Sick Day. Bleh.

After trying to make it to work and workouts all week despite not having a voice and carrying around a nasty cough, I’ve finally thrown in the towel and called in sick to work today.

I’ve spent the morning drinking Dayquil like it’s OJ, attempting to answer work emails and stalking Twitter. This has resulted in both good things and bad things. Good- I think I’m about 4383 times closer to convincing the JD to sign up for a half marathon (the fact that it’s in VEGAS, and in far-off December, months after I am a CERTIFIED run coach, certainly don’t hurt). Bad- 1) First email I woke up to today was from Active Schwaggle, advertising 50% off registration fees for the Buffalo Marathon. Two weeks too late. Grrr.  2) I realized, while reading other race recaps and the like on blogs all morning that I do not have a race on the April calendar. And then I remembered that in January, I “vowed” to race once a month. Oops. Since I’m already feeling bleh, I figured now is as good a time as any, to see how I’m doing on the rest of those “resolutions” I made a few months ago…

1. Take better care of myself. This obviously can cover a very wide range of daily habits and longterm behavior, but in my marathonwining world, it basically encompasses these key things:

-Take rest days if my body is telling me they are necessary (i.e., if my foot screams out in pain every step I take, a rest day is necessary. I really should NOT push through a run just to get a few more miles on the books). Inadvertant success. Thank you, wedding season.

- Not overindulge (specifically, on sweets and vino. Yes, I posted a rebellious post on the joys over overindulgence and why they are okay, but I shouldn’t need to try THAT HARD to cut alcohol out of my system in the weeks leading up to a big race. It shouldn’t be such a vital part of my diet to begin with). Meh, this is a half win, half fail. I gave up sweets for Lent, so that took care of a good 40 days or so of OD’ing on sweets, and even moreso, on PB. But thanks to Easter and (again) wedding season, the balance is still, well, off balance. 

- Fix my stupid horrible posture. Sitting up straight, how hard can that be? Oh, you’d be surprised. I just straightened up while reading this. Does that count? Maybe if I put a post-it note in front of my face that says this…

- Learn NOT to suck at anything core-related. I want to be able to bang out 500 sit-ups and hold a plank for more than 5 seconds without cringing in pain. While watching the Biggest Loser last night I finally attempted to plank for the first time in months. It lasted an embarrassingly short time, but hey, I still have 8 more months…baby steps, my friends. Baby steps. 

2. Race once a month/run somewhere new once a month. This one gets the “/” because I’m hoping these goals can be combined in the direction of “race once a month somewhere new,” but I know my schedule/bank account may not always allow that to happen. Already, I was scouring the running websites for a decent race I could sign up for in January, preferably one that is not somewhere I’ve already been to and/or run in. I looked in Megabus, Boltbus, Amtrak and Metro North-friendly cities and could not really find much. So I’m doing the NYRR 10k this Saturday, just in case. If anyone knows of any other runs on the horizon in a reasonably nearby place [read: reachable from NYC by cheap/quick public transportation], please let me know. This also goes for Feb, March, and so on and so on. I think I failed in February because I registered for a run the same morning we were supposed to move out of our apartment. And that was on the last weekend of February, so I sort of blew my chances at rescuing that. I think I’m  doing okay otherwise though…#weshallsee.

3. Set a new PR. I’m not going into many specifics on this, because I don’t want to set myself up for a big fat fail. But I’d be happy in PR-ing any distance this year–5k, 10k, half marathon and (gulp, dare I say it?) the marathon. I’m pretty sure the latter won’t be happening as I shocked the hell out of myself with my first marathon time, and this years will be a much harder course, but pigs can fly, right? I have hardly run any races and those that I have run have not been fast. Again, it’s early. 

4. Do the flying pig half marathon (or full?) or at least DECIDE on which of my next “dream” half marathons/marathons will be up next in the queue. I’m dying to do the Flying Pig, ANY race in Disney World, ANY race in Hawaii, and newly added to the list, the Olathe Kansas Marathon, thanks solely to its awesome website: http://www.olathe.org/sports/marathon/. I’d also like to combine this goal, with my goal of traveling more to new places. Again, money is always a debilitating factor, but if I could make goals 2 and 3 work in conjunction with my age-old dream to visit places like Oregon, Montana, Hawaii and Australia, then its worth the money, right? It’s no Hawaii, but Buffalo is a place that I have not visited before! And I made a decision as far as my next marathon. I’m also trying desperately to convince Squiggs to sign up for Disney 2013 with me…so I’ll count this as a success. 

5. Figure out what the hell I want to do with my career/life. This could be about 9348042 posts on its own, so I won’t go into the details right now. But the bottom line is I’ve been a sissy for the last five years, specifically the last 5 months, and I need to just bite the bullet and make some major decisions. Biggest fail yet. Still have no idea. But I typed in the words “GRE” into Google the other day. Baby steps again??

And there you have it folks, the reason I tend not to make resolutions, because clearly I’m not good at keeping them. Or at least keeping them in full.

Now it’s back to the couch and by bottle of Dayquil.

Keep it classy this hump day.

The Jig is Up

Why hello there, bloggerworld. It’s been a while! My absence, for a change, can be credited less to my feeling like I’ve lost my blogging mojo and more toward the fact that I’ve been crazy busy due to wedding season.

