Foodie Pen Pals - April Reveal!

Hi all! First off, thanks so much for your kind, supportive words yesterday. I will certainly be writing a real race recap of the Nike Women's Half DC.

But first, I wanted to share the fabulous Foodie Pen Pal box I received on the proper day!

I will also be sharing what I sent my foodie pen pal, Lori, with some words from her later this week.So without further ado ... it's Foodie Pen Pal Reveal Day!

I received my box from Abbey and it was awesome. I loved that she made it very representative of her state, Wisconsin. Check it out!

Maple popcorn! There was a lot of maple in this box. I'm a huge fan of all things maple syrup, so I wasn't complaining! This maple popcorn was gone in two days. SO good!! There were also these really tasty vegan cookies that she included. Again, gone very quickly!

The left is maple fudge -- super rich and delicious! We had to take it slowly because it was so sugary, but it was amazing. I ate a square of the dark chocolate after dinner every night and loved it. I hadn't had such great crystallized ginger in dark chocolate before, but I need to find this now.

And finally, she included cow-shaped sprinkles (see? so Wisconsin!), chunks of energy (full of cacao, goji, and nuts -- super tasty!), and a cranberry bread mix that I'm saving for the next time I have people over for brunch.

Thanks for the tasty treats, Abbey!!


Did you participate in Foodie Pen Pals? What's your favorite treat to share with people?

I'm Done with Race Training (for a while)

I am writing this from the comfort of sweats in my apartment. This morning seems like it was a week ago now. Except, if I get up to refill my water bottle, I know my calves and hamstrings will remind me that yes, in fact, I ran my fourth half-marathon this morning.

I will be posting a full recap of the inaugural Nike Women's Half Marathon DC, but I'm exhausted and want to do a "feelings" post, for lack of a better word. I will share more about the overall experience, I promise! It was a great time.

I raced hard and faced some of the same issues I've had over the past few months: tight calves and some right hamstring and kneecap pain. But more than that, I felt exhausted. My heart wasn't in it. So often I thought to myself, "I wish I could just stop. I wish I weren't doing this."

I kept trying to reframe and push myself, but somehow my legs wouldn't move faster. I would will them to turn over more quickly, and think they had, yet the numbers on my Garmin wouldn't budge. At one point, I actually thought, "I wish the pain in my knee would get worse so I could have a reason to go to the medic's tent and stop." Why was my brain going there??

I finished with 2:01:51. Instead of being heartbroken at missing sub-2, I just felt relieved to be done.

On our ride back from DC, Julianne said she thought you needed three things to successfully run a race: body, mind, and heart. And without all three, you couldn't meet your full potential. As much as my body seemed to give me problems today, I can't honestly say my mind and heart were fighting.

I don't want to be on a long distance race course for a while.

I'm not sure why, but I think I'm mentally and physically "over" training. I started training in August 2012 for Grete's Great Gallop, my first half-marathon. I signed up for the Last Chance December 31 Half-Marathon soon after, so I had a week or two off before I dived into training again.

I hurt myself in that race, so I took a couple weeks off, but was eager to rededicate myself for the NYC Half in mid-March. Where I missed my sub-2 goal by 1 second, coming in at 2:00:00.

I'd had various leg pains prior to the NYC Half and they continued after, on top of me feeling various kinds of sick. I ran the Cherry Blossom 10 Miler as a long run because I'd been sick, and it felt like a slog the whole way.

After training almost non-stop since last August, I think my body is sending me a signal. Well, I think my body has been sending me a signal since before the NYC Half, but my mind has officially caught up.

Today told me loud and clear that, for now, my body, my heart and my mind want a break from training. I am still eager to run the Chicago Marathon, for which I'll start training in June. For the next month, though, there will be no training. There will be workouts and runs and yoga, but no specific training plans.

Phew, that feels really good to write.

But hey, at least I got a Tiffany's necklace from a guy in a tux and red sunglasses, right?

So... have you ever burnt yourself out on training?

To Race or Not To Race

Tomorrow I'm heading to DC again, driving down with Lynette and Julianne and meeting up with a whole bunch of other fabulous girls, to run the Nike Women's Half Marathon DC. This race should be awesome -- it ends with a Tiffany's necklace instead of a medal!


Last time I was in DC, the issue of whether or not to race was clear. I was coming off sickness, my legs had been all wonky, and I generally knew that racing 10 miles was a terrible idea.

How I was feeling that day

This time? Totally unclear whether or not to run. I've had some amazing runs in the past two weeks. I think I can gun for that sub-2:00 that I want so bad. But before that, I had a few weeks of aches and pains. I was sick and exhausted for most of March and the beginning of April.

So am I ready to race this Sunday? Or should I wait until the NJ Long Branch Half the following Sunday?

What I've decided to do is something totally unlike me -- I'm not planning this out.

I'll be seeing the Capitol at dawn again - win? I think?

I'm going to prep for race day like normal and then, in mile 1, I'm going to see how I feel. If my legs are feeling fresh and happy and desperate for some speed, then away I'll go. If they feel heavy, then I'll just long run it and conserve energy for NJ. Hopefully I'm here Monday morning with a glorious, kick-ass recap. But I might just be telling you about a fun training run I had.

