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.