never settle for less than your best

a whirlwind of a weekend

2011-03-29T19:55:00.000-04:00

Every week it seems I am just trying to get to the weekend... and then the weekend comes and flies by!! While this weekend didn't have any major events, it surely filled up quick!
Saturday morning started bright and early at 7:30 with a trip to the gym. I wanted to elliptical before my massage!

I had an appointment in RI for a massage with Jeff's massage therapist, Michaele. Not only is she an awesome massage therapist, but she's a former physical therapist, so she knows a lot about the body... AND she's all about natural healing and healthy eating, so we totally hit it off! AND she's lactose intolerant like me too, so that was a double bonus.

Her sanctuary was so peaceful... the smell, the music, the warmth, it was incredibly relaxing. That is it was incredibly relaxing until she got to work. She started on my "good side"... which wasn't too good in her book and she managed to find a few nasty knots on my right glute/ hip area. Then it was on to the left side.... dum dum dum. Michaele told me there are 3 levels where knots lie... and yes I have some down in level 3, meaning they're deep down in there. I guess the years of wear and tear and many miles have really twisted some fibers in there and created a nest of knots. I guess that's why I am so tight and sore? Well, only part of it... I mentioned that my left leg is longer, I have scoliosis, etc. and she asked if I wear the lift that I was given back in college, which I don't. (It's 3/8'')... but it makes my shoe fit weird, so I just figured let my body compensate. Well, maybe it's catching up with me.

Yesterday I called primary care and got a referral to see a podiatrist in a couple of weeks-- I'm thinking that orthotics with a little extra lift built into the right insert will help to level my hips off and hopefully in time will help to correct my alignment AND hopefully my hamstring on the left side won't also be so tight/ at risk of being pulled, which it feels like it slightly is right now.

Slight tangent there, let's rewind to Saturday again! Ok so after the massage it was errands and sight seeing of Jeff's hometown, in MA, not RI.

Then it was on to dinner after food shopping... on the menu: FALAFEL! Now neither of us had made it before, but I was just given the recipe and it sounded good!

Falafel:
1 can chickpeas
1 medium onion, chopped
3 cloves garlic, chopped
5 tbs parsley or cilantro, chopped
1 tsp coriander
1 tsp salt
1 tsp baking powder
zest/ rind of a lemon and some juice for flavor
1 egg (we didn't use an egg and it was a little dry... a binder would have been better, next time!)
breadcrumbs

Basically we put all of chopped ingredients in a bowl, along with mashed chickpeas. Then we made mini ball out of them, probably about an inch and a half in diameter? I didn't want them too big or they'd take forever to cook and I was hungrrrrry!

We put them in the oven for about 10 minutes (along with the lasagna I was making Jeff to get him through the week!)... then rolled them in breadcrumbs and sauteed them on the stove--- didn't want to fry them, they were a lot healthier this way!

here's Jeff mixing it up!

after baking them, I put them on the stove... I kind of pressed them down a bit to give them more of a crust

Finally, we took wheat pita bread, cut it in half, and put the falafel inside atop a bed of spinach, super yum!! Next time pita chips and hummus are a must too.

And there was a lasagna cooking too...
Jeff requested a turkey lasagna... so I cooked up some ground turkey, then layered it between lasagna noodles, along with sauce, ricotta, and mozzarella!

The finished product:

After eating and cleaning up it was time for a fire and a movie... just what the doctor ordered! Although I'm hoping that the temps warm up and it won't be sitting in front of a fire weather for too much longer... unless it's a campfire of course!

Sunday morning felt quite lazy... but then it was back to reality and getting work and errands done, by the time I had checked everything off my list it was already 7 o'clock and time to eat dinner and get ready for a busy week!

My kiddos are taking MCAS this week. Today was session 1, tomorrow session 2. They're too funny, in fact they told me today that it was fun! I guess that's a good thing, let's just hope they answered the questions completely and correctly!!

not a success... but not a complete failure

2011-03-24T19:26:00.000-04:00

So for the past 3 weeks I haven't been running, only cross training while the pull/ knots in my butt are trying to heal and work out. I really don't know exactly what I did about 3 weeks ago, but I do know that 3 weeks ago I was limping when I walked... I would hobble onto the elliptical and get off and my whole left leg would stiffen up. That's not the case anymore.

This Saturday I am finally getting my appointment in for a massage so I'm hoping she can work out the kinks in my butt. Seriously, this really has been a major pain in the butt...although I think my condition is improving and it's made me realize the benefits of cross training. I have also decided to train smarter not harder with the new plan once I am fully back and running. Yoga has already been a great addition and I am hoping the pool (gasp) is also a good one too.

As for this week here's what I did:
Monday- Elliptical (1:20)... 10.3 miles
upper body lifting, stretching, foam rolling
Tuesday:Elliptical 77 minutes- 10 miles
Wednesday: back in the saddle for the first time in 3 weeks... 1 hour bike ride before school on the trainer
Thursday: Elliptical 55 minutes- 7 miles
Treadmill run 3 miles- 22:20 (7:27 pace average)

I don't consider today's workout a success. While I was running I wasn't loving it, like I should be. I wasn't in pain per se; however, I just had this constant tightness in my left butt cheek that wouldn't go away. I stopped once to do a quick stretch and see if it helped, but it basically felt the same. While it didn't get worse, it didn't seem to loosen up while running either. I'm not sure what this means. One thing I do think is true is that the treadmill is messing up my form... I don't have a perfect stride since my left leg is 3/8 in longer than my right and I think the treadmill is almost restricting me from my natural style. Maybe? Maybe I am just making things up. Either way, I don't plan on running again tomorrow and probably won't run again before the massage Saturday.

I don't consider today's workout a complete failure either though. I was able to walk off the treadmill not limping and proceed to foam roll and stretch for a while. As I sit here it's not bothering me, although when I walk I have a feeling in my hip like I need to crack or pop it.

Looking at things positively I am able to cross train now completely pain free and I'm able to walk around without hobbling. I'm wondering if a couple more weeks off of running is all I need? I hope?! Or should I be running through it? I wish I could just be told do x, y, and z and you'll be good to go, unfortunately the body is a funny thing and you have to respond to how it acts. So I guess that's what I'll do. Looking at the big picture I'd like to be enjoying running this spring and summer... so if it means ellipticalling (is that really a verb? is now.) until the warmer temps come, then I guess that's what I'll do....

One thing I know I am sure of and that is I couldn't be happier that tomorrow is finally FRIDAY!

hello spring! ... and snow?!

2011-03-21T19:22:00.000-04:00

I was so excited for yesterday- the first day of Spring! Spring brings the promise of warm weather, colorful budding flowers, trees becoming green again, and some outdoor fun and exercise. Clearly mother nature isn't ready for spring to be here yet, as she gave us a rude awakening this morning... SNOW.

Now I knew snow was coming, but I thought it was going to be a dusting, nothing much. Well, I guess compared to what we've had it wasn't a lot; however, I watched it fall steadily from my classroom window from late morning through the afternoon and it never stopped! When I left school I had a good three inches of wet snow piled up... enough to have to use the brush/ scraper and wish that I had worn gloves on this fine first day of Spring.

Maybe the saying is true...March comes in like a lion and out like a lamb... although the weather last week seemed a little more lamb-like! We still have another full week + to go, then April will hopefully be snow free! I am such a more positive and upbeat person in the sunny warm weather- not that I am negative in the cold weather, but the warm weather really just makes me feel so alive and loving life! (Why am I living in MA and not a state further south?)

Before the snow hit today I enjoyed the sun this weekend, even if the only time I was really in it was out and about doing errands!

I was also thrilled with yoga on Sunday. This time I did an hour on the elliptical first and then went to yoga...so much better, I was so relaxed!! There is a new instructor who did a little less of the vinyasa flow and incorporated more hatha yoga. She started off by saying that she's done most of her training/ studying at Kripalu... so I figured she'd be great! She read a poem to start that really got my mind in the yoga mood. Not only was I able to mentally let go, but also she did some great stretching and poses to open my hips- I really felt like a new person yesterday afternoon. I NEED to keep doing this class once a week, it's really good for me mentally and physically. It's actually quite challenging for me to stay focused and on that mat for 75 minutes! (she told us from now on it would be 75 min instead of 60... I was nervous, like oh no I don't know if I can be that still and focused for so long, but I did!!)

The yoga must have stretched me out because I had NO PAIN at all today on the elliptical and wasn't stiff getting off the machine either. I did more stretching afterwards and a little upper body lifting. With Jeff's advice I am going to run this week... I am thinking probably Thursday, just a few easy miles so I can have a sense of where I'm at... and if I get really tight then it will be good info for the massage therapist on Saturday.

Time to do a little correcting and get work done so I can hopefully fall asleep at a decent hour- my body didn't cooperate last night and won't fall asleep, so I'm hoping to wind down earlier tonight!

countdown queen

2011-03-18T19:04:00.000-04:00

I love countdowns, so let's update on the current things I am counting down to...

2 days until spring :)

8 days until massage

3 weeks until unofficial test results

4 weeks until April vacation begins!

Those are the days I am counting down to in the near future... but there are some that are a little farther off:

97 days until Summer vacation

100 days until I enter my final year as a "twenty something"

104 days until my final grad school class for my cags degree

That takes me to the end of June and then it will be Summer!!
It's crazy how time flies, I can't believe that March is more than half way over already, crazy! I guess time flies when you're having fun... either that or you're so busy that sometimes you don't take time to stop and enjoy the small moments and then thinking back you realize they've already flown by.

I want to enjoy the good times, but I also don't mind that time is flying... bring on the warm weather days!

lucky me

2011-03-17T19:19:00.000-04:00

I don't exactly believe in luck... I think you have to work hard to make things happen, but "lucky me" was in my head today, probably because that's what was written on my feet! Well, actually that's what was written on my socks.

Being Irish I had to show some Irish pride today at school! I had on a very Kelly Green sweater, shamrock pin, and shamrock necklace. My kiddos dressed for the day too, we had a sea of green in 3C!

Like I said, I don't believe in luck... I believe in hard work in order to get things done. I realize though, that sometimes you don't have to work harder, you have to work smarter. This is my goal as I (knock on wood) get back into running and race training this spring. I am going to work out smarter, not harder. When I was marathon training I did a lot more running, but I don't want the marathon to be my focus anymore, I really like the half and would like to just improve my overall fitness, hence the new goal.

Here's the tentative plan-

yoga once a week (looking at my training logs I seemed to be less injured when I had yoga in my life).

bike- two times a week-- as the warmer weather comes I can't wait to take my baby off the trainer and hit the roads again for the first time since last fall's crash. (slightly scared though!)

run- three times a week-- one long run, one medium run (tempo?), one recovery or one track workout depending on a race to train for

elliptical or swim-- remaining days or use as cross training--- I have feared learning how to swim for real (let's just say I am more of a "Doggie Paddler"... I can get from one end of the pool to the other, but it isn't pretty. I need to learn some technique.)

some days I plan on mixing it up too...short run and ride or short run and elliptical.

Overall, I just want to be a lifelong healthy person and think that by mixing it up it will be better for my body in the long run (no pun intended, haha). I also think that I can not run as much, yet still be in just as good a shape and hit some good times in races too... plus I think that swimming and biking more frequently will work muscles that I don't hit while running. I also think this will help to reduce the amount of injuries I am prone too!

Time to enjoy the remainder of the day... and by "enjoy" I mean get some work done before relaxing a bit!

Happy St. Patrick's Day... here are my socks :)

feeling the yoga burn

2011-03-14T19:11:00.003-04:00

All I can say is wow! I didn't realize how long it's been since I've done yoga, but I woke up feeling the burn this morning! My arms are sore from doing so many downward dogs! It feels good though to have worked muscles that I have been neglecting! :)

Today was a development day at school, during which I did math curriculum stuff all day. While it was somewhat dull, it actually was productive. Our district is doing away with a math "program" and we're creating a pacing guide where we essential have topics of the month and just have to hunt and gather materials to use to teach for that month. So that is what today consisted of... pretty ordinary, until I looked out my window and realized it was snowing! What? Snow? I thought we were supposed to be creeping up on 50 degrees soon... looks like teaching up near the mountain the temperatures weren't creeping above freezing today, but the weatherman is saying that it's going to be in the upper 50s at the end of the week, so I'm hoping that spring really is on the way.

The gym today was pretty ordinary... the elliptical flew by since I was chatting with some other teachers that are usually there around the same time. I also did a little lifting with my arms and then lots of foam rolling and stretching. I don't know if I am just wishing it or not but I think the knot(s) in my butt are getting smaller, yay! However, for some reason after the elliptical today the sides of my shins were a little sore...I'm wondering if doing some warrior poses or something yesterday may have stretched them awkwardly? Either that or it's because I did a different elliptical after yoga yesterday and my legs weren't used to moving that way? I have my ice pack on my knee now, but will be moving it to my shin momentarily.

Since I enjoy counting down, the current countdown to spring is on... 6 more days! Until then, I still have some pretty flowers in bloom on my kitchen table to bring some color and springiness into my life!

nice little saturday

2011-03-13T19:05:00.007-04:00

Got a nice little Saturday planned... you know, maybe go to the Home Depot.." Very rarely do I quote movies since I am awful with movies!! I don't sit still for very long, hence why I don't watch a lot of movies... and when I do sit down for a movie it's usually because I am tired, so there are so many movies that I seen the beginning of, yet haven't finished! Old School (quoted) is a movie that I actually have seen start to finish and yesterday I was thinking of this quote.

Anyways, why was this quote in my head you might ask? If you thought because I had a trip to the Home Depot planned, then you were correct! After the gym and some errands it was south I went to RI. Jeff's kitchen reno has begun and I'm playing my part in advising in the decorating... I stay out of the construction piece, I know my role.

We hit up Lowe's first to check out countertops, lighting, and tiling. He wants a back splash, so we were trying to mix and match tiles with counters to see what looks good and try to find something at a good cost too. We then went to Home Depot to compare and contrast what they offered in stock and what deals they had... at the end of the day (well, afternoon), I'd say that Lowe's was definitely a winner. Not only did they have better prices, but also they had more in stock to choose from! Here's the potential winners... Jeff needs to go back this week to make the final purchase.

The glass tiles will look great as a back splash!

This is a winning combo in my book!

Adding white ceramic tiles in addition to the glass tiles will make for a good back splash... not sure if I like the white tiles vertical though, horizontal perhaps.

"Hmmm... what to choose, what to choose..."

I think this pendant light will look good above the breakfast bar... and it matches nicely with the glass tiles!

After a full day of shopping/ browsing we (at least I was) were quite tired... a dinner in was in order, that is after we got the stove working again! Living in a construction zone can have its challenges!

And after dinner there was another eventful part of the weekend... dc trip is booked!! I won't start the countdown now, but when it gets closer I will surely do so!

As for the weekend workout recap:
Saturday- Morning elliptical (75 minutes)--- followed by lots of stretching and foam rolling. Surprisingly the hip/ butt is starting to feel better! I think I am going to cross train this week though while my body still battles my sinuses or whatever I have been exposed to thanks to my kiddos' germs.

Sunday- Fulfilled my weekly yoga session!!! This is a major step for me, I find vinyasa to be kind of boring in a way, it's hard for me to focus and just do stretching and poses for an hour, I really like to be moving instead. But I did it and will continue to do it because I could tell how tight it was! We did a bunch of hip openers and I was like... wow, I really need to work on this!! I followed the class up with an hour on the elliptical--- and feel great, although sore!! I forgot how much I use my arms in yoga, we did a lot of sun salutations and planks... my arms are feeling the burn, in a good way!! I also did my hip and butt exercises on the mat while waiting for the class to start. Good news is that I haven't felt the urge to sit on the heating pad all day!!

And sadly, another weekend comes to an end- the week is a vicious cycle! Monday tomorrow, but it's a professional development day, so at least I can wear jeans to school! :)

AND happy Daylight Savings time... love the fact the sun set an hour later today!!!

you know you're sick when...

2011-03-10T14:36:00.003-05:00

I hate admitting that I am sick, but I know I have to listen to my body and admit it... I am sick.

I had to take a sick day today ( having class until 9:00 last night didn't exactly improve my condition). But taking the day off today has totally made me realize that I made the right choice. My body was speaking and I listened.

I know I'm sick when...

I get up in the middle of the night and chug a bottle of water because I'm dehydrated.
I don't get up out of bed until 10:00 am.
After getting up I don't make my bed, knowing I'll be visiting it again soon.
I give in a take medicine... nothing major, just sudafed.
I get up for an hour and a half and then return to my bed.
I don't care that it's not nearly 3:00 and I still haven't showered, changed or done much of anything.
I've eaten honey straight from the jar to soothe my throat... I would have put it in my tea, but I was too impatient.
I've used more tissues today than I have in the past year.
My sinuses feel like they are going to explode.
I have no desire to workout or run.
I have no desire even to do the pt exercises for my hip.
I had a phone call a little while ago but don't remember what I said.
I have no intention of straying from my bed or couch today... fortunately I have a laptop and a tv for a little distraction when my eyes are actually open.

*Hoping for a future post of: "I know I'm healthy again when..."

can't talk... but i can write!

2011-03-09T07:03:00.011-05:00

Once again it's been a while since I've visited... actually no, I've visited, but I haven't written anything.

Unfortunately today- Thursday- I have time to write because I am home sick, I haven't been sick yet this school year, but had to give in finally. My head is KILLING me- think I have a sinus infection/ something sinusy coming on so last night I went and picked up some sudafed. I'm not one to like to take meds, but sometimes I just feel like I have to do it.

Sickness aside, I haven't written in over a month and a fair amount has happened.

In February there was Valentine's Day... which I got to spend with Jeff.

We went out to dinner one weekend with a group...

And then we had our own weekend the following weekend... out to dinner/ late lunch in Boston followed by Blue Man Group!

We took the T in from Riverside so we didn't have to worry about parking.

At the Charles Playhouse.... we were chosen to be a part of the show! I didn't get a photo though, no pictures allowed in the theater! Blue Man is a great show if you're looking for something to do on a weekend!

A couple of weeks ago we had a bowling date with some of Jeff's friends... don't you love my bowling shoes?

I never really understood why you have to wear these shoes and actually the thought of how many people's feet were in these shoes before me kind of grosses me out... let's just forget about that!
I actually got a strike and won one of the games! :)
Unfortunately the week before bowling I pulled a muscle in my butt, which led to issues with running. I was up to running over 30 miles a week, and cross training on the other days... my long run was up to 12 miles (at a sub 7:30 pace), I was totally thinking about doing the Providence Half Marathon in May, but since then I haven't run in a week and a half... I have ellipticalled or worked out daily (with the exception of yesterday and probably today, since my body is sick and I think I just need to rest it)... so I'm not sure where I stand with racing- where or when.
Jeff is a PT- so I've had an insider's pov as to what is going on--- basically my hip muscles are too weak; all of the running I do is limiting me from working the side to side part of my legs, so I need to work on that... which brings me to my next topic (this is not a focused post!)

Lent- It started yesterday and every year Catholics sacrifice something... but I really don't feel like giving up sweets is helping me to be a better Catholic. Sure, I've given up desserts, cookies, etc. before, but I've gotten to the point where I really don't eat these things on a regular basis, so it's not worth it to say I'm giving it up. That being said I want to really try to focus on fueling my body with healthy foods; however, after a long workout I've learned my body needs more. I have started to have a protein shake immediately after workouts that are an hour plus (which is most of my workouts) and I've also been hydrating while working out. I've discovered knots in my butt which I've learned is a sign of dehydration- so I am working on that too.
Another part of my training/ lent resolution is to try to get back into doing yoga. I think that this addition will make me more aware of my body and will work areas that running doesn't. Of course I am sick right now, so I don't plan on going to class right now; however, my gym has a Sunday class at 10:30 and an evening class on Thursday I think at 6:30... if not I have a yoga dvd I can pop in. I am not going to become a yogini for sure, but my goal is to do 1 yoga session per week. I think Lent is about trying to make yourself better and I think the addition of yoga will be better for me holistically.
The final part of my "refocus" of Lent leads me to the blog. I think that sometimes I don't write because I am avoiding facing some fears... ie: I get injured and don't want to share it, or I'm sick and taking the day off and don't want to put it in writing. However, the fact of the matter is, I need to be true to myself. I admit, I am sick today and I am not going to work out... does this make me lazy and out of shape ? No. Do I sometimes over analyze it though and get nervous? Yes. I am going to get over it, there is more to life. So with blogging I am going to try to blog at least 3 times a week. These may not be informative posts, since I use this blog more to recap my life; however, I would like to try to take more pics and share things on here. It's more of an outlet for myself. I am in a new course on teaching writing in my cags program and last night we discussed our own writing and I realized that I like to write my thoughts- so am I not? That's going to change.

This post was really unfocused, basically my ramblings over the past month+ and I've left a lot out. Hopefully as I increase the times I post I will be able to have more of a daily focus-- I'd like to try to include teaching stuff, running stuff, cooking stuff, and fun stuff too :)

Now it's time for tea and more tissues.

and just like that... a 4 day weekend!

2011-01-18T15:04:00.002-05:00

While I was planning on this weekend being long, I didn't plan on it being 4 days long! We had a day off yesterday due to MLK, Jr. and today the snow and ice brought us yet another day off! Let's recap the weekend from the start...

Friday night I was wiped, so after a full day at school and the gym, I pretty much was in my pjs by 7:00 and plopped on the couch for the evening. Exciting, yes I know.

Saturday was a little more entertaining! On the agenda first: a run, of the longish sort. My goal was 8, but felt good so I ran 10 miles... in around 73 minutes. Not too shabby. More importantly than finishing, my stomach felt good! I think that eat lower fiber the night before a run is very key for me-- I need to keep conscious of this!

As for the afternoon, I was off to Jeff's in Rhode Island. We were going to spend the afternoon on a little excursion which led us to IKEA! I really could spend my entire pay check there! I kept an eye on my budget though and only bought a coffee table... which I later assembled on Sunday.

Saturday night at Jeff's we cooked :) He suggested eating some fungus... so we made Portobello Mushroom Burgers! We went to Dave's- a store kind of like Trader Joe's near his house in RI. We bought some awesome bread to put our burgers in, I could have eaten several! Of course dipped in ketchup it tasted even better... and I found some grill seasoning in his cabinet, so I cooked the portobellos in that, which gave it a little kick!

Sunday morning I hit up the gym again for a shorter run, this time was a 6 miler to the tune of 43ish minutes. Again, I felt good, although my legs were a little more tired. Overall, I think I need to try to do the longer run on Saturday, then I don't worry about it for Sunday!

Unfortunately the good start to Saturday turned sour with the Pats major loss on Sunday evening. Before the game I did my errands for the week, including a stop at my favorite Trader Joes :)

Monday is a cross training day, so I spent the morning at the gym. 80 minutes on the elliptical (10.2 miles), followed by some upper body lifting, and situps and stretching- I'm beginning to love the foam roller. It definitely helps my legs recover more quickly!

A slight downer yesterday was that my cable and internet weren't working! I am really not a fan of Charter anymore... I was on the phone with them 3 times yesterday, then was finally visited by them after 3:00, only to learn they had "accidentally" turned off my services. Apparently the former tenants had today as their cancellation date? Not sure how this makes sense, since I've been living here now for several weeks! Oh well, that problem was solved.

I also visited Memere yesterday and my aunt; then had a quick stop at the parents house to drop off some things and say hello.

