Trailblazer IV Two-Fifths Marathon

Last Saturday morning, since I was in the Dallas/Fort Worth area and had time on my hands, I decided that instead of a long training run on the hotel treadmill, I'd run at a local race.

I was still exhausted from the Big Show the day before, but since the race didn't start until 8:30am, I could sleep later than I sleep on Saturday mornings anyway.

I got up and left the hotel in downtown Dallas and found the park in Arlington where the race was held. It was already humid and not cool. When the race started at close to 9am it was officially 82 degrees and 82% humidity. That makes for painful conditions.

I enjoyed the first half of the race a lot. The course was on the bike/running trails around Arlington and easy to follow. It was just so hot! After the turn around, I struggled. As I ran through mile 7, I was kicking myself for eating so little on Friday. Fueling up for a 10.486 mile race means eating more than 1/2 of a egg/spinach wrap for breakfast, 1/2 of a 1/2 of a ham sandwhich and a couple of pieces of pizza for dinner. Worse, I only drank probably the equivalent of one glass of water all day. OUCH! Needlesstosay, I was not fueled or hydrated to race.

In the end, I finished slower than I had wanted, but I was proud of getting through the race. I really felt like it was a good simulation of the mid 10 miles of the marathon.

After it was all over, my time was 1:55:30 for 10.6 miles unofficially. There wasn't a chip time, so I'm not sure exactly how they get true times.

I placed 3rd in my age group.

As you can see, getting the medal was a great pick me up!

And another thing I'm really proud of is that I have learned to keep moving throughout the day. I used to race and crash. Now I race, shower and keep going!

And lastly, the Abilene Marathon is 31 days away!

Highlights from the Big Show!!

A few (or 26) highlights from the TASA/TASB convention.

Here is Lexi with her photograph.

 

And a picture of Lexi's best friend Emma with her art and a senior art student.

Here I am with Mindy, my bff and sidekick and our superintendent Dr. Floyd. Mindy and I worked tirelessly on this show!

And here are the show highlights. A friend of mine took the upclose pictures as she was in prime seating!  I took the ones from the very back. I don't like sitting and watching a show of mine. I need to be able to move!

The kids did an outstanding job. We were so proud of them! It was so fun to see them shine on those massive screens. They didn't even realize the venue was so big! The lights were bright and Maddie said they could only see about 10 rows deep. There were only a few hundred rows beyond that!

I'm not planning on doing another production like this anytime soon, but I have to say, it was an incredible experience to put together. All of the pieces of the puzzle and the planning.. just my kinda of thing! I was glad to see that I was as good at handling the production as I had billed myself to be!

Sometimes it's the not so little things

The last few days have been uber hard. I've been working all day, nights and weekends and all the while training for a marathon on top of the big show. In the midst of that we've had some disciplinary issues... I deal with kids all day, of course I have some disciplinary issues. But it's not my usual stuff because I don't have problems in my classroom.. usually. Cause I'm there and my student's know my expectations. But lately I've been gone so much with the big show that they are pushing the boundaries. I feel like we are still at week 2 instead of the end of the first grading period.

Anyway... all that to say, It's been rough.

But today was great.

First off... I ran fast this morning.  A total of almost 3 miles at a 8:30 pace. It wasn't a constant 8:30 pace. That would be too incredible to believe.. but it was running almost an 800 and then walking for a couple of minutes to catch your breath and then running again... so I was pumped. I figured I'd be sore. I'm not.

Then I got to school and found out that I was named one of the teachers of the month! Even better, I get to share it with a few really incredible teachers... including one of my besties. :)

And last, we had our final practice performance for the big show today. Yippee. We are ready!

I leave tomorrow to install the art exhibit and the final countdown to the BIG SHOW has begun!

It's almost BIG SHOW time!

To say that things are crazy around here implies a semblance of normal. There is none.

But, as my principal said to me this afternoon as I was leaving school. I made it through today.

By this weekend, a WHOLE lot of my crazy will be completed. In fact, a year's worth of planning and preparing will be presented and finished. Wow. No wonder I've gone off the crazy train.

On Friday at 4pm the group of 100 kids below will present a 20 minute Broadway style show about our school district to the state administrators/school board convention attendees.

It's a big deal.

The last few weeks have been difficult. Lots of rehearsals and performances. We are all tired. you can see that in the picture above.  I'd like to say they are all singing... some of the younger kids aren't. :)

Both Lexi and Maddie are in the show. 

So they get me crazy here and at school.

Yes, we will all be relieved when it's done.

Truly, I've tried to be nice to people about it and not go psycho on people about things cause I asked for the responsibility. I have loved working on this production. It's what my degree is in! But I didn't take into consideration that in the last month craziness that I'd still have my regular teaching load and all of the responsibilities of my classroom on top of the responsibilities of taking a production on the road with 10 performances, multiple meals, transportation issues, 25 adults and on and on... .  Not great planning on my part I guess.

But guess what? It's almost here and it will be FABULOUS! Thanks for hanging in there and checking back every so often to see if I have survived.

Doug suggested I not call out a certain department store

So I won't.

There is a reason I run things by my rational husband.

But let me say this.

If a certain department store has 75% of their clothes on clearance all of the time, yet no one is in the store, maybe the buyer for the parent company has issues.

Here is my tale of the store today.

I made some purchases a few weeks ago and had to return as Maddie had needed the medium jacket that I bought for myself instead of the small jacket that I bought for her.

Clue 1.

Maddie wears a small. In fact, except for height, Maddie could wear a size 12 girls. She is a SMALL.

I also had to return a pair of pants that I had bought for myself. The tag says my size. But when I got them home I couldn't get them past my knees.

Clue 2.

So instead of returning the items, the salesperson asked if I'd like to exchange. I said I'd look around. And hey, why not.. everything is on sale. (sidenote: salespeople are nice and personable)

I look around and have a little trouble finding things I'd like to try on. Most of the clothes are for an older generation. And I don't dress young.

Clue 3.

I find some capri trousers that are okay. Knowing my issue with the pants that I just brought back I get a pair that is a size up. And another pair in another color TWO sizes up. This doesn't make me happy.

I also find a couple of shirts and hang onto those.

I go try on the clothes.

The pants don't fit. In fact, I can't get them buttoned.

This does not make me happy.

Clue 4.

Unhappy customers because of bad sizing or poor clothing doesn't make for quality customers.

In the end, I exchange for a couple of generic tops that I can wear to work.

So this is what I have to say to the unnamed department store chain...

WHY in the world would I purchase a size of 12 or 14 pants from you when I wear a size 6!!! Look back at my last blog post. I already have food and self-image issues. I don't need this!! I don't know why this store sized DOWN... but NO WOMAN wants to buy a LARGER SIZE. EVER.

Especially when the woman didn't gain any weight but for some reason the store decided to go small.

And this is no Abercrombie and Fitch..