Christmas tourist

I've been out of it again. Honestly, my feet were still hurting from my marathon, then I started having really bad back pain, and I didn't feel like writing about my adventures. I felt pretty lame actually. I think I felt since I wasn't running, I had to push myself more in yoga. Except that didn't really help in the end. I took a step back and the strange thing is I feel like I'm getting more from my yoga practice by doing less. I'm not necessarily doing less, but I'm focussed on doing everything right. Sometimes that means not doing as much. Good lesson! So here's my post Thanksgiving update.

Kitty really enjoyed Thanksgiving. Now he's enjoying our Christmas tree.

Take a look at this tree. Ours is a little smaller.

I like to be a Christmas tourist on my lunch break. Even though it was 65 degrees and I wasn't even wearing a jacket, it still puts you in the Christmas spirit. You can't help but feel wintry when everyone is ice skating.

I also forgot to mention all the weird people I saw on the street today, like the people with the dog stroller, the old lady with the grill, and a man who looked like Santa in disguise. Actually, I'm pretty sure he was Santa. So that's it for now. In exactly one week Josh and I will be heading to Cali for an early Christmas there. We should have lots of fun pictures from that.

Happy Thanksgiving

I got in a quick run this morning. Jaclyn and I made our own turkey trot. Now I have a helper. Happy Thanksgiving everyone!

Apparently everyone is supposed to hug me today. Today is "Hug a Runner Day!" Find the nearest runner and give them a big fat hug. Or for more awesome ideas on how to hug your runner, like interval hugging, click here. Runners give the best hugs :)

Catching Up

These last few weeks were a little surreal. I was in full on NYC Marathon prep mode, then came a storm, the marathon cancellation, and disappointment turned to a day of volunteering. I have to admit, when I was in Staten Island, it didn't really hit me. But then I went back to work on Monday and it felt weird to be going about my day like normal, when others were standing out in the cold, without power or their homes. I think my head was in a weird place last week. The experience seemed to stick with the rest of the group too because they organized another trip to help clean up, this time in Union Beach, NJ. I have to say this trip was pretty rewarding. We were divided into groups and sent to different areas to help clean up. When we got there, the whole street looked like a construction zone. Piles of furniture, trash bags, dry wall, sea grass, etc in front of every home on the street. Two hours later we turned around and the street was COMPLETELY cleared. We had a small bite of lunch, and headed off to find someone else who needed our help. This guy was literally the most Jersey guy I've ever met. His house was pretty much the last house that had stuff to remove. When we showed up, he yelled, "I love yous guys. I don't know who yous guys are, but I love yous guys." I love you too, random New Jersey resident. He also told us to stop looking at him like he was a beefcake. His wife might see.

We got everything from his lawn into a dumpster and cleared out the reeds from most of his yard. It's amazing how much can be done in such a short amount of time when everyone is really working together. I should also add that I think I'll be adding manual labor to my cross training routine. As a city dweller, I never get to use my raking-the-leaves or throwing-stuff-over-your-head-into-a-dumpster muscles. They sure got used yesterday and they're screaming at me today.

Here's a brief rundown of everything else that has happened in the past few weeks.

I got my marathon pictures. Here I am making a face.



And here I am crossing the finish line.



I painted my toenails purple before I ran the marathon. Once my nail polish wore off, I realized one of my nails was still purple. Oops!

Josh made a house for Oliver, and we decorated it for Halloween.



I've been doing lots of yoga. Lots and lots of yoga.

Oliver continues to be really, really, really cute.



I'm hoping to get back to updating this more regularly. We'll see if that actually happens. I tend to get a little lazy once the holidays start to roll around.

Ok. This will be the last one I post. I'm just so freaking proud of my team. They're even more amazing that I thought.

Check us out on the news here

So Proud to be a DetermiNator

I don’t even have words to express how amazing my team of DetermiNators is. So I’lm going to borrow some other people’s words.

My teammate Vishal posted on his Facebook wall:
Overwhelmed and overjoyed by the generosity, energy and love of my running teammates. Somehow they are even better people than I thought they were before. I will remember this day forever for an entirely different reason.

This was what was posted on DetermiNation’s page:
What is DetermiNation?

- 16 athletes that are running 26.2 miles in Prospect Park Brooklyn this morning - some running 26.2 miles for the first time. In addition to raising money for ACS, they have raised over $8000 and counting in a little more than 24 hours for the Red Cross. - We had volunteers and athletes donate 6 carloads of goods and $500 more that will be donated to the Red Cross fund set up by our Brooklyn folks at Hope Lodge. The goods are being brought out to Breezy Point and the Rockaways as we speak. - We have a crew of 40 atheletes, coaches and mentors out on the far part of Staten Island helping with clean up efforts. - We have raised nearly $1.3 Million Dollars for the ACS

That is what DetermiNation is. We are the embodiment of the spirit of the marathon. Thank you to each of our volunteers, athletes and supporters for an UNFORGETTABLE Marathon weekend. You are beyond Finishers and you DEFINE DetermiNation.



I was with the group that headed out to Staten Island. It felt like a totally different world. Parts of it looked like a third world country. There was debris in the streets. Fences had fallen over. The foundation of one house was about 20 feet from where the house was now sitting. Another house by the marsh was literally swallowed by the marsh. The foundation sank and all you could see now was the roof.

We broke up into teams and headed out to see what we could do. We came across a woman who needed help clearing out her basement. Four of her neighbors were helping her out, but it was slow moving, so we came in to help. In about an hour and a half or two hours, we cleared out her giant TV, mattress, headboard, chest of drawers, china cabinet and all of her knick knacks from the basement. Much of the larger furniture had to be demoed to be removed, and almost everything else had to be thrown away. There was no power and smell of mold was overwhelming. But we worked together and worked quickly. By lunchtime, everything was out so she could begin clean up. She was overwhelmed and had hugs for everyone.

After lunch we helped a man clear some of the reeds out of his yard. This was a little less rewarding because there was so much more to be done. The man couldn’t get to his backyard because the reeds were blocking his gate. We cleared some of them out, but we needed more help.

The most amazing thing about the day was the sheer amount of help that was being offered. The streets were filled with volunteers. Some were cooking food and handing it out to residents and volunteers. Some were handing out water and cleaning supplies. But there were volunteers helping out EVERYWHERE. Most of them were runners. I was upset at all the negativity that was thrown at the runners regarding the marathon. I’m happy to see that, despite their disappointment, they turned this day into something extremely positive. I couldn’t be prouder to be a runner and a DetermiNator. This is what we’re all about.

So I had my little rant yesterday. Then around 5:30 when we were setting up for our DetermiNation pasta dinner to get everyone pumped for the big day, we got the news. The marathon was canceled. It's unfortunate that this decision was made so late, once most of the out of town marathoners had already traveled into the city. Also unfortunate was that the decision was made because of all the negative comments. There were literally threats against some of the runners. But because we're DetermiNation, we didn't let that hold us down. We went forward with our pasta party and instead of being a pep rally for the marathon, we turned it into a celebration. Our team raised over $1.3 million in the fight against cancer, and that's a reason to celebrate. And because we're DetermiNation, we met this morning for a group run in the park just to be together. And because we're DetermiNation, we're coming together to volunteer on what would have been marathon. So tomorrow I'll be heading to Staten Island with my teammates to help with the clean up. This is why I love this team. We don't let negativity win.

