Aug 22nd 2010 08:45:05 pm

Despite my crazy-person smile seen in the photo above, today’s “Battle of Brooklyn” 10 mile race in Prospect Park was killer. I think it may have been my worst long run of the season, and I have only myself to blame. Travis and I took a lovely trip to Rhinebeck yesterday for our friend, Sarah’s, birthday party. (Happy birthday, Sarah!) We had a great time, but I definitely did not eat the correct pre-race foods (instead I had a lot of delicious food, like ribs and cake) and we stayed out very late – getting home well after midnight.

The trip was totally worth it, but I woke up groggy and sore this morning. To make the run even less appealing, it was overcast and rainy out. I am trooper and I made it out to the park anyway. As usual, my teammates were a great source of encouragement. I ran with my friend and running doppelganger, Lauren, and I managed to make it around the park for the full three loops. It rained on us, I was stiff and sore, my previously most trusty pair of shorts caused chaffing issues, and my pace time was the slowest of any of my races so far… ugh. But thanks to my husband and dog cheering section and the encouragement of my coach for the last half mile and my team at the finish line, I completed the run. Thank goodness.

The icky-ness of today’s race really reinforces the importance of race preparation in the days leading up to a big run. Nutrition, hydration, and sleep definitely make a difference. I have recommitted to staying vigilant about those things in the future — especially for the marathon!!

Look at this awesome team:

I have received so many generous donations from friends and family for the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society through my TNT fundraising page, but there is still time to help me reach my $5,000 goal! Help us find a cure for blood cancers and support families struggling with the diseases.

3 Comments » Categories: Exercise, Health, New York, Team In Training

Aug 2nd 2010 05:52:21 pm

Above is a photo of my Team In Training group in the ocean at Coney Island last Saturday. (I’m smack dab in the middle in the white tank top.) That run was so much fun and also a big accomplishment for many of us. We did our long run and ended it at the beach where we all jumped in the water in our running clothes. (Unfortunately, I also jumped in with my now dead iPod in my pocket.) It was the first time I ran ten miles this season, and despite the heat, it wasn’t all that bad. I was motivated to make it a good run since I left for vacation the next day…

I had half-heartedly planned to run while I was in Florida, but it really wasn’t possible. The amount of time we spent walking the theme parks at Disney World was its own kind of endurance training, I figure. We spent at least eight hours on our feet each day and much of that time was spent in the hot, hot sun and terrible humidity. I don’t feel like the vacation set me back too far in terms of training (if you don’t count all of extra sugary treats I consumed), but I did really miss my team. I only missed two group practices, but I look forward to them and rely on them for my motivation. My teammates are so fun and funny and kind – running with them is much more enjoyable than running alone!

So, today I hit the road alone for my first run after eight days off. I ran about 4.5 miles and actually felt quite good. I tackled the big hill at Prospect Park without trouble! Not bad, but I am really looking forward to tomorrow’s group practice. We are doing a tough hill workout, but I don’t even mind — I just can’t wait to see my team!

p.s. There is still plenty of time to show your support and donate to an amazing organization, The Leukemia & Lymphoma Society, via my TNT fundraising page. I love donations and your support means so much to me. xoxo

No Comments » Categories: Brooklyn, Exercise, Friends, Health, New York, Team In Training

Jun 26th 2010 05:41:47 pm

My marathon training is still in the beginning stages, with fairly low mileage runs and lots of cross training, but tomorrow the team (the Brooklyn LLS Team In Training) is participating in our first organized road race of the season. We will be running the 5-mile Achilles Hope & Possibility Run in Central Park. The image to the left is the race map – we’ll travel through much of the park. I am really excited to be running a race in central park, but five miles is still a loooong run for me. I will not be running it at any kind of race pace. If I can get under 11-minute miles, I’ll feel cool. I have a sore left foot that I really can’t explain, so I want to take it easy.

This evening, Travis and I are eating baked potatoes so that I can fuel up with some healthy carbs, and then I hope to head to bed early. I’m not exactly worried about the running tomorrow, but I am nervous about having to wake up so early and make it to the park in time. Subways are unpredictable on the weekends!

(This is where I once again remind you that in addition to training for the NYC marathon with Team In Training, I am also helping to raise money for the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society. Your donations will help me get through those 26.2 miles, but most importantly, it will help those with cancer in their daily journey and push us closer to cures that will save lives. You can donate right now online! Special bonus: if you donate now you won’t get bombarded with future emails and letters from me! Thank you, thank you, thank you to those who have already donated!)