When last we spoke I had just returned from a wedding-weekend-turned-mini-vacay (my favorite kinds of wedding weekend!) in Fort Lauderdale/Key West. I was a little worried about how a couple of days spent sauntering around Duvall Street with a Corona constantly in hand would affect my running when I returned to the real world, but as it turns out…beer carbs=great fuel. Even with TWO rest days “built in” to my schedule last week [read: one travel day and one post-wedding Easter Sunday/reunion with peanut butter and sweets] , I managed to bang out 45 miles for the week. I was quite pleased with this number…not so much with the number of Easter treats* I got into yesterday.

*Fun fact: I was late to work this morning because I made a point to go by CVS for discounted Cadbury eggs. I have no shame.

Back to the point though. Why was it so important for me to get 45 miles on the calendar last week if I have no major races on the horizon? Because I do, in fact, have a race on the horizon.

It had been my plan to sneak attack everyone with a race recap come May 28th. A big “Surprise! I tricked you! I didn’t wait until November 4th to run my second 26.2! Ha!”

But many of you were already on to me and making comments such as, “Oh, you ran 17 miles before work on Friday morning? What race are you training for?” Because yes, I DID in fact, run 17 miles before work on Friday morning–a pre-workday PDR for me. There’s only but so many times I can answer a question like “So WHY did you turn a 5 mile running tour into a 20 mile run today?” with “because I felt like it.” Although the real answer to that one was a secret bet I had going with myself…if I could run 20 miles on March 24th, then I’d have both the confidence and training needed to be able to finish a Spring marathon.

So on March 25th, I signed up for the Buffalo Marathon.

I had toyed on and off all winter with signing up for a Spring marathon.

On the one hand, I never thought I could run a SINGLE marathon. But then I did. Afterwards, I said I’d “take a break” from racing and wait until July to start focusing on training for the ING NYC Marathon. But it wasn’t long before I was missing training, missing long runs and missing having a goal. Sure, I had RnRUSA on the calendar for March, but after spending 8 weeks building up far past the 13.1 distance to reach 26.2 instead, a half marathon just didn’t quite cut it for me anymore. A week before RnR I ran 18 miles (that run, legitimately “just because I felt like it”) and I didn’t find it grueling or tiresome or any of those negative words that a non-runner might associate with such a distance. Instead, I found it motivating. And encouraging. And when a week later, I busted out 20 miles “because I felt like it,” I found it solid reasoning to sign up for my second full marathon.

For a while, I had had my eyes on the Vermont City marathon. Laura, is running this race as a pacer, so I knew I’d have at least one friend nearby, if not more. Not to mention, just the act of meeting Laura and hanging out with her put another check mark in the “pro” column of whether or not to do a Spring race. Laura (who has run I think 70ish marathons?) made a very wise point very shortly after we first met, that the more races you run, the less pressure you put on each one.

When I finished my first marathon in under four hours I was a whole ball of emotions–shocked and elated being two of the dominating ones, but in the very back of my mind I was also a little sad. Crazy? Probably. But at the time I was already signed up for NYC for the following November, and even though it was a full year off, I knew it was a far more difficult course and the chances of me getting anywhere near a 4-hour finish were near impossible. I secretly started wishing that I had done NYC for my first marathon, and Richmond for the second, ONLY because I was distraught over the idea that I’d very likely run a slower race my second time around. Laura’s logic, whether it applied to this situation or not, helped me get over that hump. Richmond was magical in so many ways (yes, I just used that unnecessarily dramatic term), and New York will be too, but for its own individual reasons. And by throwing a Spring marathon into the middle of the mix, I think I’ll be able to separate the two a bit, and not hold them up against each other.

So what happened to Vermont? Why Buffalo?

I’m a big fan of killing two birds with one stone (though I wish there was a kinder expression than that). And while I’d have one running buddy in Vermont, I’d still have to worry about hotel accommodations, and other unforseen expenses. I knew that weekend was a good one though, given it’s Memorial Day and there’s an extra day off work. So when I started to poke around at other alternatives, “just in case,” and Buffalo popped up, there was no doubt in my mind. Buffalo, like Vermont City, would be a new destination to explore and far enough North that the temps in late May would still be ideal running conditions. Unlike Vermont City, I could run a spring marathon AND visit one of my very best friends, in her hometown that she has spent the last 8 years begging me and all of our other friends to go see.

(Said friend celebrated a birthday yesterday, happy Bday Asia!)

And so I clicked the “register” button. The JD was obviously the first to know. Seeing as how I badgered him for a solid 24 hours about whether or not he thought I should do it/was capable of doing it. He was, as always, overly supportive: “You could run a marathon in your sleep” Lies, yes. But white ones, that gave me the confidence I need to kick myself into training mode.

I also told said friend in Buffalo, that I was finallllyyy going to pay her a visit, with the caveat that she be ready to indulge a super early bedtime the Saturday of my arrival, a super early wake-up time the following morning and get ready to cheer her face off, as I’m thinking the crowd support at this race will be a little smaller than the super smiley and go-nuts-for-strangers-running streets of Richmond. I thrive on crowd support. Dear friend, thoughts on renting a golf cart and just blaring music (it can be Firework. On repeat) and throwing confetti at me for the entirety of the course? Yes? Awesome, thanks.

Aside from those two, I wanted to keep my signing up a secret. For one, I thought that whole sneak attack blog race recap would be a lot fun. But this morning, when I saw the very sad number of blog views over the last few weeks ( a result from the even sadder number of posts), I realized that training is what kept my blog mojo going. And I’d have MUCH more exciting things to share with you if I wasn’t trying to delicately cover my training trails. I’d rather gush to the world when I finish up a near-50 mile week, thankyouverymuch (I swear, I’m not a Leo. VIRGO! VIRGO!)

