Running, running in the... running pool?

When days are hot, when days are cold...

I've been on summer "vacation" for ten days now. In that time I've found a summer job and worked about 20 hours, committed myself to training for this marathon and run 20.5 miles (in 5 workouts), read 4 books, and managed to sleep a solid 10 hours every day : )

Yesterday before my run I went to the library, love the library, got a few new books. I blew through 32 Third Graders and One Class Bunny yesterday. It's a really cute book written by a man who has taught 3rd grade for twenty years. It sounds so fun, teaching times tables and state capitals, having silent reading time, art projects and recess.

Now I'm reading Ultra Marathon Man, Dean Karanazes first book. I like it a lot more than his other book because it talks more about the struggles of becoming an runner, and some his early failures.

Here is a marathon training schedule. This is similar to the one I used to train for the half marathon. I have 24 weeks to train Here's how I'm doing so far:

Today 6 miles - 13:15 min miles (I walked a lot)
Yesterday 3.5 miles - 12:50 min miles
Friday 5 miles - 11:30 min miles

So I'm getting slower?

Should I focus more on speed or distance?
Should I drink water or Gatorade?
Should I brave the heat and run outside in the mornings?
Why does my side hurt?
What should I be eating?
How do I keep my hair healthy when I have to wash it everyday because of sweat or working in a smokey bar?

During the day the gym is less crowded, but it's a much different crowd than in the evenings. I've noticed it's lots of skinny stay at home moms until 1, when then day care closes, then its some really intense people... I'm not usually intimidated by people at the gym, other than the creeper who picks the treadmill next to you when they are all open. I just think, they may be running faster, but I'm training for a marathon. Clearly, I'm awesome. There is a girl who has been they everyday I've gone. I imagine she just graduated from high school and has a college athletic scholarship. She's insane, she does sprints on the treadmill, does the stair climber side ways, is working out when I get there and working out when I leave (and today I stayed for an hour and a half). Very intimidating.

Run!

Ran 5 miles on Friday : ) Felt great. I also waited tables for 8 hours on Friday and Saturday, that counts too right? I'm excited to start training for the White Rock Marathon. Anyone want to train with me? Anyone?? I need some ideas for places to run...

I just finished reading Run!: 26.2 Stories of Blisters and Bliss by Dean Karnazes. Never heard of this guy before, the book was on the new arrivals shelf at the library so I grabbed it. Very inspirational. This guy runs alot... check him out www.ultramarathonman.com Can't wait to read his other books.

Trying to Out Run My Grama

My grama (we've decide "grandma" is too long for text messages) tells us at lunch on Sunday that she ran a 12 minute mile. My grama is much younger than your average grama but this is still impressive. We want to do another race. She, Paul and my sister ran the 5K when I ran the Cowtown Half Marathon last February. Since then I assume she was continued running as part of her work out routine. I hurt my hip while running, nothing serious, just enough to discourage me for a few months. Then I started teaching and had no time to do anything except plan our wedding and sleep.

In the last month or so I've got back into it. My goal is to do at least the White Rock Half Marathon in December or maybe one sooner, then bump that up the the full. It makes me nervous. Three weeks ago I ran 2 miles in 25 min, then I've done the elliptical several times for 30 or an hour. I like the elliptical because I can read while working out. But I don't think this is really working for me, because yesterday I ran 3 miles in 38:05... and I was dying... Slower pace than my grama... But I'm motivated, and have tons for free time.

Yesterday we watched The Switch with Jennifer Aniston and Jason Bateman. It was surprisingly good. The little boy is so adorable and captivating, he makes the movie. I'd be ready to have a baby if I knew he would be that cute. (Did you know on imdb.com they list the "goofs" in a movie?)

I've convinced some of my co-workers to read Our School by Joanne Jacobs, and we are going to try to raise standards and push these kids harder, convince them to take school seriously. It'll be hard, but since we're at a middle school, they have fewer bad habits and more time to turn it around.

Now I'm reading Unscientific America: How Scientific Illiteracy Threatens Our Future. (side note: I'm checking all these books about from the library, I love the library!) This book mostly about how the mainstream media ignores the science community. In 1957 the launch of Sputnik prompted much media attention and funding for scientist. After the success of the space program this money and press decreased and decreased. The authors point out many newspapers have eliminated their weekly science sections and cable news devotes one minute in every 300 to a real science story (not health and fitness). The major science news in recent years is limited to global warming, the dangers of vaccines, and the Human Genome Project. All of these are presented to the public as controversial issues, on which they need to take a side, form an opinion. The media, in order to be unbiased, shows both sides of a political story. This holds true for science stories, which in turn makes them bias. Showing global warming as having an equal chance of being untrue? There is a 50 percent chance vaccines cause autism? Ridiculous. I think any science teacher, or even science major should read this book. It's really interesting and it's given me lot of ideas for next year curriculum.