Thursday, November 10, 2011

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!






 

18 comments:

SupermomE13 said...

Great post and Amen to all of it!! We just had parent teacher conferences last night and it was so nice to hear so many great things about our kids. :) Great job to you and your cute boys!!

And I don't understand the mean people either. Some people have too much time on their hands and seem to think that things said "online" don't count as much. I think if you wouldn't say something to someone face to face, then you shouldn't type it.

Good luck this weekend! Sounds like you are ready!!!

ANd yay for a giveaway. I have no idea what it is, but I will guess sunglasses. :)

bobbi said...

Yay!! on great conferences! You should be proud :)

I don't understand mean people either...if you don't have anything nice to say, don't say anything, and all that.

I have to say I love coming here and seeing the picture at the top of your blog. It always makes me smile! :)

Jim ... 50after40 said...

AWESOME job to the little man!!! You're a great mom! I couldn't agree more with negative comments. I mean, as runners don't we get enough negative feedback for what we do in the real world everyday! Why leave a negative non-constructive comment? Great point! Good luck with your 10K ... you'll be awesome!

Jason said...

Great job for the little man and great job by you for being the Mom that YOU want to be and not what somebody else wants you to be.

I agree with you on the posts and something similar happened to me yesterday on Twitter. Showed a pic of the dinner I served with my 5 year old and received a few nice jobs. One person wrote that it wasn't right. I asked why and they said that kids need fat. I went off (in 140 characters or less) and then was told they were kidding.

Give me a break you weren't kidding and were probably surprised when I responded to you and told you to mind your f'n business and that you should allow me to raise my kids and not the other way around.

Do what you gotta do to get through life the best way you know how.

Christy @ My Dirt Road Anthem: A Runner's Blog said...

That little man is so handsome. I love that he makes the kids run laps at recess.

Can't wait to see what you fun giveaway is! Good for you, hope I win!

Elle said...

Sweet pictures.

Hey, maybe someday your son will be the race director at the Los Angeles Marathon!

I agree about the nasty comments. That is one reason I opt to read them before I allow them to be published. I haven't had any mean ones yet, but I am sure my turn is coming!

Hope you have a great weekend.

Jill said...

YAY for your little guy and his reader points, that is fabulous!! You are an awesome mom and you are passing with flying colors! I salute you both!

I'm not sure why people leave negative comments....fortunately, I have not been a victim to them but I know others have. So stupid. Just ignore and move on!

Good luck in the 10k this weekend...looks like it could be a great race with your new speedy numbers :).

Kate Geisen said...

It is so wonderful to see your children succeeding. I've been on (am on) both sides of that (children succeeding, children not succeeding), and I definitely feel that my son (who is 17 and practically an adult)'s poor performance in some of his classes reflects on me and my parenting--not so much to others, because they can think what they want, but to me. Like if I was doing this or that better or something different he'd be doing better.

I really don't get people who have to be negative on other peoples' blogs. No matter who you are or what your life is like, somebody has it better, somebody has it worse. Just because someone else's struggle is different doesn't mean that yours may not be hard. Ugh. Ignore those people (so easy to say).

And to end things on a positive note, isn't it fun to work on getting faster? It's not so bad in short bursts. I have a lot of fun with speedwork. Well, fun is the wrong word...but it's exciting to see the times as they get shorter.

Kate Geisen said...

It is so wonderful to see your children succeeding. I've been on (am on) both sides of that (children succeeding, children not succeeding), and I definitely feel that my son (who is 17 and practically an adult)'s poor performance in some of his classes reflects on me and my parenting--not so much to others, because they can think what they want, but to me. Like if I was doing this or that better or something different he'd be doing better.

I really don't get people who have to be negative on other peoples' blogs. No matter who you are or what your life is like, somebody has it better, somebody has it worse. Just because someone else's struggle is different doesn't mean that yours may not be hard. Ugh. Ignore those people (so easy to say).

And to end things on a positive note, isn't it fun to work on getting faster? It's not so bad in short bursts. I have a lot of fun with speedwork. Well, fun is the wrong word...but it's exciting to see the times as they get shorter.

XLMIC said...

Do you want me to beat up the mean people for you? I think that's why they pretty much leave me alone :P They're afraid of me.

Awesome that your shorter runs are coming out faster! And your kids are so cute and SO SMART!!!!

A product review and giveaway! Dude...big time. Do you have roadies yet? ;-)

I'm guessing a hydration something.

Terzah said...

Whenever I start fretting that my blog is boring or not popular enough, I think about the anonymous meanies who go to popular blogs and then I see it as a blessing. So far I've had only nice people as readers.

And it sounds like I'm going to need some mom lessons from you next year. My kids will be going to kindergarten. Sigh. I really like preschool. It's fun. I don't want them to have to WORK yet.

runnergirl training said...

You are doing a great job blogging & everything else on your life's plate. Mean people annoy me too. I have become quite fond of blocking. Keep doing your thing. Praying for your health & for your family.

Amanda@runninghood said...

Aww, good job your son! Way to Go! And good job to you MOM!

So sad that some people like to say things to make others feel bad. Sounds like this person isn't happy with their own life and so instead of dealing with it, they lash out at others. :( Luckily, I have not received a mean comment yet...hoping I don't but I"m sure it is bound to happen. I know that I will most likely end up responding with a 500 word essay... ha!

Good luck in your race!

Black Knight said...

The first thing to say is: you have a great son, congrats to him and his wonderful mom.
Glad that your runs are faster and easier, it means that you will finish the race with a good time: good luck.
Great post also about the mean people. I am lucky because so far I haven't yet received bad comments.
Best wishes for your family and your health.

Laura said...

Anyone who is a parent gets serious kudos in my books...I could not do it and I know it so more power to all of you.
And I agree...If I don't like something, I turn it off, stop reading it etc. Mean people bite.

Big Daddy Diesel said...

Mean people suck

Congrats to your youngins

RoseRunner said...

This topic has of course been done to death, especially on big blogs that get a lot of mean comments. In general, of course I don't think it is necessary or fair to write a mean comment for the sole purpose of making the blogger feel bad.

On the other hand, I don't agree "if you don't have anything nice, don't say anything at all." I often have criticism for blogs, and as a regular reader, I think I have the right to say so. Whether it is that the blogger is being hypocritical, or fake, or mean, or irrational, I as a reader do not have to refrain from commenting just because my comment isn't "I agree! you are so great!"

I don't think the comment you referred to was all that mean. It sounded like they were just talking about their self...

Caroline said...

I think they were telling me that it is harder to be a mom who works outside the house. It does not matter. You and I dont agree on this topic.