Ok. I’m going to rant for just a minute, then I’m not talking about this any more. Also, I might use some inappropriate language, so Grandma, if you’re reading this, please stop now. The NYC marathon is scheduled to go forward as planned this Sunday, just 5 days after hurricane Sandy devastated much of the area. A lot of people are upset about this, which I understand, but please don’t take it out on the runners. A lot of the comments I’ve read are things like “The runners should be ashamed of themselves.” You know what? A lot of them feel conflicted about this moving forward, even after all their hard work and training, but they’re doing something about it. The New York Road Runners, the organization that puts on the marathon, is donating a million dollars to Sandy relief. They’re also asking each runner to donate $26.20 to help the recovery. Some of them have put together last minute fundraising pages to the Red Cross. I heard someone recommend that each runner should be asked to bring canned goods, bottled water, blankets, etc to be handed out to residents in need on Staten Island. They’re trying to turn this into something positive and people are still spewing hate and negativity. NOT COOL. There are people that will be running this weekend that are without power, water, food. Their homes have been destroyed. They’re sleeping on friends’ couches and THEY’RE STILL RUNNING. To me, that is the epitome of hard work and resilience, which is exactly what the city needs right now. Don’t taint this with your negativity. Not to mention a lot of local businesses need the money the marathon brings in, or they would be financially crippled. So my suggestion to anyone that thinks this is a terrible idea? Don’t blame the runners. Donate money to the relief then get out there and support the runners. Spread positivity. Or better yet, on race day, get out there and volunteer. Work at a shelter. Hand out food and water to people that need it. If you’re not doing SOMETHING, then don’t shit all over people that are trying. Marathons are about over coming adversity. We can only over come if we all work together.

Now, I’m signing off of everything social media related until after the marathon. See you all on Monday!

The Marathon is On

In case you haven't heard, the marathon this Sunday is still on. I know a lot of runners were conflicted about it. It seems silly to be running around and cheering when so many people are without power, or even worse, without their homes. I understand the reasons behind it. The marathon brings in a lot of money to small local businesses, businesses that were already affected by the storm. Plus a lot of people have devoted a lot of time and emotion into training for this marathon, and if it were cancelled, they would probably be devastated. Well some people are turning this into a chance to do something good. They're running to show that the tri-state area is strong and resilient and life will eventually pick up and move on. If anyone wants to show support to NYC and storm victims, you can donate here:

http://www.crowdrise.com/strongerthansandy

I promise once things are back to normal my posts will be too.

Made it!

Just wanted to let everyone know that I am safe and sound. Thankfully, upper Manhattan didn't really see many problems. Downtown and New Jersey though didn't fare so well. As of now, there is no subway and no idea when it will be running, which also makes it really hard to really expensive to get to work. So I'm working from home again. It also makes the city really quiet. It's kinda nice, but at the same time really creepy. This is not what the city is supposed to sound like. It also looks like Halloween is pretty much cancelled. With the Village underwater and with no power, it's pretty hard to have a Village Halloween parade. I'm hoping they can maybe reschedule it. I know it brings a lot of money to area bars and it makes people feel like everything is normal again.

So that's it for now. Other than walking to yoga, I'm pretty much house bound. Let the cabin fever ensue!

To all you marathoners out there...

Sorry again. I know I've sort of dropped off the face of the planet. It's the post marathon "Now what?" syndrome. I'm still putting myself back together from the race and I'm not training for anything, so what the hell am I doing with myself? I can tell you that even though I'm not running the upcoming NYC marathon, I'm still super excited about it. So for all those marathoners out there, I have a special treat! We have a very special blog from nutritionist, Tina Gowin of GoWin Nutrition!



If you’re a runner, you’ve probably heard multiple times “nothing new on race day.” This means, don’t wear a new pair of sneakers or the shorts you just bought at the race expo. It also means, don’t eat anything that you didn’t try during training. The best time to practice what to eat on race day is on your long run days. Follow these guidelines when planning what to eat before and after your race.

Pre-Race

Since most races start in the morning, your breakfast meal will likely serve as your pre-race fuel. This may mean that you have to wake up earlier than you want to, but you’ll be glad you did. Aim for a meal that is high in easily digestible carbohydrates, along with some lean protein. Examples include oatmeal made with low-fat milk and fruit or a peanut butter and banana sandwich. This pre-workout meal should be low in fiber and fat as these two nutrients take longer to digest and the last thing you want is to start the race with a heavy stomach. Think about what you’ve been eating before your long runs during training. Stick with that! Race day is not the day to experiment with a breakfast that the guy at the pasta dinner swears by. Save the experimenting for training runs instead.

As for the timing, everyone’s body is different and digests at different rates. A larger meal will take longer to digest while a smaller one will take less time. A good rule of thumb is to go for the solid foods if you have more than an hour before start time, and aim for semi-solids or liquids if you are within an hour of go-time. Again, everyone is different. I’ve heard of athletes who eat a bean burrito and run 15 minutes later and I’ve also had runners who need at least 2 hours to digest a simple meal. Listen to your body and learn from previous experiences!

During the Race

Since a long race like a marathon is likely to last a few hours (unless you’re super speedy), taking in carbohydrates (sugars) for energy during the race is essential. After all, carbohydrates are your body’s main source of fuel during an endurance activity and you don’t want to run out of fuel before reaching the finish line. Again, stick with whatever form (and brand) of energy you were using during training – it could have been sports drinks/gels/blocks/beans, or even crackers or fruit. In general, you don’t want more than 60 grams of carbohydrates per hour as your body won’t be able to process it quickly enough and you’re more likely to end up with gastrointestinal issues if you take too much. Experimenting with timing and type of fuel during training is key. And definitely take advantage of the water stations – you want to be taking in 5-10 ounces of fluids every 15-20 minutes depending on how much you are sweating.

Post-Race

As soon as you can after finishing your race, get a snack into your system to help with healing and recovery. Your muscles just worked really hard to get you through 26.2 miles and it’s tempting to want to just treat yourself to a beer right after crossing the finish line. You can have the beer; just make sure you get some food in first!

The best post-race snack will have a 4:1 ratio of simple carbohydrate to lean protein. My personal favorite is chocolate milk. Other options include a bagel with peanut butter or a smoothie made with fruit and yogurt. The snack is meant to get some quick nutrients to your muscles for repairing. Aim to have a well-balanced meal about 2 hours after finishing. This means include some vegetables and fruits, carbohydrates, and lean protein.

It’s okay to reward yourself for finishing the race, but just make sure you give your body the nutrients it needs to heal. Hard training and running long distances can suppress your immune system. You don’t want to pig out on junk food and then catch a bug before you have a chance to tell all your friends and family about your amazing feat! As always, hydration is key, so make sure beer isn’t the only fluid you’re consuming post-race.

If you’re interested in a more personalized nutrition plan for training and race day, talk to a Registered Dietitian like me! You can contact me at tinagowin@gmail.com or connect with me through my website www.GoWinNutrition.com

Tina Gowin, RD, CDN is the owner of GoWin Nutrition and works in corporate wellness at a 5,000 employee company in New York City. She is a Registered Dietitian who works with clients to increase energy, improve athletic performance, and meet their overall health goals. Tina is an avid runner who is always looking for a new challenge. She also enjoys hiking trails, experiencing NYC's many restaurants, experimenting in the kitchen, and traveling whenever she can.

