This Part is Hard

I am not going to complain about going back to work. After all, I got a real summer this year, with actual time off and travel to boot. Yes, going back to work is tough, but I'm happy to be back and I'm excited for this year. So, no complaining.

But am I allowed to comment on how stressful this part of the school year is? And how absolutely bone-tired my body and mind are at the end of the day?

Sometimes I think about how hard coming back feels for me and I can understand why students are basically barely-animated blobs when they return each year. Time off gets you into a different set of habits, and you're in them just long enough to start to feel used to having an open schedule, and then school starts again.

Right now, I am struggling to run. I'm exhausted. It's hot. (Like 100 degrees every day kind of hot.) After a day of work, I want to come home and relax, and by the time it's "cool enough" to run (after sunset, usually, and then we're still talking usual Florida summer temps) I've lost the will to move.

Honestly, it's absurd to expect people to go outside in this.

I am mostly writing this post to pry myself out of my chair. I know that once I get into the swing of things, running after work will be a vital part of getting through the school year. I actually keep a better running schedule during the year than over the summer because my schedule is more stable...and I can consistently remember what day of the week it is.

It's getting back into the habit that's been proving difficult.

I am naturally a lazy person. I had hoped going through compartment syndrome and recovery would inoculate me against my natural sloth-like state, but apparently not. Getting out the door isn't much easier than it ever was.

Truer words were never written.

On top of that, because I'm not training for anything, there's nothing to hold me accountable to any mileage. Not beyond my own self-recrimination, anyway.

When I run, I still am filled with joy and a feeling of completion I can't articulate. It's getting started that's tripping me up.

Running is still the only time I truly feel unencumbered. The heat, though, certainly cumbers me.

Of course, the bottom line is that I just have to shut up and run, shut up and run, shut up and run until it gets easier. So that's what I'm going to do. I'm going to hit publish on this post and get out the door. (I'll let you know if it works.)

Thanks for letting me whine.

ABK

I have a Radio so I'm basically a Secret Service agent now

Today I'm thinking out loud with Amanda from Running with Spoons!

1. Despite being completely difficult, sluggish, and electronically glitchy, Tuesday's run felt amazing! Elizabeth and I ran the bridge and when we got to our usual 2-mile mark my watch clocked a single mile. I know the route well enough that I wasn't concerned about adjusting it afterward, but losing the data and our splits was frustrating.

I mean...what do I even say? The run was actually 4 miles, only 3 recorded, and the paces are clearly totally wrong.

The weather was overcast and the pre-storm humidity that so epitomizes the tropics in summertime was in overdrive. Basically we slogged through a run we couldn't even properly track...and yet it was awesome.

Of course, it rained as soon as we finished and got in the car to go home!

2. Kids are officially back to school! I spent my first day putting together teacher resource binders and helping with drop off and pick up; it felt really weird not to have students of my own. I love fostering personal relationships with students and I think that's the way to get kids to care about education, but I still think I'll be able to make a difference and feel fulfilled in this new position, too.

Check out my awesome secret service earpiece!

3. Last year, Kristin introduced me to these amazing gluten free "thin mint" cookies, but I could never find them anywhere. Then, they appeared at my parents' house and I happily helped myself, only to go through withdrawal once they were gone. I'm so glad my Publix is finally carrying them!

I honestly don't remember what real Thin Mints taste like, but I think these are softer, fudgier, and a little more plush than the originals with just the perfect hint of mint.

4. This year our school is doing a book study on The Happiness Advantage. I don't really care to wax on about the book itself, but it got me thinking: can we all afford to be more positive, or should we just accept who we are instead of forcing ourselves to change our personalities?

I'm naturally a realist. I border on pessimistic sometimes. I think I can afford to be more positive sometimes, but I also don't think there's anything wrong with the way I am!

5. Speaking of books, I pre-ordered Harry Potter and the Cursed Child and it arrived last Friday. I read it all that night! I plan to reread it to pick up on some nuance, but it was a nice way to end my usual rereading of the series. It's been eight years since I read a new HP book!

I will say that this is not a novel. It's a play; it's meant to be a play. I like reading plays and I think the stage directions in this one are just whimsical enough to give it a little extra literary flair. I liked the storyline but also felt, at times, that it seemed Rowling had listened too intently to fan theories when crafting it.

The wisdom of the Harry Potter world lives on in this installment.

I won't spoil anything major here, of course. But I enjoyed the added maturity that was sometimes missing when our protagonist was a teenage boy, and I'm considering this an enjoyable companion piece to what I will always consider the "original" series. I loved catching up with my favorite characters again and seeing what their lives are like now, 19+ years down the road.

Yes, I'm talking about them like they're real. Deal with it.

6. I've been thoroughly enjoying the Olympics! I can never sleep the first week of school, so I haven't minded staying up late to watch the events. As usual, I'm obsessed with our gymnastics team (and watch with the same intensity as Aly Raisman's parents) and I'm completely loving Michael Phelps and Katie Ledecky's continued domination in the pool.

I think some of my motivation to get back on track this week is coming from watching the events in Rio!

