Thursday, June 20, 2013

It's the final countdown....

 These are the final, bittersweet days all teachers can relate to.  I say "bittersweet" with caution, seeing that it is mostly sweet;  but a bitter road to get there!  This year my district, as well as many others in the Northeast had to take many snow/ storm days to accommodate snow removal, power outages and hurricane Sandy.  This means our slotted last day, Wednesday, June, 19th, was moved to Wednesday,  June 26th to make up the time.  It is the law that we need to be in school for 180 days, but lets just say these last few days are TORTURE for all involved!
  Regardless of the road to get there, I am VERY excited for summer, and the well-awaited time beyond the classroom.  I look forward to summer to establish my own routine and hone in on my workouts.  I am one of those people who prefer morning workouts, but my 7-2:30 schedule does not permit this from September to June.  Now that summer is here,  my schedule is MUCH more flexible, and I look forward to incorporating more of a variety and more time to my workout regime.

A few things to look forward to....

Bikram Yoga Falmouth:
  I had never taken a yoga class as of last June, nor had I ever heard of Bikram Yoga.  A friend of mine fell in love with a new studio in town, Bikram Yoga Falmouth.  To top it off, they were offering a resident and new client special, making this a very affordable habit ( or in my case addiction!).  I started and was instantly hooked!  In fact, I was often choosing to attend a Bikram class over going for a run, and  I adore morning summer runs!  I bought an unlimited month-long pass and used is almost daily.  I love the determination it takes to make it through the class, the mindfulness needed to achieve some of the poses and the euphoric feeling once the well-earned savasana comes my way!  Although I had a great experience at Bikram Yoga Falmouth, I did not have the same experience at a studio closer to my winter home.  I went a few times, and quickly realized  it wasn't for me.  I recently bought a ten class card to BYF to use over the last few weeks of school.  I was instantly drawn back in.  Although I am rusty at most of the 26 positions, I am eager to improve. Bikram is a mind game for me, similar to running.  I need to work on my own athletic confidence, and I think this is the perfect place!

SUP:
  Stand up paddle boarding is something Mark and I have been very interested in, since we saw it while traveling in the BVI.  For those of you who have never seen it, it is essentially a long board that you stand on with a paddle.  Stand up Paddle Boarding or SUP requires balance, core strength and muscular legs; making it an excellent workout!  It is also fun and cool on a hot day.  Last year Mark bought me an inflatable board to practice on.  I am sure it is not the "best of the best", but it is great for learning.  It is also lightweight so I can easily carry it down to the beach by myself.  This week I bought a living social deal to take a lesson in Buttermilk Bay (Bourne, Ma), to ensure my technique is correct before I start practicing on my own.  I am looking forward to a new athletic hobby, and perhaps even something Mark and I could do together.
Stand up Paddle Boarding in Oak Bluffs!

I never realized I was so color coordinated!

Training for the Falmouth Road Race:
  This is the first year I am running the Falmouth Road Race as "myself" in a really long time.  Yes I will admit I have broken the rules in past years and run as an "alias", but this year I am in!  For those not familiar with the race, it is a seven mile run that follows the coastline from Woods Hole to Falmouth Heights.  The race is crowded and hot, but attracts QUITE the crowd!  It is a family tradition for many people to watch the runners, barbecue, drink and cheer even if they do not have anyone they know running!  The streets are closed for the majority of the morning, and the seven mile costal jaunt attracts over 10,000 runners.  In order to organize the runners thought the narrow roads, especially in Woods Hole, they separate you into corrals and stagger the start time.  The wheelchair and elite runners go first, and then they sort of organize the rest of us accordingly.  I think coral two may be by time, but after that  it may just be by signup time.

Did I mention it was "wet"???

<3!!!!
 Mark and I were in coral five last year, the second to group to start.  We crossed the starting line with almost 19 minutes already on the clock!  The race was wet (it had rained that morning), and crowded, but we made decent time.  We ran it in 1 hr and 6 minutes. This past fall we ran the same route in the Falmouth in the Fall Race in 59:58.  I would like to run closer to an hour this summer, so I am excited to start training on the actual route.

Hope you all stay cool today!
xoxo,
Jeanie
(Disclaimer****  These thoughts are my own.  I was not paid by any of the above companies to write this post)

Question of the day:  What exercise plans do you have for this summer?

Websites you may be interested in:
Bikram Yoga Falmouth's Webpage
The Falmouth Road Race Webpage

4 comments:

  1. My district also had days added because of Hurricane Sandy- it's been a long year but thankfully our last day is tomorrow. Enjoy your last few days!
    My exercise plans also include yoga- I bought a package from a local studio and am anxious to get started!

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    1. Good for you! My girlfriend teaches at a charter school in Brooklyn and they missed many many days for the storm as well! Stinks. Congrats on the yoga purchase. It will be worth the wait:)

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  2. My exercise plans this summer include continuing with Boot Camp, which I signed up for the first time this spring and found I love it! Also, continue to build up my mileage to train for the Providence Rock 'n Roll 1/2 Marathon in September. Its been a long time since I've felt good enough to run longer distances so this feels good! The challenge will be getting the mileage in while being home with the kids. I need to find some good local bike paths that they can ride their bikes on while I run. Can't wait for "sleeping in" to begin!

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    1. The Rock and Roll events are so fun! Good luck with the bike paths. Below I included two links I found helpful while training for the Boston Brain Tumor ride. If you are local they could be fun to visit ;)

      (Rhode Island)http://www.rigreenways.org/paths/g-way-mp.htm

      (MA)http://www.mass.gov/dcr/recreate/biking.htm

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