We had a second day of conferences and some more parents showed up. I would have liked to see a few more parents, but overall, I think that this isn't the best time of the year for conferences. I was proud of myself for running a nice 3 miles (at 11:00/mi) and showering after school before returning for conferences. I was a little thrown off by something that happened during the half day, though.
The half day is planned so that children leave right after lunch, so we can guarantee they get fed at least twice in the day (breakfast and lunch). To make the logistics easier, the students ate lunch in their 5th period class, and then went back to homeroom for dismissal.
On Wednesday, my homeroom class had a food fight in their English class. Thursday, they were in my classroom during lunch, so I made extra sure that they were careful with their food. I have a good relationship with my homeroom kids, and they did a good job of eating politely and cleaning up afterwards. I was surprised to hear, though, that the other 7th grade class (the "high" class), didn't have lunch delivered to their classroom and as a result, didn't get lunch. Mistakes happen, especially in a severely understaffed building, so I didn't think too much of it.
When we arrived at morning homeroom on Friday, the principal walked into my class and announced that it was my homeroom that was not supposed to get lunch the day before as punishment for the food fight. A mistake was made, and it was the other class that was starved instead. Really? The best way to punish a few difficult students is to starve an entire class? Sometimes this school frustrates me.
Yesterday, I had a good day in school. I was tired at the end of a long week after vacation, it I've really gotten into the full swing of my latest classroom implementation, the Friday Open Question Time. I set aside about 10 minutes (depending on how well the lesson went) to allow the student to ask anonymous questions by putting folded slips of paper into a box, and I answer the ones that aren't totally inappropriate. The questions range from "How do slugs move if they have no skeleton?" to "Can a girl get pregnant if she has sex during her period?" to "Where did you grow up, Miss?" I had a great time and they had a great time, and a lot was learned on both sides.
There was some chaos in the school due to some other events like the book fair, but it was overall a rewarding day.
Today is my second-to-last day of class at SCSU. I can't believe this year is already wrapping up. Moreover, yesterday was my last day of real time coaching for the year. I will miss my coach. She has probably affected the achievement in my classroom more than any other individual I've interacted with this year (other than myself, of course). She has taught me how to improve, and most importantly, held me accountable for improving. Thank you.
This year has really flown/dragged by, and I am both excited and sad to see it end in 2 months. All I can say is, the passage of time this year has been crazy.
Saturday, April 28, 2012
Wednesday, April 25, 2012
Conferences
Today is the first day of the second round of report card conferences. I'm not quite sure why they have them now, but I think it's so parents get a warning if their kids are going to be held back. I think it makes more sense to have them after 1st and 2nd quarters, rather than now, when there are only 39 days of school left. 4 parents showed up today, but hopefully I'll see more tomorrow at the evening conference.
I am always amazed at what some of these kids will come up with. Today, my homeroom class had a food fight in Language Arts. Really? There is a student who is particularly troublesome, and started the incident. She later walked into my classroom, crushed a few carrots between the pages of a textbook, and earned herself 3 days suspension. She is a challenge, because she can be malicious in very creative ways. I've become very discouraged about how to help her, and I'm concerned that she is a danger to other students.
I've kind of hit a lull in motivation as we get into the 4th quarter here. 39 days of school left, and about 8 of those are half days. I love the kids and I love teaching them, but I'm tired. I have much more planning to do, and grading. I am pretty excited about a lesson I have planned soon, though, which will involve marshmallows and toothpicks to teach about hydrocarbons. I keep forgetting how fun this is. I slog into school in the morning, and it's not until my first student finally completes the circuit of his conductivity tester and makes the "Aha!" face that I remember why I love this job.
I am always amazed at what some of these kids will come up with. Today, my homeroom class had a food fight in Language Arts. Really? There is a student who is particularly troublesome, and started the incident. She later walked into my classroom, crushed a few carrots between the pages of a textbook, and earned herself 3 days suspension. She is a challenge, because she can be malicious in very creative ways. I've become very discouraged about how to help her, and I'm concerned that she is a danger to other students.