Sure, I’ll probably have to feel the wrath of my family and friends who do not exactly condone my running…but better to get that out of the way now rather than late May!

So there it is, my friends. The jig is up. I am training for a spring marathon. Due to wedding season and all of the other crazy and fun events going on over the next few weeks and months, I will very likely NOT participate in any serious speed work. My strength training will likely continue to suffer a bit. But I will gladly re-introduce peanut butter into my diet (hopefully not on a 3x’s a day or more basis), embrace a few crazy long runs prior to the start of the work day, have a blast running Buffalo stress free (read: not focused on any time goal, just focused on putting a run in between two other 26.2′s) and celebrate my second full marathon lakeside with an old friend and very likely, a glass of wine

Happy training kids!

What Running Has Taught Me

Most of you probably don’t know me, so let me introduce myself! My name is Katherine and I started running a little less than a year ago and started a blog to go along with my running journeys. Nice to meet you all

I always hated running. No “hate” is too kind, more along the line of “loathed.” I clearly remember throwing up in 6^th grade when being forced to run a mile in gym class. As I grew up, I slowly started picking up running in spurts as a means of fitness, but never got above 3 miles and never really enjoyed running per say.

Well, all that changed last January 2011. A couple of my friends were talking about running a half marathon together and I was mad that I would be missing out on the fun just because I “couldn’t” run. I’m not a big fan of “can’t” and I figured if they can do it – why CAN’T I? I decided a little motivation would push me along so I signed up for a half marathon (giving myself 2.5 months to go from 0 – 13.1 miles).  My goal was to finish and I finished at a 10:10min/mile pace and was ecstatic! I was hooked on running from that point on.

A little less than a year later I have 3 half marathon’s under my belt and am training for my first marathon – the Paris 2012 Marathon in April! Running has been an eye opener for me and it’s taught me a lot about life and myself.  So let me share…

It’s OK to talk to strangers

I’m completely against teaching kids not to talk to strangers – sure, don’t talk to kidnappers or perverts, but not all strangers are bad. I’ve met a lot of wonderful people through meeting fellow bloggers and runners (Katie being one of them!) who I wouldn’t have met if I were afraid to talk to strangers. I’ve also heard a lot of interesting stories and met some great people just by randomly chatting up people during a race or while on a run in the park. It’s funny, because I’m not normally an “extroverted” person, but I guess boredom on a long run will pull it out of me.

I’m competitive

I grew up always playing a sport – I was mediocre at all of them, but not great at any of them. I didn’t have that competitive edge and I didn’t care enough about winning in order to put in the effort. Running has taught me to challenge myself.  I know I’m never going to win a race and there will always be others who can run faster or farther than me, but every run and every race is a small personal challenge. I compete with myself and push myself harder to in order to beat myself.

I get in ruts

For someone who in the last 4 years has had 5 jobs, even more apartments and has moved across the country and back – this is a little strange to say. But it’s true! Ever since I’ve started running it’s been hard for me to get into other exercises such as weight training and swimming, which I used to do regularly. I also get in route ruts and tend to run the same paths over and over – there’s something comforting about knowing what’s to come.

Cars run on gas, bodies run on fuel

I haven’t been on a “diet” since high school, but I’d be lying if I said I didn’t watch what I eat. When I’m training, though, if I’m hungry I eat. If I’m still hungry, I eat more.  My body needs fuel to run.

Slow and steady wins the race

Seriously, it’s true – did you watch the NYCM this year and notice how Mary was ahead in the women’s race until the very end? I’ll never complete a marathon by racing the first 10K. In the same respect, relationships take time to foster and grow; it takes time in a job to prove yourself and be promoted; it takes a lifetime to learn J

If you never try, you’ll never succeed

I think you get that one…

Only the wicked witch melts in the rain

…I can be “witchy” sometimes, but I don’t melt J. I’m a baby about the cold and bad weather, but nothing’s going to stop me from a run!…besides maybe a hurricane, snowstorm, or broken leg (let’s hope none of these happen)….

I don’t settle

OK, this I kind of already knew about myself. Nothing is ever good enough and nothing ever will be good enough because when we stop pushing ourselves, we stop living. There will always be a new PR to beat.

I’m proud of myself and that’s perfectly OK

I’ve accomplished a lot in both life and running. I’ve always thought that by recognizing this I was “bragging,” but for some reason running specifically has taught me that it’s OK to acknowledge my successes. To date I’ve run 16 miles further than I ever thought I could and I’m proud of that.

I can do anything I put my mind to

I’ve been lucky and have had parents who fully fostered this belief. When I crossed the finish line at my first half marathon, though, it all made sense. If you asked me a year ago if I’d ever thought I’d run a marathon, I’d say I could NEVER EVER EVER EVER EVER , but in April  2012, I will.

So I leave you with this:

Hydrate Right for Your Type!

When I was logging 18- and 20-mile runs in preparation for my marathon, one of my biggggest problems was on-the-go fueling and hydration. If I knew I had a long run coming up, I could down 24-ounce bottles of water 43 times a day while sitting at my desk (or while running around the restaurant, as was more often the case). But while actually out on the road? I was lucky if I drank one 4oz bottle of water from my fuel belt. I sort of just forgot to drink water. But I also just sort of didn’t know how to incorporate that very important task into my run. If only I had spoken with Elizabeth first! Cause she’s got some great tips…

Hydrate Right for Your Type!

