The View from the Classroom

Got up this morning just a bit later than most Monday mornings…5:30ish instead of 5:00…went to the gym for an easy 3.25 mile run…surprised that most of the Monday morning regulars were nowhere to be seen…oh well…returned home to my usual egg white and spinach omelet, bowl of oatmeal, granny smith apple and a slice of cantaloupe…let that digest a little than headed back for round 2…shoulders…

I LOVE my Monday shoulder routine…short and sweet…

Shoulder Press on the Smith Machine…3 sets ( 8 reps at 50 lbs, 6 reps at 50 lbs, 5 reps at 55 lbs) after an easy warm-up set at 30 lbs.

DB Side Lateral Raises…this kills…start with 15’s and work down the rack (15, 12, 10, 8 lbs x 12, 10, 8, 6 reps), rest then repeat for 3 sets total…shoulders will be burning…

3 sets of cable rows…12 reps at 60 lbs, 10 at 70 lbs and 8 at 80 lbs

Shoulders done in about 30 minutes so I decided to work on the abs…they’re burning…but I feel so good having got both the cardio and the weights done for the day…off to visit some family

Have a GREAT Memorial Day!

I don’t usually take Saturdays completely off, but I had worked out in some form everyday for the last 7 days and thus, decided to make yesterday my off day.  No running, no lifting, no rollerblading, nothing!  It was awesome…had a nice lunch with friends, got a manicure and pedicure, did a little shopping, had dinner with the hubby…even had a margarita…first one since the holidays (at least the first one I remember having since then) and I slept like a baby until about 7:00 this morning.  Oh yeah, I forgot to mention that we stopped by the store on the way home from dinner to pick up some Ben & Jerry’s ice cream…I purposely didn’t get any last time I grocery shopped and I literally did not cheat once this past week…got "Chubby Hubby" and "Peanut Butter Cup"…had a little of both.  Ok, maybe more than just a little, but it was oh so good…heaven on a spoon…of course now the leftover portions are in the freezer which will make not cheating much harder this week!  I’ll have to summon some will power from deep within…or, I could just get my daughter to eat it.

Anyway, I feel SO rested today!!  Isn’t it amazing what a day of personal pampering does?  Now I feel really ready to tackle this next week and it promises to be a difficult one…we’re down to 14 school days…in 8th grade…brains are off…hormones are on…need I say more?

Back to the working out today…fixin to go rollerblading and for you non-Texan speaking bb’ers, that means I’m getting ready to go rollerblading…9 miles, nothing but me, my music and my thoughts…a different kind of heaven if you ask me…and the weather looks perfect…not a cloud in the sky, a bit of a breeze, temp in the 60’s…gonna be another AWESOME day!!

Thought I would check to see if the official results from my 10K were on posted online (last time I looked, they weren’t) and WOW…my official time was under 56 minutes…55:58…I shocked myself…I placed 5th in my age group…I’m feeling pretty good now!!!

It has been a few weeks, but I did the 10K and I even finished under my goal time of 57 minutes…56:25 or somewhere thereabouts…I didn’t stay for to check my official time.  It was a GREAT feeling to train for that and actually do it.

Since then…I’ve done a couple of 5K’s and I think I like that distance better.  I ran the last one in 26:17 finishing 4th in my age group (old women) out of 49 of us.  I’m doing another one next weekend and my goal is to finish in under 26 minutes.  Wish me luck!!!!!

I discovered (or rediscovered I should say) rollerblading a couple of weeks ago.  Not sure what made me think of it, but I decided to dust them off (it was literally 10 years since I had worn them!) and head out to a trail not far from us.  It’s in a really nice area along a river, lots of trees and such.  It was really peaceful and I had an awesome time.  So much so that I’ve made it a weekly habit.  I go about 7 miles and it’s a pleasant change from running and lifting.  Not to mention that it’s a great cardio workout. 

Still working on the PT certification…been hard to get my intern hours with work and working out…but, I know that’s just an excuse…I’ll get it done soon.

Went to the Ronnie Coleman Classic last weekend…was ok as far as shows go…nothing spectacular.  Missed the men, but the women looked awesome in their suits…made me think about competing again… 

Other than that…5 weeks of school and I’m out for summer…can’t wait!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! 

Until I signed on here and saw the date of my last post, I really didn’t realize how long I’ve been away.   I must say thanks to those of you who have sent me messages asking where I’ve been.  It’s nice to know that people are checking up on me.

Truth is, I’ve been GREAT. 

