5 things...22 miles...and a number of other things...

Looking at my Facebook feed, I think I must have missed some national running holiday because at least 6 different friends posted pictures from 5k's in at least 6 different locations. Of course, as a running enthusiast (ok...as a complete running dork!) I had to google and find out if national 5k day is a real thing, and it's not, but there is a national running day that happens each June. I'm fairly confident I unknowingly have been a participant the last few years!

Official and unofficial running holidays aside, my first of the Friday five this week has to be a kudos to all those friends who went out and raced this weekend. Fall running is the best; Saturday was a perfect race day, and you all rock for getting off the couch and onto the streets for a weekend jaunt. Kudos! Wish I would have raced!

As it happens, I did run quite a bit this weekend, but not in race mode...more like super training mode. Having plans to go see my family next weekend, I decided not to overlap my visit with my 22 mile training run, so Saturday became the designated day for the longest run of the training schedule. After waking up to frost on the ground and a balmy 38 degrees, I downed my bowl of cereal, donned my "super dorky" endurance running belt (and long sleeves for the first time in a while!) and headed out the door confident that it would be both a long morning, and that the massage I had schedule that afternoon would feel REAAAALLLLY good.

Both things wound up being true. Though the run was long, it wasn't actually that much longer than my 20 mile run last week had been. (I mean...ok...it was 2 miles longer...but timewise it was only about 3 minutes longer). And while I was struggling to walk post-run on Saturday afternoon, the people at Healing Touch Spa did wonders to loosen my legs back up. Also, fun fact, your neck and shoulders get tight after a long run, as holding your arms up in running position gets harder as you get fatigue. Generally speaking however, it was a pretty relaxed day as my run was stress and panic free, and I stayed well within myself and my pace while grinding through the miles.

So today I'm sore, and I limped around in my knee brace for most of the morning. However, with less than a month until I head to Chicago, I'm feeling good about having tackled and broken the 20 mile barrier.

2.

Away from running, this weekend was also the barrier between life pre-musical rehearsals and life heading into musical rehearsals. I wrote last time about the growing pains of getting on with the show at a new school. Well, the show's been cast...the scripts are hopefully in a box on the way enroute from New York,...and we can now get with it. And just because it's cute and fun, here's thing three. 

3. 

4. Wedding preview...I love these flowers!

And last but not least, a huge shout out to J Word for making my birthday this week exceptionally awesome! For someone who didn't make a big deal of birthdays growing up, he stepped up nicely into birthday planning mode. Tickets for a show over fall break...surprise manicure after school...dinner, pictures, and a hilarious operatic version of Happy Birthday at the hibachi steakhouse...movie night...good times!! 

Back to football. 

Happy Trails, 

Here we go again

Today is the one week point of the new Pine Island teaching adventure, and whew! am I glad I had some strong coffee this morning because I've been a running fool today (and not the marathon training kind!)

Last week was, to put it bluntly, a week of pure survival. The kids were great; my coworkers were excellent; I can't complain about anyone specific thing that went wrong or was particularly bad. However, there is just that general feeling of not being fully settled in that comes with starting a new job and getting used to new routines. So, the first 4 days were a bit of a trial by fire...but we all survived and there wasn't a mass exodus of students trying to drop my classes, so this is success.

Well, this week brings a new set of challenges as I continue and try to launch my 2014-2015 school year, and that's the fall musical. To be fair, I've been in almost this same position before. My first year at GET I started the fall play the second week of the school year as well. However, I also had another week of rehearsal between auditions and performances...and it wasn't a musical, which takes about 500 variables out the equation!

So this is a bit of an experiment. Ok...it's a massive experiment! It's like high school theater American ninja warrior...only the fittest have a chance at surviving the gauntlet, and even then, people fall on their faces.

Tonight is the final night of auditions, however. Which means at about 7:00 I'll go home to face a run, a lot of difficult choices...and we'll see if my traditional "casting night pizza" takes place. I wouldn't want to mess with a successful formula after all!

As to the show itself, well, I have a lot of learning to do even about that. But I do know it's pretty cute. I mean, come on guys, who doesn't love the ugly duckling...set to music...? Seriously!?

On with the show...well show auditions...well...oh whatever!

Happy Trails, 

When training isn't enough.

Two weeks ago, my marathon training reached the first of, what I consider, two key stages. It was the first 20 mile run, and though double digit runs stopped scaring me a while ago, seeing that first number change from a one to a two still does something to the psyche that's hard to explain.

The week prior I had run 18 great miles in La Crosse, coming in right on pace and feeling pretty good throughout. It had been hot and muggy, already 75 degrees at 6AM with a dew point around 63. I didn't have the right pre-run or in-run nutrition. Yet, the run itself was a major success.