I've kind of hit a lull in motivation as we get into the 4th quarter here. 39 days of school left, and about 8 of those are half days. I love the kids and I love teaching them, but I'm tired. I have much more planning to do, and grading. I am pretty excited about a lesson I have planned soon, though, which will involve marshmallows and toothpicks to teach about hydrocarbons. I keep forgetting how fun this is. I slog into school in the morning, and it's not until my first student finally completes the circuit of his conductivity tester and makes the "Aha!" face that I remember why I love this job.
Monday, April 23, 2012
Vacation's Over
It's the Monday of Mondays, the end of vacation. And my vacation was WONDERFUL.
I spent 3 days in Amsterdam and 3 in Berlin. I did walking tours, bike tours, bus tours, and boat tours. I ate more Belgian waffles than I'd care to admit. I saw crazy Soviet architecture. I saw a ton of shrapnel holes in the sides of buildings. I saw brilliant architecture of the Dutch 17th century mega-indulgence movement. I saw millions of tulips. I saw Hitler's bunker. I drank a lot of bier. I ate so much wonderful food.
And now, slightly sunburned and more than slightly jetlagged, I begin another week of work. I love my kids and I love the look on their faces when they've figured out how to complete the circuit of their homemade conductivity testers, but I'm tired. Days are long in this line of work.
I have Peapod coming today, but I'm way behind on other chores. I have a lot of laundry to do, dishes to wash, and things to tidy. Sigh. I'll get it done eventually.
I have jumped right back into my exercise routine, though. The only exercise I did during vacation was a 10-ish mile bike tour over 6 hours, part of that full of beer and herring. Yesterday, I slugged through a mile jog and today I did 2.5. Not a bad start.
I read an exercise motivation thing on the internet about a 90-day challenge, and I'd like to try my own. It involves diet, exercise, and weight loss goals, separated into 3 30-day "sprints". So, starting today, here is an outline of my 90-day challenge:
Current weight: 137 lbs (up 2 lbs from before my trip--totally worth it)
Current running mileage: average of 7 miles per week (in February and March)
First 30 days
Weight goal: 135 lbs (what it was before vacation)
Running goal: average of 10 miles per week, maybe a 5K race
Diet goal: 3 full meals per day, only one microwaved meal per day
Second 30 days
Weight goal: 133 lbs (haven't seen this since...I don't remember)
Running goal: 10 miles per week, plus biking 10 miles per week, sprint tri in June
Diet goal: no microwaved food
Third 30 days
Weight goal: 131 lbs (this has been my arbitrary goal since 2009)
Running goal: average of 15 miles per week
Diet goal: this is the summer, home-cooked meal at least 3x/week
Let's see how it goes!
I spent 3 days in Amsterdam and 3 in Berlin. I did walking tours, bike tours, bus tours, and boat tours. I ate more Belgian waffles than I'd care to admit. I saw crazy Soviet architecture. I saw a ton of shrapnel holes in the sides of buildings. I saw brilliant architecture of the Dutch 17th century mega-indulgence movement. I saw millions of tulips. I saw Hitler's bunker. I drank a lot of bier. I ate so much wonderful food.
And now, slightly sunburned and more than slightly jetlagged, I begin another week of work. I love my kids and I love the look on their faces when they've figured out how to complete the circuit of their homemade conductivity testers, but I'm tired. Days are long in this line of work.
I have Peapod coming today, but I'm way behind on other chores. I have a lot of laundry to do, dishes to wash, and things to tidy. Sigh. I'll get it done eventually.
I have jumped right back into my exercise routine, though. The only exercise I did during vacation was a 10-ish mile bike tour over 6 hours, part of that full of beer and herring. Yesterday, I slugged through a mile jog and today I did 2.5. Not a bad start.
