Hi everyone! Friday is finally here, and it brings another round of the Friday Five Linkup with Mar, Courtney, and Cynthia! This week’s theme is “Five Good Things” and I’ve decided to focus on 5 good things in my life right now! It’s spring in Alaska and I feel like I’m in a good mood all the time, mostly because of these things:
1. My job: Seriously, how many people can say that? My coworkers are amazing (we run together, have bi-monthly potluck lunches, and are even doing a race together this summer!) and I feel so supported and appreciated every day. And it helps that we’re doing some pretty awesome stuff and I’m so passionate about what I do! My students were beyond amazing this week and I’m starting to get sad that school is over in one month. Can’t they just stay with me forever?
2. Girls on the Run: My kiddos are CRAZY sometimes (in the best way possible – so much energy!) but every day is so much fun! The goal is to help prepare them to run a 5k at the beginning of May, and some girls are already really close to running 3 miles in our 30 minute workouts. We have them make a lap goal each day, and then they count laps using beads on a pipe cleaner “bracelet” – we give them a bead every time they run around the track. Does anyone want to do that for me on my next run? 🙂 We also learned about cooperation and standing up for yourself this week so they get some good life lessons too. I can’t say enough good things about this program!
Sidewalk art by my students!
3. Coffee: This is nothing new. But oh man, am I loving it this week. Current fav: Wawa Pumpkin Spice K-Cups that my sister in law sent me at Christmas. It makes me feel like I’m back home!
4. Reality TV: All of my favorite shows are on right now, and I am so incredibly happy about it. Teen Mom OG, Catfish, Dance Moms, Married At First Sight…it’s all good right now!
5. New Running Plans: I’ve got less than a month until official Her Tern Half training begins, but I’m taking some steps now to make sure that I get faster and stronger over the summer. I’ve been running shorter but faster runs, as well as hill repeats (honestly, not as bad as I thought). I didn’t talk about it earlier this week because I was still trying to figure stuff out, but I just started an Intro to Pilates Boot Camp last weekend! I’m still not sure how I feel about it, but I’m giving it a shot to see if it’s something I want to stick with. I feel like I’m constantly trying to fill the void that Barre3 left in my life, and neither yoga or Pilates is really doing it. But I’m going to stick it out for a while to see if I can make it work. I’m also doing a bit more group running, which I’ll try to talk about next week! I know I need to step out of my comfort zone and do something different to get better, so hopefully I’m on the right track.
My current hill BFF
As for this weekend – I’m not really celebrating Easter, but I am going to be making my family’s typical Easter dinner (honey ham, au gratin potatoes, and crescent rolls!) and we’ll hopefully get to share it together over Skype! And I plan on running, hiking, and just enjoying being outside all the time 🙂
So what’s good in your life right now? Share one thing with me! And what will you be eating over the weekend?
Mom in the Mtns 
I love the GOTR and Stride programs for school age children. Last year I volunteered at Stride and was amazed by the great lessons the boys learned during their program of running and life lessons. Have a great weekend!
That’s awesome! Yeah, I really wish this had existed when I was younger. It took me so long to fall in love with running!
One good thing? Knowing that I hopefully have an end to the knee pain that has kept me from running! Honestly, how many people do you know who look FORWARD to having surgery, lol!
Yay for no more knee pain soon! You’ll be running before you know it 🙂
What a lovely hill friend you have there! I really want to get involved with GOTR in some way, but wish there was a chapter closer to me. I think you are a perfect fit for it!
I hope one starts up near you soon! It’s so much fun to coach. And Betty would love it in a few years!
All great things! And having a job you love….. that is so great and wonderful! Each day seems much better then!
Yes it does! I love it!
I love hill repeats! If you can stick with them they’ll make a HUGE difference in your running, both speed and endurance. Right now, I’m loving that it’s supposed to get up to 60 degrees today, and I don’t have rehearsal tonight so I can just go home and relax 😀
Yay good to hear! And I’m excited about your warm weather. Enjoy it!
Girls on the Run is so great! I coached that program at one point and loved it. Right now the good news in New Hampshire is that it is actually 50 today. Ready for this!
That’s awesome! It’s so much fun to see girls get into running.
That’s great you are so happy with your job and close withco-workers. Many I’m sure can’t say hat. Not that I don’t like my job but in my industry we rarely work with the same people every week. So it’s hard to stay close w Co workers.
That’s how my old job was, and I think that’s why I love this job so much! I really appreciate being able to bounce ideas off of them and get help when I need it.
Its great to love your job. Important to overall happiness I think. I think its great how you’re doing girls on the run. I like the bead idea for the laps. Fun way to do it. I’ll have to remember that to do some version of that for my daughter when she starts to run more than down the block.
Yes! And definitely enroll her in the program if you can. It’s awesome!
This post is full of positivity – love it! This weekend is all about pizza and chocolate Easter eggs. And maybe my first pain-free race of the year?
Oh my god that sounds like the perfect weekend!
GOTR is an awesome program! I used a version of it for our all girls running club at my middle school.
That’s awesome! The lessons are seriously so good. I wish I’d had it when I was younger!
Love all these things! I’m so glad you have such a great and supportive workplace, and coffee is always good 🙂
Yes, coffee is the best thing ever! 🙂
I’m planning on making a hill my BFF too! Good luck with your training plan.