Travis – rachel & the city

November 2, 2015November 2, 2015

big weekend highlights

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Halloween! King Kong and crew. (More photos.)

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NYC Marathon! Travis ran the city for his second time (10th overall marathon!) and Kenneth and I cheered for him at two spots. Such a fun and exhausting day in NYC. (Kenneth needs to work on his marathon cheer training.) (More photos)

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World Series! So, we didn’t actually watch all of the final game because we were too exhausted… but we are so excited for the Royals! Ken saw both teams play at their respective stadiums this year and predicted the Series weeks ago.

This week, we are off to Hawaii and then the holiday season starts… This little family stays busy!

February 26, 2014March 10, 2016

new orleans 2014

I was really looking forward to our trip to New Orleans earlier this month. I had so much fun visiting the “Big Easy” with my brother Seth in 2012, I was eager to go back. The history, culture, and food in New Orleans is so unique and exciting… but the trip didn’t quite live up to my high expectations.

The bummer stuff:

We really had a perfectly fine trip, but there were some things that brought the experience down a bit…

We had a few good sunny days, but mostly we had a lot of foggy, overcast weather.
I’ll give more details below, but my Half Marathon was really tough! I had wanted to run hard for this race since it was my official winter Team in Training event, but I couldn’t get my pace up and I felt sluggish the whole time. I was also inexplicably REALLY sore after the race.
I rolled my ankle pretty badly while walking around the day after the race. It is still a little swollen.
Our trip was longer than planned, March 30th to February 5th — a full week!! Our flight home was cancelled on Tuesday and so we ended up staying an extra day. But then the flight was delayed multiple times on Wednesday, which basically wasted the whole day. I tried to enjoy the extra time, but I was very ready to be home!
We didn’t take any tours or go to any museums. I love the history of New Orleans and didn’t feel as immersed in it this trip.

So, nothing too terrible happened… I got to spend a lot of quality time with Travis and hang out with many of our good friends. Plus, we WERE there to run a race with Team in Training, so that was the main focus. Here is my overview of the race…

New Orleans Rock N Roll Half Marathon:

Rock N Roll races are large, well-organized events and New Orleans was no different. (I’ve run the Rock N Roll marathon in San Diego twice.) The race started near Lafayette Square near our hotel in the Central Business district.

The temperature in the 50s was perfect, but it was extremely foggy!! It might have been the foggiest race I’ve run, even more so than the Nike Women’s Half Marathon in San Francisco when we couldn’t see the Golden Gate Bridge! The air felt a little thick and humid, and it was hard to see the lovely scenery as we ran through the mansions of the Garden District and the streets of the French Quarter. You couldn’t even see the cathedral across Jackson Square! It was intense.

I woke up cranky, but I tried to feel confident for the first three miles. I thought maybe my sluggish legs would shake themselves out, but it didn’t happen. The course was completely flat, but I still struggled through the whole race. I ran alone the entire time and sprinted the end only because I wanted to be done. It was overcast and cold by the time the race ended, but we received two medals — a beaded one for the race and an extra one for doing it with a charity organization — and my 20th official Half Marathon was completed!

The finish area was in City Park. It was a little muddy and crowded, but they gave out lots of great food (including chocolate milk) and the Team in Training tent was stocked with goodies. I met Travis (he PRd!) and lots of my friends (Hi, Brian! Hi, Jess!) on the sidelines and we waited to cheer in our full marathoners. Travis and I waited until our friend Nate finished (with a PR!) and then headed back to our hotel.

I was exhausted after the race and must not have been good about replacing my electrolytes. I was too wiped out to enjoy our team victory party or to watch the Super Bowl with the team, but Travis and I did manage to go out to dinner at Sylvain’s which revived me a bit.

Second only to our fun friends and awesome Brooklyn team, the food was the best part of the trip!!

Restaurants:

New Orleans food is heavy and rich — lots of fried food, seafood, and meat — but it is delicious. I would recommend all of these restaurants we tried…

Cafe Du Monde – The classic breakfast place for beignets and coffee. Open 24 hours!! I really like their coffee. A lot. Get the frozen cafe au lait.