Going to bed last night I was a little uneasy; for some reason I don't sleep well when I don't know the agenda for the next day--regular day, delay, or snow day? Surprisingly, I fell asleep okay, and only woke up a couple of times- the last time was to my phone at 5:11 with a call from the school; snow day!!

Now I love a snow day... however, I hate staying inside ALLLLLL day. I am a busy-body, I like to feel like I am getting things done and I associate sitting around day with being very unproductive. So I created an agenda for myself- things I could get done inside. I am proud to say, I have been productive! Here's all I've done today:
- 2 hours and 15 minutes on the trainer (roughly 34 miles)
- cleaned shower and bathroom
- cleaned kitchen counters, table
-reworked/ fixed my plan book (snow days mess things up in there!)

Still to go today include getting ahead with grad school work (doing some textbook reading), in addition to more sitting and watching tv ( I can call this accomplishing something if I ice at the same time- that's like multitasking in my book, haha).

Well the snow has stopped, but now it's freezing rain, so I'm going to get going on some grad school work reading- tomorrow should be a full day of school, followed by a long night of class. It should be nice to start the week on a Wednesday though! :)

1st post of the new year

2011-01-12T14:25:00.005-05:00

Things have been busy to start off 2011!
I know I should be posting more, as I really do enjoy it; however, I feel like I don't have time and would rather be out taking part in experiences or doing things more so than typing about them... but it is nice to take the time to reflect too.
Ok, so let's start with the new year... I rang it in in my new apartment! Well, technically I wasn't here, I went down to Rhode Island; however, I did spend the first night of the new year here. :)

My apartment is now feeling like my home. I really love it here; it took a lot of work that first week to move in everything and get it all settled and where I wanted it; however, now that I am in, pictures are hung on the walls, and the fridge is full (well mostly...) it's a lot easier to really live here.

After finally moving in, it was back to school, a rude awakening after a busy and fun filled holiday "break" although I'm not complaining, moving in the week of winter vacation was perfect- I don't think I would have been able to get it all done if I was teaching at the same time!

So it was back to school, at least for a couple of days; however, then an unexpected thing occurred; well not so much unexpected, but I didn't realize it would happen last week. I talked to my mom last Monday and she basically told me that my Pepere only had a few days left to live. He's battled with Parkinson's and Alzheimer's for years now, and his battle was coming to an end. I had been over to Mem and Pep's a couple days ago; however, I planned to go there on Tuesday to say my final goodbyes... too bad I was too late. He passed away early on Tuesday morning. I still went over there Tuesday evening, but it was to comfort Memere, Pepere was already gone.

It's never easy to lose a loved one; however, when their quality of life is so poor, it's a blessing when you know that they are now going to heaven, rather than suffering here on Earth. Still, it was tough to go through all of the rituals with one's passing. The wake was on Thursday and funeral Friday, so I missed those days of school. It was comforting to be able to spend this time with my family and tell stories about all of the good times with Pepere.

This is one of the last pictures I have with him... from Christmas this past year. Mem, Pep, and their grandkids :)

Friday was quite emotional for me. All of the grandkids were pallbearers; however, I didn't realize, that we really carried him everywhere... to and from the casket, in church, and at the cemetery. It was very powerful to literally be the one to lay him to his final resting place. I also got to do a reading in church, which was nice and I felt like he'd really be proud of how we all did. He loved parades and got his final parade through Millbury... complete with a police and fire escort since my uncle is the town police sargeant.

Mem, Pep, and their kids--- my mom's family

After last week's emotions, I needed a relaxing weekend to get back into "normalcy." I hadn't run all week, just done cross training- my head really wasn't in it, so I figured as long as I did an hour of cardio a day I'd still be fine. I had my first guests for dinner on Saturday night...I wound up calling the rents and inviting them over for dinner; I knew my mom was exhausted so I figured this was a way for her to not have to cook another meal! It was really nice to feel "grown up" and feeding my parents for once! Not like I've never cooked them dinner, but still.

This week got off to a good start; trying to get back into the routine was a little rough on Monday morning, but the day went well, workout went well- just elliptical for 10 miles (78 minutes). Then I did some upper body lifting and abs.

Tuesday was good too; and since I'm back to "normal" training, that meant running- 6 miles in 42:56. Then I hopped on the elliptical for another 40 minutes. I felt like a kid again last night when I got the phone call that we had no school today! (Wednesday)

This morning it was super nice to not have to set an alarm, even though my body kind of woke up normally, I was able to force myself to fall back asleep a couple of times and didn't get up and out of bed for good until about 8:30. I looked out my window and it definitely was snowing- I could barely see out , everything was so white! It was nice to slowly start the day... enjoy breakfast in my pajamas and watch the news on tv to see the stories of everyone trying to dig themselves out! Since the gym actually closed today and the fact that my honda civic doesn't do well in a foot of snow, it was a bike riding day! ... on the trainer of course. I rode for 2 hours, then showered, had lunch, and now I'm relaxing on the couch, with plans to do some school work/ grad school work to get ahead of the game!

This is my view this afternoon:

Working out while being snowed in

2010-12-27T12:02:00.002-05:00

happy blizzard 2010!
I would have had no school today even if it weren't Xmas vacation... We're getting over a foot of snow outside right now! I had planned a gym trip today, but got too impatient to wait til tonight- I hate just sitting around waitiing to work out, so I suited up in bike gear and jumped on the trainer. I'm still biking- yes multitasker! I'm at the 1:40 mark, going to get to 2 hrs, then maybe a little more?
It's definitely mental. I use the tv to keep me entertained, but also played a game of scrabble on my phone withy sister! I may not really be focused right now, but when I speed up I zoom in Aand focus on the ride. It's not the best workout, but Mondays are easier days, although I usually lift, so I'll have to make up for that tomorrow.
I'm hoping the roads clear up so I can do errands later. I have lots to get for my apartment so it can be up and running at the end of the week.
Enjoy the rest if the snow day if you're snowed in too! :)

school and christmas parties and moving!

2010-12-26T14:50:00.004-05:00

so i know that i am terrible about blogging... here's the excuse (s) this time:
1. the end of school before a break- so many things going on that had to be finished up means priorities aren't writing on here
2. the end of a semester- i had to finish my course work/ do a final project/ paper and presentation... once again very time consuming!
3. squeezing in "holiday" stuff- from shopping, to wrapping, to holiday parties, the time just gets filled up!
4. (most time consuming here)- moving! it takes a lot of time and energy to pack up everything, move, and then try to clean and unpack at the new location!

ok so while those are my excuses, i still enjoyed every one of them... that's why i don't feel guilty. i think that blogging should be fun, not a chore, so i don't mind not writing here because i am off living a good life to the fullest!

anyways, the holidays have been great... while i have found that i have been busy, i think i've been able to take a step back, enjoy it, and realize how lucky and blessed i really am.
our first family party was last weekend, and sad to say, i think this is pretty much the last time that our pepere will share a christmas with us. he is fading fast and will be passing soon. while it's sad to see, i also think that it's great that he's lived such a long life- 86 years! while there's been some tough times, he surely has had a great life and has a large, loving family to show for it. it's at the point now though where his quality of life is so poor that i really wish he would just pass on. he will be deeply missed; however, he hasn't known me know for over 2 years, so i think it's time.

more family time was shared on christmas eve with my dad's side of the family. this is one of my most favorite nights of the year!! now i don't mean to brag, but my family is pretty awesome. my dad is one of 11 kids- which led to 29 grandchildren--- get us all together and we're a good time! what other family has a sing along on xmas eve that lasts an hour and a half! (yes, it actually was a little too long this year..
christmas day was spent at home, just with the fam. i am happy to say that my surprise for my parents was a success! my bro, sis, and i collaborated to buy them airline tickets to bermuda next year! it will be their 30th wedding anniversary next summer, so now they can revisit their honeymoon site! my mother got all chocked up, in a good way! :)

also over the past week i've done a lot of packing and moving and cleaning. you don't realize how much stuff you have until it all has to be put into boxes and bags and bins! here's some photos (taken with iphone since my camera is in a box somewhere...)

here is the kitchen before much moving... just during the cleaning phase

today my cousins, parents, and sister helped me move larger things... couch, futon, bureau, desk, table, chairs... starting to look more like a home!

happy i can use my couch again!! :)

and i can use my futon too!... the kitchen table and kitchen are in the background... bad lighting though

my bedroom is still a mess...

but it will have to wait until after the blizzard! i didn't move my bed yet, so i could have a place to sleep at the rents' house while i get through the storm. the bed will get moved later this week and hopefully over the next couple of days i can unpack and really make it like a home to start 2011 off right! :)

10 days until santa comes

2010-12-14T19:18:00.002-05:00

Yes, the countdown has been on in my classroom and tomorrow it gets to single digits. As of today there are 10 days until Santa comes; apparently my kiddos look forward especially to Christmas eve because that is their opportunity to see Santa after he comes down the chimney, seriously how cute. I love that this year I think I have 100% believers in my room! (or if not, I have no one who is coming forward to spoil it for the bunch!)... I've had that happen before and had to have a little 1 on 1 conference with kids asking them please don't ruin it for others! I say that I still believe, so the kids tend to follow my suit.

Even though it's fun being with the kiddos during the holiday season, I don't mind a break from them, which I will get for two days! Tomorrow and Thursday I will be going to Ashburnham MA for the second half of my category 4 training for ELL. It's not fun to have nearly an hour commute to get there, but it's definitely nice to be there and get to be the student and not the teacher for a change. Tomorrow I actually get to be a double student- learning about how to teach ell's for the day and then learning how to be a reading specialist by night! Tomorrow is the final evening of my 5th course on route to my CAGS degree! I also gave my presentation and turned in my final paper last week, so I am ahead of the game and don't have any work due tomorrow night- I just get to soak it all in and listen to other people's presentations, so nice!! I guess that's one of the reasons I haven't blogged lately, but let's not get into excuses now...

So I have no races coming up, but my goal is going to be to build up my base over the winter and get myself set up to partake in some Spring races. While last week I only managed to run 3 days, I still got in over 20 miles. (I did work out every day, for some reason my head just hasn't been in it- so much going on that I've "slacked off" on the elliptical instead.) So I'm going to really try to make a conscious effort to get in my 4 runs a week- preferably Tuesday, Thursday, Saturday, and Sunday... then elliptical Monday and Friday and bike Wednesday. When I am in that routine it works well for me, it's just a matter of getting back into it! The knee seems to be handling some miles ok- I still ice nightly just to be safe. I think that now it's just mental... I need to focus, which is hard when I'm not training for something in particular, but I am going to try. I don't like racing over the winter (my body hates working out in the cold, I know I'm a wuss).

This week is off to a good start on the workout front. Yesterday I got my 80 minutes elliptical in. I followed it up with some upper body lifting- I only do this on Mondays. Also did abs. Today I fulfilled my day 1 of running for the week. 5.54 miles on the treadmill. I started off at an easy 7:40 pace, then slowly got a little faster. I had set the treadmill for 40 minutes and figured I'd just run whatever distance that time took me.... which ended up averaging at a 7:13 pace when all was said and done, not too bad. I feel like I was just getting warmed up, but don't want to burn out on the treadmill, so I hopped over to the elliptical and did another 40 minutes of cardio.

Tomorrow is the early wake up call- but I don't mind it, since it's almost like a day off. An hour on the trainer is pretty easy, plus it's nice to pay a visit to my lonely bike in the cellar! Tomorrow's added incentive is to get my workout in early so I can relax as I sit through hours and hours and hours of class!!... literally 10.5 hours of class tomorrow, yikes!

It's nice knowing I don't have to go into school tomorrow; I can totally relax tonight! Time to catch up on some r and r and perhaps a little tv!

the end of the long weekEND.

2010-11-28T16:44:00.002-05:00

It's crazy how going into a 5 day weekend it seems like such a long time off from school, but now that it's Sunday evening already, it's crazy how fast it flew by!
Not only was Thanksgiving restful and enjoyable with the fam, but also the days after it were quite wonderful, despite fighting off a cold.
Friday I was actually productive- I managed to venture up into the attic and start to pull stuff down for the big move!... which isn't for a few weeks, but I want to get stuff ready and see what I need to buy/ ask Santa for so I am ready to go on my own again :)
I managed to spend about an hour going up and down from the garage to the attic taking down boxes of things, from plates to pots to linens! I also got school work and grad school work done and managed to carve out some time to watch Elf :)
Saturday's main event was the 10 year high school reunion... which I was in charge of. My friend and I were class officers so we had to plan it. We had it at a local Irish pub in the city, which worked out well. I was most worried that the money I had to put up wouldn't get paid back, but it did and then some, so we were in the clear! Only about a third of our graduating class came, but according to the feedback we've received, a good time was had! It was good to see people... interesting to see others; it's kind of true I guess that some people don't change much... we'll leave it at that.
As for today, I started it up with a morning run at the gym... longest one yet- 8.1 miles in 60:00! Although I have to say my legs are a little sore right now, since I ran just over 6 yesterday too. But I don't think it's anything a little ice and heat won't cure. I went out to lunch today too at Qdoba and was excited to see that a Panera is being built in the Millbury plaza! I am not a huge fan of food chains, but love Panera.
It's back to the grind tomorrow, which means I probably should get some more work done tonight and look over the week's plans so I am ready to go! How crazy is it too that it will be December this week... and there's less than 4 weeks until Christmas! (And I haven't done any shopping!!)

dinner time

2010-11-25T17:43:00.005-05:00

the table is set!

my wheat bread stuffing... with some butternut squash on the side!

time to dig in!... mom and kelster are starting to get some food! even though I love my huge family, it was nice to have a big dinner with just my immediate family and a couple of family friends!

Happy Thanksgiving! :)

thankful

2010-11-25T12:19:00.002-05:00

Not very original, but seeing how today is Thanksgiving... it's really a day to realize just how thankful I am. Truly I am blessed in so many aspects of my life; sometimes life just gets so busy that I forget to stop and realize just how lucky I am.

I am thankful for a healthy, happy family. Sure I may argue with my siblings every now and then and I may not always agree with everything my parents always say... but I love them and wouldn't trade them for the world.

I am thankful to have always had a nice home to grow in, sleep in, live in, never having to worry that I would ever be hungry or have some of my needs left unmet.

I am thankful to have a secure job where I can truly influence 19 8 year olds lives on a daily basis, where I can be having a bad morning or not feel well, only to see at the end of the day a homemade card by one of my students saying that I'm the best teacher in the world. (that may be an overstatement.)

I am thankful for a strong small group of friends who I know I could turn to if and when I need them... love them like sisters.

I am thankful for my body. I may sometimes try to push it to its limits, but it usually lets me know when enough is enough. I am thankful that I was able to use it this morning to get a nice 6 miler in.

I am thankful that I will have the opportunity to be moving in a month. I have been thankful for living in this house with the parents, but know that it's time again to have a place of my own.

I am thankful to be able to wake up every morning and know that I am free to do whatever I want. I am lucky that so many men and women have given up their lives or put their lives on the line on a daily basis, just so I can have the privilege to live freely in this country.

I am thankful to be able to share this day with my parents, brother, and sister. Yes, there will be a lot of good food (I made the stuffing this morning!), yes there will be a lot of football watching, yes there may or may not be a post meal nap, but those are the small things. Today is about taking time to stop the craziness of the hustle and bustle of the busy work days and sit around the table with those you love. Enjoy your meals and family time everyone!

easy as pie (crust)

2010-11-24T18:45:00.003-05:00

Happy Thanksgiving Eve!
And a happy one it's been.. who wouldn't love the entire day off from school, that's right no school today, tomorrow, or Friday... we're talking 5 day weekend people, I could get used to this.
What to do on your day off? Sleep in. And by sleeping in, I mean sleep in until 7:45. That is sleeping in to me!
After a relaxing breakfast, and making breakfast for my brother too, I caught up on laundry and then hit up the grocery store for some last minute ingredients pre-Thanksgiving cooking/ baking.
Then it was gym time! It was so nice to be able to relax there, not a lot of people and I kind of lost track of time (is that possible on the elliptical?)... and wound up on it for an hour and a half! Then I did some abs to round out the workout. Didn't run today because I ran 5.15 miles yesterday and plan to run tomorrow! :)
This afternoon was slightly lazy, but I'm okay with that after nearly 2 hours spent at the gym. I watched tv (Rachael Ray) while having lunch... then it was pie time! (hence the title of today's post.)
My mom is no baker by any means, but this is one recipe she's taught me that's pretty fool proof and super easy... a pie crust with only 3 ingredients.
-2 cups flour
- 1/2 cup oil (I used canola)
- 1/4 cup milk
All you do is mix them together; then form it into two even balls with your hands and roll em out baby! So simple.
The filling is easy too...
macintosh apples, peeled and cut
1/2 cup sugar
2 tbsp lemon juice
dash of nutmeg
cinnamon-- don't really know the amount, i just sprinkle and stir til all the apple pieces are coated.

Put the filling in the crust, pop it into the oven and voila- Thanksgiving dessert is done about an hour later. Unfortunately with a pie you can't really taste test it, but I've made this so many times, I know it will be good.
I put foil around the edges for the first 20 minutes so it doesn't burn!

The rest of the afternoon I spent helping my mom set up for tomorrow... we're having people to our house for Thanksgiving dinner, so the usually cleaning and prep had to be done! And yes, of course I had to go to the store again for yet something else we forgot... I really hope that's the last time, although seeing how the stores are pretty much closed tomorrow, I don't think we have a choice but to be ready!

This evening I am laying low... I still have no voice and feel so-so. This cold/ laryngitis isn't getting the best of me, but it's still making me a little more tired than usual; partially because I'm not sleeping well since I cough all night long! My body knows I'm on vacation so it figures, ok now you can get sick!

Looking forward to tomorrow... I am a sucker for watching the Macy's Day Parade- partially due to tradition, but will be watching part of it at the gym in the morning- my gym is open 7-11, so the plan is to get there by 9ish and get a solid workout in (with a run) and then come home to help cook!

Another great thing about today is I don't have class tonight; usually Wednesday evenings are spent sitting at a desk... bonus to be in my pj's instead! :)

lucky 7

2010-11-21T16:27:00.002-05:00

As I've said before... 7 is my favorite and therefore, lucky number.

This all started back when I was a freshman in high school and I had to pick my soccer number. Since I was a frosh and a low man on the totem pole, I kind of only had a choice of the "leftovers"... 7 looked good and it was lucky 7 ever since for me.
I was #7 for all four years of soccer in high school, then kept the streak of 7 alive and was #7 for four years of college soccer too!

Now I just like the number 7... even though I no longer wear it on a daily basis. 7 is pretty much the ideal number of miles I'd like to run daily, just for a fun run. Clearly it's not super far, but getting back into training due to the patellar tendonitis problems over the summer, 7 miles is another milestone in coming back. I am really trying to make a conscious effort not to increase my mileage too much too soon, but believe me it's hard. I've found a way to fix this wanting to go farther by setting the treadmill for a certain amount of minutes before I begin to run, then the belt will stop and I can't go more. (unless of course I reset it.)

Yesterday I managed to run just over 6 miles, so today I wanted to do a little more- Sunday is supposed to be the "long run day" isn't it? So I thought, if I had it in me, then I was going to top yesterday's mileage. I set the treadmill for 41 minutes... knowing that there would then be an added 5 minutes on there for a cool down, and knew I could bang out a little more than 6 in that 46 minutes... which I did: 6.16. Then the belt stopped. I thought I should do a better cool down, so I ran an 8 min mile to cool down... daily total: 7.16! My logged running miles was less this week than last; however, I only ran 3 days, so that's expected. I am fighting off getting/ being sick, so I am happy to have done what I did. ( I even added 30 minutes easy on the elliptical after running!)

Other good-ish news is that my voice is making a comeback today- sort of. Yesterday it sounded like I had laryngitis, which I very well may have; however, today the squeaks coming out of my mouth resemble more of a voice and I am able to hold a somewhat normal conversation.-- Let's just say I had a really hard time ordering at the deli yesterday!! I have tried to up the vitamin c and have had a lot of tea- this definitely seems to help; breathing in the steam seems to clear my head too!

I am grateful for only a 2 day week coming up, especially since I am sort of sick, I know I can get through just two days! I am ready for this week as far as work goes, so I think the rest of the day is going to be some tv watching. Usually I am not so lethargic, but I think my body is in fight mode. I was even able to sit through a movie "The Holiday" and plan to watch "The Amazing Race" tonight, in addition to "The Next Iron Chef" marathon that's on now, with the finale this evening!

I'm going to play chef in the kitchen in about an hour; my mom brought home some fresh basil, so I am going to make a whole wheat veggie pizza! It's the chilly type of day when having a nice warm oven sounds like a plan. Plus homemade veggie pizzas are super delish and taste even better after getting a run in!

Time to check in on the Pats, then a little nap before mustering up the energy to get cooking in the kitchen!

finally a run this week

2010-11-18T19:57:00.002-05:00

I've been trying to get back on track... or on the treadmill, but only 3 or 4 times a week.
The plan was to run Tuesday and Thursday, but I just wasn't feeling it on Tuesday! I woke up with a sore throat and felt run down, so I thought an easy elliptical might be a better option. Not having a real training plan right now is allowing me to be more flexible in my workouts, I'd like to get back on track full time, but I'm taking it easy with my knee. The workouts have been decent this week nonetheless...
Monday: 75 minutes on the elliptical, upper body lift
Tuesday:75 minutes on the elliptical- easy
Wednesday: up before school for an early hour on the trainer (bike)
Thursday: run! 5.1 miles... 37 minutes, elliptical 40 minutes.

I don't consider myself slacking off by any means, in fact sometimes staying focused on the trainer or elliptical is harder than focusing on the treadmill.

I'm happy that I got through the week; Wednesdays are so long when I go non stop from 5 am until I return around pm. Squeezing grad school into the mix really stretches my time, but I know it will be worth it next fall when I have my CAGS and I'm a certified reading specialist! I really hope I am able to advance in my career and provide reading interventions to those kiddos who really need intensive instruction to learn/ improve reading skills!

Well I am calling it a lazy night, after my productive afternoon. I managed to get all my plans set for next week (thank you 2-day work week coming up!! woot woot!) It's time for some quality hgtv (I am so addicted to this... and may check in on Charlie Brown's Thanksgiving special on the side....something about quality, classic cartoons for the holidays that I watched as a child, it really brings me back to my childhood and makes me happy! :)
Maybe this time Charlie Brown won't miss the football?

signed my lease!

2010-11-14T15:32:00.002-05:00

Good news today- I'll officially be moving in about a month! I signed my lease this afternoon and will be moving in about a month! Technically the lease doesn't begin until January 1st; however, I should be able to move in the week of Christmas break. Can't wait to visit IKEA again and make the apartment fun and cozy!
I went over to look at the apartment this afternoon, which was good, although seeing how I lived in the same complex a couple of years ago there weren't any surprises, I knew my way around quite well! It comes with all appliances- still looking pretty new, they're from 2007 when the building was built- a washer and dryer right there in my unit (major selling point, I'm not about saving quarters!), a nice large bed room, then a living room/ dining area. I like the kitchen too because the main counter is kind of like an island with an overhang, so I can use my bar stools again. Another perk of this unit is that it is on the ground floor, two doors to the left, so it will be a lot easier moving! Last time I was on the third floor. While it was nice to be high up and have a good view, it was also a large haul when I was moving in. Fortunately there was an elevator, but I won't miss using it! While it's not a super-hip place downtown, I kind of enjoy the area because it is more quiet and peaceful. I used to wake up to wild turkeys when I was living there before. However, there is an airport nearby, but it's really never used, so I am not too worried about air traffic.
I guess location, location, location is true. I got this apartment because of it's location. I will now be 5.5 miles from where I teach, (estimated 12 minutes driving time), 5.5 miles from where I take classes- in the other direction though (about 13 minutes driving time), 5.6 miles (14 minutes driving time) from my parents' house, and 5.8 miles from my gym (14 minute drive). (Yes I google mapped them all.)
Aside from signing my paycheck away for the next year, I also went to the gym this morning. I was able to run again today, 5.95 miles in 43:00. Then I went on the elliptical for another 30 minutes. My knee is a teeny bit sore right now, so I am icing it; however, I don't think it's anything major, in fact it may just be because I am thinking about it.
Unfortunately, I now have to buckle down and get some work done; becoming a reading specialist takes a lot of work! I need to analyze some testing and do a case study, fun fun.
This week is looking like a busy one; 5 day week along with grad school. I am already looking forward to next week though, only a 2 day week of work and no grad school! Plus it will be Thanksgiving! Well time to get busy, have a good end to the weekend... go Pats! (Why are they on so late tonight? Yes, I have a 10 bedtime, so I probably won't see the whole game!

broke 5!

