Twas the Night Before the Last Day of Summer

2 posts on my teaching blog this week, whoa, I'm on a roll!

Run Update

Tomorrow marks the big switch in Eric and my 5k training plan. We will officially start running for distance instead of time. When you do the Couch to 5K plan, you are supposed to choose to do it for either time or distance. However, I decided to switch between the two halfway through so I could make sure I wasn't increasing my running too much too quickly for my knee, but was also ready for the 5k in a few weeks!

Yesterday Eric and I did a training run outside at the Cape. We couldn't find a track around, so we decided to run on the sidewalk and hope the knees could handle it. We were supposed to do a 5 minute warm up and then 25 minutes of running. When Eric and I run together, I let him keep track of time but I do find myself asking, "how much time has it been?" and "how much longer?" often. We decided to do a there and back route, so the whole way there I kept wondering when it would be time to turn around. However, on the way back I found myself totally calmed because I didn't have to worry about time, I simply had to get back where I started.

After this experience, I started to wonder whether it's better to run for time or distance. I find on the treadmill I almost always run for time, but outside I almost always run for distance (I'm not going to stop running unless I'm home or close). What do you tend to do, run or time or distance? If you don't run, do you bike or elliptical for time or distance?

Birthday Celebrations

Due to the crazyness of summer and wedding relating events, we have been failing to celebrate birthdays in my family. Tonight we did a giant celebration, complete with a turkey, stuffing and this amazing bread and veggie dish my mom made...

I got my own special portion with no cheese...

and my own portion of stuffing, yum...

Then came dessert. Lemon Meringue Pie.

Then came the Happy Birthday songs...

Happy Birthday to Chris...

Happy Birthday to Dad...

Happy Birthday to Jake...

Happy Birthday to Mom...

Happy Birthday to me...

And then we got to eat...

I don't generally tell people I like lemon meringue pie because technically, I don't, unless my mom makes it. Literally never had a lemon meringue pie I liked made by anyone but my mom. Don't even try to convince me otherwise, haha.

Organization

So, tomorrow is the last day of summer. Remember my goal to organize/clean my house and car before school starts? I put the last touch on my house today with the pantry.

Before:

After:

Yeah pretty shocking.

Hopefully I can fit in car cleaning tomorrow in between a bunch of other errands. I really wish all grocery stores could have the same items for the same prices so I wouldn't feel the need to go to 10. Bah.

Hope everyone had a great weekend!