Hurricane Sandy

My heart aches for my adopted city. I spent all day Monday reading about the flooding, fires and loss of power across the New York City area. I hope everyone is safe and hopefully those who have lost power are able to stay safe and warm.

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I'm still in Washington State, hoping I'll be able to get back to New York and fly in to LaGuardia on Thursday afternoon. Sourabh and our pets were in our apartment on the Upper West Side. Thankfully they did not lose power so were simply house-bound. I hated being separated from them, but I'm thankful that they were safe. 

If you have the time, NYC Service's Facebook page has information on volunteering around the city. I'm hoping I'll be able to help out in some way when I get back. 

Race Recap: James Cunningham (Stanley Park) Seawall 9.5km

Today I ran the James Cunningham Seawall race, a 9.5 km race around the Stanley Park Seawall in Vancouver, B.C. I live an hour from Vancouver, so when I saw this race was happening while I was visiting home, I thought it'd be a fun experience for my parents and me to run it (my sister had to work). Stanley Park is a big, gorgeous park bordering downtown Vancouver with a flat, paved path running the perimeter. Vancouver might be a smaller city, but Stanley Park is actually more than 10% larger than Central Park! When you run the Seawall, you get incredible views of the city, the mountains, and the harbor.

the gorgeous Vancouver harbor -- this is what you're seeing as you race around the Seawall!

I finished the race ecstatic. My Nike Fit app told me I'd run the race in an 8:28 pace -- a huge jump in pace for me, although it was flat and I was pushing myself so I thought it made sense. But then it said I'd run more than 6 miles, which seemed odd since the race was only 5.9 miles (9.5km). Turns out the app was totally off -- .75 miles off, to be exact -- and I only ran a 9:19 pace.

#uglyracepic at the 3/4 point

I worked my legs too hard on Friday in retrospect. If I wanted to run a fast pace today, I should have rested Friday and just done a gentle workout. But hey, there's always another race to be run, and I've certainly learned a good lesson for next time.

turns out I did not, in fact, get to this point in 8:28 miles

I sat down to write this feeling bummed, but as I've been writing, I realize I should be feeling better about the race. I was 11th out of 34 in my age/gender category and was running on some rough, sore legs. It was the coldest weather I've run in since last November I'd guess (I didn't run outside over the winter). My breathing was definitely rough because of that. All in all, I'm happy that I kept a sub-9:20 pace on a beautiful race course. And did I mention it was sunny? A sunny day in late October in Vancouver is a miracle.

AND I got to run it with my parents -- a great race all around! 

Another great part about the race was that I ran it with my parents. They've just started doing more cardio (they used to do only strength work at the gym and yoga), so it was exciting to share my newfound love of racing with them. They both want to sign up for more races in the area soon!

props to Running Room for a great race!

The race was so well run (pun!). Not only did the post-race treats include bagels, bananas, juices, yogurts, and candy, but there was also a stand with free hot soup. As finishers came through the finish line, an announcer would note their name and home, saying things like "and here comes Missy Dee, with us from Burnaby, so all three of the Dee family has now finished!" I guess that would be difficult to do in a giant New York race (there were only 862 racers), but it was such a nice touch.

bananas, bagels, yogurt, and a bunch of different fruit juices

After the race, we ate lunch at a diner. I ate a veggie scramble with rye toast, but we also split a celebratory order of poutine. It's a Quebec dish that has spread to all of Canada, and it's the most delicious artery-clogging calorie bomb around. Basically, it's fries, gravy, and cheese curds. If it sounds terrible then you've clearly never tried it. Since I grew up only 5 miles from the Canadian border and went up there frequently--and because I'm 1/4 French Canadian--I feel very attached to the dish. The diner served it with regular cheese, but it was still gloriously terrible. I don't like most kinds of junk foods, but poutine and nachos are two things that I absolutely adore. A perfect post-race indulgence.

And another post-race indulgence occurred after lunch: shopping! We dropped by the original Lululemon store in Kitsilano (a neighborhood in Vancouver's west side) because my mom wanted running leggings. Clearly, the race inspired her. I may or may not have also purchased another cool racerback tank (it's striped!! How can I resist stripes??) and an exciting pair of run gloves (exciting because they are also striped).

the original Lululemon store! pilgrimages required when in Vancouver 

Has anyone else's Nike Fit app or Garmin ever been totally wrong about a race distance/time? 

