inside on the treadmill. I want to run outside more when it cools down some.

2. Do you buy new shoes for a big race and then break them in a few weeks prior or stick with what you've trained in?

• My only experience with this was last years half, and I wore the shoes I trained in. Had no problems, but I walked pretty much the whole thing.

3. Do you pay attention to, or track your heart rate during runs?

• I am very interested in doing this. I am buying a Garmin with a heart rate monitor. I want to learn how to monitor this and use it to my advantage during training. 

4. The only hills I have really run for this training are on my treadmill. A 10% incline was like death for me. How do you train for hills?

• At 10% on my treadmill, I can only run for like a minute. In my neighborhood, there are some pretty big hills, but most are short and quick. I typically have to slow down and even walk sometimes.  I am working on hills on the treadmill 1 day a week. 

5. Do you cross train? What kind of activities do you do?

• I walk, do elliptical and fitness videos for strength. I would like to bike and swim more. Just too hard with a little one. 

Last one, I promise!

6. What is your favorite piece of running gear/clothing/shoes?

• I love my Brooks Ariel's. I am sure I would love my Garmin if I had one!

Thanks for answering my silly questions. I appreciate it!

Count Your Blessings

I struggled with what to post today.

My day started by attending the wake of a 13 year old former student that drowned a week ago. He was in a 5th grade class that I co-taught in 2 years ago, and his younger siblings still attend our school. We were all devistated, needless to say, by this young life ending in such a tragic way. Our local paper said that all he wanted to do was play professional football and get his mom out of the difficult conditions (poverty and violence) she and his siblings are living in. He was a hard working, good kid with a kind heart. Plain and simple.

I tell this story because I had to take some time today to reflect on what is important in my life and to really feel the emotion of grief for his family but also to refocus my priorities regarding my own family. And to realize that no matter how bad I think it may be, it could always be worse. I'm glad I had my pity party yesterday and got it all out.

Life is precious. It's funny how it takes a tragedy so close to home to cause you to count your blessings.

 Workout

Tonight was day 2 (of week 1) of Ripped in 30. I put in a little more effort on the abs today. It took my by surprise how difficult the same exercises were on the second day in a row. My muscles were definitely fatigued and sore from day 1, so I am going to skip tomorrow and resume day 3 on Friday. I am also going to hit the pavement with the doggy again in a few. That was refreshing last night to get out and just run, no pressure.

The Pity Party is Over

Today I had my pity party. I was the only guest. I spent a good portion of the day laying around upset, crying, frustrated, and just feeling sorry for myself. There were several reasons why. Some involved running and my body, some reasons were financial and some were just plain stupid stuff.

So now the party's over. I put on my big girl panties and decided it was time to move on.

Sunday and Monday, I was fortunate enough to swim in my neighbors pool. I forgot how much of a workout it can be. Just running around the pool carrying some kids on my back wore me out like no other workout has done in a while! It was really nice to invite myself be asked to swim on such hot days!

Tonight I began working out using Jillian Micheal's "Ripped in 30" workout DVD. I started with week 1. It wasn't easy, but it wasn't as hard as I expected, either. That gave me a confidence boost. Let's see how long that confidence sticks around once I move on to weeks 2, 3 and 4!

Ripped in 30

This video uses the 3, 2, 1 method. Basically, it's a 24 minute workout. There's a warm-up then you head into 3 minutes of strength, 2 minutes of cardio and 1 minute of abs. This repeats 4 times for a total of 24 minutes. The activities change each round, so it does not get boring. A short cool-down at the end involves light stretching.

I found the cardio to be easy, maybe because I've been running and also doing the Cardio Max DVD, which involves 20 minutes straight cardio work. So 2 minutes seemed like a piece of cake! The strength activites invovled hand weights and were challenging but not horrible. The 1 minute of ab work was pure torture. I'm the first to admit I have no ab strength. I've really, really got to work on that. I will keep you updated on the progress!
(side note: I am not being paid to review or use this product, I just wanted to share my cross training activities with you)

Then, right around dusk, I took my dog Heidi out for a "walk". Now, Heidi is an Irish Setter and she was born to run. She takes off like a rocket for the first tenth of a mile. So we did some jogging, alternating with very fast walking. We did 1 mile around the neighborhood, and I felt great! I forgot how good it felt to get outside, quit worrying about the numbers on the treadmill and just do it!