Cochon – My favorite! Lots of meat. We ate a fabulous dinner with friends at the “sit down” restaurant and ordered just about everything. (I loved the fried alligator!) Then, Travis and I also got amazing sandwiches for lunch one day at the Cochon Butcher next door. I ordered the muffuletta, which was nearly as good as the original from Central Grocery…

Central Grocery – Grab a giant muffuletta sandwich and Zapp’s chips to go at this French Quarter store front and eat them in Jackson Square or on the water front. It is the best sandwich I have ever eaten. Seriously. I dream about it.

Sylvain’s – Sort of fancy “new southern.” I had a tiny quail. It was delicious.

Elizabeth’s – A New Orleans MUST with a relaxed, slightly hipster atmosphere. Go for brunch. Get the best bloody mary ever and the praline bacon.

Court of the Two Sisters – We went for the all you-can-eat Jazz Brunch. It was plenty good with tons of options, but a little pricey and very touristy.

Acme Oyster House – Fresh oysters, charbroiled oysters, fried oysters – I tried them all! And Travis said this was his favorite po’boy of the trip. You almost always have to wait in line for a table at the French Quarter location, but it is fun and worth it.

Mother’s – Classic southern comfort food. You might have to wait in line, but the tables turn over really fast in this large, totally casual, 80-year-old restaurant. Get a po’boy with “debris” or the jambalaya or the baked ham.

Magasin Cafe – There is a very large Vietnamese population in New Orleans, so there are many restaurant options for delicious pho, and banh mi, and spring rolls. Travis and I chose Magasin on the suggestion of a friend and we loved it. It’s a great spot to eat after walking around the mansions of the Garden District and the shops on Magazine Street.

Sucre – My favorite New Orleans bakery with my favorite King Cake. (FYI: You can get the cakes delivered anywhere in the US!) Travis loved it and we visited Sucre three times during the trip! Wow.

Other fun New Orleans stuff:

Food really was the highlight of the trip, but we managed to fit in some other fun stuff. Riding the street car from the French Quarter over to the Garden District was fun and easy. Once there, we walked around checking out the pretty mansions and the fascinating cemeteries. Of course, strolling through the French Quarter is a MUST. We walked down Bourbon Street and I stopped in Marie Laveau’s House of Voodoo. (Travis thought it was a little too spooky.) I think a photo op in Jackson Square is a requirement of every Nola trip, and a stroll through the french market near the river front is great for souvenir hunting. The Carousel Bar at the Hotel Monteleone is a fun evening stop. I had a milk punch — pretty tasty! We had the opportunity to visit with our friend Amanda’s cousin at his beautiful home near Lake Pontchartrain one evening, which was delightful. I would definitely recommend getting out of the city center if possible and talking with some locals. It is amazing to hear how the city has come back after Hurricane Katrina.

Overall, it was a good trip and I’d totally recommend visiting New Orleans to anyone. But just like anywhere else, things could not go as planned, so it is helpful to stay flexible… and maybe not have TOO high of expectations. I think that was my major downfall this trip. Maybe some day I’ll go back and JUST visit every museum in the city!

Check out all 100+ photos from New Orleans on Flickr.

January 26, 2014January 26, 2014

bermuda 2014

It is snowing and nineteen degrees in Brooklyn today and I am really missing Bermuda! Turquoise water + pink sand + sun = a welcome combination in the middle of a NY winter.

Travis and I took our second trip to Bermuda last weekend. We took our first trip to the Atlantic Ocean island last year to run the Bermuda Triangle Challenge, and we returned for the same reason… and because it is such an easy trip!

Bermuda is just a two-hour flight from NYC. Since it is the off-season, plane tickets are cheap and we split a hotel room with two other friends. So, overall, a relatively inexpensive and quick island adventure!

We stayed at the Fairmont Southampton hotel again. The hotel is across the bay from the main city of Hamilton, but it is right near the most spectacular beach on the island, Horseshoe Bay. (Rated the #8 beach in the world!) It also happened to be the team hotel for our New York City Team in Training Chapter.

Travis and I are a mentor and social captain for our Brooklyn TNT group and even though the New Orleans Rock N Roll Half Marathon next weekend is our official winter season event, we couldn’t pass up going to Bermuda with the Team, too. It was a much smaller TNT group than last year, but we still had a wonderful time.

