I Really Need to Get Better at Writing More Freqently

It's been almost a year since my last post.  A year.  A lot can happen in a year, and a lot did happen. So, it's time for a long over due update. 

Last May, I was up for several interviews in the school district I worked in.  I was hoping to move up from an Instructional Assistant to a teacher.  I interviewed and never heard back.  It was disappointing, but I moved on and continued applying to other schools.  I had also convinced my coworker and friend, E, to run a half marathon with me in September.  We had started training and running after school once a week.

June came, and I had a few more interviews for teaching positions.  I kept running with my teammates from Team in Training to keep up for my second attempt at the marathon. 

July was a busy, crazy month.  I had roughly 15 teaching interviews in two weeks.  I thought I had nailed one, but I got a phone call saying I'm on their short list for the next opening.  I also signed up for the Glass Slipper Challenge.  It was a great distraction from the craziness of interviewing.  I was still doing my weekday runs with my teammates and weekend runs either alone or with the team and our coach.  I kept getting calls for interviews, and the school that put me on their short list called me back for another opening.  I collaborated with a colleague to get the information I needed to land the position.  After the interview was a blur.  I drove home and waited.  an hour later, the school called and offered me to job! I was elated! I started the next day.

August brought new challenges as I adjusted to working more and attempting to keep up with my training. It was difficult, but I still managed one weeknight run with my group.  I'm still working on the work-life balance, to be honest.

My in-laws were supposed to come out in September, but fate changed that plan.  My father-in-law's leukemia got increasing worse.  This started our long journey.  He began chemotherapy in order to have a transplant.  So, when he came home for a two week break between rounds, we drove out to visit.  He was still optimistic.

I also ran my first black-flagged race in September.  It was the half marathon I had convinced E to run with me.  Due to lightning, the race was cancelled before we got to mile 3.  I was so disappointed, not only for myself, but for my friend as well.  It was going to be her first half, and Mother Nature had to ruin it for everyone.

October brought my 30th birthday.  I have graduated to a new age group.  I celebrated by running 8 miles at group training and a five mile race at a winery.  I have decided that it is worth it to sign up for races with wine. 

Marathon attempt 2 was in early November.  I was doing pretty good until I hit the IMA grounds near the statue of the crawling guy, near mile 18.  Something clicked when I saw him, and I sent a text to my coach that I was in serious need of help.  Unfortunately, he (or any of the other coaches) were at mile 23 and still catching the half marathon racers.  By mile 22, I had been passed by the 4:30 and the 4:45 pace groups.  I was in need of help or support or something.  My quads kept cramping and my stomach felt yucky.  When I finally saw my coach, my response was "Everything hurts, and I'm dying."  I was ready to be done.  He pushed me to go faster, and then we hit the finishers chute.  Coach wanted me to sprint.  I almost threw up.  I crossed with a new PR, and was immediately escorted to the Medical Tent (because they saw me dry heaving in the chute).  I had to sit there until I finally asked If I could get food.

Later in November, we bought a house--sort-of.  We actually bought land and a construction site.  Our future home is now just weeks away from being ours.

We traveled home for a different Thanksgiving.  We had two days with my family.  Then we spent two days with my husband's mom.  His dad had the transplant, and wasn't able to leave the hospital yet.  The Christmas holiday was similar, but we made it to Cleveland to visit his dad.  They were staying at a place near the hospital, so they could get there easily for monitoring appointments.

We later got the news that the first transplant didn't take.  The doctors said that a second one should take and that his blood cell numbers would go up.  They did the transplant right away, but his number never went up.  I got back from the Glass Slipper Challenge (I'll talk about that in a different post), to be greeted with the news that they were moving forward with hospice care.  We drove out that Saturday, and I wrote up lesson plans for another Monday out.  We made it early Saturday afternoon, and left late Monday morning.  An hour after we got home, we found out my father-in-law was gone and free from pain. 

It's been an eventful year, and I will be glad to put this school year behind me.  There are 34 more student days to go and three professional days.  I have almost survived my first year of teaching, running, building, and finding balance in this crazy thing we call life.

Some times I forget that I write a blog

This has been one of those times.  Between training, job hunts, working full-time, interview preparations, and life in general, I haven't had the time to write anything.  Well, I'm still job hunting, but the school year is coming to an end.  I'm hoping to find a position at a south side school (I'm not picky), but it seems the pickings are slimmer than last year. 

Running has been an escape for the most part.  I had been training with Team In Training again, until the season was cut short. Since then, it been one training session and two races. I have been training hard to increase my speed, which is paying off. 

On May 16th, I ran the Fast Flash 5k. It's a smaller race that benefits my school district. I was super close to earning a age group award last year (only the top two got an award; I placed third). This year I was determined to place in the top two.  I did with a new PR of 26:27! I was excited! I came in second and got my $10 gift certificate to a local running store.