Hydration. I’ve always thought it was a simple concept– drink water. There. That’s it. Make sure you get enough water while being active and you won’t get dehydrated. If you’re going to run a marathon or something crazy like that, drink plenty of water in the days leading up to the race and of course during the race.

After having completed 11 marathons and dozens of races over the course of 5 years, I thought I had this basic concept down. I was always very good about pre-hydrating in the days leading up to marathons and half marathons. But I also noticed that I was “bonking” in hot races sooner and more seriously than other runners. I thought to myself that I must be extra sensitive to the heat. I was drinking plenty of water before and during my races so it couldn’t possibly be dehydration. It was just the heat.

While I may be more sensitive to warm temperatures than the average runner, it wasn’t until June of this year that I realized that I wasn’t actually hydrating effectively. It was a sunny June morning and I had a 10K on tap. It was about about 70 degrees but with the absence of cloud cover, it felt much warmer. I drank plenty of water during the two days leading up to the race. I even drank “Smart Water” which has added electrolytes. I went out a tad too fast, but nothing unreasonable and by mile 5 I was dying. I wanted to stop and walk. My pace decreased by nearly a minute per mile during those last two miles and it took everything I had to keep going and not simply DNF. After the race I wasn’t very coherent. I felt spacey and was acting extremely loopy. My friends who were at the race all told me I looked horrible. They questioned my hydration and I told them that I drank plenty of Smart Water. One of my friends told me that Smart Water wasn’t going to cut it and she handed me an electrolyte tablet for my water. I felt better within about five minutes.

Around the same time, I started training with a coach and reading blogs by runners obsessed with the product “Nuun”– an electrolyte tablet. My coach advised me that I needed to take in more electrolytes with my water because hydration wasn’t just about getting enough water, but allowing the cells to expand so that they could hold as much water as possible. I’ve always known that electrolytes were important, hence the Smart Water. But when I looked closely at the bottle of the Smart Water, it said “electrolytes added for taste.” I have no idea what that’s supposed to mean. I don’t care about taste, I need electrolytes to help my cells hold the water!

I went to my local running store to investigate Nuun and similar electrolyte products. But much to my dismay, they all had the ingredient Sorbitol in them. Sorbitol is a sugar alcohol that adds flavor without adding calories. Nuun advertises itself as a hydration solution that tastes great– but without the calories of sports drinks. But hello, I am training for a marathon and I NEED the calories. The reason I will not use any product with Sorbitol is because it really upsets my stomach. Check out this article for more information on Sorbitol intolerance, which is not that uncommon. Frankly, it surprises me that a product targeted toward endurance athletes has based its success off of being low-calorie. I understand that runners might not want to be drinking bottle after bottle of sugary Gatorade, but there must be some happy medium.

After much trial and error, I have found three hydration products that work for me in addition to plain ol’ water:

Pedialyte. If they’re giving it to babies, then it’s pretty much guaranteed to be easy on the stomach. In fact, they give that to babies post-diarrhea to re-hydrate them. I drink Pedialyte on race morning and the day before the race if it’s a marathon or half marathon. You can buy it in liquid form, but I prefer the individual packets of powder that you mix into water. I give my coach credit for pointing me in this direction.

Coconut Water. Specifically, Vita Coco brand. Their website claims that Vita Coco is “an all-natural, super-hydrating, nutrient-packed, potassium-stacked, mega-electrolyte coconut water”. I’ve found this to be true and I love the way it tastes. It comes in different flavors like peach mango, pineapple in others, but I prefer to keep it simple and go with the plain flavor. I drink this stuff by the case. It tastes great, it’s healthy, and it’s relatively low in calories. Don’t confuse it with coconut milk. One serving of this stuff has only 45 calories and no fat. I drink this the day before a race. I haven’t tried it on race morning yet because I never know what my stomach will do. Pedialyte is best for race morning and Vita Coco the day before. Of course, I drink plenty of water as well. I especially love coconut water as a recovery drink, post race or long run.

G2. G2 is a watered down version of Gatorade that does not upset my stomach. Regular Gatorade makes me feel nauseous while running– especially that lemon-lime flavor they give you in races.  They always say you should alternate between water and sports drink. Well, if you use G2, you are already getting a half-and-half mixture, but you aren’t missing out on any of the electrolytes. During half marathons and marathons, I carry my own bottle of G2. I pour the G2 in a bottle that’s easy to carry while running and I train with it. I do not like to rely on water stations during races because the sports drink upsets my stomach and even if I just get water, I find that I’m too rushed to properly drink the entire cup. Hydration is important so I make sure I am not dependent on the race to provide it for me.

A final hydration fact that I learned just this year is this: when you take a gel during a race, you need to take it with water. If you don’t take it with water then your body will get water from your cells to help digest the gel and you will get dehydrated. You are not supposed to take gels with sports drink– water is best. I find that taking Gels with G2 works fine for me.

Even though it’s December and the weather is cold, hydration is still very important. Not only will the proper hydration power your runs, but it will also help you recover.

Elizabeth Clor lives in the Washington DC metro area and has been running in races since 2005. She’s completed 13 marathons and 15 half marathons. Her blog, Racing Stripes, can be found at www.elizabethclor.com.