Don't worry. I'm still here. I'm sort of in that post-marathon funk. When you're training for a marathon, everything you do is to get you ready for the marathon. But I'm done with that, so now what? I know that I should go to the gym, but really, WHY? This is one of the reasons I plan my marathons so far in the future. Then at least I have something to work towards. I think I need to have goals.

In other news, I'm working on sending out Thank You cards to those who donated. Writing actual letters is more tiring, and more exhausting, than I remember. I never write more than a post it note any more, so writing a whole letter is surprisingly tiring on my hands. But I promise, if you helped to support me, you'll be getting something in the mail soon(ish)!

Next marathon?

I think I officially have a problem. I'm still all gimpy from the marathon, and I'm already thinking about my next one. It all started when I looked at my splits. The splits are how long it takes you to get to different markers on the course, usually 5k, 10k, and so on. In a marathon, you want to have pretty consistent splits. Even better would be if you ran a negative split, meaning the second half is faster than the first half. Most people don't do that, by the way. So I was looking at mine and they were a little all over the place. I was slow then fast then too slow then way too fast. I'm already thinking about how I could make it better next time. UGH. I think I have a sickness.

One thing I would like to do next time is get myself to a physical therapist. I usually do pretty ok during training and then at the end, everything falls apart. I think that's because I'm not really doing ok during training. I'm just really good at ignoring things that are wrong. No more of this. If something is wrong, I need to get to someone who can fix it. Problem is my insurance sucks, and that's not really covered. I'll have to figure out a way around that one.

Next thing I would like to do is work more on my pacing during training. And while we're at it, I should probably take my speed workouts a little more seriously. I didn't really feel like I was pushing myself until we got to the last few weeks of training. By then it was too late. If I'm going to do this again, I need to try just a teensy bit harder. I think this season was a lot more mental for me than anything, which is great, but now that I got that out of the way, let's work on getting faster, shall we?

Now that I'm all done with my race, I want to thank everyone that supported me. To all who donated, you'll all be getting big, giant Thank You cards soon. I promise! And to everyone who offered me advice or pep talks, THANK YOU! Everyone's support and encouragement really means a lot to me, and I don't think I could have had faith in myself if others didn't have faith in me first.

So, what's next then? Next year I'll probably just stick to another half or two. Maybe I can work on getting speedier then. Since the distance isn't as challenging, maybe I can push it on the speed. Then after that I think it might have to be Big Sur in 2014 or 2015. It's a run I've always wanted to do, even though I'm terrified of the hills. The pictures are just so amazing, I think I have to do it.

And since I haven't written about a cat in a long time, here's your cat update. That little kitten I found is up for adoption on the Anjellicle Cats site. You can take a look at him here. It's nice to see him all cleaned up and looking like a normal kitten. If he's at a Petco event any time soon, I think I'd like to go and see him.

CHICAGOOOOOO- Part 2

And now, race day. Other people in my room were getting up very early for the run, so I was up before my alarm. I chose this hostel because it was maybe a 5 minute walk from the start. Zero chance of getting lost of showing up late, although I did have a dream about getting there late. Did not want that to happen.

I suited up and headed out. It had been a little chilly and we were told it would be about 38 degrees at the start of the race. I think that was about right. Good thing I came prepared. I had a ton of really cheap clothes that I was going to dispose of throughout the race as I got hot, and a trashbag. Someone had recommended trashbags to keep the wind off you. I looked totally ridiculous (pictures exist, but luckily I don’t have them to share with you), but I was totally warm. Around 7:20 we heard the National Anthem and around 7:30 we slowly started moving as one giant mass of runners. Everyone was taking off their outer layers, myself included. And finally we were at the start. Oddly enough, it hadn’t really dawned on me that I was running a marathon, a full 26.2 miles, until I got to mile 2. Then I got a little emotional. I had to suck it up and keep moving. Crying makes it hard to breathe.

I started off well. The goal was to finish in under 5 hours. The coach had sent me a race plan that basically said, don’t go out too fast and don’t worry too much about your pace until mile 15. So that was the plan. I wasn’t going to fixate on my watch and I was going to have fun. Around mile 3, I felt like I was probably going a tiny bit too fast. Each of my last miles was getting faster and faster, but I still felt great. The cooler, dry air definitely made it easier to run, but I didn’t want to get too carried away. That’s when I found someone from the 4:55 pace group. Perfect! I said to myself. She didn’t know it, but I kept my eye on her. Sometimes I was in front and sometimes I was behind but I kept her in sights. I figured if I had my eye on her, I couldn’t be going out too fast. The plan was working perfectly until around mile 6 and she had to go to the bathroom. Now I was left on my own again. DARN.

Mile 8 came, and that’s when things started to get a little rough. My hips really started to tighten. I told myself it was way too soon for this to be happening, and tried to will it away. No such luck. By mile 10 I had slowed down quite a bit and right hip was really hurting. Mile 11 brought more weirdness when my arm started to tingle and go numb in really strange ways. I decided it was time to slow down and walk a bit and try to shake it out. After some walking and another gel packet, it was feeling better and I resumed my running. My only real goal for this race was to have fun and stay positive, so I focused on the crowds. Chicago has notoriously awesome crowds, so I paid close attention. Somewhere in here, were some pretty awesome cheer stations. There was a HUGE group of teenagers singing and dancing to “Call Me Maybe.” I think that was my favorite. And at some point we got to the gay part of town and there were cross-dressing cheerleaders. I liked them too.

Some of the best signs of the day were:

• I don’t do marathons. I do a marathoner.
• Do Epic Shit! ( I thought this was pretty epic)
• May the pace be with you (This sign was held by someone dressed as Darth Vader)
• At the end of the race, you get a free puppy! (Still waiting BTW)
• The replacement refs are at the finish line. You just might win this!

There were also a lot of signs about beer or poop. Go figure. To keep my mind busy I kept a list of the best signs. That carried me through until about mile 16. My hip was REALLY hurting and I was slowing down. I was just on the precipice of my goal time. I might miss it by minutes. But I had to walk now. I made a decision. If I was going to walk, I was going to walk with a purpose and determination. I kept my head up, walked fast, and always picked a point, like a sign or lamppost, where I would start running again. I think this really helped to keep me positive and moving. And it really helped my hip to walk for just a few seconds every now and then.

Around mile 18, I felt the wall creeping up on me. I remember saying to myself “NO! There is no wall! This will not happen!” I took some more gel, sucked the salt off a pretzel and kept going. Luckily at mile 21, I got a bit of a second wind. That’s a great place to get a second wind. At this point, I was going to miss my goal time by maybe a minute. I stayed positive and set a new goal. At around 23 I said, “Screw the new goal. I don’t want to miss my goal by a minute.” So I sucked it up and RAN. I felt like I was going REALLY fast, but I know that I wasn’t, but with people screaming my name, high-fiving me, I felt pretty awesome. (Actually I just looked it up on the race website and for the last few miles I averaged a 9:51 mile. That's fast for me!) I stopped walking and the hip seemed to be ok with that at this point. By now I was determined to do this thing in under 5 hours. I remember the last 2 miles or so we were on this big street and there were big gusts of wind coming at us. I think I yelled out loud at the wind. Who knows. It’s all a bit of a blur now. But I was not going to let any wind hold me back. We got to a sign that said 1 mile to go. I looked at my watch and it looked like I was going to make it. But still I pushed harder. Right near the end we turned a corner and there was a hill. Chicago is a very flat course, except for this hill. It would have been nice if someone mentioned it, but at that point, it didn’t matter so much. I just thought, Oh look. A hill, and then told that hill to suck it. When we turned the corner, I literally shouted out, There’s the finish line! The guy next to me looked at me like I was totally crazy and maybe I was. I pushed for the finish line. I crossed that finish line with my fists in the air and happy tears in my eyes. I have NEVER worked so hard for anything. I fought for that the entire time and it hurt more than the first one did, but I pushed through and I finished in 4:58:25. Take that, Chicago!