I read an exercise motivation thing on the internet about a 90-day challenge, and I'd like to try my own. It involves diet, exercise, and weight loss goals, separated into 3 30-day "sprints". So, starting today, here is an outline of my 90-day challenge:
Current weight: 137 lbs (up 2 lbs from before my trip--totally worth it)
Current running mileage: average of 7 miles per week (in February and March)
First 30 days
Weight goal: 135 lbs (what it was before vacation)
Running goal: average of 10 miles per week, maybe a 5K race
Diet goal: 3 full meals per day, only one microwaved meal per day
Second 30 days
Weight goal: 133 lbs (haven't seen this since...I don't remember)
Running goal: 10 miles per week, plus biking 10 miles per week, sprint tri in June
Diet goal: no microwaved food
Third 30 days
Weight goal: 131 lbs (this has been my arbitrary goal since 2009)
Running goal: average of 15 miles per week
Diet goal: this is the summer, home-cooked meal at least 3x/week
Let's see how it goes!
Tuesday, April 10, 2012
5 Weeks
Today I got a haircut. This, in and of itself, is not terribly exciting. However, my last haircut, which was exactly 5 weeks ago, marked the beginning of my most recent mission to improve myself as a teacher. And in that time, it's been incredibly stressful and exhausting, but entirely satisfying. I have improved my ability to manage my classroom. I've built up relationships with students that I never thought I'd ever figure out. My planning is more thorough, which makes teaching more fun. I love my job so much more.
This week is very busy and I don't have a lot of time to write. I have a lot of work to finish and loose ends to tie up before I head to Europe next week for vacation!
This week is very busy and I don't have a lot of time to write. I have a lot of work to finish and loose ends to tie up before I head to Europe next week for vacation!
Monday, April 9, 2012
Passover
Blogger has a new look and I'm a little confused, but I think I'll manage.
This past weekend was Passover (and Easter). Traditionally, Jews celebrate their escape from slavery in Egypt some 3000 years ago by arbitrarily restricting diet and eating a big feast. I always found it one of the most interesting holidays, even if I didn't quite relate. It's like a big celebration, but keeping just enough suffering to remember the past. Jewish guilt at its best.
My mom prepares this feast (the Seder) every year, and it will probably be permanently marked on my calendar for the foreseeable future. Every year it involves between 10 and 45 people, family and friends, clustered around a long table in my parents' living room with, undoubtedly, twice as much food as necessary. That's the way we work. Always lots of food. And despite the restrictions, it is always cooked with enthusiasm and pride.
This year, I invited a colleague from school (the science teacher from the alternative school upstairs, who taught me everything I know and goes running with me). This was her first Jewish event, and it made it that much more fun to share the almost stereotyped (in the ecological sense) ritual dinner with someone who has never seen it before. We are commanded to tell the story of the escape from slavery, along with traditional songs and blessings, and it's more fun to be telling the story to someone.
The best part of the evening, though, was when my mother invited each of my four grandparents to tell a story of their childhood Seders. My father's father, who rarely shares stories even though he has some of the best ones, told a fascinating story of Passover in Poland in 1945.
In the early spring of 1945, my grandfather was about 16 years old and in a concentration camp near Krakow, Poland. He was away from his family and doing hard labor every day, but like me, expected the Passover Seder with all its idiosyncrasies. On the first night of Passover, late at night, after the Nazi guards had gone to sleep, and anticipating an early day of more work, they had a Seder. They didn't have any of the ritual icons that were on our table last weekend, like the sacrificial lamb bone, the dry and flaky matzoh, the sharp horseradish, and the ubiquitous parsley. All they had was a Chasidic young man (one of the sect of Jews who are often found walking along the sidewalk in black hats and long black coats) who recited the Seder for them. If they were caught they would have been punished.
But they were commanded to tell the story, so they did. "We were slaves to Pharaoh in Egypt, and the L-rd, our G-d, took us out from there with a strong hand and with an outstretched arm. If the Holy One, blessed be He, had not taken our fathers out of Egypt, then we, our children and our children's children would have remained enslaved to Pharaoh in Egypt. Even if all of us were wise, all of us understanding, all of us knowing the Torah, we would still be obligated to discuss the exodus from Egypt; and everyone who discusses the exodus from Egypt at length is praiseworthy."
