Conversation Hearts and a Freebie!

Three days in a row....I'm off to a great start.  Having three snow days probably has something to do with it.  Thanks to the polar vortex, today was the first day I have left my house in the past four days.  Where did I go?  The gym.  It opened for the first time since Sunday at 9:00, and I was there when they unlocked those doors!  I think it was more due to cabin fever than an urgency to get to the treadmill in there.  Anyway, the roads were still pretty rough, but I think they are getting better as it warms up.  Hopefully we'll be back to school tomorrow!  I am getting anxious to see my little kids....and I'm hoping they retained most of what we learned last semester.

Jeanie at The Kindergarten Lifestyle posted this ecard on her Facebook profile (click here) and I thought it was just too fitting not to include here.

While I was home over the past four days, I have been doing a lot of at home workouts.  Most of them come from Melissa Bender's website.  Have you heard of her?  She's fantastic!  I consider myself pretty fit, and her workouts are great.  She has so many FREE workout videos (all organized by workout type) that are perfect for all fitness levels.  She usually does the advanced version, but offers versions for beginners and intermediate on her blog.  I am truly in love with her website!  Her HIIT workouts are my favorite.  If you haven't checked them out yet, do so now!  I promise, you won't be disappointed.  

As far as the workout I did today, I did an interval run on the treadmill.  It darn near killed me today.  I have been eating fewer carbs and I wasn't feeling on top of my game today, so I'm going to blame those two things.  I kept the incline at zero, but the pace alternates for pretty much the entire 32 minutes it takes me to complete the four miles.  Here is a breakdown of my workout:

Time                                 Speed

0:00 - 2:55                       6.5 mph 

3:00 - 4:00                       10.0 mph

4:00 - 5:10                       6.0 mph 

5:15 - 6:15                       10.0 mph

6:15 - 7:25                       6.0 mph 

7:30 - 8:30                      10.0 mph

8:30 - 9:40                       6.0 mph 

9:45 - 10:45                    10.0 mph

10:45 - 11:55                   6.0 mph 

12:00 - 13:00                  10.0 mph

13:00 - 14:10                   6.0 mph 

14:15 - 15:15                  10.0 mph

15:15 - 16:25                   6.0 mph

16:30 - 17:30                  10.0 mph

17:30 - 18:40                   6.0 mph 

18:45 - 19:45                  10.0 mph

19:45 - 20:55                   6.0 mph 

21:00 - 22:00                 10.0 mph

22:00 - 23:10                   6.0 mph

23:15 - 24:15                  10.0 mph

24:15 - 25:25                  6.0 mph

25:30 - 26:30                  10.0 mph

26:30 - 27:40                   6.0 mph

27:45 - 28:45                  10.0 mph

28:45 - 29:55                  6.0 mph

30:00 - 31:00                  10.0 mph

31:00 - 32:00                  6.0 mph

Usually, I don't walk during any of the jogging intervals.  However, today I did...probably three or four times.  I still finished 4 miles in the 32 minutes, but it wasn't pretty.  

This interval workout keeps me from getting bored, but it is a KILLER.  It is the single workout that I dread above anything else.  When I was training for my half marathon, I dreaded this more than ANY of my long runs...including 13.1 miles.  I think it is pretty brutal.  However, you feel awesome when you are done.  You are completely out of energy and know that you just left it all on that treadmill!  :)  No regrets.  

If you are new to running or new to intervals, you can easily adjust the speeds to fit your needs.  I just really like the intervals of one minute all out sprint, and one minute fifteen seconds recovery.  Intervals are, according to the recent research that is coming out, far more effective than a steady speed.  As long as you are moving and getting some exercise, then do whichever you enjoy more because in the long run, the one you enjoy is the one you will keep doing.

After the gym, I came back to work on my newest packet.  It is a Conversation Hearts CVC Short Vowel word game (okay, there are some CCVC and CVCC wrods...and maybe a CCCVC word or two).  However, you can pick and choose the words that you want to use.  This packet is a whopping 58 pages!  That's the longest of any of my packets...ever.  

This packet even includes blank cards for you to use your own words for word sorts.  I am really happy with how this packet turned out, and I hope you like it, too.  Click here to check it out in my TpT store.  :)

Whew!  That was a SUPER long post.  Just for hanging in there through it all, I will throw in a freebie.  

It is a sight word color by word.  It is a very simple and self explanatory sheet, but my kids loved working on it for morning work.  Click here to get your copy at my TpT store.  Thanks for stopping by!