No Comments » Categories: Exercise, Health, New York, Team In Training

Jun 19th 2010 11:07:17 am

Whew. I just completed my first 5 mile run of the season at this morning’s Team In Traning group run in Prospect Park. (This is a photo of me after the run doing some stretching. I look like a dweeb, but I don’t mind.) It was actually much more doable than I was expecting. Before starting this training, I hadn’t run over three miles in a few years. I know I have a lot further to go to work up to the marathon in November, but I am glad that I have been able to tackle this beginning mileage so “easily.”

Today while I was running, I was thinking about turning thirty. I’ll be thirty in February and I just keep thinking how wonderful my first 30 years have been and how lucky I have been. I feel so blessed to have always had such good health and I don’t want to take it for granted. Training for the marathon with TNT helps me with that in two ways: 1- by keeping me active and fit, and 2- by helping to raise money for medical research and care. (…Of course, that leads to the part where I ask for your support… If you would like to help me fight Leukemia and Lymphoma, please check out my TNT fundraising page!)

It feels good to be taking care of my body. I have always been active, but I am so happy that I decided to challenge myself with the goal of another marathon.

6 Comments » Categories: Exercise, Feeling Happy, Health, Team In Training

May 21st 2010 12:37:29 pm

I am a terrible athlete. Absolutely terrible. I can’t throw or catch a ball, bench press 100 lbs, do a yoga handstand, or even run very fast… but that didn’t prevent me from joining the cross country team in high school. Ever since then, running has been the most effective form of exercise for me.

My enthusiasm for running has varied over the years, but it has always been a part of my life. In every place I have lived, running has helped make it home. It has been my way of exploring my neighborhood and making it my own. In Kansas, I ran the safe streets and bike trails around my parents’ suburban home. In Iowa, I ran the gravel roads around the farm land and waved to the Amish. In Oregon, I ran the forested hiking trails of Hendricks Park and Skinners Butte. And, In Brooklyn, I’ve finally felt at home while running the crowded city sidewalks and Prospect Park trails.

Ten years ago, when I was just a freshman in college, I signed up for The Leukemia and Lymphoma Society’s Team In Training with my friend, Jody. We both enjoyed running and I guess we thought it would be “cool” to run a marathon. We were attending school in Lamoni, Iowa, and in addition to our individual training, we had to wake up at a terribly early hour each Saturday to make the over-an-hour drive to Des Moines to do our weekly training with the TNT group. It was intense and I truly can’t believe we did it. In June, we both crossed the finish line of the San Diego Rock N Roll Marathon – a full 26.2 miles run by two 19-year-olds far from home. It was more challenging and more fun than I can describe! The 21,000-person crowd running the marathon went on for miles on the roads of San Diego and the number of spectators was even larger. It was such a wild party atmosphere for the entire five hours it took me to finish. (Jody finished much faster and actually placed in our age group!) The experience of that marathon is one of the most vivid memories of my life.

So… why did it take me ten years to do another? Well, it is mostly because of the training. Marathon training is demanding. I have attempted to do it on my own in the past and failed miserably. I know that I need a group to help motivate me to complete the hours and hours of running that is required to prepare for a full marathon, and… I am extremely excited to announce that I have joined The Leukemia and Lymphoma Soceity’s Team In Training (TNT) program for the second time and I will be training for the New York City Marathon on November 7th, 2010! Getting into the NYC Marathon is not easy – people from all over the world apply to run in it – and I feel that running it with TNT is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity. I am excited, can you tell?!

Part of being a member of TNT means raising money for The Leukemia and Lymphoma Society. There are many different charity endurance training programs to choose from now – many more than when I first discovered Team In Training in 2000 – but I chose TNT again because of The Leukemia and Lymphoma Society’s commitment to research, education, and patient services. Seventy-four percent of every dollar raised goes directly toward these activities. I have set a daunting, yet exciting, $5,000 fundraising goal for myself and I plan to meet it. Click here to visit my TNT fundraising website. I would be more than thrilled if you would consider making a donation. The Leukemia and Lymphoma Society is a wonderful charity that not only provides funds for cancer care and research, but has also made a huge impact on thousands of lives through TNT. I am proud to be a part of it.

I plan to improve my TNT fundraising page over the next few weeks, and also write weekly blog posts about my training experience. Please check back to follow along on my adventure!

