Coming up soon to a blog near you

Let's start with something fun. 
GIVEAWAY coming up in the next few days. Stay tune.
I can say it will be something good.
It will be my first product review combined with a GIVEAWAY.
It will be something that you can use for a lot of occasions not just running related events.
If you guess what it is I will give you an extra entry.

Speaking of running.
I have a good week so far.
I was focusing on 3 things

1. Forgetting Long Beach: I am good. Last 9 miles went fine. The real test will be Sunday at my next race but I think the fear of having the chest pain back is gone.

2. Running my shorter run faster. That went really well this week.  I used to run the 3-4-5 miles run at a pace of 10:15 to 10:20.  This week I was at 9:20 to 9:45.  The best way to learn to race faster is obviously to train faster.  I see that I can do that now.  Also worked on negative splits and that went great so I am happy and optimistic for future races.

3. Keep shoulders down....yeah not so great on that one yet.

Sunday I got the Mission Inn 10k.  It will be hilly and windy.  The good news is that it looks like we will not have rain after all!!!! Right now we are at Cool Mostly Cloudy and I like it.  A few of the hills will slow me down, I know it.  I will try to "bank" time on downhill parts.  Was not sure what to do about my long run this week because of this race.  After this weekend I still have 3 more long runs before the Holiday Half Marathon so I think this weekend I will do a short run on Saturday and race Sunday and not add to the mileage.  I will do 10-11-11 for the last 3 long runs.

Ok now a short note on a topic that has been bugging me lately. 
Maybe I will loose some of you by bringing this up, it's OK that would mean we are not on the same page and I accept that. 

Mean people.
Nasty comments or emails.
I read a lot of blogs and I often read the comments as well.  Lately I see a lot of negative and rude comments on a lot of blogs. 
WHY? If someone does not like a certain blog, they should not read it and just move on to the next.  This week I read some stuff that made me really mad, people attacking others on their blogs or on other websites, writing stuff like they want to punch someone after reading their post...it is ridiculous.  A lot of these people assume they KNOW the blogger just because they read their blog.  We don't know every one's situation exactly; we know what they share.  There is no need to be judgemental.  I cannot stand the ones who leave messages under anonymous OR using a profile that is not public preventing the blogger to offer a response to the comment.

Like you, Fe-Lady, asking me on my last post "When would you run if you had to drop your kids off at school and then go to a job? Me- 5 a.m. BEFORE work." 
To answer this I can tell you that at 5 am I am at my job and I cannot go run. I have about 2 hours of free time during the day where I am not on the job and that is when I run.  Most days I would take the 5 am time when it is not 100 degrees outside.  If there is no school I am on the job all day, no break.  I know many of you have it harder, someone always does.  It is the same with my health,  I walk around with a tumor in my kidney. I don't know what will happen with it.  Some people have no tumor, some have one and they don't know it yet and some have one that is putting them through hell, those people have it worst than I do, I know that. Does not mean I am OK with having a freaking tumor.  Same thing with Bill's job.  Am I grateful is has one? Yes of course I am.  Do I like that he works 18-21 hrs a day and he gets paid for 8 of those and that he works on the weekend for free? No I don't.  Other people have it worst I know that does not mean I like that my kids never see their dad and I am allowed to feel this way even if some folks have it worst than I do and I don't need an email from someone who cannot even sign their name to tell me this.

Be nice. If you have nothing nice to say, you know what... don't type anything..move the fingers away from the keyboard.  Some of the stuff I read is hurtful, what is the point of that..maybe it's just me. I don't know.

Now the bragging portion of the blog.
If reading about a mom who is proud of her kids makes you want to puke stop reading right now and come back for my awesome giveaway !!!!

OK I warned you.
This week was parents / teacher conferences.  See where this is going?!!

It was the first one for Jonathan and I was really nervous.
I see those as my evaluation.  It is my job review really. 
Yes I think being a full time parent is a job.
Well he got a fantastic report card!  Mastered on all subjects, that is the highest mark.
The teacher said he is done with Kindergarten and ready for 1st grade.  That makes me happy and worried at the same time.  I don't want him to get bored and not behave well.
Luckily he is in a K-1 combo and he will be doing 1st grade work for the rest of the year.  There's one other K student like him and she will be doing the same.  So I am very proud of my son!  Teacher said he is very popular and makes all the kids run laps at recess!!!

Yesterday I had the one for my older son Will.  He is in the 2nd grade.  I was not nervous for this one.  I know he does great in school.  Well he does better then great.  He is at the top of the class.  We received their scores for the district benchmarks tests and he got 100% in  Math and 97% in language arts.  For his reading test, he tested at 5th grade level.  Yesterday was the 1st trimester awards ceremony.  Will got Math Facts Champ, only 3 kids got that one and they are all in his class, our teacher is GREAT.  He got an Achievement award in Reading, Math and Spelling and he got the Honors Reader award, he is the only kid who received this one.  I am so very proud of him. I could not ask for anything more from them.  My kids are lucky guys,  they have WONDERFUL TEACHERS.  I love them so much, I would keep Will's teacher for all 6 grades if we could.  She is the BEST.  Being a good teacher is a HARD job.  I volunteer a lot in my kids classrooms, I see how it is and I am so grateful for the teachers we have. 

I am very strict when it comes to school and sometimes they hate me because of it but it's OK.  Today they get to celebrate their great 1st trimester! 
Education is a top priority for me.  That, with raising kind honest guys.
So this week I got my review and I think I am on the right track. 

With the Principal who gave him his Honor Reader award

Top 2 readers, both in same class.  She had 15 pts and he had 56 pts. 

Math Champs!