My Costco Addiction

It's a well known fact among my friends that I have a serious Costco addiction! The closest Costco to my house is a 25 minute drive away but I probably make it out there twice a month for my Costco staples (best rotisserie chicken ever for only $5) and to peruse the aisles to see what I don't need to buy but suddenly can't live without. With the new school year around the corner, I've been spending quite a bit of time in the office supply section and I was thrilled to see these adorable bug eye pens. Of course I had to have them and it took all of my will power to limit myself to one package.

I haven't decided yet if I'm going to give each student one as part of their welcome to the new school year gift bag or use them for rewards. Because I have a self contained classroom, I'll have the same six students all day so it's cheaper for me to give all my students freebies than it is for most teachers. It was about $13 for the package, so a little over a dollar per pen, more than I like to spend but these were to cute to resist.

I also indulged on a package of mechanical pencils because it was only $8 for a package of 72 with enough color choices to keep everyone happy. I'm definitely going to give each student two at the beginning of the year and use the rest for rewards.

My last school supply purchase was a writing essentials kit which was on sale for less than $7. I love writing and grading with colored pens so this is perfect to start the school year with.

Exploring the Neighborhood

I am happy to share that I had my longest training run yet this morning! Not only was I finally able to crank out 12 miles,  I actually averaged a 9:20 pace which gives me hope for keeping a 9:00 pace on marathon day because it should be significantly cooler in NC in November than it is in Tampa this summer.

This was also the longest run I have embarked on from my house. I've been doing a 6 mile out and back route fairly consistently but decided to try a different, longer route from home instead of driving to meet a running group. (30 extra minutes of sleeping has become a rare indulgence.) I ran from Seminole Heights through downtown Tampa, not exactly scenic, but the miles went by quickly and I finally answered the question, how far is Bayshore Blvd. from my house? Almost exactly 3.5 miles, close to my estimate. After leaving downtown, I enjoyed running along Tampa Bay for 5 miles. No dolphin sightings, but I always feel inspired seeing so many other runners and bikers out on Bayshore and I love being by the water. I returned to my neighborhood via Florida Avenue which I probably wouldn't do again, since there is no shoulder to run on and the sidewalk is poorly maintained. But I will definitely be running from my house to Bayshore again, especially as my training runs get even longer.

I also learned an important running lesson today: don't eat Vietnamese food the night before a long run! My friends and I decided to try a restaurant we hadn't been to before, Pho Quyen. The food was delicious and reasonably priced so I would highly recommend the restaurant on any other night besides the night before a long run. Luckily, a very nice hotel employee at the downtown Marriott Inn let me use their bathroom. Planning at least one pit stop on a long run is crucial!

Once I made it back home, right before the lightning storms started again, I cooked up a delicious breakfast of dairy-free chocolate chip pancakes and turkey bacon. I love to reward myself with food after a long run. Hence, I understand why my students like to have external rewards on occasion for their hard work too!

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Welcome

Since I have a lot of exciting changes coming up in my life, I thought this would be the perfect time to jump on the blogging bandwagon! I love teaching and running, and finally decided to stop procrastinating and start a blog focusing on both of my passions. I have lots of experience teaching special education, but this fall I will be teaching at an elementary school for the first time. I'm going to have a self contained classroom with fourth and fifth graders who have intellectual disabilities and I can't wait to meet them! August 25th is the big day.

Before I start my new teaching job, I'm traveling to Europe, another first for me! One of my closest friends, and college roommate, lives in Delft so I am spending 10 days with her and her family. I will finally get to meet her two beautiful daughters and of course I am looking forward to running in the cooler climate. Running in Tampa's humidity this summer has been quite a challenge to say the least. I like to think running one mile here is equivalent to two miles anywhere else.

I am currently training for my fourth marathon, the Outer Banks Marathon, on November 8, 2015. My goal is to finish in under four hours but my personal record so far was a 4:17:48 in Steamtown. Per a friend's recommendation, I'm following Hal Higdon's Personal Best marathon training guide. I'm jumping in at week 14 but better late than never! I have to be honest, I'm not always disciplined about following a running plan but I know realistically I probably won't make my goal without running five days a week and sticking to the plan. I miraculously ran the 2014 New Orleans Rock and Roll half in 1:48:13 and since I'm fairly certain I didn't skip a mile, I'm hopeful I can achieve my marathon goal.