Bb.U Model Project Review

Yesterday was a fantastic day. Nothing big happened that was great, but it was a culmination of little things that added up to make me fall asleep feeling oh-so-contented.

I got my hair blown out for free through the Bb.U Model Project (review below!). Sourabh received a job offer for his first summer. 

I received my green Sparkly Soul headband that I will be wearing for the NYC Half, which falls on St Patrick's Day. Not that I'm superstitious, but hey, can't hurt to wear green, right? 

And I received my multi-pack of 10 Picky Bars. Oh, which I used to fuel for a run. A run!!

Yes, it looks like my calf is almost all better. I was able to "run" on the elliptical for 20 minutes and then run 2 miles on the treadmill. I think I'll hold off on any speed work for a few more days, but I am so happy that I seem to be recovered from whatever Monday's weird calf pain was!!

Bb.U Model Project Review

A month or so ago, I found out about Bumble & bumble's Model Project (Bb.U Model Project), which is its way of getting real live people for its Bb. Network stylists to train on. Stylists come to Bb. from around the country to learn specific styles and techniques, so your stylist is not brand new; they have at least two years of experience.

When I walked in, I saw that there was a long row of booths to the left and another to the right. Unpictured is the gorgeous view looking south and north of the studio. I got to see the sun set over Chelsea.

There's also a waiting area for "models" who haven't yet been called up. I only had to wait about 10 minutes, so I don't think there's much of a wait typically.

The guy standing there was one of the teachers, I'm guessing, since he was constantly checking in on stylists, asking what their plan was, and assessing what products they were going to use. So for those who are extra leery of having a "student" work on your hair, be calm. There are supervisors who are stylists in the Bumble and bumble Salon!

The process took about two hours total, including wait time. A bit long for a blowout, sure, but this was a more intricate one involving putting my hair in big pin curls. Also, it was free. So I just read Beautiful Ruins and enjoyed having my hair done.

The finished product

My hair was a tad bit big at first but settled quickly and I loved it. How much fun to get a Bumble & bumble quality blowout for free? I walked back to the subway feeling oh-so-glamorous.

Ok, and promptly messed it up with my cardio sweat session yesterday evening, but I was so excited to be running that I didn't mind! And it still looks pretty great this morning.

(Side Note - I'm obsessed with this sweater and normally I'm not a monogram person. Maybe it's the fact that it cost $10 from Old Navy's online sale??)

If you're interested in signing up, visit their website, bbumodelproject.com, to sign up for a Model Call to be assessed. You can also like Bb. U Model Project's Facebook page where they post updates on openings

Depending on what you are approved for, you can get an appointment that week or a couple of months away, and you have to be free on weekdays.

Have you ever been a hair model? Do you like getting blowouts?

Liebster Award - My Answers!

Captain's Log, day three of calf injury (Star Trek joke, anyone?). I'm feeling much less pain and tightness after two days of light movement to keep it limber, so I'm considering trying for some light cycling or elliptical today and some yoga. I'm going to reassess my training plan for the rest of the week after seeing how I feel.

Since I have no fun training updates, I thought I'd post my answers to the questions I sent to the bloggers I gave the Liebster Award two weeks ago.

I loved the responses of the other bloggers and I had a lot of fun picking out these questions, so I wanted to answer them as well because I can't let others have all the fun themselves.


1. Hugh Grant or Colin Firth?

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This is a debate I've had with Sourabh. After watching Bridget Jones's Diary, he thinks Hugh Grant is a more fun choice. I think he's crazy and that Colin Firth is clearly the proper choice here. Who wants gross, messy Hugh Grant?? Plus, um, Pride and Prejudice anyone?

2. What chore do you hate doing the most? 
This is a toss-up. I HATE mopping/sweeping/vacuuming; anything to do with floors. I used to try to pay my sister to vacuum the stairs (my chore) but she often wouldn't go for it because she said it was my chore and I had to learn good character or something. I'm still bitter.

When I'm visiting my parents I don't mind doing laundry because it's in our house, but in NYC, I have to go down to the basement level to do laundry and it's such a pain, so I put it off forever and end up with giant loads that are even more of a pain. And since Sourabh typically does the floors and I do laundry, I guess I'll say I hate laundry the most.

