Annnd we’re back!

Since we last spoke, I was finally able to reconnect with Central Park. Twice. And essentially, I affectionately repeated this over and over again in my head while there:http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=s6YVZehzuLc.

After work I headed to the Time Warner Center because the New York Running Company housed there very graciously allows Central Park runners to leave their belongings in the store while they hit the pavement. Thank you NYRC, you are too kind! I dropped off my bookoos of commuter bags and headed out hoping to cover the outer loop. It was a complete change from the 6:30 a.m. runs I’m used to with the RB…pedicabs, real cabs, pedestrians, kids, and all other sorts of foot traffic beyond the normal runners and bikers (with anger management issues) made for a lot of dodging and swerving. But the weather was gorgeous, there was a good amount of shade, and I managed a pace just under 9. Not my best, but I’ll take it! 

Even more encouraging was discovering that those mountains I climbed at a park in Richmond were just as steep as I thought, because when I came around CatHill I thought someone was playing tricks on me and had moved the crouching cat down to lower ground. That hill didn’t bother me at all! And while Harlems were a little trickier, they really had nothing on last weeks climbs. Huzzah!

Afterwards, I had planned to continue my welcome back high by walking home after my run, vs. use the subway. But the going-out-of-business Borders on the way out of the Time Warner Center caught my eye and then threw a lasso around me and sluggishly dragged me through the aisles of 30% off books for far longer than necessary. I ended up leaving later with a growling stomach and hopping on the 1 train home.

This morning I guess I still wasn’t fully back in the swing of things because I slept through my alarm the first go-round and somehow managed to forget my keys (luckily, I knew the JD would be leaving a little later than usual this a.m. and could buzz me in) on the way out to reunite with the RB. It was great to have some on-foot company for a run (though biking buddies help a lot as well) after going solo for most of the last week and a half. A good portion of the convo was spent discussing how I’m feeling so flustered between dropping mileage in Richmond and seeing no end in sight to a jam-packed calendar. Between now and marathon day it looks like I’ll still be doing a lot of traveling, which makes me nervous. As much as I love discovering new places via running, I feel far more grounded and prepared in my training plan if I stick to my tracks here in NYC. Luckily, RB has some good recommends for next weekend in Chicago/Wisconsin. Now if only someone out in the blogosphere could provide some insight on where to try 15 miles in Arkansas? Takers? Anywho, we covered four miles in the park this a.m. and with the back and forth to my house I ended at about 6 for the day.

I think I’m in need of some serious yoga and/or CT (maybe tonight?) but I’m trying to tackle somewhere between 10-12 miles tomorrow morning, so don’t know how much of that extra stretch and strength stuff I’ll accomplish. Must. Avoid. Burnout. But that long run needs to be conquered tomorrow because its Bachelorette Weekend in the Big Apple, and I will be far too busy celebrating one of my best friend/bride-to-be’s “last weekends of freedom”

 – Is anyone else doing the Bronx half? Yesterday I pretended like I was all rainbows and butterflies ready for it, but now I’m getting a weeee bit nervous. [Sidenote to self: stop saying "huzzah" after every remotely exciting thing you write about].

– Do you like running in new/unfamiliar places or do you prefer to stick to your route while training?

Tuesday Trickled

This week seems to be going by WAY slower than the last few. And I am surprisingly a-okay with that. Why you may ask? Because I’m hoping it means next week will also trickle by…if not even slower. Next week being the week I am visiting Richmond for a full nine days! Woohoo!

After what felt like a foreverrrr long day at work yesterday, the JD and I met up with our friend from college who lives in Astoria and her bf–who she picked up over on the Emerald Isle a few years ago So it was fitting that we started out at The Perfect Pint. We went to the one on the east side, but just because there’s a location in Times Sq.[read: tourist town, I'm allowed to say that now] does not mean this place deserves a bad rap. Afterall, it’s an Irish pub approved by our two friends who know their Irish.

After a quick catch up there, and without a real plan in mind, we wandered down 3rd ave. in search of a place to grab a beer and a bite to eat (beer? is the marathon WINEr allowed to talk beer on this blog? i fail you not. i was THAT girl, who ordered a glass of wine at the perfect pint). We ended up at Wharf Bar and Grill, which is exactly what it sounds like…a bar and grill with some cheeky surf and turf decor. The food was good though, and a big plus for midtown, affordable.

Sadly, I have no running report to dispel this morning. I spent alllllll day yesterday trying to figure out how I wanted the rest of my running week to go. After reading the solo comment on yesterday’s post (thank you, Kelly) and chatting with a few other RB’s, I decided it was best to scrap the a.m. run and p.m. yoga planned and make today a cross-training day (this has a lot  nothing to do with the fact that I really don’t like yoga). I considered going to the gym this morning and keeping the evening free, but I’ve had some awkward experiences there in the wee hours of the morning (public showers are really just not my thing). So I’ll be looking forward to spending some QT at the gym after work and heading home to relaxxxxxx [read: finally make dinner, catch up on TrueBlood and pack for RICHMOND].