We got in late on Thursday night, ordered room service, and hung out with our BK roommates and friends. (Hi Joel, Amanda, Roshan, and Jon!) Friday was overcast, but we still made it to the beach. We checked out the private cove, saw the parrot fish, climbed some rocks, and checked out the beach cave. It was too cold for swimming, but we waded in the water a bit.

Then, we headed into town for the first event of the Triangle Challenge, the Front Street Mile! I ran the mile slightly faster than last year, with a finish time of 8:35. Not too speedy, but I haven’t been doing any speed training this season, so it serves me right. After, we hung around and watched all of the mile races, from the kids to the elites. It was a fun and exciting parade atmosphere in Hamilton, with everyone out on Front Street to spectate.

Saturday we got up early for the 10k. It was raining. Boo. I was cranky. I was worried about the success of the weekend when we arrived at the race start and our tiny Team was all huddled under a tent trying to stay dry. But everyone brought their PMAs (positive mental attitudes) and headed out in the rain to tackle 6 miles of hills. Despite the rain, everyone was thrilled to finish their race and I was feeling much more positive after – as evidenced by this epic jump shot!

It rained and rained and rained all day on Saturday. We basically napped the day away before heading to the Team inspiration dinner. Our friend and teammate, Shelly, told her story of how she has been living with leukemia for nearly 10 years. She is so sweet, and funny, and inspiring. It was a wonderful evening.

The weather was MUCH better for the half marathon – a little overcast and cool. I ran the race nice and easy with my friend Jon. We goofed off with our teammates, stopped for some swinging and some beer, and I managed to take a few photos. I felt really strong and steady for the whole race and I look forward to pushing it a bit harder next week in NOLA.

After the race, we ate at Travis’ favorite restaurant, Bouchee, and rode the water ferry back to our hotel. A successful morning followed by a successful evening of celebrating with our friends and teammates! We even made it to the hotel pool and hot tub!

Monday was our perfect, sunny beach day. We only had a few hours to enjoy it before heading to the airport, but we took full advantage. We headed to Horseshoe Bay, sunbathed, swam in the ocean, took lots of photos, and basically tried to soak up all of the Bermuda we could before heading home to Brooklyn. We couldn’t have asked for a better end to the trip.

Bermuda was such a quick, little trip, but it is so wonderful to get to spend time with Travis away from work and our normal, day-to-day life. We really love our life in the city, but taking breaks now and then for travel is really fun. And worth the expense, I think. We are currently saving up for our next big adventure… Stay tuned!

See all of my photos from Bermuda here.

December 31, 2013December 31, 2013

goodbye, 2013!

2013

Happy New Year’s Eve!! Another year down.

2013 wasn’t the year I was expecting, but I had a lot of good times and made some excellent memories. I have more big plans for 2014 and can’t wait to get started on them!

…but for now, here are some of my favorite blog posts from the past year:

January
My word for 2013 was sweetness, but it could have been RUN! The year started off with running… Travis and I ran the Goofy Challenge and the Bermuda Triangle Challenge back to back.

February
My birthday! I ran another marathon (my 8th!) and lost someone special to me.

March
Not much happened in March…

April
In April, I did a craft project.

May
Lots of running in May. Many half marathons and a few trail races.

June
I traveled in June, to Kansas to run the Color Run with the fam and to Portland to see Adam and Nina.

July
July was busy! Stephanie and Bill visited New York, I continued my Summer Run Streak, Travis and I celebrated our 10 year anniversary and went on a big date, and we ran the Boilermaker.

August
In August, I went camping, ate some cronuts, attended Blogshop, and did more running.

September
I was digging navy blue in September. I also finished my 101-day Run Streak and Reached the Beach.

October
October brought a sweet wedding, my dad’s first half marathon, and my fastest 5k – all in one big update.

November
Travis ran the NYC Marathon in November and the helped me run my fastest marathon ever in Brooklyn. Plus, Friendsgiving!

December
Travis got Lasik this month and we had a relaxing and lovely Christmas together in Brooklyn.

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Travis and I are celebrating tonight with friends at a big prom party (a lot like last year!) What are your plans???

December 11, 2013

LASIK

lasiktravis

Travis is now even more perfect!

He had LASIK eye surgery a little over a week ago and he now has 20/20 vision without his glasses! Wow. It feels like magic.