Weekend Visit Turned Week-Long Stay

Oops, I'm missing a week of class
Thanks to Hurricane Sandy, instead of missing one class of two courses, I'm missing an entire week of class. I anticipated airports being closed Monday, so I preemptively changed my flight to the first day they'd let me change it (Thursday), and it looks like I made the right call since my flight was canceled. I didn't want to risk not being able to get back in time for my professional responsibility exam on Saturday. Hopefully things are cleared up by Thursday!

I'll be doing a lot of skyping with my dog (oh, and Sourabh) -- I miss my doggie! Mason is unamused. 

Friday
I had to wake up early to finish up some work for my pro bono project before a call with the attorney I'm assisting. It was kind of rough, considering that I was exhausted from not enough sleep Wednesday night and a full day of travel on Thursday, but I was rewarded with a nice breakfast with my family when I finished the call. My dad is a great cook and he took Friday off to spend with me, so we all sat down to almond meal waffles. He has a great, healthy recipe for the waffles that I'll have to steal from him and share. I'd already eaten breakfast as I did work before my phone call, but I nibbled on half a waffle. It's so nice to be back around the family dinner table.

post-breakfast cuddles with one of my parents' two dachshunds, Fritzy 

After breakfast, I unpacked and then we headed to the gym. My dad didn't want to do anything high impact since his ankle has been hurting a bit and we were doing a race on Sunday (race recap is coming tomorrow!), but I led my sister and mom in a circuit-style class that left all of us very sore the next day. And Sunday, unfortunately -- I'm still feeling it in my legs! I'm posting the workout below. It was really fun and, to be honest, I loved being a tough instructor and pushing them hard. My favorite motivation, "you can do anything for 20 more seconds!!" definitely made an appearance.

Saturday
Yesterday started with my dad's yoga class. He teaches a vinyasa-style flow class several days a week at local gyms in our county. I always like my dad's class because he provides a lot of variations so that everyone can get a good workout. He gets a lot of seniors who need to take it slow, and I think it's great that he's able to craft a class that everyone can gain from.

surreptitiously taken while my dad was in down dog

 After class, my parents treated me to brunch at a cute new French-inspired cafe in our town called Cassoulet. Although the area is still pretty rural (my town is the second largest in the county and only has 12,000 people), there have been more interesting restaurants opening lately. Unfortunately a lot of the local storefronts downtown are empty right now, but restaurants seem to be doing a bit better. Our brunch dishes were really tasty and the service was extremely friendly and accommodating when I asked for changes to the largely-meat-filled menu. I hope the restaurant does well!

the cafe is very shabby-chic and cute inside

Since I'm not home very often, I get a bit spoiled when I do get back. My mom treated me to a pedicure with her at my favorite local place, Front Street Spa. Some much-needed girl time -- and much-needed foot time! Linda immediately asked if I was a runner. I guess my feet weren't exactly glamorous looking.

I feel like I have new feet! I opted for a fun, fall-ish purple 

Post-pedicures, I made us a pre-race dinner of my quinoa pasta, kale, sweet potato, and shrimp dish. The shrimp tasted extra fresh this time since Pacific Northwest seafood is SO good. After dinner, we drove down to Skagit County for my dad's concert! He's the principal French Horn for the local Skagit Symphony Orchestra. It was so nice to see my dad perform since I haven't been able to go to a concert in a long time. My parents were professional classical musicians for ten years, before they had me, and they still like to stay active in the local music scene.

I happened to snap this right as he was warming up -- he's standing in the back! 

Circuit Workout
I tried to model this on an Uplift Studios-style circuit class, which always kicks my ass. I led my mom and sister in some stationary jogging and light stretching to start. We then did each circuit twice before finishing with more stretching.

I love doing timed exercises because you can try to beat how many you did the previous time!

Has Hurricane Sandy messed up any of your plans? Hope everyone is staying safe and dry!!

Weekend Travels: Home to Washington State

I'm in Washington State!