We got out warm aluminum sheets, some pretzels and even a beer! I’ve never worked so hard for a luke warm beer, but it was still pretty worth it.

After showering and putting on some real clothes, I met up with my friends at Gino’s East sports bar for some pizza and misbehaving. We had all earned it.

I have to thank the entire DetermiNation group who was with me in Chicago. I don’t think this would have been as fun or as memorable if I didn’t have you to celebrate with.

Monday was filled with lots of eating, a little hobbling around town, and more friends. All in all, it was a pretty good trip to Chicago. I would definitely do it all again.

CHICAGOOOOO!- Part 1

Ok. Now that I’m back from Chicago, I’m going to give you the whole run down. I will chronicle not only the awesome things I did, but also the awesome things I ate, so this might need to be two posts :)

I got there SUPER early on Friday morning. For some reason I thought getting up for a 6am flight was a good idea, until it came time to get up. Luckily because I was so tired, I mostly slept and I was in Chicago in no time. After walking in a giant circle for 40 min, I dropped my stuff off at the hostel (yes, I was staying at a hostel, just like the good ol’ college and days). Then the first order of business was to get some FOOD. I had meticulously researched things that were in walking so I knew exactly where I wanted to go. There was a diner called Yolk near the shuttle bus that would take me to the marathon expo. Sounded perfect! I wasn’t expecting much because, hey, it’s just a diner, but this was seriously one of the best meals I had when I was in Chicago. Maybe it was because I was tired and cold and starving, but I think it was also just delicious. I ordered crepes filled with scrambled eggs, mushroom, avocado and cheese. Something about the savory of the eggs with the sweet of the crepe crust made for the tastiest combo ever. The best part? The sides. I could get a side of potatoes OR a side of fruit, plus toast, English muffins, or PANCAKES. I thought that pancakes plus crepes would be a little overkill, but I did it anyway. And seriously, those were some really good pancakes. Gotta say, some of the best I ever had. And the even better part, it all cost me only $10!!!

Next up was the marathon expo. You have to go to the expo to pick up your bib number, the timer tag for your shoe, and your shirt. Plus they sell a bunch of stuff if you need some last minute gear. I try to avoid spending money there or I might get carried away, so I grabbed my stuff, went around to claim the free samples, talked with a few people I knew and headed out. The best thing about the expo is it was the first time that I really started getting excited. It was making me nervous that I wasn’t super excited yet. But a marathon expo suddenly makes everything more real.

So with that done and some time to kill I headed off to the art institute. It was the one thing that I really wanted to see while I was there. I started getting tired and didn’t want to wear myself out the weekend of the big run, so I just had my Ferris Bueller moment and went to the impressionist wing. It made me happy.

By now, I was tired. Thank goodness the people at the hostel were super nice. It was still not time to check in but they let me hang out in their lounge. They have awesome wifi, so I streamed some shows on my phone and totally vegged out. It was awesome.

Around 5pm, I grabbed a quick Chicago dog (pretty tasty) and headed over to the DetermiNation event. Man, this dinner was swanky. It was a super fancy hotel and people were wearing cocktail attire. I always love these events. It’s a good way to reconnect with the mission and start to get pumped. I gotta say though, it was a little long winded and by 9pm I was fading fast. Thank goodness it didn’t last too much longer. I headed back to the room, and pretty much crashed.

Almost 10 hours later, I woke up. Some of the other DetermiNation members from New York had planned on meeting at the Bean for a quick 20 minute run at 10am. The bean is pretty cool, and I took some awesome pictures.

Then we headed out for a run by the lake. It was really nice. So blue. And very relaxing before our run.

Next up, LUNCH. I had to try some Chicago pizza so I headed to Lou Malnati’s. It was super tasty with tons of cheese and a buttery and crunchy crust. YUMMMMM. The rest of the day was devoted to resting, prepping for the race, and stretching. I had a nice relaxing day and went to bed early for the big race.

TO BE CONTINUED…

Let's do this

Everything is laid out and ready to go for tomorrow. Less than 15 hours to go!

I Heart DNation

I seriously love all my teammates. I went to practice on Tuesday night and got a couple really nice pep talks from teammates and coaches. Picture myself crossing the finish line with my arms in the air and a smile on my face and I will do it. Today I went to a committee meeting and was greeted by my own personal cheer squad and lots of loud cow bells. They even gave me a card, signed by everyone, wishing me luck. Seriously I don't know what I would do without my team. I love these guys. I had been reluctant to get excited or set any goals because I hadn't been feeling my best. But I'm actually starting to get excited. I can see myself having fun and crossing that finish line. It's time to do this!

One good thing about finding that kitten, it totally distracted me from the impending marathon! Only 5 days left?!? WHAT?!? I tried packing and I have no idea what to bring. There's a weather forecast, but how accurate is it? What if I bring the wrong stuff and I'm too cold or too hot? TOO MANY WHAT IF'S?!?!

Oops I did it again...again...

Well this weekend sure was something. I had my last run with the group before I leave for Chicago. EEK! I even felt sort of ok. One thing I have to remember is it takes a REALLY long time for me to warm. A good 4 miles or so. Not fun, especially when you go for a 5 mile fun. To make it all better I treated myself to another post run pastry. I know I didn’t run 10 miles, but I’m tapering and tapering requires carbs. I also decided to go all out and get a hot chocolate from Bouchon bakery. OH. MY. GOD. I wish I would have know how amazing it was. I would give up every post run pastry for more hot chocolate. I’ll keep that in mind.

Sunday I was planning on having a nice relaxing day at home. I was going to stretch and do my roller and all that good stuff. That didn’t really happen. Instead, on my way to yoga I found this guy crying his head off all by himself.

You can't tell from the picture but he had bright blue eyes. SO CUTE. It took me hours to catch him but eventually I got him, stuffed him in my sweatshirt, and carried him home. Josh was not amused, but he was a good sport about it. We didn’t know if the kitten was sick, or how Oliver would react, so we put him in the bathroom. He was pretty scared and spent most of his time hiding.

I finally made it to yoga and when I got back, I gave the kitten a once over. He was SO SKINNY and covered in fleas. So off I went to Petco! And it was just my luck. At this particular Petco they were having a cat adoption event and a rescue group was there. They told me how to properly wash him, and said I could bring him in, and they would take a look.

So I went back home to wash the kitty. Since he was so little, I couldn’t use flea bath, but they told me to use Dawn or Joy, like they do with oil spill birds. He did not like his bath, but he was a good sport and didn’t scratch or anything. We should have taken pictures because he looked so funny, and tiny. His favorite part was the toweling off, and he fell asleep. The rescue group said to blow dry him so he wouldn’t be cold. He wasn’t a fan of that either.