9 Comments » Categories: Exercise, Feeling Happy, Health, New York, Team In Training

Apr 28th 2010 04:33:37 pm

Life has been changing and moving quickly lately. On Saturday, we spent all day at the Handmade Cavalcade craft fair, then on Sunday we took an all-day trip to New Haven, Connecticut, to sell our car. Boohoo. I feel sad about it. We bought our 2004 Subaru Imprezza WRX about two weeks before our wedding in 2003. (The photo above is us driving off in the car after our wedding ceremony.) It felt like our kid, or maybe our home. We drove it across the country twice, and it had been our only car for five years. But for the last year here, in New York, the poor thing just sat parked on the street. We hardly used it (maybe driving 200 miles in the last six months) and Travis had to move it to a new parking spot twice a week. Yuck. Plus, the insurance was expensive. So, it is on to a new life via CarMax and we are car-less. It is a relief to not have to worry about it any longer, and after one last trip to the DMV we will be able to cancel our insurance. I do love extra money!

Early Monday morning we headed to the hospital (by hired car and driver) for Travis’ ACL reconstruction knee surgery. The Hospital for Special Surgery was fabulous and everyone there was very professional. You can read Travis’ thoughts on the experience on his blog. The surgeon said that the surgery went perfectly, and it seems like it did because Travis is recovering quickly. My only complaint is that it now falls solely on me to take Crusher down and up the three flights of stairs to our apartment every time he needs to go outside….

Life is good and all of the recent excitement has gone as smoothly as we could expect, but I am definitely ready for some downtime! If you need me, I’ll probably be taking a nap.

4 Comments » Categories: Family, Feeling Happy, Feeling Sad, Health, Home, Travis

Feb 4th 2010 10:48:38 pm

Today’s “new creative thing” is this healthy salad that I made for dinner. It is Bob Greene’s Black Eyed Pea Salad with Turkey Bacon recipe from today’s Oprah show. It was extremely tasty considering that it is part of a “managing diabetes” diet. The whole Oprah Show was about diabetes, and even though I don’t usually watch, I tuned in today. My grandfather had diabetes and I am just generally scared of it. I should be more concerned about heart disease – and I am- but it doesn’t hurt to have even more motivation to eat healthy. The salad consisted of romaine lettuce, tomatoes, black eyed peas, turkey bacon, olive oil, and apple cider vinegar. Bob Green (Oprah’s health guru) was touting apple cider vinegar as some sort of miracle liquid that decrease the glycemic index of any food it is paired with. …but I guess it wouldn’t taste good on donuts.

No Comments » Categories: Food, Health, Projects

Nov 5th 2009 07:39:38 pm

…sent me these beautiful flowers to cheer me up while I am sick. They worked! I love them. I really enjoy having fresh flowers, but it is a luxury that I don’t often indulge in. So, it is extra-special when they arrive on my doorstep as a surprise! Thank you so much, dad! I love you.

Crusher thought the package was for him, so I had to let him check them out…

(update on the flu: I think I am almost recovered, but I did something kinda dumb today. I went to an online advertising convention for about an hour with Travis… I hope the added excitement doesn’t push back my recovery time. I have a lot of work to catch up on tomorrow!)

1 Comment » Categories: Crusher, Family, Feeling Happy, Health, Lovely Things

Nov 2nd 2009 07:18:44 pm

From the ages of about 4 to 14, I was pretty intensely involved in classical dance training. When I hit high school (maybe 8th grade) I wanted to be involved in just about EVERYTHING else – sports, student government, yearbook, friends, boys, etc – and I ended up quitting dance cold turkey. It is a little sad to think that I completely gave up on something to which I had devoted so much time, but I was young enough when I made the decision that I know I was simply being honest with myself. I just wasn’t passionate enough about dance to continue with such a huge commitment.

I did some extracurricular dance in college and have taken random dance classes over the years, but I have always wanted to get back into it in a more meaningful way. Recently, I stumbled on a Ballet Strength Workout on FitTV and I love it! I am so glad I DVRed it. I think I have done it five times now. It is an hour (or, actually 40 minutes when you take out the commercials) of ballet moves, light weights, yoga, and pilates exercises. I seriously think the workout has made my body remember how to stand up straight. My posture actually feels different and stronger. (I have also been doing the Total Body Sculpt workouts on FitTV almost everyday, so I am sure that has added to the results I am feeling from the Ballet Workout. But, still! The Ballet Workout is a great addition to my routine!)

