reset run

I can't believe that I haven't run since Saturday......ugh!.....let's recap: Sunday (taking a break), Monday (tired), Tuesday (tired), Wed (also tired). Today was literally the first day that I didn't need to take a nap. Tuesday, I totally crashed for 2 hours and woke up as the sun was setting.

so that's why today was a reset run. I managed to eek out 3.5 miles running (although there was stretch of walking to get rid of a leg cramp. The last mile, my left foot was very asleep.....I really need to figure out why that happens.

I feel refreshed and ready to return to daily runs.

back to work

I know.....

and this happens EVERY SINGLE YEAR.....but I forget how exhausted I am at the start of the school.....

on the first day, we were with the kids, the entire day.....I was tired at 11 am, ready for a nap......and there were still 4 more hours.

In hindsight, I should have NOT scheduled runs for the first few days of school. I could barely keep my eyes open on the drive home. I was practically in tears, ready for bed at 6 pm.

Today (Saturday) I finally feel better. After a 2 hour nap, I was ready to go for a run. I was smiling as I ran up and down the hill. My legs were tired on the last mile, but it was a very good run.

the complete opposite

As the title suggests, today was different....shockingly so

back to school (aka teacher meetings) had me setting my alarm at 5:30 am, although I woke up at 4 am, completing my ab routine, and scrambling to get ready, all before 7 am (on summer vacation, this all would happen close to noon)....I arrived at school, nauseous because I took my vitamin without food (definitely a no, no)....in fact I was worried about upchuck (sorry) in the middle of chapel.

meetings and more meetings where instead of lounging in my comfy chair, I was sitting still listening to people, while inspiration, I was having trouble keeping still.

lunch at Asia Manoa was fab, but it meant I was completely full the rest of the day....like uncomfortably so

by the time I returned home (around 4:30 pm), I was completely exhausted....almost to tears at the thought of running. I tried to nap - no luck and as 5:30 pm approached, my mind was racing with excuse after excuse for not to run (I could give myself a hall pass, first day of work and all .......I could walk instead, still exercise.......exactly how far did I really need to run, anyway to count, block to Zippy's?)

I slowly put on my running gear (note to self: my favorite polka dotted sports bar is very visible thru my UnderArmor shirt)
I decided that I would walk, and if I felt like running I would run, but if I didn't, THAT IS OKAY.....at least I was outside.

I VERY slowly walked up the hill to the light with a grimace on my face (normal procedure).....as I crossed the street, I slowly (and I mean really slowly) started to run. I went slow, frightfully so. If someone was behind me, walking, odds were, they might pass. But the point is....THAT I KEPT ON RUNNING. Eventually I warmed up and ran (a bit) faster. On Mondays I always see lots of runners and I made a point to smile at everyone (even the attractive people)....33 minutes later, 3 miles and I have completed a run I didn't think was possible.

Wahoo!

silly me

of course, when I get totally psyched for a run....ready to head out into the cool evening for miles and miles of running....I bonk.

silly me for not hydrating...or having lunch, my fault

Today is my last day of summer vacation and I think I spent the entire day counting down. NOT FUN!

I had some good runs this week. I alternated between 3 miles (slight inclines) and 4 miles (with hill and 30 second light after 23 min). Running is now second nature. There is no gearing up for a run, like before. Where i'd flit around, slowly preparing myself for the torture. I'd dress. Then check my email. Then think about why I run (or really why it be okay not to run today). Then search for my ipod.....eventually head outside. Now, I run. Period.

Today's run was awful. I didn't complete any warm up - just started, after closing the gate. By the time I ran up the small incline (which is steep enough for calves to burn), I was tired and had to slow down. So I skipped the hill. UGH! I ran to the light, took a short break and began running again. Things were better on the flats (maybe the lesson is....when no food, make sure no hills). I did eek out 3 miles. But it certainty didn't feel good.

4 miles, baby!

yep! excellent run today - I felt like I could have kept on going and going and going.....

AND I started looking at my clothes, preparing for first day of school. I fit into all of my pants. wahoo!

food for the day:
breakfast: toast
lunch: 3/4 of a rice/bean burrito
dinner: about to have a wonderful steak salad. Yum!

Ciao

Happy Monday!

wow, I can't believe it has been a week since my last post. Let's catch up!