We packed him in the carrier and headed back to Petco. We let Oliver say hello to the kitten before he left. He was pretty ambivalent and gave a little hiss. That was the only time I’ve ever heard Oliver hiss. So the little kitten and I headed back to Petco. I cannot say how nice the ladies at Anjellicle Cats Rescue are. As soon as I brought him in, they looked him over and started giving him pills and shots to make him feel better. He was cold and shivering, so we wrapped him up in a towel like a burrito and carried him like a baby. He must have been a little in shock. He was terrified of people, and now he’s being passed around and held like a baby doll. They said he was so anemic from the fleas that he couldn’t keep himself warm. He probably wouldn’t have lasted more than another night or two. They offered to foster him until he was ready to be adopted to a good home. I gotta say when I left I bawled like a baby. I was so happy for the little kitten, but I was sad he was in such rough shape, and sad I didn’t get to see the whole thing through myself. But I think it all worked out for the best. I came home and had to get myself a glass of wine after all that.

I think that a special shoutout should also go to Josh. He did not want me to bring home another kitten, but he was a good sport and even helped out when I did. So maybe he won’t mind it so much if I go find this little kitten’s brothers and sisters :)

5 Stages of Marathon Training

I was helping to stuff bags for the Hamptons Marathon last night, and overheard a few marathoners discussing their grave injuries, and how they’re worried they might not finish, yadda yadda. And I can sympathize. I wrote about this last week. This is the point in marathon training, just before the race, when you think there’s no way you could possibly finish. You’re convinced that every ache and pain is a stress fracture, or worse. This got me thinking. You know how they say there a 5 stages of grief? I think there are 5 stages of marathon training too. You go through a whole array of emotions during your training season, sometimes all the in the course of one training run. I've chronicled them for you here.

Stage 1- HOLY CRAP! I signed up for a marathon!

This stage is a mix of excitement and fear, and maybe a little bit of insanity. I question my sanity every day of my training. At this point, you don’t really know what you’re getting yourself into, but you think it could be some amazing and life changing journey.

Stage 2- Why the HELL did I sign up for a marathon?

Now comes the running. You realize there’s more to this marathon thing than running. There’s hydration and nutrition. Energy-saving techniques. Chaffing. There’s also a lot of questioning your sanity in this stage too.

Stage 3- I signed up for a marathon. I think I can do this!

At some point, you start feeling stronger on your runs. You’ve done a couple 10 mile plus runs, and you didn’t die! YOU CAN DO THIS! This stage in training (at least for me) is usually accompanied by delusions of grandeur. I start thinking I’m faster or stronger than I really am. That goal time I set when I signed up for the race? I can totally blow that out of the water. You set yourself some new, totally unrealistic goal for race day, because you’re just that sure of your awesomeness.

Stage 4- PARANOIA!!!!

Remember how you were feeling awesome in stage 3? Forget about that. Now, everything hurts. Body parts that you didn’t know could hurt are hurting ALL THE TIME. Chaffing is rampant. Your blisters have blisters. You walk like an old person. You think every ache and pain is serious and could possibly stop you from running your marathon that you spent months training for. You bring your stick and some Icy Hot with you everywhere. You start having dreams about things like not having enough energy gels on race day. You’re a full on crazy person.

Stage 5- Hey! I’m running a marathon!

This is a nice place to be. Stage 4 usually lasts a looooong time so I don’t actually reach the acceptance of stage 5 until I’m at that start line. But, ready or not, it’s time to run! Don’t forget that once the race starts, you’re likely to go through all the stages again during the run.

I’d also like to add a 6th stage to this. This is what I call the badass stage. This is where you get to strut your stuff and say, “Hey. I just ran a marathon. What of it?” This stage is my favorite. Hard day at work? Stuck on a subway train with a crazy person? So what? Nothing can kill your buzz. You just ran a marathon! It’s what makes all the pain and the insanity worth it.

So for any first time marathoners out there, this is what you have to look forward to. Enjoy!

Only 2 more weeks!

Today's run was interesting. The first 4 miles were probably some of the toughest miles ever. I seriously thought about quitting right there and walking back. I just felt so tight and my legs felt like lead weights. But I stuck with it and all of a sudden, it went away. I felt amazing. I started moving a little faster. I was enjoying my run and taking in my surroundings. There were some little kids playing soccer. Seriously there's nothing cuter than really little kids playing soccer. I started feeling really confident about Chicago. Maybe this marathon wouldn't be so bad. Then I got to mile 10. New things started hurting. I really slowed down and barely crawled the last mile. UGH. Krista told me not to worry about having a bad run, but you know me. I'm going to worry. I think the best thing I can take from this run is I'm not at my peak right now. Who knows what's going to happen on marathon day, but things might hurt. (Well I'm running a marathon so I know things will hurt, but they may hurt a little extra too.) I might not make my goal time, and I'm going to try to be ok with that.

The good news is I still got my post run pastry.



This is the last one until the marathon. Only 2 weeks now!

Ok. Time for a nap.

Best Run EVER

I was so happy to get up and run this morning I didn’t even care that it was 6am and pitch black outside. After icing my feet and rolling them with this little ball most of the day yesterday, everything was miraculously feeling better. I was so excited I couldn’t fall asleep last night. I know. That’s seriously dorky, but I was starting to get really worried. I was starting to think maybe something was really wrong and I was going to have to cancel the whole thing, which would suck SO MUCH. But no. I got up this morning, I went for a run, and I survived. It was kind of a slow ungraceful run, and I wasn’t totally without pain, but I figure I’m training for a marathon. Things are going to hurt. The good news is before the pain was at about an 8, now it was down to a 3. I can live with a 3. I was so happy with my run that I didn’t even care that I looked like a total dork.

Hot, huh? And I'm not actually a Redskins fan. That was just the only hat I could find.

I guess that I should always suspect my feet when something hurts as the source of the hurt. I have wonky feet. The same thing happened before the last marathon. But I know how to deal with feet, so now I’m officially getting excited. Then I got some bad news. They don’t seem to make my Strawberry Honey Stingers any more. If you’re a runner, you know how bad this is. I’m used to those. I can’t switch it up now! I bought a super jumbo variety pack because there should be a few packets of the strawberry flavor in there. So if anyone wants more honey stingers, I’m your girl. I just literally bought 50 of them.

Next up on the pre marathon prepping list (17 days and counting!) is to watch Spirit of the Marathon. Seriously. It gets me pumped and makes me cry every time. Who wants to come over and watch it with me?

More Elliptical. YAY

My top secret plans to stick the elliptical were not actually so top secret. Krista, one of the coaches and a PT, told me I should probably not take a week off at this time. She’s a smart one. It also makes me feel like I’m not terribly broken if she’s telling me I’m probably ok to run. I’m trying SO HARD not to be overly paranoid just weeks before the marathon, but that’s not easy for me. I’m a poker. I can never leave something alone. Like when you have a scab, you’re supposed to leave it alone and let it heal. I usually poke at it and lament, “WHY ISN’T THIS HEALING?” I think that’s what I’ve probably done here too. So now I’m trying my best just to let things take its course. I can do all the typical things like resting and icing, but other than that, I’m trying not to obsess over it…too much.