Usually, I have a hard time convincing myself to devote time to slower workouts, like yoga. I appreciate yoga and know it is good for you, but I still always feel like I need cardio workouts more. The Ballet Strength Workout is not really cardiovascular, but it does get my heart rate up and it makes me sweat. It is taught by Jennifer Galardi and I am really interested in checking out her Ballet Body workout DVD. I would also love to take a weekly class at a real dance studio at some point…. but I don’t know if I have the guts to wear tights and leotard again. hmmmm…

6 Comments » Categories: Exercise, Health

Jul 21st 2009 10:01:18 am

Summer is zooming by. Between getting a little sick (sore throat and cough, not H1N1) and preparing for an upcoming trip to California, there has been no time to blog. Today, however, I have a little bloggy gem for you! I have been completely obsessing over a few things lately that I feel the need to share:

1. Madewell – My new most favorite clothing shop ever! Madewell is a sister company to J.Crew, but I found out about it through a blog that I can’t seem to find at the moment… I signed up for the email updates a while ago, but it took me until last weekend to venture out to the Madewell store in Soho. I am in LOVE!! Such laid-back, cool, perfectly-on-trend-but-not-trying-too-hard style and everything seemed to fit me perfectly. I went a little wild in the store! I bought a pair of “rail straight” jeans made with some sort of fancy Japanese denim. Of course, they were the most expensive pair in the store, but the sales lady gave me an extra 20% off just because! I also got some t-shirts, a pair of shorts, and a very awesome cardigan. If I were a celebrity or fancy-pants rich person, Madewell is the store where I would say “give me one of everything in my size” each season.
2. Coach Spotlight bag – I do not have this bag, but it is the one I keep returning to when dreaming about my ideal fall bag. I want (need?) a super-big, cross-body, black bag for fall. I feel the need to branch away from Coach because I have really already given them way too much business, but this bag just seems to fit all of my criteria… I can’t stop thinking about it! What is wrong with me?!
3. NARS Orgasm Nail Polish – I have been coveting this nail polish for years, and I think I picked the best time to finally break down and buy it. Neon orange polish is totally what the cool kids are all wearing on their toes this summer, but neon is a little more than I can pull off. This NARS nail polish is a summery orange-peach color with a little sparkle that I think is a more subtle substitute. I was a little disappointed with it at first because you have to put on three coats to make it opaque, but I am really digging the color.
4. Philip B. Russian Amber Imperial Shampoo – Ok. This is absolutely ridiculous: $140 shampoo. I do not own it, I have never tried it, and I am trying hard to resist it. BUT, supposedly it is a miracle. I try not to blindly trust the reviews in fashion magazines, but the consensus on this product is that it is worth every penny and that it grants you your every hair wish – shiny, healthy, bouncy, beautiful hair. Oh man, I am a sucker. I want to try it!
5. J. Crew Linen shorts – I bought these linen shorts a few weeks ago and I have worn them almost every day since. They are slouchy and they get a little wrinkled, but they are easy and comfy and just the right length. I didn’t know if I would ever buy shorts again (I am not thrilled with my pale, less-than-toned legs), but these actually look good on me – wow! It seems that they are sold out on the J.Crew website, but these striped shorts are very similar.
6. Sam Edelman sandals – I bought these gold sandals in April because I thought they were cool, and New York-y, and kind of gladiator trend-ish. I had not bought Sam Edelman shoes before, but I would highly recommend them now. The sandals are all leather, comfortable, and I have worn them just about every day walking all around the city this summer. I have worn them on the subway, shopping in Soho, touring museums, and walking for hours at a time exploring NYC. They have held up amazingly! I am truly impressed. They still look shiny and nearly new. (I did almost loose one of the gems when I tripped on a Subway stair, but it easily slipped back into place.) I never expected a pair of sandals to survive this long in this city – and if they can stand up to New York, they can survive anywhere!

Those are the material objects that I am obsessing over this summer, but I should probably add one more thing: Gilad Bodies in Motion. I have been sticking with my commitment to do the TV workouts every weekday for over ten weeks, and I think I am actually starting to see some nice results. I am still a long way from wanting to get my photo taken in a bikini (but really, why would that need to happen?), and I still need to work on my eating habits (isn’t that a perpetual battle?), but I feel stronger and more fit. And – as stated above – I am feeling comfortable in shorts, which is a small miracle! Thank you, Gilad!!

So, what are you digging this summer? Anything awesome that I shouldn’t be missing?

1 Comment » Categories: Clothes, Exercise, Fashion, Feeling Happy, Health, Make-up & Beauty, New York, Shoes