Heidi

So maybe running and I aren't going to take a break after all. Maybe we just need to see other people and then meet in a new environment, namely outside. I have been so focused on time, speed, and distance that I lost the love for it. Before my half marathon training starts in a few weeks, I need to take some time to work on strength (especially those abs) and to get out and run for the fun of it. No pressure, just me and the road.

And maybe the dog. 

Heidi, collapsed after a run

OH. MY. GOD.

OMG! I just (finally) registered for the half-marathon I have been pondering over for the last month! Ahhhhhh! No turning back now. My heart feels like it is going to jump out of my chest! I guess because I had a good run this morning I felt moved to 'just do it'! Wow, I'm still in shock!

www.lscmarathon.com

 Now comes the hard part...training for this race starts at the end of July. The actual race is on November 12th. So essentially, I have 4 months to get myself used to running longer distances at a reasonable pace...piece of cake, right??? God, help me...

In other exciting news, Fit Crafty English Teacher is giving away a pair of Auria Earphones. She tested them out herself and had great things to say about them. If you are like me, earphones are very important because music is what keeps me going during those long workouts! Head over to Megan's blog, the giveaway ends on Friday, July 8th. I just realized that because I am sharing the news of this giveaway, it really lessens the chance that I will win...in that case, stay away!!!!!! (Just kidding, Megan!)

Yesterday was a cross-training day, so I did The Biggest Loser's Cardio Max DVD. Let's just say bending over, getting dressed and reaching for things has not been fun today. Very sore. But it's a good, "hey, where did those muscles come from" kind of sore. Bob never fails to kick my butt. I do this video at least once every 2 weeks and I have stuck to level one because I felt like level 2 and 3 were easier than level 1, and they are also 10 minutes shorter.

Today I had a good 2 mile run and I had a PR for that distance! As I've said before, my PR is slower than most people speed walk, but that's okay, I'm slowly shaving time off. I am cutting out the walk breaks and when I do take them they are very short. Hopefully by November, I won't get passed by speed walkers in the half-marathon.  If I do, I'll just yell obscenities, turn my iPod up louder and keep running. I'll get to that finish line, slowly but surely...

Let it go and move on

I have realized that I have to accept some things, like them or not, and move on.

For example, I have to accept that June is almost over. For those of you that work year round, I apologize, but for those of us who have a break in the summer (a.k.a. teachers) know what I'm talking about. I love my job and couldn't imagine doing anything else, but it is a high stress, high energy job that I don't think I could do year round without some kind of counseling! Seriously though, I am a little disturbed that June is almost gone because I have gotten nothing done that I had plan to do...other than starting this blog. My house is a mess, my scrapbooks are years behind and my plans to make some extra $$ by having a yard sale have not panned out yet. Oh well, there's always July...

Another example of something I need to accept is that I cannot run 3 days in a row or 5 out of 7 days a week. My body cannot handle it at this point in my "running life".

I have to find other ways to make myself stronger and burn off all the fat that I inhale at every meal. That's where I have fallen short. My bike has flat tires, so I haven't ridden it in forever. My elliptical is a piece of garbage that squeaks and has no resistance (we bought it really cheap years and years ago). So I jump on old faithful the dreadmill and run. Occasionally I walk. Once a week I do a CardioMax DVD. But I'm still putting stress on the same muscles and joints.

So I am learning to accept that running a mile or two 5 days a week is not going to give me that strength I want, or make me faster. Cross-training will.

I also need to accept that it's okay to not run outside at this point in the year. I have been running on the treadmill for the last month because I am such a wuss. I guess because I've never ran outside in the heat before, I'm afraid to even try. Today's forecast is not horrible, but it is humid (shocking, I know):

Looks to me like it is going to gradually get hotter, so now would be the best time to just get out there and do it. But who am I kidding. Unless I go out to run at 9 pm, it's not going to happen, at least not outside.

Another thing I am struggling to forgive myself for is the way I have been eating the last few days. I have had some major stomach/lower intestinal issues for over a week now and salads and fruits have not been my friend. But it's okay to listen to my body and eat some "comfort" foods every once in a while, especially when I am sick. As long as I don't get back into the habit of eating that way all day every day, it's not the end of the world.

So my question to you is, what are you struggling to accept or forgive yourself for?