At this time, the end of the war was inconceivable to the younger prisoners. They had no knowledge of what was going on in Europe, as the war was being fought. The older prisoners, those that had defended their country in World War I, knew that it would end eventually. They would put their ears to the ground and argue over how far away the shells were exploding. In 1945, the explosions were getting closer, but they did not know whether they would live another day.
And so they recited, according to the tradition, "Thus it is our duty to thank, to laud, to praise, to glorify, to exalt, to adore, to bless, to elevate and to honor the One who did all these miracles for our fathers and for us. He took us from slavery to freedom, from sorrow to joy, and from mourning to festivity, and from deep darkness to great light and from bondage to redemption. Let us therefore recite before Him Halleluyah, Praise G-d!"
On Thursday, April 19, 1945, Krakow fell to the Russians. The previous evening, a Wednesday around 5PM, which my grandfather specifically recalled, the prisoners noticed that the guards had disappeared. They sent a younger boy to go explore, and the guards were no where to be found. They all cautiously wandered towards the guards houses, and eventually heard voices. But the guards were gone and the voices spoke in Russian. "This year [we are] slaves; next year [we will be] free people."
This past weekend was Passover (and Easter). Traditionally, Jews celebrate their escape from slavery in Egypt some 3000 years ago by arbitrarily restricting diet and eating a big feast. I always found it one of the most interesting holidays, even if I didn't quite relate. It's like a big celebration, but keeping just enough suffering to remember the past. Jewish guilt at its best.
My mom prepares this feast (the Seder) every year, and it will probably be permanently marked on my calendar for the foreseeable future. Every year it involves between 10 and 45 people, family and friends, clustered around a long table in my parents' living room with, undoubtedly, twice as much food as necessary. That's the way we work. Always lots of food. And despite the restrictions, it is always cooked with enthusiasm and pride.
This year, I invited a colleague from school (the science teacher from the alternative school upstairs, who taught me everything I know and goes running with me). This was her first Jewish event, and it made it that much more fun to share the almost stereotyped (in the ecological sense) ritual dinner with someone who has never seen it before. We are commanded to tell the story of the escape from slavery, along with traditional songs and blessings, and it's more fun to be telling the story to someone.
The best part of the evening, though, was when my mother invited each of my four grandparents to tell a story of their childhood Seders. My father's father, who rarely shares stories even though he has some of the best ones, told a fascinating story of Passover in Poland in 1945.
In the early spring of 1945, my grandfather was about 16 years old and in a concentration camp near Krakow, Poland. He was away from his family and doing hard labor every day, but like me, expected the Passover Seder with all its idiosyncrasies. On the first night of Passover, late at night, after the Nazi guards had gone to sleep, and anticipating an early day of more work, they had a Seder. They didn't have any of the ritual icons that were on our table last weekend, like the sacrificial lamb bone, the dry and flaky matzoh, the sharp horseradish, and the ubiquitous parsley. All they had was a Chasidic young man (one of the sect of Jews who are often found walking along the sidewalk in black hats and long black coats) who recited the Seder for them. If they were caught they would have been punished.
But they were commanded to tell the story, so they did. "We were slaves to Pharaoh in Egypt, and the L-rd, our G-d, took us out from there with a strong hand and with an outstretched arm. If the Holy One, blessed be He, had not taken our fathers out of Egypt, then we, our children and our children's children would have remained enslaved to Pharaoh in Egypt. Even if all of us were wise, all of us understanding, all of us knowing the Torah, we would still be obligated to discuss the exodus from Egypt; and everyone who discusses the exodus from Egypt at length is praiseworthy."
At this time, the end of the war was inconceivable to the younger prisoners. They had no knowledge of what was going on in Europe, as the war was being fought. The older prisoners, those that had defended their country in World War I, knew that it would end eventually. They would put their ears to the ground and argue over how far away the shells were exploding. In 1945, the explosions were getting closer, but they did not know whether they would live another day.