Until approximately 7:15 AM on Sunday morning, I won't know if I'm racing or not. And for once, that uncertainty is totally okay with me. If you'd like to track me (and guess what decision I made), you can do so at http://werundclive.com/, but it's not a normal tracking system so you have to be up at 7 AM on Sunday. I won't be mad if you're not, promise.

So... here goes nothing! Wish me luck :)


Have you ever gone into a race unsure of if you'd be racing it or not?

Class Review: Body Ride with Jason at Revolve

Last week I reviewed Dyan's Rip Ride at Revolve, the newest boutique spin studio in NYC. I enjoyed the class overall, although there were a couple of things that I didn't love (no resistance numbers and a techno-heavy playlist). 

This past Saturday, I headed downtown with Abby to try out a different class at Revolve. We were both really looking forward to checking out Jason's class, which we'd heard great things about. 

Jason Tran
(source)

Turns out the great things were all true! Jason's Body Ride class was a lot of fun and I'm hoping to take his class again. He had great energy, got off the bike to engage with the class a lot, and had the kind of playlist I love -- lots of pop and bouncy beats that I can really get into. Obviously that's personal preference, but for me, Jason's playlist was perfect. 

I also loved how he treated the class almost as if he were conducting it. He'd raise his arms as we went into a heavier resistance interval or started sprinting. I felt really engaged the whole time, which is no small feat in a large class!

The hallway where you wait for class - the locker room is down the stairs.
It can definitely get crowded, which is a minus, but I'm ok with that knowing NYC real estate is pricey.

Now, what exactly is the Body Ride? From Revolve's website:

Cardio...Strength...Flexibility...Everything you need in one complete class. This all-encompassing workout allows you to maximize the time you have to work-out in one place. Start out strong. The ride is cardio-intense and gets the heart rate up and keeps it there. Stay moving while you strengthen and tone the upper body on the bike. Polish it all off with a cool down stretch both on and off the bike. You get it all. You get the complete body!

Basically, the 45-minute class entails roughly 35 minutes of spin, 7-8 minutes of upper body weights, and 2-3 minutes of stretching. That means you really need to push it in the spin portion since it's 35 minutes instead of 45 minutes of cycling (if you go to Flywheel, they do a similar 1-2 song break in the middle or at the end consisting of weights work as well). 

I was still dripping sweat, though, so I felt like I got a good workout.

The classroom, being cleaned up post-sweaty ride

Again, there's still the no-number-for-resistance problem. When I'm told to turn the resistance up or down "a touch," I just have a hard time knowing what that means. A quarter of a turn? A half a turn? But, since I use spin to supplement my running workouts, that's fine with me. It prevents me from being competitive and gunning for a resistance level that I shouldn't try to hit when I have a long run the next day.

LOVE that Revolve encourages sustainability by having a nice water bottle fill station right outside the classroom!

I've now been to Revolve twice and definitely recommend the studio. It's great to have another option besides Soul Cycle and Flywheel! I feel like it's sort of a combination of the two. And for runners, it's definitely a great running supplement!


The Facts
Length - 45 minutes
Cost - $28 (an extra $2 for shoes - currently they have a $99 unlimited intro month special!)
Location - Union Square (52 E 13th St between Broadway and University Place). They also have a location in Washington, DC.
Skill Level - Anyone! The staff is great at helping you set up a bike.

I Can't Clean, Birch Box, and my Favorite Water Bottle

First off, yesterday I forgot to mention a key detail about Mason eating a pack of gum (AKA the kitties' first assassination attempt of 2013). 

He got into the gum while I was doing a deep cleaning of the kitchen for the first time in ages. I always do the pots and pans and rinse out the sink, but I hadn't scrubbed the oven or cabinet doors in months. I was so intent on scrubbing, I didn't see the cats putting their nefarious plot into action and knocking my gum on the floor for Mason to eat. 

"Mom, please don't clean. For me."

Basically, I now believe that I should never clean again, or I risk putting my dog in danger. It's a pretty clear correlation, right? Right.

Birch Box

Now, on to my Birch Box review. I signed up for Birch Box because it sounded like a fun thing to receive once a month and it was only $10. For $10, I'm okay if I only love a few of the products. It's just fun to get a bunch of little samples in the mail, but a lot of the other subscription boxes are a bit too expensive for me, since I don't know if I'll love the things inside them.

Since I wasn't sure what I'd think, I was pleasantly surprised with what I got! My favorites were the Malin + Goetz peppermint shampoo (love peppermint and Malin + Goetz products are fabulous) and the Mighty Leaf tea, a favorite of mine but too expensive for me to drink on the regular.

I am also liking the eye cream for mornings, but I'm sticking with my heavier eye cream for nights. Haven't used the shaving cream or nail polish yet, but they seem fine. The nail polish changes color in the sun! I'll take pictures and share if that works well.