Well, Krista, if you’re reading this. I was bad. I did not run yesterday, and I’ll tell you why. The weather was nasty. Not just nasty, but scary nasty, so I was going to have to go to the gym anyways and I did not want to run on the treadmill. Not only is it SO BORING, but I always feel like I’m on the verge of falling off the treadmill, so I feel like I run all wonky and unnaturally. I thought if I was already feeling wonky, adding more wonkiness would not be a good idea, right? So I stuck to the elliptical. Krista did convince me to not try to go fast on the elliptical, so keep myself from being SO BORED, I watched TMZ. I never watch TMZ. Josh always wants to watch the real news instead. So this was a treat.

I will say that walking home from the gym, it started raining so hard I thought I was going to get washed away, so I ran a couple blocks home. It wasn’t as bad as I thought it would be. I think I can give this running thing a try again tomorrow.

So. Much. FUN.

Now is the point in my training where I question whether is every ache in my body is just a normal ache, or a stress fracture. I’m convinced my body is riddled with stress fractures and I won’t ever be able to run ever again. While I’m pretty sure that’s not the case, I decided to take it easy this weekend. Instead of running a fast 15 to 16 miles (which I was actually really excited to do) I “ran” a miserable 2 hours on the elliptical. Let me back up a little bit here.

Thursday night I met with the group for an informal run. I also invited Jaclyn, so we could catch up. My shins were hurting after pushing hard on the hills last week, so we didn’t actually run. We walked and chatted. Saturday I volunteered to watch bags, which was…interesting. The team was doing the George Washington bridge run, and I was literally sitting under the bridge watching bags. There were some interesting characters around there. “Nuff said. But I talked to Krista about my still achey shins and very tight calves. She said to take it easy since it’s so close to the race.

Cut to me Sunday morning, “running” on the elliptical. Nothing hurt, which is good, but it was so darn boring, and I didn’t even feel like I went for a run. But this did not stop me from a post-run indulgence. After my somewhat disappointing Shake Shack burger last week, I wanted a REAL burger. So we went to brunch and got this.

Yes. That's a burger with an egg on it. Gotta say, it pretty much hit the spot. And if I’m recovering from an injury, protein is good for you, right? I’m just going to choose to believe that it is.

So the game plan this week is NO RUNNING. I’m going to stick to the elliptical all week. I’m going to attempt tomorrow’s mile test on the elliptical, to try to make it a little more interesting. If things feel better for Saturday, I’m going to try doing 10 to 13. If not, it’s more elliptical fun for me!

Adios Hills

Last night was the last hill workout of the season. Honestly, after last week, I was a little nervous. Even just reading the workout made my breath quicken. But I tried not to think about it. I tried to remember it's just a hill and it's just running. Nothing life or death here. I have to say, it went better than expected. The first time up the hill I got yelled at by Ramon for not pushing hard enough. Fine. You want me to push. I'll push. Next time up I really pushed it and for once, I didn't get yelled at. I got high fives. High fives from Ramon is basically the highest praise you'll get.

I'm feeling a little conflicted about tapering soon. I feel like I'm just starting to work hard in the workouts. I feel like maybe I wasted some time and could have been trying just a teensy bit harder for most of the year. But then again, if I keep pushing it, I think my shins are seriously going to give out on me. They're ready for the taper. Stupid shin splints. You ruin everything.

In other news, I've been researching Chicago for my upcoming trip. Mostly researching what to eat. I wish I could stay there longer. I really want to eat EVERYTHING everyone has been recommending, but there just isn't enough time. Unless I eat pizza and hot dogs for breakfast, lunch and dinner. This wouldn't be a bad thing if it weren't for the fact that I have to run a marathon. I can't eat all this stuff before the marathon. Who knows what it would do to my tummy. But after the marathon, all bets are off. Monday Oct 8th shall be a glorious feast!

27 MORE DAYS UNTIL THE CHICAGO MARATHON. AAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHH!

That is all. Carry on.

A Soggy 20 Miles

Aaaaaaaaaaand I’m done. Today was my longest run this year until marathon day, and you know what? It wasn’t too bad. Sure I ran a little slower than I’d like. And sure it POURED on and off for 5 miles of my run. (Literally POURED, like movie rain. I had a swimming pool in my shoes.) And sure I have GIANT blisters on my feet, but I feel pretty damn good. I remember my 20 miler last time, and I remember not being a functioning human being after that run was over. This time, other than my legs being a little sore, I feel pretty good. I’m not too exhausted. I can walk and talk and everything!

I even managed to walk over to Shake Shack to reward myself with a bacon cheeseburger and a strawberry shake. (We smelled something bacon-y on our run, so I had to go with the bacon burger.) I tried to take a picture for you, but because of said rain, my phone was a little wet and there was some condensation in the lens. It looks like I was eating a burger in heaven.

The bacon was SUPER good, and it had some sort of vegetable topping that was great, but still not as good as In N Out. And no one will ever convince me otherwise. I was a HUGE fan of the milkshake though. It was perfect. I just wish it was a little bit bigger.

So now that my 20 miler is done, I officially get to start the taper, which means I get to start taking it easier. It’s still kind of early, so I can’t take it too easy. The coach said next week to run shorter, but run faster. We shall see if that’s possible. I’m not known for my speed, but I’ll certainly try. Either way, yay taper!

Roll it out

I know I’ve said this before, but I’m going to say this again- body rolling classes are the most amazing things EVER. Seriously. EVER. It’s like self acupuncture/ massage and it feels amazing. I have brand new legs. I’m serious. Any runners out there that are having real tightness, please check out Yamuna body rolling. Best $20 ever spent.

I also got to watch all the fashionistas roaming the streets for Fashion’s Night Out. I like to think of FNO as Halloween for the fashionable. Everyone gets dressed up in silly outfits (ie fashion) and roams around the village, with drink in hand. Not my scene at all.

Anywhoo, this weekend is my BIG run. I’m going for 20 miles tomorrow. It will be humid and NASTY, so wish me luck. This picture has been making it’s way around the internets.



If I see you running faster than me on Saturday, I’m just going to assume this. Works for me :)

Up with the sun?

I just wanted to start by saying thanks to people that sent me nice things after my last post. I want to make it clear that I love having the coaches there and they were NOT the problem. I’m glad they try to push me, or else I might never know what I can really do. I think I’m really good at hiding any anxiety, even from myself, and it all showed up at once at a very inconvenient time. And a special thanks to Nina who acted like someone having an anxiety attack in the middle of practice was a totally normal thing. Happens everyday!

Well I wanted to tell you that today’s run went much better, but I can’t really. First off, it was dark when I woke up. I guess summer is officially over. I refuse to get up and run if the sun won’t get up with me. Not cool, sun. Not cool. So I finally got up and got out the door just as the sun decided to wake up, and I was all set to have an awesome run so I could forget all about Tuesday’s hill workout. It started ok. I was a little stiff, but usually as I warm up, it goes away. It did not go away. I struggled through my whole run. I was trying to do a speed workout, but couldn’t seem to find any speed. All I gotta say is this stiffness better go away before Saturday morning. I have to run 20 miles on Saturday and I’m not doing it all gimpy.

Now I’m off to a body rolling class. Let’s hope that helps!

Well that was...interesting...

Did everyone have a super fantastic weekend? I did. But the cat didn’t.



He didn’t get to eat any of this. Poor hungry kitty.