2010-11-13T14:35:00.002-05:00

Ok so a few months ago 5 miles was a wicked easy day; 15 miles was more like a good run. However, coming back from an injury can be tough and breaking the 5 mile mark today was a big success, especially because it felt good.
First things first... I could really get used to having Thursdays off; going to school Friday was a breeze knowing the weekend was almost here again! Woohoo!
Today has panned out to be a beautiful day, in more ways than one. I was able to get a good night's sleep, then got some errands done this morning.
Then it was gym time. I was able to run 5.3 miles in 39:00! Not only is that a decent pace for my 2nd week back, the fact I was able to break the 5 mile mark today was a good accomplishment. I am about to ice my knee, it's not bothering me, but plan on doing so more as a preventative measure. The new shoes are feeling good too; love my asics. While it would have been an awesome day for a run out in the sunshine, at least I had the sun shining on my back while I ran on the treadmill! :) After being a rat on the mill, I shot over to the elliptical for another 41 minutes... total of 80 minutes of cardio today, not too shabby! Then it was lots of stretching and abs before calling it a day at the gym.
This afternoon is going to be filled with icing, work, and church. Not too exciting; however, what is exciting is that I may be signing a lease tomorrow! I am planning on moving and have been searching around... and may end up moving back to where I used to live! I have an appointment to see the exact unit tomorrow; however, probably won't be able to move in until the last week of December, as someone is moving out, then they paint and clean it, etc. Still, it's exciting to think about, although I'm not going to lie, I will miss being able to save mucho dolares each month! But... I think I need to face the music- I'm 28 years old and really don't want to be living with the rents any more! It's time to be a big girl again! Fortunately I still have most of my furniture from before and will just need to pick up a few minor things to furnish the apartment- but this means I need to think about collecting all of my belongings which are being stored here, there, and everywhere!
Well it's ice time kids, have a great second half of the sunny Saturday! :)

happy veterans' day

2010-11-11T17:22:00.002-05:00

Today has been a happy day. I am thankful for those that have served or are currently serving!
Here's a quick recap of my good day :)
-Slept in until 8:00 am.
-Breakfast along with the paper/ crossword puzzle.
-2+hours of work report cards= DONE.
-GYM!... Run 4.68 miles in 35 minutes- no knee pain :) Elliptical 40 minutes- 5.1 miles, feeling goooooood.
-Made lunch for the rents... grilled cheese and tomato soup, I know nothing gourmet, but it was their request after being outside in the chilly fall air!
-Read for nearly 2 hours... got a good chunk of this week's text read for grad school!
-Going out to dinner soon with some of my best girlfriends!
It is a good day! :)
And tomorrow is already Friday... which will feel like a 1 day workweek at school! Almost the weekend again, during which I am super busy with work, but that's okay! :)

mid week blog? whoa.

2010-11-09T19:29:00.002-05:00

Yes, I know I am surprised to have carved out a few minutes o' time mid-week to blog, but I am actually caught up with work (well minus the report cards I haven't started yet, but plan on doing that later and finishing them up on Thursday/ this weekend; gotta love the holiday in the week- Thank you veterans!!
Anyways, I wanted to update that I went to the orthopedic yesterday and he gave me the go ahead to get back into training, woohoo! I told him the update on my recent runs and he seems convinced that as long as I am diligent with icing and just slowly getting back into running, then I can go ahead and do it. I have totally kept in good shape throughout this multi-month running drought; so trying to run isn't a probably cardio-wise, but it's amazing how my body isn't used to the pounding and jostling! I love it, but I ran again today and my back is now a little sore and can feel some pain in my shins; after I fold some laundry I will be icing my legs- knees AND shins. Although the knee feels good, I am going to ice it regardless for a while, just in case there's an inflammation. I am also being good about wearing the strap; it seems to help! Today's run was nothing crazy, just 4 miles in 30:18... so around a 7:35 pace, but I started around 7:51 and got as low as 7ish at the end. I don't want to go too hard and mess up my legs, but at the same time cardio-wise my body is like "Julie, would you move it you slow poke!" Haha, but I am trying to be good and keep things under control. I followed it up with a half mile, wicked slow, around 9:22 pace just to let my legs slow down. Then I hit up the elliptical for 45 minutes! I probably wouldn't have done as long normally, but I am going to get back into Wednesday being my off day or really easy day, just to give my legs more of a rest and this is the day that I am booked solid, so it works out. The plan is just do an easy 45-60 min bike ride tomorrow am on my bike before school... of course then I have a full day at school and 4.5 hrs of class! BUT- I get to sleep in on Thursday! Again, thank you veterans!
Well nothing else special to report, but a funny story- one of my students today was working on a writing piece and came up to me to say..."I know my family went to Plymouth and we saw a special rock with a special name, but I can't remember what it's called," me- "Do you mean Plymouth Rock?" student- "Hahaha, oh yeah, I forgot!" too cute and funny; I wish some days I only had to worry about my own class and not the petty politics that goes on in the rest of the school; still frustrated with the lack of correspondence of my colleague and my other colleague was out today too, so once again I was the only third grade teacher in the building, so I was commanding the show and helping out 2 subs... makes for a long day!
Well I gotta get my laundry folded so I can get icing... and then treat myself to a full hour of a new episode of Glee! :)

happy world run day!

2010-11-07T10:51:00.002-05:00

Ok so usually Sunday is the day of the long run... but I'm happy to just say I was able to run on world run day! I may have only done 4.3 miles... but I RAN! Second day in a row. Hope you all took advantage of world run day, if you could and got out (or in at the gym) and spread the running love!
Wondering why I am so happy? Well, I've had a bout with patellar tendonitis, so I've had to basically take the summer and beginning of fall off from running, something I LOVE. But the good news is with the addition of a patella strap and lots of ice, it seems to not be flaring up right now.
In addition to the extra hour of sleep last night, I also am thrilled that my gym pushed the am spin class back an hour! So I was able to run, then do spin!
I haven't mounted the bike since my accident, so I figured just getting back into on the spin bike is a safe bet... really no way I can crash! My bike is fixed now though and plans are to try to put it on my trainer today so I can ride it during the week in a safe spot... aka my cellar.
After I'm done icing it's going to be a fun trip to Market Basket. I made my weekly stop at Trader Joe's yesterday, but find that some things are just cheaper at MB and I am all about saving a dollar or two!
Then it's going to be homework for the afternoon in addition to probably checking in on the Pats as well.
This week is only a four day week... Veterans' Day on Thursday!
Also, tomorrow is an orthopedic appointment... we'll see what he says, then I can kind of get in my head a better plan for where I'm headed with regards to my training program.
In other news, I can not wait to move again... I'm really hoping that even though my apartment should be repainted, etc. by Jan 1st, that it is ready by Christmas break week... I'd love to be able to move when I have the week off, otherwise, it's going to be busy squeezing it in with school, class, and life! (I'd also like to move in asap because even though I love my family, when everyone is here and home- like this weekend, plus my bro's gf... the house is just too full. AND too loud. I am not a greedy person, except when it comes to sleep... and when the house is noisy and I can't get my zzzzzs, I am not a happy camper! Looking forward to being able to go to bed at a decent hour... a quiet place where I can actually read/ research for class without having to wear headphones or turn my tv up really loud to drone out the noises around me... a refrigerator where I can stock it with good food that I know won't get eaten on me... and just my own space again!
Oh well, 7 more weeks... I can do it, I can do it, I can do it. (On the plus side, it's 7 more weeks of rent-free living?!) While it's definitely nice to not have to pay rent, I think I'm ready to make the sacrifice and not save a ton a month for the exchange of more of my own freedom!

what a difference a day makes

2010-11-06T14:17:00.005-04:00

Ok so it's a good think I didn't write yesterday, because this would have been very negative; however, after sleeping it off and waking up feeling refreshed, I've had a much better day today than yesterday.
I've had a major stress-filled week at school, not with my class, but with my grade. Here's the thing, one of my colleagues has been calling in sick, and didn't come to school at all this week. Now she's apparently taking a leave of absence for who knows how long; I really hope she's okay, but I am incredibly frustrated because her plan book has been EMPTY! So I've had to copy, plan, help the sub (her room is adjoining to mine, so the subs just pop in and ask questions). I really don't mind helping out, but I've tried to contact my colleague and still am in the dark with what's up... so basically I've been running two classrooms- now report cards are coming up too which adds to the mess and parents are starting to talk.... That's it in a nutshell, but I met with my principal and assistant about it yesterday, leaving school in a wicked fury. End of rant for now I woke up and was able to forget it all....
I started my day with breakfast and enjoying the crossword in the paper, perfect start to the day.
Then I started the productivity.
I first went to the bank... it's nice to see my account growing, although that will be put to a halt when I move out again... but it will be worth it!
Then it was off to get gas... and then to borders. I had to buy this book:

We're starting a new unit in writers' workshop and I'm going to be modeling it after Cynthia Rylant. A lot of the beginning lessons deal with this book. In the past I went to the library, but figured I should just buy it.
While I was there, I saw this book too and figured I could also work it in, so I bought it as well. I already have a lot of the "Henry and Mudge" series she writes, so I didn't get any of those.

Then I stopped at Trader Joe's for a few essentials, and finally went to pr running in Westboro for new shoes.

Then it was gym time!
I have orders to try to run this weekend... so I RAN today!
Nothing crazy... but I did run for 25 minutes... 3.3 miles. And the good news is my knee really didn't bother me, although I'm not sure if this was long enough to judge, but still I was happy to run! :) Although my foot is sore?? I think I've just been on them a lot, so I am currently icing my knee and my foot too just to be on the safe side.
Well, it's only 2:30 and I feel like I've already had a full day... but time to get a little work done before church at 4.
Today is a much better day and hope the weekend only continues to get better! :)

hello novembrrrrrr

2010-11-01T19:21:00.004-04:00

And yes, I do mean brrrr.... the first day of November came in as a chilly one!
So once again I feel like I am falling off the blogging bandwagon... but it seems as the year gets going I have to prioritize and sometimes that means putting this on the back burner so I can teach a full day of school, get in a good workout, go to class or do work to prepare for grad class, attend mentor meetings and pt appointments, and try to have something of a social life if there is any time left. Easier said than done.
Let's recap... I'm still ellipticalling daily; however, at the end of this week I need to run, and yes NEED, as in the doctor has ordered it. I go back to the orthopedic on Monday, so I need to have a couple of short runs done so I can report to him on how the knee is feeling.
In other news... when I last wrote I was thinking of moving; well I've also taken on house/ apartment hunting more aggressively. I love my family dearly, but it's time for me to be on my own again. I've called/ looked at places in Auburn, Holden, and Worcester, but realize that for location purposes and in order to try to limit the amount of driving I'd have to do to get to school, gym, grad school, etc. it makes sense to stick to the Worcester- tatnuck area. This is a really nice part of Worcester AND it's close to one of the best places to eat in the area... CORNER GRILLE! So after searching around and thinking, I realized I think I may decide to move back into the old complex I was living in 2 years ago. Although, I have decided to get a smaller apartment, since I know it's just going to be me living there, which I don't mind, in fact I like being on my own... although in the future I would like to have someone to spend life with!
So there's a picture of the kitchen... before I moved in last time (although I won't be in the same apartment, it will look the same without the loft above it.
Here's another view of the kitchen... although with some teammates during our new years party in 08... I'm looking forward to being able to have people over again; it's kind of strange/ hard to have company when it's at your parents' house! I still haven't signed a lease or given a deposit; but since the owner knows me and knows I am good tenant he welcomed me back... unfortunately the apartment size that I want (855 ft) isn't available at the moment... someone is going to be moving out at the end of the month and into a larger unit, then my unit will have to be cleaned, painted, etc.... so he said at the very latest the apartment for me will be ready on Jan. 1st. Ideally, I'd love for it to be ready the last week of December so I can move in during my Christmas break... either way it will be a nice Christmas gift to me!

Also, I got my bike fixed, so now I am able to ride her again! Too bad the weather is getting chilly... but at least I can still put her on the trainer and not have to worry about crashing and falling off!
Well, even though I have a professional development day tomorrow, I still have some work I need to get done. At least I wrote something though... perhaps a new year's resolution will be to increase my blogging? Even though I really don't have anything of much value for others to read here, it's a nice outlet for me! :)

another week in the books... and hitting the books again.

2010-10-23T17:43:00.003-04:00

Last Wednesday I finished course #4, which means this past Wednesday I began course #5... which means today I had lots of fun reading to do, and yes that is sarcastic; while I love learning, today's reading from a textbook wasn't exactly pleasure reading. But nonetheless, I love learning and the other homework I have to do for the week isn't bad. I have to do some student profiles/ case study stuff which will lead to a larger project. The good news about this course (Advanced Analysis of Reading and Language Arts) is that there is no midterm or final! I've had several courses with midterms and finals during this degree... I hadn't taken a midterm or final since undergrad at Stonehill! While I'm used to the testing thing again, the idea of a course without a test for this half a semester sounds nice! After this course, I will officially be half way complete with my CAGS degree... although I technically will only have 3 more courses to go, then a practicum :)
As for this week, other than grad school, it was busy. I have to say my class this year is a lot easier than last year. I think all of the needs in the room, plus the chemistry of the group just made for a challenging crew that drained a lot of my energy. I find myself enjoying being in my room a lot more this year, which is great.
Unfortunately still no running this week... but I've been an elliptical machine. (haha, literally.) I use it as my daily cardio... ranging from 60- 90 minutes on it. I went to the physical therapist again this week, which meant more ultrasound, plus another iontophresis (sp?) patch put on my knee for 24 hrs. The pt also gave me more exercises to add to my routine. I can add weights to my lunges and she has me doing some squats now too. I feel like my knee is getting stronger... but am not going to push it with a run yet. I don't have the ortho again til the second week in November, so I am going to wait til a few days before that to try a couple (easy) runs.
Other than that, I really have nothing exciting going on. I feel like I am at a point where I am ready for a change... possibly moving sooner than I thought? I don't know, but recently I have the itch to move out again. Don't get me wrong, I am grateful that my parents are letting me live at home again, but at the same time sometimes it's just too busy here and I feel like I can't do my work or relax. I also feel like I really don't have much space to call my own, other than my room, which I hate living in all the time, but at the same time when I am home I'm usually in here... or the kitchen, or the bathroom!
I've started to look at places... I don't think I want to jump into anything yet, but feel like maybe I should be thinking about it for the spring if I find something I like? I know I said I didn't want to rent again, but at the same time, I don't really want to invest in a house/ condo if in a couple years I could relocate depending on the uncertainty of my future. So in a way I don't see renting as wasting money, but rather buying myself a little more time until I definitely want to commit to a certain location for many years.
I've managed to save a considerable amount... and could save more, but feel like why should I just keep saving and saving? I mean you know the old saying "you can't take it with you?" Why not live and enjoy someplace while I'm here- I don't know, I guess I'm in a carpe diem kind of mood right now! Either that or I watch way too much hgtv- house hunters, property virgins, my first place... it's all making me want to be back on my own again!
Well it's time to go make some dinner, then perhaps some more apartment hunting online!
Baby shower tomorrow! :) Maybe I'll remember my camera and actually post some pics! I know blogs with pictures are more fun, but when I'm somewhere having fun I really don't like to take a lot of pics... I'd rather live in the moment... but a baby shower has a lot of sitting around, and my family is huge so there will be a lot of present opening, good time to play photographer!

yes, i qualified for the boston marathon... and no i am not running, by choice.

2010-10-18T19:35:00.002-04:00

Can we say holy craziness batman? The Boston Marathon opened today for registration at 9 am and by 5:03 it was full! That's nuts!
I qualified for boston in my first marathon, running a 3:21... and the plan was going to be to run Boston in 2011; however, I decided over the weekend, that this is not meant to be. I am not ready to focus on training for another marathon right now. Instead my goal is to finish my physical therapy for my knee, let my injuries from my bike crash fully heal, and then focus on getting back into a running/ training program again. Don't get me wrong, I haven't skipped a beat relative to overall fitness; however, being able to log real miles again instead of all x-training stuff will feel good.
I think at this point my body is best fit for the half marathon, so after I am fully healed, I plan to build up to focus on this race. Ideally I would like to talk to a coach/ have someone help me to train smarter, not necessarily harder. I work very hard; however, sometimes I know a shorter and quicker track workout may be better than a 10 mile run. At first though I am going to ease my way back into running- before I start any hard core training.
I am really shocked though that the marathon sold out in 8 hours today and part of me thinks it's absolutely crazy. I know it's a great race and full of tradition, but still I don't think any race should be this selective- and part of it is they reserve so many numbers to make people raise money for charity. I fully support raising money for charity, but this seems like backwards thinking... hmm I didn't get into Boston, but if I raise $1000 then I can run? If I were to run a race for charity it would be thinking the other way... I'd like to raise money for x organization, and this seems like a good way to do it. My family actually did this for the Crohn's and Colitiis Foundation a couple of years ago, although it was for a walk in Boston, not a race.
Well I guess that's the end to my Boston rant... I still wish good luck to everyone who's running it and probably will run it someday myself too; however, I don't think the marathon bug is in my body right now. Breaking 1:30 in the half was a pretty good feat for me and I think with a little training and coaching I could creep down into the range near 1:25... so that's going to be my next focus when my body allows me! (Listen to your body... I've learned this over the years!)
As for today, it was a decent day at work... busy of course, but good! I made my trek to the gym after a quick stop at home to change and banged out 75 minutes on the elliptical. Then I did some upper body lifting! And my back didn't hurt while doing it!!! I've had some knee physical therapy exercises to do, which I did, and did some abs... they didn't hurt my back either!
But just to be safe I am now heating my back since it's a little sore and icing my knee- the doctor wants me to do this daily, so I am trying to be a good patient!
Randomness of the day... I got a letter to be a part of a study for people who have recently taken pain killers, I would have gotten paid $50 to do it... but have to decline because you have to have had taken the drugs for 3+ months and I only had to use them for 3 days :) Oh well!
Time to get some work done before finally resting for the evening!

a numbers game

2010-10-17T15:26:00.003-04:00

I am all about numbers, I've love math my whole life and actually wanted to be a math teacher when I was younger... of course that was until I was a senior in high school and took AP Calc... that kind of turned me off from math for a while. However, I do love it once again and get to teach it every day (of course it's a lot easier than ap calc!)
Not only do I teach math daily, but also I am doing math daily in my head... usually while running. I have a habit of looking at time and calculating splits in my head. I am also super-schedule oriented, so I'm always planning the day and dividing up the time I have left. I think teaching little ones makes you value every minute; my school day is pretty much divided into 15 minute intervals- you have to consistently mix the day up or you lose their attention!
But today I am not talking about running, schedules, or teaching, I am talking about shopping.
Ok so this isn't that big of a deal, but I really played the numbers game today at cvs. Here's the thing- I needed to buy body wash and a baby shower card. I was planning on going to Target, but found in my purse two coupons for $3 at cvs... only catch I had to spend $10. I also saw a $1 coupon in the paper for the body wash I needed. Now I am no big coupon clipper, but today I had fun trying to save money and think I may look for these deals more often!
So I went to cvs and picked up the bodywash I needed... originally $5.99, on sale for $4.99, plus I had $1 off! Then I found a card; however, I hadn't spent $10, so I figured I'd buy some more vitamins... I'll use them sooner or later when my bottle runs out! AND score... they were buy 1 get 1 free! So I got 2 bottles for $7! I also had to pick up a bag of mints (nobody likes a teacher with bad breath!).... Ok so here are the numbers after the cashier rang it up: $23.98... gave her the 3 coupons I had, then she scanned my rewards card, and like magic the number went down to $7.15! I felt like I got a real steal... I mean that's like way over 50% off my original sale!
Ok so maybe I am way too enthused for that savings spree; however, small things make me happy. I still haven't completed all of the errands I need to do... next stop is Target- cvs is too expensive for certain things!
The other number I want to mention today is 97. That is the number of minutes that I ellipticalled today! This is the longest I have done since the accident. I did this at a slower clip and ended up doing 12 miles, so that was around 8:05 pace. This isn't quick, but I got a good sweat out and didn't leave too fatigued. I think there's something to be said about going a little longer at an easier pace. Obviously I would have rather run this length and not ellipticalled it, but like I said yesterday, just gotta keep going on the road to recovery and stay positive!
It's looking like the numbers aren't going well for the Pats...
As for the rest of the day it's looking like more school work to get down in addition to my Target break, plus getting stuff ready for another busy week! I start my 5th course in my CAGS program this week too! When this one is done it's the half way point, woohoo!
Happy Sunday and end to the week! --If only tomorrow was a day off too!