The 5 Ways to Maintain Joy in Running

Runners are admittedly a little crazy. Like mos people with a passion for something, their love of running can come and go in waves. One day, I can have a great run and love every second of it, only to get out their the next day and have a miserable time and swear off the sport forever. I’ve never had an injury, but next time I have a “bad” run, I’m going to live vicariously through Jill’s experience, and work on appreciating the very fact that I have two working legs (and corresponding feet, toes, etc) to get me out the door. And when that appreciation isn’t enough to keep me feeling fulfilled, I’ll try one of her other very sound suggestions:

This summer I was sidelined for 9 weeks with a stress fracture in my foot.  NINE… LONG… WEEKS…

At the time of diagnosis, 9 weeks seemed the equivalent of forever.  “How will I deal with this?  I’ll never be the same runner I was before.  It’s the end of the world… WAH!”

Pretty quickly 9 weeks was over and I got to start running again, little by little I added on mileage and time.

I won’t lie and say that everything was the same… 9 weeks of very reduced activity will take a toll on your cardio fitness.  But it’s not going to take you all the way back to square one either.  The biggest change was one that I didn’t expect, it happened to my mental approach.

The old me would take it for granted that I could go for a run.  I really let bad runs get under my skin.  (And bad runs will happen to everyone at some point… it’s inevitable, don’t let it discourage you!)  I got irritated if life got in the way of my training.  Basically, I let the negative side of my brain participate in the run a lot more than I should.

Since coming back?  Every run is filled with gratitude.  Grateful that I can run, grateful that my body is working well enough to work through the motion of running, grateful that I am alive.  It’s amazing.

I’ve been back at running for 3 months post-injury and I’ve still not lost that gratitude and I really hope to retain it forever.  Here are some ways to keep the joyfulness in the sport:

1. Run by feel sometimes.

Leave the Garmin, Nike+, RunKeeper or whatever methods you use to track pace/distance behind and go out for a run just to experience the world.  This method usually works better if you run outside.  Look at the world around you and appreciate it!  If it feels labored, slow down.  If you feel great, speed up.

2. Run hard sometimes

Doing something harder every now and then will help you appreciate what your body is capable of.  The hardest part is often getting your brain out of the way, the little voice that tells you that you can’t.  But once you do that and you’ve accomplished the task at hand, your confidence will surge.

3. Don’t run sometimes

Everybody needs rest days.  None of us are super-human.  For all the stories you hear of athletes that sound like they are invincible, they still need to take rest that is appropriate to them.  So figure out what level of rest-to-run ratio works best for your individual needs.

4. Tune in and Zone out

This is something I advocate to the runners I coach… tuning in is running without music and focusing on your body.  Pay attention to your breathing, your form, your thoughts.  Make adjustments as needed.  Zoning out is running with some kind of distraction, frequently music or a TV on a treadmill.  Both methods can be helpful in your training, but both are necessary.

5. Don’t be afraid of change

If you are chronically injured, don’t just accept that is the way it will be forever.  LOOK for an answer.  For some people that means changing their form or trying different levels of support in shoes.  Sometimes it’s a matter of balancing and strengthening other parts of the body.  You may need to implement some complementary cross-training.  But you need to be ready to put in the work on your own behalf.  If you are constantly in pain, you’ll never feel happy about running.

Jill blogs at JillWillRun.com and is an RRCA-certified running coach.  She coaches the Las Vegas Team Challenge group.  In addition to running and coaching, she works full-time as a web geek.

Sweat Cycle

Good morning and happy Thursday kids!

I hope you all had as delightful of an evening as I did last night. After work I headed down Broadway for my first project through NYCares. Last night’s gig? Sewing capes. Yes, you read that right. I was working with some other very lovely and very friendly volunteers at Only Make Believe, an awesome organization that brings entertainment (via professional actors and volunteer-made costumes) to little ones that are sick, down on their luck, or otherwise in need of some cheer. After an original performance by the troupe from Only Make Believe, the kiddies are allowed to break into a box full of sunshine, and play dress-up themselves in crowns, capes and other fun, handmade [with love] gear.

I worked with another volunteer on a very “manly” cape for a little boy (apparently there’s always far too many with lace, button and bows, so we decked ours out in jersey mesh and a pattern of skull and crossbones. If I was a 7-year-old boy, I’m sure I’d dig it. As per usual, I failed big time at snapping any photos, BUT a reporter from a local TV station who was doing a segment on the various volunteer opportunities in this dear, old, dirty town was there working with us. We very well maaaay be on TV in the near future, and I very well may share that link with you. Or do everything in my power to hide it, seeing as how I had to walk through one heck of a rainstorm to get to Only Make Believe HQ last night.

Once home the JD and I made some pizza (and I mean actually MADE, not ordered from Sal and Carmine’s, put on plates and called it a home-cooked meal), tuned into some Christmas movies and got a head start filling out Christmas cards. Last night was all about the warm and fuzzies.

And this morning, while the temperatures outside have finally hit normal Christmas time temps, this morning was also warm. And sweaty. And a bit gross.

Because this morning I FINALLY. MADE IT. TO. A SPIN CLASS!

Woohoo! Throw some confetti, because this was a monumental accomplishment.

I’ve been meaning to get my but into a stationary cycle seat since November 13th. You know, the day after I ran a marathon

just in case you hadnt seen it. this is what my marathon medal looks like...

and swore that I would spend a few weeks giving my legs a break and getting into some other fun fitness ventures.

Well, the legs never really got much of a break. My mileage has gone down significantly, and I’ve replaced a few runs with elliptical sprints, but overall, I haven’t done anything NEW or DIFFERENT post-marathon than what I was doing pre-marathon.