My Favorite Water Bottle
While we're on the topic of products, I realized I've never shared my favorite water bottle in the world! I own three of these -- one for the bedside table, one for gym and general drinking, and one for the office or school -- and have used them for almost four years.

Copco tumblers are fantastic and they are all under $10 each. They're not totally leak-proof, but if you knock it over and have the top screwed on, it's not going to go spilling everywhere. And I drink so much more water when I have these hanging around! I replace them once a year for hygiene reasons.


Do you subscribe to Birch Box? What's your favorite kind of water bottle?

FYI: Sugar-Free Gum with Xylitol is Poisonous for Dogs

Sourabh and I spent the hours from 10:45 PM to 1:00 AM at the emergency 24-hour pet hospital last night. Mason ate almost an entire pack of Orbit sugar-free gum, so we first called up our vet then took him to the hospital to be checked out after we couldn't get him to throw up. Thankfully he's fine now and sleeping like a baby in bed.

Classic Mason - cause trouble then curl up and be cute.

I wanted to write about the incident, though, because the only reason I knew xylitol -- an ingredient in most sugar-free gums -- was poisonous to dogs was because of a post Ashley wrote a few months ago.

Why is xylitol poisonous?

Ingestion of xylitol primarily affects insulin release throughout the body. Insulin causes an increase of glucose (blood sugar) uptake into the liver, muscle, and fat cells resulting in decreasing blood glucose levels.

Xylitol strongly promotes the release of insulin from the pancreas into circulation leading to a rapid decrease of blood glucose levels. Hypoglycemia (low blood sugar) can occur within 30 to 60 minutes of xylitol ingestion with levels as low as 0.1g xylitol /kg body weight. (source)

"But it tastes good and makes my mouth smell minty fresh!"

I'm also posting because I want to catalogue this potential cat assassination attempt. Knowing that my cats get into my gum and that it was hazardous to Mason, who will eat anything that falls on the floor, I put the gum in a small basket on a side table.

Clearly responsible for the assassination attempt.

This did not stop the cats from scooping it out, dropping it on the floor, and apparently attempting to assassinate Mason. Yes, we're going to have to watch this brewing Cold War more closely.

Anyway, we realized Mason had gotten into the container and talked to our vet. He recommended we try to make Mason throw up with 1-2 tablespoons of hydrogen peroxide, which we had a hard time getting into him even when we mixed it with his favorite food, peanut butter (for future reference, a friend recommended melted ice cream).

"But I'm so cute? Why would you want to do that, kitties?"

Since we couldn't get him to throw up, we decided to take him to a 24/7 emergency hospital (Blue Pearl in Midtown, which was great). They had us call Animal Poison Control at (888) 426-4435. If the owner calls, it's a $65 consultation fee for the entire process, including all follow-up calls, but if the vet calls them it's $150, which is why they had us initiate the call.

The hotline took down the details, talked to their onsite vet, then told us that Orbit was the least poisonous for dogs of the sugar-free gums and that Mason should be ok if he threw up, but gave us a case number so the vet could call them and get more details.

After another hour or so, during which Mason finally threw up and his blood glucose and sugar levels looked ok, he was given some fluids and released to come home.

Moral of the story: KEEP SUGAR-FREE GUM AWAY FROM DOGS (and potentially murderous cats)

Workout Recap and Weekly Goals: Feeling Lucky

I had a gorgeous long run on Sunday. It was beautiful, I ran part of it with a friend, and the run encouraged me again with regards to the NJ Half. 

But most of all it reminded me of how lucky I feel that none of those I knew at the marathon were harmed. My friend I was running with had a classmate who had been injured while spectating at the Boston Marathon.

So that's how I exit this week. Feeling incredibly lucky and rejuvenated and strong, but also very reflective every time I run.


Workout Recap

Monday: Tempo run (8 miles). Amazing run. (1 w/u) 9:28, (2) 8:49, (3) 9:03, (4) 9:02, (5) 8:56, (6) 8:57, (7) 8:39, (8) 8:37

Tuesday: Run for Boston (3 miles). Ran in a race shirt with friends in honor of those harmed in the attacks on Boston.

Wednesday: Short progression run & Uplift strength class (45 min). Ran with a speedy friend and was shocked by how easy the pace felt -- I was able to chat while we ran! (1) 9:05, (2) 8:33, (3) 8:36

In the strength workout, I used heavy weights (for me) but took it a bit easier on the cardio intervals since I'd just come from a speed session.

Thursday: Rest.

Friday: Strength session with trainer (1 hour). Focus on core, inner thighs, glutes, and hamstrings. Definitely distracted throughout as we discussed the insanity of this past week.

Saturday: Dirty Dozen & Body Ride at Revolve (45 min). Great playlist. I liked this class better than the Rip Ride I took last Sunday, in part I think because the playlist was more my style. Also, Jason was fabulous, which helped a lot.

Sunday: Long run (12 miles). Beautiful but chilly spring day. Ran north from 96th st to the George Washington Bridge and back down, then south to 72nd St and back up again. Met a friend at 102nd St and she joined me for 7 miles. So good to have company!!