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Travis got his surgery at Mandel Vision last Monday. He took Monday and Tuesday off from work, even though they told him he could resume his regular activities the day after surgery. He slept most of Monday, but was feeling pretty good on Tuesday. Crusher took good care of him at home.

The thought of the surgery was nerve-wracking beforehand, but Travis hasn’t had many complaints in the aftermath. There is some redness in the whites of his eyes, which he says a few people have commented on, but it will heal. I think the hardest part is trying not to touch his eyes. He wears sunglasses when he sleeps and uses eye drops a lot, but otherwise I think he is very pleased with the results.

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Look, no glasses!!

November 18, 2013November 20, 2013

Brooklyn Marathon

ouch. I am very sore. And very happy.

How did I even end up running the Brooklyn Marathon yesterday?? A year ago, when NYC was cancelled, Travis and I made a mad dash to get signed up for an alternative race. NYCRuns had hoped to be able to allow more people in the 2012 Brooklyn Marathon. We signed up, but the plans to expand the field fell through. Bummer. Everyone who had signed up could transfer their entry to 2013. But even though I was registered for over a year, I wasn’t ever totally convinced that I would actually run it…

The three marathons that secured our membership in Marathon Maniacs earlier this year were plenty for me. I didn’t NEED to train for another fall race. But I guess I was curious to see what I could do. To see if my personal best time at Philly a year ago was a one-time thing and/or if I could consistently run sub-5-hour marathons.

I trained on my own. I mean, I am participating in the Winter Team in Training season (it is great!) but my long marathon training runs were done solo. I completed both a 19-mile and a 20-mile run completely on my own leading up to this race. I have never done that before. And even more incredible, my pacing was actually pretty good, at around 11-11:30/mile. Those runs, plus a few faster, shorter runs gave me confidence that I was actually ready to run a marathon. I didn’t really have an excuse not to…

I was more nervous than I’d like to admit leading up to this race. Marathons are fun, but also RUNNING, EFFORT, PAIN! You can never predict exactly how the day is going to go. But I had my truly sweet and patient husband (who ran NYC two weeks ago) running it with me. And SO MANY supportive friends. I knew that whatever happened, it would be a good day.

And it was. I completed my 9th marathon and it was my fastest yet at 4:46:01. Travis stuck by my side even when I got cranky. I listened to my favorite songs. Nine loops of the park didn’t even seem so bad. My fueling was smart & consistent (MilkyWay, 6 Gus, brownies, and gatorade). We took it easy on the six trips up the North hill, walking some. I was in pain for most of the race, but also felt strong. I concentrated and I fought for it.

It seems crazy to run for nearly five hours just to gain two little minutes… but it was worth it.

But the race, my time, those are not even the best parts. The most amazing part of the whole day was seeing so many friends in the park! So many. This race comes at the end of a long, strenuous fall race season. All of my friends have already trained and raced and coached and cheered at plenty of events. I didn’t expect anyone to spend their Sunday watching me (and all the other racers, of course) run in a circle around Prospect Park. But they did. Plus, did I mention that it rained?!

THANK YOU: Suzy for bringing my treats and gatorade and being my personal pit crew, Pam for being there from the start and taking so many great photos, sweet Sarah Y. for pouring my gatorade, Joel and Amanda for surprising me with my baby, Crusher, on the sidelines, Jessica for keeping me pumped up and running those first two loops with us, Lisa for making me a sign and coming out after already coaching another race that morning, Matt for running a loop with us and not minding that I was totally brain dead, new marathon maniac, Meghan T., and all of our CHEERful friends, Emily C., Nate, JP (and Beau!), Dory, Amber, Cynthia, Kristen (and Mike!), Emily H., Judith and John, Kitty, Louis, Flegar, Sarah W., Sarah K., Josh, Tony, Shanna, and many more that I am probably forgetting. (Blame it on marathon brain.) You all MADE MY DAY and make me feel very fortunate. (And get this: The rest of our SCBkR crew was in Philly yesterday cheering on the racers there. Amazing.)

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Running is just a hobby. But it is healthy. And challenging. And fun. And the friends I have made doing it are incredibly supportive and encouraging and silly and sweet and fun. Team in training + Brooklyn + the running community at large = so many good vibes.

I could blame it on the marathon endorphins, but I think it is true love. This South Central Brooklyn Runners community that we’ve all created is something special. Maybe even magic. I hope we can keep it going… forever.

