Two worlds collide

Last week, I took a sub job as an Intervention Specialist at a high school. Usually, that would mean that I would sit in on other teachers' classes and provide extra support to a few students who read slowly, have trouble staying on task, are disorganized, etc. due to issues beyond laziness and typical teenage angst. On this particular day though, it turned out I was covering for the lead teacher in a classroom with students who have low incidence disabilities (Down Syndrome, autism, cerebral palsy, etc.). And, we were going on a field trip! Fortunately, all the extra support staff (nurses, para-professionals) were very helpful, and the teacher I was there for would only be out for a morning meeting. She was coming back before we left for the trip. They let me stay though and help out.

As it turned out, the field trip was to Petsmart and Target, the very same Target where I started working just a week and a half earlier. The kids looked through store ads before we left and made shopping lists of items to look for when we got there. They spend a lot of time working on life skills in class, and shopping is a life skill. Imagine that! I felt a little strange waving to co-workers and managers, saying "yeah, this is my other job," but I really had a good time with the kids. It turned out to be a good thing they brought me along too because while we were there one of the students got sick and another had an "accident" when he didn't get to the restroom in time. Paramedics were called in for the sick student, and after numerous phone calls and voicemails were left, the mother finally responded and came to pick him up. Those incidents required a number of staff, so I was left with a group of students to wander around Target finding prices for things like Pepsi and mac n' cheese. Eventually, we made it back to school safe and sound, but it will probably remain the most interesting day of my subbing career.

Becoming a runner

Spring is here and not a moment too soon. I've been blessed with beautiful weather for most of my recent runs. Last week, I stayed on track with training: 4 miles on Monday, 2 on Tuesday, 4 on Wednesday (it was supposed to be 5, but I didn't realize until later), and 10 on Saturday. That 10 hung over my head all week long. I knew it was coming, I knew it was two miles farther than I'd ever run before, but I wasn't afraid or anxious. I was simply anticipating. I was curious about how it would go, how I would feel. Since Saturday ended up being pretty warm, I decided not to take Polo. The first six miles felt really great, but around the seven mile mark, my quads were feeling really tight, so I took a very short stretching break. It definitely helped, as the next two miles felt much better. The last mile was tough, but I just kept reminding myself that I was about to finish a 10 mile run, and that kept me motivated.

This week is going well so far. Monday- 4, Tuesday- 2, Wednesday- 6. Saturday is supposed to be another 10 mile long run, but I have choir practice in the morning, and I have to work from 2-9:30. Since it doesn't look like I will have much time, I will probably move the run up to tomorrow. It's gray and rainy today, but tomorrow the sun should be back. Lucky me :)

What has been really interesting for me is how much my perspective has changed. Three miles used to be a standard run for me. Now, a four, five, even six mile run feels standard. "Oh, it's just five miles," I think instead of "FIVE miles?!" My mom asked me when I was home for Christmas if I would have ever imagined that one day I would be a runner (I was about as unathletic as you get growing up). The funny thing is, even though I had been running fairly regularly for three years, I still didn't consider myself a "runner." What or who is a "runner"? To me, it was someone who was much more serious and much more in shape than I. Me? I just went out for a short jog every now and then because it's cheaper than joining a gym and I need to burn all the calories I eat. That's starting to change. In just the last week or two, I think I've started to come around to the idea that I may just be a "runner." Whatever it is, I'm starting to feel like one.

My new favorite book

First published in 2008, The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society hit the number one spot on the New York Times bestseller list in May 2009 (trade paperback fiction). I have been hearing about this book for a long time and meaning to read it. I've seen it on countless trips to Barnes & Noble and thought about picking it up. I don't know what took me so long, but I finally requested it from the library last month and finished reading it last week. Now, I plan to go buy my own copy. That's how much I love this book.

Briefly:

January 1946: writer Juliet Ashton receives a letter from a stranger, a founding member of the Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society. And so begins a remarkable tale of the island of Guernsey during the German occupation, and of a society as extraordinary as its name.*

In detail:

“I wonder how the book got to Guernsey? Perhaps there is some sort of secret homing instinct in books that brings them to their perfect readers.” January 1946: London is emerging from the shadow of the Second World War, and writer Juliet Ashton is looking for her next

book subject. Who could imagine that she would find it in a letter from a man she’s never met, a native of the island of Guernsey, who has come across her name written inside a book by Charles Lamb….

As Juliet and her new correspondent exchange letters, Juliet is drawn into the world of this man and his friends—and what a wonderfully eccentric world it is. The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society—born as a spur-of-the-moment alibi when its members were discovered breaking curfew by the Germans occupying their island—boasts a charming, funny, deeply human cast of characters, from pig farmers to phrenologists, literature lovers all.

Juliet begins a remarkable correspondence with the society’s members, learning about their island, their taste in books, and the impact the recent German occupation has had on their lives. Captivated by their stories, she sets sail for Guernsey, and what she finds will change her forever.

Written with warmth and humor as a series of letters, this novel is a celebration of the written word in all its guises, and of finding connection in the most surprising ways.**

Read an excerpt

I found the characters enchanting, the voice of each in their letters was distinct and made me feel they were real people- people I wanted to meet and befriend.

* http://www.randomhouse.com/rhpg/guernsey//book/

** http://www.abebooks.com/Guernsey-Literary-Potato-Peel-Pie-Society/1249191848/bd

A busy barista

I have so much to share from the last week and a half.