3. What’s the #1 most played song on your iPod? 
Oh my God, this is going to be embarrassing, isn't it. Checking ... well the #1 isn't that embarrassing,  but I should be honest that the next three are. (1) "Dog Days Are Over" by Florence And The Machine, (2) "Firework" by Katy Perry -- I seriously love that song way too much, and the part of the video where her boobs become fireworks? I die. (3) "F**k You" by Cee Lo Green -- unedited, just to be clear, (4) "Call Me Maybe" by Carly Rae Jepsen -- told you this was embarrassing, (5) "Chammak Challo" by Akon -- this is a song Akon did for a Bollywood movie and it's pretty awesome. As is the music video.

4. What is your least favorite way to travel?
THE BUS. I HATE THE BUS SO MUCH. IT IS ALWAYS HORRIBLE. I get motion sickness, people are always weird, and in undergrad I had to take the bus 3 hours to get to the airport so I had way too many long, queasy bus rides every year. The bus will never not be my answer to this question.

5. If you had to change your first name, what would you change it to and why?
I picked this one because I thought it was such a tough question, but kind of cool, too. I think I'd change my name to something a bit less generic. Not my parents' fault, but there are a lot of Jennifers in my generation (although I do like that it's derived from Guinevere). I think it'd have to be a classic name, just because I'm not a trendy person... so maybe something like Katherine or Jessica or Laura?

6. What would the theme song to your life be?
Probably Coldplay's "Viva La Vida." I love that song so much and never get sick of listening to it. But for the badass moments, it would definitely be this fantastic mix: Jay Z vs The Verve.

7. What is the best meal you’ve ever had?
I've had some pretty amazing meals in my life, so this one is crazy hard to choose. One of my favorites was an Ethiopian dinner Sourabh and I had at Kokob, a really well reviewed restaurant in Brussels, Belgium.

Brussels, right around the corner from Kokob

I'd never had Ethiopian food before and loved it. You eat family style, so there's a giant platter with tons of different curries and things on it. It was my favorite meal of our trip to Europe.

8. What is your favorite strength-training exercise, stretch, or yoga pose?
Can I say corpse pose?

Just kidding (kind of). I love crow pose. For years I couldn't do it, and basically just gave up immediately when it was called out in classes, but then after strength training for a while I got up the courage to try it again and, lo and behold, I could balance on my arms! I still get happy whenever I get up into crow pose in yoga classes.

9. What is the best gift you’ve ever given/received?
For Christmas two years ago, I put together a photo book for my mom of our family. I spent a lot of time picking out the pictures (with some help from my sister), coming up with captions, and getting it all together. Then I also put together a photo book for my dad of his best pictures from my parents' 40th anniversary trip to a town in Mexico.

10. What was the last book, movie, TV show, commercial (ain’t no shame!), or song that made you cry?

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I teared up multiple times at Beasts of the Southern Wild. It's a really beautiful, melancholy film and I highly recommend it. The father and daughter dynamic is heartbreaking but so well-done.

11. Who is your favorite fictional character?
 I have a lot of loved fictional characters: Ender from Ender's Game, Sara Crewe from A Little Princess, Anne from Anne of Green Gables, Katniss from The Hunger Games.

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But I think my favorite fictional character has to be Princess Leia from Star Wars. This is super weird, but growing up she was my role model; when I had to get my ears pierced or get a shot, my parents would say, "what would Princess Leia do?" since that made me want to be brave, like her. The character is so sarcastic and she ends up with the best hero ever, Han Solo. She saves him, he saves her... yup, got to be my favorite.

Join in! Answer any or all of these questions that you'd like to, I think it's so much fun to see people's answers.

From Highs to Lows: A Great Long Run and an Unexpected Speed Bump

I had a phenomenal long run on Friday afternoon. It wasn't a fun run, although parts were fun, and it wasn't a fast run, although parts were fast.

What was great about Friday's long run was the mental strength I gained throughout as I continually made choices to be my best, which added up to an incredible long run.

Central Park prettiness (not from Friday's run because the park is dead-of-winter barren, currently) 

Since it was forecast to rain on Saturday, I decided to join my friend Brittany for part of her long run on Friday afternoon. I'd run with her the previous week for 3 miles and had a lot of fun, and Friday was no different. We met around 96th Street and went up the west side of the loop, over the Harlem Hills, then down the east side.

Despite chatting, we still kept up a good pace and she was understanding when I had some stomach issues and needed to make two bathroom stops along the first loop. (Note to self, no more coffee on run days)

Brittany and I parted ways at my second bathroom stop since she was finishing her run by heading home down the Westside Highway. This was the first point where I felt I had to exercise "mental strength."

also not from Friday's run, but illustrating the location of said run. 