Last Monday I had to stay up to wait for the arrival of my college roommate, Keisha. As I wrote before, her plane was delayed by six hours and she didn't land until 12:45 am. Tough to stay awake, since I usually go to bed around 10, I had to put in the MOST boring movie to stay awake. I remember circling the airport 4X (because they really don't let you park, even late at night when there was only one flight arriving). Finally, we connected a little after 1 am. Keisha was starving and the only food place open is McD's. Sigh, I couldn't resist the fries (medium), but I didn't eat them all. We watched the movie SWAT (love that Colin Farrell and Jeremy Renner!) and had great fun catching up. It was almost like we were back in our little Central apartment at Duke, hanging out discussing the really important things like why the commercials are so silly. I think I laughed until I cried, several times.

So I am sure I could go into great detail about her stay.....I'll spare you all the boring details and just write the highlights

Tuesday: didn't motivate until 1 pm, went to mall to get some walking shoes (Keisha), late lunch at CPK, crazy full run around 5 pm, watched TV until bed.

Wednesday: didn't motivate until 3 pm (yes, I sense this is a theme, but to be honest I did have a grad school assignment due)....we went for a 2hr run/walk around Diamond Head and went to Whole Foods for dinner, also hit up Blockbuster for the Mechanic (better than expected) and Battle: LA (ummm, good, but wasn't into).

Thursday: up at the crack of dawn to run because heading to the Polynesian Cultural Center for a FULL day of culture. Running in the am was a great experience. It was cool and not many people out exercising (although lots on the road, heading for work). I felt great getting the run out of the way, but I seriously know there is NO WAY I can get up early in the mornings. PCC was awesome. We took the bus to Waikiki, got on the bus at the Sheraton, and met our tour guide Rome, from NZ. As a teacher, I find it incredibly interesting to watch somebody in their element as Rome clearly was. He entertained with stand up/information for about 2 hours. Hilarious! Once at the center we met our tour guide, Sara from Finland and proceeded to head to the different villages to learn. We played with sticks in Aotearoa, watched a guy climb a coconut tree in Samoa, learned hula in Hawaii, made music in Fuji, laughed at the drum performance in Tonga, and much much more. To be honest I was toast (tired) at about 2:30 pm. It was HOT and completely covered in sweat. We still had the canoe pageant, the luau, tram to the Mormon temple, and of course the show. To sum up, food was excellent. At the temple, the guide made sure to approach us to see if we had any questions and to make sure we knew how wonderful the Mormon church was. And finally the show was AMAZING! They wove the story of growing up into the the different islands and then the finale was the fire dancers. Fell asleep on the bus ride back. Didn't get home until 11 pm.

Ok that was more than the highlights, on to Friday

Friday: again didn't motivate until 1 pm. Keisha helped me move all the crap I had outside to the curb for trash pickup. We had lunch at a build your own burger place. Saw Rise of Planet of the Apes (not sure how I feel about this - definitely will be talking about animal testing in class this year). Run at 6:30, super fast broke into the 9 min mile. Dinner at the chinese food place down the block. Back to blockbuster for Resident Evil 4 (ugh! so bad and I actually like the RE series) and Leaves of Grass with Edward Norton (hmmmm, interesting EN was excellent, but movie went in all sorts of directions).

Saturday: up at the crack of dawn for the Farmer's market. Managed to grab the last two lettuce. Yum, breakfast burrito! Watched Something New with Sanaa Lantham (funny!). Nap on couch (forgot to take vitamin) and sadly took Keisha to the airport. Managed to run after completely cleaning the house. So sad that she left, I really had a great time, even if we didn't really do to much.

Sunday: grad school project (final one for this class), short run since I was having technical issues with recording the narration to my PowerPoint

which brings me to today. eek! one week left of summer vacation. I know I should feel happy that I get time off during the summer. Some people only get two weeks of vacation a year. And many schools are already back at school. But I am in a panic about returning to school. I feel like I worked alot, but with nothing to show....and classes begin next Thursday. 3 mile run today - was cruising until the end and with 5 minutes left, I was done.

Well, to sum up.....I am proud to say that I have still run EVERY DAY in Aug. I still have a mental game to get myself outside, but I have run.

you know you are a runner when.....

the wind blows dirt into your eyes....your brain thinks &@#$.......you are blinded....

YET you keep on running!
It was weird, I was in so much pain AND couldn't see a thing, but I plugged along until the pain went away and my vision returned.

So let's update:
I last posted on Thursday and I have run every day since then. Let me just say that again, because it is that impressive. I RAN EVERY FREAKIN DAY! I don't remember the last time I ran on a Saturday or Sunday. This 30 day challenge is keeping me motivated. I'm thinking it is like a baseball streak (go Dan Uggla!). I want it to continue and that is making me lace up those shoes.