a bumpy month

2010-10-16T14:03:00.003-04:00

I know, I haven't posted in nearly a month. I think I kind of strayed away from blogging because I didn't want to face reality; I wasn't happy. I have been frustrated with the whole patellar tendonitis deal, but had a positive attitude and thought ok, no biggie, I will treat it and be running again in October.... let's just say things have a way of changing.
As a part of my cross training routine I have been riding my bike more, which I love. It's a fun, great way to exercise. It's also neat/ different from running because you get to cover more terrain than in a run. A long run may be 15 miles, but a long ride may be more like 50.
Speaking of 50 milers, this was the cause of my trouble. A couple of my uncles and I have done Hub on Wheels before in Boston; it's a 50 mile ride to benefit Boston Public Schools. A good cause, a fun ride, spending time with relatives; a great day, right?! WRONG. Ok don't get me wrong, it started off as a great day, up at 5 am, heading to Beantown, riding Storrow Drive which was closed to traffic, fun times.
(having fun-pre crash)
However, this fun soon turned to fail. 20 something miles into the ride I crashed. I don't mean like I just felt or slipped up... I was going too fast down a hill, lost control of my bike and wound up off the road on the ground, bleeding and sore. MAJOR OUCH. I totally knocked the wind out of me, I stood up and tried to compose myself, but was hurting and crying because I was confused and didn't know what to do. My relatives didn't know I had crashed and I was screaming for them, but to no avail. I had no choice, I had to walk for help... 15+ minutes later I managed to walk out of the woods and find a volunteer who called an ambulance.
In the meantime I was lying on the side of the road calling my fam to tell them of the accident and ask them to head out to Boston; I tried to remain calm, but my back and side hurt so bad I didn't know how badly I was hurt. The men in the ambulance wanted to take me to the hospital, but I asked not to go, I'd rather go closer to home. So they cleaned me up and let me lie on a stretcher while I waited for my aunt (who lives in Newton) to come pick me up.
My parents met me at my aunt's house and then brought me to Worcester to the ER. I have never been to the ER before (well for my own injury) so this was a first.
I went right into triage (the Pats were on so maybe that's why it wasn't busy?)... they actually thought I had a concussion because my pupils weren't responding appropriately? Not sure, but I think this expedited my trip in there. Turns out no concussion, but they did want x-rays, as did I. I had 9 x-rays done... at this point I was already visibly bruising and you could see the cuts on my back to show where I had hit first. The only major cuts were on my forearm-- I skidded on a rock, so they bandage that up. They x-rayed my upper chest, back, lower back, leg, and arm... amazingly I hadn't broken or fractured anything. However, I did have some bad bruising. I could barely walk and taking off my shoes was a huge challenge. They also checked my kidneys- apparently where I fell first was right near that area, but no kidney damage either!
I am not one that likes to take medication; however, the doctor insisted that he write up a prescription. So I took it, but vowed that I was going to try not to use it. I didn't for the first 2 two days, just took some ibuprofren to ease the pain; however, day 3 it was too much. The doc was right when he says that sometimes it's a couple of days later that it will hurt more. Getting out of bed/ getting in bed/ moving in general was just torture. I missed 4 days of school and basically spent those days confined to the recliner and heating pad. It's amazing how long the day seems when you can't do anything but sit/ lay down. Unlike feeling sick when you just want to sleep it off to feel better, I wasn't tired, didn't want to sleep and felt like a complete slacker for feeling like I could really teach if it weren't for the fact that I could barely move!
Taking the meds on day 3 was an interesting experience. I had some thing called "Tramadol" which according the paper that they give with it, it is frequently prescribed for people with back surgery or c-sections. Either way, I only started with taking one and it totally made me "loopy." I'm pretty sure this is the reason I very rarely drink, because I hate not feeling like I am in control of my body. A little less than an hour after taking it I really just felt silly. Like my head was spinning, I was talking to my brother and would just start laughing. I could lay in the recliner and I felt like I was moving, but I was sitting still. It didn't ease all of the pain, but it totally chilled out my head! No wonder why people get hooked on those things; I can understand why if you're so hopeless and want to just lose control of your mind then you'd pop a pill- kind of scary if you think about it though.
My accident was on a Sunday and by Friday I was determined to make it to school. I went in, thanks to a colleague who drove me because I was taking pain killers and couldn't drive! My kids were super good, I kind of conducted the day sitting in my chair a lot, but got through it and was happy to be there!
It's been 3 weeks now since that accident. My back and ribs are still not healed, and the accident has lengthened my pt with my knee injury. I ran last week because the ortho doctor told me to... let's just say it was not a fun 6 mile run. I didn't feel knee pain, but I think that was because my backs and ribs hurt so bad. Sneezing still feels like I may explode and as I type I am on the heating pad again. HOWEVER, I am going to try to be positive again. I am able to workout again and worked out everyday this week. I have been doing the elliptical and today did it for 75 minutes, covering about 9.6 miles. Tomorrow I am going to try to do 90 minutes on it.
I have yet to get on my bike again; however, this is partially because it's broken. I need to bring it to Bicycle Alley to have it repaired... my handle bars are kind of broken and the alignment is off.
I think that I haven't been on this blog in a month because I was in denial. It's hard to want to write when you feel like a failure. Over the past couple of weeks I just felt all around like I was a failure... couldn't run, couldn't work, basically helpless. But I shouldn't have felt that way. I was able to walk (barely)away from this accident. So many people aren't that lucky. I may set high standards for myself that I may feel like I am not meeting right now, but I guess I am giving myself a kick in the pants and have to say that I am lucky. I am hopeful. It may be a couple more months before I am back to where I was running before, but I will get there. I have just finished my 4th course in my CAGS and start the 5th this week. So far I have a 4.0 gpa, not too bad. I may be single and living back at home with my family; but I am lucky to have such a loving family who is there to support me in so many ways. Someday I will find that special someone who I want to spend the rest of my life with, someday... I am ready if you're out there and want to come walking by anytime now! I am lucky to have a great class and a secure job, but am hopeful to be forwarding my career in another way in the future. (Maybe even next year?)
Well I guess this post was more than I intended to get out when I first started, but I think I needed this. I felt like I was hiding from myself from not updating this, but I think I was afraid to face reality. But in reality, it's not so bad, I have overcome challenges in the past and feel like I am on my way to getting back on track.
It may have been a bumpy month, but there will always be bumps in the road... I just know that now I need to slow down to get through them, before I lose control! :)
Since I am now back to reality, I have to get some necessary weekendish things done... namely grocery shopping! I have already been to Trader Joe's earlier today, but find that some things I can just buy cheaper at the grocery store, so I'm headed there now. For some reason I find walking up and down the aisles very relaxing! :)

putting the new laptop to good use

2010-09-19T15:46:00.002-04:00

I think I am getting my money's worth out of my new macbook... I have been on it like crazy this weekend to do my final paper/ presentation for my theories of learning disabilities class. I know the class isn't over til October, but I volunteered to present on Sept. 29th and I have a busy weekend next weekend, so I was determined to work this weekend. Yesterday I managed to take a 5 pager (I made last week) and stretched it out to 11 pages :) That was after more research of course. I just finished the basics of my powerpoint now, probably should add graphics, but I think I'll put that off til later, I am tirrrred. Before I rest my tired eyes for a bit here's the week in recap form:
Monday (9/13)- am gym workout- 50 min on elliptical-school- parents night/ crazy hail storm
Tuesday- school-pt (got a dexamethosone patch- steroids sent into my knee, don't notice much of a change- went to gym, elliptical again- 1:22
Wednesday-am gym workout- 1 hr on elliptical- school- grad school(midterm!-thought i did well though) made it home by 9 and caught the big brother finale- bummed that survivor is on Wednesdays now though
Thursday- exhausted- school- gym-elliptical 1:25 (somehow i feel so much better and invigorated after working out! but didn't do spin, wanted to go home to eat dinner, i was hungry!)
Friday- finally! - easyish day at school, but magazine drive rally made it a little more nuts... went to the gym afterwards for 1:17 on elliptical- called it a night early
Saturday- couldn't sleep in, got up and went to spin at 8:30- should do this more! then followed it up with an hour on the elliptical- banged out my paper, did errands/ shopping, church with fam, more work/ tv/ resting :)
Sunday (9/19)- slept in! didn't wake up/ get up til 9... went to gym after bfast, did 1:25 on elliptical, with lots of stretching and abs. just worked for nearly 3 hours on grad school stuff... i think i earned a nap! probably will lay down and maybe catch some of the Pats game in a bit. Then thinking about starting up another week tomorrow! Oh yeah, and I registered for a 50 mile bike ride next weekend with my uncles... haven't exactly spent a lot of time in the saddle, but I am still in decent shape. :)

lots of stuff in a list

2010-09-12T19:15:00.003-04:00

Ok so now that the school year has begun, my blogging has taken a back seat, as it should... I have more important things going on that I need to be doing; however, I find that blogging has helped me reflect on things, so I want to keep track of what's going on in my life and what's on my mind... however, with the lack of time this weekend, I am going to bring the weekly recap in a list/ bullet form.
-School
- busy as usual, used my flip cam- kids love it, would post videos, but can't do it online of my kiddos
-parents' night tomorrow night- made a powerpoint, ready to speak to the parents, i hope
-mentoring going well, found out this week i am getting paid for it too :)
-loving my class, with the usual busy bodies of course, but not as busy as usual
-picture day was this week, I forgot... fortunately they only do a head shot, but I usually plan a better outfit. :/
-Grad School
- ahead of the game, got a start on my paper on nonverbal learning disabilities
-midterm exam this week, yikes! but it's open book, so i bookmarked tons of pages last night for quick looking up!
-need to study/ review a little, will do that tuesday night
-can't believe it's halfway through the course
-Training
-basically ellipticalled every day last week- ranged from short days of 45 min to longer days of 90 min
-feeling pretty good overall, been icing the knee and wearing my strap
-starting pt on tuesday (finally)
-hoping to get back to spinning, but meetings/ parents night messing it up for this week
- still plan to do the 50 mile ride on sept 26th
-Life
-don't have time for much of a life outside of being a teacher and student right now, but trying to when i can
-went to nh yesterday and bought a new laptop...macbook :) which i am on right now... love the fact that i don't have to wait about 12 minutes for it to start up, the old dell from 2004 is on it's last leg
-spent hours today transferring files from my old dell, want to get everything off of it before it dies

So that's about all I got for the week... I feel like I am working a lot lately, but I don't mind it, I'm enjoying school, both teaching and learning and the extra work is helping with that. I really like being in my classroom a lot more this year than last, it sounds bad but the aide in my room last year was such a debbie downer that it got annoying.
As for the rest of this evening, I think I need to give myself a break from the computer and work... good thing big brother is on! Oh yeah, and how could I forget the pats won today? Not like I am a superfan, but I do like it when the hometeam wins. Although I must say that if I ran into #75 on the street I think I would run fast in the other direction, that guy is a beast!
Here's a pic of my new toy/ tool :)

1st week back recap

2010-09-04T14:59:00.002-04:00

Due to my lack of blogging action you could assume I was super busy, if you assumed this, you were correct. Even though I've had many first days of third grade, every year is different. The kids always bring different things to the table and it takes a little to get to know their strengths and weaknesses as well as their likes and dislikes.
Day 1 started off well, there's something about the first day that is so fresh- a blank slate for all complete with the essential "first day outfit"... Yes i did debate over this for a while, but settled on a new blue skirt and black top... And due to 90 degree weather flip flops were in full effect too.
As always, the kids are cute. We pick them up in the gym where they file in off the bus or are dropped off by their parents. Of course, some parents stay there and take pictures and try to get to know me, which i don't mind.
Being in a new hallway, you'd think the kids were on a new planet, they lack the ability to realize where they are relative to the rest of the school, so as always, i gave them the "tour" and how to get to parts of the school from where we now are. It's really important to use the beginning of the year to set good routines and rules. This creates a lot of talking from me, which i hate being the one doing all the talking but it's necessary.
As the day went on the kids settled in and one boy asked me how old i was. Very seriously I answered- 55, he said okay and went on snacking. I had to stop him and tell him i was kidding--- there's no way me, 28, could pass for 55.
Days 2 and 3 were similar to 1, although i had grad school from 4:30 to 9 the first day of school which made me work out in the am that day, i goy up and was at the gym at 5:30! I need to do this weekly. Thursday and friday i went to the gym after school and thursday i managed to do a strength training spin class which was killer- in a good way.
It's nice having the gym close to home. I can come home and change here without wasting time. By the time i got done working out last night i was beat. But i managed to do some grad school work before calling it a night. I did sleep a little late this morning though, like 8:30 before i woke up, that's a little over 9 hours sleep, guess i needed it. I made pancakes when i got up and hit the gym around 10. I was on the elliptical for 80 minutes, which was a lit over 8 miles. Ive been busy since- food shopping, lunch, and lesson planning. I need to go to church soon, then gotta go to target for a few forgotten school supplies and a new hair dryer. Then will probably do more work after dinner! Planning to have some fun tomorrow though, so i don't mind working tonight. :)

Goodbye summer vacation

2010-08-29T16:28:00.002-04:00

All good things come to an end, but with every ending there is a new beginning. As this summer comes to an end I'm excited for a new school year. Each school year comes with it's challenges but it also comes with it's fun times, getting to know a new group of kids, and trying to make the year better than last one.
I definitely think this year will be better than last. I know that I have 18 kids this year which is fewer than last and in those 18 the case load is less. The ieps I have to adhere to aren't as heavy as last year. That's not to say I don't like a challenge but I'm happy that this year I won't have a 1 on 1 aide in my room. I don't mind collaborating with another person, but she was needier than my student last year which got to be very frustrating.
To end my vacation today I really didn't do anything too exciting. I started the day with a slow and easy wakeup around 8:30, but managed to stretch out breakfast and reading the paper for about an hour, and then it was gym time. Today's workout was 90 minutes on the elliptical with a 2 minute cool down... Totaling about 11.65 miles today. Then I tried to focus on the abs aftter that. Not a super hard workout, but enough.
This afternoon i did some dusting, fun fun, then hit the books. I was determined to get my homework done for my grad class before school begins, so I enjoyed the nice weather outside while doing work. It's definitely warm out, but there was a good breeze in the shade, very relaxing for some reading about disabilities.
Tomorrow is technically the last day of vacation, but it's pretty busy, so Im going to try to relax for the rest of today. Tomorrow I have an early appointment with the orthopedic doctor, finally I will learn more about my knee. Then I plan on going to the gym and will go to school to tie up some loose ends after that. Tuesday is full of teacher meetings and trainings so I want to make sure my room is good to go before that. Then Wednesday I will meet the new crew and start up the three day work week! My body is not used to working, its going to be rough getting back into the routine, but I know I will adjust!
Time to veg out for a bit before dinner! Good bye summer.... Hello year 7 of teaching!

the early bird gets the worm

2010-08-28T15:08:00.002-04:00

I was an early bird for a Saturday today...
not super early, but up at 7 so I could have breakfast before going to spin at 8:30. Ginny lead us through an endurance ride this morning! These rides seem a little easier because you don't go super hard for little spirts, it's more just increasing your resistance over the hour class to keep your heart rate in a certain zone... today she wanted us to be burning some fat, not glycogen storage. I've learned a lot just going to spinning classes about heart rate and I'm excited to be taking a heart rate/ heart monitor class on Sept. 7th. Jen will be teaching it and I'm eager to learn about the zones that I should be in.
After spin this morning I hit up the elliptical for an hour, didn't push it, but kept the sweat up! I was seriously a sweaty beast after that. I did lots of stretching followed by some crunches on the ball and on the mat. And more stretching. Came home... love the 2 minute commute home, and put ice on my knee. It really wasn't bothering me at all, but I am following my doctor's orders until I see the orthopedic on Monday morning. Eager and anxious to hear what the doc has to say for sure.
Although I was super active this morning, I think I've balanced it out by being lazy this afternoon. I literally laid on my bed after showering this afternoon and just watched tv, although there really is nothing good on. I need to get changed up now so I can go to mass. After that I really should be a dork and so some grad school work... such is the life of a student and teacher!

Fresh air Friday!

2010-08-27T13:59:00.003-04:00

today is the last Friday of summer vacation, and that's okay! I am ready for new beginnings, the first of which will be the new school year. As the years go on i feel like it gets easier on the first day, especially because by now i've had many of my students siblings in previous years. Being familiar with the families of kids I'll be teaching makes it easier.
Originally i was going to go into school today and finish up my room, but I decided to actually give myself a vacation day. I found out my sis was coming home for the day to go shopping with my mom, so i hit up the gym early this morning so i could do some back to school shopping with them. I was in need of so me new cardigans/ sweaters... I find that layers are key at school, with my building you never know if its going to be warm or chilly, so i like a versatile wardrobe! We hit up the usual stores... Old navy, gap, ae, Anne Taylor loft, and we got a few things. I was surprised to then actually find some cardigans at target! I've never reslly looked at clothes there, i mean i know they're not super high quality, but when i spend half my time on the floor next to 8 year olds who accidentally write on you and spill frequently, i hate spending a lot of momey on clothes.... I may be frequenting target more often for some pieces to add to my wardrobe!
Not only was it fun shopping, but it is so beautiful out that it was great just to be out and about in this wonderful fresh air! I saw a few other teachers from my district out there shopping too!
This afternoon i can't really enjoy he weather, i need to go sit in Honda and get my oiled changed. But i am going to kill two birds with one stone and bring my homework from my theories of learning disabilities class to get done!
Oh yeah almost forgot to add that i went out with some of my favorites last night. It's great to have close friends that you can not see for a month and get together right where we left off. Were going to to try to make it a once a month dinner meet up... Once the school year starts we seem to get crazy busy especially since most of us are teachers.. Although one is on maternity leave :)
Other good news as of late is in the news... Check out this week's edition of The Landmark, here's the link to the story about me:

And the rain continues

2010-08-25T09:31:00.002-04:00

While we really needed the rain, I think I have had enough now. Rain makes me sleepy and I can't be sleepy today, lots going on!
Currently I am at the new teacher training but I am not presenting right now, so I'm putting my iPad to good use and recapping the day, or what's happened thus far.
I slept well last night but felt refreshed this morning, it was a lot easier to wake up! I even managed to have extra time to fold laundry hill waiting for my tea. I was out the door and in sterling by 8:30. I should only be out here until noonish, then I'm hoping to get some lunch before hitting up the gym. Then I have class tonight! Starting up course 4 this evening. This course is dealing with special Ed which should be interesting.
Well I should be paying attention now...

training some new teachers

2010-08-24T20:04:00.002-04:00

I had a flashback today to 7 years ago... because the people I was speaking to were in the same seat, literally, that I was sitting in 7 years ago.
Today was the beginning of new teacher training in my district. This year I was a presenter, not a receiver of information! I am one of the coordinators for the mentor program, so my partner and I were there today to speak to the newbies and inform them about the program that they will be in. It's strange to think that 7 years have gone by since I starting teaching, although I must say that I have learned a lot in those 7 years.
I think it was beneficial for my body to have to be present at these trainings. It sounds bad, but having to be up and in the shower by 6:45 this morning was a shocker to my body. I think this week will be a good training to get back into the school routine!
In order to stay in the schoolish routine I worked out later today, as I would after school during the school year. I noticed that my energy level was lower going to the gym at 4, but after about 15 minutes on the elliptical I perked up a bit and was good to go. I ended up doing 75 minutes on the elliptical and finished just in time to make the 5:30 yoga class. It was really nice tonight since there were only 5 people in the class, so the instructor was able to walk around and really make sure that we were doing the poses accurately. She also answered our questions as we went, which is really helpful. Sometimes you think you're doing something right and you're a little off, which makes a big difference.
I am definitely more tired right now after a full day, compared to some of my lazier days this summer, but it's a good thing... I like having a busy schedule and feeling like I fill my days :)
Tomorrow is going to be another busy day... I am training new teachers for the morning, squeezing in a workout early afternoon, and then starting grad classes again at 4:30 until 9:00... wicked long Wednesdays are coming back!
Time to iron and get ready for tomorrow! Hopefully tomorrow is the last of these chilly days too... I just had some tea to warm me up!

muffin mania

2010-08-22T15:51:00.005-04:00

Ok not really muffin mania, I only made a dozen. Here they are finally! (Good thing I took these yesterday, because the dozen is nearly gone today! No, I didn't eat them all, I am a good sharer with my family :)

oops, I guess I didn't get the whole dozen... taste tester already removed here!

Remaining muffins cool down...

A closer look!

sunday (no)long run day...

2010-08-22T12:13:00.003-04:00

Well Sundays are usually started with the long run... but since I'm not running until I see the orthopedic next week I did a non-run long run... meaning I did 12.7 miles in 1:40 on the elliptical! I feel great! Even though it's not running it still feels good to be able to work out like this and not have my knee hurt. Granted, the doctor has me taking an aleve daily so I may be masking a bit of pain, but still it feels so much better than weeks when I have tried to run and stubbornly battled through the run. I'm really eager to talk to the orthopedic and have him asses my situation and hopefully give me some answers or at least get me started on some pt and the road to recovery!
Other than the gym this morning it's a rainy dreary day here in MA. The rents are in flight now on their way home from DC where they went to a wedding last night, congrats to the new Mr. and Mrs. Canning, I'm sure Cristina was a beautiful bride and it was a great event.
Although I said I was going to get some school work done yesterday I kind of managed to skirt around that issue, aside from making my kiddo's birthday chart for the classroom. Instead I played in the kitchen a bit more and made a pasta salad, figuring there'd be leftovers for the hungry travelers when they get home this afternoon. I also went into the garden and of course there was another crop of tomatoes to be picked... leaving the kitchen full of dozens of tomatoes again. So I decided to use more of them and make a homemade tomato sauce! I love the smell of simmering sauce... something about the smell I think of the oregano infusing with the tomatoes that just smells soooo good. Making a pot of it is super easy and then it's in the fridge for some easy meals during the week!
Here's what I did:
Sauted three garlic cloves with half a yellow onion
Added a small can of tomato paste
Took that mixture and added it to a pot with one can of sclefani crushed tomatoes
Added 6 large diced frest tomatoes from garden
For seasoning I put in about a teaspoon of garlic salt, about 1+ tablespoons of oregano, 2 bay leaves, a few dashes of pepper, and a tablespoon of sugar- you could use a little honey here instead, but it helps to balance out the acidity of the tomatoes, good trick!
Stirring occasionally, I let it simmer on low for about 40 minutes... you can just reheat it in the pot when you're ready for some pasta! My fam also makes roasted veggies with the sauce on it too, very good.

Also made another pasta salad too:

Well I am sweaty still from the gym... probably should go shower now that I've got my icing done! (Icing has become my blogging time... I enjoy multitasking.)
Happy end to the weekend and last week of summer vacation!

making something out of an overripe banana

2010-08-21T14:41:00.002-04:00

Ok I really don't like to be wasteful. While I like to clean my classroom and throw stuff away, before I do so I think if someone else could use something or if I could recycle it somehow. The same goes for food. No, I didn't recycle food, well actually I kind of did.
I was cleaning up after lunch and saw a lonely almost too ripe banana sitting in the fruit bowl. It was past the time at which I would like to eat it, I touched it and it felt mushy through the skin. Unfortunately the banana bread recipe that I've adapted and love needs 3 bananas. So I did a little thinking and looking in the cabinets, i didn't want to go buy more ingredients, but rather use that banana with stuff on hand to make something... Then I got an inspiration when i saw peanut butter and oatmeal, there must be a recipe for a peanut butter-banana- oatmeal bread of some sort. I goggled these ingredients and decided on peanut butter- banana and oatmeal muffins... Which I think should be called Elvis oatmeal muffins. I used a basic recipe from www.allrecipes.com but made some minor changes. If I make it again I probably would substitute some wheat flour for the white and would add more oatmeal- i like a denser more grainy muffin.
Ingredients

1 cup all-purpose flour
3/4 cup quick cooking oats
1/3 cup packed brown sugar
1 tablespoon baking powder
1 cup milk
1/2 cup peanut butter
1/2 cup mashed ripe banana
1 egg, beaten
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1/4 cup all-purpose flour
2 tablespoons butter, melted
2 tablespoons packed brown sugar
Directions

Preheat oven to 375 degrees F (190 degrees C). Grease 12 muffin cups or line with paper muffin liners.
Combine 1 cup flour, oats, 1/3 cup brown sugar, and baking powder. Whisk together milk, peanut butter, banana, egg, oil, and vanilla. Add banana mixture to dry ingredients, mixing just until moistened. Fill prepared muffin cups 3/4 full.
In a small bowl, stir together 1/4 cup flour, melted butter and 2 tablespoons brown sugar. Sprinkle topping evenly over muffins.

I baked these for nearly 20 minutes, then they seemed a little bland, so I wanted to jazz them up... i was thinking of drizzling some melted pb on top, but thought they'd then be too messy to eat. So instead I just made a little cinnamon and sugar mixture and sprinkled it over the top. I know, not a wicked healthy topping, but a little sugar doesn't hurt every now and then!
I think maybe putting a little cinnamon in the batter would be good... I also would love some walnuts in there too. But they taste good for first time baking these and i didn't have to throw away the banana!

This morning I was a busy bee at the gym. I was on the elliptical for 90 minutes! And it felt good. I didn't really go hard, just a relaxing gait. Then I thought my abs could use a little attention. I used different ab machines then did various crunches and situps on and off the ball and mat.