My run this weekend went well, but hill training last night was not as good. The best way to describe it was…interesting. I was doing the workout, moving along, when Coach Cider said she was going to run with me to push me a little bit. As soon as she said that, I started getting nervous, and my breathing got heavier. I ended up running with the other coach, Nina, but as soon as we got to the part where I was supposed to push up the hill, I started having a full on anxiety attack. I couldn’t breathe. I was nauseous. I was dizzy. Why? I have no idea. But I was standing off to the side trying my hardest not to cry in front of everyone. Mostly, I was a little bit embarrassed. Nina got me to run again, but every time I started thinking about it, my chest started tightening up again. She ran with me for a couple of repeats and by the end it was getting better. I would only start to panic at the very very end. I did find one thing that sort of helped- Finding Nemo. There’s the part at the end where Dory says “Just keep swimming. Just keep swimming.” So I repeated that to myself on the last pass or two at the hill.

The whole thing was weird (and embarrassing) and I want to know why it happened. I know I don’t like to feel like I’m losing control of my breathe, but would that cause a full on anxiety attack? Do I not like the coaches watching me? What was it. Even thinking about it now makes my breathing quicken. And when the run was over, I was physically and emotionally exhausted. Who knew running was so emotional? Hopefully running Lisa doesn't become crazy Lisa.

Super Cool Running Lisa

It's official. I'm now a super cool runner. I'm the official owner of a SpiBelt. But instead of super cool gadgets or bullets, I'm packing gels.

I have to admit, I was a little nervous about my run this weekend. Remember I said that my lower body hurt? Well on Thursday everything started to REALLY hurt. I did something in yoga that I've always been able to do, except this time, I couldn't. In fact it really hurt. And that same thing kept hurting for the rest of class and all day Friday. But once I set out for my run on Saturday, it warmed up and didn't bother me. That doesn't mean there's not a problem, it's just not a super serious problem if it doesn't affect the way I run. Good news! Also take a look at my awesome team on our run this week. You can see my back when we all start to run. I'm totally going to be famous :)



I gotta say, I had a pretty decent run this week. My SpiBelt was nifty and I was moving along at a pretty good pace. The only thing that wasn't great was after my run. I was crazy this week and somehow thought that I could do a 15 mile run, THEN go work at the yoga studio. I forgot that the coach talks A LOT, plus we had to film stuff for the news, so I was in a bit of a hurry when I finished. I pretty much wanted to lay down the entire time I was at yoga, but I actually had work to do. I was a barely functioning human being, but I did it. At least I still got my post run pastry.

Everybody Hurts

I know yesterday I complained that everything was hurting. Well, I got no sympathy at practice last night. We were doing MORE HILL TRAINING (yay!), which is not fun under normal circumstances, and especially not fun when you're hurting. After doing several repeats, I asked the worst question you could possibly ask- How many more of these are we doing? The coaches groaned and I explained that everything on the lower half of my body was sore. Nothing hurts like an injury, just sore from so much darn running. They basically said that everyone's sore, we're training for a marathon after all, and try to think about what's not sore. I sort of sighed, and went back to my running. I wanted some sympathy dammit, but they're right. The marathon is 39 DAYS AWAY. I've done a lot of running, and things are bound to be a little angry. Just do your workout and unless you're in serious pain, don't complain. It was a little humbling and I feel kind of like I cheated myself out of a good workout because I was too worried. Good news was I just missed the bus and ended up chasing it down the street a few blocks. I think I got a pretty decent workout there :)

Nitty Gritty

Good news. I finally got that pastry. It was pretty delicious, even though it was a little dry. I should have eaten it on Saturday.

I also made an effort to replenish my lost salt too. It was a rough effort.

Now back to the running. I remember commenting to someone that training for my second marathon was easier than the first. Well not quite. Now I'm at the part in my training where everything starts to hurt. Things that have never hurt before ever are hurting. And the same old hurts are starting to come back. This is the part in my training where I really really REALLY begin to question my sanity. Luckily I get to start tapering in just a few short weeks. The taper is my favorite part ever.

Also if you want to make all my hurts a little better, you can donate here! http://main.acsevents.org/goto/runninglisa I promise it will make me feel better.

Feelin Weeeeeeird

I've had kind of a weird week. On Tuesday, I just started feeling...weird. I don't know how else to describe it. I was sooooo tired and my body just started feeling not normal. I went to the run on Tuesday night because I thought I was just tired, but half way through the workout, I felt like it was something more than that.

So Thursday and Friday I stayed home from work, and I didn't run at all. I felt really guilty for not getting my runs in, but I just felt weird. This morning I was feeling normal again, so I met up with a few teammates and we went for a run in the park. It started not so great. After 3 miles, I thought I wasn't going to make it. Then around 6, I felt great. I finished with about 12 miles and actually felt pretty good.

But then a few minutes after my run, I started feeling weird again. I knew I was feeling weird when I didn't want my post-run pastry. (I still bought a Boston cream donut from Bouchon, but I'm saving it for later.) All I wanted post-run was watermelon. Luckily Whole Foods was nearby. I ended up scarfing down watermelon chunks as I waited for the subway. I don't like this whole feeling weird thing. I think it has something to do with electrolytes. Post-run, I was COVERED in salt. I don't think that's good. It means my sweat is really salty, and I'm probably losing a lot of electrolytes. I think I'll have to try salt tabs next time. But I'm sure no one here cares about my electrolyte levels, so instead, here's a picture of the cat.

He went to the vet today and other than very dirty ears, he's very healthy. Yay!

Cupcakes for Dinner

Last night we hosted our mission give back night at Hope Lodge. We host these every month as a way to provide relief to the residents and their caretakers at staying there. Last night we decorated cupcakes and watched Up. We had some pretty awesome cupcake decorators.



Here we have a funny face, a panda, a crab and a monster. We're a talented bunch. The movie was good, as always, and the guests really seemed to like it. We got to hear about some of their treatments. One woman has been coming here every few weeks for a month and a half for a very aggressive breast cancer. Now she's on an experimental drug that's really working for her. It's just nice to connect to the cause, and to see that the money we raise does have some effect. It makes all the hard work feel worth it. Plus it was really fun having cupcakes for dinner :)

Now tonight, I will run them off.

18 miles- DONE!

Saturday I didn’t get my run in. I had to bag watch. In the pouring rain. It was awesome. I got a little bored and took videos of myself singing “It’s Raining It’s Pouring.” They weren’t pretty. I won’t share them with you. But I will show you my beautiful trash bag shirt. They’re the next big thing in fashion.

Good news is today was perfect weather for a run. It was in the 60’s with low humidity and nice cloud cover. I’d like to request this weather for the marathon please. I got up early and headed to the park for my run. I was super excited because I made arrangements to meet up with Michelle for one loop of my run. I just had to get through the first 8 miles. There was a race going on in the park, and there were lots of interesting people to keep me entertained. There was a guy juggling while running. Yes, juggling. I passed him twice, and he just kept on juggling. Running a marathon is THAT easy that now you do it while juggling. Some people are over achievers.

Then I met up with Michelle. It was soooooooo nice to run with her. It was just like old running times. We chatted as we plodded along. It made the time pass and before you know it, I had 13 miles done. Thanks Michelle! I had planned to go for 18, so I had one loop left. Sometimes I think of Finding Nemo when I’m running. There’s that part when they say “Just keep swimming.” I like to repeat to myself, “Just keep running.” So I just kept running. I actually felt really good and my last mile ended up being my fastest. I think that means I’m awesome ☺ Also awesome, I ran in my new shoes and didn’t get any blisters! These are my new official long run shoes!

