So, I've mentioned before that my 12th graders are reading 1984 by George Orwell. If you're unfamiliar, Orwell creates a dystopian society in which "Big Brother" is watching all. The party slogans run: "War is Peace, Freedom is Slavery, Ignorance is Strength." If you've never read it--you need to. It's a staple of the educated.
On to my point: I've been doing a Big Brother Simulation with my seniors in which an unknown "Big Brother" is running the class and doling out punishments and rewards arbitrarily (The Secret: I'm Big Brother...and any friends I talk to for ideas are BB too. The kids all think it's a fellow student.) The goal is for the students to figure out who Big Brother is and form an overthrow. It's been quite fun. I've learned a few things about teenagers over the course of these last two weeks:
1. They love boundaries
2. They love rote, brainless repetition of words--even if they don't know what they're saying and why they're saying it.
3. 1 out of every 30 kids will always rebel--even if they don't know what they're rebelling for.
4.They love "unfairness" because it gives them something to be mad about. And teens love to be mad.
5. They also loooooove having a pre-set, rigid schedule: (AKA: things to do "when the timer goes off.")
And it's helped me realize a few things about myself (and some of it is a little too much like all of them). Warning: This post will now go in a different direction. A direction facing ME and my workout schedule. If you're bored already, skip to the last paragraph and leave your thoughts.
Now that I'm no longer training for a marathon, my schedule is soooooo oooooopen. I can actually see people and hangout with friends again! However, that means going out to dinner more...drinking a bit more than usual...and in general taking in more calories than I'm burning.
Without the rigor of a tight training schedule I am more free and more flabby. Thus, my link to 1984: Freedom is Slavery...To My Thighs. I tried on two pairs of trousers for work today and decided they were too tight and thus inappropriate to wear in front of the classroom. I haven't been on Daily Mile in over a week--even though I have random miles and workouts to log--nothing with real purpose. I think it comes down to discipline and routine for that too.
So my question goes out to the blogosphere:
Do you have any tricks for keeping to a healthy workout routine in your "off training" time? What are some of your favorite recovery/crosstraining workouts that maybe helped you improve as a runner? (i.e. I think my spin classes and outdoor cycling is improving my turnover rate.)
Showing posts with label Running/Teaching. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Running/Teaching. Show all posts
Tuesday, April 13, 2010
Saturday, January 23, 2010
Weird Week
What a crazy week. Today is Saturday, but it doesn't feel like it. I didn't do a long run....I just wasn't ready for it to be Saturday yet.
We had a number of storms hit San Diego this week. It was great for many reasons-- the first being that the storms caused the power to go out at my school two days in a row. I know, I know...I'm not supposed to be happy about that. I'm the teacher. Only the kids are supposed to be happy. But, sorry kids...teachers are just as pleased as you are about skipping school--if not more so.
The days off allowed me to work on my submission for the NYC Midnight Movie Making Madness Short Story Competition. Wheew. Still a keyboard full. Not very happy with the Drama/Computer Hacker story I came up with...but at least I did it and it's properly edited, unlike last year when I sent in a story with the word "comma" instead of "coma." Kind of a big difference that little "m" makes.
Because of the storms, I wasn't able to run outside as much as I would have liked. On Wednesday morning, when I heard school was canceled, I got in a great 5 mile hill run before the second big storm came. It was pretty awesome running in the sunshine, but also seeing the storm approaching over the ocean--ominous and beautiful.
School was canceled Thursday as well, but the weather was too bad to run. I'd like to clarify one thing. I have no problem running in the rain--and I have done it many times. I actually like running in the rain. A lot. However, the reason this particular storm prevented me from doing so is because the winds were so strong. Trees fell on peoples cars and homes...in fact a friend of ours had a cypress fall on his car and totaled it! And do you have any idea how big palm fronds are? And how easily they are ripped from the tops of the trees? I imagined running along, running along, running along, BAM! Newspaper headlines read: "Runner suffers brutal bitch slap by palm frond in hurricane force winds. May have brain damage." (Also the longest headline ever.)
