I have the best news ever. Little Rufio was adopted! YAY! Someone actually came and picked him up that night and today I got a message that everyone is so happy with him and they thanked us for stopping to help him. I'm so happy that he is in a home where he's loved now. (I'm sorry, this might turn into a rant.) I can't believe that someone would ever just leave him alone in the park like that. Apparently, that's a thing in this park. He was the 4th dog found there this month. REALLY? Especially in the city where there are so many shelters, vets, rescue groups, you leave your dog in a park? I was literally mad for days thinking about it. I'm so happy everything turned out to have a very happy ending. I was even invited to come visit him next time Dalia dogsits :) It honestly feels good to do something so good and get such an immediate pay off. I hope this doesn't become a regular thing, but if it has to, I'm in.
Ok. Now back to your regularly scheduled blog. Tuesday night we did cross training workouts, instead of just a regular old run. Definitely not my favorite. There was a lot of jumping and core workouts, not things I ever really want to do. After two days, I can finally move again. Just in time for tomorrow's run.
Friday, June 29, 2012
Wednesday, June 27, 2012
A Crazy Thing Happened...
Well. This morning has been an adventure. I got up at 6:30am to go for a run. I really did not want to go, but I made myself do it. I got about 10 blocks and what do I find? This guy. 
He was in Saint Nicholas Park in an area where he couldn't get out. I went around to see if there was a person with him. There was no one. I scaled a small wall to get to him and we hung out together while I tried to figure this out. Who did I call? MiMi of course! She's like Ghostbusters for dogs. She was going to come and help me. I found a way to get him out and honestly should have kept him there until MiMi came, but he was following me, and I thought he would follow me. No go. He ran right into traffic and was almost hit by a cab. Luckily New Yorkers are not all mean. Several people tried to help me catch him, until a girl named Dalia came walking by with her dog. Rufio, as we now call him, really liked her dog, so he followed them for a while, and we were able to catch him. We got him some food, them MiMi, Dalia and I took him to the vet. The vet said he was healthy, just a little skinny. So 4 hours after I set out for my run, I'm home, and am now looking for someone to adopt an adorable and super sweet dog. I didn't really get that run in, but I think this was worth it.
He was in Saint Nicholas Park in an area where he couldn't get out. I went around to see if there was a person with him. There was no one. I scaled a small wall to get to him and we hung out together while I tried to figure this out. Who did I call? MiMi of course! She's like Ghostbusters for dogs. She was going to come and help me. I found a way to get him out and honestly should have kept him there until MiMi came, but he was following me, and I thought he would follow me. No go. He ran right into traffic and was almost hit by a cab. Luckily New Yorkers are not all mean. Several people tried to help me catch him, until a girl named Dalia came walking by with her dog. Rufio, as we now call him, really liked her dog, so he followed them for a while, and we were able to catch him. We got him some food, them MiMi, Dalia and I took him to the vet. The vet said he was healthy, just a little skinny. So 4 hours after I set out for my run, I'm home, and am now looking for someone to adopt an adorable and super sweet dog. I didn't really get that run in, but I think this was worth it.
Monday, June 25, 2012
Note to Self
Note to self: It’s not a good idea to eat nothing but cupcakes, fried things and beer for two days before an 8 mile run. Then you feel sort of like this:
Other than that, my long run this week was great. I ran the first half with MiMi, which was fun. The second half I was all by my lonesome and was feeling understandably queasy. The good news is I ran the last mile literally the fastest I’ve ever run a mile because I just wanted to finish and go to the bathroom. Maybe that should be my new strategy?
I’m actually pretty impressed with myself so far. I’ve been steadily increasing my miles and I feel really good. So far it’s not as hard as the first time around, and any nerves I was having are starting to fade away. I think I can do it! I just have to work on the other things, like eating right. BLAH. I’m also starting to get a little overwhelmed when I think about all the training ahead. In about 2 months, I’ll be running 20 miles on weekends. GULP. And I still have to book flights, hotels, etc. Can’t I just run?
Saturday afternoon turned out to be a pretty perfect day, so Josh, MiMi and I went to Governor’s island. It was really fun, but the food monster made it’s first appearance this training season. I was really tired and hot and wanted an iced coffee ASAP. Dear friends, don’t take it personally. I get moody when I train ☺ Also, dear friends, don't forget to donate! Then you'll make all my moodiness worth it. http://main.acsevents.org/goto/runninglisa Let's raise another $100 this week!