As I exited the bathroom, I realized that in the span of two minutes, my clothing was now freezing and wet from sweat, and my heart rate had gone down enough that I wasn't warm anymore. Yuck. I'd also forgotten my headphones so wouldn't have music for the next 5-6 miles.

I was only 10 streets from home and was so tempted to just head back to my warm apartment, but I reminded myself that I'd just have to run it later this weekend, so I headed up the hill and then made a right for a loop of the Great Lawn.

As I finished my short loop, I still wasn't sure what I was going to do. Head to Riverside Park for some flat miles? Reservoir for flat miles?

I headed up the east side, tackling Cat Hill at mile 9 but keeping a 9:42 pace for that mile (another mental strength win).

Then I thought to myself, what will make me a better, stronger runner? So I headed down the west side of the Central Park loop for more hills.

Finally, the one and only picture from Friday's run. 

As I passed the Reservoir and headed toward the 106 St. Transverse, I had the largest mental strength development yet: Do I turn left and run 10 miles or turn right and run 11? 

So many excuses ran through my head at that moment, but I decided to leave it up to the women in front of me. Are they turning right or left? Aaaand they turned right. So I was finishing 11 miles in Central Park with another round of Harlem Hills.

Getting up the last hill was pretty tough at this point, and there may have been some humming of Eminem's "Lose Yourself" as I ran up it. Yet when I reached the top I felt a sense of euphoria at how hard I'd pushed myself on this run. I sprinted down the hill and toward home, running .07 miles at 6:58, just for fun.

As it turned out when I got home and checked my paces-per-mile, I had pretty much negative splits, meaning the second half of my run was faster than my first. The perfect end to an awesome run. It left me feeling so strong.

A Speed Bump
I needed that mental strength coming into this week. After such a terrific training cycle, I guess I was due for a speed bump or two.

I don't deal with pain well. Not in terms of handling the actual pain -- I can deal with that fairly well. It's me freaking out about, "what is this pain? can I run my race? am I going to have another disaster like the Last Chance Half Marathon? what is going on?"

I had a bit of hamstring tenderness over the weekend so I skipped my planned 5 easy miles on Sunday to rest it. I was anticipating being fine to start the week, but Monday morning I woke up with intense pain in my right calf emanating from a big ol' knot. I had no idea what was happening and made an appointment with Finish Line Physical Therapy for that afternoon.

Thankfully, the Physical Therapist I'm going to there, Alison, was able to make the pain a lot more manageable through massage (also checking out the hamstring, which seems ok) and giving me some exercises. She also put some kinesiology tape on the knot that will hopefully help.

Check out that sexy KT tape. And my oh-so-shapely and unshaven calf. 

Even more importantly, she reassured my jitters, telling me that I was prepared right now for the half-marathon and pushing myself with pain would not make my goal time any more achievable. She even said that I could rest two weeks and be fine if necessary.

Ok, I'll stop freaking out. If I can't train, I'm going to take yesterday's and today's mandatory rest days (and who knows how many after...) as a chance for me to really focus on that clean eating I mentioned yesterday. And so far so good!

This is a speed bump, not a road block. 

Do you feel you get mentally stronger from your long runs? How do you handle setbacks in training?

Weekly Goals and Workout Recap: Yoga, New Friends, and Long Awards Shows

Happy Monday everyone!

My weekend was started by a fantastic long run on Friday, which I will be writing about tomorrow because seriously, this run was just great. Although I'm feeling some hamstring pain that has me concerned... will update on that when I'm more clear on what's happening!

Long run greatness segued into movie watching with my friend Sarah, which led into a lazy Saturday after my planned busy day fell through and I got to finish some errands.

Including taking selfies with Mason to send to Sourabh, who was in Oregon for a moot court tournament. Mason, however, has an anti-selfie policy and spoiled my plan.

I always like to have a day with barely anything planned and a day filled with friends on the weekends. Having both rest and social days makes me feel recharged for the coming week.

So I woke up early on Sunday to take Katherine's demo TRX class at Pedal NYC. The class was tough, but fun and a great start to the day. We caught up over coffee at Bouchon Bakery after before I met my friend Flora to walk Mason throughout Central Park.