I've done a great job at procrastinating school work today, but should probably face the music and get a little of it done before heading to church this afternoon.

Muffin pics to come...

new year, new title

2010-08-20T15:39:00.002-04:00

No it's not really new years, but in the life of a teacher the years are different. The end of august should be the time for sparklers as the year comes to a close and a new year begins on September first. Although i don't think i would fare well if I stayed up past midnight to ring in this new year, quite the contrary, it's an early to bed new years eve which leads to little sleep because of excited, anxious, nervous energy for the first day of school. Yes, at the age of 28 I still can't sleepnthe night before the first day.
I was in my classroom again today, surprise surprise, and the new year really hit me. My room is finally back in tact, and today i started photocopying thing for the first week and got the " get to know you" work ready. My 18 students should receive a letter today to let them know I'm their teacher, there's no looking back... Year 7 here I come.
Along with the new year reflections I was thinking about my blog... Its more of my own ramblings, but I think everything really fits into three categories... My life as a teacher, my life as a student, and my life as a runner. Although i guess there's the very little time i have for " fun" so that will be the fourth extra category. Anyways, I really want to use this to keep track of living my life in the healthy way i try to do. I don't intend to teach anyone anything extraordinary here, but rather, use this to reflect at the end of the day, and if someone out there reads something anddp it resonates with them, then great, if not, that's okay too.
As for today's thoughts, i am resting my legs while eagerly waiting to hear my xray results. I had them done on wednesay, and the doc said I'd hear in 1-2 days, so I'm crossing my fingers I heat today, not that it really matters, i am going to an orthopedic in a week, which will have more answers I am sure.
I think my recent knee issues have led me to change the name of my blog too... I really want to be a life long runner, but realize that there are some bumps in the road along the way. I am on a bumpy training road right now, but know that i will perservere. I also have realized that I shouldn't be comparing my training to anyone elses, i am in race with myself and as long as i listen to my body and continue to push myself to my own limitations, then I am fulfilling what I need and want to do. While i am basically committing to not run until I get this knee thing figured out, I have also committed to not let not running hinder my overall healthy lifestyle and physical activity. I love being active and used to associate that with miles logged on the road or treadmill. I have realized that I can get nearly as good a workout using the elliptical or a bike. I have had done awesome rides and have also done spinning classes at my new gym, which is literally 2 minutes from my house, so convenient. At first i was a little skeptical with spin, but have realized that I control the resistance- it's like differentiated instruction on a bike! ( theres the teacher in me). I have also been going to yoga, which I think is more beneficial for a healthy mind, although I know it helps for a healthy body too. I'd be telling a lie if I said I didn't miss running, but i know it's just a long race, so I'll be getting back in the course in time. I am just taking a little scenic detour.
Well thats enough of my rambling for now, i need to venture off to purchase some healthy food so i can make a good dinner, how is the fridge looking so bare again?

Trip to the doctors

2010-08-18T13:42:00.002-04:00

I had a doctors appointment this morning but I still don't know what's wrong with my knee. I don't think there's a major problem, but I had several x rays taken so I'm anxious to hear the results of those. My doctor also said to ice, which I've been doing but also to take an aleve daily, apparently i have some swelling that i was unaware of. I am going to an orthopedic on august 30th so until then I am not going to run.
I did go to the gym later this am, just to elliptical though. My knee was sore i think from her moving all around and also from my run yestrerday. I just iced it though and im going to cvs this afternoon to get some aleve. I don't like taking meeds but if the doctor orders it, then I listen.
I am not going to my classroom today, i have enough odds and ends at home that have to get done. I need to go there tomorrow though to meet with a colleague about curriculum and also to meet with a photographer. I was interviewed yesterday for a local paper who is doing a back to school story and profiling various teachers in the district and some how i was chosen. So i get to have mug taken tomorrow!
Well I should get cracking on some school work, i can't beleve it's almost here... I also realized that a week from today i also start grad classes again, things will be getting busy around here really soon!

In "knee"d of an answer

2010-08-17T20:36:00.002-04:00

I decided to run today... And ran 7 miles. Good news, but not really. During the run my knee really never felt good. I had about a 3 or a 4 out of 10 on a pain level, it never got worse but the fact it lingered lead me to decide to call the doctor as soon as I got home. I have to go to my primary care in the morning but the nurse said try could take an xray and if need be refer me to an orthopedic, which I'm guessing will happen like it did with my hamstring 2 years ago.
I could have done this a month ago but I tried to fix it myself, now it's time to get professional help to assess the problem, then work on a way of fixing it.
I am anxious to go there because the news may not be great, but I need to know what's happening in my knee!
In other news my classroom is coming along, nearly physically ready. Soon i have to think about curriculum and scheduling and actually figuring out whats going to be taught in the beginning weeks.
Well this is short, but I'm wiped out and ready to rest... I did enjoy an hour yoga class tonight, so I had a happy ending to my day! Now Im going to watch some Glee :)

Friday the 13th

2010-08-13T16:12:00.005-04:00

I don't believe in superstitions.
I do have some routines though, that I seem to always do for example:
I always put my right shoe on first and have to have double knots.
I'm a believer in pasta the night before a race, just out of habit.
The morning of a race it has to be oatmeal.
I don't like to set my alarm to any 15's... for example I like getting up at 6:22, not 6:25.
I always like to leave my tv on channel 7 when I turn it off, since it's my "lucky number."

Ok I am too tired to think of others right now, but that's just a few.
As for today I am loving the heat relief... I'll take 70s over 90s, although I do enjoy a good hot day every now and then. Allergy relief today too is also a bonus!

I got up early this morning... thanks dad for being loud!... But it forced me to start up the tea kettle at 7:30... I know this isn't "early" but for summer it is!
After breakfast the gym was on the agenda. Today's workout was 80 minutes on the elliptical. Lots of sweat later I felt great!

As for the rest of the day I spent it at my classroom (well only til early afternoon). I pretty much finished cleaning and reorganizing my classroom library! This may not seem like a lot but, I emptied every single bin and sprayed and wiped them down, then reorganized and added more bins due to overflowing bins! I still need to type up some new labels, but as far as the physical organization, it's done!

Science and "series" section...

And all of the others...

Here's a close up:

A lot of my library is leveled based on guided reading. This way after I have my assessments (DRA2) with my students I can target the level at which they are reading and direct them to a letter that is "just right" for them. That doesn't mean this is the only thing that they can read, but they must have a just right book in their folder for independent reading time. This helps to increase their fluency and also various comprehension strategies since at this just right level they should be able to access the material in the book without assistance from someone else.

Well it's time to do some errands this evening. I need to get some good food since I'm running low on some essentials ie: lactaid milk!

My sister is visiting this evening and tomorrow night too I think, so it should be good to see her. As for the rest of the night, I don't have any plans, but think there's a bike ride with some relatives in the am... have to check on this though.

Hope I don't get any bad luck for the rest of the day!

getting freshhhhh

2010-08-12T19:35:00.003-04:00

There were many fresh things today!
First of all I didn't wake up feeling fresh, but knocked myself out of it by forcing myself to visit the gym before a school visit. It's amazing how positive my body feels after moving around... 70 minutes on the elltiptical and I had a fresh new outlook on the day! Love the power of positive thinking+ endorphin kick! (Although I chose not to run... I am giving my body the week off from it I think.)
Came home to shower and felt oh so fresh and clean!
Then it was off to school... not so fresh when I get there, but my library is getting a new fresh look! I bought some new bins, so it's helping to sort out all of the books I've accumulated. Here's the progress I made today:

May not look like much, but literally I've emptied every bin, cleaned the inside with spic and span and made sure the books were put in the bin I wanted, some had to be reworked since I had overflowing bins from last year!

I still have another day of library revamping tomorrow though...

This afternoon I had some more freshness after relaxing this afternoon... I could really get used to reading in the recliner with a nice coolish breeze from the outside!
I got my second wind for spinning this evening and feel so invigorated right now! It was only a 45 minute class of intervals, but we really worked! After a quick shower and a fresh salad... lettuce and tomatoes grown in my yard! And a boca burger accompanied by a fresh batch of my salsa, I am feeling fueled back up... although no more activity today, it's a big brother-project runway-boston med night. For someone who really doesn't watch much tv, I am a tv junkie this evening. :)

whirlwind of a wednesday

2010-08-11T19:50:00.005-04:00

Busy day today!
This is gonna be quick since Big Brother is on soon and I'm an addict, yup. I get way too hooked in "reality" tv.
So I got up this am and decided not to run... my knee felt better but it's depressing when it hurts, so I wanted to definitely feel good, so I ellipticaled for 70 minutes.
Next up was Paxton. I took some pics today to show just how many books I have and still have to reorganize since I bought more bins. I am crazy and like them all leveled and binned according to genre.

and more books...

at least I cleaned the shelves... they're just waiting to be filled again with books!

So I did more dusting and organizing today and started to tackle cleaning out my big closet.

I also cleaned some "editing phones"... if you're a teacher this is a great idea: go to home depot and buy some pvc elbows... apoxy them together and voila you get "telephones" so the kiddies can read their story or paper out loud and hear themeselves... it's a cheap way to get good results!

some people call them "whisper phones" too:

Another fun thing I have that's a cheap tip is to use shoe racks as my lunch and snack shelves! My kids' cubbies are down the hall, so to minimize clutter and crumbs they put their lunch box/bag here in the am!

After having enough in my classroom I came home... once again chilled a bit and watched a little Oprah. She had a great show on food! It made me realize just how important it is to think first about what you put in your mouth and where it came from!

I signed up for spinning class tonight (another double day!)... there was a 35 minute interval class with Coreyy which was fun and I stayed for Jen's hour class which focused on endurance and strength! I'd say I've had enough for the day... and now it's time to kick back for the evening! (and do laundry... blah) :)

another two workout "twos"day tuesday

2010-08-10T20:11:00.003-04:00

I was really disappointed waking up with a wicked sore knee again and beginning to wonder if I should just suck it up and go get it checked out. But I am so stubborn that I feel like I can actively rest it and it will cure itself... I really can still do most things on it, it just hurts sometime!
So usually Tuesday am I run, but chose not to today. I thought that might hurt it more, so I opted for the elliptical. 75 minutes later I knocked out just over 9 miles! Although getting off my quads were super tight, so I stretched a lot.
Then it was cleaning time... at my classroom. Seriously, I would have taken and posted picture of what was showing up on my paper towels but it was so gross I think I would have been too embarrassed to post them, it's amazing how much dirt and dust collect!Also spiders.... they were all over my window sills... dead and alive! ah!
I only cleaned for a couple of hours. I got rid of a lot of dust and dirt but in doing so and taking tons of books and items off shelves my room looks almost more of a mess than when I started, oh well, it's all a part of the process.
One of my colleagues and teammates was there and her hubby was nice enough to help me take down chairs which the janitors had stacked on top of my heater. I know I'm jacked (haha) but taking those down would have been a challenge so I'm grateful he took care of it!
This afternoon I was super bored and slightly tired... possibly because of the heat? Or allergies? Yes, I was sneezing my head off again today despite the claritin pill I took.
After watching some day time tv which isn't all that great, although Oprah was interesting... random people with "cool jobs" were on it. From a cake baker- Buddy from "Cake Boss" to a stunt double it was an inside scoop on their job. Sometimes I wonder what life would be like if I weren't a teacher? I am pleased with the path I chose, but think if I were to go back and do it again or I had to start all over it might be fun to go into the medical field. Not sure which area, but I find the way the human body works to be fascinating... maybe something along the lines of exercise physiology? But for now I am continuing along the path I have chosen...
Anyways, after watching some tv I decided to get off my lazy butt. I was going to take out my bike, I think she misses me since I haven't rode her in a week, but realized, it was super hot out there! So I did the next best thing... gym round 2. I went there and rode the bike for an hour. They have cool bikes where you choose a race and can watch it on the screen. It kind of makes me go faster/ push myself because I feel like I am competing against the people on the screen! Fun for me...
This evening I really didn't feel like cooking, but was craving bread... frozen naan to the rescue! Trader Joe's has awesome naan (indian flat bread) which bakes wicked quick.... so I sauteed some veggies, baked the naan and topped it all with my homemade salsa for a nice dinner! Although I am getting hungry again... time for snacking and tv to end the night! :)

starting up the week

2010-08-09T15:10:00.002-04:00

And so another week begins... sadly there are only three left to the summer! And it's really nearing the end because I have to start to get back into the classroom to clean it and get everything organized for the first day of school... august 31st.
I woke up this morning a little earlier than I've been getting up, around 7 am. I think I needly to slowly start to wake up earlier and earlier so I get back on school schedule. The reason I got up earlier today was so I could go to the gym before heading to my classroom. Unfortunately my knee was wicked sore this morning... probably cause I ran almost 20 miles between sat and sunday... but I told myself just get to the gym at least to fulfill the usual lifting requirement of Monday. Surprisingly I was on the elliptical for 75 minutes and it didn't hurt, not going to complain that my knee feels better now than it did this morning. I also got in the upper body lifting too.
I came home to ice my knee and shower... then it was time to go to my classroom. I cleaned for about 3 hours and had enough, so I came home for some food. Resting up a bit now and tutoring this evening! Hope you all had a great Monday! :)

Toughing out a 10 miler and a fresh and easy salsa!

2010-08-08T15:37:00.003-04:00

10 miles sometimes is a stroll in the park... Burt not today. After 2 miles my knee was sore and I really wanted to jumbo off the treadmill and call it a day. My allergiesnwere bothering me and I just felt off today. But I really toughed it out, if my knee got really bad I would have stopped, but until then I just stared ahead and trudged onward. As i ran I kind of kept setting new goals... Just get a half hour done, ok now get to 45 minuetes, ok you've done 45 you can get to an hour... Ok you did an hour you van slow down but try to run a long cool down... And voilà I managed to get to the 10 mile mark in 74:02. Phew, I was really ready to be done. I also realized after that the gym didn't have the fans on, what's up with that?
This afternoon I am lounging big time, I stll just feel off. I just played in the kitchen a bit.... Still trying to find ways to use up moms tomatoes... Today's creation: homemade salsa! In my usual fashion I didn't measure things nor did I follow a recipe, I just put together things that made sense...
4 of moms freshly picked tomatoes
Half a green bell pepper
Half a jalapeño pepper
Half a yellow onion
Bunch of cilantro
Few dashes of garlic salt and pepper
Half a squeezed lime

Basically just finely chopped it all up, now it's chilling in the fridge and getting all the flavors going so i can enjoy it this evening! :)

A handful from the garden...

Ready for some resting in the fridge!

Long day at sea!

2010-08-07T17:45:00.003-04:00

First things first... I changed the look of my blog!
Now for yesterday... Started up early at the gym, 80 minutes on the elliptical! I love working out in the am!
Then it was a long day ahead, off to Gloucester MA! Unfortunately this ended up takin 2.5 hrs instead of 1.5, traffic is one of my pet peaves, I hate sitting in it and we almost missed the boat! But we just made it, got our tickets and boarded the pioneer iv for a day in search of whales!
At the harbor...

Once again the trip to the whales was longer than planned... The whales were off the coast of cape cod, so it took us. About 2 hrs to get to them. Along the way we spotted a basking shark!

It's me at sea!

We had quite the whale show! A family of humpbacks played around for us and the calf even dove under the ship!

After a couple of hours we headed back and didn't get to shore until after 7:30, which meant i didn't get home until around 9:30... And very tired!
I didn't get to bed till 11:00... But I slept in till 8:30 this am! My mom's garden is full of tomatoes, so I made a fresh tomato sauce this morning... It simmered and is delicious if I do say so, and the rents agree!
Then it was gym time! Today is a running day, so I ran the usual 8 miles, but tried to go faster, my last mile was around 6:40, which is an improvement! In total I ran 8.15 miles in 57:19, then tacked on another 1 mi for a cool down. I decided to focus on abs today and did several machines to work my core, then did crunches on the ball and on the mats!
This afternoon was church time and i can say I am honestly wiped out now... But I need to focus on making some dinner before I go lay on my bed... I think tonight is going to be an early pj night!

a sneezing machine!

2010-08-05T13:07:00.002-04:00

Seriously, today I am a lean, mean, sneezing machine! ACHOOOOOO! I keep having sneezing fits despite the claritin I took around 8:30 this morning... this happens from time to time and I just have to deal with it.
The weather and humidity/ muggimess is not making it any easier to deal with... gray skies and sticky feeling isn't fun. Oh well, the good news is I ran in the cool AC this morning and was pretty much sneeze free in the filtered air there! Of course it took me forever to drag my lazy butt there! My mom got home from Italy last night so I was chatting with her this morning and doing the crossword puzzle and wasting time on facebook... but finally left at 10:45.
At the gym I ran for an hour... 8.21 miles! Averaged out to 7:18 pace... then I brought the pace down to liek 7.2 mph and ran/ jogged another mile to cool down. Cooling down is really so important, I like to do it and try to force myself to especially when I have the time.
There is another spinning class tonight... I went last night and loved it! The spin bikes are new and so nice... like them better than my old gym. I don't know if I'm going yet or not, I have some errands to do this afternoon, so we'll see when I get home/ how the legs are feeling later. I need to get random stuff for my classroom today... from a dust pan brush to some plastic files, and it just so happens Trader Joes is on the way to the store I need to go to, so there may be a TJ's trip thrown in there too! :)
Well I neeeeeed to shower and eat... oh yeah, and tomorrow I am going on a whale watch! I am going to try to remember my camera, maybe I will get a pic of a whale to post! :)

Slow moving

2010-08-04T14:50:00.003-04:00

Ever have one of those mornings when you just don't want to face the music and get on with the day? That's how I felt this morning. It was totally unlike me to not wake up till 8:45, but it was nice to get a solid night's sleep! I made a special pancake breakfast for my dad, he loves when I make them, plus he had bought some maple syrup in Vermont and the real stuff just is the perfect topper!
I think I then read the paper and did the crossword for like a half hour, I planned to go to the gym, but my body was like "julie we don't want to sweat or move yet..." so i decided to do some other things. It's weird, I love working out but sometimes I just can't light the fire under my butt and get my rear in gear!
So i vacuumed! Fun fun I know, but mom is returning today from Italy so I told dad i would spruce up a bit, not like the house is a mess, but you just to freshen it up a bit! That didn't take too long, so I decided to play in the kitchen again. My moms tomatoes are ripening in the garden and I hate to see them go to waste- i eat them like candy and throw them in salads daily, but wanted to make a dish to use them up. Plus I knew the rents would be starving tonight after getting home from the airport, so this would be a nice refreshing meal or side dish... Pasta salad! Super easy... I diced up tomatoes- cherry and big boys, along with onions. I added in some peas, cooked the penne and threw it all together! For seasoning I kept it simple- oregano, garlic salt, and pepper. I don't like mayo dressing, although put that in a pasta salad, i prefer usin g an Italian dressing ( I used kens) as a marinade. It's chilling in the fridge so it should be perfect this evening! Maybe i will try to upload a pic, since it actually looks pretty too...
So after making that it was about 11:30, gym time! I hit up the elliptical for 80 minutes! Guess my procrastinating paid off! Then I did some crunches and sit ups, lots of stretching, and called it done! There is a spinning class at 5:15 and Ive yet to try it at my new gym, so i may give it a shot! I am going to put the feet up is afternoon and rest, so i think my body will enjoy a little pre dinner spin!
Well, that's all for now... Going to try to take a pretty pic of my pasta dish, we'll see if it works!

two work out "twos"day (tuesday)

2010-08-03T19:38:00.002-04:00

Helloooooo la, la, la! (Seinfeld... giant ball of oil?!)
Ok, weird mood... must be cause my blood is flowing from anusara yoga! That's right today consisted of two different work outs... the first was a 6 miler this morning. I ran outside to see how my knee felt with normal terrain / pavement... eh not so fab. It really wasn't too fond of the hills, kind of a pulling feeling as I ran up them. But whatever, I ran 6 miles, came home and iced. Then I had a meeting at 10.
I am cochair of the mentor program in our district, so we're trying to get stuff ready for new teachers and mentors for the fall. As a result of this I have a lot of reading and work to do to get ready for the last week of august when we have our new teaching training week, yikes!
After sitting at a desk working on my ipad for about 3 hours we called it a meeting and parted ways... of course I have more work I need to do tonight to finish up what we didn't do there. It's totally worth it though, having a mentor when you're a first year teacher is so much more helpful than being at it alone.
This afternoon was somewhat of a blur... after lunch I proceeded to lay in bed, watch Rachael Ray, and play on facebook for probably too long. Before I knew it I realized I needed to get my butt in gear again for the gym. I wanted to go to yoga class, but wanted to go early so I could get another little cardio session in. I ended up doing 37 minutes on the elliptical and ran into the yoga room just in time for class. It's amazing how great my mind and body feels after class. I love it, only wish my gym had it more than once a week... but there's talk of maybe two classes a week starting the fall, so fingers are crossed!
When I came home I made some dinner... kind of a spin on eggplant parm tonight, but a quick and easy version... I sauteed garlic and onions and threw in large rounds of eggplant, along with some zucchini and squash for color, I like to have a colorful plate! Instead of pasta, which took to long for me to make tonight, I decided to put the veggies along with some (lactose free)cheese in a wheat wrap, then grilled the whole thing pannini style. I had some garlic roasted salsa to dip it in too, very good... writing about it's making me hungry again.. good thing it'll be night time snacking soon! Ta ta for now!

getting things moving on monday

2010-08-02T14:54:00.004-04:00

Happy Monday all! I love Mondays in the summer... in the school year, eh, not so much, haha... although I did go in to school today, but first things first- work out.
I woke up this am around 7:30, this is my normal wake up time, I would love to be able to sleep in til then everyday! Today is a cross training day, so I hit up the gym for a sweet and sweaty 80 minutes of elliptical! woot woot, sometimes I truly love getting a good sweat out, I may not look the best at the end, but I feel great! I followed that up with some upper body lifting, trying to tone my arms a bit, although I'm not sure it's working! It feels good though! Then I went to the mats for my typical ab routine.
While on the elliptical I was watching Rachael Ray and have to mention something odd... she had Chelsea Handler on the show and they alluded to a place that sells "Kitty Wigs"... seriously, who would buy a wig for their cat?! Weird!! But that is just my opinion.
Anyways, after a quick shower it was off to Paxton to my classroom. Today was like the assessment day... what do I need to do to get ready for another school year? As always I take some time just to sit there and think... and think... and think... what do I want this space to look like this year? I still don't know for sure, it kind of ends up being a work in progress, although I have a rough idea of the layout. I decided to take some "before pics" before I started to unwrap and uncover things, just for fun. I am going to have to do a lot of dusting and cleaning out shelves... but I'll do that later this week sometime.

After some cleaning I'm off to tutor for the evening... then it's bachelorette finale tonight! I've thought from the beginning that she's totally into Roberto... but tonight we'll find out who she picks! (ps... I don't think I could ever/ would ever want to be on this show.)

August already?!