I've been wanting a second job since subbing can be irregular, so I applied around town and found one at Target. I went in for an interview on Wednesday, March 3rd, was hired that day, and went to orientation on Thursday. I trained as a cashier on Friday night and spent the rest of the week training at Starbucks, which is where I will mostly be working. That's right, I'm finally a barista ;) It's been a whirlwind of a week since then as I still took several sub jobs, tried to keep up with marathon training, and prepared for out-of-town guests who came this weekend.

I knew I needed to be flexible this week. On Monday, I subbed and then worked at Starbucks until 9:30pm, but I was committed to fitting in a run, so I went out for 2 miles when I got home that night. I decided to go for 4 miles on Tuesday to make up for it, and since I only subbed and was free that afternoon, it worked out well. On Wednesday, I had the morning free, so I went for the scheduled 4 mile run and then worked a 4-9:30 shift at Starbucks. I was pretty tired and sore (especially since I haven't gotten around to getting those new shoes I need), but I was happy with myself for staying dedicated. I worked both jobs on Thursday, but on Friday I only subbed in the morning. Since I knew my friends would be arriving on Friday evening, I moved my long run up a day. I spent some time in the afternoon shopping and cleaning the house in preparation. By the time I got out for my run, I was worried that I wouldn't be back before my friends arrived, so I cut it a little short, not by too much though (7.3 miles instead of 8). It was really tough only having the one rest day, but I survived and learned that flexibility and mental will power will be key to getting through this program. Positive self-talk is SO important to accomplishing anything in life. It's like that poster I see in so many classrooms: Whether you think you can or can't, you're right.

My training schedule was supposed to be
Monday 4 miles
Tuesday 2 miles
Wednesday 4 miles
Thursday off
Friday off
Saturday 8 miles

My actual runs
Monday 2 miles
Tuesday 4 miles
Wednesday 4 miles
Thursday off
Friday 7.3 miles
Saturday off

With all my running out of the way, I was free to enjoy the weekend. Four of my old roommates from New York drove out to visit Michael and me. We took them to Columbus' famous Schmidt's Sausage Haus in the German Village for dinner Friday night. We had good food and a great time. We ordered three of their acclaimed cream puffs to go, as we couldn't pass them up but were too stuffed to eat them then. On Saturday morning we went to the North Market to walk around and ate breakfast at Taste from Belgium (mmm, yummy waffles!). Since it was a gloomy, rainy day, Michael and I decided to take our guests to the Franklin Park Conservatory as we heard it was a good rainy day activity. In addition to the beautiful plants and indoor landscaping, they have a great collection of Chihuly artwork throughout the conservatory, and we really enjoyed the outing.

I unfortunately had to work a six hour closing shift Saturday night, so Michael played host alone. They went to see Alice in Wonderland, ate an Irish meal in downtown Dublin, and enjoyed Jeni's ice cream for dessert. I don't know how it happened or who decided it would be a good idea, but after only four training shifts under my belt, I was left alone from 5:30 to close on a busy Saturday night. I don't think I messed up anybody's drinks, and I think I cleaned everything the way I was supposed to before I left, which is the most they can probably expect from me at this point.

Sunday morning, we just took a walk down to the Olentangy river (about a mile from our house) with Polo, and then finally enjoyed those cream puffs before everyone piled back in the car to drive back to the city. Despite the fact that the week may seem hectic, I loved it. I really like the new job and was thrilled to spend some time with great friends.

Marathon Training: Week One

Today, I completed the long run for the first week of my marathon training. I chose to use the program designed by Nike+ because it is really easy to track my progress. It's 28 weeks long, which means I should be ready by September 11, 2010. The marathon I'm signing up for isn't actually until October 17th, but I'm building extra weeks into the program to account for vacations and possible illnesses.

Week one consisted of a 3 mile run on Monday, 2 miles on Tuesday, 4 miles on Wednesday, and 8 miles today (Saturday). I was a bit tired on Monday but felt great. Tuesday was awesome because I felt really good, it was a short run, and I had one of my best paces yet (average 8'56"/mi). Wednesday, however, I felt sluggish and my knees started to hurt. I realized that I really need to get new shoes because my current ones have lost their cushioning and support. Nonetheless, I had an awesome long run today. The weather has been terribly cold and cloudy for far too long, but today the sun came out bright and shining and the temperature was up in the high 40's. So much snow has melted that I got to run along the river, which made Polo very muddy but also provided great scenery. The toughest parts were mile 3.5-4 and mile 7-8, which were both uphill. I think I just finally felt to feel tired during that last mile, but Polo kept up a good pace the whole time and looked like he was doing fine. It took us a total of 1hr. 20min, and I'm quite content with that pace. I know they won't all be this easy, but this was a great way to finish my first week of training.

Road running, traffic, and snow

Ever since my favorite running paths were covered with more than six inches of snow, I've been forced to stick to the roads. I looked for and found a few roads that get plowed yet have minimal traffic. Since there is still too much snow and slush on the unshoveled sidewalks (come on, neighbors!) for my taste, I sometimes have to share the roads with cars. I read recently on a running website that runners should go against the flow of traffic for safety reasons. I actually like this better because it keeps Polo on my left side and keeps me between him and any cars. I also get to wave to the drivers, which I see as my way of saying "Hi there, thanks for sharing the road and not running into me and my dog."

The snow is melting though. Yay! The streets are all clear now and most of the sidewalks are okay, but paths in the closest parks are still covered. The forecast is for warmer temperatures (40's) for the next week, so hopefully, the last of the snow will be gone soon.