Penny Thoughtful: All Things Books and Running
-
For Love of the Run
A little over a week ago, I ran my 43rd half marathon. Sometime in the midst of the run a recurring thought popped into my head, the thought of wanting to be done already. This thought and others like it occur fairly often during runs of all types, not just races. Why do I do…
-
Education as an Educator
Sometimes I feel like I go to more classes or trainings than my students. If I were to go ask others in the education arena, every single one of them would agree. Before entering the school district as a teacher, every person must have at least a bachelor’s degree. To advance in any sort of…
-
Spinx Run Fest Half Marathon 2017 – Race Recap
Race #136 Half Marathon #43 South Carolina Half Marathon #31 2017 Race #18 2017 Half Marathon #8 Spinx Run Fest Half Marathon #4 I almost forgot about this race. After Chicago, my mindset shifted first to recovery and then to building up for a 5k PR training cycle. (I’m finally devoting an entire training cycle…
-
Becoming That Person
You know the type. That person digs paper out of the trash can to put in recycling? That person composts food scraps, brings lunch from home, uses reusable bags instead of plastic, uses a clothesline to dry their clothes and things like that. I suppose that person could be labeled as “crunchy.” Many experiences in…
-
Prone to Procrastination
Recently I noticed a proclivity for procrastination and negativity creep into my daily routine. If only “recently” meant the last week or two. Weeks past, I opened the door just a crack or maybe I just forgot to close it all the way. Like a persistent weed, this proclivity took root. Half-hearted attempts to change…
-
After the Chicago Marathon – Review, Tips and Lessons Learned
An introspective person by nature, I spend copious amounts of time after a race (or pretty much anything for that matter) reviewing and reflecting upon my performance. After my tenth marathon, with a time that met my C goal but nothing more, I have plenty to reflect upon and learn from regardless of how pleased…
-
Chicago Marathon 2017 Race Recap
Race #135 Marathon #10 State #7 Illinois Marathon #1 2017 Race #18 2017 Marathon #2 Chicago Marathon #1 Marathon Major #1 I enjoyed this race so much. Going into this race I had three goals A (extreme reach) – BQ – sub 3:35 B (reasonable reach) – Chicago Qualify – sub 3:45 C (reasonable goal)…
-
Marathon Retrospective
This coming Sunday, I will run my tenth marathon, a milestone deserving some reflection. When I tell people about my upcoming milestone marathon, they speculate that I must have been running for a while. In some respects, I have dedicated quite a bit of time to running. In other respects, I have called myself a…
-
We Can’t All Be Bad Teachers, Can We?
A new coworker expressed this thought a couple weeks ago when a few of us gathered to chat after school. Sometimes we call these “vent sessions” or “unloading.” This particular session stemmed partially from decisions out of our control. This year the administration decided to split the school on the basis of test scores. Each…
-
Race 13.1 Charlotte 2017 – Race Recap
Race #134 Half Marathon #42 North Carolina Half Marathon #7 2017 Race #17 2017 Half Marathon #7 Race 13.1 Charlotte Half Marathon #1 I had no intention of running another half marathon two weeks out from Chicago. Then I registered for 13.1 Greenville and got sucked in with the offer of additional bling. If I…
Got any book recommendations?