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Watch a news report about the Brooklyn Marathon here. (You can see me & Travis run by for a second.) And view all of the photos (mine and my friends’) from the day here.

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Random personal note for future reference: Don’t put too much stuff in the side leg pockets of Lululemon crops. Not only is it unattractive, but it causes major bruises!

November 7, 2013November 18, 2013

Travis conquered the NYC Marathon 2013

Travis did it! He ran the NYC Marathon and got his goal time of under four hours – 3:55:12, to be exact.

We were both supposed to run NYC last year. We trained with Brooklyn Team in Training, raised money for the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society, and even went to the event expo with our friends… only to find out that the race had been cancelled. We were bummed, but quickly focused on helping with hurricane clean up. Plus, we got to run the Philadelphia Marathon two weeks later, so it was still a successful season… but the NYC Marathon is special and Travis wanted his chance to run through the city. He transferred his registration to 2013.

Since I already ran NYC in 2010, I decided to take the refund. That way, I could focus on cheering for Travis just like he did for me in 2010. I tried to make it to three spots on the route – mile 7 in Brooklyn near our place, mile 18 on 1st Ave in Manhattan, and mile 23 on 5th Ave in Manhattan. It was awesome seeing Travis in Brooklyn, even though it was incredibly crowded! I made it to the next two locations, but somehow I missed Travis at mile 18. Bummer. I was determined to see him at 23 — I kept my eyes on the runners obsessively — and I did! He was tired, but powering through.

I got to cheer with many friends – Becca, Sarah, Lawrence, Amanda, Joel, Matt – and I got to see many members of the current Brooklyn Team running, but not all of them. I couldn’t stay out on the course all day like we did in 2011. I hustled to the finish shortly after I saw Travis for the final time. I had all of his warm clothes and didn’t want to be late!

The security at the marathon was incredible! They had blocked off almost all of Central Park West and all of Columbus Circle. Giant dump trucks blocked the streets. There were police officers and canine units everywhere! The security seemed excessive (and cost $1 mil!) but it paid off, because the race went off without a hitch. Which is amazing. Especially considering that the 2013 NYC Marathon was the largest marathon in history, with 50,304 finishers. Wow!

It was a trek to get myself to a meeting place near the finish, but I made it! Travis arrived in his marathon poncho and medal. He was cold, but happy.

Travis ran a strong race and I am very proud of him. He trained extremely hard for this race. He is much more dedicated and disciplined than I. There are many more fast races in his future!

Check out all of my photos from the event in my Flickr set.

October 31, 2013November 1, 2013

so many running updates

Happy Halloween!! But this isn’t a Halloween post… it is about running. Of course. It is always about running.

I completed so many races in the beginning of 2013 that I really burned myself out… spring and summer were not great running seasons for me, but I’ve gradually been working myself back into the groove. Recently, I’ve been surprised to realize that I am actually feeling pretty good. And, I have been doing some fairly successful marathon training on my own. I completed two solid long runs this month, including a solo 20 miler that went exceptionally well… and not just because I made pit stops for a donut AND a cupcake.

I am feeling unexpectedly excellent. Running is on my good side for now. Which is handy, because there is a lot of fun, running-related stuff happening…

Early this month, one of my best and sweetest running friends (and Warrior van-mate), Sarah, got married to her equally sweet (he got me a signed photo of Patrick Stewart!) boyfriend-now-husband, Lawrence. It was a beautiful, fun, huge, family wedding and it was such a thrill to be invited. The food was amazing and the entire event was full of cute, personal touches. Sarah and Lawrence made race bibs for their table seating cards! So clever and fun! Such a great night. Travis and I made good use of the party photo booth with our fellow running Warriors.

My dad ran his first official half marathon on October 19th. Very cool! With the covert help of my brothers, I flew home to surprise him on the course. Aaron, Seth, Mom, and I had signs and we were yelling our head’s off, but somehow we missed Dad at the start of the race. Good thing we saw him at Mile 3 near the Liberty Memorial. He stopped and gave me a hug. I think he was genuinely surprised to see me. Success! I met him again at Mile 11 and ran the last 2 miles with him and his kind friend, Todd. Dad was tired at the end, but he ran a very strong race. Now he has his sights set on a full marathon!