Pretty severe headwind going north which is reflected in our splits (starred miles are those going into wind -- the difference is pronounced!). Tried to finish with some tempo-ish miles but the wind for the last 1.5 miles interfered with that.

(1) 8:43 - think Garmin was slightly off on this one, (2) 9:18*, (3) 9:34*, (4) 9:30*, (5) 9:31*, (6) 9:24*, (7) 9:19, (8) 9:16, (9) 9:07, (10) 8:48, (11) 9:07*, (12) 8:56

Happy overall, however. No aches and/or pains and I felt like I had something left in the tank when I finished!

Total Mileage = 26 miles

Goals for this Week

I was really happy with how this week's workouts went. Although I didn't do yoga, I still did my physical therapy exercises and made a concerted effort to stretch and foam roll before and after runs. 

Here are my goals for this week:

• 1 long run (DC Half Marathon)

• 1 shakeout run

• 1 speed work session and/or tempo run

• 2 yoga classes

• 1 spin class

How was your weekend? What are your workout goals for this week?

Lean(ing) In: Workout & Wine Book Club at Uplift Studios

Wednesday night, I had the privilege of discussing Lean In with a group of amazing women at Uplift Studios (after a fantastic workout). I say privilege, despite paying for the workout and subsequent wine & food chat, because it was incredible to listen to women at all different stages of their careers discuss their triumphs and setbacks in the workplace and balancing work and their personal lives.

(credit: Ashley)

It was also great to see some familiar faces. Hi Theodora, Jackie, and Ashley!

If you haven't read it, Lean In is a book by the COO of Facebook, Sheryl Sandberg, that discusses women in the workplace. I really enjoyed the book and felt like it provided a terrific jumping off point for further discussion about how we can better succeed in our own careers and help others as well.

(source)

I know some think that discussing women's issues is silly. That if we just don't discuss them and keep working, eventually equality will reign. And I'd love to believe that.

But I've definitely seen inappropriate behavior in the workplace. And when the percentage of female CEOs in the world has barely budged in the past 10 years, it's hard to think we're moving toward gender equality in the workplace.

So I've been wanting to discuss Lean In on the blog because I thought it was a fantastic book with a lot of fodder for discussion. However, I wasn't sure where to start. There's just so much to discuss -- workplace norms, societal conventions, gender dynamics, picking and sticking with a partner, how to react to biased or discriminatory comments/actions. The list goes on.

(credit: Uplift via Ashley)

I want to discuss the things I think I gained the most from reading it and hear about others' thoughts on these topics. 

1. Don't plan for a life you don't yet have. 
I have so been guilty of this! Thinking that we can't handle certain jobs when we'll have kids -- five years down the road. Thinking we shouldn't take a job because it'll interfere with our relationships -- that we don't yet have.

Sheryl Sandberg's thesis that we should "lean in" is basically saying to pursue job opportunities because the higher ranked you are, the more control you have of your schedule. You might be working long hours, but you can move those hours around your schedule instead of someone else's.

2. Accept compliments, don't downplay them.

So often, women undermine compliments. If you tell me you like my dress, I'll tell you I got it on sale. If you tell me I look great, I'll try to rebut that, too. And perhaps worst of all, if you compliment work I did, I'll downplay it, calling it a team effort or saying it wasn't anything amazing.

This can be so damaging because (a) supervisors want to promote people who have confidence in themselves and (b) suddenly your work seems less awesome to that person. Why would you want that?

Accepting compliments with a smile and an enthusiastic "thank you" is something I'm working on, but I'm constantly shocked at how hard that is!

3. Stop saying sorry, unless you actually need to apologize.

Again, this is something I was already aware of but Lean In reminded me of it further. Women tend to apologize and say "I'm sorry" much more frequently than men and often for things that we don't need to apologize over. For example, women tend to say, "I'm sorry, but I think ..." Ladies, let's not apologize for our opinions!


Now that I've bared my work soul, I'd love to start a conversation in the comments! I know the book is controversial, so I'm really curious what people think. 

What do you think about these ideas? How do you feel about compliments on looks at work (things that go beyond, "that's a nice dress" or "cool shirt")??

Class Review: Rip Ride with Dyan at Revolve

On Sunday, courtesy of Melissa and Dori, I got to try out a spin class at Revolve, free of charge! The class was a lot of fun and I'm glad I was able to check out the new boutique spin studio.

Revolve has three classes: Rip Ride, Real Ride, and Body Ride. Real Ride is exclusively spinning, Body Ride incorporates upper body work and stretching, and Rip Ride is a total body strength and spinning workout. From Revolve's website:

RIP Ride (NYC only) is Revolve's hardcore training class -- a class dedicated to fitness fanatics and those looking to push themselves to the max. For 60 or 75 minutes, riders will get it all in this challenging athletic training class that alternates cycling intervals using real resistance with upper body sculpting exercises. A class dedicated to anyone looking to push themselves to a ripped level. Resistance. Interval. Performance.

I didn't 100% love the class, but I really liked it and I'm still going back to Revolve to try out more classes.

