Project 5 Task 1

Today I am completing a project for an online course I am taking about using Google and all its features in my classroom.  I must explain how blogging can benefit my students. I believe blogging can benefit students by providing them an outlet for their creative writing. In this age, the paper/pencil "journaling" that students are required to do can be a big turn-off for them. Using the internet takes journal writing to another level. It also allows them to connect instantly with other students in the class. They can read their friends' writing and respond to it in real time.

Click on the link below to access PDC.
Professional Development Courses

What happens in Vegas...

I traveled to Las Vegas with Husband this past weekend. We celebrated 7 years of marriage in style thanks to some extra Hilton points his parents let us use. It was an experience I'll never forget!

The best part? A six mile run early Sunday morning straight down the still-sleeping Las Vegas Blvd. It was beautiful! Who would have ever though I would have done that? Not me, for sure! But I'm proud of my 1:15 time. Would have been faster if I hadn't stopped for selfies in front of casinos, statues, and fountains :) Big shout-out to Pandora internet radio and my Macklemore station for motivation!

I'm ready for winter to melt away so I can enjoy some spring running here in IL.

Dark

We have run in the dark. We have run in the cold. We've run into forceful winds. We've run in the snow. But through it all we've kept running.

After our 5 mile run last week, AC found her faith. She told me as soon as she started that she was nervous, scared, and was pretty sure she couldn't do it. But with a little faith from me she did the whole thing without stopping! We would have cried if the tears wouldn't have collected snowflakes and frozen to our cheeks!

Tuesday and Friday she told me that our 3 miles were a piece of cake. She can't believe the words coming out of her mouth. What a runner she's become.

Today we were forced to postpone our 5 mile run because of atrocious weather. Over a foot of snow, single digit temps, gale force winds. We're under a blizzard warning until midnight. And there are 3ft snow drifts in front of our house.

We will run tomorrow.

Keeping the faith

Since I last posted I've kept up with every run. Though I've slacked with the abs challenge.

Today was our first long run. All 3 miles of it. AC has been pretty faithful so far. I'm quite proud of her. She kept telling me today that she doesn't want to hold me back. She doesn't want to slow me down. That her goal isn't to run the whole thing. I'm totally annoyed by that because I know she can. I told her that I'm here to believe in her until she can believe in herself.

It's interesting that I'm now in the position to bring training motivation to someone. I remember when I first started and could hardly run half a mile without feeling like I was dying. I was so convinced that running any distance was impossible. But I remember the wise words of my sister: "Just keep moving forward." So I shuffeled, hobbled, scampered, and jogged. But I kept moving forward. And eventually I ran.

I've learned so much about goals, plans, and believing in myself over the past year. I am fully confident that if I set my mind to it, I will accomplish it. I am proud to share my confidence with AC. I believe she can. And so she will.

Faith, my friend, is a powerful thing.

Progress

Since my last post I've run 3 times. I have completed every day of the abs challenge so far. I've even gone back to the gym. I'm pretty stinkin proud of myself!

Illinois winter officially arrived this week with a decent snow and a Wind Chill Warning. My partner, AC, didn't want to run outside on Tuesday night because of the cold weather, so we ended up at my gym. She's never really trained for a half before, and I want to make sure she doesn't quit on me, so we've been taking it slow. After our run she decided to join! Sweet! Now we can complete the rest of January's relatively short runs at the gym!

Because of that Wind Chill Warning, school has been canceled for the past two days. Husband and Son went with me to the gym today. It was nice going as a family. Son played in the child care area without a total melt-down like he had this summer, and I could make googly eyes at Husband while running laps. We have plans to head in tomorrow as well.

Just got an email that my new Garmin Forerunner 405 has shipped. I had gotten one way back in 2011 and it has been my friend ever since. Even through long breaks in the dresser drawer, it's been there when I needed it. But when it came time to train this year, it crapped out. Glitchy. Won't hold a charge. Won't turn on. So it's been replaced. Hopefully it will get here in time for next week's trip to Minnesota.

Stay warm my friends.

And...Begin

Today I laid out all my work out plans until the end of the month. I listed all my runs, and the fab ab challenge I found on Pinterest. The planner I bought on New Year's Eve has one full January written down! My motivation is pretty high right now. Stoked about that! I've even added a bonus challenge to myself of no more than 5 cans of pop between now and May 17th!

Onward, self!

Thoughts on Failure

Four years ago I began training for a half-marathon. 

Three years ago I was pregnant. 

Two years ago I laced up my shoes and went for a run. 

One year ago I settled for failure. 

Today I made a decision.

I decided to run again. 