2010-08-01T12:15:00.002-04:00

Seriously, how is it already August? I love August don't get me wrong, but that means it's back to school this month, yikes. I need to get into my classroom this week and kindnof figure out what I need to do, it's always tough the first days when everything is all packed up and away and I need to just organize and figure out what I want to put where. It gets easier though, this is the 7th time I will be setting up my room. Each year I try to make improvements on the past and make the space more user friendly and workable, both for me and the kids. It's just a matter of staring at the space and figuring out what makes the most sense. The make up of the class makes a huge difference too in my layout. Fortunately this year i won't have another one on one aide in my room. So I won't have to worry about creating space for another adult. Well, I hope to figure it out hhis week.
As for today, hello gorgeous weather! The air seems so much more fresh, i love it! I didn't enjoy it on my run, since i am still tread milling it up to try to keep it controlled for my knee. I ran 11 miles this am, ended up averaging at a 7:18 pace. The last mile i ran in around 6:40 so I was happy with that! I am icing my knee now though, still important in case there is still anything wrong in there! Sometimes I wish I had dray vision and could look under my skin to see what's going on in there... Weird I know.
The rest of the day is kind of a lazy Sunday. I am going to have some lunch, then go visit my grandparents. Tonight is also a big brother night, fun fun... I may take a walk again after dinner too. Last night my dad and i went out and it was really relaxing! I think I spend a lot of time "training" and enjoyed just walking for fun not trying to log miles!
Happy Sunday and happy August!

early back to school hair cut!

2010-07-31T14:36:00.002-04:00

I usually wait until closer to the start of the school year (last week in August) to get my hair cut for "back to school." But lately, I have just been really annoyed and tired of my hair. I haven't had it cut since February, so there were definitely some split ends and the length of it was just too hot for the heat lately. So I decided today was the day!
I was also sick of braiding my hair to run and have it whip me in the face... which it did during my 10 miles this morning. I am happy to say that my knee isn't bothering me at all right now, it was a little sore earlier, but I think that's just because it was used. I ran 9 miles in 66 minutes 40 seconds. Unfortunately after 7 miles I had to hop off the treadmill to use the bathroom. I'm pretty sure that I snacked a bit too much last night just out of boredom and had too much sitting in my tummy before this run... oh well, live and learn, if I am healthy and that's what I have to focus on, I'll take it! I followed the 9 miles of running up with another mile of jogging/ slower running as a cool down. I really think that incorporating a cool down into the end of the run is key. Not only is it good for my heart rate, but I think it's good for my leg muscles too. Rather than just stop and have my legs freeze up, it's a nice way to slowly bring my legs to a stop and ease my way out of a run. I followed up the run with some ab work on the ball and lots of stretching!
It was another grocery shopping day today too (that's me being the mom since she's in Italy for another 10 days!)... but it was only a mini-shopping trip, just a few essentials that we were almost out of.
Well, it's time to relax for a few minutes, then I'm off to church with my Dad this afternoon! Hope everyone's enjoying this beautiful day... such fresh air out there, finally not so humid!! :)

Ok here's the before and after... sorry for the weird faces, I can't take pics of myself!
Before:

and another...

A few inches chopped off... and here's the after:

Feels so much lighter!!

post run euphoric feeling

2010-07-29T13:29:00.002-04:00

I am pretty sure that our world would be a happier place if everyone took time to exercise and get that "high" feeling of a post workout... especially a run. Sometimes a longer run, anywhere from about 8 to 15 miles gives me that feeling... not a care in the world, feel great, no worries, just happy and loving life. That's how I feel right now, which is a lot different than before I started my run.
This morning I was/ felt super grumpy! We're talking I got up at 7, then decided nope, I'm going back to bed... and finally managed to convince my body to roll out again around 8:45... good thing I'm on summer vacation!
I really wasn't motivated to do much, which happens when my allergies are bothering me, I get wicked sneezy, itchy eyes, and a tired feeling. I took some claritin, but it wasn't kicking in right away, so I decided to head to the grocery store... sometimes walking the aisles is like a nice little waker uper! Plus we have like close to no good food in the house, so I had a list of things to get. This really helped and afterwards I was ready to run!
I ran at the gym. I started off at a 7:40 pace for the first 20 minutes, then went to 7:30 and 7:19 for the next 20 and finished with my last mile around a 6:30 pace! In the end I ran 8 miles in 58:31. Then I jogged another mile to cool down... so nice 9 miles in the log book! Threw in some ab work and lots of stretching, now I'm icing my knee and relishing in the feeling of being done with today's run. Sometimes the best part of a run is the feeling you get when you're done!
Not much planned for the rest of the day, but some cleaning and random errands maybe in order... I also may toss in a nap, not usually my thing to rest during the day, but I still feel like I could sleep some more!

poolside with pcs

2010-07-28T19:15:00.002-04:00

Happy middle of the week! Today was a fabulous day. Why? Nothing too spectacular, but super restful and fun!
I started up my day at the gym... one hour and 20 minutes on the elliptical!! Now that's one sweat fest, but I loved it. After I decided I would mix things up a bit and do some more serious ab work. I tend to shy away from the machines at the gym, but realize I shouldn't be afraid of them... they're there to make me stronger! So today I hit up some ab machines... no six pack yet though, haha.
With my mom in Italy I also tried to be a little domestic this morning and catch up some household chores, didn't get all of it done, but will finish those tomorrow. I had to stop short to head to a coworker's house for a pool party!
It was so nice to spend the day poolside, she has a beautiful yard, house, and pool. Some of my coworkers have kids, they were there too and were like little fishies in the water all day! I have to admit though, it was so hot that I had to join them at one point to cool off, so refreshing! Not only did it bring my body temp down, but also it felt nice on my legs. I'm really not a big swimmer, but love cooling off in a pool and the cooler water is good for some tired runner/ ellipticaller legs.
It was also an afternoon of grazing... I actually took a pic of my contribution to the pool party- usually I love buying the roasted red pepper hummus at Trader Joe's, but they were out!

So I tried something new- tomato basil hummus... not the same as the red pepper, but I'd buy it and eat it again. Although sadly this doesn't last too long when it's sitting out in the hot summer sun... it says perishable on the cover for a reason! But it was good while it lasted! Oh and the cukes and tomatoes are fresh from my backyard, thanks to my mom's garden! I love freshly grown veggies, nothing better than picking them minutes before eating them, yum yum!!
Well it's a big brother night... so I gotta get ready.

Call me Grace

2010-07-27T16:38:00.002-04:00

Seriously,I am such a clutz! I am currently icing both knees... I was in the kitchen and whacked my "good knee" against a cabinet knob, I think I am going to get A nasty bruise there tomorrow, let's hope it stops at that.
In other news, I was up and at em early this morning, well 7 am, I wanted to have bfast and hit up the gym for a run, good thing too, since my knee prob isn't feeling a run now! Anyways, didn't do speed work, I am still just trying to get the miles in again. Today i decided I'd run for an hour and see how far that would be- turns out I ran 8.23 miles, not bad!
I had to get this done early since I had a long meeting this morning and afternoon. I am a cochair for our districts mentor program and this year we're trying to be more tech savvy/ use more online components, so today we got ipads! And we got flip phones too to document things and share via the Internet. I started another blog on word press - juliecgrade3.wordless.com if you want to follow my classroom this year, and yes, I am now blogging from my iPad, its getting easier as I use it, although the keyboard is still a litle tough.
Well i gotta jet, time for yoga and bringing my bike in for a tune up!

In a rut

2010-07-25T13:49:00.002-04:00

I feel like I'm stuck in a rut, I really have no reason to complain, but I don't like having negative feelings, which I think is why I haven't posted all week. But I told myself I would write today, hoping to put a positive spin on things.
It's summer vacation, shouldn't I be beaching it up and enjoying the time off? I think part of me isn't doing so much of this because I really don't have that special someone to share it with... And I think havig so much free time on my hands just makes me think and wonder where and when I will meet this person, because I am pretty sure I am ready for him! Thinking postively- if I just keep doing what I am doing this person will appear, or so I'm told.
I was actually slightly busy this week. I went to Westfield state to a mentoring workshop since a colleague and myself instituted this program in our district. This is a big undertaking and something I'm proud of, but 2 hours of commuting daily just wasn't my thing, glad I don't have to go back next week!
I should be happy that I ran nearly 35 miles this week! I managed to run tuesday, Thursday, Saturday, and Sunday. This weekend was pretty good with 8.7ish yesterday and 10.7ish today, with paces right around 7:30. By no means is this where I want to be, but the fact that I am running is a positive. I don't think I am ready to race yer, but hopefully soon. I really don't k ow what I want to train for though, I kind of feeling like I am just planning my training week by week which feels weird, but I don't really know where I'm headed. I guess that's kind of how I feel with my life right now. What am I doing and where I am heading? I really don't know. I want to know, I want to have direction, I mean I kind of do, I am working on a cags degree to become a reading specialist, but there's more to life than work. I think I feel lost with the other part or parts of my life. Fortunately I am able to work out to kind of escape reality for a while, although these thoughts are waiting for me when I'm done.
Well that was a tangent, but anyways, I do feel good having run nearly 11 miles today, but still feel that something is missing. As for therest of the day, it's an errand and catch up day. My mom is en route to Italy for 2 weeks, so I need to do some things to make sure the house is up and running well. I also have to tutor tomorrow, so I need to prep for that. I may try to take a nap too with the hopes of having a nice rest and waking up feeling invigorated! Happy sunday all!

wonderful weekend so far!

2010-07-18T13:12:00.002-04:00

The weekends aren't the same in the summer... during the school year I live for the weekend, I mean I love teaching, but the break is so much needed come Friday night. During the summer I tend to not realize the weekend as much since I am not overstressed with work. But this weekend has been great and relaxing too, almost feeling like a typical (hot) weekend.
Yesterday morning I went out for a 23 mile bike ride:) My uncle Bill, aunt Margs, and uncle John all went. It's fun to ride with family and I knew they'd be going at a slower clip, so I thought it would almost be like a good easier day for my legs. It was nice to get an early ride in. We headed out to some towns nearby which made me realize how awfully paved our town is! After riding we vegged out for a bit at Bill and Margs' house on their deck, I got a little sun:)
Then it was typical weekendish stuff since I went and got grocery shopping done. I also went to church with some fam and saw more fam there... it's nice to have a big family and we run into each other everywhere!
I was kind of tired last night, so it turned into a mellow evening. I actually started a new series of books since I finished the last one. I started reading "Something Borrowed" by Emily Giffin. It's another chic book, but it's so addicting! I am planning on reading more of it later, possibly out on the patio if it's not too hot!

This morning I kind of slept in a little later than usual... 8:30ish wake up, I think I was up reading too late last night, so I had breakfast and checked emails before deciding to run. By that time it was already hot hot hot out, so I hit up the gym... I am pumped to write that I ran for 75 minutes, a total of 10.2 miles, then I cooled down for .5 miles for a grand total today of 10.7 miles. By no means is this really a "long run"... but I'm calling it a longish run, it's a good sign that my knee is building back up and I am getting back in the game. I did some ab work and tonssss of stretching, now I am icing, just to be safe!
Well it's another Big Brother night! so addicted... but first I am hoping to have an enjoyable Sunday afternoon! :)

breaking the pattern

2010-07-16T12:56:00.002-04:00

Ok, so for years I only wore Nike running shoes. I have narrow feet and they just work for me... or so I thought.
Recently I just haven't been happy with them... and I think they're part of the reason that I had a minor knee injury. I ran in them yesterday and was able to do an easy 5 mile in 38:00, but still, I just felt like there's not enough support in them any more. It's not like I am a really big person and require tons of support, but perhaps over the years I've become more of an aggressive runner and I'm pushing off the pavement now more than I used to when I started 6 years ago with my casual trot. Either way...I decided to break the pattern of Nike Air Triax or Air Structure yesterday.
I went to pr running in westboro and Andrea did a gait analysis on me... nothing I didn't know, but I tried on I think 7 different pairs of shoes from Brooks to Mizuno to Adidas... and finally settled on the Asics 2150s.

I like this shade of blue!

I wore them this morning for my elliptical routine and am happy to say that 10.8 miles in 80 minutes later they are comfortable and supportive. I also have always thought I'm a size 7... which fits me but 7.5 actually gives me a little extra room... maybe now my toes won't crush into each other and I won't get as many bloody socks?! (yes, I do cut my toenails...)
In addition to yesterday's run, I also got in a decent easy bike ride last night. I've started riding with a group and they met up last night... it was nice to ride with about 10 other women through the streets of nearby Southboro, Northboro, Berlin... and maybe other nearby towns. We just did 20 miles easy, but it was the perfect thing to stretch out my tight legs last night!
I finished the night off with coming home to catch the ending to Big Brother... yes my guilty "reality" show pleasure... sad ,but I admit I get addicted!!!

terrific start to my tuesday!

2010-07-13T12:33:00.002-04:00

Helloooo Tuesday! I had a great beginning to the day! After breakfast I went to the gym for a run! Yes that's right, I think my knee actually is healing and allowing me to finally log some running miles. I didn't want to go for speed today, my goal was to just increase the length of time running, which I did. I ran for 1 hour, which really isn't long, bit when my knee was bothering me before in May after running for five minutes, I'd say this is a big improvement! Here's the break down even though I wasn't going for time:
7.6 mph for the first 35 min
7.8 mph for min 36-45
8.0 mph for min 45-55
8.2 mph for last five minutes
grand total: 7.78 miles in 60 minutes

I was happy with how I felt after, my knee isn't bothering me as I write this although my hamstrings are tight. I have been biking and ellipticalling so much I think I've been using different muscles, gotta get my running legs back.
To continue the good morning I met up with a colleague and friend just to catch up. We both teach 3rd grade together and have grown into good friends, so it was nice to visit!!
Later today I am going back to the gym for yoga class. I think this will be good for my tight legs! Also I love doing yoga and want to make it more a part of my routine.
Time for some lunch! And the tomatoes and cucumbers are starting to get picked outside so I think that part of lunch will include some fresh veggies from the garden, yummmm!

spain and schleck are victorious!

2010-07-12T12:51:00.002-04:00

Yesterday was all about the "s" victories. While I orignally wanted the USA to go all the way in the world cup, Spain was my second choice, since I consider that to be my home away from home since I lived there for nearly half a year. I was happy to see them win and thought that the winning goal was awesome! Although it was kind of dumb of him to take his shirt off like he did and then get carded...

Another victory yesterday was another s... for Schleck, as in Andy Schleck of Team Saxo Bank. He's one of the youngest riders in the tour. His brother Frank was in it too, but is out now after a crash... he's one of my faves and was so happy to see him do so well yesterday in Stage 8. Today is a rest day for the men, so there's not a stage today, but they'll be back at it tomorrow, things aren't looking too good for Lance though!

To recap the weekend, I also went to church on Saturday with my mom, which was nice... as always I enjoy it once I get there! Yesterday morning I got my workout in... 10.4 miles on the elliptical in 75 minutes, I was really working hard! I then had intentions of going to buy a cycling jersey... but the store I went to only had one women's small, and I didn't like it. I did manage to find a few other things I justified that I needed... another pair of padded spandex cycling shorts, running/ working out headbands, a bright yellow sports bra, and some reef sandals (super soft and I think better for my feet than the cheap old navy ones I've been wearing!) I love the obnoxious color yellow of the sports bra and it showed today at the gym... tried to capture it...
That was taken after today's workout...11 miles on the elliptical in 1 hr 22 minutes... not as quick as yesterday.
Here are the sandals I bought and loveee:

And since I'm showing some purchases... I remembered to take a pick of my new bike rack I bought on Friday so now I can bring my bike when traveling for new adventures!

Well so far it's been a good Monday... I have to tutor a couple of kids tonight, so this afternoon will probably consist of planning what I am going to teach them and possibly taking a nap! (This heat makes me tired!!!) Happy Monday all!

it pays to get up early on summer vacation!

2010-07-10T12:00:00.002-04:00

Woke up to my alarm this morning at 5:30 am! Why? On a Saturday of my summer vacation?! Well, I was meeting up with a group of people for a ride and had to be there by 6:45, so in order to eat, get ready, and get there, I had to get up early!

I made it there on time, actually I was early... I forgot no one would be on the roads, so there would be no traffic! In total we rode 26.5 miles this morning in 1 hr and 43 min. Not too bad, although I know I could have gone faster! In fact, I was home around 9:30 and thought hmm... I should go to the gym and finish it off right. Last time I rode I neglected to stretch properly and woke up with wicked tight hammys the next day... live and learn. So after changing up out of my spandex padded shorts (very appealing), I went to the gym.

I decided I should get my heart rate going a bit, so I did 20 minutes on the elliptical, then did some lifting... legs today! It's nice to actually have the time to just have fun at the gym! Then I hit the mats for some strettttttchhhhinnnngg and some ab work. I feel very productive and after showering too I feel so refreshed!!

I think today I need to invest in a bike jersey... my running tops definitely don't cut down on the wind resistance, unless I wear a sleeve spandex top. Plus bike shirts have cool pockets in the back... hey, part of the sport is dressing for the part right?! Haha, I can justify purchasing something, plus I had a gift card to Dick's Sporting Goods from my kiddos (they know me pretty well by the end of the school year)so I can use that.

As for the rest of the day... that is yet to be determined, although I'm thinking that church this afternoon may be a plan, so I don't have to go in the am. Is that bad that I sometimes go to church to "get it over with"? Although once I'm there I do enjoy it... kind of like working out sometimes!

a successful 6... miler that is!

2010-07-09T11:32:00.002-04:00

My legs were a little sore from biking 34 miles yesterday, but in a good way... I wasn't planning on running today, but just had a major urge to do so. I was going to go to the gym anyways, but changed my routine this morning.

I started off (after stretching) with 6 miles on the treadmill! I ran it in 46:27, which isn't that great, but for the second run back after not running for over a month, I'll take it! I started off with a 7:53 pace, then after about 30 minutes I went to a 7:41... I did the last couple minutes at 7:30 just to lengthen my stride a bit. I really wanted to just try to keep a slow and steady pace, but try to go a little longer today... although 6 miles is by no means a long run in my book!
I followed the 6 up with an easy .5 cool down. Then I still had the urge to do a little more cardio, so I hit up the elliptical for another 15 minutes just to get out a little more sweat! Love it!... and my knee really wasn't "hurting"... in fact my hammys were tight from yesterday's ride, so I think I was focusing on those more than my knee! Although I am icing right now as I type this!

I found another fun thing at the gym today:

It reminded me of the gladiator cage from "American Gladiators" but it has tons of ways to do lots of stretches for various body parts in this cage!
Also, here's the calf stretcher I found the other day:

Once again, I love getting a good workout done in the morning, it makes for a better day, especially in this heat, it tires me out, so by the afternoon I'm wiped! This afternoon I am going to go to the bike shop and try to find/ buy a bike rack to go on the back of my car so I don't have to keep taking off the front tire when I want to bring it somewhere. I love my Honda Civic, but let's face it, there's not a lot of room in the trunk!

I also hope to try to catch up with the Big Brother Premiere online since I missed it last night. I didn't get home til 9 and it was over... but I did get to watch Boston Med... love this show! It makes me wonder if I shouldn't have gone into teaching, but the medical field instead... hmmm probably too late now! Oh well, fun to watch!

Happy Friday :)

hot tea on a hot day

2010-07-08T13:26:00.002-04:00

So the temps are circa 100 again today on this beautiful Thursday afternoon and I'm having a cup of hot tea... why? Surely not because I'm cold and want to heat up, I just enjoy a cup of tea in the afternoon if I have the time! I love tea! I've never been a coffee drinker... tea does it for me! I always have a cup in the morning with or before breakfast, but during the summer I have more time, so I can relax with a cup in the afternoon! (Although sometimes if I am super hot I have to admit a cold drink may be a substitute, but I was feeling the tea today!) I also had a weird craving at lunch time... eggs! Sometimes I am too lazy to make them, but really wanted some today, so I thought hard boiled along with a fresh salad would be the perfect lunch, and it was! Especially when half the salad was grown in my yard! My mom loves gardening and I love picking and eating the veggies!

I think that maybe the reason for the egg craving was my body wanting some protein, I really don't eat meat and get most of my protein from seafood and beans, plus I rode 34 miles this morning on my bike, so I think my body was hungryyyy. I love getting in a work out in the morning! I met up with a family friend at 7 am and we road to thompson, ct and back... woohoo for crossing state lines on a ride, haha. In total we rode for 2:25, although I was going at his pace, so I could have done it faster, I wasn't really sweaty at all at the end, but it felt great!

This afternoon is looking like another trip to our friend's pool! Thank goodness that friends take pity on me and let me cool off at their place!

Last night I was so excited to try something new... sweet potatoes! I can't believe I've never had one before! I put it in the microwave for a couple of minutes to soften it up, then put it out on the grill to char it like I would a baked potato...delicious!! I also learned (because I googled it..) that sweet potatoes and yams are different!

Sweet Potatoes
Popular in the American South, these yellow or orange tubers are elongated with ends that taper to a point and are of two dominant types. The paler-skinned sweet potato has a thin, light yellow skin with pale yellow flesh which is not sweet and has a dry, crumbly texture similar to a white baking potato. The darker-skinned variety (which is most often called "yam" in error) has a thicker, dark orange to reddish skin with a vivid orange, sweet flesh and a moist texture.

Current popular sweet potato varieties include Goldrush, Georgia Red, Centennial, Puerto Rico, New Jersey, and Velvet.

Yams
The true yam is the tuber of a tropical vine (Dioscorea batatas) and is not even distantly related to the sweet potato.

Slowly becoming more common in US markets, the yam is a popular vegetable in Latin American and Caribbean markets, with over 150 varieties available worldwide.

Generally sweeter than than the sweet potato, this tuber can grow over seven feet in length.

I don't know what kind of sweet potato I ate, but obviously it wasn't a yam... and at 7 feet I don't think would have fit into my grill!

Well it's time to suit up for the pool... stay cool!

hot day... cool workout... ice time

2010-07-07T12:58:00.003-04:00

Once again, it's a scorcher... the temp said 95 degrees this morning when I was driving home from the gym! It's supposed to be high 90s again today... good thing I am visiting my friend's pool at 3 this afternoon!!

So I started the day off by doing some grocery shopping, which I know I'm weird, but I love doing it, it's kind of relaxing for me to walk up and down the aisles! Also on a day like today I was all about taking my time in the ac! (We don't have ac at my house :( )

Then it was gym time! I actually joined a new gym today since my other membership is almost up and I can save over $200 and this new gym just opened up like .5 miles from my house, so I can save gas... or even run there and use no gas... but not on a hot day like today.

GOOD NEWS: I ran for real today for the first time since before memorial day! It wasn't anything too stellar... but I successfully ran about 4.25 miles in 32:00... I ranged from 7.6 to 8.4 mph on the elliptical, not super fast, but I was really being conservative. I had some soreness in my knee, but really think that part of it is my shoes... the nikes I am running in just doing seem to be cutting the mustard -- ps, I really don't get that saying!--who cuts mustard?!
Anyway, I think a trip to the local running store..pr running: www.prrunning.com is in order. They even do a gait analysis there for you! So I think I shall venture there tomorrow!

Back to running... it was good to run, but the first 2 miles were a little tough mentally... but I got through it! I did about 25 minutes of warmup on the elliptical before running, then biked for 10 minutes after running... so I still got a decent amount of cardio in! Then I did the usual abs and stretching. While stretching though one of the "fitness coaches" showed me this calf stretcher... love it! It's really simple, just a plastic thing, but it works wonders! Now I am back home and icing my knee! A shower is definitley in order for this sweaty girl, along with some lunch... then it will be pool time! :)
Stay cool!

crazy hotness in ma!

2010-07-06T16:41:00.002-04:00

You know what they say about New England weather... if you don't like it, just wait a while and it will change. Well, lately we've been stuck in a heat wave!!! I loveeeee warm weather, but it is almost 5:00 and it is currently 97 degrees!! Yowza!
I am sitting at my computer and feel like I should just put another workout in since I am dripping in sweat! (And yes, I have already showered after this morning's workout where I banged out 10.3 miles on the elliptical in 75 minutes!... While being totally inspired by the tour!! Although I have to say the cobblestones today were a major pain, I'm kind of surprised that they included them on the race course, lots of crashes, what were the officials thinking?!)