Flora hanging with Mr Mason (who is literally hanging) 

Flora and I are friends from undergrad (freshman floor buddies for the win!), and she recently got into Columbia Law! Hence the sweatshirt, a gift from a friend. I am so excited for her to start there, although I wish our time had overlapped.

After our walk, I headed downtown to Strala Yoga, my favorite yoga studio in NYC. It had been forever since I'd been there and it was so nice to get back. Even better, I met up with Michelle in person for the first time!

post-class smiles
(photo credit: Michelle)

It was so good to meet and she was super sweet, so I can't wait to get together again. She also ran a super speedy 10K trial run on Saturday through the Central Park loop, so I couldn't believe how well she rocked class! Also she is another tall girl -- can't lie, I love not being the tallest one occasionally.

our Oscar spread: crusty bread, assorted cheeses, olives, gigande beans, grapes, prosecco and macarons from Bouchon 

I finished the weekend by having Sarah over again to watch the Oscars. Seth MacFarlane was actually pretty funny, I thought, despite my initial misgivings. Sadly, I was off on my Best Director and Best Actress picks (my runner up picks won, though, so yay?). I do adore Jennifer Lawrence, so I was happy to see her win!

Sourabh got home in time for the awards and got 19/24 correct to win the night. My first year not winning. BOO. I'll get him next year.

So, on to this past week's workouts and the coming week's goals.

Weekly Workout Recap
Due to the tugging feeling I felt in my hamstring, I skipped the 5 miles I had on the schedule for Sunday, but I completed all my other planned workouts. I've had such a good training cycle so far, I don't want to risk all my hard work by pushing it. Otherwise, I had a great week.

Monday: Fly 45 spin class.

Tuesday: Easy 3 mile on TM run at 0.5% incline and 9:39 pace. Ran this while chatting with Abby who was on the elliptical since she's been dealing with some shin pain. Finished with short core work, foam rolling, and yoga.

Wednesday: Refine Method class.

Thursday: 9x400 speed work on TM at 0.5% incline with .75m w/u at 10:00 then repeats at 8:00 (with 2 at 7:45 and 1 at 7:30) and .25m recoveries in between at 10:00. Also spent this speed work chatting with Abby while she elliptical-ed away.

Friday: 11.07 mile Long Run at 9:42 pace through Central Park. Like I said, fantastic run that gave me a lot of mental strength for the rest of the cycle. Splits: (1) 9:38, (2) 10:04, (3) 9:45, (4) 10:01, (5) 9:56, (6) 9:35, (7) 9:23, (8) 9:27, (9) 9:42, (10) 9:35, (11) 9:51, (.07) 6:58.

Saturday: Short core circuit, repeated twice. Isolated bicycles (20 ea side), glute kick-backs (20 ea side), side plank-ups (20 ea side), glute lifts with leg up (20 ea side), medicine ball-to-legs sit-ups (20 ea side), push-ups (20 ea side), "super man" (30 sec). Finished with plank for time and stretching.

Sunday: (1) TRX Class at Pedal NYC. (2) RELAX Yoga Class at Strala Yoga.

Total Mileage = 19 miles


This Week's Goals
Biggest goal is obviously to be safe about my hamstring, but I also want to keep my mileage up since it was a bit low last week.

I also want to work on eating as clean as possible for the next three weeks before the NYC Half. I eat pretty healthy, but I want to be at peak performance for the half, and that means cleaning up my diet as much as possible. So no more cheese nights!

My goal workouts are:
• 1 long run (12 miles)
• 1 speed work session (10x400 or tempo run, possibly both?)
• 2 short runs (1 3-miler and 1 5-miler)
• 1 race pace run (5 miles)
• 2 strength workouts
• foam rolling and yoga-ing consistently

Did you watch the Oscars? What are your workout goals for this week?

It's Oscar Weekend!!!

This post has nothing to do with fitness or healthy living or anything like that. You may want to click away if that's all you want to hear about. Instead, today's post is about one of my favorite events of the year...

The Oscars. 

I LOVE THEM. Even when they're boring and everyone complains about them, I still have more fun watching them than 80% of TV during the year. And it's finally here! Sunday is Oscar Night!