Other than that, my long run this week was great. I ran the first half with MiMi, which was fun. The second half I was all by my lonesome and was feeling understandably queasy. The good news is I ran the last mile literally the fastest I’ve ever run a mile because I just wanted to finish and go to the bathroom. Maybe that should be my new strategy?
I’m actually pretty impressed with myself so far. I’ve been steadily increasing my miles and I feel really good. So far it’s not as hard as the first time around, and any nerves I was having are starting to fade away. I think I can do it! I just have to work on the other things, like eating right. BLAH. I’m also starting to get a little overwhelmed when I think about all the training ahead. In about 2 months, I’ll be running 20 miles on weekends. GULP. And I still have to book flights, hotels, etc. Can’t I just run?
Saturday afternoon turned out to be a pretty perfect day, so Josh, MiMi and I went to Governor’s island. It was really fun, but the food monster made it’s first appearance this training season. I was really tired and hot and wanted an iced coffee ASAP. Dear friends, don’t take it personally. I get moody when I train ☺ Also, dear friends, don't forget to donate! Then you'll make all my moodiness worth it. http://main.acsevents.org/goto/runninglisa Let's raise another $100 this week!
Friday, June 22, 2012
Happy Hippos!
THANK YOU to everyone that came to the fundraiser last night. Together, we raised over $300! Look how happy we made the hippo!
There were drink specials, raffle prizes and even cupcakes!
We're now about $500 away from our goal. If you couldn't attend the fundraiser (or just want to give us more!) please donate! We're super close. CLICK HERE to donate now and help create a world with less cancer.
There were drink specials, raffle prizes and even cupcakes!
We're now about $500 away from our goal. If you couldn't attend the fundraiser (or just want to give us more!) please donate! We're super close. CLICK HERE to donate now and help create a world with less cancer.
Thursday, June 21, 2012
SUMMER IS HERE!!
Summer is officially here!!! I love summers. Everyone in the city seems so much happier. Mostly because they get to leave the city more. (On a sidenote, the official countdown to my own vacation has begun. 10 days!!!) I love to kick off summer with the Solstice in Times Square.
Waiting for class to begin here. But once it did, MAN was it hot. I never stay for the whole class, mostly because I have to go back work, but I could only stay about 30 minutes. My feet were burning on my mat, and sweat was pouring down my neck. Not a good look when you have to work.
You can't really tell here, but I was already dripping. This is the first posture of class. Fun! Some people later in the day were complaining that they didn't have a good class because it was loud. The ground was uneven. It was hard to focus. But that's sort of the point. It's a challenge. If you can find peace and tranquility in Times Square, you can find it anywhere.
This morning I came to work and noticed this. Can you tell what it is?
Melted yoga mat remnants! The asphalt was so hot, mats melted to it. Welcome to summer!! And what better way to kick off summer than to cool down with some awesome happy drinks with friends? (Like the segue there?) Don't forget to stop by our happy hour TONIGHT, 6pm to 9pm at Slane on MacDougal and Bleecker. And for those of you that can't make it, please go to our team page and donate. We're less than $1000 away from our goal. Help us kick cancer's butt!
This morning I came to work and noticed this. Can you tell what it is?
Tuesday, June 19, 2012
Action Packed week!
This has nothing to do with anything really, but last night I watched an HBO documentary on dogs in America. Just going to warn you, it was pretty horrific. I can't even describe it or I'll probably start crying again. The good news is it's a pretty effective call to action. I've seen that commercial with the sad puppies and kittens and the Sarah McLaughlin song about a million times, and never felt the need to donate to anything. This doc got me to make a donation to a shelter. It's terrible, but if you want to be persuaded to support your local shelter, you should watch it.
Let's move on to happier things. Second Tuesday workout is tonight. Who's excited?!? The strategy this time is to GO SLOW. I do better when moving slower. Tomorrow is the summer solstice, so you know what that means: Solstice Yoga in Times Square. There are free yoga classes throughout the day and lots of swag too. I think you can still register if anyone else wants to participate. The 12:30 class will be taught by Rajashee. She's Bikram's wife and kind of a big deal. Thursday night is the Happy Hippo Happy Hour. Don't forget to join us at Slane (Bleecker and MacDougal) from 6pm to 9pm. Or if you can't make it please donate here. Friday is my friend's going away party, and Kevin's band is playing in Brooklyn. If we would tell me exactly where and when, I might try to go. (That's a hint BTW). Looks like this week is going to be totally action packed.