This past Saturday, I ran a semi-local half marathon.  The Noblesville Mini Marathon was a well organized race. The course was very pretty and we had perfect weather. That being said there were some downsides-not a lot of spectators, some poor water management near mile two/three, and the 5k, 10k, and Half all started at the same time and same place. Once the rest of the groups split off, the half was really good. I ran at a conservative pace for the first few miles behind the 2:15 pace group.  I wasn't expecting much since I didn't run at all since the Fast Flash due to a sinus infection. I was hoping to have a decent time near 2:20, but I left the pacers in the dust around mile 5. I ran with a very nice gentleman for mile 6, but had to keep moving I order to get my new PR. I had to start run-walk-run around mile 9. By mile 11, I knew I could walk the rest of the course and still get a personal record.

The worst part of the race wasn't anything to do with the race. It was the drive home. I sat in a line of traffic for 25-30 minutes because of an accident on the route home. My body stiffened up by the time I arrived home. I'm still a little sore today.

Today was tutu making day for the Color Run on June 6th! I am super excited to walk this event with my coworkers/best friends in Indy! Team Tutu Legit to Quit is awesome sauce!

Marathon attempt #2

Normal people don't do crazy things, like run marathons.  And if they do run a marathon, they probably do a one-and-done deal.  Like "Yay! I finished a marathon. Cross that off the bucket-list."

I am not normal.  I just signed back up to do a second marathon with Team In Training.  Why? Because I'm the type of person who doesn't like to leave things when they don't go right.  And the Monumental Marathon didn't go the way I pictured it last year.  So, I'm tackling it again with new information.  I didn't hit the $1000 fundraising goal, so I'm starting earlier.  I didn't maintain my pace through out the entire race (let's face it miles 19-25 were ugly), so I'm training harder.  My nutrition wasn't right, so I'm changing habits.  And I'm doing all of this in order to conquer something bigger.  I'm doing it all to help beat blood cancers. And that's a great reason to not be normal.

Organizing my life (and my friend's too)

Sunday was a terrible day weather wise. And yet, I decided to run. I managed to run two miles before I quit.  The roads hadn't been plowed, and the slush was up over my ankles. 

So, I went inside and started making a planner for a coworker/friend. And then I decided my planner wasn't up to snuff, so I revamped my own. I think it's going to work better. My friend has been using hers, and it has made her a little more organized.

Unfortunately the ISTEP test has started, and it makes me sad. The kids are super stressed out over it, and it breaks my heart. I have seen two children in tears, and have had to calm down another. And I have spent a small fortune on treats for my kiddos. It's the small things that matter this week.

365

There are 365 days until my next runDisney race! Fingers crossed I can get  in the race in July!  Now, I just have to decide if it's going to be the Glass Slipper Challenge or just the Princess Half Marathon and what princess to be!

I'm looking for a half marathon to run before the registration date. I'm hoping for a smaller race that isn't too far away from Indy. I'm trying to get in an earlier corral, because I could be in the same corral as last time even though I've gotten faster. 

Bittersweet

This weekend marks the beginning of my third year of real running. It was two years ago that I ran the Disney Princess Half Marathon, which was my first long distance race. I'd run 5ks before, but nothing longer since there weren't many races near me. But I had this idea in my head that I could do it.

I originally thought about doing it through Team in Training, but the fundraising commitment date was soon. (This was before runDisney events became extremely popular). I signed up at the end of October and started training. I was working as a substitute teacher, and I was able to work my runs around my schedule. Then winter hit Pennsylvania hard. My training started to suffer. When I did get out there, my runs consisted of dodging snowplow trucks, garbage trucks, school buses, ice and snow. It was rough going, but I somehow made it work. 

When my mom and I left for Florida for our trip, it was a blizzard in PA. Our plane was late leaving Pittsburgh due to de-icing. When we arrived in Florida, it was beautiful. But my training had prepared me to run in cold, not heat. On race morning, it was 70* F with 90-95% humidity at 3 in the morning. But I still ran. 

I made a lot of rookie mistakes, cotton tshirt, Capri pants, no hydration belt. But I still ran my race, and cried the last quarter mile. I had put so much time and energy into training, and I was sad to see it come to an end. 

Now, I am a two time half marathoner, and a full marathoner! I have learned so much about running since that race! 

I hope that all the runners this weekend have a magical race!

In other news, my first Nuun shipment  came. I got two bottles, three tattoos, three decals, and 11 tubes of Nuun! I'm so excited!

Stuck in a Valley

Last night the hubster and I went and got Chinese food, and we got our fortune cookies. My fortune simply stated "always a valley before a hill." Right now, I feel like I'm stuck in a valley. My training has been inconsistent at best, and I have been feeling stressed out with everything I have taken on this year. There is light at the end of the tunnel and in two weeks one project will be over. Then in about 8 weeks,the second project will be mostly done. Then it will be spring break and my skating season will be over and I will start running more consistently. 

I am currently in search of a good training plan to get me back into training for another marathon and then a half marathon roughly four months later. Hopefully, I'll climb my way out the valley soon.