With all my extra free-time indoors, I discovered a fun site called The Daily Mile where I can meet other San Diego runners and track my mileage and races...all for free. It's fantastic. If you're training for something (or not) check it out.
So. Since it's been a weird week and I have my days all mixed up... I'm going to move my long, slow, distance run to tomorrow. We'll see if I can make it happen. The weather cleared this afternoon. San Diego has returned to normal. Maybe my schedule will too!
We had a number of storms hit San Diego this week. It was great for many reasons-- the first being that the storms caused the power to go out at my school two days in a row. I know, I know...I'm not supposed to be happy about that. I'm the teacher. Only the kids are supposed to be happy. But, sorry kids...teachers are just as pleased as you are about skipping school--if not more so.
The days off allowed me to work on my submission for the NYC Midnight Movie Making Madness Short Story Competition. Wheew. Still a keyboard full. Not very happy with the Drama/Computer Hacker story I came up with...but at least I did it and it's properly edited, unlike last year when I sent in a story with the word "comma" instead of "coma." Kind of a big difference that little "m" makes.
Because of the storms, I wasn't able to run outside as much as I would have liked. On Wednesday morning, when I heard school was canceled, I got in a great 5 mile hill run before the second big storm came. It was pretty awesome running in the sunshine, but also seeing the storm approaching over the ocean--ominous and beautiful.
School was canceled Thursday as well, but the weather was too bad to run. I'd like to clarify one thing. I have no problem running in the rain--and I have done it many times. I actually like running in the rain. A lot. However, the reason this particular storm prevented me from doing so is because the winds were so strong. Trees fell on peoples cars and homes...in fact a friend of ours had a cypress fall on his car and totaled it! And do you have any idea how big palm fronds are? And how easily they are ripped from the tops of the trees? I imagined running along, running along, running along, BAM! Newspaper headlines read: "Runner suffers brutal bitch slap by palm frond in hurricane force winds. May have brain damage." (Also the longest headline ever.)
With all my extra free-time indoors, I discovered a fun site called The Daily Mile where I can meet other San Diego runners and track my mileage and races...all for free. It's fantastic. If you're training for something (or not) check it out.
So. Since it's been a weird week and I have my days all mixed up... I'm going to move my long, slow, distance run to tomorrow. We'll see if I can make it happen. The weather cleared this afternoon. San Diego has returned to normal. Maybe my schedule will too!
Tuesday, November 3, 2009
Thank You Mr. Lowe for the Tuck & Roll
First of all, congrats to Meb Keflezighi, winner of the New York City Marathon. So jealous.
Second of all, Mr. Lowe was my high school volleyball coach for three years. Thank goodness we practiced dives and rolls, otherwise the fall I took today on my "easy 3 miler" could have been tragic. While in the shower when I got home, it came to me why I've been such a klutz today. It's homecoming week at school, and today's dress up day was "Geeked-Up." I thought about being a Twilight geek, but that would have involved spending money on a "Team Edward" T-shirt or some other such nonsense...something with which I have moral and visceral issues. (Meaning: I can't stand Stephanie Meyers' writing ability and I loathe the Kristen/Rob drama, so the thought of supporting any of them in any way makes me feel sick to my stomach.) Then, I couldn't find a Harry Potter wand or Griffindor scarf left over from the Halloween costumes at Target, so I went "Classic Geek." I wore an argyle sweater and socks, and put white-out on the bridge of my glasses (to look like tape). But, I'm pretty sure dressing up in all my glorious geekness jinxed the rest of my day. I'll explain...