And so they recited, according to the tradition, "Thus it is our duty to thank, to laud, to praise, to glorify, to exalt, to adore, to bless, to elevate and to honor the One who did all these miracles for our fathers and for us. He took us from slavery to freedom, from sorrow to joy, and from mourning to festivity, and from deep darkness to great light and from bondage to redemption. Let us therefore recite before Him Halleluyah, Praise G-d!"
On Thursday, April 19, 1945, Krakow fell to the Russians. The previous evening, a Wednesday around 5PM, which my grandfather specifically recalled, the prisoners noticed that the guards had disappeared. They sent a younger boy to go explore, and the guards were no where to be found. They all cautiously wandered towards the guards houses, and eventually heard voices. But the guards were gone and the voices spoke in Russian. "This year [we are] slaves; next year [we will be] free people."
Thursday, April 5, 2012
New Friends
I'm really loving my kids more and more. I think I've reached an important milestone, and that is that for the first time this year, I have been able to say, "Hey guys, I'm not feeling well today, so I need you to be extra quiet. I can't shout," and they are well behaved. They did a good job of self-policing today, almost all of them. I'm really proud of them. I've noticed when I fight them less, they behave better. I am consistent with the consequences, but nicer about it.
I think if it were a different job, I might have taken a sick day. But, it's been a choppy week with a PD day and a field trip, so I needed to be there so the kids learned something today. I also wore my new t-shirt that has a diagram of the heart, lungs, and major blood vessels, and the kids LOVED it. It was a conversation piece all day, and kids loved showing me what they knew about it (7th and 8th graders alike). It's worth a sore throat for that.
I also dropped the bomb to the kids that I am in a relationship(that is all I told them) because the Friday open-question discussion turned into a brief chat about healthy relationships. They proceeded to list every male in the building, asking who it was. Apparently, it is inconceivable that I could know anyone outside of school. I guess this isn't surprising, because that's what I thought about my teachers when I was growing up. (The first time a professor asked me to call him by his first name, I almost said no.)
At 3:05pm, I will take my headache and sore throat and drive to New York for Passover. It's a nice 3-day weekend, and I plan on not getting a whole lot of work done. I have some studying to do, and maybe I'll hope on the ambulance once or twice, but I need to relax.
I think if it were a different job, I might have taken a sick day. But, it's been a choppy week with a PD day and a field trip, so I needed to be there so the kids learned something today. I also wore my new t-shirt that has a diagram of the heart, lungs, and major blood vessels, and the kids LOVED it. It was a conversation piece all day, and kids loved showing me what they knew about it (7th and 8th graders alike). It's worth a sore throat for that.
I also dropped the bomb to the kids that I am in a relationship(that is all I told them) because the Friday open-question discussion turned into a brief chat about healthy relationships. They proceeded to list every male in the building, asking who it was. Apparently, it is inconceivable that I could know anyone outside of school. I guess this isn't surprising, because that's what I thought about my teachers when I was growing up. (The first time a professor asked me to call him by his first name, I almost said no.)
At 3:05pm, I will take my headache and sore throat and drive to New York for Passover. It's a nice 3-day weekend, and I plan on not getting a whole lot of work done. I have some studying to do, and maybe I'll hope on the ambulance once or twice, but I need to relax.
Wednesday, April 4, 2012
Short Week
Yesterday's PD day was nice and relaxing, and we learned we don't have to decorate a trifold board with evidence of proper use of our grant money (the budget didn't cover trifold boards). Less homework! I did use our morning break as an opportunity to spend the grant money, though. I'm doing a chicken wing dissection lab with my 7th graders, and used the $200 grant from the district to buy dissecting scissors (no way I'm letting them have scalpels), dissecting trays, aprons, and nitrile gloves. I'm really excited.