Have you been watching the Olympics?
Do you plan to read the newest Harry Potter?
What is your favorite Girl Scout cookie?
Are you an optimist, pessimist, or realist?

ABK

Restructuring

There's nothing quite like the panic, stress, and overdrive of a new school year to remind you that you're only human.

New office, new job, familiar faces. These first weeks back were BUSY.

I was so consistent with my speed work and workout schedule from March until July, but over the last two weeks, I've struggled. And once you give in to the struggle, it's hard to get back at it.

Monday, on the drive home from Orlando after a rousing back-to-school conference, Elizabeth and I sketched out what this fall's workout schedule will look like. We have a 10k in October to train for, and I'm playing with the idea of running a half in December or January - I can't believe my "year of short distance" is almost over already! - so it's time to get serious again.

This week's workouts included two morning runs and one treadmill run (because we were traveling). I was impressed that we got up early to run before work this week! It's been storming so badly in the evenings that we really had to.

We got up at 6am Sunday to run before we drove to Orlando; we were dressed and ready to go when we realized it was storming and there was tons of lightning. So we settled for treadmills later that day.

We also did an ab workout Monday.

Starting this week, our plan is to add a fourth day of running to our schedule. We needed to move around cross-training days to accommodate this. Our usual plan as looked like this:

Consistent, but fairly easy.

Now, it will look more like this:

Friday's easy run will be moderate distance, hence the +.

Although summer is only going to get hotter and more humid in the next few weeks, we both know we have to get back into consistent training. I'm disappointed in myself for allowing myself to slack off a bit over the last couple weeks, and I'm worried that some of the major progress I've made with speed will have regressed a bit, but I really needed the time to adjust to being back at work.

I'm also going to try to get back into my blog-reading schedule. I've missed catching up with all of you!

How was your week?

Are you preparing for race season?

How do you balance running and cross-training?

ABK

Duck Mode

How is it possible that every year, I forget how absolutely chaotic the last week of summer is? We've been back in training all week and things have just been crazy! I'm glad this was the first week of training in an unofficial capacity. I wanted a 16 week plan and tagged this week on, making it 17, while allowed me to ease in.

This is a six-day work week. I have open house Saturday, and school officially opens Monday. Needless to say, I'm pretty exhausted.

This is me, and every other teacher, during teacher training week. (And pretty much all year long.)

I completed my first run of training on Tuesday. I got a new phone Thursday, and the setup and process of wiping, unlocking, and restoring my old phone ended up taking four hours, so I didn't run.

We had a summer assignment to take a photo of ourselves reading in an odd place. I'm enjoying What I Talk About... so far!

But tonight I got in a nice 4-miler with Kristin. We ran up and down a university parking garage, then ran two easy miles out in the rain.

There's something emotionally cleansing about running in the rain. We have our first hurricane of the year looming!

I definitely needed it.

I'm really looking forward to this year, but I kind of dread the first week of school. I'm always afraid I won't learn the kids' names, even though I usually memorize them within the first two days.

A panoramic of my classroom, all ready to go!

Anyway, I'm totally in duck mode right now, and that makes me grateful for running! But I think I'll be even more grateful for sleep!

Do you have any weird work-related fears?
Do you like to run in the rain?

ABK

There's Something About Going Back to School...

...that makes you feel like you're finally enjoying vacation.

Last week I officially went back to work. Well, kind of. Thursday was our first day back and the majority of the day was housekeeping/welcoming stuff. Friday I spent some time getting my room organized. Over the summer we got Smartboards, so I had to try a new setup for my desks because of where my whiteboards now hang. That's okay; change is good.

Year seven is underway! My classroom is by no means finished in this photo.

This weekend, Matt and I drove to Manasota Key, where Kristin had rented a house for her birthday weekend. We had a great time with her friends and family. We even fit in a nice morning run.

We spent the weekend pretty much just relaxing on the beach...it was just what I needed.

I need to pause here to extol one of Kristin's more singular virtues. Because her whole family eats gluten free, she often gives me foods they've tried and enjoyed, like teriyaki sauce or donuts. This week, we've been really excited to have finally found gluten free Cheerios. When I successfully discovered the honey nut flavor, I bought her a box. When she found the regular, she got me one.

I found them in Publix and literally texted this picture to Kristin and my sister while I was still standing in the cereal aisle. I ate a bowl as soon as I got home.

Monday, Kristin surprised me with this:

We have both been sifting through EVERY box on the shelf to see if any GF ones are hidden in the back. (I left my pillow at the beach house, so she was going to drop it in my car in the morning.)

Our obsession makes a lot of sense if you've ever been forced to abstain from eating foods that carry some emotional or cultural connotation. Matt says I'm an easy friend because I can be wooed by a box of cereal, but I'm not the only one. Kristin's husband joked that he was nearly moved to tears because the Cheerios brought back memories of his childhood.

One of the highlights of last week was receiving a special surprise from an old student I keep in touch with. While out of town for art camp, she came across a book in a used bookstore that reminded her of me, and she got it and dropped it off at work for me.

So thoughtful!