Over the past year I have learned a lot about me and what I am capable of. I began a new journey last March that has carried me to place I never dreamed I would go. I will do what I can in the next few months to explain what I can about this adventure.

What I can explain now is that since April 16, 2012 I have considered myself a failure. As a mother. As a wife. As a teacher. As a person. But since May of 2014 I know better. 

"Failure is the only opportunity to begin again, only this time more wisely." ~ Henry Ford

And so I begin again. More wisely.

Watch me run.

Big Deal

Tonight was a Big Deal in my world...

I ran 2 miles!!!

For the first time since September of 2011!!

The friend from work I usually run with on Thursdays was out of town, but I decided to go on my own. I was the only one in the dome until some boys came in to play soccer. My pace felt great and I even sprinted some of the straightaways. I'm pretty sure the garmin was off.....but I'm going to claim the distance anyway.

Yay me!

I even smiled the whole time.

Husband took BabyBoy to the wrestling meet tonight and I'm now enjoying some quiet time at home. Ignoring the chores that need to be done and watching an episode of The Chew (guilty pleasure picked up while on maternity leave).

Happy running!

Running in Circles

Was able to do another great run/walk with my friend from work tonight. Luckily there was basketball practice in the dome instead of softball practice. I would rather dodge basketballs any day over softballs.

I feel like we get a lot more done when it's just her and me. Other moms sometimes join us, but they really just want to talk and walk. I'm looking for a workout! I want to run! But I feel like I need to walk and talk with them. They walk fast, and I'm super short, so I do get my heart rate up trying to keep up with them. But I'm not going to walk a half-marathon. I want to RUN!

I want to RUN!!!

Tonight my friend and I tentatively decided to run a 5K the first weekend in April. It will be my first race in over a year. The Arnie Johnson 5K was also my first race ever. So it's kind of special. I'm looking forward to running this with a friend and expanding my racing shirt collection!

I'm heading to Minneapolis this weekend to try on bridesmaid dresses with my sister. I was thinking of bringing my shoes and outdoor gear. Then I checked the forecast.......high of 7. It has yet to be that cold here. I don't think it's been that cold here in over a year! Ah! I'll be leaving my shoes at home, thank you very much!

Happy Running!

Dodging Softballs

Tonight I met my friend from work to walk/run. Sadly softball season has started and we were dodging softballs while we walked. We could barely make 3/4 of a lap because of pitching practice on one of the curves. But, we walked quickly and talked a lot. We didn't run because of the flying balls. Hopefully the dome will be empty on Thursday.

We managed 3.08 miles in just under an hour. Move over snails!

Yearning for speed and a run that's not in a circle. Damn winter cramping my style. Oh well. It will warm up soon enough.

First "run" of 2013

In keeping with my New Year's Promise, I ran today. My friend from work heads to the high school every Tuesday, Thursday, and Friday to take her son to wrestling practice. While there she walks laps around the indoor track with the other moms to pass the time. I decided to join her tonight. Because we're still on break, and there was a basketball game, the indoor track was closed. Luckily, knowing the athletic director pays off and we were able to "run" the halls instead. I have no idea what we did for distance, but I know we ran/walked for an hour.

She is still a beginning runner and doesn't think she can run a half marathon all the way through. I'm pretty sure she can if she trains and puts her mind to it. I really enjoy walking/running with her because we talk a lot and pass the time. I know that talking while running will help improve endurance (or maybe that's just a myth I heard somewhere).

 I have no halves in mind yet, but I'm hoping to pick one soon. Hopefully local and not expensive. My dream would be a Disney race, but there's no time/money for that. I would love to do Green Bay again, but I need to decide by tomorrow or the rates go up. I do not think I'd do another RockNRoll race in Chicago because it's way too crowded and way to expensive. I might do the Rockford half in May, but a friend who ran/walked it last year said they ran out of beer/medals/shirts/etc by the time she and her partner crossed the finish line. But who knows. Grand plans may all turn to dust if BabyBoy has his way with it.

Tomorrow is full of birthday parties and socializing before we head back to school, so no running here. But maybe Mr Bentley and I will take a stroll around the neighborhood on Sunday.

I did manage to purchase new running shoes on Wednesday. The local running store was able to fit me with Brooks Ghost 5. I always run into the problem of them only having around 5 pairs for me to choose from in my size. Seems people with small feet don't shop there. But this time Anthony helped me find a perfect fit. Looking forward to logging lots of miles on these guys!

Things I Used to Be...

Once upon a time I used to be...

- An organized person
- A motivated person
- A healthy person
- A clean person
- A runner


Now......I'm a mother.

This kid is the love of my life. I wouldn't change a single thing. But that doesn't keep the nasty "If-Only" monster from creeping into my thoughts...