Let's move on to happier things. Second Tuesday workout is tonight. Who's excited?!? The strategy this time is to GO SLOW. I do better when moving slower. Tomorrow is the summer solstice, so you know what that means: Solstice Yoga in Times Square. There are free yoga classes throughout the day and lots of swag too. I think you can still register if anyone else wants to participate. The 12:30 class will be taught by Rajashee. She's Bikram's wife and kind of a big deal. Thursday night is the Happy Hippo Happy Hour. Don't forget to join us at Slane (Bleecker and MacDougal) from 6pm to 9pm. Or if you can't make it please donate here. Friday is my friend's going away party, and Kevin's band is playing in Brooklyn. If we would tell me exactly where and when, I might try to go. (That's a hint BTW). Looks like this week is going to be totally action packed.
Saturday, June 16, 2012
I have to remember to not get so easily discouraged. I was hurting after my run on Tuesday. I spent the next day looking up exercises to help with core and hip stability. I signed up for a pilates class. I was already starting to doubt myself and my training. I figured it wasn’t good if I was already hurting at the beginning.
That night I went to yoga. I tried to take it easy, focus on my core and move with integrity. That one class made a huge difference. I felt almost brand new after class. It’s amazing how if you just think about something, it sort of starts to happen. I was finding all these little muscles I don’t think I’ve ever really felt before. Muscles that help support my core, so I’m not all slouchy and painful. I tentatively tried a run on Thursday. I went really slow, but I felt great. I realized that this would be my mental challenge with my training this year. Running right, not just running fast. One bad run doesn’t mean my training is doomed. I’m sure there will be a fair number of bad runs.
On today’s group run, I tried to keep this in mind. I ran much slower than usual, and I ran a lot of it alone. I was even the last person back from my run. But I felt great. I went to a pilates class later and people that were twice my age were doing the exercises with ease, while I was struggling. Again, I tried not to let this bother me. I have to focus on doing things right, rather than doing them to beat someone else. I can already tell this will be a big challenge for me.
In between all the running and pilates, I picked up some supplies for Thursday’s fundraiser. If you’re in the area, I’d love for you to attend. For those that can’t attend, please remember you can always make a donation to show your love and support.
Hey. Look what else I did. I got the prettiest cherries I’ve ever seen, and they’re super tasty too. I think I’ve already eaten at least half a pound.
That night I went to yoga. I tried to take it easy, focus on my core and move with integrity. That one class made a huge difference. I felt almost brand new after class. It’s amazing how if you just think about something, it sort of starts to happen. I was finding all these little muscles I don’t think I’ve ever really felt before. Muscles that help support my core, so I’m not all slouchy and painful. I tentatively tried a run on Thursday. I went really slow, but I felt great. I realized that this would be my mental challenge with my training this year. Running right, not just running fast. One bad run doesn’t mean my training is doomed. I’m sure there will be a fair number of bad runs.
On today’s group run, I tried to keep this in mind. I ran much slower than usual, and I ran a lot of it alone. I was even the last person back from my run. But I felt great. I went to a pilates class later and people that were twice my age were doing the exercises with ease, while I was struggling. Again, I tried not to let this bother me. I have to focus on doing things right, rather than doing them to beat someone else. I can already tell this will be a big challenge for me.
In between all the running and pilates, I picked up some supplies for Thursday’s fundraiser. If you’re in the area, I’d love for you to attend. For those that can’t attend, please remember you can always make a donation to show your love and support.
Hey. Look what else I did. I got the prettiest cherries I’ve ever seen, and they’re super tasty too. I think I’ve already eaten at least half a pound.
Wednesday, June 13, 2012
Tuesday workouts are back!
We started off the training season with a bang. A group of either very hardcore or very scared runners met for a run in the rain. It was mostly just spitting at us, until it was actually time to start running. Then it was a nice steady rain. Yay! We could choose to do one of two workouts- speed drills or running technique. For some reason I thought it was a good idea to start the season off with speed drills. It wasn’t. I kept burping up my lunch and felt a little like I wanted to throw up. That’s how you can tell it was a “good” workout. I don’t actually like speed workouts, so I never do them, but all my friends were doing it, so why not. I realized that I don’t like them because I’m not fast. Everyone else raced off ahead of me, and I was holding up the rear. I guess someone has to be last. This time it was me.