The oddest thing is that I literally put What I Talk About When I Talk About Running on my wish list not five days before she gave it to me! How did she know?! I can't wait to dive into this one; I've heard great things.

This week begins marathon training for real. I'll be battling the exhaustion that comes with suddenly being thrown into a super early, day-long work schedule after time off, but I'm determined to start training on the right foot.

You've gotta love a fitness enthusiast teacher who will text you in the morning to make sure you're awake to work out!

Is there a particular food you could eat non-stop and never get sick of it?
What's the most random act of kindness a friend has done for you?

ABK

Highs and Lows

This past week definitely played with my emotions. 

Before I get into the details, let's review the week prior: I went back to work for teacher training and ran 2 miles...total. Readjusting to 6am wake-ups and badly timed inclement weather made for a sub-par week. 

At 6am, nothing tastes better than coffee.

This past week, I was determined to get back on track. I woke up at 4:30 Monday morning and did my 2-miler before work. My first day with students went swimmingly...I think my confidence and experience is finally paying off. I never even got butterflies. 

We start earlier this year so I've been at work by 7:15 and I have stayed late everyday to make sure my room is ready each morning. And in case you've never really paid attention to how teachers do their thing, I'm on my feet for literally 8 of the 9 hours I'm at work. By Wednesday, my hamstrings were screaming. 

Still, I was determined to prove that I can run in the mornings before work and actually get my training done. Thursday I ran hill repeats, completing four miles before I had to leave to shower and get ready for work. (I need to work on timing and maybe wake up at 4 instead of 4:30.)

My bridge, long before sunrise.

I had paused to stretch my hamstrings on the bridge when Adria ran by me and stopped briefly to say hello; she's way faster than I am and we don't train together, but she's running the same marathon, so it was an awesome morale booster to see her!

6 repeats in the bag!

The week finished well, but this is where I hit a snag. Matt had a SUP race scheduled for Saturday, and I was due to run 16 miles. I decided to go super early so I could still make it to the start of his race. 

We didn't get into town until 11pm. In the back of my mind was an article I'd read earlier in the week; it said that when marathon training, if you take a week off for illness or whatever, the week after should be a little easier to help you ease back in. 

It wasn't a good thing that this piece of advice was rattling around in my brain when I started out for my 16-miler because I think it gave me an excuse right off the bat. My calves and feet were tight and cramping with the first step, tired from the week, I'm sure. My Fuelbelt felt ridiculously heavy even though I only had two bottles in it. Despite the slightly cooler morning, I was covered in sweat by the first half mile - stupid humidity. 

This is not the face of success.

Basically, I got about six miles in before I called it quits. 

Back at the house, I felt torn. I wanted to go back out and at least do one more 5-mile loop, but while the desire was there, the ability wasn't. My legs were shot.

I know beating myself up won't do me any good. It won't make me a better runner. I need to build a bridge and get over it, use the disappointment to fuel my runs next week...And I need to shake this weird mental block I have going on all of a sudden in regard to my long runs. I think the humidity has kind of scared me into thinking I can't complete them, even though just two weeks ago I did 12 with little trouble.

So, the highs of the week included a renewed sense of dedication and ability in that it proved I can wake up early and fit my runs in before work; but the low - not completing my long run - has got me pretty down. 

Next week I intend to foam roll and stretch every day to try to ease up my leg muscles. Standing and walking all day is rougher than running, I swear!

How do you deal with mental blocks?
 Does it still feel like summer where you are?
What were your highs and lows last week?

ABK 

Oops

Well, this week didn't go as planned. Monday morning I woke up at 4:30 and got my run in before summer officially ended...Yes, my back-to-school training was all last week.

Clear skies and the super moon meant a good run Monday.

Even though I ran Monday and cross-trained on Tuesday, I missed every other run scheduled this week. Although I woke up to run, there was thunder and lightning every morning. I don't mind running in the rain, but I don't like to run in rain if it's pre-sunrise, so I missed those runs. By the time I was done with work every day, I was too tired to fit the runs in during the evenings.

Friday we had our yearly Summit, where I received my 5-year service award.

Saturday I had Open House, so I planned to move my long run to Sunday, but by the time Sunday rolled around, I was too wiped to go. (I went to bed at 9pm Saturday and slept 'til nearly noon. I guess I needed it.)

I'm just going to call this week a bust and move on. I think now that I'm in the "wake up early and go all day" mode, it will be easier to get back on track.

My countdown hit this milestone this week!

On the plus side, Open House went well and I'm really, really excited for the year to start! One of my homeroom kiddos is the daughter of a Ragnar teammate, so that's kind of awesome, and I recognized many of the students and feel good about my class lists and schedule over-all.

Also, a bunch of students from previous years came to visit. It's so fun to see how tall they've gotten and how adult they look! 

My "About Me" board this year is dedicated entirely to running and my All Star experience. Also, I listed my favorite foods as: Sushi, chocolate, coffee, and cheese. Is that weird?

Here's to a better running week and a wonderful school year!

What was your favorite class in middle school?

As a student, what qualities did you appreciate in a teacher?

ABK