- If-Only he'd sleep through the night
- If-Only he'd be content for an hour so I can do just 1 P90X workout
- If-Only he'd stop crying....
- If-Only he'd give me 30 more minutes of sleep
- If-Only I could take a shower
- If-Only I had the motivation to go for.....

But, I can't let the If-Only monster bring me down. It's 2013 now. I have gone more than a year without blogging. This blog was created as a running blog and since I got pregnant, I haven't been doing much running. BabyBoy is now almost 9 months old and it's high time I stopped lugging the remnants of pregnancy around with me....emotionally and physically.

For my own reasons I need to address all the "people" I used to be and lay out a plan for becoming each and every one of them again.

I Used To Be....

An Organized Person:
BabyBoy takes up so much energy that everything we play with or use during the day gets left exactly where we set it when we move on to the next activity. This means clothing, toys, books, remotes, tissues, bottles, etc. are lying all over the house. After he's in bed I try to pick some of this mess up, but I'm just to damn tired to care. I want him to learn to pick up after himself (when he's old enough, obviously) and need to start setting examples.
In 2013 I pledge to...Pick up each night before bed. If possible, I want BabyBoy to watch/help me pick up before he goes to bed. I want to make a "game" out of putting toys back in the toy box when we're done. Husband has been amazing and keeping the kitchen somewhat picked up over the past few weeks and I know that we can keep this up.

A Motivated Person...
I started this blog on Nov 9, 2009 with the intentions of writing down thoughts and gaining motivation form other bloggers. Now all I want to do is sleep. I've written many blog posts in my head about life since BabyBoy was born but couldn't bring myself to actually write them down. All wanted to do was sleep.
In 2013 I pledge to....Start blogging again. I can shoot for one post a week. Motherhood is not the blissful fairytale that it looks like. I get so caught up in the "I can't" of it all that I forget what "I can". This blog is going to keep me accountable to myself again and give me an outlet for the stress. (Realizing that whiny mommy posts will not gain followers.....but I don't care. That's not what this blog is for.)

A Healthy Person....
I am now about the same weight that I was when I started this blog in 2009. In May of 2011 I looked the best I ever have and weight the least that I have since college. Now I'm lugging around BabyBoy and left-over baby weight. I'm sleeping whenever possible and eating snack after snack. Chips, popcorn, cookies, chocolate.....yum. Seems the word "No" has gone out of my vocabulary.
In 2013 I pledge to....Keep a meal calendar again. This was so successful for Husband and I before baby. It helped with grocery shopping and really helped with the I'm-to-damn-tired-to-cook-after-work attitude. BabyBoy makes me to damn tired to do anything right now, so this calendar will really come in handy. And the "snacks" need to be replaced with veggies.

A Clean Person....
I cannot tell you the last time I showered. Gross. I know. But with BabyBoy entering into a phase where all he wants to do is be held (he's been sick and teething since before Christmas) I can't put him down in the bathroom anymore to take a quick shower. I'm also sleeping in more in the mornings because I'm just so damn tired. This does not give me much time for a shower before work on those days.
In 2013 I pledge to....Insist on a daily shower. Husband will not get to do what he wants until I have showered. I realize that I am no one's priority here, so I have to make myself my priority.

A Runner....
Coming home from work. Changing clothes. Putting on those running shoes and going for 4-5 miles. Those were the days. Now I pick up BabyBoy from daycare. Get in a good snuggle. Get him fed. Amuse him until bed time. And then crash.
In 2013 I pledge to....Run. A friend from work wants to walk/run with me a few nights a week while her son is at wrestling practice. The high school has an indoor track open to the public after school and we walk/run there for an hour or so. I found the Prevea training plan I used before and want to start training for a race in May. (No idea which race yet, but we'll tackle that later.) Indoor track means can take BabyBoy after dinner when Husband is busy. I. Will. Run.


Being a mother is not a fairy tale for me. I didn't expect it to be, but I thought it would be easier than this. I was wrong. I love my BabyBoy. His smiles make my world go around and my heart melt. I want to set every example in the world for how a healthy person lives and I need to start now. Mothers can be (and are) all the things I used to be and the only thing stopping me from being those things is a nasty attitude.

The jogging stroller awaits. Will you help me with my journey?

Things I realized....

Today marks 27 weeks of this preggo adventure. 3 months from today is my projected due date! Holy cow! I finally have some energy back. I don't feel like sleeping all the time. My body isn't in a constant state of ouch! I want to move.