Friday's run was the one with the dirt - so it was ok

Saturday's run was in addition to a 60 minute walk to Farmers market, Post Office, and bookstore (hey, I had to pick up September's Issue of Runners World). I convinced myself that a short run was ok, and I had to get back to finish my grad school paper. Sigh, the paper was a struggle as I just couldn't see the larger picture. Intro and main part was really well written, but I had no time for a conclusion. So the paper just ended. I also turned it in about an hour late. Double sigh!

Sunday was when I hit a wall. Around 5 pm, I seriously wanted to take a nap. My body was soooooooo tired. I pulled out all the tricks: I got dressed in my running gear. I weighed myself. I took out clothing that I really hope to wear again. I pulled out the running magazines. Nothing was working. I really just didn't want to go out there and run up that killer hill.

But the streak cannot end!
I put on shoes and walked to the gate. Okay, I can do this. Impulse decision - new running route! Basically I decided that I couldn't handle hills, I needed flat roads. I crossed the street and just started running. I was tired, so I did move slow. But I just improvised as I went. Turn left, use crosswalk, rest at light, go by park, take flat road, wind back to my street. It ended up being a decent run - go figure!

Today was alright as well. I headed uphill towards Diamond Head. The steep incline at the beginning was a challenge (and I had to stop at all the roads because so many cars). But I took each section, one at a time. Slow on the severe downhill. Kept the pace on 18th st - including the uphill by the dog park. I kept plodding along. 30 minutes later and it was OVER!

I am excited about tomorrow. I think I will repeat today and maybe add a little to the end. Only thing I am worried about: my college roommate is visiting (she SHOULD be here by now, but thanks to a mechanic issue, she is currently at LAX, awaiting take-off, 5 hour, almost 6 hour delay). I'll need to take her out - hopefully that won't alter my running schedule too much. I would really prefer not to run in the heat of the day.

Ciao for now - I think I need to take a nap, before Krazy K's arrival!

you know what?

the best part of running is.......the cold G2 (my preference is fruit punch) afterwards. My new routine is to come home, grab the drink + remote, and sit on the floor and watch Around the Horn/PTI.

So it is now Aug 4th and I have run four days in a row. Wahoo!

Yesterday was no fun. I did my 20 minutes to the light, then 6 more minutes, and a 20 minute walk cooldown.

But today was AWESOME! I was distracted by Season 1 of 24 (episode 6, 7 and beginning of 8), so I didn't leave until 5:45 pm. But earlier I had a handful of walnuts which I think provided me with much needed energy. I must have sprinted up the hill (I checked, an amazing 6:28)....it was cool, my body felt good, no shin splits. I reached the light around 19:45 (another milestone). I had to wait a long time for the light, so when I saw the friendly walk sign, I took off and ran another 10 minutes. Wahoo!

Right now, I just feel great and really proud of myself!

so.....

I guess I figured out what my 30 day challenge is......July 21st when I started to think about it, after watching Matt Cutts' Tedtalk......nothing really clicked (learn how to paint?, stop watching TV? no caffeine?) and of course Aug 1st rolls around without me deciding.

So, if I state it here in the blog world (some what publicly, haha! I think I am the only one who reads this), maybe I can keep it up

ok....here goes.....

I will RUN EVERYDAY in August.

Thankfully I ran Aug 1st and today I ran again. Wahoo! Only 28 more days to go - sigh, I must get through friends visiting and the start of school. But only 28 days to go!

Let's talk about today's run. Umm, ugh! I was so excited to run today (ok - I mean excited for me - which means NOT happy at all, just convinced I would run today). I set out around 5:45 pm - the air was nice and cool, the dark clouds seemed to stay away. After about 5 minutes (about 2/3 left to go on THE HILL), I realized that I was winded and this would be no fun. I HATE this mental game. Once I get a negative thought in my head, I can't get it out. I really need to develop a mantra to help. Hmmmm......I think of something later tonight. Anyway, back to the run. I slowed down determined not to stop until the light. Slow, slow, really slowly, I made it in 20 minutes (2.25 miles). But I had nothing in the tank to continue, so I walked for about 20 more minutes. Yay for me for 20 minutes of continuous running, but I really need to run for 3 miles daily.