I found a great little dirt path that runs along the outer edge of Liberty Station (in Point Loma) on a leg of the harbor...not really sure what that would be called...it's not a river, but it's not the harbor. I think it's just tide overflow or something. Anyway, it was really pretty. However, I should have spent less time looking at the scenery and more time looking at the trail, because I hit a rock and then dropped like one. I have NEVER taken a fall on a run. Ever. So, I guess it was just a matter of time. Thankfully, no one was around. I dropped hard and fast, but recovered just as quickly because of my good ol' volleyball training. I tucked, rolled sideways across my back and was on my feet checking for wounds without losing a beat. I had some scrapes on my left palm, and will probably have a bruise on my left hip and parts of my spine, but other than that, I was still lookin' good. I was reminded of what my dad used to say to me after I made a silly mistake on the volleyball or basketball court, "Ehhh...who cares? At least you looked good doing it." So, I guess the lesson here is twofold: 1. When running a new trail or road, no matter how great the scenery may be, watch where you're going (especially if you were dressed like a geek all day) and 2. If you're going down...do it with style!
Oh, and...the other klutzy thing I did today? Sliced open my index finger whilst trying to trim flower stems with a knife. I did NOT look good doing that.
Second of all, Mr. Lowe was my high school volleyball coach for three years. Thank goodness we practiced dives and rolls, otherwise the fall I took today on my "easy 3 miler" could have been tragic. While in the shower when I got home, it came to me why I've been such a klutz today. It's homecoming week at school, and today's dress up day was "Geeked-Up." I thought about being a Twilight geek, but that would have involved spending money on a "Team Edward" T-shirt or some other such nonsense...something with which I have moral and visceral issues. (Meaning: I can't stand Stephanie Meyers' writing ability and I loathe the Kristen/Rob drama, so the thought of supporting any of them in any way makes me feel sick to my stomach.) Then, I couldn't find a Harry Potter wand or Griffindor scarf left over from the Halloween costumes at Target, so I went "Classic Geek." I wore an argyle sweater and socks, and put white-out on the bridge of my glasses (to look like tape). But, I'm pretty sure dressing up in all my glorious geekness jinxed the rest of my day. I'll explain...
I found a great little dirt path that runs along the outer edge of Liberty Station (in Point Loma) on a leg of the harbor...not really sure what that would be called...it's not a river, but it's not the harbor. I think it's just tide overflow or something. Anyway, it was really pretty. However, I should have spent less time looking at the scenery and more time looking at the trail, because I hit a rock and then dropped like one. I have NEVER taken a fall on a run. Ever. So, I guess it was just a matter of time. Thankfully, no one was around. I dropped hard and fast, but recovered just as quickly because of my good ol' volleyball training. I tucked, rolled sideways across my back and was on my feet checking for wounds without losing a beat. I had some scrapes on my left palm, and will probably have a bruise on my left hip and parts of my spine, but other than that, I was still lookin' good. I was reminded of what my dad used to say to me after I made a silly mistake on the volleyball or basketball court, "Ehhh...who cares? At least you looked good doing it." So, I guess the lesson here is twofold: 1. When running a new trail or road, no matter how great the scenery may be, watch where you're going (especially if you were dressed like a geek all day) and 2. If you're going down...do it with style!
Oh, and...the other klutzy thing I did today? Sliced open my index finger whilst trying to trim flower stems with a knife. I did NOT look good doing that.
Tuesday, October 20, 2009
Every day you make me stupider
(Warning: This post was written over the course of 3 days. It begins negative, because the beginning of my week was so; however, stick with it to the end if you can. My week turned itself around and so did the post.)
I have lost my former self. I used to be so much better than this. "This" being me. Who I am. How I am. It all started when I convinced me to become a teacher. It's a smart, honorable, somewhat poetic thing to do with your life. Wrong. So wrong.
Upon this realization, I decided to do a countdown a la Letterman (pre-Pervyman) style to see the exact ways teaching high school has made parts of my soul rot. But, because my husband is constantly telling me I'm too negative (due largely to the fact that I teach high school in the public school system!) I have decided to balance the losses with a "Gains" countdown as well. We'll see how that pans out. I'm feeling a little uncomfortable with it.