I also felt a little bit discouraged. I’ve been having some pain in my hips and shoulders and I felt like I was running crooked. I had one of the coaches watch me run, and she said I am running crooked. I twist a lot to one side, and the other side doesn’t twist at all. So one side is tight, which hurts, and the other side is over stretched, which also hurts. Yay! The prescription? Core work. Your core is what’s supposed to keep you nice and stable, but my core doesn’t really know it’s supposed to be doing anything. And no matter how much I try, it doesn’t seem to get any better. So I’m committing to it this time. I’m going to start getting up 10 minutes earlier everyday so I can do my planks and side planks. I also realized I have another coupon for some pilates classes, so I’m throwing that into the mix. I’m going to beat my core into submission. The good news is I remember this happening the last time I tried to get back into running. I think my body just isn’t used to everything. It takes a while for me to settle in, then everything starts to feel “normal” again.
In other news, next week is the Team Happy Hippo Happy Hour! I know I’ve invited pretty much everyone I’ve ever met, but if for some reason I haven’t invited you, you’re now officially invited. Join us at Slane on Bleecker and MacDougal on June 21st between 6pm and 9pm. You should all come and everyone should bring friends! If you can’t make it, you should donate here. You can help us create a world with more birthdays and less cancer!
I also felt a little bit discouraged. I’ve been having some pain in my hips and shoulders and I felt like I was running crooked. I had one of the coaches watch me run, and she said I am running crooked. I twist a lot to one side, and the other side doesn’t twist at all. So one side is tight, which hurts, and the other side is over stretched, which also hurts. Yay! The prescription? Core work. Your core is what’s supposed to keep you nice and stable, but my core doesn’t really know it’s supposed to be doing anything. And no matter how much I try, it doesn’t seem to get any better. So I’m committing to it this time. I’m going to start getting up 10 minutes earlier everyday so I can do my planks and side planks. I also realized I have another coupon for some pilates classes, so I’m throwing that into the mix. I’m going to beat my core into submission. The good news is I remember this happening the last time I tried to get back into running. I think my body just isn’t used to everything. It takes a while for me to settle in, then everything starts to feel “normal” again.
In other news, next week is the Team Happy Hippo Happy Hour! I know I’ve invited pretty much everyone I’ve ever met, but if for some reason I haven’t invited you, you’re now officially invited. Join us at Slane on Bleecker and MacDougal on June 21st between 6pm and 9pm. You should all come and everyone should bring friends! If you can’t make it, you should donate here. You can help us create a world with more birthdays and less cancer!
Tuesday, June 12, 2012
Sunday, June 10, 2012
DetermiNation and LOBSTERS!!!
So many fun things happened this weekend. I got up BRIGHT AND EARLY on Saturday morning for the very first DetermiNation run of the fall training season. Did I tell you how excited I was for this? Don’t we look like an awesome group?
This year was interesting because a lot of the usuals weren’t participating this year. The good news is I have to make new friends, instead of just talking to the usually crowd. Because I knew that training was starting and that literally the next 4 months of my life would be devoted to nothing but running, I sort of slacked off the last few weeks and boy could I tell. These 4 miles were hard. Not just for me. For everyone. This first week is really just a meet and greet. Tuesday night is when the real fun begins.
I had so much fun I had to come home and take a 3 hour nap. I’m super exciting. Then Josh and I made lobster dinner. I have to admit, that I was a little freaked out that there were live lobsters just chilling in my fridge all day. They looked like giant bugs.
They look so happy here. Sorry guys. But you were pretty tasty. I think we ate so much, the next morning in yoga, my sweat smelled like fish. Now that’s sexy.
Now please excuse me. I have to get ready to watch the True Blood season finale. It’s very important.
This year was interesting because a lot of the usuals weren’t participating this year. The good news is I have to make new friends, instead of just talking to the usually crowd. Because I knew that training was starting and that literally the next 4 months of my life would be devoted to nothing but running, I sort of slacked off the last few weeks and boy could I tell. These 4 miles were hard. Not just for me. For everyone. This first week is really just a meet and greet. Tuesday night is when the real fun begins.
I had so much fun I had to come home and take a 3 hour nap. I’m super exciting. Then Josh and I made lobster dinner. I have to admit, that I was a little freaked out that there were live lobsters just chilling in my fridge all day. They looked like giant bugs.
They look so happy here. Sorry guys. But you were pretty tasty. I think we ate so much, the next morning in yoga, my sweat smelled like fish. Now that’s sexy.
Now please excuse me. I have to get ready to watch the True Blood season finale. It’s very important.
(PS Since I'm officially training now, you should donate. CLICK HERE)
Wednesday, June 6, 2012
Kick off and National Running Day!