Sadly, I haven't moved so long that any major movement now will cause problems. But I'm seriously contemplating a "walking routine" for the next 3 months. I'm basically wasting my gym membership right now. I'd cancel it if it wasn't for the insanely expensive sign-up fee that I avoided paying the first time because I joined during a special promo period. Grrr. I feel confident about "working out" at this point because the gym is part of a wellness campus and they have doctors offices/immediate care/OBGYN services right through a set of double doors by the free weights!

I began my attempt at a walking routine on Wednesday afternoon. When I got home from school it was 51 outside! For northern Illinois on January 11th that is an unfathomable temperature. This is the first year I can remember that it hasn't been in the negative temps by now. Bentley and I went for a long, slow walk. He enjoyed the nice weather and I enjoyed not cramming my preggo-self into a winter jacket that I really can't zip right now. Just to prove that the weather was a fluke, we ended up with 5 inches of snow on Thursday and blizzard-like conditions on Thursday night. I had a tough time making it home from school on Thursday afternoon and an even more difficult time getting to school on Friday morning. After a near car-totaling experience just before Christmas with only 1 inch of snow on the ground, I was holding off panic attacks on both drives. I haven't tried going to the gym because of the roads. It's not worth me risking an accident just to walk in circles.

Husband and I spent all day today at a prenatal class....that meant no walking at the gym. He wasn't too happy about listening to baby talk from 9-5, but it was all worth it in the end. We got answers to most of our questions about labor/delivery and got a tour of the facility (which has been recently remodeled and is really nice!). A lot of what we already new was confirmed and I just need to ask a few questions of my Dr. the next time I see him to get answers to physician-specific delivery practices. I enjoyed having labor be compared to a marathon. Since I've run two halves, I'm pretending that you can count that as a whole marathon :) If I can do that, I can deliver a baby! The breathing techniques were fun because I could use my yoga breathing skills. I'm no longer scared of labor. I can handle pain and now know what I can ask for when I can't handle it any longer. Only 3 months until I get to test my inner strength!!!

Tomorrow I'm planning on spending about an hour at the gym stretching, walking, and stretching some more. Maybe adding some light lifting to start building my baby-carrying muscles. As always, I'll be listening to my body to see if I need to call it quits.

There is a jogging stroller in my future and I want to put it to good use! Wish me luck :)

Merry Christmas

It's been a really long time but.......I'm still here.

Merry Christmas everyone! I hope you've all enjoyed your time with your families.

Husband and I are enjoying our last quiet Christmas. Our Baby Boy!!! will be here in just a few short months. Amazing!

Blessings on everyone! Enjoy what's left of 2011!!!

Waiting

Hello out there. This running blog hasn't had much in the way running lately. And my computer is limping along on it's last legs. It is practically unresponsive to any clicks or commands and the video card is shot and the screen looks like it's having seizures. I'm lucky to be able to be typing this at all!

All that aside...

I'm a big fan of being pregnant at this moment. My sister-in-law just gave birth to her first child a week ago. Baby Oakley Mara. A beautiful little girl (despite the ridiculous name). I held her yesterday and she is absolutely precious. I am so excited for my little person to be in my arms in.....5 looooong months.

Things I'm not liking:

- The price of maternity clothes. How am I supposed to save for baby and clothe my preggo-body? Yikes! Thank goodness for friends who've loaned me their clothes :)

- The skin of a 13-year-old. Zit-tastic over here :(

- Unwanted advice/mothering from coworkers. Yes I'm standing on a chair b/c I'm only 5'1" and can't reach the top cork strip that's 7+ feet off the ground to hang these projects. Ain't no one going to do it for me. I'm going slowly and checking balance before I stand up. I'm fine. Go away.

- Not exercising. I've totally dropped the ball on this one :( I was running until I found out I wasn't as far along as I thought i was and kinda freaked. Since week 5 of this whole deal I've been a sedentary bum. I've only been to yoga 3 times. Boo on not staying healthy and fit through this whole thing.

I promise the jogging stroller will be assembled and ready to go as soon as Dr. C clears me for "exercise" ! I've already picked a "come back race" for next October. (giving myself plenty of time to "recover") I'm doing the Twin Cities half-marathon in Minneapolis/St. Paul. Husband is going to try for the full with my sister. They're also planning to do the half in Green Bay in May. We'll have a month-old nugget at that point and hopefully I'll be able to walk the 5K with my parents and the jogger! :)

Gender reveal day is on the 22! Stay tuned :)

Moving Again

Finally made myself move again.

We've been experiencing unusually warm weather for this time of year. I'm talking 80's in October in northern IL!! I could almost get used to this. This weather has had me longing to get out and go for a run! I haven't run much since discovering I had taken on a passenger ;) And as a result I have been feeling sore, achy, and slow lately. I decided that I needed to get moving again, stretching in particular. I caught a yoga class this morning courtesy of dear old lost-as-heck Columbus!