Tomorrow is a new day. Check ya later!

rainy run, for sure!

ok - weird, it is now Monday and I last wrote on Wednesday.....what happened to the time? I am enjoying my free time so much, that I often have to think about what day it is.

what the hell did I do on Thursday, Friday, and Saturday? (ok - I know what I did all day on Sunday - ugh! - grad school paper. I started at 9 am and worked until 6 pm. I really need to chilax on the assignments, and stop doing so much....I went into the assignment (make a how-to-guide for dance) dreading, but in the end, of course, I was doing research and reading all this extra, but interesting stuff)

Thursday is still a mystery (god, why can't I remember?). Friday, I had to deal with my car - I thought I ran, but the run was not recorded on my ipod, so maybe not? I seem to remember a long walk on Saturday. I had to get to the post office (rent, car registration)....so I decided to do my Diamond Head walk BACKWARDS. It was so weird, but I do recommend changing it up, every once in a while. I strolled through Kahala, because there were no times to beat (i.e. 30 min by the random entranceway, 60 min to the top of Diamond Head). Then I felt much safer on the incline of the hill. It was such a perfect Hawaiian day that I was so glad to be outside.

Today, I waited until the last possible minute (6:15 pm), quickly put on running clothes and headed outside to the darkening clouds over the mountains. Well, sigh, I do love to run in the rain. The plan was to walk and stretch until past the church (about 3 min of running). I seem to do much better, when I walk FIRST. No shin splits. But it started to pour as I turned the corner, so I started to run. It was tough going with the rain, wind, and the fact that I haven't run in awhile, although thankfully it was cool. I wanted to stop at the top of the hill (about 7 minutes in).....but I didn't........I wish, I could say that about the entire run. But I did stop at the halfway mark, my shins were just starting to tighten. I walked back up the hill for a minute, then continued the run downhill. Stopping was a really good idea, because I felt strong and ready to run. I even picked up the pace (aka sprinted) to the light.

Due to the rain, I didn't finish with a 20 minute walk. But I feel like I got a decent workout....and I am ready to go for tomorrow!

two hours at the Saturn dealership.....

ugh! They SAID it would only take an hour, but I knew it would be longer. Anyway, it gave me a chance to start What I talk about when I talk about running by Haruki Murakami. Wow! What a great book. I am 135 pages in (out of 179 pages). I suppose I COULD HAVE finished it at the dealership, but I began to get antsy and had to stretch my legs - then I realized how sore I was from the run yesterday. Also I started up a conversation with the grandma lady, also waiting for her car. She was funny in her grandma sweats and sighing every time the door opened.

But I didn't realize I would have so much in common with Mr. Murakami. He starts the book in Kauai and with, of course, running. I know what is like to see the "seasons" in Hawaii (summer is hot, fall is slightly less hot, winter is still hot, etc.). Also I know what fun it is, to have a quick rain shower, during a run.

Then the book jumps to Cambridge, Massachusetts and runs along the Charles River. Mr. Murakami lived there for a significant part of the year that he recorded in the book. Cambridge is where I began running. I remember those first runs, where 1 mile seemed a LONG way. I ran in the fall, because I was not coaching then. In the winter, nobody really can run in the cold and on the ice/snow....and in the spring, I fit in runs between lacrosse practice. I would also run around Fresh Pond. I remember having just one pair of running shorts.

But it is what Mr. Murakami said about running that made a impact.

1. He runs every day. Really, for more than 30 years (give or take that time he stopped running after a 62 mile race), he has run every day with no injuries. He averages running about 1 hour (6 miles). Some days it is 9 miles, others, it is just 3 miles.
2. He talks about how running maintains his weight, not really losing weight. I am well familiar with this concept as I have stayed the same weight for like FOREVER.
3. Finally, he makes all these comparisons between writing novels and running. How you have to run/write every day, yet always leave something in the tank for the next day. Run/write up to THAT point where you are finished, yet are not toast.

Can't wait to read the final chapter on the New York Marathon.

Anyway, it was the perfect read to encourage me to get out and run!
I did the exact same run as yesterday and it amazingly it felt easier....usually in my experience the second day is so much harder, maybe that is the mental part of the run.

What shall I do tomorrow?

yay! and a run in the rain

Today is Tuesday, so it has been some time since my last post.

Let's see...... I did nothing on Friday and Saturday.....well, I ran errands on Friday, so I say that wandering the aisles of Barnes and Noble counts as a workout. I mean, I was there for hours - and finally found three books for that buy two, get one free deal. That has never happened, usually I find two, but then can't decide on the third. Orange is the New Black by Piper Kerman about her year in jail (well, federal jail, but hey, I wouldn't want to be there), 1491 by Charles C. Mann about new revelations of the Columbus saga, and finally What I talk about when I talk about running by Haruki Murakami....wahoo, can't wait to read.