I'm invited??? Oh, to watch on TV...
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I really love movies, but I also really love movie industry gossip. I don't mean who's dating who (although I won't deny I read that, too). I mean, who's using what angle to get Academy members to vote for them, what is Harvey Weinstein doing to get his actors or films a little naked gold man statue, and is there really an Oscar curse on the Best Actress award? (Nope, it's just that apparently women who win Best Actress are more likely to have sleazy spouses; look at the list and tell me I'm not right on this)

I mean, I love you, Sandy, but clearly your husband was a tool before you won the Oscar.
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Anyway, Sunday night I will be watching the red carpets and commenting on everyone's dress (and ranting about my dislike of Giuliana Rancic as an interviewer, whose name I'm not sure I spelled correctly but I'm not checking so HAH), checking off my Oscar ballot, and probably drinking champagne.

Because it's not Oscar night if you're not being fancy and classy, right?

This year's awards gossip was extra fun to keep track of because there isn't a clear leader going in to the Academy Awards. Every awards show led to something different (except for Daniel Day Lewis winning, that happened a lot).

Now, after Emmanuelle Riva winning Best Actress at the BAFTAs, it looks like the Best Actress race is wide open. And can Ben Affleck be only the second director in history whose film wins Best Picture without even a Best Director nomination? 

OMG I love this stuff so much.

Sourabh and I have used an elaborate scoring system in the past for the Oscars: 5 points if your first choice wins and 2 if your runner-up choice wins. I would totally do a 1-5 ranking system, but that might be over the top.

Oscar ballots! Not quite as important as voting ballots, but a close second.
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This year, Sourabh won't be around for the Oscars since he's competing in a moot court tournament, so Sarah, who shares my love of this Major Event, is joining me for champagne and yelling at the TV.

It should be awesome.

I've shared my predictions and runner-up choices for the Big Four awards here, along with my reasoning. Please share your picks, laugh at me for caring about this silly show, argue with me for liking Zero Dark Thirty more than Argo, and come back on Monday when I talk about my workouts and potentially rant/rave about who won what.

Best Picture

Argo
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It's won most of the "best picture"-type awards going into the Oscars. People think Ben Affleck was cruelly denied a nomination as Best Director (um, he inflicted Gigli on us, I think we're just even now). However, only one other film in history has won Best Picture when the director wasn't nominated for Best Director -- that would be Driving Miss Daisy. Can Argo be the second? I'm not 100% sure.

Also, I don't actually want Argo to win. I thought it was good, but I thought Zero Dark Thirty was a better film (Lincoln is only a great film because of Daniel Day Lewis's performance, in my opinion, and suffers from a lot of Steven Spielberg being... Spielberg). And I'm really rooting for my runner-up choice...

Runner Up - Silver Linings Playbook 
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Harvey Weinstein is behind this movie and he's crazy good at campaigning. Um, he got a French silent film to win Best Picture last year, remember The Artist? No? Because it wasn't that good and his campaigning still got it Best Picture. Plus, voters love a good mental illness with redemption story.

I still think Argo will likely win, but it's a toss-up between Lincoln and this as runner-up. Honestly, I wouldn't be surprised to see Argo, Lincoln, or Silver Linings up on the podium at the end of the night.

Best Director

Steven Spielberg 
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Since Ben Affleck isn't nominated, I think this comes down to Spielberg and Ang Lee. And I think Spielberg is more likely to win, because he has that whole "I'm Steven freaking Spielberg" thing going for him and Lincoln is the kind of serious, weighty film that's also easy to follow, so the older voting members of the Academy (there are a lot) will probably be big fans.

Runner Up - Ang Lee
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I wish I had a stronger intuition between these two. While Spielberg did a great job recreating the Civil War times, Lee arguably had a harder job in adapting Life of Pi, a book that I didn't think could be made into a movie. I think it all depends how many voters read the book and thought the film was a good cinematic translation. If it's a lot, then Lee will be Best Director.

Best Actor

Daniel Day-Lewis
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This is the closest to a slam dunk as we have this year, but if he won, he'd be a record three-time Best Actor winner, so I'm not sure we can even call this one a 100% sure thing. Still, he was phenomenal in Lincoln and the only reason that film is as good as it is. If you told me that DDL was actually Lincoln reincarnated, I'd just nod and say, "yep, makes sense."

Runner Up - Hugh Jackman
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If it's not DDL, it'll be Hugh. He's beloved for being so nice, he's campaigned a lot, he physically challenged himself for this role (losing a ton of weight then gaining weight), and it's probably his only shot at an Oscar ever.

And seriously, he's so nice. My cousin works in post-production and early in her career worked on X-Men 2. She said she'd never met such a nice actor. So I'd love for him to win, just for being a nice guy.

