Cross training/circuit training

My current crosstraining/circuit training plan, I do include weights for some activities, which has some crossfit stuff in it:

Heading into week 5 of marathon training #2

I have completed 4 weeks of training for my second marathon and things definitely feel different this time already.

• I'm running my long runs much much earlier in the morning since it is summertime that's a must to beat the heat and humidity.

•  I'm running everyday plus cross training 3 days a week, no slacking this time like the first time around.

• On my short runs (2 miles or less) my daughter (in particular) is running with me, which means I run at her pace and help her work on form and techniques, which in return helps me with my form and techniques because I'm force to think about how I'm running in order to teach her properly.

• Playing around the run/walk ratio to find what is going to work for the longer distances and still amazed that my pace has increased on every long run no matter where I'm in my monthly cycle.

• Helping/kind of coaching my husband and one of my friends has really help me enjoy running more because I get to be apart of their journey in training for their 1st half marathon.

• Finding shoes now that I have lost 14 lbs has been a challenge but, know it is necessary.

• The balance of training, homeschooling, working, and being wife/mom will always be a juggling act but, this time around seems to be a little easier and I honestly believe because I'm involving the kids into the training.

• Still trying to figure out the nutrition piece of the puzzle, definitely have been better about it.  I know that 2 days before a long run, I like to eat red meat with potatoes and streamed green veggies, the night before a long run I like to eat a chicken stir fry meal (boiled/shredded chicken, cooked rice, sweet/green peppers, mushrooms, onions, minced garlic, and topped with honey mustard dressing). 

• Hydrating is so important but, the right hydration too.  For long runs it is one 10.5 oz bottle of water and one 10.5 oz bottle of watered down Gatorade.

• Knowing that this training plan is shorter by 2 weeks worried me at the beginning but now, that I'm on week 5 I'm ok with it because I know my body is capable of it.

• Sleep well 2 nights before a long run seems to be more important than night before the long run.

• Adding different surfaces/type of workouts that were out of my comfort zone this time (ie groomed trails, track, hills, speed work, etc).

• Stretching before and after runs are my friend

• Epsom salt baths and foam roller are my friends after long runs

• Reflecting back each week to see what worked and what didn't make adjustments for the next week.

finished with 1st grade

As of this morning, lil miss finished all of the curriculum that needed to cover for 1st grade.  The last 6 months has definitely had it ups and downs with lots of struggles because we were locked into certain timeline to cover curriculum that I really questioned daily.  Through some of the testing to see where she was for reading speed, reading comprehensive, and math comprehensive/abilities, I found that she is above average for reading comprehensive (86th percentile among 1st grade), reading speed is average (83 WCPM), and math comprehensive is above average (85th percentile).

Her abilities to apply the skills of reading as well as math in daily life has developed wonderfully over the last 6 months.  She is capable of reading at intermediate 2nd grade level with 75% comprehensive (which is about November benchmark in a public school).  Her spelling and grammar skills have vastly improved in the last 6 months.  She still struggles with her penmanship, which I have told her repeatedly that it will only improve with more practice.  We have decided to continue to homeschool at this point but, we are moving from 10 week marking periods to 12 week marking periods thus allowing us to homeschool year round as well as instruction time and more time for independent projects/writings/discoveries.  We are moving away from the Common Core Curriculum in that we feel that it in no way has benefit her or her education overall because it is expects young children to have abstract thinking skills without having concrete thinking skills mastered first.

I don't know what exactly how year is going to work quite yet but, we have a game plan and that's always the first step.