Top Ten Things I Have Lost Since Becoming a High School Teacher
10. Confidence and certainty in my spelling abilities: Sometimes I wonder if "does" really is spelled "dose" or if "with" actually ends with an "e."
9. The love for my own cell phone. And my husband's. And his ipod.
8. My 20/20 vision. The doctor said I can blame it on how many illegible essays I have to read; so I do.
7. Patience for anyone who asks, "But, why?"
6. Patience in general.
5. My love for the movie Anchorman because of that one d-bag-bully of a student who quoted Ron Burgundy every day! (May be the saddest loss of my career.)
4. The ability to go shopping without thinking, "Hmmm...how can I make this low-cut, sheer, silk blouse appropriate for the classroom?"
3. The ability to wear anything outside school, that I happened to wear inside the school, without feeling like a teacher.
2. Pleasant memories of myself as a high schooler. Turns out I was just. like. them.
1. The belief that teaching is a respected and noble career. Trust that administrators and board members have education as their top priority. And, faith that parents will behave like parents.
Sigh.
Please excuse me while I take a butter knife to my throat....(shout out to Kal, Kor and Er!) Eh, let's try the "Gains Countdown" on for size.
Top Ten Things I Have Gained Since Becoming a High School Teacher
10. Five pounds.
9. A Y-shaped crease between my eyebrows from the "You better check yourself," glare I give five days a week.
8. A proclivity for cheap white wine.
7. Love for the smell of freshly duplicated and still warm grammar worksheets.
6. The ability to calculate the exact number of weeks, days and hours before the next holiday at the drop of a hat.
5. Fear of the red blinking light on my classroom telephone.
4. The need to keep pepper spray in my desk drawer and my scissors well hidden from any teenage-eyes.
3. Many, many button-up, collared shirts and cardigans from Target.
2. A passion for and reliance on running.
1. Utter compassion and love and deep, deep sadness for the student who comes to school with a hard "fuck you" attitude because they were born with and live with so little hope.
Annnnnnd, my husband is correct. I seem to have a mental block when it comes to true positivity. I'll be in the kitchen polishing butter knives if you need me....
(One Day Later)
I went for a run today and realized this...
Top Ten Ways San Diego Saves Me:
10. While getting ready for work, I can hear the cruise ship horns as they glide into the harbor.
9. I can run to said cruise ship from my house.
8. It can be blazing hot or freezing cold at work in East County, but when I get back to the coast, it's a perfect 72 degrees (MOST of the time--which inspired me to run seven miles today and therefore met my long run goal for the week)!
7. The seagull cries are a constant reminder that open, unpopulated-for-as-far-as-the-eyes-can-see space is not far away.
6. The grocer at the market across the street always has a new joke to tell. Plus, he knows me by name and never asks to see my I.D.
5. Today, when I needed to find a "prize" (candy from Vons) for two of my students before work, I was able to get a Starbucks coffee at the same time.
4. The planes that wake me up in the morning remind me how close my family can be sometimes.
3. People here move fast, but no one's in a hurry.
2. If I run west or east for one mile, I am running beside large bodies of water whose reflection helps give me a year-round tan.
1. Within a one block radius of my house I can get a hair cut, mani-pedi, facial or massage, get groceries, have Afternoon High Tea with a friend or ex-professor, get an amazingly decadent square cupcake, buy a pumpkin from the mini-pumpkin patch, eat the best bean, cheese, and guac burrito this side of the border, browse vintage jewlery and wing-backed chairs, pet a calico cat, eat seriously amazing Italian food on a quaint covered patio, talk to someone from another country at the hostel, sit at a bar with a cheap beer/burger combo while watching the game on a big screen, do some killer hill repeats behind the donut shop, check out an audio-book from the library, and get a great cup of coffee for only a dollar.
Since I had such a fantastic long run today (See #8 above), I feel like making my Tri-Athlete Cookies. But since this particular post has droned on quite long enough, I will make it a post all it's own called, "My Tri-Athlete Cookies for Everyone, Even if You're Not a Tri-Athlete."