Right after PD was over, I zoomed home to take care of some fire department requirements. I have to attend one live burn drill every year, and yesterday was an easy day, so I picked yesterday. EMS stands around the whole time and does nothing, but it's good to be there just in case. Just like in college. Besides, the best part about hanging out with not-teachers is that they say things like, "Are you grading a test? Cool! Can I help?" It was awesome. I (we) got a ton of work done.
Today, we treated our well-behaved kids to a Bridgeport Sound Tigers (hockey) game. I had a blast with the kids, but I'm totally wiped out. I'm going to spend the evening relaxing and drinking soup. One more day this week! (And by the way, 47 left this year!)
Right after PD was over, I zoomed home to take care of some fire department requirements. I have to attend one live burn drill every year, and yesterday was an easy day, so I picked yesterday. EMS stands around the whole time and does nothing, but it's good to be there just in case. Just like in college. Besides, the best part about hanging out with not-teachers is that they say things like, "Are you grading a test? Cool! Can I help?" It was awesome. I (we) got a ton of work done.
Today, we treated our well-behaved kids to a Bridgeport Sound Tigers (hockey) game. I had a blast with the kids, but I'm totally wiped out. I'm going to spend the evening relaxing and drinking soup. One more day this week! (And by the way, 47 left this year!)
Monday, April 2, 2012
Race Report
My priority this week is studying for an exam I am taking next week. It is an Education and Childhood Development test so that I can test out of the class credits for my M.Ed. I have a lot of reading to do, but it's generally not that difficult. It is time-consuming, though.
One of the kids I interviewed for Brown got accepted! He was probably my favorite, the one whose interview ran overtime.
Today, I began my 8th grade unit on the Periodic Table. I love it! The kids love it! Reading the Periodic Table is like doing a word search, which is a middle school student's favorite activity. Today's lesson was on finding an element's name, symbol, and atomic number, as well as the definition of atomic number. I saw nearly 100% of students able to complete the exit ticket on their own, and some even enjoying it! I hope the rest of the unit goes this smoothly.
The rest of the day didn't go quite as well, because I was really tired. And why am I so tired today? I did a duathlon yesterday!
I dragged myself out of bed around 7AM on a Sunday so I could do a race that I was underprepared for in the early-Spring chill. Part of my motivation was knowing that it was a small race, and it is my last year in a very small age group (F20-24), so I might win an age group award. Part of my motivation was knowing that by putting money down on registration, I would actually train for this race. I did, but could have definitely trained more.
Due to laziness and weather constraints, the only biking I had done before the race was a 5-ish mile ride on a dirt path. The race was marketed as "off-road, but not technical", so I felt pretty confident. I had put more focus on run training, which I had been doing at 6-10 miles per week for the last month at least. My longest training run was 4.5 miles, and I did a 4 mile race in 42:17 two weeks earlier.
The race was 2 mile run/10 mile bike/2 mile run. I arrived with plenty of time to spare. It was a very small race, and only about 90 people ended up racing in total. It was so small, there was even toilet paper left in the porta-potties. It was cold when I arrived, and was happy that I had spent $15 on a running jacket the previous day. I picked up my race number, set up my bike in transition (which had no racks, it was just a drop-your-bike-near-the-exit sort of thing), and sat in the car with my boyfriend for about 20 minutes.
I had eaten an Eggo and peanut butter sandwich for breakfast, which I think was a little ambitious. Around 15 minutes before the race, I was wondering if I should get in the potty line, but I ended up being fine anyway. Whew.
The race started and everyone took off FAST. I'm usually in the last 2/3 of the pack in a running race, but this group seemed to be a very small bunch of disproportionately serious triathletes looking to start their season with an easy du. I quickly fell behind the pack and stuck in second-to-last place, where I stayed the entire race. The run was well marked, mostly flat, and about half grass, half asphalt. I had not difficult finishing the 2 miles, but anticipated some tired calves for the second leg of the run. I expected the first mile marker to be marked off, but when I had been running for about 13 minutes, I realized I wasn't going to see it. I finished the 2 miles in 21:59, which is around my training pace. Not great, but a good job pacing myself and not getting tired too early.