I’m training for a 10K…running three time per week…a short 2-mile run during which I try to improve upon my time (last time was 17:15), an interval run where I alternate between sprints and walking/jogging and then my long run which is currently at 5.5 miles.  Initially, my goal was just to run the whole 10K, but I now KNOW without a doubt that I can do that so I’m thinking about a goal time…maybe 57-60 minutes…I don’t know…putting a time in writing scares me.  Anyway, as someone who always hated running, I honestly cannot believe that I’m calling 2 miles a "short" run and that I’m actually running more than that at one time and REALLY enjoying it.  In a sense, I’ve already accomplished so much…actually running the thing will just be icing on the cake.

I’m also working on my PT certification…passed my tests and doing the internship now…I’m thinking I’ll do a little personal training during summer break and go from there.

My daughter’s soccer season is in full swing and son’s baseball season is starting up so schedules have had to be adjusted…with all that and work, free time is in short supply these days, but I don’t think I would really want it any other way.

I’ve been experimenting with the diet.  Trying to figure out the best way to balance the desire to get super lean (I’ve put on a little weight and would like to lose about 7-10 pounds) and stay there while providing enough of the right type of calories to fuel my running.   So…currently I’m following about a 50-55% carb, 30-35% protein and 10-20% fat diet and my calories are in the 1900-2200 range on most days.  I’ve been doing this for about the last 4 weeks and feel great.  I think I’ve lost about a pound or so…NOT great, but I’ll take it…and I honestly don’t know about the body fat%…I THINK it has gone down slightly, but very slightly…so, next step maybe cut down a little on the calories?????  I don’t know….why does it have to be so hard?  Any runners with advice out there?  Please share…

That’s it for now…everyone have a WONDERFUL Sunday and an AWESOME week!!!

I didn’t really believe it was gonna happen until I saw it last night on the website…my weight loss story is featured in the December issue of "Women’s Health" magazine.  I’m not sure if the issue is out yet, but they already have it on the website.  You can see it here:

 http://www.womenshealthmag.com/article/0,6176,s1-11-68-1052-1,00.html

Just in case the few friends of mine I do have are wondering, I thought I would share a little bit of what I’ve been up to…

WORK…teaching middle school is hard work!!  I don’t know how I’d do it without my workouts.  They are my stress relief.  At the same time though, this year has been one of the best in my short teaching career.  I’m teaching a lot of the same kids as last year since I moved up a grade and our class sizes are significantly smaller…I have about 40 less kids than last year and it makes a HUGE difference.  Work is the main reason I’m not on here too much these days.  Just don’t have the free time I have in the summer!!

WORKOUTS…Weight training 4 to 5 days per week and still trying to add some mass to the upper body.  I think I’m seeing some results, but it’s hard to tell when you see yourself everyday.  I’m doing 4 days of cardio, mixing it up, stairmaster, elliptical, some running now that my disc seems to have recovered for the most part.  I still have to be careful and feel that it could flare up at anytime, but the running hasn’t bothered it at all and I even ran 3 miles the other day.  Did some sprints today.  Anyway, it feels good to be able to run once again.  I’m keeping the cardio because it really seems to help the disc problem.  Hubby and I went through a boxing session with a PT at our gym the other night.  It was AWESOME!! My shoulders/arms were a little sore the next day, but I loved it and think we may start adding that once a week to our workouts.  For me, that will mean I will get to nix the 2nd day of early morning cardio I do during the week.  Gotta love that!!

OTHER STUFF…Finished a PT class and took my test.  Won’t have the results for a few weeks, but I feel good about it.  Not sure what my intentions are as far as using it, but I don’t have to decide that right now. 

I’ve had a hard time keeping the diet clean for the last 6 weeks or so…it all started with my birthday.  Problem is, it just didn’t stop.  And…I have put on some weight.  I’m up to around 142-145.  Body fat % is still in a good range…11.5%-15% depending on the time of day I take it, but I’m having a hard time getting ok with my clothes fitting tighter.  I really don’t want to start buying larger sizes.  So…decided a  couple of days ago to clean up the diet at least until Thanksgiving break and I’m doing well with that thus far.  It’s just a matter of making up the mind and doing it, huh? 

Oh yeah, I almost forgot, I’m supposed to be featured in the December issue of Women’s Health Magazine…I’m sharing my weight loss story…including the real before pics…it should be out later this month!! 

Other than that, fall baseball and volleyball are over and neither of my kids are playing basketball so we get a little break.  I actually get some free time!!

Just had to write about something my 17 year old son did the other night…

He had been out to dinner with his girlfriend and my mother-in-law.  Afterwards, with cash in hand (grandmas always give in, don’t they?) he and his girlfriend stopped by Target to buy a game for the X-Box 360 he recently acquired for his birthday through the generosity of his parents.  While there, he witnessed a big guy in a trenchcoat helping himself to some items with no intention of paying for them.  I guess the store employees got wise to the situation and the big guy took off running.  A store employee took off after him.  My son, thinking there was no way in hell the employee was going to catch the guy, stuck his foot out and tripped the shoplifter.  Needless to say, they got the guy.