I went to a spin class waaayyy back in the spring and remembered it being the greatest sweat-session of my life. I seriously think I released more H20 in that 45-minute cycle sesh than I did during my 26.2-mile trek around Richmond.

see? you can hardly even see the sweat. who cares if it was 45 degrees outside vs 95 in the cycle studio. that has little to do with anything.

Well, this morning was no different. I never thought I could get up at 6 a.m. and get in a hard enough workout that I’d want to wring my clothes out afterwards, but spin class is just the place to make that happen. The instructor this morning was not nearlyyy as cool (or as badass) as the woman who taught back in the spring (not ONLY was she more hardcore in the workout, but she was actually doing it with us), but he was still super nice and motivational, and the end-product was about the same so no complaints on my part.

Afterwards I did a cool down on the elliptical (what can I say? can’t break old habits), a few crunches and free weights and suited up for the office.

Just the other day, while having drinks, I was telling Katherine that I was definitely NOT a morning gym person. Bring me a pair of sneakers and an alarm clock any day of the week, and I’m happy to get my sweat on in the great outdoors…but for some reason, a.m. gym visits have never, ever appealed to me. Until now. Guess a little cycle sweat is just what I needed!

Hope you have a great day! Stay warm and stay sweatyyyyy!

- Any other group classes you’d recommend? I’m tempted to try a few more now…

- What’s your latest warm and fuzzy?

Empire State of Mind

A few weeks ago when I was fueled with ego and courage and excitement (most of which was maaaaybe provided by a few drinks) after my big Ashlee Simpson-inspired return to karaoke, I also signed the JD and myself up to do JayZ and Alicia Keys “Empire State of Mind.” Unfortunately, even though I very patiently waited [read: whined like a little girl "when is it myyyy turn"] and waited and waited, the mean karaoke DJ announced he was shutting down for the night JUST as it got to our line on the very long list. Not cool mista dj, not cool.

I wanted nothing more than to belt that song out into a mic in front of a room full of strangers and a few close friends. In hindsight, it’s probably better for all involved that that didn’t happen. It would have been painful for them, and highly embarassing for me. So I’ll stick to waiting until the apartment is empty and belting it out at the top of my lungs for only myself and my kitty to have to bear.

The song has been my theme song for a while now.

While the JD and I mulled over where he should take the bar exam (i.e. where we should live for five years post law school), everytime JayZ and Alicia came on the radio I’d get a little thrill and say “that’s it! that’s it! New York is where we belong!”

And it turns out, it was it.

And New York is where we belong…at least for now (I still miss my fam too much to ever commit to this amazing city 100%. So I’ll stay at 98.9%)

This city helped me run my first marathon. I don’t think I would have been able to train the way I did had I lived anywhere else for those 16 weeks.

And Empire State of Mind brought me to this city.

And the Empire State Building helped me fall in love with it.

(I used to get tingles every time I got off a bus or came out from the LIRR at Penn Station and looked up and saw that glorious piece of architecture. And grr. After I got drinks with Katherine last night I took some awesome photos of it covered in fog, but of course I forgot to grab them off the camera this morning).

So to bring my whole love of NYC/theEmpireStateBuilding/EmpireStateofMind/running full circle…it makes perfect sense that I signed up for the lottery for this “race” this morning:

this may actually invoke more fear in me than the idea of running 26.2 miles. wait--yes, yes it definitely does.

Getting a winning lottery ticket into this race may be just the kick in the toosh I need to focus on non-training fitness for the next few weeks/months. Yes, this is still a race. And yes, I’d need to train for it. But that training would entail taking the stairs up to my office on the 11th floor every single day, and spending my mornings racing up and down the stairwells in my apartment building (instead of lapping Central Park), and using that scary stairclimbing machine at the gym (instead of the boring old elliptical). It could totally shake up my workouts, while providing a new goal to work toward. This excites me.

However, the act of actually racing up 1,576 steps does not excite me so much….details, I guess. Details.

Anywho. That’s that. Outta sight outta mind until…Monday. NYRR has a VERY short turnaround time on selecting the random winners for this guy. Luckily Monday, I’ll be in the Dominican Republic. Likely laying on the beach with a margarita in my hand when NYRR alerts me whether or not I get to tackle this mammoth of a race. Regardless of what that message is (yes, you DO get to attempt and likely fail this feat or no, you were not chosen, go back to your idle non-training fitness slump) I will likely chug whatevers left of my margarita when I find out.

Crap, I just said outta sight outta mind. Oops.

Let’s focus on the fact that I’m going to the DR next week!

Don’t worry, I’ve spent zero time fishing out my summertime clothes from under my bed or packing in any way shape or form and lots of time trying to figure out how I will continue to keep YOU entertained in my absence (because you will still be sitting at a desk and I will be sitting in a beach chair. That was mean, I’m sorry) and how I will be able to get all my runs in. I wish Central Park had a sister park in Punta Cana.

In the meantime, I’ve been working to keep my workouts strong leading up to my departure. I ran 6 very happy, albeit wet, miles yesterday morning (all of which were basically killed by the wine consumed at HH with Katherine followed by a JMU Alumni meetup in midtown last night–any other dukes out there?), about 4.5 this morning, and I’m really hoping to hit another 8-10 tomorrow or Friday morning. Or both? No, calm down Katie.

Have a very happy Wednesday kids!

And keep your fingers crossed for me on this whole 86-flight race…:)

– Would you participate in a staircase race like this? Did you sign up for the lottery?