Yoga was lovely! The instructor is someone who caters to the over 60 set at the gym and always has modifications for each pose. She moves through the stretches and poses slowly which was great for me today. I looked up and found 2 other days this week that I have time to catch a class after school. The only thing there is having the energy to go after school.

Energy...or the lack there of...is what has kept me from moving in an exercise-related way for over a month. Pre-preggo I would have forced myself through a run despite lack of fluids or nutrition. Now, not so much. I'm doing all I can to drink water constantly, but I know it's not enough. Anyone have tips or staying consistently hydrated?!?!

On a good note, the morning queeseys have passed and i'm feeling normal again....even a little sexy. (husband appreciates that! Figured we'd go with it as long as I feel like this!) I get 2 ultrasounds in Nov, one to check for heartbeats and one to check for gender. Super excited!

Happy......moving! :)

News! Both Happy and Sad

That's right! My plan worked! I'm preggers!

Only 10 weeks right now and due in April.

I haven't felt much like running, even though the first thing I bought for my pregnant-self was the "Running for Two" shirt! No morning sickness just all-day-nautious :( By the time I get home from school I'm wiped! I don't feel like I'm eating or drinking enough to make it around the block! But I will keep trying. Bentley and I have run twice in the past week. Only 1.25 miles each time, but I was proud of those miles :)

Of course we told our "children" first. Bentley was as excited as you could hope for, but Doozer could sense the competition :)

Now for the not so great news.....

I had a more exciting post in mind when I started writing this last week. Sadly, after I typed the paragraph above my phone rang. My father called to tell me that my grandmother had passed away suddenly that morning. She had been ailing with Alzheimer's for a number of years, and was living in a home that could care for all of her needs. My parents told me that she passed quietly and peacefully in her sleep. Her time came and she was gone. All the joy I had about writing this post went out of me. I am still over joyed at my news, but I am filled with sadness over my grandmother's passing. Sadness and peace at the same time. I am certain that she is now at peace, back with her mind and body that left her long before her soul did.

Thelma Bailey Shesler, the greatest grandmother a girl could ask for. You are loved and will be missed.

That being said...I know her memory will live on in my "next generation." I hope to be the kind of mother she was. I've got a lot to work for, but I'm half-way there :)

Still Here

I know you weren't concerned, but I haven't fallen of the face of the earth.

I have some big news coming soon, but until then, bear with me.

I haven't run in a long time.

I will run tomorrow. I will. Even though it will be close to 100 outside. But I was good with my hydration today and will be just as good tomorrow. I will be ready to kick pavement at 3:30 with SIL#1 and Niece#1 (SIL#1's step daughter). This should be interesting. We have inspired this little lady to lace up her shoes and run. Even though she whines like mad when she sweats. Cross your fingers!

On the book front, I managed to accomplish reading 11 books this summer. Mostly books from my classroom library that I have never read before. A coworker loaned me her copy of The Help which I will finish some time this weekend. Can't wait! I'm loving the book and won't see the movie until it's done! I have a whole new stack from my room that needs reading next. As good as they are for kids, I'm getting burned out on Rick Riordan. Need new children's author!!!

Any Labor Day race plans? I never signed up for the Girl Scout race, but I do want to do a 5K in October. It's the Stone Bridge 5K and is right down the street from my house. I can wake up, get dressed and be at the start in less than 30 minutes :) Can't beat that! I will do my best to talk SIL#1 and Niece#1 into running it with me.

So much going on.....

There is so much going on IN my life right now.

So excited and scared all at the same time.

School is starting soon and I am not in the mental place I usually am at this time of year. That's what team-mates are for, right?!?

I need to register for a September race. But running isn't as high on my list as it was a few weeks ago when I made the plan. Hopefully I can get it back soon.

I feel like mush and I'm wandering in the nowhere.

Happy Running.

Back to School

School starts a week from today! Ahhhh! I've actually been back in my room for a week or so getting things organized. I'm finally proud of my room layout (only took me 5 years to figure it out!) haven't done any lesson planning because district directives are still coming out about what needs to be taught when. (yes, the "office" people are deciding what the teachers teach! Sound wrong to you? Yes!) Anyway, things will turn out alright.......I hope!


My computer has decided to crap-out and I'll be posting from my phone until it decides to stop being a bum or I get a new one for Christmas. Fat chance though.

Still running! Skipped Sunday's long run after attending the worst bachelorette party ever! Ugh! But I ran 2 with SIL#1 today. Thursday is 3!

Happy running!