Since I’m a third-year law student, I don’t have a very rigorous schedule, and I was able to reschedule the Contracts TA session I teach so that I could fly back home to Washington State on Thursday and back to New York on Monday. Being me, I put off packing until the last minute, so I was up late last night packing and only got 5 hours of sleep. Whoops.

I still wanted to get in some kind of physical activity before flying all day, so I woke up at 5:30 AM to run 2 miles on the treadmill in my building’s gym. Who needs coffee when you can run? I jacked up the speed to get the miles done more quickly, and ended up with an 8:27 pace. It’s always easier to run quickly on a treadmill, but still, woot!

I quickly showered off, said my good byes to the boy and dog (cats never care if I'm gone...), then grabbed a cab and headed to LaGuardia to catch my flight. I don’t love the travel process, but I do love traveling, even when it’s just flying back to Washington State for a visit to my family. I grew up in the rural Pacific Northwest, in a small town just about 5 miles south of the Canadian border. It’s a long slog from New York – a 6 hour nonstop plane ride or 8-9 hours if there’s a layover, then a 2 hour drive home from Seattle’s airport. But it’s always worth it to see the fam!

the gate across from mine was decorated for Halloween. not sure if this is encouraging when getting on a plane, but it was fun to see early in the morning.

I spent both flights catching up on some TV shows, starting Scott Jurek’s Eat and Run, and studying for the Multistate Professional Responsibility Exam (MPRE). The MPRE is a standardized exam you have to take as part of the Bar exam that I’ll be taking in July, after I graduate. You have to pass both the New York State Bar, which is the laws of New York, and the MPRE, which is basically an ethics exam, before you can be licensed as a lawyer in New York. I’m taking it on Saturday, November 3 – the day before the New York City Marathon! Cheering on the runners on Sunday will be my reward for finishing the exam on Saturday.

the fact that Denver's airport needs signs for tornado shelters was concerning to me. I saw Twister when I was little, I don't think being in a women's bathroom would save you from a tornado...

Watching movie or TV shows on my laptop always seems awkward. Yes, I’m watching Nashville and I think it’s awesome. Don’t judge me because it’s a primetime soap (Revenge is awesome, too, but I watch that one with the boy). There was also some partial nudity on one show – oops, sorry, hope I didn’t scar your children. Thankfully it was only over-18’s in my vicinity. I also chatted with my seat neighbor, Janice, who it turns out is a sommelier at Purple Cafe & Wine Bar in Seattle. Next time I have a longer trip I'm definitely going to be dropping by!

Afternoon in Seattle

My flight from Denver to Seattle landed around 2 PM, so we got to do a few fun Seattle  things before the two hour drive back to my hometown. We went to the Seattle Art Museum to see an exhibit on female artists, mainly from the 1950s to 1970s. 

It was an interesting exhibit, although some of the art was a bit too abstract for my taste, especially without any description or context. Still, I'd actually never been to the Seattle Art Museum, so it was great to check it out!

this artist, a Polish Art Deco artist named Tamara de Lempicka, was the main reason my parents wanted to go to the museum, but unfortunately this was the only piece of hers in the exhibit

After the museum, we walked through Pike Place Market. I had specially requested to do that since I love the market so much. There's so much food and so many local artists' stands. I found a few great gifts and picked up a wonderfully fresh honeycrisp apple to snack on the 2 hour drive back. 

the Seattle Great Wheel (a brand new addition to the waterfront) with a ferry coming in to dock 

the amount of seafood at Pike's Place Market is staggering. SO much crab, lobster and fish! 

Pike's Place Market is basically an indoor market since the weather is so often chilly, overcast, and drizzly in Washington 

the original Starbucks logo outside the original Starbucks

Pacific Northwest Starbucks cafes have fresh-pressed green juices! NYC, please follow this trend!! 

how funny is this pot holder? my friend Katie will be the lucky recipient of this gem 

the view from outside Pike Place Market -- you can see the Seattle Great Wheel, cranes for loading and unloading shipping crates, and CenturyLink Field (the Seahawks stadium) 

We ended our afternoon in Seattle with dinner at Umi Sake House in Belltown. Since we were having an early dinner, we were able to order off the happy hour menu. I've become used to New York prices, so you can imagine how excited I was about a $10 sashimi plate! The fish was extremely fresh tasting, too, since Seattle has so much fresh fish constantly coming in to the port. 