I promised myself that as soon as marathon training really started to pick up I would force myself to do yoga at least once a week. I went once, during the first week of training and it actually was not so terrible. I always get myself super hyped up and psyched out over yoga, but it’s never that bad. 

Sooo hopefully I will get a quick session in after work tomorrow night? We shall see. I’m hoping to do a shorter run distance-wise tomorrow but maybe add in some hill intervals or speedwork (RB-I have not asked you about this yet…) I actually have yet to try hills or speedwork, but I feel like if I’m going to rein back on the mileage I need to find new ways to challenge myself. Hopefully I’ll  knock out the long run early on Friday (I’m off work and there’s a LOT of fun stuff planned–stay tuned) so there’s no pressure to tackle it when I arrive in Richmond this weekend. Yayayayay!

Happy hump day, folks…and hopefully this week’s going at a pace you enjoy as well!

- Do you incorporate yoga into your running routine? Do you notice a difference if you do or don’t?

- What’s your favorite Irish pub in Manhattan?

Taking It and Running With It

Apparently I’m an extremist. And never really knew it (or admitted it to myself?).

I rarely have “one piece” of chocolate or “one cookie” or “one glass” of wine. I have 5. Of each (normal behavior?).

And when sites like Groupon and Living Social shower me with “deals” I scoop up every one in sight. Which is how the JD and I ended up out on the town yet again last night. A little diddy from BuyWithMe (purchased about 3 months ago) was on the verge of expiring…and by verge, I mean it was done-zo after midnight last night. So after his very long yet successful first day on the job (yay! he likes it), we met up back in my stomping grounds in Midtown east for dinner at Gyu-Kaku. We had been to the east village location a few years ago while visiting the JD’s sister, but I had forgotten how delicious and FUN this place is.

Anywho, Gyu-Kaku is a Japanese BBQ restaurant where you do all of your own barbecuing on a mini grill built right into the table! Not bad for a charcoal-loving couple that doesn’t even have access to a patio, much less a grill. After starting off with a massive bowl of edamame, we ordered steak, sausage and shrimp, alongside some zucchini, asparagus and garlic fried rice. A superbly satisfying meal that rang up at just $6. Thank you BuyWithMe.

I actually pretended to be a foodie blogger and took pictures. Here’s a little diddy, just so you get the idea:

why hello, meat lovers paradise. i promise veggies came later.

Chocolate, cookies, wine and coupons aside, I’m apparently also an extremist when it comes to running (I ran one…read it, ONE, half marathon and automatically decided to sign up for a full).

That, or I’m just a big bully (or billy…if Corky and Squiggs are reading this). To myself.

I met the RB at our usual spot to cover about 5 miles in the park this a.m. (the outer loop minus Harlem hills = lovely). Hal said to do 3, but as I’ve mentioned, the idea of back-tracking hurts me.

So I set out for 5. I think we actually covered a lot of that 5 at a really good pace. Not sure if it was the nicer weather or what, but we both thought we were cranking things out a little (a lot?) faster than usual. The RB felt so good she wanted to take on a bit more mileage at the end of the run by hitting up the reservoir (yes, this is the same RB who had just ran 8 miles the night before. She is hardcore). But since one of my biggest fears with marathon training is burning out too early, I “smartly” declined and peeled off for home.

And during my [considerably slower] mile run home, I bullied myself. And told myself I was a weenie for having left my RB.

So when I hit my corner I did not head back to the apartment. I continued on. For an extra mile. And ended up covering a smidge over 8 miles this morning. Oops. I’m just so antsy to finally hit some reallll long runs I think. Que sera, sera though. It felt good and I had plenty of time to stretch afterwards. When I made it back to the apartment the nice man who does a lot of maintenance work on our street told me I “have good condition” and I “do not need to worry.” I told him for now I might, but in a few months I am running 26.2 miles. And he just chuckled…haha.

Do I need to think about toning it down a bit and sync up with Hal’s plan rather than wait for it to catch up to me? Or can I chalk it all up to taking advantage of nice weather? Not sure, we shall see.

In other news. My dress for one of my oldest, bestest friend’s wedding finally arrived yesterday! Woohoo! And speaking of old friends, I’m meeting up with one after work tonight for the first time in aggeeeesss and I can’t wait!

*A very happy birthday to our fake-leo roommate who did not even ANNOUNCE that it was his birthday. But a little bird told me anyway. Hope its a great one!

And to all of my nonexistent followers:

- What do you recommend for a first-time marathoner: doing what feels right or doing what the “coach” says? When you are surrounded by seasoned runners in Central Park or addicted to blogs about badass athletes, it can be hard to figure out whats right for you.

- What are YOU looking forward to today?