So heading into the next long run, I should have been in a great place to break the 20 mile barrier without much of an issue, or so I would have thought...until it actually came to facing the run. As it turns out, my first 20 mile run lasted just 9 miles. I woke up to rain, so postponed the run a few hours until the skies cleared. I waited too long and the temperature climbed in the uncomfortable range. I'd eaten the wrong food the night before, and it sat heavy in my stomach for the first 5 miles. I couldn't find a rhythm; I couldn't settle into my pace; I was sick to my stomach at mile 7 and was walking by mile 8. Dejected, I went home, showered and iced, and pondered what had gone wrong?

I recently came across a quote about marathon running that said, "You have to forget your last marathon before you try another. Your mind can't know what's coming." In considering how many things went wrong two weeks ago, I can't help but agree that physical training alone is not enough. There was no reason that my body, which had suffered yet survived 18 miles just seven days earlier, couldn't have slogged through another 18 miles. My training hadn't slipped; I hadn't lost fitness. I was physically r sound to complete the training run I was supposed to complete.

Mentally however, something was off (and here those who know me well, or think that running a marathon sounds like crazy talk anyway, are nodding their heads profusely). To tackle such a run is to knowingly subject yourself to exhaustion, and pain, and a long period of time with your own thoughts, and sometimes those thoughts provide the greatest pep talks in the world, and other times, and other times they question your motives, and your sanity, and you will to continue.

The "wall" that's talked about in a marathon, is not a physical barrier...it's mental. The moment you hit the wall your body aches, your legs are jello, the idea of taking another step is as agonizing as the step itself. At the same time, I found that by the time I reached my "wall" my body had also gone into a kind of running autopilot mode in which shuffling along to the next step it was actually easier than slowing down to a complete walk. The "wall" is the moment in which you much convince yourself to continue mentally. It's agreeing to put up with another mile of pain and like it. It's about choosing to suffer in the name of finishing, and it's about trusting your training. Running a marathon is physically demanding, but more challenging then that is deciding to start training, keep running, and no quit when all reason and common sense says to throw in the towel.

Two weeks ago, I did not do that well, and in the six days leading up to my next 20 mile attempt, I treated my training as mental exercise as much as physical exercise. I took off my watch and focused on the quality and "feel" of the run instead of the split times. I adjusted my pace when I felt I could run faster, not when the clock told me I was failing to keep up. I logged four runs I felt good about before trying to take on 20 miles again, four runs that were stress free and comfortable and reminded the voices in my head how it felt not to panic the moment my muscles strained, or my heart rate increased, or my breathing quickened.

Yesterday, I retried the 20 mile mark, and had a much more successful outing. I changed my route from the weekend prior. Ran the same continuous 2 mile loop for 6 miles while I settled into a pace and rhythm, then reset my watch to ignore the amount of time it took to get settled in, and ran the last 14 miles in the comfortable confidence of someone locked in on their training. There was no panic. There was no doubt. And though there was pain and struggle, the voices in my head offered only reassuring bits of encouragement.

There's only so much one can do for the mental side of the race. Running coaches and psychologists might suggest visualizations, positive mental imaging, repetition of a mantra, meditation, etc. Regardless of the methodology, there can be little doubt that it's as important of a factor to address as the physical run itself. Running the race...crossing the finish...your legs will get you there. Talking yourself into showing up at the start line...that's all in your head.

Happy Trails,

Back to school!

Well guys (and by guys here, I mean the readership in general, not just the males. When one teaches journalism/media, one must become very sensitive to gender biased language!)...

...it happened. Classes started, and the kids showed up again, and I launched a new year at a new high school, and my alarm clock got a workout for the first time in 2 1/2 months, and it was terrifying and brilliant and overwhelming and all the emotions at once.

As for first day jitters, it was a different kind of nervousness that marked the beginning of this school year. The first year or so I taught it was a general, "I don't know what I'm doing, and the kids are going to figure that out, and I'm going to make a fool of myself" kind of anxiety that brought on the back to school nightmares. Then I realized I was actually pretty good at what I do (and that I made a fool of myself everyday regardless of how hard I tried to be cool!) and back to school fears subsided into a general sense of anxiousness that was as much excited as anything. One thing I never felt quite as strongly as I did this year, however, was stress. There is a certain amount of stress that comes with uprooting your career and dropping it in a new location, learning new procedures, reacquainting yourself with standards and evaluation cycles and probationary teaching responsibilities, not recognizing a single student's face on day one, knowing that it will be at least a few weeks before you're comfortable with names, which is unfortunate because you need to hold musical auditions next week, and all the while realizing that you've dropped yourself into this new world with a stellar professional reputation (that's why you were hired after all,) and, as the superintendent mentioned in her in service address, you are expected to be exceptional...not just average.