– If I can’t find a good place to run a good distance while in the Dominican next week, any recommends on how to keep my cardio up? Thanks in advance

Christmas Time in the City

I’m still riding a high from an epic holiday weekend in NYC….and it’s a good thing, too. Because work is trying VERY hard to kill that high.

Friday night, after lugging home many awkward-shaped boxes and bags (first from Jersey to the office, then the office to the UWS), wild horses (and Christmas tree expert logic) could not stop me from getting my tree up.

After dumping my bundles at the apartment and picking up some sparkling tree lights at the local CVS, I dragged the JD around the corner to pick out a Christmas tree.

Turns out, shopping for convenience (as it so often does), means paying a little extra–especially in the world of NYC Street Trees. We haggled with the man in the flannel jacket (whose accent was NOT upstate New York but more Romanian or something) for what we thought was a steal of a price on a Charlie Brown tree + stand combo, only for me to find out later (as I traipsed along the less-busy streets of Manhattan yesterday) that there are in fact, many places a little further from home selling trees with ALL of their branches at far lower prices. But, sera sera.

I love Charlie Brown. And I love our tree.

seeee? when you face the less-than full side towards the corner, noone knows its missing a big chunk of tree!

 And I love that our Friday night was spent making the apartment warm and fuzzy and festive.

Saturday morning both me and the JD were up considerably early for a non-marathon training weekend–he had an all day class in midtown (required by the bar association, they really know how to make a person happy they got their law degree) and I had a running date with Katherine and Kristine.

Coming from different neighborhoods means pinpointing meetups. So Saturday was Chelsea Piers at 9:30. This meant that I’d be covering close to 5 miles along the river by myself before picking up some company. Those first five-ish miles were tough–and I kept telling myself that maybe it was too early post-marathon to be attempting a long run. But you’ve heard me whine enough about miles not covered. I needed to be out there.

It was a beautiful day–in fact, too beautiful. I had anticipated cold temperatures (you know, since it’s December in NYC and whatnot) and even colder winds (because I’ve been known to get chills along the river even in the dead of summer) and so was surprised to find myself WAY overdressed for mid-to-high fifties and zero wind action. But I won’t complain about a run in the sun.

I got the in-person recap from Katherine’s half marathon in Philly (a race I SO wish I had been able to repeat this year), chatted up Kristine about her January half, and then talk turned to work and finding out that Kristine’s office is oh-so-close to my new location. Lunch dates and happy hour meet-ups are next in queue–and I’m excited! The second half of the run truly FLEW by. I cannot wait to schedule another long Saturday–I need them on the calendar to keep me sane

I peeled off from the girls just after crossing under the Brooklyn Bridge and headed back towards South Ferry to hop on the subway. I had a very stinky and sweaty 11:00 meeting to get to–my orientation to volunteer with NYCares. One hour-long info session and I’m now ready to get out there and giveeee my time My first project is Wednesday and I’m more than excited! Can’t wait to let you all know how it goes.

The morning to-do list didn’t end there, after my rundown from NYCares it was off to David’s Bridal to pick up a bridesmaids dress for one of my best friends Floridian wedding, coming up in March! And coming up even sooner, is another sure-to-be-epic bachelorette weekend here in NYC!

Saturday afternoon left just enough time to veg, catch up on Greys and finally hit the showers before meeting up with the JD for a post-”thisweekendlongmandatoryclassreallyblows” drink in midtown. We grabbed a few glasses of wine and some appetizers then headed home for a low-key evening of me trying desperately to watch every single Christmas movie and TV show Netflix instant had to offer (which was not many).

Sunday was dedicated to LOTS of walking around the city–Christmas shopping, flash-mob watching, cousin catching-upping and Rockefeller Center at Christmastime visiting, tourist fighting and gyming.

hello you big, beautiful tree, you!

It was a busy yet leisurely day, that ended with a little more wine sipping and present wrapping to the tune of Christmas carols, courtesy of Pandora.

Now, if I can get through my case of the Mondays and the little things at work that are making me irk…I’ll be back at the gym and then back to the Christmas tunage tonight!

Have a great day kiddos!

 

- Did you have a great run this weekend?? I’ve read so many recaps on the Vegas RnR half! I was jealous I wasn’t there, but grateful that I had a good run of my own.

- What’s your favorite part of Christmas in NYC??

Do you think you’ll do another?

That’s almost always the first question people ask after I force them to listen to tell them the details of my first-ever marathon experience that they are so very eager to hear.

After my first half-marathon last November, the question was “do you think you’ll ever do a full?” And I immediately scoffed and said “pshh, no way.”

Before even crossing the finish line in Richmond, I had done the legwork (I’m so punny) necessary to get automatic entry into the ING NYC Marathon 2012. I told everyone that barring any disaster on the streets of Richmond, I was most certainly going to run another 26.2. In fact, after Richmond was over and I had blocked out all of the very painful and miserable memories that were miles 20-26, I even tried to convince myself that it was phyisically possible to do both NY and Richmond next year…even though the two races are a mere week apart. I was riding the high and finally understood why so few people ever run “just one” marathon.

But now I find myself, nearly 2.5 weeks post-race and not running too much. I know, I know…26.2 is a lot on your body and many people take off for weeks or months at a time for recovery. But the thing is, I don’t WANT to take off. I don’t enjoy NOT running. And it’s not even that I haven’t been running, because I have. I’ve done lots of loops around the bridle and reservoir since coming back to the city, and did lots of loops in my parents neighborhood while home for turkey day. But I’m not running as far and I’m not running as often and it buggggs me. I was walking to the subway this morning and actually became angry at myself that I had let yet another freakishly warm November morning pass in NYC without lacing up the sneaks. Granted, I know I couldn’t have run yesterday morning…seeing as how I didn’t get back into the city until 3 a.m. But that’s the crazy part. I still was annoyed–not sure if it was more with the situation or myself–for not having the time to run yesterday and for opting to catch up on sleep today.