I picked up one of the two bikes left in transition (my bike is always easy to find, because I keep my tire repair kit in a raccoon-shaped bag under my seat) and headed out of there. The transitions were not timed, but I was pretty fast, because I kept on my running shoes. I don't have clipless pedals on my mountain bike, which was pretty fortunate, because I got stuck in some surprise soft sand a couple of times.
The race was fat-tire only, so no road bikes or racing bikes allowed. I was glad of that, because the ride was much more challenging that I had expected. It was two loops of 5 miles. Some of the riding was on the road, but most of it was on dirt. There were a couple of patches of really soft sand, which require some hard pedaling and really consistent handling. There were a couple of narrow paths through trees and over tree branches, which were actually really fun, but a little nerve-wracking. I'd love to get more experience on off-road biking.
I made a couple of mistakes on the first loop that I was able to correct the second time around. I learned better how to ride through sand (had to put my feet down twice on the first loop, only once on the second). I learned the better paths through the forest. I also corrected a mistake I made on the first loop right around the halfway point, when I saw the path went along the road, and used that as an opportunity to grab some water. I took a sip, and noticed that the path suddenly turned off the road onto a rough forest patch. Crap. I grabbed tightly to my water bottle and my bicycle, hoping not to loose either. It turned out okay.
I should have worn bicycle gloves, which I realized about halfway through. The mountain bike doesn't give me multiple handlebar grips like my road bike, so my hands ended up really sore and bruised where I was leaning on them.
The end of the bike ride was pretty flat, so I lowered my gear and spun faster to try to loosen up before the second leg of the run. By this time, I knew my time was embarrassing, so I hadn't looked at my watch in a while. 10 mile bike in 1:00:49. Ouch.
The run started out as all end-of-multisport-race runs do: terribly. It hurt, and I couldn't catch my breath. I settled into a comfortable pace after about the first mile, but having not seen another racer for an hour, I was getting a little discouraged. With about a half mile to go, I passed a couple of race volunteers who were jogging back to the tent. I convinced them to join me, and they kept me going until the end. They were a pleasant married couple and we chatted for the last few minutes of the race. I finished a little faster and a lot happier than I would have. Run Part II, 22:30. Only a little slower than the first leg. Total = 1:44:30.
And it turned out, I am not in that age group; the age groups are determined by age at the END of the year, so I'm really a F25-29. No award for me, although I was 4th in the age group. 88/89 overall.
A day later, and after an easy mile run, my hands still hurt. My ankles are a little bruised from biking in running shoes. My hips and left knee are sore. I'm dreadfully tired. I can't wait for the next one!
One of the kids I interviewed for Brown got accepted! He was probably my favorite, the one whose interview ran overtime.
Today, I began my 8th grade unit on the Periodic Table. I love it! The kids love it! Reading the Periodic Table is like doing a word search, which is a middle school student's favorite activity. Today's lesson was on finding an element's name, symbol, and atomic number, as well as the definition of atomic number. I saw nearly 100% of students able to complete the exit ticket on their own, and some even enjoying it! I hope the rest of the unit goes this smoothly.
The rest of the day didn't go quite as well, because I was really tired. And why am I so tired today? I did a duathlon yesterday!
I dragged myself out of bed around 7AM on a Sunday so I could do a race that I was underprepared for in the early-Spring chill. Part of my motivation was knowing that it was a small race, and it is my last year in a very small age group (F20-24), so I might win an age group award. Part of my motivation was knowing that by putting money down on registration, I would actually train for this race. I did, but could have definitely trained more.
Due to laziness and weather constraints, the only biking I had done before the race was a 5-ish mile ride on a dirt path. The race was marketed as "off-road, but not technical", so I felt pretty confident. I had put more focus on run training, which I had been doing at 6-10 miles per week for the last month at least. My longest training run was 4.5 miles, and I did a 4 mile race in 42:17 two weeks earlier.