Best Actress

Emmanuelle Riva
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This is my controversial pick! Sound crazy? Maybe, but the Academy loves to award older actors a kind of "lifetime achievement" Oscar (see: Christopher Plummer in Beginners) and JLaw is young. Like, younger than me (I'm sobbing right now at how talented she is and how much she's done already).

Runner Up - Jennifer Lawrence
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Because she's amazing and I love her. Like, what is she even doing in this interview? I don't know. I just want to see her win Best Actress and walk up on stage and make ridiculous faces for future .gifs like this. Because there are entire tumblrs dedicated to her faces. 

Did you see any of the nominated movies? Who do you want to win Best Picture / Actor / Actress / Director? Honestly, does anyone really care about Director? I don't think so...

Current Obsessions: Picky Bars, Spaghetti Squash, and Evolution Juices

Thank you all so much for your support and encouragement about my Chicago Marathon announcement yesterday! Five people have already donated. You guys are amazing!! Getting emails throughout the day notifying me of donations kept a permanent smile on my face. Thank you! (And if you haven't donated but would like to, here's my fundraising page).

"Nope, not waking up and going outside in sub-freezing temperatures. Why do you think that's a good idea?"

After a Refine Method class yesterday morning followed by pro bono work for an hour, I helped fill orders over at Erica Sara Designs International HQ. She was a bit swamped after a feature in US Weekly showcasing her custom name rings. I spent the afternoon packaging up beautiful custom name rings and race bling. Gotta say, it's pretty awesome to be surrounded by all that love being sent to people, and I really enjoyed seeing how the jewelry is made.

Erica polishing a name for a ring - how cool is that?

Apparently all this made me very tired because I got home, ate dinner, and completely passed out on the couch with Mason for two hours. Sourabh came home from school to a conked out girlfriend (and possibly an empty hard cider bottle -- it was definitely Mason drinking that, not me). I somehow woke up enough to do some legal research for the charter school I volunteer with before finally passing out for good in bed.


But no blogging happened last night. Hence the late start this morning. Whoops.

Anyway, today I wanted to share three things I'm completely obsessed with lately. Yes, they're all food. Don't laugh.

Picky Bars

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I ordered these two weeks ago because I'm trying to work on my run fueling and get that strategy down before the NYC Half. I'd heard amazing things about Picky Bars from Ashley and Liz (and generally the whole Twitterverse), but I didn't want to spend $20 on a package of them.

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 Well I finally bit the bullet and ordered a pack of Smooth Caffeinators, described as "hazelnut mocha goodness." That basically sums it up. These things are good.

Their tagline is "it's freaking science, dude," and they're formulated to have a 4:1 carbohydrate to protein ratio, ideal for recovery. They're vegan, locally sourced when possible, and have minimal soy content. Oh, and they taste delicious. I've been using them when I'm running a few hours after a meal, or cut in half as pre- and post-fueling for a shorter (<5 miles) run.

Aaaand I'm ordering a multi-pack now to try more flavors. I'll let you know how I like them!

Spaghetti Squash

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I love eating pasta with a good spicy, vegetable-filled marinara sauce. But if I'm not fueling for an ultra marathon (hint: I am never fueling for an ultra marathon), I don't need to eat all that pasta.

Enter the best vegetable ever: spaghetti squash. I only started making it a few weeks ago after reading Michelle's crazy easy guide to making it, but it changed my life. Sure, it's not identical to pasta,  but it mimics the texture and basic taste really well and allows me to eat a giant plate of "pasta" without needing to break out the sweatpants.

(Who am I kidding, the minute I get in the door the sweatpants go on.)

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And in case I haven't raved enough about Michelle's blog, Lace and Race, you seriously need to follow it for the great run-fuel veghead recipes. Vegetarian shepherd's pie? Come live with me and cook for me, please, Michelle!!

Evolution Juices

This isn't a new obsession considering I would always head to a Starbucks to find a green juice immediately after landing in Seattle. But they've just come to NYC! Here's the thing with Evolution Fresh juices, though: most of them are your typical juice calorie bomb. But the Sweet Greens is a fabulous green juice with only 80 calories and it's made from celery, apple, cucumber, spinach, parsley, romaine lettuce, lemon, lime, wheat grass, clover sprouts.