Saturday, I had to work on my stupid grad school assignment. It was brutal - write a lesson plan that integrates music with TWO other subjects, ugh!. I hope to at least get a decent score.

Sunday, I felt SO SICK - I could barely keep my eyes open and I was running a fever. I didn't really sleep Saturday night due to alarms, people arguing, bathroom trip, etc. So I didn't realize until 4 pm that I was so drowsy due to lack of caffeine (I skipped the cup of coffee and vitamin). Finally, I got fed up that I knew that I needed to get outside. What a great idea! It was such a nice night - I wore my new pink shorts - and while I did walk about 45 seconds slower than normal, it was just great to be outside. I saw other walkers, volleyball players, the Tai Chi people were displaced due to archery. 7 miles of pure freedom.

Monday, I decided to walk uphill to the Goodwill for a little shopping. Score - that book, Faithful Place by Tana French (ummm, actually I got lots more books) that I had just placed in my Amazon cart and two pairs of black pants.

So that brings us to today. After reading for pleasure (the Girl with Pearl Earning - from Goodwill - very nice and easy read), then some grad school reading, lunch, and a wonderful summer nap, it was time for my run that I promised myself I would do. But I awoke to the sound of rain. Oh no! But, sigh, I scheduled a run today. And usually here in Hawaii, the rain stops after 5 minutes, but not this evening. Based on the cloud cover, this drizzle was here to stay. I got dressed and did some recon on my walk to the check the mail. Well, I guess, if I walked past the bus stop (and people thinking I was crazy for running in the rain and bonus, I wouldn't slip on the metal grates), then started running, things would be okay. Since I had previously run straight for 5 minutes, I only had to beat that time.

I took it real, REAL slow. I wasn't sure how my newish shoes would handle on the sidewalks and I wanted to make it up the hill and beyond. At the 5 minute mark, I was climbing the hill. I quickly moved to the inside sidewalk, so I wouldn't stop at the crest. I slowed down at the top, but then charged down the hill, feeling pretty good. At the 12 minute mark, I was cruzing on the flat. At the 20 minute mark, I made it to the light. And I checked, running at a 9:40 pace, impressive! Should I continue straight and head for home? (22 min run), or should I wait for the light and see how much farther I could make it? Hmmmmm......Let's do this! It was so pleasant to run in the rain. I passed two other runners and we made eye contact and smiled. I wasn't the only crazy one out there.

Let's try it again tomorrow, okay?

I am a runner!

(ok, I just ran once, time will tell if this streak continues)

but I ran today....(sigh) not as far as I wanted........but a good 2.5 miles........it will be a while before I am back at full speed. BUT I am determined to keep going.

It was a cloudy day and I wasn't NOT in the mood for exercise. I literally pouted as I was changing into running clothes. The clouds were over the mountains (that is usual), but they were also looming over the beach, as well. It was a dark and stormy, night, wait, day. As I sat outside, on the steps, putting on socks and shoes, it started raining. Ugh! Boy, was God telling me something? My whole body wanted to go back inside and curl up with a good book....or more White Collar episodes with hunky Matt Bomer. With a sigh and a desperate need to be in shape for the beginning of school, I waited until it stopped and then began the journey, up the hill. No, I was not pleased with myself.

Since it was such a crummy day, I had this really BRIGHT idea. Maybe I should run instead. This way I could cut down on the outside time by half! What a perfect idea! This would be the kick in the ass that I needed.

I started SLOW.....and ran up the slope until the road ended....whew, time to walk down the hill. Then I ran the stretch by the cemetery and dog park. I even managed to beat out a biking couple as they struggled up the hill. Ha! I was running on the non-diamond head side of 18th st. They were on the diamond head side. As I sensed them to my right, I decided to give it my all and sprint (since I knew that I would be stopping at the top).....Mid-way, I thought, wouldn't it be funny if I passed them.....Haha! Then when I did (what were THEY doing?, they were on bikes!), I was really happy. Now time to stop sucking wind on the walk to 22nd st. I passed a homeless guy and 2 utilities worker, but I really was much more concerned with lowering my heart rate. I ran back along 22nd st and started walking again, so I could pass that wonderful garden with the endless basil growing.