Keep on Truckin' my peps.
I have lost my former self. I used to be so much better than this. "This" being me. Who I am. How I am. It all started when I convinced me to become a teacher. It's a smart, honorable, somewhat poetic thing to do with your life. Wrong. So wrong.
Upon this realization, I decided to do a countdown a la Letterman (pre-Pervyman) style to see the exact ways teaching high school has made parts of my soul rot. But, because my husband is constantly telling me I'm too negative (due largely to the fact that I teach high school in the public school system!) I have decided to balance the losses with a "Gains" countdown as well. We'll see how that pans out. I'm feeling a little uncomfortable with it.
Top Ten Things I Have Lost Since Becoming a High School Teacher
10. Confidence and certainty in my spelling abilities: Sometimes I wonder if "does" really is spelled "dose" or if "with" actually ends with an "e."
9. The love for my own cell phone. And my husband's. And his ipod.
8. My 20/20 vision. The doctor said I can blame it on how many illegible essays I have to read; so I do.
7. Patience for anyone who asks, "But, why?"
6. Patience in general.
5. My love for the movie Anchorman because of that one d-bag-bully of a student who quoted Ron Burgundy every day! (May be the saddest loss of my career.)
4. The ability to go shopping without thinking, "Hmmm...how can I make this low-cut, sheer, silk blouse appropriate for the classroom?"
3. The ability to wear anything outside school, that I happened to wear inside the school, without feeling like a teacher.
2. Pleasant memories of myself as a high schooler. Turns out I was just. like. them.
1. The belief that teaching is a respected and noble career. Trust that administrators and board members have education as their top priority. And, faith that parents will behave like parents.
Sigh.
Please excuse me while I take a butter knife to my throat....(shout out to Kal, Kor and Er!) Eh, let's try the "Gains Countdown" on for size.
Top Ten Things I Have Gained Since Becoming a High School Teacher
10. Five pounds.
9. A Y-shaped crease between my eyebrows from the "You better check yourself," glare I give five days a week.
8. A proclivity for cheap white wine.
7. Love for the smell of freshly duplicated and still warm grammar worksheets.
6. The ability to calculate the exact number of weeks, days and hours before the next holiday at the drop of a hat.
5. Fear of the red blinking light on my classroom telephone.
4. The need to keep pepper spray in my desk drawer and my scissors well hidden from any teenage-eyes.
3. Many, many button-up, collared shirts and cardigans from Target.
2. A passion for and reliance on running.
1. Utter compassion and love and deep, deep sadness for the student who comes to school with a hard "fuck you" attitude because they were born with and live with so little hope.
Annnnnnd, my husband is correct. I seem to have a mental block when it comes to true positivity. I'll be in the kitchen polishing butter knives if you need me....
(One Day Later)
I went for a run today and realized this...
Top Ten Ways San Diego Saves Me:
10. While getting ready for work, I can hear the cruise ship horns as they glide into the harbor.
9. I can run to said cruise ship from my house.
8. It can be blazing hot or freezing cold at work in East County, but when I get back to the coast, it's a perfect 72 degrees (MOST of the time--which inspired me to run seven miles today and therefore met my long run goal for the week)!
7. The seagull cries are a constant reminder that open, unpopulated-for-as-far-as-the-eyes-can-see space is not far away.
6. The grocer at the market across the street always has a new joke to tell. Plus, he knows me by name and never asks to see my I.D.
5. Today, when I needed to find a "prize" (candy from Vons) for two of my students before work, I was able to get a Starbucks coffee at the same time.
4. The planes that wake me up in the morning remind me how close my family can be sometimes.
3. People here move fast, but no one's in a hurry.
2. If I run west or east for one mile, I am running beside large bodies of water whose reflection helps give me a year-round tan.