My first thought upon my son telling me all of this, was "dude…that guy could have had a gun or something…you could have been hurt…", you know, typical "mom" thoughts.  Honestly, though, I’m proud of what he did.  He saw something wrong going on and made a decision to help.

Anyway…hope you have a WONDERFUL Sunday!  I’m off to take my Personal Trainer Certification test.  Wish me luck!!

I teach middle school, also known as the land of the chemically imbalanced, hormonally goofy 11 to 14 year-olds and people often wonder why I chose such a path.  Truth is, it keeps me young.  My days are NEVER the same and middle-schoolers will say anything.  Just yesterday I was thoroughly amused at one comment from a male student.  Let me set the stage…

I was teaching a lesson on rational numbers (for those of you mathematically challenged people, you need not know what they are to continue reading).  My kids were working on an activity with a partner and one pair (a boy and a girl) finished quickly.  So, I checked their work and asked them to be my graders, to walk around checking others’ work, helping as needed.  I was also still checking work…

Me (to a male student):  Have I checked your paper?

Student:  No.

Me:  Well, let me do that.

Student:  I want the chick to do it. (pointing at the girl grader)

Me:  (Laughing a little) I’m a chick.

Student:  You’re a manly chick.

Me:  (Grinning) A manly chick?  What do you mean?

Student:  You have muscles.

Me:  (Still grinning, starting to laugh) What, a chick can’t have muscles?

Student:  I’ve never seen a chick with muscles.

Me:  So that makes it wrong?

Student:  It’s just weird.

Me:  You mean different?

Student:  Yeah, different.

I went back to grading and some of the students continued to discuss my muscles, something that continues to amuse me.  Honestly, I’m just glad I can expose them to something most of them have never seen before.  And, who knows?  Maybe one of my girl students will decide to follow in my footsteps and hit the weights as she gets older.  Now THAT would be cool!

I know it’s a little late, but I don’t have the free time I had in the summer, so I write when I can.  I had intended to write this on Tuesday, but better late than never, right?

Say "September 11" and any American knows what you’re referring to.  Like most of you, I remember details of that day like it happened yesterday even though I was many miles away and had no one close to me personally impacted by the day’s events.  However, unlike most of you, I have another reason for remembering September 11 in such vivid detail.  My birthday.  Yes, my birthday is September 11. 

2001.  Earlier that year, my mom passed away from lung cancer after being a lifelong smoker finding it hard to quit even after being diagnosed.  Earlier that year, I was laid off a job for the first time in my life.  And, that very same year, on the 35th anniversary of my birth, the country was being terrorized.  I spent that day glued to the tv, in shock, crying, trying to make sense of something so tragic happening on the very day that I should have been celebrating my life.  Was it fair for me to celebrate amidst such tragedy?  What message was I supposed to get from this?  What lesson was I to learn?  There had to be SOME reason this was happening on MY birthday!!

I must say that 2001 was a major turning point in my life.  With all of the aforementioned events occurring one after another, it would have been easy to continue on the path I was on…sleepwalking through my life, going through the motions…to let the events get me down.  September 11, though, woke me up so to speak.  I really got that life is a gift and we never know when it will end.  I made a decision that year to change my life.  It wasn’t a sudden thing and the changes definitely took a long time to materialize, but the decision was there.

First, I changed careers.  Not easy given the amount of money I was used to making and one of the scariest things I ever did.  Sacrifices had to be made, but, in the end, well worth it.

Next up…I tackled my physical self…started eating a little better and eventually started working out some.  Like a lot of people though, I was inconsistent and thus, results were too.  However, unlike most people, I didn’t give up.  I had made the decision to do it and by God, I was going to do it.  I just needed to get serious.  So I did.  In the fall of 2005 (yes, it took awhile), sitting in a room full of overweight teachers (self included) in staff development, I was thinking to myself, we’re supposed to be role models!  I get disgusted with myself thinking about the fat, out-of-shape person I let myself turn into.  That was the exact moment though that I chose to "get serious".

The rest is history so to speak.  I got serious, got in shape, started really living my life instead of going through the motions.  I’m proud to say I’m 41.  I look and feel better (in my opinion) than I’ve ever looked or felt in my entire life.  I could run circles around the person I was at 35 or even 25 for that matter.  Yes, 2001 was a year of tragedy, but, at the same time, a turning point in my life that I must remember.