Post run, I had to get a pastry, so I made my way to the Hungarian pastry shop. The cream puff was calling to me.

The cream was the most decadent thing ever. I thought the puff part would be puffier, but I'm no cream puff expert and it was still delicious. I’ve decided that next week, I’m going to go for 20 miles, and that deserves a Shake Shack burger and a milkshake. I’m actually looking forward to my 20 mile run!

This has nothing to do with anything, but I went to a screening of True Wolf on Friday night, and we had a special guest join us after the movie. This is Atka, and he’s a wolf.

I died a little.

Back on Track

Ok. I did it. I really didn't want to but this morning when my alarm went off, I actually got up and went for a run. Luckily the kitty was helping by being more annoying than snuggly. He must have known I wanted to get up. Even when I was out for my run, I still didn't want to. But I'm training for a marathon, gosh darnit. So run I must!

In other news, I fear this is about to become a blog more about my cat than anything else. I took a picture of him when I got back from my run and turned on the shower.

As soon as the shower comes on, there he is. He just stands there and stares. Sometimes when I'm in the shower he'll come and stick his face under the curtain, and stare some more. I'm not sure what he finds so fascinating about showers.

Sleepy Runner

I’ve been a bad runner lately. Actually more like a sleepy runner. Everyday I’ve attempted to get up and run, I could barely keep my eyes open and went back to sleep instead. Kitty doesn’t help either when he snuggles up in the crook of my arm. How can I wake the kitty? Bit I promise that tomorrow, no matter how nicely kitty is snuggled, I WILL get up and run. I WILL!

I was awake enough to make it to practice last night, just in time for MORE HILL TRAINING!!! I’m always excited for hills. This week’s workout was similar to last week’s- run up the hill as hard as you can. I told Krista that last week this workout made me feel like I wanted to throw up. She said that means I did it right. So I did it again. There was more running and more wanting to throw up. SO MUCH FUN!! That was all sarcastic and none of it was fun or exciting. It was exhausting. But I did get some new shoes, which is actually very exciting (if you’re a runner or a lame person like me). There was nothing wrong with my other shoes, but I had been feeling like I might like a little extra cushion sometimes, plus shoes were 40% off for DetermiNation athletes. And most runners have more than one pair of shoes. So I bought these bad boys.

I don’t actually know what they are, other than Nikes. I wore them on the run last night and didn’t take the box with me. But I can tell you they are VERY comfortable. They have a little bit more squish and the toe box is very soft. I didn’t get a single blister! These might have to be my new long run shoes.

In other news, kitty is OBSESSED with the bath tub. He sneaks in there and stares at the water drops left in the tub. He's weird.

Summer Streets and Yummy Donuts

Summer streets is one of my favorite runs of the year. Three Saturdays in August, they shut down Park Ave from 72nd Street to Brooklyn Bridge for runners, bikers, or anyone just looking to enjoy the day. There are lots of free events, like rock climbing and zip lining, and lots of free samples too. But we were just there for the running.

It's always nice when we get to run somewhere other than the park, even if today it was like running through soup. I ran to the bathroom before we even started and came back covered in sweat. I was doubtful that today's run was going to go well. Luckily, I was wrong. At the very least, the run was scenic. We ran all the way downtown and over the Brooklyn Bridge. We even stopped for a picture.

On the second half, I definitely started getting tired, but today, I was running to donuts. There was a bakery on the east side that fills their donuts with fresh jelly right in front of you. I know it's kind of lame, but whatever keeps me motivated works for me. I just kept thinking "8 more blocks until donuts and coffee!"

What a lovely sight when I arrived.

I chose the sugar donut with raspberry jelly.

I may just be that I was hungry after 14 miles. Or it may have been the copious amounts of jelly, but this was probably the best pastry I've had post-run. On a side note, I love fresh jam, so I might be a little biased. I can't even buy it because I end up just eating most of it with a spoon. So yea, this was pretty awesome. My run got even better when I got home to find that Grandma Betty made a donation to my fundraising. This year alone, I've raised almost $3,000. Everyone's support makes these long runs SOOOO much easier.

So I think today was pretty awesome.

Finding Greatness

If you've been watching the Olympics at all, you've probably seen this commercial.

I cannot tell you how much I love this commercial. I want it on a loop when I run. I love that it's encouraging average people to be great. We started hill training this week and I was trying REALLY hard to tap into my Nike greatness. I felt like I was giving it my all sprinting up the hill as hard as I could, gasping for breath, feeling like I was going to vomit, but apparently Coach Cider thinks I can run harder. We'll have to see about that in weeks to come.

I felt pretty great this morning when I got up early to willingly do a speed workout. Without anyone yelling at me to it. If that's not finding greatness, I don't know what is.

This morning I also took a picture of this statue. I don't know what this is supposed to be about, but I find it terrifying. The bear looks like he's trying to eat the kid. Is it just me?

I know that I usually indulge in a pastry post-run, but this one was so pretty.

Plus tonight is the first night of hill training, so I need extra energy, right?

Celebrate Hope and Kitty News

Saturday was quite an interesting day. It was hot, and the air was like soup, so I went for a VERY SLOOOOOW run. Good news is it was a down week for me, so I only ran about 6 or 7 miles. Bad news- no pastry :( But more good news! Post-run, we had breakfast at the Hope Lodge with the Hope Lodge guests and my fellow runners. It’s an event we call Celebrate Hope, and it’s usually one of the best events of the training season. It ended up being part celebration, part therapy. The most touching part is always when everyone shares their stories, either why they’re running or why they’re staying at Hope Lodge. There were LOTS of stories. A few of them had happy endings, but more often than not, they didn’t. This is why we all run and raise money. One of the common sentiments amongst the runners was they didn’t know what else to do. They couldn’t do nothing, but we’re not doctors. We can’t find a cure. But we can run, and raise money, and maybe inspire people. It was a very touching morning and it reminds me how thankful I am to be a part of DetermiNation. You can always help by donating here. I'm SUPER CLOSE to my goal. Who wants to give that last little push?

The rest of my day was less good, and it had to do with the kitty. We took him to the vet on Saturday afternoon, and just has a precaution, had him scanned for a microchip. Wouldn’t you guess that the one cat I find that I actually want to keep has a microchip? I was a little bit heartbroken. I called the chip company and they told me someone would be calling me right back. So I waited. And waited. And waited. After about an hour I called them back. They said they spoke to the owners and gave them my phone number. I was a little confused. No owner had called me. Why would someone missing their cat wait? I asked if they sounded like they wanted him. They said all they can tell me is they gave them my number, and I have to wait for them to call me. Ball is in their court. BUT if they don’t call me within 2 weeks, then I can go through the process of having his chip information changed over to me. I don’t want to get my hopes up too much, but it’s been 2 days, and they haven’t called. And I had his for almost a week before I called the chip company and he was never reported missing. The vet assistant said believe it or not, a lot of times people “lose” their pets and don’t want them back. (That’s a whole other thing that really pisses me off, that I won’t rant about now.) So I’m just crossing my fingers that no one calls. I’m pretty sure he wants to be my cat. His last owners named him Chris. He told me he doesn't want to be Chris because that's a dumb name for a cat.

Plus I can’t give him back now. He’s too stinking cute.