1. Within a one block radius of my house I can get a hair cut, mani-pedi, facial or massage, get groceries, have Afternoon High Tea with a friend or ex-professor, get an amazingly decadent square cupcake, buy a pumpkin from the mini-pumpkin patch, eat the best bean, cheese, and guac burrito this side of the border, browse vintage jewlery and wing-backed chairs, pet a calico cat, eat seriously amazing Italian food on a quaint covered patio, talk to someone from another country at the hostel, sit at a bar with a cheap beer/burger combo while watching the game on a big screen, do some killer hill repeats behind the donut shop, check out an audio-book from the library, and get a great cup of coffee for only a dollar.
Since I had such a fantastic long run today (See #8 above), I feel like making my Tri-Athlete Cookies. But since this particular post has droned on quite long enough, I will make it a post all it's own called, "My Tri-Athlete Cookies for Everyone, Even if You're Not a Tri-Athlete."
Keep on Truckin' my peps.
Thursday, October 15, 2009
I Might Be Crazy
Today I signed up to take a group of high school seniors to London for seven days after graduation. WHAT is wrong with me? Is it my desperation to travel Europe that drove me to it? Yes. Is it masochism (as a friend so recently described my life choices) that drove me to willingly put myself in charge of hormonally-insane newly-turned 18 year-olds in a foreign country where they will be of legal drinking age?! Maybe. Perhaps Kallie (the aformentioned friend) understands my psyche better than I do. And, believe me Kal, your post spoke to me. Not only did you "nail" me (in the non-adultery type way) but I, too, laugh out loud when I hear the saying, "Daddy drinks because you cry."
But, my friend Kallie brings up an excellent point about me. Her post forced me to reflect upon the seemingly crazy things I do for which I have very little explanation...with the exception of that dirty word I taught her in 11th grade. It served a very good purpose, and I hope it has served you well Kal!
So do I run because I teach, or do I teach because I run? Now I know the latter might not make much sense...I mean it'd be like asking what comes first, the baby or the embryo...duh. No one gets into teaching high school because they're a runner. What I mean is...it's all the same. Like how in "The Time Traveler's Wife" time is all the same. Everything has already happened and there is no changing it. Teaching and running are the same forms of torture for me. Both are things I don't really want to do, but I do them anyway because I know they are good for me. Even when they hurt me. I'm blowing my mind right now. And, just in case my desire for self-torture needed any sort of confirmation, let's recap the decision I made today.
I will be chaperone.
To 18-year-olds.
In Europe.
For 7 days.
This tempts me to write FML*, but I've done this to myself. All of it. The running, the teaching, the chaperoning. So maybe I have to come up with a new version of FML that suits my life choices. Like IFML**.
Sigh.
For more clarity on my chosen forms of self-torture, see Kallie's post about it at http://joshandkallie2.blogspot.com Titled: "only suitable for adults." It's hilarious--and I'm not just saying that because it's about me. If you don't laugh out loud at some point I'll..... to be honest, I'll do nothing.
*fuck my life.
**i fucked my life.
Kallie, do you think that word requires the "Only Suitable for Adults" warning? I should probably leave it then, huh.
But, my friend Kallie brings up an excellent point about me. Her post forced me to reflect upon the seemingly crazy things I do for which I have very little explanation...with the exception of that dirty word I taught her in 11th grade. It served a very good purpose, and I hope it has served you well Kal!
So do I run because I teach, or do I teach because I run? Now I know the latter might not make much sense...I mean it'd be like asking what comes first, the baby or the embryo...duh. No one gets into teaching high school because they're a runner. What I mean is...it's all the same. Like how in "The Time Traveler's Wife" time is all the same. Everything has already happened and there is no changing it. Teaching and running are the same forms of torture for me. Both are things I don't really want to do, but I do them anyway because I know they are good for me. Even when they hurt me. I'm blowing my mind right now. And, just in case my desire for self-torture needed any sort of confirmation, let's recap the decision I made today.
I will be chaperone.