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Now I'm home and about to watch the premiere of the first season of Revenge with my parents. Trying to get them hooked like I am! 

My Favorite Things: Skin Care Products

Inspired by Oprah, I've decided to do a list of my favorite things. I know y'all hang on my every word just like you would Oprah's, so I expect sales of these products to skyrocket.

First up: skin care. I care a lot about taking care of my skin. It's your largest organ! My mom has terrific skin, which makes her look a lot younger than her 62 years. I've been taking care of my skin since I was about 13, but it's even more important now that I live on the East Coast given how cold and blistery New York winters can be (and New Hampshire winters, where I went to undergrad, were even worse).

see? great skin! 

I tend to buy clothes from a combination of Joe Fresh, H&M, J.Crew Factory, Banana Republic sales, and Ann Taylor Loft. Nothing too expensive (I covet the full price J.Crew sweater I bought a year ago). But when it comes to my skin, I try to invest in good skincare products, even if they cost a bit more. So here's what I use on a daily basis, with the caveat that for the best skin, perhaps the most important thing you can do is eat a healthy diet!

from left: Philosophy's Purity face wash and Hope in a Jar for Dry Skin moisturizer, Dermalogica's Skin Prep Scrub exfoliator, Clinique's All About Eyes Rich eye cream, Neutrogena's Ultra Sheer Dry-Touch Sunblock (SPF 55) and Naturals Multi-Vitamin Nourishing Moisturizer, and Almay's Oil-Free Eye Makeup Remover pads

I've used all these products long enough that I feel 100% confident in recommending them, although obviously different products are best for different skin types. With my dryish skin, living in Northeast weather, these are the products I like to use.

Mornings
After consulting with the wonderful Front Street Spa back home in Lynden, WA, several years ago, I was told to wash my face less. I have dry skin, so washing it too frequently causes too much oil production and clogs pores that are tighter because my skin is dry. So, I wash my face at night and just rinse it with cold water in the morning.

Once I've rinsed in the morning, I use Neutrogena's Multi-Vitamin Nourishing Moisturizer for my face and neck (the neck shows your age typically because we forget to take care of it). I then dab on the Clinique All About Eyes Rich eye cream. I love how creamy it feels, and I credit it with my lack of dark circles under my eyes despite my pale skin. Once my moisturizers are on, I apply the sunscreen. I am extremely vigilant about wearing sunscreen and try to remember to apply it to my decollete as well since that's another area that can easily burn, leading to sunspots later on in life (or worse, cancer).

Evenings
At night, I take off my eye makeup using Almay's makeup remover pads, which I love. They're a recent discovery, but they do a great job of taking off eye shadow, eyeliner, and mascara. I then wash my face with Philosophy's Purity.

I'm currently using a Clarisonic Mia brush to wash my face with the face wash at night, which I bought using credit card reward points to Sephora. However, I've only been using it for three weeks or so and I'm not 100% sold on it yet, so I can't recommend it fully. I like the way it feels, but I've also broken out a bit. I've heard that this can happen in the first few weeks, and it's also changing seasons in New York, going from humid to dry, which can cause breakouts. Since I'm not sure what exactly is up with my skin, I'm going to reserve judgment for now and report back later.

Twice a week I exfoliate after washing my face, using Dermalogica's Skin Prep exfoliator. Exfoliating is very important for dry skin since it gets rid of dead skin cells (gross, I know) and prevents breakouts while keeping your skin looking glowy and fresh.

Finally, I spread on my Philosophy Hope in a Jar Dry Skin moisturizer as my night cream and then dab on eye cream again for the evening. I much prefer the smell of the dry skin moisturizer; both the boy and I dislike the smell of Philosophy's regular Hope in a Jar moisturizer (to paraphrase him after kissing my cheek once: "ew.")

What skin products do you use and love? Are you a skin care fanatic, too? 