OMG. I can’t tell you how much FUN I had at the DetermiNation kick off. Seriously. The kick off was PACKED! I don’t remember this type of crowd last year. There were a few people that I knew, but a whole lot of brand new faces. They made sure to set aside time so the mentors could mingle with the runners. I met a few REALLY excited runners. I never realized how happy the DetermiNation group makes me. I have a whole group of friends to run with. I get to be involved with an amazing charity and staff that truly love what they do. I get to help a whole lot of marathon virgins, and help make their experience really memorable. There’s not enough good things I could say about this group, and I’m really excited that the season is officially starting! Another reason I’m really excited for the training season? We now have DetermiNation ID tags for our shoes! They’re little ID tags you can put your emergency info on in case anything happens (this should make Mom happy) and they have our logo. Plus it’s reflective! Ok, I know this is super dorky, but for some reason it makes me happy. I like being decked out in DetermiNation gear. It reminds me that I’m doing this for something more than me. Plus people are nicer to you if they know you’re running for a charity ☺
So now that I just totally talked up DetermiNation, you should know that it’s National Running Day! Celebrate by going for a run! Or better yet, you can join DetermiNation and run a super awesome race with some super awesome people. Just sayin’
I know I was kind of lazy last week, but our training calendar doesn’t officially start until Saturday, so I decided to just extend the laziness a few more days. After Saturday, I’m going to spend the next several months focused on pretty much nothing but training. When I’m not running, I’ll be cross training. Even if I’m just sitting at home watching TV, chances are I’ll simultaneously be stretching something, rolling something, or using my stick (my new favorite thing!). So I think taking a few days to rest now is ok. It all begins on Saturday!
So now that I just totally talked up DetermiNation, you should know that it’s National Running Day! Celebrate by going for a run! Or better yet, you can join DetermiNation and run a super awesome race with some super awesome people. Just sayin’
I know I was kind of lazy last week, but our training calendar doesn’t officially start until Saturday, so I decided to just extend the laziness a few more days. After Saturday, I’m going to spend the next several months focused on pretty much nothing but training. When I’m not running, I’ll be cross training. Even if I’m just sitting at home watching TV, chances are I’ll simultaneously be stretching something, rolling something, or using my stick (my new favorite thing!). So I think taking a few days to rest now is ok. It all begins on Saturday!
Tuesday, June 5, 2012
DetermiNation KickOff!
OMG Are you ready? Fall season for DetermiNation officially kicks off TONIGHT!!! I admit, I’ve been a little lazy the last week or 2, but this should really help to get me off my butt. Tonight we get to meet the rest of the 2012 Fall Team, all the coaches, mentors, and old friends!
Go DNation!
Monday, June 4, 2012
Family Weekend
That was kind of a whirlwind weekend. My mom and my brother got here Friday night, and they left this morning. Apparently I’m really bad at taking pictures, so we don’t have any photographic proof that they were here, but they were.
Saturday we went to the Cloisters. I love the Cloisters. The collection is pretty awesome, and I love the park surrounding the Cloisters. We saw lots of groundhogs for some reason. They were pretty much everywhere. Then we went to St John the Divine. It’s a HUGE church. Like so big you can’t see the ceiling. To keep along the theme of big things, we went to Dinosaur BBQ. Our appetizer was tiny and unsatisfying, but that’s ok because our dinner was HUGE. We got a family style sample, and split it. SO. MUCH. FOOD. We went home and pretty much immediately went to sleep.
I almost wasn’t hungry for brunch the next morning, but I managed ☺ Then Kevin went off to explore by himself and Mom and I wanted to check out the World Trade Center memorial. That was also huge. Much bigger than I even expected. Is it just me or is it weird for people to be posing and smiling for pictures in front of a memorial? Then we headed to Slane for some drinks and then back home to make a dent in those leftovers. All in all, a pretty good weekend, but I think I need another weekend to recover from my weekend ☺
Now, back to our regularly scheduled program...
I almost wasn’t hungry for brunch the next morning, but I managed ☺ Then Kevin went off to explore by himself and Mom and I wanted to check out the World Trade Center memorial. That was also huge. Much bigger than I even expected. Is it just me or is it weird for people to be posing and smiling for pictures in front of a memorial? Then we headed to Slane for some drinks and then back home to make a dent in those leftovers. All in all, a pretty good weekend, but I think I need another weekend to recover from my weekend ☺
Now, back to our regularly scheduled program...
Friday, June 1, 2012
OMG MY MOM WILL BE HERE SOOOOOOOOOON
That is all.
(PS Don't forget to donate! http://main.acsevents.org/goto/runninglisa)
That is all.
(PS Don't forget to donate! http://main.acsevents.org/goto/runninglisa)
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