What a Difference A Day Makes!

Temperatures similar to Antarctica

Enjoyed the balmy run this morning.

Felt I had too many layers.

Actually sweated with no frosty face.

Took our PALS after school group ice fishing on Prior Lake

First fish caught...Catching some rays...

Girls just wanna have fun!

Thanks for making it a great day!

Grumpier Old Men

Sometimes you need to scoop!

Aw we have to go home. We had so much fun!

Really Got Frost!

 This cold weather is really got me frosted! 

Ha Ha  

I thought I'd go out for a short run and found that the wind wasn't that bad. 

So I was able to get in 5 miles. 

Couldn't believe the build up of frost of my face and neck warmer. 

Used the weather app on my iPhone and took screen shots.

Notice the temps are warmer in Antarctica than in Minnesota.

Leave for Antarctica in 1 week.

Marathon is 2 weeks away.

Ran with my New Balance Shoes. 

Not much snow on my sidewalk paths.

Comfortable but very loose around ankles.

I'll try tying them tighter tomorrow.

Feels like -29 in Minnesota and feels like 32 in Antarctica. 

Making new tracks with Vibram soles, (Tested Where it Matters), after a snowy science fair day!

Making new tracks with my new shoes. Vibram, a high performance sole, along with New Balance supplied all participants with new shoes to try on the Antarctica Marathon. 

So I thought what better thing to experiment with after a great 

Hidden Valley Science, Engineering and Learning Fair last night. 

I woke up to a new covering of snow and headed out for my usual 5 mile trek. The shoes gripped the crunchy snow, but still slid a bit over icy patches on sidewalks and rounding corners. They felt great! 

Nice support, comfortable and not too heavy.

Reagan, which way should we go?

Tested them out on our fresh covering of snow. 

Loved how the color matches my running tights. 

Motto: Look good, run good!

Research Info from their shoe tag.

Materials:

Durable but light & flexible enough to move with the foot.

Vibram, high quality rubber compounds, offer the highest in durability along with maximum grip & traction.

Construction: 

Specially molded using precise attention to detail, Vibram soles have been built by the leaders in sole engineering & design for over 75 years.

Design:

Innovative solutions. Performance driven. Detail oriented. Every Vibram outside is developed with the best technical & aesthetic features for its end use.

My students are ALL WINNERS at the 2015

Hidden Valley Science, Engineering and Learning Fair.

Loved all the volunteer judges.

Especially my former students that now attend BHS.

March of the Penguins!

SHARE:

Terrific! You've earned the Penguin March badge With 70 lifetime miles, you just matched the distance of the March of the Penguins—the annual trip emperor penguins make to their breeding grounds. You're doing swimmingly well! SHARE SHARE

Started using the fitbit for our wellness program at school. 

Received an email of my progress.

I'm ready to March with the Penguins.

So fitting for my trip to Antarctica.

22 days till the big race!

All done with training and good to go for Antarctica Marathon on March 9, 2015

Forged my way 22.22 miles through Prior Lake, Savage and 8 times around Sunset Pond in Burnsville. Saw many of my Hidden Valley families and running friends. 

Wore braids to honor one of my favorite authors for 

"I Love to Read Month!" 

Happy b-day Laura Ingalls Wilder!

You inspired me and got me to enjoy reading!

Before my run I fueled up on Advocare Rehydrate Gel. Continued my regime every 5-6 miles with Cliff Shot Blocks and Jelly Belly Sports Beans. 

Stopped at McDonalds for a quick swish of water. Amazing that I can run in cold weather with little hydration. 

On a hot summer day, I'm dragging. I carry a water bottle and make many stops to rehydrate. 

I love winter running!

I also need some great tunes on my iPod to keep me going. 

Zac Brown Band, Jason Aldean, Luke Bryan, Kenny Chesney and Carrie Underwood are some of my country favorites.

AC/DC, Bon Jovi and Bruce Springsteen are my classics.

Got Frost with a Beautiful Moonset!

Beautiful moonset on this chilly February morning. The moon is just coming off the Full Snow Moon, which was on Tuesday, February 3, 2015. 
These below zero runs make it very hard to enjoy. I just put my head down and keep fluttering over the icy snow covered roads and sidewalks. Sometimes my face, legs and bottom gets so numb that I can't believe that I'm even moving. My motto on these days: "The faster you run, the faster you're done!"

Earth, Jupiter and the Sun~All Lined Up!
On Friday, February 6, 2015 Jupiter will be directly opposite the Sun and in the "full moon" phase. Because both planets are lined up on the same side of the Sun, Jupiter will also be at its closest to us for the year. As the Sun sets Friday, Jupiter will rise in the east and remain visible all night until setting around sunrise exactly like a Full Moon. 
Credit: Bob King.

Click on the link above to get all the information.

The Mitten...Brrr it's too cold to go outside AGAIN!!!!

Too cold to go outside for recess, so we spent the day reading about snowy weather. One of my kindergarten classes enjoyed retelling the story of "The Mitten" by Jan Brett. A classic and all time favorite story of mine. Tomorrow we are going to recreate the story with animals from Antarctica. I'm sure that the Penguin will be their favorite.

All lined up and ready to stuff our mittens.

Enjoyed watching the movie while Jan Brett read the story to us.

Which animal goes next. Looking for clues

Can't believe I'll be there in less than a month. Actual marathon is 33 days away.

Sooooo excited! 

Which Way Do We Go From Here?

Hard to believe in one month I will be on my way to the bottom of the Earth. Here is a link of a live web cam of King George Island where the Antarctica Marathon will take place.

Web Cam of King George Island

Sun rise is 4:39 and sunset is at 21:39
Temperature is around -2°. 
I'm assuming this is Celsius, which would be around 28° F. 
A nice winter day in Minnesota.

Not sure if I should be excited or nervous. My students have been asking some interesting questions:
What happens if the ship sinks?
What happens if you get attacked by a sea lion, whale or penguin?
What happens if the ship gets frozen in and stuck in the ice?

They have me wondering...hmmmm