And that whole plan to up my fitness in areas outside of running while I wait for my National Half marathon training to begin? Laughable. Thanks to the new office hours and a midtown location, every time I make the grand gesture to sign up for a spin class or other group fitness activity, I’m denied (in fairness, I still GO to the gym. But you can bet your butt I don’t work myself on an ellip nearly as hard as a badass instructor would run me on a bike). The running gods are just telling me to forgo the stationary bike and get back on the streets. I want another training plan. I want another marathon. And I want it now.

Then again, I don’t.

Because I’m pretty sure that I’ll never beat the time that was on the clock as I crossed the finish line on Nov. 12:

see that? that wasn't even the official time, but you knew that, because i don't shut up about my shock over it. but this was some strange fluke, and i could run 48932043 marathons and probably never touch this.

This post sounds whiny and lamenting. And maybe it is (though it should be noted that I’m actually still happy and smiling and in a decent mood while writing it, so it can’t be THAT whiny…).

It’s also all over the place. Which I also, currently am. One day I’m totally happy only running 4 miles or skipping a run completely and taking it easy. The next I’m shinkicking myself (painful, though probably funny to watch) for not putting on my sneaks and getting out of bed earlier.

The bottom line was this: running DOES make you crazy, marathons ARE addicting and I’m likely going to be a hot mess from now til Christmas day, when I finally get back on a training plan. Enjoy!

 

 

 

On a Monday I am waiting

Tuesday I am fading and by Wednesday I can’t sleep….

Little Ashlee Simpson to start your morning! Because I think she’s an amazing singer and I love every one of her songs? No. Because I belted out this particular song during karaoke at the Grisly Pear on Saturday night and now it’s stuck in my head? Maybe….

But let’s back up a bit

Friday night after my first  work happy hour at the new job, the JD and I met my friend off a bus from Baltimore. A new megabus stop left her at Port Authority, right near where we already were, so we grabbed a drink then headed back to the UWS for a low-key night of catch-up.

Since this is the friend whom I credit for helping me become a runaddict, I knew she’d have her sneakers packed, and on Saturday morning we laced up so I could introduce her to the reservoir. I’m pretty sure there’s a big chunk of non-New Yorkers who have hit up Central Park during one visit or another, but don’t know much about Jackie’s beautiful dirt path because it’s so far north. It was an absolutely gorgeous fall morning and perfect for an easy run with an old friend. It was soooo strange passing runners from the NYRR Knickerboxer 60K (holy crap, 60k!!) and thinking how only a week before I had been one of those crazy distance runners, up on a Saturday morning running for hours and hours just for the fun of it. And it also made me a little sad. Good thing training starts for the National Half (which same visiting friend is also running) in just a few weeks.

And while our jog may have been a weee bit shorter than a 60k, we still kept the mileage up by spending the rest of Saturday walking all over the city. We hit up the holiday market at Union Square, checked out the dressed up windows and Lord & Taylor and eventually made our way up to Bryant Park for some more seasonal shopping. The JD met us there and we ended the day by introducing our guest to the gloriousness that is Wafels and Dinges, coupled with a hot toddie from the Southwest Porch. If you haven’t been it’s a small outdoor restaurant/bar in the SW corner of the park. There’s lots of comfy chairs and swings and best of all…heat lamps at every seat.

We met up with yet another college friend who was in the city and segued into Saturday night in the west village…where somehow or another, we wound up at the Grisly Pear, signed up for karaoke. I’d only done karaoke one other time in my life–after which I had sworn I’d never do it again–but this west village watering hole turned out to be a pretty good venue for the spot. The mic and stage (if you can call it a stage) were set up in the back room of the bar where lots of tables and chairs were set up. Most people were there with a group, and if one of their own wasn’t on stage, you didn’t have to worry about capturing their attention too much. We paired up girls vs. guys and had a blast belting out the words to silly pop songs like the aforementioned Ashlee number and Miley Cyrus’s Party in the U.S.A. It was an amazingly fun night, and a much-needed let-loose after all that serious marathon training

Sunday we took the crew to the neighborhood jaunt we take everyone–Tom’s. You may know it better as, “The Seinfeld Restaurant.” And the rest of the day was dedicated once again to traipsing all over the city. I played tour guide and pointed out all of my favorite running routes (Riverside Park and the rest of Central Park), we made a quick trip down to the new World Trade Center site and came back through Times Square, because what visitor doesn’t want to make a pit stop there?

After my friend caught the bus back to Baltimore, I still had some fun lined up. Thanks to the new job, there were two tickets waiting at the box office at Playwright Horizons, for me and a friend to see Maple and Vine. I grabbed dinner and drinks with my aunt at Reunion Surf Bar (SUCH a fun place) and the two of us headed down the street to catch the show, which is still in previews this week. It had a lot of zingy one-liners and was an overall clever and enjoyable story, but we weren’t happy with the ending. I won’t go into details why just in case you plan to see it

Now it’s time to settle in to this oh-so-short work week…I can’t believeeeee Thanksgiving is just days away!

Hope you have a very happy Monday!

And if you want to be made even happppier, enter to win Friday’s giveaway. What’s better than free deliciousness arriving at your door?