Since, of course, it was now sunny, go figure, I decided to stay outside, instead of heading for home. I turned down Hunakai and headed for the very flat Farmers Rd. I spend the final 5 minutes running smoothly on the asphalt. I could get the hang of this thing called running

In all, a START.....I will try again tomorrow

Farmers Market

Today I was awake at 3:30 am (just in time for the paper delivery - ugh!). Thankfully, I went back to sleep and got up at 7:15, so that I could go to the Farmers Market at KCC. While I hate getting up, getting dressed, and no coffee....once I start out, I love, love. The picture is what I purchased - tomatoes, curly leaf lettuce, japanese cucumbers, french bread, and a wonderful breakfast burrito! And the best part, a 60 minute brisk walk - half with "weights". Exercise accomplished for the day - and before 9 am.
Now, on to running tomorrow.

wow, a second post!

Today, I tried to get my exercising butt in gear.

But I woke up at exactly 1:26 am and stayed awake until 2:52. (I know, because if I was still awake at 3, then I was getting up to watch TV - I remember seeing the clock at 2:52). Then I feel asleep, woke up around 6:30, but went back to sleep - THANKFULLY NO WORKERS TODAY - didn't get up until 8:30. So then with breakfast (cheerios), I decided to finish Season 2 of Royal Pains.....ummm many hours later....

but I actually FELT like walking today. So I set out around 12:30......without lunch. I knew it would be a mistake, but I couldn't NOT go when I wanted. I walked for about 60 minutes, feeling awesome, realizing that my "rehab" was finished and that I would have to start running on Sunday. But then climbing Diamond Head, there was nothing in the tank. Why didn't I have a scoop of peanut butter before I left? I did manage to make my times (30 minutes to the weird bridge structure, 60 minuets to the Leahi sign), but I felt that I couldn't accelerate up Diamond Hill. Sigh!

Well, we will see how I feel tomorrow - and get ready for the run on Sunday. Wahoo!

it has been a while

(sigh) it has been a really long time....since October, I think, but I am back...not running yet (I have been walking)....but soon...and blogging (for me) is just what I need to return to running.

Let's see, since October, I got too stressed out with grad school, teaching 8th grade, AND training for a marathon....something had to go, sadly that was running. But once I made that decision (around Thanksgiving), I felt like that it was the right one to do. I felt relief. Of course, I gained some weight and now feel less than positive about myself.....that will change, though

This year of teaching 8th grade was really...........weird? interesting? .........hmmm....can't find the words, but it was much different from any other year that I have taught. It took me A REALLY LONG TIME to really like my students. That is unusual. Well, I always like my students, but I am not always close to them. If that makes any sense. But I think I was still sitting in my classroom, alone, eating lunch, well, up until October/November. Haha! I remember one of my former students coming to visit, because she was concerned (ha!) that I was eating lunch alone. To be honest, I was excited that I could get work done at lunch and after school. But once I started movie club lunch, I was in my classroom every day. We had some great times! Best movies, the Mummy (and Mummy returns), Star Trek, and of course, Hawaii 5-0. Tuesday afternoons were reserved for Hawaii 5-0.....and if it wasn't Tuesday, we were discussing Hawaii 5-0. At the end of the year, I was staying after school, until 4:30, because I literally, could not kick the kids out. The final day, was exhausting, and I will miss every single student.

Grad school is equally exciting. And I have a 4.0 GPA after 6 classes (of course, I am nervous to admit that out loud - it is like talking about a no hitter, it ALWAYS jinxes it). But two things: 1) I didn't expect to enjoy the classes as much as I do and 2) it is really ALOT of work. Much more than I expected......well, I guess I don't have to do ALL the work (some of my classmates subscribe to this idea), but I am having a real hard time, not giving it my all. Simple papers turn into nine pages, and I can't believe that I completed a 25 page paper on the state of my school. Ultimately, I am happy. I am learning things/idea/lessons that I can bring to my students and become a better teacher. In the current class, I am learning about integrating the arts into my classroom.

So that leaves running. Ugh! I have a love/HATE relationship with it. But I really want to start training again. I really hated every single minute of running, but I felt really good afterwards. I want that again. My plan, right now, is to complete the 105 min walk every other day, for a week....until I actually feel like running....Today, I fell into my usual routine, I sat around the house and tried to come up with every reason not to walk (it is freakin walking - not even running, yet)....then really had to motivate myself into stepping outside. Once I did (THANK GOD), I felt wonderful and several hours later, I still feel great. I need to remember this for tomorrow.

Tomorrow's plan: 10 minute cardio, 10 min abs, and finish my paper due on Friday