Anniversary Weekend Recap & Weekly Goals: Post-Half-Marathon

Today is my boyfriend and my four year anniversary! We've been dating since our junior year of college. We became friends when we were both on the debate team -- obviously we were the coolest kids around -- and started dating a few months later. It's been a really great four years. I both can't believe that it's been that long and can't believe we were never together! We both feel so lucky to be with someone who inspires us to be our best. (Sappy, I know, I promise I'm not normally so gooey)

Last year, we found deeply discounted tickets for a flight to London online and did a whirlwind 4 day long weekend there to celebrate.

on the London Eye

It was so much fun, but not something we could repeat this year since he's now in his first year of law school, which is a crazy busy time. Instead we decided to do a traditional "dinner and a movie" date night.


Dinner and a Movie

Mexican is my favorite cuisine. I love Indian and Middle Eastern food, but I could literally eat Mexican every night for the rest of my life and be happy. Sourabh suggested we go to one of my favorite Mexican spots in the city, Hecho en Dumbo. They mainly do small plates, but they also have a five-course "Chef's Table" prix fixe menu for $60. If you live in New York, then you know that a $60 prix fixe five-course menu is actually a steal. 

The Chef's Table prix fixe menu sets you up at a bar looking into the kitchen so you can see all the food being made. I thought this was so fun since I like to cook. The kitchen is pretty quiet, so it's not like you can't have a conversation, it just makes for a fun added feature to your experience.

the chef's table bar
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I didn't take pictures because the dim lighting in Hecho en Dumbo, which makes it a great date spot, also makes it impossible to take a good picture!

Besides the main five courses, the prix fixe menu also included four little dishes "compliments of the chef," including tacos, corn with queso fresco, and delicious truffles.  The tacos were practically a course by themselves! The chef's table menu emphasizes "fresh seafood, local meats and seasonal ingredients." The menu changes seasonally, but right now it's made up of crema langosta (lobster soup), an avocado and chickpea salad, a seared jumbo scallop, quail with a mole poblano sauce (I gave my quail to Sourabh), and a sour cream panna cotta. Again, those were just the official courses -- there were also four extra mini courses!

see? perfect for a date night!
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The typical small plates are composed of tacos, sopes (corn masa medallions with black bean puree on top and then various toppings), and melted cheese dishes. I love their small plates since they have a lot of vegetarian and seafood options in addition to the typical beef and pork, but it was great to try their fancier menu. We were both really happy with our dinner.

We wanted to see Argo after dinner, but the 9:00 PM showing was sold out so we bought tickets for 9:40 PM and decided to make a detour to an ice cream shop I've been wanting to get to forever: Big Gay Ice Cream Shop on East 7th.

the menu and a giant unicorn mural

Oh man, this place was SO good. I was pretty stuffed from dinner but couldn't say no to splitting a fabulous Monday Sundae (twisted fro yo in a Nutella-lined cone with dulce de leche, sea salt, and whipped cream). If you're in the East Village and looking for an indulgence (or to scandalize some visiting relatives) then this is a great spot.

We got to the theater early and snagged great seats for Argo, which we both liked a lot. The film is set during the Iranian Hostage Criss, and it's about the rescue of six U.S. embassy workers who escaped from the U.S. embassy then hid in the Canadian ambassador's home. Without being very violent (the R rating is really for language), the film managed to create a palpable feeling of tension and really made a 30-year old revolution seem real. The film is even more relevant given the recent protests and storming of embassies in the Middle East. It was a great date night movie!

Tonight I made us a nice dinner at home since it was our actual anniversary. We sat down to a later-than-expected dinner after cheering the Patriots on to an overtime win over the Jets. I know, I know, the Patriots? Sorry guys, the boy is a huge Pats fan, and he needed the win after the loss to my Seahawks last week. Too bad the Seahawks couldn't have beaten the 49ers on Thursday, especially after I wore my Seahawks jersey to school and taught a TA session in it...

just got the flowering chinese lanterns -- so pretty and fall-like! 

Anyway, some delicious hard apple cider complemented crab cake-stuffed mushroom caps (courtesy of Whole Foods) and roasted fingerling potatoes and brussels sprouts. It was a nice Sunday meal and a sweet little celebration after last night's night out.