The race was 2 mile run/10 mile bike/2 mile run. I arrived with plenty of time to spare. It was a very small race, and only about 90 people ended up racing in total. It was so small, there was even toilet paper left in the porta-potties. It was cold when I arrived, and was happy that I had spent $15 on a running jacket the previous day. I picked up my race number, set up my bike in transition (which had no racks, it was just a drop-your-bike-near-the-exit sort of thing), and sat in the car with my boyfriend for about 20 minutes.
I had eaten an Eggo and peanut butter sandwich for breakfast, which I think was a little ambitious. Around 15 minutes before the race, I was wondering if I should get in the potty line, but I ended up being fine anyway. Whew.
The race started and everyone took off FAST. I'm usually in the last 2/3 of the pack in a running race, but this group seemed to be a very small bunch of disproportionately serious triathletes looking to start their season with an easy du. I quickly fell behind the pack and stuck in second-to-last place, where I stayed the entire race. The run was well marked, mostly flat, and about half grass, half asphalt. I had not difficult finishing the 2 miles, but anticipated some tired calves for the second leg of the run. I expected the first mile marker to be marked off, but when I had been running for about 13 minutes, I realized I wasn't going to see it. I finished the 2 miles in 21:59, which is around my training pace. Not great, but a good job pacing myself and not getting tired too early.
I picked up one of the two bikes left in transition (my bike is always easy to find, because I keep my tire repair kit in a raccoon-shaped bag under my seat) and headed out of there. The transitions were not timed, but I was pretty fast, because I kept on my running shoes. I don't have clipless pedals on my mountain bike, which was pretty fortunate, because I got stuck in some surprise soft sand a couple of times.
The race was fat-tire only, so no road bikes or racing bikes allowed. I was glad of that, because the ride was much more challenging that I had expected. It was two loops of 5 miles. Some of the riding was on the road, but most of it was on dirt. There were a couple of patches of really soft sand, which require some hard pedaling and really consistent handling. There were a couple of narrow paths through trees and over tree branches, which were actually really fun, but a little nerve-wracking. I'd love to get more experience on off-road biking.
I made a couple of mistakes on the first loop that I was able to correct the second time around. I learned better how to ride through sand (had to put my feet down twice on the first loop, only once on the second). I learned the better paths through the forest. I also corrected a mistake I made on the first loop right around the halfway point, when I saw the path went along the road, and used that as an opportunity to grab some water. I took a sip, and noticed that the path suddenly turned off the road onto a rough forest patch. Crap. I grabbed tightly to my water bottle and my bicycle, hoping not to loose either. It turned out okay.
I should have worn bicycle gloves, which I realized about halfway through. The mountain bike doesn't give me multiple handlebar grips like my road bike, so my hands ended up really sore and bruised where I was leaning on them.
The end of the bike ride was pretty flat, so I lowered my gear and spun faster to try to loosen up before the second leg of the run. By this time, I knew my time was embarrassing, so I hadn't looked at my watch in a while. 10 mile bike in 1:00:49. Ouch.
The run started out as all end-of-multisport-race runs do: terribly. It hurt, and I couldn't catch my breath. I settled into a comfortable pace after about the first mile, but having not seen another racer for an hour, I was getting a little discouraged. With about a half mile to go, I passed a couple of race volunteers who were jogging back to the tent. I convinced them to join me, and they kept me going until the end. They were a pleasant married couple and we chatted for the last few minutes of the race. I finished a little faster and a lot happier than I would have. Run Part II, 22:30. Only a little slower than the first leg. Total = 1:44:30.
And it turned out, I am not in that age group; the age groups are determined by age at the END of the year, so I'm really a F25-29. No award for me, although I was 4th in the age group. 88/89 overall.
A day later, and after an easy mile run, my hands still hurt. My ankles are a little bruised from biking in running shoes. My hips and left knee are sore. I'm dreadfully tired. I can't wait for the next one!
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