So, when on day 1 I couldn't find a parking spot, and my first hour class caught the typo in my syllabus, and half of my freshman struggled to get set up and signed in with their tablets, and I walked in circles looking for the various places I had to turn in forms, drop off paperwork, etc. I wasn't exactly feeling like pushing 'reset' on my entire career was the best professional choice I had ever made. (Being able to go home and cry to J-Word about it confirms a great personal choice...but he doesn't come to work with me).

But life goes on...and the week goes on...we've made it to Friday and with my classes arranged nicely in user friendly seating charts to help me learn 100 names, and my freshman getting settled in to new high school routines, and my Media/Journalism class getting along nicely with discussions and my stories from my days on the editorial board at UW-La Crosse, things are looking up.

Beyond that, it's Friday, so work week aside, it's time to relax, refresh, and reset because Monday will be here soon enough!

So, let's look to this week's list.

1. The number 1 thing on the list also happens to be my number 1 reason for being excited about this upcoming weekend. Are you ready for some football? Ok, to be fair, my beloved Green Bay Packers tanked last night...and if J-Word's Vikings play well and win, I'll never hear the end of it...but I'm pumped up anyway! Football = great fun, and this year it also = lots of fantasy league play. I'm not saying I'm going to win; I'm just saying it's sure to be a good time.

2. Last night J-Word and I finalized the last of our wedding party which is both exciting and a relief because, whew, that 's a stressful process. I'd like to create a new reality TV show where a bride and groom go live in a villa with everyone they've ever met that is important to them and therefore in consideration for the wedding party. Said people would then compete in challenges proving their knowledge of and loyalty to the bride and groom, and each week someone would be sent home until the wedding party was set. From the producers of the Bachelor, Bachelorette, Bachelor in Paradise, and Bachelor Pad, welcome to the new season of Bachelor All Wishing You Could Be in the Wedding! (That's terrible pun!) ;)

3. I hate roller coasters. In fact, amusement parks in general rarely amuse me. So when I saw this list published this week, I found I was already a little queasy without having boarded a single ride. However, if you're the kind of thrill seeker looking to overdose on thrill ride adrenaline, the latest list of physics defying amusements rides, might be right up your alley.

4. Back to football, this time with a fun infographic linking teams to the geographic region where they're most frequently liked and followed on social media outlets. No real surprises here...

5. And last but not least, thank you Buzzfeed for this play by play of what it is like when a 31 year old watches Harry Potter for the first time. I'm a big HP fan...but the captioned commentary included is just plain funny! 

Weekend...and...GO! I'm in for 20 miles tomorrow as Chicago Marathon training continues. Last week was a bit of a bust (more on that later), so I'm looking for a good recovery run! 

Don't forget football on Sunday and, oh yeah...

Happy Trails!

The Friday Five

TGI-kick off to the long weekend-F!

It's back to school and back to blogging as the new year is ready to roll just on the other side of the Labor Day weekend. Friday's have meant many different things in my blogging world. For a while, they were just another day. Then, they became Friday Kudos, my weekly dose of gratitude and acknowledgement of the awesomeness happening around me. After that came the Friday list, which was pretty cool, but had nothing to do with either heels or sneakers most of the time.

So, here at 'Going the Distance' I'm once again changing the Friday format to a sort of blog catch all called 'The Friday Five.' 'The Friday Five' actually comes from an idea I've been using in my classroom for the last two years which I call Two Things Tuesday. "TTT" was two random things with which I'd start class in an effort to counteract recent scientific findings that Tuesday is the most depressing day of the week. (Hate Mondays? Think I'm making it up? Read this.) Coincidentally, on my end of the year student surveys, most of classes though the best (and sometimes only) reason for coming to my class was "TTT," so even if they learned nothing about literature, or grammar, or the art of public speaking, at least they weren't depressed on Tuesday!

That worked great in a block schedule when taking six or seven minutes at the start of class was no big deal. This year I'm switching to an 8 period day, and that will require rationing my class time a little differently. I'd hate to ditch the whole idea because, let's face it, Tuesday will still continue to be depressing, and  students will continue to enjoy things that have nothing to do with the subject they are in class to learn about. So this year "TTT" has become "That One Thing" where I will share that one thing that you see every week that's so unbelievable that you just have to see it again.

And what does any of this have to do with 'The Friday Five'? Well, every week I had about 5 things that I could have used for Two Things Tuesday, and now that I'm cutting it down even further, where will I share my internet findings and follies? Good thing I have this blog space that people inexplicably subscribe to and read!

So the Friday Five could be a kudos, a random finding, this week's "one thing," or anything else that seems vaguely relevant to just about anything. Like I said, it's a catch all, and did you catch these things this week?

1. First, a kudos, and a big shout out to my new colleagues at Pine Island High School who have been back at it and helping me get comfortable and organized the last two weeks. The school feels like a pretty good fit, and I'm working with terrific people so bring on the new year!