Dyan
(source)

I really liked Dyan's teaching style. She got off the bike several times to motivate the room and her general personality was upbeat without appearing to be chemically-driven (sometimes you have to wonder, honestly). She just seemed like she genuinely enjoyed being there and teaching the class. I love that kind of energy from an instructor.

The biggest complaint I had was the playlist. I just don't like techno that much, particularly not in spin class when music is the main driver of the activity. I like to be able to sing along and really get into the song because I know it.

Yes, that means I automatically like any spin class that plays mainly music I like and know. I'm basically a dog with a cone on my head who can only see my kind of music (does that metaphor work? Eh, I'm going with it).

I also didn't like that I didn't have a clear resistance level that I was aiming for, like in Flywheel. Instead, Dyan would tell us "a bit" or "a lot" to the right (to increase resistance) or the left (to decrease resistance). I really like knowing the exact numbers to shoot for, but I know that's more of a personal preference and can vary by person.

However, there is RPM on the bike, so when you're given a range of RPM to shoot for, you still have a goal. It's just the resistance that's up to you. And, since I knew I was long running the next day, in a way it was nice to have control over that and not feel like I was slacking, which I do feel if I'm not hitting the exact RPMs at Flywheel. That's not the instructor's fault there, it's just my own personal competitiveness.

I LOVED the Rip Ride concept. The 60 minutes meant that you could get a lot more upper body work into the class, and I could definitely feel my arms burning despite the bags we held only being 3 pounds. Dyan gave plenty of posture tips, so I never felt like I was in danger of harming myself. And because of the extra intervals between riding, the class sped by quickly.


I'll have a more detailed review about the studio itself after I try a different class this weekend. For now, I'll say that it's a big cramped, but that the friendly staff more than make up for that!


The Facts
Length - 60 minutes
Cost - $28 (an extra $2 for shoes - currently they have a $99 unlimited intro month special!)
Location - Union Square (52 E 13th St between Broadway and University Place). They also have a location in Washington, DC.
Skill Level - Anyone! The staff is great at helping you set up a bike.

The Best Run

I was going to post about this run on Tuesday. I wanted to share the incredible run that left me feeling reinvigorated, that reminded me about why I love to run. 

After the attacks on Boston, I felt like I couldn't post about sunny skies and fresh legs. I just felt too heartbroken to talk about something that seemed as trivial as a good run. 

But as we ran in a group of runners wearing race shirts Tuesday morning, commemorating and honoring those affected by the Boston tragedy, Beth sweetly turned to me and said, "you know, Jen, you can still be happy about your great run." She's right. Reflecting on it, I want to share with you my amazing run from Monday. The one that caused me to tweet, "Holy shit. I think I just had the best run of my life." 

Part of the reason Boston hit so hard yesterday was that it felt like an attack on running since the Boston Marathon is such an institution in the running community. It's something many aspire to, and even if we don't aspire to Boston in particular, we can at least understand those who wake up at crazy hours to train for it, because chances are, we do that, too. 

So I'm going to tell you about the run that reignited my love of running.

I was not looking forward to a long run. I'd postponed it from the weekend because I was so busy and Monday's weather looked so nice, but a part of me just wanted to call it a wash and not do it. 

Every run I've done over the past 6 weeks has had one or more of the following: fatigue, sickness, aches, lead legs, and occasionally even random pain. Imagining 11 plodding miles on slow legs seemed horrible, but I have the NJ Half coming up and I am determined to race it, so I knew I needed to get in a long run.

Still, since I'll be long running again on Sunday, I decided to only run 8 miles in order to be conservative in terms of miles run this week.

I ran a warm-up mile at a 9:33 pace from the law school to my apartment after a short meeting, stretched and chugged some UCAN powder in the form of a shake, then ditched my hoodie and headed out.

Monday was a gorgeous day. It was sunny and warm but breezy -- perfect spring weather, somewhere in the low 60s but hitting the high 50s with the wind. I wore a tank top and shorts for the first time this year!

As I ran down 95th Street towards Riverside Park, I saw my pace was fast, but knew I was running downhill so attributed it to that. My second mile clocked in at 8:49, which felt easy, but I expected my body to naturally fall into my typical easy pace of 9:30-9:45 once I hit Riverside Park.

Instead, I saw that I was having no trouble keeping a speedy pace up, and clocked miles three and four at 9:03 and 9:02. I was honestly a bit confused and kept wondering if my Garmin had lost satellite. How else could I be going that quickly and feeling great?

After running to 50th St, I decided to turn around and head north rather than run along the industrial West Side Highway path that isn't so pretty. I headed past the 96th St entrance and north along the path, hitting an 8:56 and 8:57 pace for miles 5 and 6.

It was incredible how strong I felt and how effortless the pace seemed. I finished my run, now deemed a "long tempo," with 8:39 and 8:37 paces for miles 7 and 8, respectively, and an average pace overall of 8:56. While the last mile felt tough, I didn't feel exhausted and knew I could have kept going, despite having run the fastest 8 miles of my life.

I was so happy as I jogged a half mile cool down back to my apartment. Everything came together to make this run amazing -- the weather was perfect and my body felt strong. It reminded me how wonderful you feel after a great run. How invigorated, even if your body is tired.

