May 23, 2013

Three Things Thursday

This is so unoriginal, but VERY cute. I've seen this the past few weeks on some great blogs that I read and decided to do a post, too!  I think the idea behind it is to discuss three short topics.

1. Tomorrow is the kids' last day of school! Some big changes for me next year. I will looping up with my special needs students. I will also be teaching math to "average" students, including 6th graders (GULP). The bad news? I am moving out. Yep, I am being moved to a trailer. Klassy, huh? Pretty fitting- the special ed teacher from Alabama teaching in a trailer... LOL.

2. I'm having a travel-filled summer, and hopefully getting married! Yep, the fiance and I are aiming to get married before school starts again. We'll see if I can pull this off. I'm also going to San Diego with the ladies in my family, Seattle for the Brooks Coaches' Clinic, various cities in Florida with my youth running team, and hopefully Michigan for the Junior Olympics! WOW! The majority of the trips will be on the weekend, and I will be coaching my high schoolers XC weekday mornings and the youth team weekday nights. I've also got to move to the new classroom and attend some technology and math team meetings. Busy.Busy.Busy.

3. Workouts with other are highly underrated. If you've read my blog for any amount of time, you know that I frequent the 4 a.m. workouts. I have 2 reasons for this. During XC and track season, that is really the only way I have TIME to run. When not "in season" I have found that I am less likely to procrastinate workouts if I get up to do it in the a.m. HOWEVER, since being diagnosed with low iron this past spring, I have resolved to take better care of myself. I know that low iron is an actual CAUSE of fatigue, but so is little sleep and a 90 to nothing daily job. Pair that with poor nutrition and you can find yourself in a deep hole, like I discovered myself in. I have found a nice balance of half morning runs and half evenings runs. My body appreciates the days I get to sleep in past 5; yet I can still get in good work a few mornings a week. Those afternoon workouts/runs are SO much easier with someone. Lucky for me, tax season is over; so Sam is pretty much available every evening to run. And I've even talked the fiance to run with me some (though his easy pace is too fast for me). I've noticed that even though I start out feeling tired in afternoon/evening workouts, the results are significantly faster.

For example, I did 4 x 1.5 mile repeats last week at a faster pace than this week's 3 x mile (taper workout). The difference? The 1.5 was in the evening with Sam. She did 800s, but paired it perfectly with my 1.5. We hit up the local half mile loop. She and I would take off together, with her pacing. Then she would drop out and hop back in on my 3rd lap, but behind me. It was a really nice push. Dark workouts are hard because you can't just glance at your watch to check yourself. You have to find indiglo, watch for stuff on the road more carefully, etc. And for me, I also carry my pepper/screamer/strobe combo, adding to my fumble-ness during the workout. On top of those issues, I always have the "OMG, it is so early, I am so tired, this is insane" feeling when I do intervals in the morning. No one ever got better by sitting on their butt, though. And I've been trying to not read into much of anything in my workouts. This is a big challenge for me, but eventually I need to realize that that is why I pay a coach- let HIM worry about my workouts. I just need to run. (Can I just remove my brain while running?) One workout, interval, or even WEEK of training does not determine success of a future race. MANY workouts, intervals, and weeks determine success of a race (combined with other factors, too).

That #3 was pretty long, but whatev.

I'm thinking of doing a "favorite things" post. It's been awhile for that. In the meantime, Run Happy, friends!

8 comments:

  1. Like your post! I need to expand a bit on mine. :-)

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  2. Yes! I miss my track buddies! Workout friends are the best!

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  3. favourite things, how about favourite track session,
    favourite hill session,
    favourite long run...

    Yes it's nice to have a couple of guys to do the session with you.

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  4. Don't get too comfortable in the trailer...they might move you into the restroom next year! ;)

    I would so love to run a track workout with someone compatible. So much fun!

    The wedding is coming soon!!! Jon and I got married on labor day weekend. I should have done it a week sooner. Bad weekend to honeymoon!

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  5. What an exciting summer you have planned! You're getting married!!! It must feel nice for school to be ending.

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  6. I am trying to remove my brain from analyzing my workouts too. So hard, let me know if find any good tricks :)

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  7. Not having to think about workouts?! Then all you would have to do is just what you do best-run!! :)

    Besides, there's big things to worry about-and it's not holding class in a bathroom!!

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  8. Favorite things post are one of my favorite things to read on running blogs, please write one :)

    Your kids get out two weeks before ours do. Have a great summer break! We all know you deserve it!

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