Anywayysssss, back to the heat... man it is hot! It's days like today I wish we had a pool and am almost tempted to take out the sprinkler and run through it in the grass, but I am 28 years old and god forbid one of my students were to ride by, probably not the best idea. I remember when we were younger we had a slip and slide and a game called "Leaky Pipes" that were always taken out on days like today.

As I mentioned earlier, I went to the gym this morning to work out in the ac, so much nicer! Then I showered, which may have been pointless, because I now have a soaked shirt again... prob taking shower #2 later just to cool off! After going to the gym though I went to visit one of my best friends and her little bundle of joy, Maddie! It's crazy how much babies develop... I hadn't seen her in 2 weeks (she's now 2 months old) and she can hold her head up better and she's making cooing noises, adorable!!

Obviously I'm not ready for a baby yet, still need a husband... well first a boyfriend, then take it from there, but it's great to visit and play with her! :)

Dad's Birthday and Fourth of July Recap

2010-07-05T09:36:00.002-04:00

Happy July 5th... aka Happy Birthday Dad!

and Happy Fourth of July from yesterday!

So yesterday started early so I could get a workout at the gym in the morning... 9 miles on the elliptical, a good sweat! After coming back for a quick shower, I headed out to Boston, well actually Somerville, to meet up with my sis and cousin. We walked into Davis Square, then took the red line into the city... walked to government center and met up with more fam!

I was soooo hungry come lunch time (didn't realize it would take so long to get there) but had a good veggie burger from Clarke's. Then we did lots of walking around the city, so many people, with lots of stuff going on! The original plan was to watch the fireworks there last night, but after about 6 hours in the sun I could tell I was fading fast... so I opted to take the T back myself and head home for the evening... when did I become so old that I can't last/ don't want to last all day out there? I wasn't the only one who wasn't staying, but was the only one to take the red line. I actually really liked just being alone on the T and getting to walk a couple miles on my own around town. Kind of peaceful to be alone yet among a ton of people!

So I got to watch the fireworks from the comfort of my bed last night. Maybe next year I will go in later and then stay for the evening!

Here are some pics... didn't take many... first is of some cousins/ siblings by the harbor

and this was taken from the T... the Charles was getting busy for a fireworks display!

I guess I should probably wrap up the gift I bought for the birthday boy... then it will be time to go to the gym... starting to tutor a couple of kiddos this evening too! And it seems like it's going to be quite the hot one out!

a good start to the holiday weekend!

2010-07-03T17:29:00.004-04:00

Happy Saturday!
Today started off great... 11 miles on the elliptical!!

Then I did a few errands and headed off to watch a fun stage of this weekend's bike race, called the Fitchburg Longsjo race. There's something about watching others race that brings out my competitive side... since my knee has still been sore I'm thinking maybe I should try a bike race? I already bike at least once a week and have a nice road bike... I just never really thought about racing, although I did a 50 mile ride in Boston last year. Does anyone know of any good "beginner" races?

Here's a not so hot photo from my iphone..

Being outside on a day like today just makes me love New England, I guess it kind of makes up for awfully snowy winters!

This evening there are fireworks in my town, although I don't know if I'll go or not, since they won't compare to what I'll be seeing tomorrow! Tomorrow I spending the day and evening in Boston to listen to music on the esplanade and see the fireworks show! I'm very grateful my sis lives in Somerville now so I have a place to crash for the evening and won't have to drive home super late.

Now I'm getting out of the sun for a bit and watching the Prefontaine Classic Track and Field on tv... so inspiring!

Have a happy fourth everyone!! :)

Blogging on the bike

2010-07-01T10:21:00.003-04:00

So I am on my bike right now, just warming up... Don't worry it's on my trainer in the cellar, so I won't crash! I felt like an easier work out this morning after a long day yesterday, plus I've been doing the elliptical everyday so I think it's good to mix it up a bit. Todays plan is to do 75 to 90 minutes on the bike, depending on how long I can last! I think I should be good to do the full 90 mnutes though. With the longsjo race this weekend it definitely inspires me to hit the saddle!

Good news... I am done with classes til the end of august! And I got an a on my final presentation last week! The only downer to last nights class is it went late... We're supposed to get out at 9 pm and had to stay til about 9:20 because the prof had bad timing and pacing and people still had to finish their presentations, oh well. I got to sleep in this morning since I didn't end up hitting the hay til after 11 which is late for me! The problem was I got home around 9:45 and was hungry, so I had to eat before bed... Yogurt with blueberries and some fresh wheat bread did the trick! I know people say it's not good to eat right before bed, but I sleep better sometimes with a late night snack... I like to pace my eating over the day and never eat a huge meal.

So what's up for today? I am going to hit up my Alma mater, stonehill for a little visit, they've made so many changes and I want to check it out. Plus it's a good reason to spend the afternoon with my mom and we're going to do some shopping on our way home. She's going to Italy in a few weeks, so she has some things she needs to buy.

Tonight is also a Glee night! I love that they are reshowing all of the episodes because I'm too busy for tv during the school year, so I can catch up now! I really am not a tv junkie, but there are some shows I tend to get hooked on, especially when I have the time!

Other than that, I don't know... Still getting used to the less- rigid schedule, but seem to be doing fairly well. Happy July! :)

Finishing off the semester

2010-06-30T16:42:00.001-04:00

I told myself I would blog today, but I was busy, yay! Just giving a brief recap... Went and did a solid 1:20 on the elliptical today for a total of 10.98 miles!

I had a fun afternoon at a colleagues house, although I got a little burnt while relaxing by her pool. It was great to catch up with some friends from school though.

Currently I am sitting in class waiting for it to start, I gave my presentation last week, so tonight is easy, breezy, just gotta sit here til 9:00!

things happen for a reason

2010-06-28T12:18:00.002-04:00

When you're going through something sometimes you don't realize why it's happening... but then time later reflecting back on it it can be so clear. I'm still in the clouds a bit right now, but there is some clarity coming out of it.

Looking back to the beginning of June I realize now that the reason I didn't get the position I thought was a shoe-in was because if I had quit my job in Paxton and moved closer to the Merrimack area, then I would be quite lonely right now. The main reason I wanted to relocate was to be closer to my bf; however, this weekend things between us (relationship-wise) are over.

I don't plan to reveal it here, but after not hearing from him from a week I knew things were going sour. I gave so much, but he was preoccupied with other things... I don't consider myself to ask much, but in a relationship even just a phone call would be nice. (And I don't mean not talking for a week, then getting a sympathy call on my birthday.)

So the start of being 28 hasn't been the greatest... but who cares, I am actually kind of relieved in a way that we were able to handle it maturely and rationally... while it's not where I pictured myself being a couple of months ago, things change... you can be upset and feel sorry for yourself or you can take advantage of the opportunity and make yourself happy.. and that's what I've been doing!!!

To start the day off right I spent the morning at the gym :) I did 65 minutes on the elliptical... 9.07 miles! Then went to Body Flow class for an hour combo of yoga, tai chi, pilates, and meditation at the end. My mind was wandering during the meditation, but other than that it was great!

As for the rest of the day I have some random errands to run, but then want to read outside... lately I've grown quite fond of the patio that my mom and I built several years ago... so I plan on putting my feet up and getting lost in a book while catching some rays! I don't think it's possible to have a case of the Mondays while you're on summer vacation!

First things first though... time for some food!!!

listen to your heart

2010-06-27T13:53:00.002-04:00

Ok so the recent sadness is frustration with relationship issues... and I'm not going into detail in blogland...

I did however, have a MUCH better day yesterday with my sister! She lives in Somerville, so I went out there yesterday am to spend the day with her! ( I did manage to squeeze in 15 miles on my bike before heading off!) We walked into Davis Square, then took the T into the city :) There's something about walking around among the hustle and bustle of the city on a nice summer day that can really just clear your mind. Plus my sister can be super easy going and the perfect remedy for a bad day!

We walked up and down Newbury Street and went into a bunch of stores. Some things I definitely liked, but really could justify paying some of the prices! YIKES! I could never afford to live there! It was still super fun though. In addition to a necessary Dunkin stop we also went out to lunch. Instead of a fancy restaurant we went to more of a deli/ market type place. It was really cool inside! Lots of fresh organic fruits and veggies! They had a fruit and veggie salad bar, which is what I hit up for my meal while my sis opted for a wrap, which looked really good too! She go the mozzarella, tomato and pesto wrap... even though I'm not a mozzarella fan it looked really good and super fresh! While we ate we chatted, which was much needed... I've been keeping A LOT built up inside of me and it was so nice to just let it out and hear her opinion of it all too. But lunch wasn't all that serious... we also played a fun 1, 2, 3, game, haha! I won't go into the details of that one right now...

After vegging out (haha) we decided we should continue our stroll... we went around the city a bit more before heading back to the T and finally back to Davis. Sometimes I actually think I'd like to live in the city, you can be so much more pedestrian! Just in our little adventure I'd say we walked 4 miles, easy! Although flip flops probably weren't the best shoes to wear, but that's another story.

Getting back to her apartment our cousin Chrissy was home. (She's going to Ecuador in two days for the rest of the summer, so it was good to chat with her!) We hung out while she baked some cookies, then hit up the yard for a little Ladder Ball. This is a fun lawn game, kind of like a corn hole... but a little different. I lost, but for the first time, not bad! She wants to set up a tournament at the end of the summer, which would be super fun! This is the "equipment" for the game... basically you toss the balls on a string at the opposite goal thingy... and you want them to hang off a rung... if they do you get three points for the top, two for the middle, and one for the bottom. First person to 21 points wins... but you have to get exactly 21.

Shortly after that the third roomie, our other cousin, Elaine returned from work and we watched the end of the world cup game... boo USA lost, but still an exciting ending! I'll have to cheer for Spain now, since they're like my second home, I did live there for almost half a year!

All good things must come to an end... and I was tired from a long day, so I came home early yesterday evening, to do more thinking and a little reading.

Despite the recent frustrations, I am happy with the way I am handling it, I've been able to express my feelings and opinions, as for what will happen, I don't know at this point, I've given my thoughts and it's kind of out of my hands now. I really like being in control of things by nature, but I'm learning that some things you can't control, you just have to listen to heart, say how you feel, and then see what happens. Lately I've realized that everything happens for a reason, so whatever happens I'm sure there is an overlying reason for it happening and things will work out for the best. In the meantime, I need to just keep being the best person I can be and enjoy my summer.

And I did this morning! I had a relaxing cup of tea with breakfast and read the paper... although the Sunday crossword is always super hard, maybe that should be another goal of mine, to get like 75% of it done sometime this summer! Anyway, I went to the gym for a solid workout... still not running, but managed 12.6 miles on the elliptical in 1 hr 30 minutes! (That's a 7:08 pace, woot woot!)... well I've run faster for a half marathon, but still, at least I got a good sweat out and read part of the next series I've started bye Sophie Kinsella... the Shopaholic series... not my stereotypical reading, but wicked easy and fun. I told my sister yesterday the main character totally reminds me of her! She justifies buying things on sale because it's like she's making money... my sis does the same thing.
I bought this the other day at Barnes and Noble... then got the remaining books at the library since I read the book in about 3 hours and didn't feel like spending more money...

Time to get a few things done to finish off the weekend! I have to go fill out some paper work so I can attend a conference mid July that my district is actually paying for me to go to, score! Perhaps some food shopping may be in order too since I haven't done that this week! Happy Sunday all!

officially a 28 year old

2010-06-25T19:29:00.001-04:00

Today started off well... 70 minutes on the elliptical followed by body flow class and it's a beautiful sun shining day! I am loving the weather; however, this evening even though the weather is still gorgeous all I can think about is "It's my party and I'll cry if I want to... except I changed the lyrics..."It's my birthday and I'll cry if I want to."

Sorry to end on a sad note on my "special" day... but it's the truth and that's all I can say about that for now.

don't change

2010-06-23T12:14:00.003-04:00

So many times in our lives we think about changing and making ourselves better, but I got some good advice the other day and the two words to sum it up are Don't Change.

Now that doesn't mean I don't try to make improvements upon myself on a daily basis, but deep down inside I am the person I was born to be and it is my goal to live up to that potential and strive to do my best. I will not change for anyone and if someone doesn't like me for who I am, then that's not my fault, sorry.

Maybe that sounded a little negative there, but I don't intend it to be. While at times I know I have my own flaws... maybe I take the easy route doing some things, I've been known to fight a few (hundred) times with my siblings, but hey I'm only human! The point of this realization that I'm having is I am happpy and proud of who I am and want to continue to try to do and be my best, no matter what anyone else says or does.

In other news, I finished the book I was talking about yesterday- You Had Me at Goodbye... wicked good ending by the way! But I won't give it away. I was kind of surprised after I finished reading the book to read the back/spine of the book and realize that techinically this is a "Christian Fiction" book. Typically I don't go for religiousy books.. not that I am anti-religion, I go to church pretty much every Sunday, but I when I read a novel I don't (or at least thought I didn't) want to be preached at by an author... turns out I am WRONG! There actually were some really good points that have resonated with me while reading this, albeit a cheesy chick lit book.

There were actually a couple of quotes from the bible in this book, which really can relate to my life right now. "Trust in the Lord with all thine heart; and lean not unto thine own understanding. In all they ways acknowledge him, and he shall direct thy paths."

I guess I just have to have faith... some things happen for a reason even if they aren't apparent at the time... so I plan to keep doing what I'm doing and not change!

By the way, I am in a very good mood right now! Even though I couldn't run this am, I did a solid 65 minutes on the elliptical (9.3 miles!) and then did an hour of a yoga/pilates/tai chi class...so fun!

Now I need to get my hands on the other two booksin Tracey Bateman's series, I love reading for fun! :)

Checking off the Tuesday To-Do List

2010-06-22T17:41:00.003-04:00

I am a to-do list girl. I like to have a list of things to get done, just for the satisfaction of being able to cross off the things on the list!
Today's to-do list consisted of:
-doing laundry
-folding laundry
-gym workout
-work on/ finish final paper for reading course
-exchange something at the mall

I am proud to say that it's not quite dinner time and I have accomplished all things on the list... check them all off!

Unfortunately my list didn't contain running on it, I think that has to remain on hold as my knee was sore after the mile I ran on it yesterday... boooo. But I'm staying positive and happy that I can walk around, elliptical, and bike without it hurting me!

I am pretty sure that I am going to do a yoga class tomorrow am, as long as I sleep well tonight and I'm able to drag my butt out of bed!

On a side note I heard one of my favorite songs today at the gym while working out... it's been in my head all day "Don't stop believing..."

On another side note, with my extra free time I am doing something that I told myself I wanted to do more of: READ!! for fun that is... randomly my mom needed to go the library yesterday, so I went with her. I was checking out the wall of "new books" and saw one that looked good... yes, I sometimes judge a book by it's cover! It's called "You Had me at Goodbye"... I sat twice with it yesterday and ended up reading 222 pages! I have less than 50 left, so I plan on finishing it tonight. It's a three part series (of which this is the second book, oops!) so I think i'll be reading them out of order.

Time to go get cooking in the kitchen... then hopefully finishing up my book to finish off a good Tuesday! :)

Here's the cover of the book: it's about a 30 year old living in nyc... while I don't live in nyc, I can definitely relate to her on some levels. If you're looking for some good "chick lit" check it out!

First Day of Summer!!

2010-06-21T09:42:00.004-04:00

Not only is today the first day of summer, it's also the first day of summer vacation when I am realizing that yes I survived this school year... aka it's a Monday and I was able to force myself to stay in bed until 8 am!

So part of the things I want to do this summer is blog more frequently... so I'm trying to start the day (well, post bfast) by doing that. Although, more honestly, I think the reason that I decided that now would be a good time to blog is because I am working on my final paper for one of my courses and needed a little break (or procrastinate) from doing that!

Another thing that I need/ want to do more of this summer is read! And I mean read for fun, for me, like get lost in a novel, not read my students' stuff or read more ed/ reading text books....any good ideas of books to read over the summer?

As for today, I am loving the sunshine once again. If MA weather were like this year round I don't think I would ever complain about the weather! Although my mom's garden could use a little more water I think, so if I shower does come by the veggies would be grateful!

Also for today, the goal is to get my final paper done for my class... due Wednesday, so tomorrow I can work out the kinks in it and figure out exactly what I'll be doing during my presentation. Another thing on the to-do list is the gym, obviously... my place of relief! I am going to try to run again this week, although my good running pattern is when I run Tuesday, Thursday, Sat, and Sunday... so I'm thinking tomorrow is the big day to try to hit the treadmill... I would hit the pavement, but after a few weeks off from it I don't want it to be too big of a shocker to the knee.

As for the rest of the day, who knows?! I am slightly scared that I really don't have a strict agenda or schedule for the summer... but I'm hoping to fill it up and try some new things. Since I have more time one of the things I want to try to do is cook some new things! I see so many good recipes but don't have time (ok maybe I do, but don't make time) to plan ahead to have the ingredients ready so I could make it.

I also have multiple gift cards (thank you students) that I could use should I feel the need for a little shopping trip this afternoon... some schools still aren't on vaca yet, so maybe the stores won't be as busy? Who knows... in any event I definitely don't have a case of the Mondays today!! HAPPY SUMMER!!!! :)

Hello Summer Vacation and Last Day of Spring!

2010-06-19T15:43:00.007-04:00

Ok, so I have kind of slacked off in the blogging department over the past couple of weeks, although I can justify that... aka I have made up excuses for myself.

First, let's talk about school. The end of the school year seems to always be ridiculously crazyyyyy. There's the usual end of the year assessments to get done, last minute meetings the parents request because they realize that fourth grade is a big step up from third, school business to take care of, and the daunting task of putting away everything that you use to teach with during the year... I have accumulated (bought) so many books over the past 6 years that the idea of storing away my classroom library was looming in my head, although I am happy to report that I successfully moved it all to counters/ window sills around my room and bagged it all up to prevent it from getting super dusty over the summer...here's what it looked like before:

That's actually only half of it... there are two more big bookcases full of books that I had to empty out too, major project, but it's done!!

Not only has school been a lot of work, but my knee has caused a lot of extra stress in my head... however, I can proudly say that I managed to cross train daily and I think that tomorrow is the big day to test out a short run! I just was at the gym today and managed to do just over 12 miles on the elliptical in 90 minutes... so my fitness hasn't suffered, unfortunately I just haven't been able to run! Here's hoping that changes tomorrow on the first day of summer!

Other things as of late were the potential of switching jobs... yes I was going to relocate and thought I had landed a third grade job elsewhere (I'll keep that nameless for now)... even met with the superintendent, taught a demo lesson for a panel of teachers, parents, etc. and was in close contact with them, however, due to stupid politics I then got dropped like a bad habit... after not hearing from them for 13 days! I can understand if people change their minds or whatever, but to just all of a sudden not return any of my phone calls or emails, I consider that to be rude and unprofessional.

Now that that complaining is over, let me be a little more positive! I am thrilled to be on summer vacation and won't be teaching this summer, I need a break and it couldn't come at a better time! I have loved the nice weather as of late and hope it keeps up!

Today is Father's Day and I can say I am lucky to have such a great dad. True, at times he can be a little to strict/not realize that I am no longer his little girl, but rather an (almost) 28 year old, but I love him dearly and am happy to spend the day with him today. Also, I'm excited for him as he is going to try to start running again next week and hope he gets back into it! (He was my inspiration to start running and run my first marathon.) I watched him run Boston when I was about 9 years old and told him that someday I am going to run it too... which will hopefully be the case in April 2011!

Happy Father's Day!

sometimes the tough decision is the right one

2010-05-27T19:14:00.003-04:00

I have been planning and training for the Vermont Marathon for months, yet don't think I will be a racer of it on Sunday. My knee isn't killing me, only sore, especially when I run on it. I don't think there is anything majorly wrong, just a level 1 injury, which I think I can let heal on its own with some cross training/ strength training followed by ice. However, after much deliberation and yes a few tears, I am pretty sure that I will not be toeing the line on Sunday morning.
I still am planning on bringing my running shoes, but at this point I don't think it's really worth it to risk increasing the level of the injury (it's not like this is a 5k... I ran 5 miles on it the other day and can still walk now... but this is 26.2 miles...) I'm afraid that my stubborn self will want to start this and then be determined to finish and further hurt myself.
Trying to think positively I am going to look at the bright side... I am still able to cross train, so I can satisfy my need to get my energy out in some way. I am hopeful that a couple weeks of cross training will allow for less pounding on my knee and will hopefully let whatever is lurking in there to settle down. I'm thinking the new shoes will be an improvement too in absorbing any shock of the impact.
As for today I was able to elliptical for an hour, then I did some ab work. I also did push ups and planks for the first time in a while. I really need to get back into yoga and want to find out when my gym has class next week to try to fit it in, if not I can also bust out the wii fit again for some yoga in my room!
Not running Sunday isn't the end of the world... there will be more races, some of them marathons, and many many more runs!

Be Positive, Be Realistic

2010-05-25T19:11:00.003-04:00

These are two things I am trying to be for the marathon on Sunday- positive and realistic. Okay so we know I am a dope and I ran in shoes too long and gave myself knee pain. I've accepted that. What I haven't accepted is that I ran 5 miles today around 7:10 pace, but there was a constant ache in my right knee, not exactly where it was before, now it's more where I have osgood schlatter's from when I was teen, yet it never fixed itself like my doctor said it would.
The good news is I was able to run the whole 5 miles today like I set out to do,the bad news is I really want it to feel like perfect. I realize this may or may not happen, but I am going to not workout tomorrow (I have class after teaching all day, so this makes it easy)... then may even take Thursday or Friday off too. I really think I can afford to not work out and hope that the rest will ease whatever is acting up?!?! I iced my knee after the run and will do so again later. I even took an ibuprofren, which I hate doing (I am usually an anti-meds girl) but I am desperate and really trying to do the little things I can do to be good to go this weekend!
We'll see how things progress over the next couple of days, fingers crossed that the knee is okay and I can just forget about and enjoy the 26.2 miles. At this point a fun run would really be great, where I could enjoy it and take in Vermont!
As far as what I've learned from this, I've definitely learned a few things:
1. When in "serious" training I can't run in shoes longer than 4 months.
2. I really want to do more yoga, I haven't done it since the fall and miss it... you better believe I will be doing yoga come this summer when school is out.
3. I want to be working out for fun again! Yes, there is a reward to training for a marathon, but I am ready for a break from it!
4. I think the half-marathon is the perfect race for me and one that I want to work at in the future, after giving myself a rest. My body takes the training a lot better and my tummy can handle the pounding and "settling" for the long training runs of around 15 miles better than the 17-20 milers in the marathon training.
5. I need to have more confidence in my running abilities. Part of me thinks that if I can focus on the half, which I am somewhat decent at it will lead to more confidence in my running across different distances.
There are more things I've been thinking about lately too, but I'll stick with 5 things I learned, seems like a good number (maybe it's because I assigned my student to write 5 rain forest facts this afternoon and I have it in my head still?)
Speaking of school, there are now 17 days left... and I can't wait to be done. Granted the end of the year is fun, but I feel SO stressed lately (which is why I think I need to start yoga next week!)... between the end of this school/ thinking about the uncertainties of next year and this race on Sunday my head is ready to explode!!!!!!! At least I have Glee to look forward to watching this evening... I can escape for an hour!