Recap of last week
I didn't post any goals for last week because I really wanted to take it one step at a time and see how I felt since my quads were SUPER sore after my half-marathon. I still got in several great workouts: I did a fun Refine Method class hosted by Dori at their new Upper West Side studio, worked out with my trainer Amanda, tried a 30/30 class of spinning and TRX at Pedal NYC, got stretched out at Ashley's second yoga for runners class (this time taught by Sarra Morton), and ran almost 5 miles today.

On my run today, I bumped into Abby in Riverside Park. Since I was just trying to get out and run with no goals in mind, I turned around to run a few miles to head back uptown with her at the end of her long run. She helped me push my pace on the last two miles and it was great to run with someone on such a gorgeous day.


This week's goals
Ok, enough of the gooey anniversary talk. Let's talk exercise! Now that my half-marathon is over, I don't have a structure to my weekly workouts, and I'm just looking to include strength training with some short and longer runs. I also want to continue to make yoga a priority and finally commit to speedwork to increase my pace in future half-marathons (which I'm still on the hunt for).

I'm flying home to Washington State on Thursday to visit my family, so I'm going to be doing some different things, like a trail run! I'm so excited since I've never done one before. I just hope the weather is clear enough that I'm not doing a mud run.

- 3 runs, including a trail run in Washington and a race up in Vancouver, BC
- 3 strength workouts
- 2 yoga classes, including one taught by my Dad (he's a part-time yoga instructor!)

Any suggestions for half-marathons I should consider running? What's your favorite race you've ever run?

Perks of running a half-marathon

It's been nearly a week and I still can't believe my first half-marathon is over. I've learned over this week, though, that there are some perks to running a half-marathon, in addition to the carb-loading and the runners high and the overall awesome feeling of accomplishment you get. In addition to people being thoughtful enough to remember and ask me how the half-marathon went (and some sweet texts and tweets), some of my favorite people gave me some awesome things. Yes, this post is about the great people that I'm lucky enough to have in my life. Sorry! 

flowers from my parents!

My parents sent me a really pretty little bouquet of flowers. It's adorable and sitting on my coffee table currently. It actually inspired me to clean my apartment yesterday because how can pretty flowers sit in a cluttered apartment??? They were totally unexpected and were such a nice little surprise.

from the boy, but in silver
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I sent a few strong hints that I wanted this necklace in silver. Ok, I pulled it up on my boyfriend's computer, selected the length, type of metal, and font I wanted, then gave it to him and said "a girl who is running a half-marathon would probably really like something like this" before leaving him with the computer. But technically I didn't know he followed through!

Hey, I make it easy for him. And I love, love, love this necklace from Erica Sara Designs. It's really pretty and I love jewelry that has some sort of meaning attached to it. One of my favorite pairs of earrings is a pair of sparkly studs that I got from a street vendor on Portobello Road in London for our three-year anniversary getaway to London. It was like $12 but I wear them all the time and always think of London when I do. Now I have a gorgeous necklace to remind me of my first half-marathon!

lululemon scuba hoodie -- obviously I'm always smiling like this when I wear it
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I'm a firm believer in self-treating. I'd been wanting this scuba hoodie from Lululemon for several months, as soon as I tried it on in-store (BIG mistake). So soft! So cozy! So cute! I decided I could only get it once I'd run my half-marathon. (Ok, I caved and bought it 3 days before.)

I bought the hoodie in a checked grey small-print houndstooth pattern that hides the pet fur that seems to cover every item of clothing I own. I've been wearing it everywhere -- it's perfect in the 40s to 60s weather we've been having!

Do you believe in treating yourself for fitness accomplishments?

My Fall Fitness Itinerary

Now that I've run my half-marathon, I am currently lacking in fitness goals. Sure, I want to do speedwork so that I can break a 2 hour time and yes, doing a pull-up has always been something I want to be able to do, but there's currently no date circled in red on my calendar for some big fitness goal I'm working toward. Now is the perfect time to try out some new studios!

My rest week pre-half-marathon left me itching to get back into the studios I love, so I'm already going to Physique 57 and Pedal NYC this week, after trying Refine Method Monday night at a class organized by Dori at their brand new Upper West Side location. (Refine was great, but I just couldn't put 100% into it because it was the day after my half-marathon, so I want to go back before I write a review.)