To 18-year-olds.
In Europe.
For 7 days.
This tempts me to write FML*, but I've done this to myself. All of it. The running, the teaching, the chaperoning. So maybe I have to come up with a new version of FML that suits my life choices. Like IFML**.
Sigh.
For more clarity on my chosen forms of self-torture, see Kallie's post about it at http://joshandkallie2.blogspot.com Titled: "only suitable for adults." It's hilarious--and I'm not just saying that because it's about me. If you don't laugh out loud at some point I'll..... to be honest, I'll do nothing.
*fuck my life.
**i fucked my life.
Kallie, do you think that word requires the "Only Suitable for Adults" warning? I should probably leave it then, huh.
Sunday, October 11, 2009
Let's Get One Thing Straight...
Yes, it says "I Run..." as the title of this blog...but that might be a lie. What I do would probably be laughed at by most "runners." An elite runner would say, "You're a jogger." But the term "jogger" is so 80's. Therefore, I will call myself a runner in the hopes that this will be the year that I finally become one. I've been "running" for about six years now (well...I do other stuff too. Like bake good food, play shuffle board, teach English--I'll get to that one in a minute). I do about four half-marathons a year.
The four major San Diego races include: The Silver Strand (in November), The Carlsbad Marathon and Half Marathon (in January), The La Jolla Half (in April), and America's Finest City Half Marathon (in August). Of course, there is the Rock 'n Roll Marathon in June --that's the big one almost everybody knows about. I did it two years ago. Was NOT pretty. Let's just say...I feel really bad for whoever had to empty the trashcans at the finish line...and for anyone who walked within a three-foot radius of said trashcans. I probably won't be doing a full marathon this year, but I'm not going to rule it out either.
So the purpose of this blog is to take you through some of San Diego's best (and maybe worst) places to run in San Diego. For the last five years, I've pretty much stuck to my neighborhood in Point Loma/OB for my runs. But, I'm hoping to expand my terrain this year...and hopefully it will inspire you to break from your regular running loops as well.
Aside from whether or not I can be called a "runner," let's get one more thing straight: the second half of the blog title, "...Because I Teach" is not a lie. I am a high school English teacher. I realized during my first year of teaching that if I didn't find a way to release the anger stored up throughout the day, then the people I love the most in my life (namely, my husband) are the first to suffer my wrath. When I cussed out my husband for not taking out the trash one afternoon, both he and I knew something had to change: either I find a different job, or find a way to let the day go.
Thus, I discovered running (ok...jogging...) and in the words of Robert Frost, "it has made all the difference."
The four major San Diego races include: The Silver Strand (in November), The Carlsbad Marathon and Half Marathon (in January), The La Jolla Half (in April), and America's Finest City Half Marathon (in August). Of course, there is the Rock 'n Roll Marathon in June --that's the big one almost everybody knows about. I did it two years ago. Was NOT pretty. Let's just say...I feel really bad for whoever had to empty the trashcans at the finish line...and for anyone who walked within a three-foot radius of said trashcans. I probably won't be doing a full marathon this year, but I'm not going to rule it out either.
So the purpose of this blog is to take you through some of San Diego's best (and maybe worst) places to run in San Diego. For the last five years, I've pretty much stuck to my neighborhood in Point Loma/OB for my runs. But, I'm hoping to expand my terrain this year...and hopefully it will inspire you to break from your regular running loops as well.
Aside from whether or not I can be called a "runner," let's get one more thing straight: the second half of the blog title, "...Because I Teach" is not a lie. I am a high school English teacher. I realized during my first year of teaching that if I didn't find a way to release the anger stored up throughout the day, then the people I love the most in my life (namely, my husband) are the first to suffer my wrath. When I cussed out my husband for not taking out the trash one afternoon, both he and I knew something had to change: either I find a different job, or find a way to let the day go.
Thus, I discovered running (ok...jogging...) and in the words of Robert Frost, "it has made all the difference."
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)