Weekend update

2010-05-23T14:08:00.003-04:00

(This pic is 6 years ago!... Happy birthday Pepere!)
Usually on a nice weekend I would have spent most of it outdoors running, but that's not the case. Maybe I am being too cautious, but I am determined to have fun and run the Vermont marathon next weekend.
Yesterday I did 8 miles on the elliptical and today I did 12- good news, no l knee pain today and that's without any icing or ibuprofren too. Since I'm trying to stay low and relax I've also caught up on tv I don't have time to during the week, thank you hulu! My newest favorite show is "parenthood" and "glee" is in second. One of the sons in parenthood has autism, so the situations in it I can relate to because of my students. Watching glee really makes me wish I had some vocal talent, although I wouldn't trade the ability to run for the ability to sing!
As for the rest of my weekend, I think I am actually going to get out of my slippers soon and do a little shopping soon, some for necessity, some for pleasure! I need to finish up planning some lessons this afternoon, but I got my coursework done yesterday! Oh yeah and did I mention I only have 19 days left of teaching this year!? I can't believe it's almost been 6 full years!!
Back to the rest of today, it's my pepere 87th birthday tomorrow, so we're having a little celebration this evening. Sadly this is more than likely his last birthday, as his health is declining and will no longer be given any more meds- between parkinsons and alzheimers he really is no longer the grandfather I once knew. It's sad that hasn't known who I have been for the past couple of years. How can one really call his life "living" anymore? He's confined to a chair or a bed. He can't walk. He can't eat solid food (which used to be a hobby, he's the self proclaimed strawberry shortcake eating champion!) He doesn't realize what is going on and can't even verbalized a complete sentence. I still have the memories of him growing up- he and my memere used to babysit my siblings and I when the rents went out. I'll never forget discovering their dentures on the counter of my bathroom, traumatizing for a 7 year old to see!
Life really comes full circle and his life on earth is coming to a close, so it will be good to enjoy some time with him and my family this evening, as this may be his last birthday cake.

pain in the neck... actually KNEE.

2010-05-19T19:20:00.002-04:00

Ok so I don't know why I do this to myself... I know that I can't run in shoes for over 4 months, yet think it's different now, why?! Maybe I am just being cheap and didn't want to splurge another easy 100 bucks for another pair, but regardless, I had no choice but to cave.
So I ran in the new shoes today and only did 6 miles. I think I could have run more, but I actually stopped twice because it was sort of twinging me, so I wanted to check it out. It looked ok... no swelling, no obvious stuff wrong, so I finished 6 then did some abs.
During dinner I just iced my knee to be preventative... the same thing happened like a week earlier in my training for the hartford marathon, I kick up the mileage a bit, then I get a slight problem. I REALLY hope that not running tomorrow or Friday, prob just ellipticalling will be the cure for this and I can continue with the tapering next week, then be good to go next weekend in Vermont.
I am now at that stage where "I just want to get this marathon over"... which isn't a good state of mind to be in, yet a reality nonetheless. I am trying to stay positive and think, ok Julie, just rest a bit, not overkill it, you have the mileage base for sure and have done it before, you'll be fine. Easier to talk to myself than listen though! Either way, I have a qualifying time for Boston next year, I really hope I can just be healthy, relax, and enjoy the weekend in Vermont with Steve and the rents! Although I am already looking forward to just crossing that finish line for more reasons than one!
I don't think I will try another marathon this year, I really want to take some time after this one and just have fun working out for a while/ give my body a rest! I am kind of happy I didn't volunteer to teach summer school this summer, I am getting an overall sense of burn out with teaching, training, and being a grad student all at one time. While I love living each day to the fullest and trying to do as much as I can, sometimes I would just love it if life had a "pause" button... just a little time for me to catch my breath and maybe catch up on some sleep? Maybe not, at least I am really good at keeping a busy schedule going... as for that busy schedule, I have some school work in my bag calling my name, which I want to go answer so maybe tonight I won't be up til 11 like last night!

Tuesday twist

2010-05-18T05:57:00.002-04:00

So Tuesday has a twist this week, I have class tonight, I am only hoping this doesn't make the week seem longer! Currently I on my bike in the cellar to get in an hour before getting ready for school. I must admit I enjoy getting this in beforey work day begins, but I also love my sleep when I can get it!
As for yesterday, it turned into a day off. I was a little worried after the run sunday when I had a twinge in my right knee. I ran through it but realized when I woke up that it still was sore. I did some analyzing and determined that the source was I need new shoes, usually around 4 months in I get shin or knee pain which means buy new shoes dumbie!
I had THE fun docs appt yesterday, ugh sooooo hate that annual obgyn visit! But after getting it done I used a trip to pr running as my reward! I really want to try some mizunos next but was advised to stick to the Nike triax structure with the marathon only 2 weeks away. By the time I got home i was hungry, had dinner, and then it was 7, so I thought this is a sign, take it easy! Plus I knew I'd be up a 5:30 to workout out and it's pre race tapering so I think I made the right choice. Pretty sure in June or July I am going to buy some new shoes just to mix it up though!
Happy that I have a prep today to at least give me a midday break! 23 days of teaching left this year, almost done my 6 th year of teachi g, wow!
Happy Tuesday!

11.22 and family party

2010-05-16T14:16:00.002-04:00

Todays run wasn't super long, but that's the plan with the marathon in 2 weeks. I ran 11.22 in 82 minutes, which is 7:19 pace, more or less the pace I'd like for the marathon. All in all a good run, but had to go to the bathroom upon finishing this at my house
. I really should do a low fiber trial run diet next weekend to prep for Vermont. I am in good shape but that's the only factor holding me back from doing what I need to do.
I also got my course work done this morning and I am currently at my cousins house since my youngest cousin made his first communion today- the youngest cousin of all 29 of us! Yes that is first cousins there, we're lucky to have a big fam, makes for fun parties, but we can definitely get a little loud!!
Today is another gorgeous day, I swear this sun just makes me happy! I am sitting watching my cousins play bball and wiffle ball and loving the sun!
Busy week coming up, after leaving here I gotta do an errand and then a little lesson planning. I've been teaching my studnts all about fairy tales, which I love! And this week I am going to have them start to write their own, this means I need a very structured plan so they will be successful and hopefully write some great stories! And they all lived happily ever after, the end.

2 weeks to go

2010-05-15T14:57:00.004-04:00

So this picture is me post marathon in the fall... I hope this is how we look in 2 weeks too! :)

Ok, I know I haven't written in a while and I think it's because I have been busy and slightly stressed. I feel like I shouldn't write when I am stressed out because I will write something that isn't as positive as it should be; however, I was also thinking that writing helps to relieve stress, so I thought that writing today would be a good idea.
So lately things haven't been going poorly, just not as ideal as I'd like them to be. Some of it hopefully will pan out over the summer and I will have more of an idea of where my life will be at come the fall, but I guess I have to realize that some things are out of my hands and I just have to have faith that things will work out for a reason. If I could have anything really work out, it would be that Stevin is given the full time position of video productions teacher, he is putting so much time and energy into doing an amazing job and I really hope the position stays and becomes his! I went up to his school on Thursday to visit him and see the arts festival and I could tell that he's really proud of his kids' work, which he should be since it's really good! It was nice to see his colleagues too and meet some of his students. I only wish we were closer to each other so we could spend more time together... but I won't go there right now, be positive and realize I am lucky to have him, even if it's only the one time a week we get to see each other :)
So as the title of this entry shows, I have 2 weeks to go til the vermont city marathon. Training hasn't been bad, but last week's long run was supposed to be 20 miles around 7:20 pace... unfortunately I had to stop at 17 due to something funky going on with my stomach. I won't go into details, but I don't think the fajita style wrap I ate the night before really settled all that well... I guess if anything I learned that the day before a long run I need to eat more low fiber foods. I felt bad making Steve have to stop too, since we ran together... then we had to walk about 4.5 miles to get back to his house, which was not a fun walk! But this week of training has gone better than that day.
Today's run I felt great, although I didn't push it. I was planning on going around 8 miles easy and ended up doing 9.63 in about 71 minutes for a 7:22 pace. It's a really nice day, although very windy when I was running. I really hope I can keep it all together and be good to go in 2 weeks in vermont. I already have a qualifying time for boston next year... but I'd like to run around 3:15 which I know I am capable of doing.
As for the rest of the day, I get to spend it doing work and watching some baseball. By work I mean reading and reading and reading for course #3 in my CAGS degree... and as for watching baseball I mean watching 8 and 9 year olds... 6 of the boys in my class have a game later and I told them I would try to go watch. Three of them are on one team, three on the other, so I have to stay neutral, aren't I a good teacher?
Well time to get reading, although that may lead to a little pre-game nap!
I definitely feel better after writing today... maybe if I just sit down and do this more frequently I would feel better daily? Sounds like a plan to me.

May Already?!

2010-05-03T19:20:00.003-04:00

Ok so I know I haven't posted in a week or so... but this past week was brutal getting back into the busy routine after being so tired from an amazing week in Costa Rica. I am not enjoying being back in the air where my allergies act up, it was so pure up there in the rainforest, I want to go back! Although it is good to be back in reality and back to my daily routine too.
This weekend I finally got things pretty much back on track and rounded out the week for a decent mileage total of 46 miles this week, a lot better than last week! Yesterday's run was a good 12.5 miles in 1:27 for an even 7 minute mile pace. I finally got to see Stevin again too which was long overdue, but our schedules have been so hectic lately that I understand we have to make the best of the situation and in time hopefully we will be seeing a lot more of each other... fingers crossed.
It seems like I am still catching up on lost sleep from the trip... we were up almost everyday by 6 am... sometime by 5 am to get a full day in, which definitely wiped me out. I've been trying to get to bed earlier and last night was in bed by 9:30, which seems to help take the edge off, so I am going to try to do the same again this week and hopefully will balance out. I also need to rest up so I can get in a 20 miler or so long run this upcoming weekend, the Vermont marathon is at the end of the month and I need to be prepared... May 30th is going to be here quick!
In other news, I got a new student today, surprise! The principal showed up at my door just before lunch with the girl and her parents, fortunately she's not officially starting until tomorrow, so I had time after school to get a few things ready for her for tomorrow. It can be a little tedious, but at the same time sometimes changing the chemistry of the group can be a good thing. She seems like a sweet little girl, although I feel bad since she said this is the 5th school she'll have been in so far, that's way too much for a child to move around. I am wondering what baggage that means she's bringing with her and only hope that our class will be a positive learning environment for her!
Also, more additions, one of my best friends had her baby today, a beautiful baby girl!
Well I am wiped again, but need to do some work for school tomorrow, plus all the fun of getting ready for the day... iron, lunch making, etc. I can't believe it's already May though... less than 7 weeks left of school, what?!
Here's a couple of pics from the trip last week!

Jet lag

2010-04-28T06:10:00.002-04:00

Not sure if it's jet lag or what, but I am so tired now. Literally yawned my way through school yesterday and today's long day should be interesting. Currently I am biking to get a workout in, was day. It felt good to get in some runningiles yesstrday- 8.6 and. 9 miler on Monday.
I have a presentation to give in class tonight, but honestly I am thinking more about the pillow that I can lay my head on after getting through it! Long day here I come!

Wasting time

2010-04-24T13:48:00.002-04:00

I love being efficient, and hate wasting time. I am a very patient person, yet feel impatient when there is a plane that is leaving 4 hrs before us and we can't get on, boooo. 6 hr layovers are no fun, thank goodness for wifi at the airport!
This morning we were up at 3:45 in San Jose. I showered and we grabbed some bfast to go, then caught the shuttle to the airport, which was wicked close by. San Jose was a smooth and easy airport, the one thing I thought was weird was they charge a tax for leaving the country, 26 dollars to get out? I mean you really have no choice, but it was a weird tax to me.
The first flight was really smooth and I saw "up in the air" a good movie, yet looked like ads for the plane we were on- American airlines.
We landed, went through customs, then had to claim our bags, then recheck them. Before security again we went to the food court and steve called, it was great to hear his voice for the first time in a
week! We went back through security and are now waiting near gate d 43... Boarding time is 5:40- only 3 hr 40 min to go!

White Water Rafting and the Return to Alajuela

2010-04-23T14:04:00.002-04:00

So yesterday was our big white water trip down the Rio Savegre. It was awesome! We were with a group that left the hotel around 7:00 am. We had to drive nearly two hours to our final desination up in the mountains, but it was an interesting ride. The tour was with iguana tours and the guys taught us about some cool stuff along the way. We stopped to pick citronella plants, cinnamon, and lemon grass growing along the route. There was also a plant that is used to make the red dye that we use to color things.
Along the way we also stopped at a little restaurante to have a snack. We had freshly made blackberry juice, it was delicious. Then we continued along our route to the top and got out of the bus/van. The men then blew up the rafts and gave us our safety lesson. It was nice to have the small boats, instead of the large ones like I had when I went up in Maine. It was just Mel, the native, my dad, Kel, and I. Then we began our 13 mile journey down the river. It wasn't too difficult, but I definitely got super wet! We stopped about three fourths of the way down and got out of our boats to have fresh pina, que delicioso!!! I absolutely love the fresh pineapple and bananas here and learned from Mel that the bananas are better here because they let them ripen on the tree! In the us they are picked and shipped to us while they are green, so the natural sugars are cut off too early, I am going to miss these platanos!!
We finished the trip down the river and wound up going back to the little restaurante in El Silencio where I had a Tico style meal, a casada. I ordered the veggie casada, which was pinto beans and rice, along with a salada and wicked good papas, potatoes. Then we had to drive back to Jaco.
We returned around 5 to the hotel and had to think about dinner... surprisingly there was a Subway about a mile away, so Dad and I walked there to pick up food for the three of us... last night I was eating a Sub while watching Survivor on tv! totally didn't feel like I was in Costa Rica, it just goes to show you the change from being up in the mountains to back down in a city or town.
It actually rained last night, which was fine, we had really good weather for the trip. This morning I was super tired and sore, but we got up and went to breakfast around 6:30 where I got to have more fresh pina, platanos, and sandia... soooo good. We started the drive back to alajuela around 9:30 and got pulled over by the policia! I had to translate and asked what was wrong, but the police just say they were doing a random check... dad had to give his passport. The police said they check for armed weapons and drugs. Yikes... we were clear though!
A couple hours later we arrived in Alajuela... they drive crazy here, but this should be a good night's sleep, as the hotel seems very nice, unlike our first night. We're at the Holiday Inn Express now and it looks like we'll be going next door to Denny's for dinner, as there is really nothing else around except for a casino.
Tomorrow morning our flight takes off at 7:10.... then we're in Miami 3 hours later. Unfortunately we don't leave Miami til 6 tomorrow night, ouch... that means getting back to NY aroun 9:55 and Auburn will be early Sunday am. All in all a great trip, but I am tired and wish I could snap my fingers and be home soon! I miss my own bed... not that I don't love my sister, but sharing a bed with her for a week can be like a boxing match, even though we don't mean to harm each other!

Jaco!

2010-04-21T18:02:00.005-04:00

Today we're in jaco! But yesterday first... One word: amazing. Zip lining through the rainforest of costa rica has to be one of the most memorable things I've done. Not only did I fly through the air on cables, but also I did the Tarzan swing. I climbed up a 40 ft platform and jumped, of course I did have a rope tied to me, but being afraid of heights this was a big step, literally. We finished out our final day on a night hike at the chlildrens eternal rainforest reserve. It's named this because in 1986 children in Sweden bought land in costa rica by selling cookies and lemonade to help preserve the land. I still didn't see a monkey, but we did see so
e cool things last night, including a plant that is used to make a medication for parkinsons disease.
This morning we went out to breakfast at stellas, where I had some amazing fruit, the bananas and pineapple are so fresh here, it's like candy! Then we checked out and packed out to make the long trip back down the mountain, nearly one hr I
on a road thatt is more like an unpaved path. This was followed by a 2 hr drive down the pacific coast. We got here after12:30 and checkedin, not as nice as in themountains, people here are obviously less I interested in nature and more interested in their tan, but it's been nice to relax by the pool and watch the waves crash in the pacific. Since there isn't a lot we want to do right here, we are going on a white water rafting trip tomorrow! It means another bus ride and full day, but when am I going to be here again? Here's hoping to see a monkey tomorrow!

Jungle!

2010-04-19T21:35:00.002-04:00

I went into the rainforest today! It was amazing! We hired a private guide fransisco, who led us through el bosque nuboso. After 8 hrs we saw some amazing things, highlights were the quetzals, bell birds, hummingbirds, and toucanettes. I also faced a fear and was up close with a tarantula! Amazing vegetation too here, so different than home. After a long day in the rain forest we came back to shower and then went to an Italian place for dinner, I had an awesome veggie pizza. The food is so fresh here! Every morning it's been fresh fruit with breakfast, I've never had so much pineapple in my life! at the lodge they make their own pineapple and guava jam, es muy delicioso!
After dinner kel, dad, and I hung out at the hotel and chatted with some people, it's nice to learn about others journeys and how they got here. Well I am going to go get ready for bed, zip lining tomorrow morning!

wake up in costa rica

2010-04-18T17:14:00.002-04:00

Yesterday was such a long day. We left auburn at 8 am to drive to new York. Our flight didn't leave til 3:10 then we landed in miami at 6:00. We grabbed some food, which airport food is pretty crappy and very expensive! We left Miami at 8:00 and landed in Sam Jose at 11:00, although that meant 9:00 their time. Fortunately we got our bags and then went to get our rental car, this was the first annoyance of the trip. No one was there, so I had to put my Spanish to use and made friends with Pedro, who called thr budget guy, he came in his orange shuttle and drove us to the office. We rented a gps and got our car, then annoyance 2: driving in San Jose. I navigated and dad drove around the locos. The more we drove, the sketchier it got, downtown is almost a slum. The we see the best western sign, right across from a "night club" which I think was more like a brothel and know I saw some prostitutes hanging around. We ventured in and got our room, which was fine, but don't plan on returning there and were happy to leave early this morning.
Driving to Monte verde was an adventure, I asked directions at a gas station since our gps wasn't working and some how my Spanish skills pulled through to get us going. The first 2 hrs on pavement were fine, but it was the dirt rocky road that took us to 3600 ft that was difficult. Props to dad for driving that awful bumpy hr.

Costa Rica today!!

2010-04-17T06:28:00.001-04:00

Currently I am biking and on my iPhone, I wanted to see if I could blog fro
it.... Maybe I will get to blogging while on vacation, if anywhere ha wifi! Check back to see!

Happy Easter!

2010-04-04T17:59:00.002-04:00

I am so exhausted, but in a good way. I love feeling tired because you've been so busy and pushed yourself and had fun and just filled up the day with positive things, leaving you feeling drained and tired, yet I wouldn't want it any other way.

Today was an awesome day... I was up in Merrimac for the Bartholomew's egg hunt, I never experienced one like this before... 172 eggs hidden! And not like just thrown out there, legit hidden... it took nearly an hour! I think this was my favorite egg hunt and I am 27 years old!

After miles of egg hunting Steve and I hit the road for some miles... 16 of them. I am so happy I ran this with him today, I don't think I would have been able to do this on my own on a hot day like today. We didn't start til noon, so the sun was already high and it was 75 degrees. It was cool to see families having barbecues on Easter, but after a while I was wishing I was sitting in one of those chairs poolside rather than on the pavement. Either way, I am glad we both pushed through it and got each other to finish, with a decent time for today of 1:58.

After running I could have crashed and don't know how Steve had the energy to play badminton... I was a spectator.

This weekend was good overall, although my midterm on Wednesday is slightly frightening me, so I feel like every free minute I have been studying my notecards, which I what I will be doing tonight, that is after I shower (I still haven't from that run, gross!) and eat (my body is still refueling from the long run!).

I hope everyone enjoyed the day and beautiful weather with their families! :)

mind over matter

2010-03-31T13:09:00.002-04:00

I swear, sometimes I can defeat myself, so I really am trying to have more confidence, believe in myself, and put mind over matter. Today I am home sick... and yes it's legit. Yesterday I had no voice and have felt crappy since last weekend. Today I am no better, with stuff flowing from my nose... won't go into more details, but my body (throat down) feels fine.
I think that "home sick" comes with the stereotype of staying in pjs all day, which yes, is sometimes necessary... but I could only sleep in til 8:30, then managed to lounge on the couch for a good three hours, which having a couple cups of tea and breakfast. I then decided, I should stick to my workout routine and complete the month of March on a solid note. So I am happy to say I motivated myself to do an hour on the bike in my partially flooded cellar. Typical Wednesday workout, but overcame the "sick" barrier today to do it.
I think I put mind over matter on Sunday too. I wasn't feeling great, but wanted to see Steve and run with him. Well this turned into a 15 mile endeavor, which I know I wouldn't have done on my own with the sore throat I had, but I decided if we're going to do it, do it right. We ran it in 1:47... 7:07 pace! I am determined to keep this up and run another 11 miles at the same pace come Vermont in 2 months... it's total mental, and yes sometimes I too am totally mental.

spring in my step!

2010-03-20T13:21:00.002-04:00

Happy Spring! I started off the season right today with an 11 miler in about 79 minutes. It was so nice to feel the sun beating off the pavement, love it! I only wish it were going to stay 60 plus degrees from now on, although it's looking like it will be lowering a bit with the week coming up.
Here's the weekly recap (it seems I've been so busy that blogging has only been possible on th weekends lately).

Monday: easy cross training on the elliptical: 9 miles

Tuesday: 10.5 miles in 1:28 and change... that's a 6:56 pace, woohoo! did this as a workout too... here are the numbers:
here were the first 8 miles...
mile 1: 7:40
mile 2: 7:30
mile 3: 7:19
mile 4: 7:08
mile 5: 6:58
mile 6: 6:49
mile 7: 6:40
mile 8: 6:31

(then i did the 400s up above, followed by the "cool down..") pretty pumped that this workout took me to sub 7 average pace!

Wednesday: my easy workout day since I have class til late, this was also a half day at school and half development day, which sounds good, except i was sitting from about 1:30-8:30 (of course I got up for breaks, but my body doesn't like to be this sedentary unless I am sleeping!). Did an hour on the bike in the cellar on my trainer at 5:30 in the am.

Thursday: I did an awesome progression run on the treadmill!
Mile1- 7:30
2-7:19
3-7:08
4-6:58
5-6:49
6-6:31
7-6:19
8-6:07 then I ran another 1.5 miles as a cooldown, for a good 9.5 on the day.

Friday: Ran an easy 6 miles in 45:47... slow at a 7:37 pace. However, I then had to go back to school for the student faculy basketball game. I am actually a little sore today, I haven't played since last year's game, although I must say I was proud that I executed a pretty sweet reverse layup!

Which brings me back to today and my 11 miles... I am up to 37 miles this week, so I plan on doing around 8 tomorrow to bring me to a nice 45 for the week. I have to say that I was surprised while running though. I ran by many bikers, which I cycle too, so I have nothing against them; however, I said hi or waved to them all and not one of them responded, I wanted to say "come on people, it's spring be happy!" but no. My faith in humanity was restored though when I ran by a little old lady who was out walking. (She was cute with her big sun glasses and nose protector thing (obviously due to the sun)... but I said hi to her and waved and she gave me a big wave and smile, thank you lady!)

Well a shower is necessary now, it's so nice to be sweaty though after a run out there! Then it's work and errands all afternoon. Maybe I will relax tonight? Then again, with everything I have to do, maybe not, either way being busy is a good thing, hopefully all this work will mean good things in the future. Enjoy day one of Spring everyone! :)