Mischief Managed

Happy Monday, friends! And it IS a happy Monday. For so many reasons–first and foremost, the beautiful weather! While the sun isnt out quite as vibrantly right now, it did wish me a good morning and managed to stick around for a nice, breezy, six-mile run! Thank you, Mister Sun, and thank you mother nature for toning it back a bit on the heat and humidity. This morning’s weather was absolutely perfect for running–not too hot, not too cold and a wee bit of wind now and then (just when you needed it)!

My RB wasn’t able to make it this morning, and while I missed the company, I was a-okay with that because it meant I could hit snooze a few more times before heading out to the bridle path and reservoir. Guess that extra hour really makes a difference because I definitely did not see the normal crowds of early a.m. runners. I went at a bit of a slow pace (not sure what that pace was because my watch is nearly broken and I’ve been leaving it at home lately) and took it easy. Given the nice weather I probably could have kicked things up a notch, but since my last few runs were in immense heat and humidity, I decided to enjoy the easy weather with an easy run. Besides…Hal had a “rest day” on the sched. for today and I still knocked out about 6 miles.

Why you may ask? Because I [as has been the case with me a lot lately], overindulged during my awesome weekend on Long Island/Fire Island. New York is a tricky city because there is always delicious food to be eaten and delicious drinks to be consumed. But with a half marathon fast approaching and a full marathon 8 weeks later…I need to work on tapering my indulgences. Hence the title of this post–gotta get a cap on that mischief for a bit!

Friday afternoon I hopped a train to Farmingdale where I met up with my pseudo-aunt (pseudo because she is actually my moms college roommate and close friend, but for as long as I’ve known her she has been [and always will be] Aunt Doreen). We ate at a great southwestern restaurant, where we chatted through two glasses of wine, great dinner specials and an amazing dessert that involved real thin mints and oreo crumbs. Highly recommended.

Afterwards we continued to chat back at Aunt Doreen’s but hit the hay early because we had a Fire Island ferry to catch the next morning! In anticipation of a quiet, laid-back afternoon on the beach, we decided on Sailor’s Haven–a part of FI that’s family friendly and considerably less crowded than other areas (especially when compared to weekend crowds at Jones beach).

There were no crowds as far as people are concerned…but sand flies were another story! After spending the first half of the morning/afternoon swatting at our own skin, jumping and squealing and trying every anti-sand fly tactic imaginable, we let them win. And Aunt Doreen said since the bugs were biting, and it was my first time at FI, the next best thing to do was let me get a real taste of the place…at Cherry Grove. So  off we headed, just a mile stroll down the beach.

If you’ve never been to CG, you may want to enter it via ferry for the first time, and not via sand. Because even though I had been warned, I don’t think I was fully prepared for the number of naked people I saw, and their many piercings on their many private parts. I’ll leave it at that.

Since the sandflies were no better a mile down the beach (and well, we wouldn’t have really wanted to set up camp right there anyway), we decided to hunt down a late lunch…and perhaps a cool drink. And thank goodness we did!

We arrived at Island Breeze per the friendly suggestion of a FI regular we passed on the sidewalk and grabbed some seats at the bar. More friendly suggestions were made by our neighbors at the bar as we pondered what to order, and moments later we found ourselves sipping on refreshing Arnold Palmers…with a touch of Citrus Vodka. The perfect beverage for a hot beach day. Before we knew it, we were three AP’s and 2 shots deep (remember, how I don’t do shots? Thank you, too-nice bartender. Thank you for making me go back on my word) and best friends with the couple sitting beside us (who confessed after 5 drinks that they had thought Aunt Doreen and myself were a “cute couple” when we first saddled up to the bar, haha). We had an awesome afternoon sharing all kinds of stories from the sad and serious to hilarious and happy. Cheers to new friends at Cherry Grove!

Saturday night we were WIPED out from an afternoon of sun, sand, and beach bars and went to sleep early again. Which worked out well because I was up bright and early for a run Sunday morning. Running in Long Island can be super nice because every other house has a sprinkler going (makes for plenty of misting stations during hot summer runs) and it is very flat. Running in Long Island can also be super hard because it is very flat.

While I have been known to curse a hill or two, sometimes its nice to have a downhill to look forward to. Anywho, knocked out 5 miles (I had been aiming for 6 but my sweat-laden clothes were weighing me down too much), closing up week 2 of Marathon training with around 26 miles. Meh, I’ll take it.

After the sweltering run, Aunt Doreen whipped up some yummy waffles and we scooted over to Aunt Kathy’s house (no pseudo here!) to spend the rest of the afternoon swimming in her pool, eating delicious food and hanging with friends and family. Great way to end an great weekend! 

*Want to know what else made it GREAT? My cousin got engaged Congrats to you both, I’m so so happy for you!

JD gets a job, cousin’s getting hitched…good things come in threes right? Wonder what’s next…

What good newssss have you heard lately??