Running & Reading #3

Hiatus time!  Not from my blog -- just from racing. I love running schedule-free!  This break will be short-lived, though, as the RTO is in 2 short months.  I'm proud to be a Tahoe Trail Babe again this year and need to step up the intensity soon.   

On the reading front, I read Girl on the Train by Paula Hawkins with my book club this month.  It was great!  Not quite as twisted as Gillian Flynn's Gone Girl, but in the same genre.  Now we are reading The Magician's Lies by Greer Macallister -- another thrilling murder mystery!  I'm looking forward to lots of reading time by the pool when we're in Phoenix next week! 
 
                                        

Must Have Been the Marionberry Pie!

I set a new PR at the Napa Valley Marathon today!  While I wish it was as easy as eating a slice of pie, I think I can attribute knocking a few more minutes of my previous best time (at the NYC marathon) to racing wisely.  It certainly wasn't due to my stellar training plan as there wasn't any "training" for this race!  Anyway -- after 11 previous attempts, I finally applied what I know about running a smart marathon.  I didn't go out at lightning speed (thanks, Megs & Joanna!), and I managed to choke down a Gu about every 5 miles or so.  These little details made a big difference in the last few miles.  For once my quads didn't feel as if they were being ripped to shreds with every struggling step toward the finish line.  I am recovering much better too!  As good as I feel right now you'd think I'd be making plans for my next marathon.  I think I'm going to hold off for a while and do some shorter stuff.  Shorter races work better with my crazy schedule right now.

Running & Reading #2

Speaking of my schedule ... I only got around to finishing one book last month.  Free time becomes basically non-existent once the semester gets under way.  Anyway -- I read Bomb: The Race to Build -- and Steal -- the World’s Most Dangerous Weapon by Steve Shiekin.  This nonfiction story takes readers on a behind the scenes adventure of what was happening politically during World War II while also telling of the invention of the atomic bomb.  I loved it!

Running & Reading #1

We welcomed 2015 Hawaiian style again this year.  I love our Hawaiian vacations!  We do hardly anything -- except relax!  So, the first week of January was light on running and heavy on reading.  I love running in shorts and a tank top in January, but it's hard to get motivated to run more than 5 miles by myself and without a familiar route. Plus, it was hot! While I ran just about every day, I didn't log all that many miles.

I did, however, finish 5 books last week!  As part of my Teaching Reading to Older Students class this semester, I have to read 4 young adult novels.  I read 3 of them last week (the first 3 below).  I would do the star rating thing, but I don't think it would be very reliable since I would give all of the books the most stars possible!  Here are a few thoughts, though.  They might sound teacher-y!  

Eleanor & Park by Rainbow Rowell.  
Fun book!  I haven't read 50 Shades of Grey, but this could be the PG-13 version of it.  It's a fun, young romance story -- a modern version of Romeo & Juliet maybe.




The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-time Indian by Sherman Alexie
Funny book with a hopeful message.  Junior, the narrator, talks about his experiences as a Native American in a white school.  If you know a teenage boy who says he doesn't like to read, I'd start him with this book.




A Long Walk to Water by Linda Sue Park
Two stories in one -- great book for any age/grade level!  Both stories, narrated by children, are about the troubles in Sudan.  This book would be perfect for a project-based learning unit.  




I also read ...
Still Alice by Lisa Genova
Loved this book!  It's about a Harvard psychology professor who develops early-onset Alzheimer's.  Ironically, her specialty area is linguistics.  It makes me wish I was studying psychology.  Now I might have to squeeze in some educational psychology classes!



And, my Book Club book, Yellow Star by Jennifer Roy
Another great book for all ages!  This book is about a young Jewish girl growing up in Poland during the Holocaust.  It reminded me of another one of my favorites, Out of the Dust by Karen Hesse, since they are both historical fiction verse novels.




I am currently reading Bomb: The Race to Build – and Steal – the World’s Most Dangerous Weapon by Steve Sheinkin. It's the 4th young adult novel for my class.  So far, so good!  More on this book next time!

I've also started picking up my mileage again.  It's nice to be back home and back into a routine!

Happy 2015!

The beginning of the year is one of my favorite times of the year.  It combines reflecting on the past year and planning for the new year.  Well, 2014 was a very busy year -- but not in the way of running.  Teaching full-time and part-time, being a full-time doc student, and raising a family didn't leave much free time. I was still able to squeeze in a half marathon, the RTO, a few Tahoe trail runs and the NYC marathon, though.  Scratch "busy year" -- 2014 was a very productive year!

In planning for 2015, I've decided to add a little twist to my blog.  Similar to my Karma & Kindness posts that filled my blog in 2013, this year I am adding another favorite hobby to my blog. Stay tuned for my Running & Reading posts!  I'll share a little about the books that I read as I share about my running.  Just as I enjoy every run, I also like every book I read.  So, if you have any suggestions for races or reads, please feel free to send them my way!  Thanks!

Here's to a fun year of running & reading!  Cheers!

      

Snow!

First snowy run!  So beautiful and peaceful!

Blown Away!

Great course -- Amazing fans -- Crazy winds!  

Happy to have finished my 11th marathon!

NYC Marathon!

Getting ready!