Along with taking another Refine Method class, here are a few of the other studios I'm excited to try in addition to my first loves (Uplift Studios, Strala Yoga, and Physique 57). Think of it as my "Fall Fitness Itinerary."

SurfSet Fitness

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You do a workout on a surfboard that's attached to these inflated rubber disks that create rolls like waves. Apparently it's a killer core workout, and as someone who rarely feels like my core gets worked enough since it's never sore, I think this might just be the cure.

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Also, SURFING! I want to learn so much and I've heard SurfSet makes learning how to surf easier. Given my horrible balance, I'll need all the help I can get, so this would be a perfect baby step. Sadly they're on tour for a while and won't be back in NYC until November.

Chaise 23

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New clients get 3 classes for $33 in October! This is another boutique studio that has an innovative tool they're using, only this one is totally unexpected -- a chair!

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All of the exercises are centered around the chair. A friend tried it and said it worked her core really well, and I am all over extra core work, so I'm looking forward to trying this place out!

Barry's Bootcamp

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A celebrity favorite, I haven't tried Barry's out yet but I've been dying to after hearing raves from several friends. Supposedly it's an absolutely killer workout that leaves you dead by the end. So basically I have to do it. When did I become such a masochistic sweataholic???

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Classes are interval-based utilizing cardio on the treadmill and strength-training on the other side of the room. Different days focus on different areas of the body, and there are a few "all over" days, too.

Flywheel Sports and FlyBarre

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I can be a tad bit competitive, so I love the idea of pushing yourself via the torqueboard at Flywheel. (The spin classes give you the option of having your speed, RPM, etc. up on a board so that you can "race" others in class.) I've also heard great things about FlyBarre from people online, so I need to see how it compares to my current favorite barre studio, Physique 57.

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Love the stadium-style seating!

SoulCycle

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FlyWheel's rival (and the original boutique cycling cult). I might go just to buy a grapefruit candle, which they're famed for, since I love me some grapefruit scent.

Race Recap: Grete's Great Gallop Half-Marathon

I cannot believe that my half-marathon is over! Even while running it, I couldn't quite believe that I was setting out to run 13.1 miles. Last night and this morning, it feels like the race was a week ago. It's only my aching feet and sore legs that are telling me it actually happened yesterday!

trying to be excited, but really I'm just nervous...

It was hard for me to get to sleep the night before, but then I surprisingly slept well until my alarm went off at 8:00 AM. The race didn't start until 10:30 AM so I didn't have to hop out of bed at the crack of dawn, which was nice.  I ate my half of a cinnamon raisin bagel with almond butter and apple butter and tried not to freak out, but I was definitely feeling nervous in a way I haven't felt in a long time.

There's nothing to compare to nervousness over having to physically push yourself as opposed to taking an exam or being interviewed for a job. Even with plenty of study preparation or researching a firm, you figure that if things go horribly awry, you can sort of B.S. your way through an exam answer or answer an interview question with a stock answer. There's no B.S.-ing running 13 miles, though. There's only one way it can happen -- running the 13 miles.


But like I'd posted about on Saturday, I was ready. I prepared for the race and I knew it. I think my nerves were mostly about fear of the hills in Central Park! I've run there a lot, but never two whole loops.

Luckily I had a distraction:

my cheering section!

Sourabh and our dog, Mason, were my cheer squad and came along so that I didn't sit there freaking out before the race. Nothing like a warm cuddly dog to keep you feeling happy! Even better, because the race was a loop, they could go from one side to the other so I got to see them three times while I was running. Every time I saw them it pushed me to go just a bit faster.

Sourabh snapped another picture of me right before I hopped into my corral:

right before hopping into my corral, feeling more excited!
(still pointing to my number, I guess I've seen "real racers" do that so I thought I should, too) 

I was starting to feel less anxious and more ready to get going! While the runners started walking up toward the front, I noticed a man in a jacket having his picture taken, which I thought was odd.

(source)

I was shocked when I read the New York Times article on Christian Hesch this morning and saw the guy I'd seen having his picture taken! Turns out that he's coming forward about doping in running and the NY Times decided to use Grete's Gallop as a backdrop.