"But Jen," you cry, "I thought you didn't care about calories!" No, I don't count calories. I do care if something I'm drinking has 30 grams of sugar and 300 calories and it's not a protein shake that's a replacement meal.

The fact that I can run into any Starbucks and grab a green juice now is extremely awesome. Obsessed.

Have you tried Picky Bars or Starbucks's new juices? Ever made spaghetti squash? What are you currently obsessed with?

I'm Running the Chicago Marathon!

It's official! Yesterday, after a frustrating three hours of technical errors, I registered for the Chicago Marathon. On October 13, I'll be lining up to run my first 26.2 mile race through the Windy City.

(Actually, due to the technical errors, I'm registered three times, so I'm waiting on a refund for two of those. Don't really want to run 78.6 miles,)

This will be my first marathon and I'm extremely excited and extremely nervous. But as soon as I finished my first half-marathon, I knew I wanted to run a full marathon someday. And I realized that there would be no better time to train than when I'm studying for the Bar exam. Training will keep me from going crazy as I try to memorize New York tort law.

There will be lots of future posts on training, my plan, etc., but for now, I wanted to write about why I've chosen Chicago. I've been planning on running Chicago for a while. When I've mentioned that I was planning on making it my first marathon, several people have asked why, since I'm from Washington State originally and live in New York City now.

So... why Chicago?

1. It's flat
This is the least concern, but it was still something I thought about since I don't particularly love hills (translation: I hate them). For my first marathon, I figured it would be nice to concentrate on the distance without worrying about climbing up huge bridges or mountains or whatever.

2. I love Chicago
Chicago is one of my favorite cities in the world. If it weren't so freaking cold in the winter and hot and humid in the summer, I'd totally live there.

The architecture is gorgeous, the food is amazing, the city itself is so much fun to walk around, and the lakefront is an incredible beach right at the front door of the city. I've visited several times and every time I leave wishing I had more time there.

3. I have family in Chicago
My uncle lives in Chicago so I'll be able to stay with his family. Even better, my parents can fly out from Washington and stay with them.

my gorgeous cousin and her husband won't be there, but my aunt, uncle, and younger cousins will be! 

I really loved the idea of my parents being there to see me run my first marathon, but I didn't want to cost them a fortune. Plane tickets to Chicago are relatively inexpensive from Seattle, and without the cost of a hotel, it should be manageable for them. It will be wonderful to have Sourabh, my family, and Chicago friends there to cheer for me.

4. Chicago will have meaning for me
This is the biggest reason I'm running Chicago. And prepare yourself, because it's about to get serious.

My best friend from undergrad, Katie, is a born and raised Chicagoan who's currently in her first year of medical school at University of Chicago.

Before we met in college, she spent a year of high school being treated for cancer because she had Wilm's tumor. When we became friends, I knew she'd survived cancer, but it seemed like some horrible thing that had happened in her past, and now she was healthy and spent her time kicking pre-med's ass, writing stellar English papers, and volunteering for worthy causes.

After graduation, I was off to law school and she was taking a year off before heading to medical school. We had big plans for her first trip to NYC.

 

Then, in January of 2011, during a routine check up, it was discovered that Katie's cancer had come back in the space where one of her kidneys had been. I wish I could describe how great Katie is so you'd understand just how angry I was that someone as amazing as her had to face this horrible process again.

It took months of treatment and several scary initial failures with more conventional treatments before the aggressive treatments seemed to work, in late fall.

Through all of this, I felt helpless to provide more than emotional support via lots of emails and epic Gchat conversations. Mainly I tried to make her laugh as much as possible or send candy (thank you, Amazon Prime, for allowing me to get her candy corn off-season in 2 days). I was able to visit over July 4 weekend that summer, before we knew if her treatments were going to work. I remember flying home and being so scared at the thought that I might lose her.

Thankfully, by Christmas 2011, Katie was clear of cancer. I've never been so relieved... and thankful. I am so thankful that the most incredible person I've ever met is still here. I am thankful that despite everything she'd been through, Katie was set on continuing on to medical school, where she is today. And I am incredibly thankful to the institution and the people who made that possible: Lurie Children's Hospital of Chicago.

(source)

That's why I'm running the Chicago Marathon to raise money for the Lurie Children's Hospital of Chicago. Lurie treated Katie both times she was sick. Throughout her treatment, I heard about the wonderful care and support they provided her.