I am officially excited for the NJ Half-Marathon. I am going to keep up with the yoga, since I think the two yoga classes, massage, and physical therapy exercises last week really helped me feel great. And I'm going to continue fueling with UCAN.


What was the last great run you had? Have you ever lost faith in running?

Boston

I was going to write a post about the incredible run I had Monday afternoon. The run that reminded me how amazing running can be.

Then I got back and saw what had happened in Boston.

An attack on runners and spectators at the finish line. An attack on Boston. An attack on the running community.

I was so scared for those I knew running the marathon or going up to spectate (thankfully everyone I knew is fine). I was horrified that a day that is meant to be the culmination of years of dedication ended in tragedy. And I was awed at the runners who crossed the finish line and kept running, heading to Mass General Hospital to give blood, and at the people who ran toward the bomb detonation sites to help those who'd been injured.

Running has become a major part of my life over the past year. An attack on an event that is an institution in the world of running feels like an attack on the entire running community. On a community that runs races for all kinds of charities.


My heart and positive thoughts go out to all in Boston, and the running community, who have been affected.

Workout Recap and Weekly Goals: Reunions, Parties, and Expos

Happy Monday!

How was everyone's weekend? Mine was jam-packed but a lot of fun. I also fit in some good workouts and finished a paper, so all in all it was a quality weekend.

Friday I had class until 3:30 and then ran home, changed into a suit, and headed to midtown to manage my journal's alumni reunion. The event was a panel of distinguished alumni followed by a networking reception. It's taken up a lot of time recently, so it was really rewarding to have it be a successful event!

Post-reunion, I cracked out the Dirty Dozen, a core routine for runners. It's a great routine! I'm going to try to add it in to other run days.

I woke up a little early on Saturday in order to get in a short progression run before working at the Erica Sara Designs booth at the MORE/fitness Women's Half-Marathon Expo. I had a fantastic time hanging with Erica, Lora, Ashley, and Rachel (and Erica's mom, Judy!).

(source)

I really love Erica's jewelry, so it was a joy to help other people find special pieces to commemorate their personal achievements or mantras to help motivate them.

Post-expo, I ran up to midtown to get my hair blown out and a manicure before Barrister's Ball (aka Law School Prom). Many thanks to Dry Bar and TenOverTen for helping me look fabulous!

We met friends for dinner at Atlantic Grill before the Ball, then went to Chelsea Piers for the party!

I love to dance, so having lots of dance time was really fun, and it was great to see friends dressed up. Since Sourabh is only a first year, I have two more years when I'll probably go.

Finally, on Sunday I got a chance to check out Revolve for the first time. Dori and Melissa set up a free class, so I got to try out the new boutique spin studio in Union Square! Full review to come this week.

And now, on to the workout recap!


Workout Recap

Monday: Yoga.

Tuesday: Rest.

Wednesday: Kick Ass Virtual 5K and Yoga class. Legs felt like lead on the run and I had no balance in the yoga class, but both were still fun since it was a gorgeous day!

Thursday: Rest.

Friday: Dirty Dozen core work.

Saturday: 3.25 progression run. First mile felt rough, second mile was decent, third mile was good, and last quarter mile was hard since I sprinted it. (1) 9:57, (2) 9:16, (3) 8:55, (.25) 8:16

Sunday: 60 minute Rip Ride at Revolve. Upper body work plus spinning for a total body workout.

Not great mileage, since I postponed my long run to today due to the weekend being crazy busy. Going to work on that next week. However, very happy with the two yoga classes!


Goals for This Week:
I'm going to try to make yoga a priority again this week and up the mileage into the 20-miles range. Hopefully without any aches and pains!

• 11 mile long run (Monday) and 12 mile long run (Sunday)
• tempo run and/or speed work (4x800s or 8x400s)
• 1-2 yoga classes
• 2 strength workouts
• 1 spin class

Class Review: Lotus Hour (Yoga) at Laughing Lotus with Molly Davidson

I'm trying to make yoga much more of a priority, so I need to expand my horizons a bit and check out more yoga studios that are closer to me than Strala in SoHo.  So on Wednesday, I checked out Laughing Lotus for a yoga class with Theodora. 

I loved the warm, colorful vibe of the studio as soon as I entered. Lots of light and lots of pink and purple.

The ladies at the front desk were also very friendly, which I appreciated. It seems silly, but I'm sometimes surprised at how cool people at the front desk of exercise studios can be. Especially if I'm coming in alone and feeling a bit awkward/nervous, it's nice to have a friendly person greet me.

I purchased the current deal: $39 for an unlimited month-long package. If I go once a week, it'll make classes less than $10 each!

Theodora grabbed me a mat and saved me a spot while I finished signing in and changed. We chatted on our mats before class started, which wasn't out of place. Some studios are very quiet before class, but it seemed like there were lots of people who knew each other since the room was lively prior to the start of class.