See all my photos from my Kansas City trip HERE.

Above is my current Brooklyn Team in Training. We are all participating in the “Endless Summer” (winter) season and training for either the Bermuda or New Orleans Half Marathon. I’m Social Captain again this season, and although our group is small, it is awesome. Last night we had a “Socktober” costume contest and a 5k test. I ran (maybe) my fastest 5k ever (sub 9min/miles, but still didn’t break 28 minutes – boo) and felt great. Travis was sweet and paced me the whole way. I run my best races when he helps me.

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With the successful 20 mile run and the strong 5k under my belt, I feel confident enough to publicly admit that I am running the Brooklyn Marathon on November 17th. The race is entirely in Prospect Park and it will be challenging… but I think I am going to take it seriously. I have no idea whether I can PR, but you never know what will happen… perhaps it will be MY race.

In even BIGGER news… Travis is running the NYC Marathon on Sunday! Wow. It his first NYC, but his 6th marathon. He has been training extremely hard and I think he is going to have an amazing race. I plan to cheer for him at three points on the route. He is Bib #22006 (starting in Blue Wave #2, Corral #22). You can track him by downloading the free iPhone app.

NYC Marathon Day is one of my very favorite days in the city. I was devastated by Hurricane Sandy last year and the cancellation of the race. What a sad time… But this year is going to be great! I am volunteering at the Team in Training booth at the Expo all afternoon tomorrow – come see me! – and I am an official #INGNYCMarathon Social Reporter. You can follow me as @rljart and @SCBkRunners on Twitter and as @rljart on Instagram. Be prepared for a LOT of marathon updates! (You can also search for the #ingnycm hashtag to get the newest marathon-related tweets.)

Will you be watching the NYC Marathon? What other fall events are you excited for?

July 9, 2013

NYC anniversary date

Ten years of marriage is a big deal, and even though we are usually pretty lame when it comes to celebrations, Travis and I thought we should do something special this year. Originally, we thought about taking a big trip somewhere fancy –like Europe! — but with so much local travel already planned for this summer, planning another trip felt like more of a hassle than a celebration… So, we settled for a fancy New York City anniversary date instead.

We had an extravagant dinner at Craft and then went to see Kinky Boots on Broadway.

Craft was a somewhat random restaurant choice, but it felt more relaxed than other fancy Manhattan places. The waiters were really nice and we didn’t have to wear formal attire. We ordered too much food: both a crispy bacon and a lamb ravioli starter, short ribs and scallops, spinach and morrel mushrooms, and for dessert, donuts and chocolate panna cotta. It was all delicious, but a little rich for me. I’m not used to so much butter! I didn’t leave stuffed, but definitely satisfied.

Kinky Boots was lots of fun! The music was catchy, the drag queens were spectacular, and the finale alone was totally worth the ticket price. I had a great time. (And so did Travis.)

Apparently, I only go to see Tony Award-winning musicals on Broadway because the only other show I’ve seen is The Book of Mormon. Kinky Boots was entirely enjoyable, but I think I liked Mormon more. It just seemed a bit more original and bizarre and brilliant… but obviously, I am not the most savvy theater critic.

We had a wonderful anniversary night on the town… but wild celebrations are still not quite our thing. I am just as happy to celebrate our marriage relaxing at home on the couch.

July 3, 2013July 3, 2013

10 year anniversary

Ten years ago today, Travis and I were having a glorious, crazy, fun day jam-packed with photos and family and friends and cake. We were married on July 3rd, 2003. We were both 22. We had just graduated from college and we’d just bought a new car.

I have actually had people (friends!) tell me that our brains do not fully mature until after the age of 25, therefore choosing a mate before then is foolish… but choosing Travis was the surest and smartest decision I have ever made.

Ten years of marriage feels good. Nothing in life is perfect (don’t trust anyone who tells you otherwise) but right now, our relationship feels pretty darn close to it. I could tell you that it is all true love and soul mate magic. Or, I could tell you that it is daily, practical work and compromise. But the reality is that it is both. Love + commitment + kindness + work. It also doesn’t hurt that Travis is patient and steady and strong even when I am crazy.

I love you, Travis. Let’s keep it going for 50 more years!

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You can see more photos from our wedding here and here.