This place is truly incredible and I cannot think of a better motivation to get through each long, hot summer run than to think of the children who are dealing with so much more than some humidity; the kids who don't have a choice in the pain they face.

My initial goal is to raise $750 for the hospital, but I'm hoping to raise much more. I am so excited to start this endeavor. I hope you'll join me by contributing to the Lurie Children's Hospital. If you're able to donate, here is a link to my fundraising page. Any contribution at all helps support this incredible institution.  

Thank you!!

I can't wait to share my journey to 26.2 with you all!!

Lighten Up (Your Teeth)

A few days ago, I received an email with some information on teeth stains from a PR firm, T.J. Sacks & Associates, on behalf of Manhattan Dental Arts. As someone who drinks too much tea and coffee, it was something I was actually excited to learn about! 

I figured I'd share the information since it's good to know which foods can stain your teeth (the "dirty dozen"). And, besides the obvious tooth brushing and flossing, there are foods that can actually help lighten your teeth!

Obviously, several of the staining foods are healthy foods that are great to include in your diet. But knowing their staining potential is still important. For example, maybe you try to rinse your mouth out or brush your teeth after eating berries or beets.

So, here are some of the best and worst foods for teeth stains!

1. Black Coffee and Black Tea - The darker the beverage, the more staining that can occur. Try adding a little extra milk to lighten the color and reduce the staining effect.
2. Wine - Both red and white wines, if drunk in excess, will stain your teeth. Although red stains, white wine’s acidic composition actually etches tiny grooves in your teeth making them more porous and more easily stained.
3. Colas and Sports Drinks - Because they are so highly acidic, they help promote staining by other foods.
4. Berries - Blueberries, raspberries, cranberries, cherries and other berries, although excellent for your overall health, can stain your teeth. So, if you’re crazy for berries, be sure to rinse out your mouth thoroughly with water after eating.
5. Beets - Now here’s a vegetable that could put a powerful stain in your t-shirt, so, like all foods that stain, moderation is called for with this one.
6. Sauces - Soy sauce and tomato sauce, as well as other deeply colored sauces, are believed to have significant staining potential. 
7. Juice - Grape, pomegranate and cranberry are highly pigmented and can cause staining.  So, if you must imbibe, try rinsing your mouth out with water or drinking juices through a straw, thereby bypassing the fronts of your teeth
8. Pickles and ketchup - These acidic foods are good at opening up the pores of your tooth enamel, allowing for easy staining.
9. Balsamic Vinegar - While great on a salad, balsamic vinegar causes havoc to your teeth.  If you must, try it on lettuce, which has a natural ability to provide a protective film over your teeth.
10. Candy - Sweets contain teeth-staining coloring agents. If your tongue turns a funny color, there’s a good chance that your teeth will too.
11. Curry - Although great in Indian food, this yellow-staining spice mix can be harsh on teeth. So make sure to rinse thoroughly after eating.
12. Popsicles - Did you ever look at your tongue after you’ve finished your fruity, sugary pop? Not only does it color your tongue, but also your teeth.  Plus, it has added double whammy negative effect produced by all of that sugar. So, limit your intake and rinse with water after finishing.

1. Apples and Pears - Increase salivary production, which flushes away stains over time.
2. Pineapple - Acts as a natural stain remover.
3. Carrots - Contain vitamin A which is needed for healthy tooth enamel.
4. Cauliflower and cucumbers - Also help to increase salivary production the natural way to flush away stains.
5. Green vegetables - Things like broccoli, lettuce and spinach contain iron, which helps form an acid-resistant film or barrier that can protect the enamel on your teeth.
6. Shiitake Mushrooms - Help inhibit bacteria from growing in your mouth.
7. Onions - Help reduce bacteria that cause tooth decay.
8. Cheese - Rich in protein, calcium and phosphorus, all of which can help safeguard the acids in your mouth.
9. Salmon - Provides calcium and vitamin D, nutrients needed for healthy bones and teeth.
10. Poppy and Sesame Seeds - Help scrub away plaque.
11. Ginger - Acts as an anti-inflammatory to support healthy mouth tissue.
12. Basil - A natural antibiotic that reduces bacteria in the mouth.

Do you eat many of the staining foods? I eat most of them, besides sodas, candy, and popsicles, so I guess I need to be more vigilant with my post-meal tooth brushing (instead of just morning and night) and eat more of the foods that will help lighten my teeth.


P.S. I should have some exciting news tomorrow on the blog!!