The classroom was fairly crowded, but that makes sense at lunchtime in such a busy neighborhood like Chelsea. It wasn't so crowded that I ever touched anyone else, which is where I draw the line. I don't want anyone's foot in my face when I'm trying to relax!

From Laughing Lotus's website, here's the description of Lotus Hour: Nourish your body, mind and soul in this one hour yoga party.   All levels. 1hr.

(source)

The class was taught by Molly Davidson. She started by talking about compassion for oneself for a minute or so then played the harmonium and we all joined in a few choruses of "om." It was a bit much for me, personally. I'm just not that into those kinds of things in my yoga classes. However, as long as it takes up no more than 5 minutes of a class, I am fine with it.

In this class, Molly briefly talked, then got us into practice quickly. So no complaints here! And it was cool to have her play the harmonium at the beginning and end of class.

The flow itself was different than the typical vinyasa flow that I'm used to, but left me feeling like my body was an inch or two taller and melting into my mat, just the way I like it. I think I may have fallen asleep during savasana...

Not going to lie, I'm easily wooed by a place with green juice and tasty healthy snacks from Terri available. And comfy-looking couches. 

Overall, I enjoyed my experience at Laughing Lotus. I thought the class was a good basic yoga class and can understand why Theodora is such a fan of the place!

I'm glad that I checked out Laughing Lotus and I'm looking forward to trying other yoga classes there. In particular, I want to take Lounging Lotus, since the description says you experience the melting of the body and the mind into a state of deep relaxation. Yes please!

The Facts

Length - 1 hour
Cost - $20 walk-in, $18 if booked online (newbie special of $39 for 1 month unlimited)
Location - Chelsea (636 Sixth Avenue, entrance on 19th Street, third floor). 
Skill Level - Anyone! Lotus Hour is open to all, but if you're brand new to yoga you may want to start with a class that has an instructor demonstrating everything at the front of the room.

Spring Favorites

Tuesday was gloriously sunny. Although it's been spring for a while according to the calendar, it finally felt like we'd hit weather that didn't make me die a bit inside when I step outside my building. Hallelujah. 

I was literally skipping as I left my internship, and I had to restrain myself to avoid looking like a crazy person and dancing along the streets. Why don't people break into song and dance in real life? It'd be so much fun.

Anyway, there are several things that I am loving right now. So, in honor of the fantastic weather (that left us for thunderstorms and rain because NYC is trying to make everyone move away), here are my current favorite things.

1. Oiselle Winona Tank

OMG you guys this top feels so good. The material is incredibly soft. I want to buy a blanket made out of this. It's also high performance fabric and the shirt looks super cute, but the biggest thing is it just feels so good. I'm in love. 

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I haven't been wearing it to work out that much just because I want to wear it constantly around the apartment and not put it into the black hole that is my laundry basket, from which it won't return for at least a week two weeks, if not more.

2. Water fountains

So in the winter in New York, the public water fountains are turned off so that the water doesn't freeze. This is depressing and annoying because you have to carry a water bottle with you wherever you run. However, the water fountains are now back on!!! The joy that seeing water gurgling out of a public fountain gives me is a bit scary.

And yes, I took a picture. Of a water fountain. I really was that excited, guys.

3. My new laptop

While having to get a new laptop was not a cause for joy, having a brand new laptop with a back to it, no missing keys, and a total weight of approximately 2.5 lbs is fantastic. 

I can stash it in my purse and don't have to break my shoulders with the weight of books, papers, and a laptop. Look how small it is in comparison to Mason!!

4. Mizunos

After the NYC Half, I ordered a pair of Mizunos so that I could switch between lighter shoes for shorter runs and my Brooks for longer runs. I am really loving my new Wave Inspires! They're a support shoe so I haven't had any nasty plantar fasciitis symptoms, but they also feel really light which is terrific for shorter runs. 

I used them for the Cherry Blossom 10 Miler and wasn't super happy because my feet started hurting in the last couple of miles, but that was my fault -- I hadn't bought them for long runs and was only wearing them because I just love how light they are. Lesson learned: shorter distances only! 

5. Quest Bars

These bars are a pretty fantastic protein bar option. I'm eating them after hard workouts and occasionally as a snack on days when I'm not getting enough protein. I ordered them from Amazon and they come to just about $2.20 each. Not a steal, but equivalent to buying bars from most stores.

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I ordered the chocolate brownie flavor and, especially if warmed up in the microwave for 20 seconds, they taste really good! The ingredient list is nice and short and got a nod of approval from Kim when I showed it to her in DC. Best of all, it has 20g of protein for 170 calories, so it's not a bomb of a protein bar like some are.

6. THE WEATHER

I mean, obviously, right? Sunny, warm days are so fantastic they make me giddy. I was actually dizzy with excitement in yoga on Monday when it was sunny and nearly 70. Actually I was probably dizzy from having wine during Mad Men on Sunday night, but I'm attributing it to the weather. 

No coat necessary on my commute and eating lunch outside by the water made Tuesday a phenomenal day. Can the weather just always be like that? Please?

7. Girlfriends

After a fantastic weekend with running girlfriends in DC, obviously I am in love with the fantastic women in my life. But then the following happened when I texted my friend Katie yesterday.

