Learn | Make | Fix | Run

December, in terms of running, was awful. I ran the Zoom Turkey Trot on Thanksgiving and needed a few days off after the race. I ran on Sunday, December 1. Then, the girls had extra weeknight ballet practice for their Nutcracker performance. I got chased by a dog on December 6; please leash your dog in public or at least pick it up if it chases after someone and that someone stops so you can pick up your dog. After ballet, I was busy preparing for finals and then grading finals. After spending a Saturday decorating the church for Christmas, I finally had a chance to run on Sunday, December 22. I assumed the 12 Days of Fitness occurred during the last 12 days of the month (like in 2023). You need to record 10 20-minute activities for that badge. With a December 22 start date, I figured I could earn the badge by the skin of my teeth. Then I discovered on Christmas Eve that the window was December 15-26. Nonetheless, I decided to chase the other two December running badges, December Time ...

Last year, I made some long-term running goals that I knew were stretches. I got closer to my goal times but did not meet them. I plan to continue to work towards those times. However, I have two new goals to add for 2025. Do Not Take More than 4 Days off from Running Unless I’m injured or just completed a race, my goal is to not have more than 4 days off from running this year. In August 2024, I had 17 days off; in September/October, I had 12 days off; and in December, I had 13 days off. It’s too hard to return to running after so many days off. I’ve read it gets harder to return to running as you get older, meaning staying consistent is more important. None of these days off were due to injury. I need to ensure consistency with my runs because I don’t like starting three steps back after each extended break from running. Strength and Conditioning After fixing my form and injuring myself doing so last year , I noticed the toll running has taken on my glutes and quads. I need to give t...

The last couple of years have been a journey, from leaping from the elementary school principal’s office to diving into the world of instructional design to where I am today. While I did not know what was in store, I’m glad I had the opportunities I experienced in the last two years. In January 2022, the idea of leaving the principal’s office started to form. I believe providence placed me in charge of the school community during the pandemic, and I was the person the community needed to keep everyone safe and learning. As we neared the end of the pandemic, I knew I needed a break after working continuously from August 2019 through June 2022. I could also tell that times were different, and it was an opportunity for the community to rebuild new traditions after the pandemic. Despite these feelings, I was prepared to start the 2022-2023 school year. An incident in March made me think hard about continuing as principal, and I decided to leave my position. During this time of discernment,...

Our 2004 Malibu LT had a slow oil leak. Over the Fourth of July, it progressed to a small puddle of oil in the driveway. It took some time to investigate the cause and a little courage to turn some bolts, but now the car is leak-free. Here’s a recap of what I did. The car was leaking on the front of the engine, which in this car means the passenger side. Observing the area by the crankshaft was difficult because the splash shield is a two-part component. Upon inspection, the front seal looked like it was leaking. I cleaned it up and the boss around the seal, and put the liner back in place. Cleaned front seal and boss. Almost immediately, the car started leaking again. A week later, when I re-inspected the front seal, it was clean, as was the boss. I thought it could be the oil pan gasket, the timing cover gasket, or the oil filter adapter gasket. I cleaned the area around the oil p...

Fueling Whilst Running: It’s Not Limited to Long Runs I usually take fuel in the form of gels for long runs. I typically consume gels during (not before) runs that take me more than an hour and a half. In addition, I will take a gel before the race starts for half-marathons and marathons. Last Saturday, I had a 5K time trial scheduled as part of my training plan. After completing my warmup, which consisted of a 1-mile jog and four strides, I decided to consume a gel. Many factors worked in my favor that day. The weekly mileage was reduced like a cut-back week, and the weather was much cooler. I dialed in my time trial pace from my last attempt (8:20/mi.) and let it rip. I had negative splits and a 2024 PB! I was 5.5 seconds away from a true PB. I averaged 8:09/mi and ran 5K in 25:31. I am still determining how much the gel contributed to my physical performance and whether or not there was a psychological advantage. On Monday, 10x 1/4 Mile Intervals were on my schedule. This workout in...

This summer feels much warmer than last summer. I want to share my not-so-earth-shattering tips for running in the summer. Run Early On these hotter days, I try to get my runs in earlier. The added benefit is that if you run early, your run for the day is already accounted for. Run Late Sometimes, due to other commitments, I can’t run early. I break out the headlamp, and I run late. The run early and run late combination can lead to some interesting phenomena. A couple of weeks ago, my late run was on the day people put their trash out for pickup. My early run was the next morning, and the trash cans were still out there for pickup. This also highlights that some of the runs feel like doubles since there are less than 12 hours between the runs. Keep Easy, Easy On the days I need to run during the heat, I remind myself to take my easy days, easy. If I have a speed workout scheduled for the day, I run the warmup, any recovery periods, and cool downs easy. Leapfrog Towards the Shade As it...

I had two thoughts as I prepared this blog post.  I wish I would have run earlier! Yesterday morning, I went out for a run to beat the afternoon heat. Although I woke up around 7 a.m., I started my run at 9:30 a.m. Part of my hesitation was the lack of desire to run eight quarter-mile intervals at my 5K pace. Of course, once I was out there, I had no problem completing them and was happy with my progress. However, at 9:45 a.m., the sun broke through the clouds. It was not unbearable, but if I started earlier, I could have done the bulk of my workout with partly cloudy skies. I wish I would have started my 10K training sooner! I was looking at my statistics in Garmin Connect and saw that I logged 36.5 miles for the past seven days (July 9-15). The last time I had a volume of miles almost that high was in late April/early May, and those weeks topped out at 33 miles. As I wrapped up my 5K training, I was in a no man’s land regarding a disciplined training plan for about a month and th...