I started freaking out, thinking that I had to use the bathroom before the race, and hopped out of my corral to get in line for the port-a-potties. But then I heard the announcer saying that the time tracking mat would be turned off in 2 minutes and I told myself not to freak out, that if necessary I could take a break partway through the race. And it turned out that I was just feeling nervous because I had no issues whatsoever during the entire race. Good lesson for the future -- don't let myself freak out before a race!

I hopped back on the loop and crossed over the timing mat, starting at the back of the race. I think starting at the back was both good and bad. I felt like I was going really fast because I kept passing people, so it gave me confidence early on. However, I also think I might have pushed myself a bit too fast to get back up to the middle (which is obviously not smart!) and tired myself out too much on the first lap.

I'm not sure what's wrong with my feet, but they hurt almost the entire run. Luckily it wasn't so much pain that I couldn't push through and ignore it, but the run definitely would have been more pleasant without the pain in my feet.

The first loop felt good, though, besides the pain in my feet. I felt fresh, I knew I was doing a decent time, and it was such perfect running weather (60s and not too sunny). The course went up the west side and down the east, which I thought would be easier because it's an easier approach to Harlem Hill and you don't go up Cat Hill. What I didn't realize was how many other hills there are in Central Park -- you don't realize you're going downhill until you're forced to run UP that hill, and areas I had always thought were flat-ish were suddenly revealed to be hills to me.

halfway done!!

Despite the hilly surprises, I was able to run the entire way and only walk when grabbing water from the aid stations. I had a Clif gel 15 minutes before my run, and then tried to swallow down another one at the 7 mile mark. I only got about 3/4 of it, though, because the gel was just so sweet and thick, I had a hard time gulping it down. I'm going to try chews on the next long run I do and see if I like those better! I also avoided the Gatorade being handed out because I hadn't tried it before and didn't want to shock my body with anything new (besides, y'know, all those extra hills I didn't know were there...).

The second loop got a lot tougher. By the 9 mile mark I was feeling really tired, but a few things kept me going. One was thinking of one of my best friends who has beaten cancer twice and she's only 24. When going up hills, I'd keep thinking to myself "she beat cancer, you can run up a hill." I can't emphasize enough how much that kept me going.

Well, and I also may have engaged in some mental cursing at the hills, especially the one that appears after you've gone up then down Harlem Hill, the one by the skating rink and Harlem Meer. Come ON, that hill is a total d-bag, it just keeps going and going after you've just gone up Harlem Hill!!

Finally, I gave in to my true dork-ness, and I just mouthed the words to my race playlist. I basically had a mix of dance tracks, Kelly Clarkson and Katy Perry, and a little bit of old school (Fat Boy Slim, Destiny's Child, Eminem's "Lose Yourself"). Oh, yes, and "Gangnam Style." Twice. Don't judge me, especially not if one of my race pictures involves me doing that horseback riding dance move from the music video.

I swear I listen to better music when I'm not working out.
And I'm definitely not listening to Nicki Minaj as I write this. 

So yes, I was a dance party while running, but it got me through those 13 miles that felt really hard at times. It never felt as hard when I was grooving to a song. To me, music and running are strongly linked. I can never run as fast as I can when I have a great beat in my ear.

approaching the finish line!

Once I hit the 10 mile mark, I felt like yes, this is really going to happen. That said, the final mile seemed to go on forever and ever and ever. How is the lower loop of Central Park so long? I swear it's half that distance when I run it in normal times....

nearly there...

But I made it!!! I was pretty sure I'd made it in under 10 minute miles, but I wasn't sure until race times were posted later on Sunday.

2:09:34. For a 9:54 pace. At the time, I was just happy to have finished, but now I'm psyched. I feel like it's such a great start point for what I'm hoping will be a nice long career of half-marathons (or, who knows, maybe a full marathon one day?). If I can break a 10:00 pace with all of those hills, I think I can definitely break 2 hours on the next half-marathon I decide to run if it's a flatter course.

ecstatic post-race!!
(boob sweat cropped for the good of humanity)

I know, I just finished my first half-marathon and I'm already thinking about the next one? I certainly wasn't doing that during the race, but the sense of accomplishment after running that race was just so awesome.

It is so exciting to push your body so hard and find out its limits. I am so, so excited about my first half-marathon and I cannot wait to get another one on the calendar and keep going!!!