2. From the department of 'we got bored, did something, and became an internet hit,' the people at BrainJet cut a bunch of everyday objects in half, photographed them, and posted them on their blog. It's actually a pretty simple concept, but some of the results were pretty darn cool. In fact, this camera lens is downright amazing!

 

3.  YEEESSSS!!!

4. This one time...the creator of Hello Kitty came out and told the world that Hello Kitty was not a cat but was actually a human girl. This really happened! Read it! I don't think my mind has been this blown since the day I realized my sister's fluffy, white stuffed animal (non-creatively named 'Lamby') was actually a seal!! (Making the name Lamby much more interesting!)

5. I googled "Fuzzy Lamb Seal" trying to find a picture of the mysterious child's toy so that you could all appreciate the confusion. No luck, but I did find this!

 

That little icon on the top isn't actually to far off!

Go long weekend! Look for the school stories to start next week!  

Happy Trails, 

 

Heels or Sneakers is now...

To my dearest readers: 

Happy late summer greetings one and all, and welcome to the new face of 'Heels or Sneakers'!

Three years ago, I started 'Heels or Sneakers' as a running record (and a "running record") of my journey into teaching and distance running. I wrote my first post on a day much like today...just a few days before teacher in-service started, and just a week or so after the Madison Mini Marathon, which, at the time, was my very first distance event. I had no idea how long it would last (that is the blog...and running...and teaching...all at the same time), but three years later, 'Heels or Sneakers' has over 35,000 page views and a commendable little internet following.

As I looked back over the last three years of posts, it was funny to see how the tone, attitude, and personality of my writing evolved along with the evolution of my career and my personal athletic endeavours. Though the intent of this blog was to follow the exploits of teacher and runner, at times it has commented on politics, personal stories, friends and family, and life in general. On the whole, I tried to stay true to my original purpose, as I grew into my role as teacher, my pursuits as runner, and a better understanding of myself as an individual, I found my themes expanded into an array of topics beyond just my launch into young adulthood. As I look to the year ahead, I can only imagine the realm of stories and experiences will continue to expand. I'm starting a brand new job. I moved. I'm planning a wedding. I'll launch a new theatre program in a brand new auditorium.

'Heels or Sneakers' saw the trials and tribulations of a first year teacher. It saw 10 half marathons, 5 triathlons, and Chicago 2013. It saw 6 sets of director's notes and main stage productions. 'Heels or Sneakers' saw me become the person I wanted to be when I first sat down and decided to tell my stories. In essence, 'Heels or Sneakers' has done its job and can be retired.

But there are bound to be more stories! After all,there's the 2014-2015 school year, the new challenges of a new 'first year,' another marathon, wedding plans and future plans, and the bevy of other life is destined to throw into the mix. Thus, we've come full circle to the aforementioned "new face" of the blog. Re-branded and re-launced, 'Going the Distance' is everything 'Heels or Sneakers' once was, plus the exciting new adventures on the horizon. More stories, more miles, more Friday lists, more race recaps, more of the good things in life with the good people I share them with.

Come walk another mile in my shoes...you can still pick the pair!

Happy Trails,

Heels or Sneakers...or Glass Slippers

Brace yourself! Musical auditions for G-E-T's "Cinderella" started tonight, and that means that in addition to the school stories and training updates that go with the Heels or Sneakers territory, rehearsal/directing/stage designing/set building craziness are now fair game as well. That there's a FABULOUS pair of shoes at the heart of the "Cinderella" story makes it just about perfect!

To be clear, we are talking the real Cinderella...not that the Disney animated version isn't real, and that Whitney Houston and Brandi didn't do a great job with the remake in the 90s, but this is the Rogers and Hammerstein original script/score, which, consequently, was actually a made for TV musical and only later adapted for the stage (and only opened on Broadway for the first time this year!). So there's a theatre fun fact for you.

Another theatre fun fact: Julie Andrews was the original Cinderella, which is also perfect because I LOVE Julie Andrews.

And speaking of Julie Andrews!

Like how I did that? Pretty good segue, huh!?

Julie Andrews was also the original Mary Poppins, and as long as we're talking about theatre, I have to go on record and say that "Mary Poppins" at the Overture Center was phenomenal last weekend! In typical theatre nerd style, I sat through most of the show trying to figure out how they did what they did on stage. Mary Poppins flew in and out on her umbrella and performed all kinds of magic on stage, Bert danced across the rooftops of London and walked upside down on the ceiling, and there was lots of kite flying in the park.

There was also this delightful and ever popular musical number, which could, no doubt, spark about 300,000 Youtube video tutorials on how to do the dance. I'll just show you the clip of the dancers demonstrating the moves as you all, certainly, know the words to the song!

Oh what the heck! They performed live on British television! Here. Watch the whole thing!!

And because we're on the musical theatre video kick, a preview of Cinderella magic!

Happy Trails,