Yes, this is why we are friends. Also, rompers.... why? Just, why?? 

What are you loving right now? Is there something awesome I don't know about?

Race Recap: 2013 Cherry Blossom 10 Miler

This past weekend was spent in Washington, DC. I actually lived there for three months my sophomore year and nine months my junior year for various internships, so I know the city pretty well, but I hadn't been back in four years and it was fun to see the monuments again. Even better, now that I run, I had a new appreciation for the city!

I did not prep for this race as a race because I didn't want to allow myself to treat it as one. I knew racing it would have a negative effect on my preparations for the NJ Long Branch Half, so I wanted to force myself to just long run Cherry Blossom. 

(credit: Kim)

Hence starting off the afternoon in DC with a round of drinks! After the long ride to DC, we all had a drink before walking to the White House since several of the girls hadn't seen it and it was my patriotic duty to play tour guide and show it to them. Once we got back to our hotel, I headed out for a 2 mile shakeout run to see how my legs felt. 

I'd been having some hamstring pain and was worried it'd be a bad idea to run. While my calves were very tight, foam rolling seemed to help and I declared myself safe to run. Woot!

(credit: Kim)

We got ourselves beautified then had dinner at one of my favorite DC restaurants, Zaytinya. It's one of Jose Andres's small plates restaurants and it's Greek/Mediterranean. And SO GOOD. The pita, the crab cakes, the hummus, the... everything was fabulous. If you are planning on being in DC in the future, make sure you go there. 

Oh right, and the Brussels sprouts. GET THEM.
(credit: Kim)

An early bedtime obviously occurred because we are wild and crazy runners. After waking up at 5:15 hearing Beth get up, I lay in bed wondering whether Starbucks was open until 5:45, when I voiced my question to the room. I was laughed at because, apparently, I am kind of addicted to Starbucks. Why does everyone who spends time with me think this? 

We debated what to wear, Beth finally agreed that she was going to run Cherry Blossom as a long run (ongoing debate for a week and she didn't decide until 6 AM!), and headed out to the Washington Monument where the race corrals started.

Stephanie went to her much faster corral while I lined up with Kim and Beth. We started together but soon spread apart since Kim was racing (and killed it with a pace PR for a long distance) and Beth was taking it very easy since she'd had a fever all week. Stephanie also had an awesome PR, so those racing it had a great Cherry Blossom race!!

Plus, Abby was acting as cheerleader extraordinaire and popped up all along the course cheering since she couldn't run the course due to a stress fracture. Of course, she's so fast she probably would have finished with plenty of time to cheer us on even if she had been running!

I forgot headphones so was left to my own (lack of) devices, so I kept a sharp eye out for the race photogs and tried to do my best Gisele impression. And by that I mean I made stupid faces if I saw them in time.

Ahahaha hello cameras! I love you! How are you? I'm just running and having SO much fun.

This is my favorite. Austin Powers was my inspiration.

The race itself was a really pretty course, most of it going along the tidal basin or the Potomac River. I got close to the Jefferson Memorial, which was the one monument I hadn't seen up close, and also saw the new Martin Luther King, Jr., memorial.

While I enjoyed the views, this wasn't a fun run for me. My knee started hurting a bit around mile 4 and things never felt easy like they can on good runs.

Oftentimes a run just falls into place somehow, your body just picking a cadence and your mind zoning in. But that never happened, so by mile 4 I felt pretty fatigued. That plus the achey knee and a lack of music to pump me up meant that miles 4-9 were rough, mentally. I would try to pick up my pace and just couldn't. It didn't help that miles 6-8 had a pretty tough headwind!

How I felt at the end.
Running 10 miles after not doing more than 5 in 3 weeks is a little rough, not going to lie.

I was able to pick up the pace a lot in the last mile, however, since I was SO excited to be done and also wanted to finish under 10:00 miles. I've actually never run a race officially with anything over 10:00 as my pace and didn't want that to happen for this race. I ended up with a 9:55 average pace. I'll take it :)

Race swag. I haz it. I think I'm doing peace symbols but in a swaggy way?

Honestly, this run was never going to be good. It was the first long run after taking three weeks off due to illness, aches and pains, and just rest needed post-NYC Half. Getting to run it as part of a lovely course AND get a medal at the end? Pretty sweet.

Love this medal! It's my favorite of the three I have so far.

So, I finished a long run without anything terrible happening, I got a change of pace from the NYC run routes, and I got a medal. Pretty solid long run!

Oh, and I had an awesome girls weekend with some really cool women. I hadn't spent much time with Stephanie or Kim and it was so much fun getting to know them better. I'm envisioning lots of future training runs and classes together!

Credit: Beth

HUGE thanks to Beth's dad, who donated his Marriott points to us for a free hotel room, and to Abby and her boyfriend, Anthony, for trusting our motley crew in their car (and Abby for driving so much despite not being able to race). You ladies rock and made a wonderful girls weekend happen. Thank you!!!


Have you ever run a race as a training run rather than a race? How did you feel?