Recapping 2013

Where did 2013 go? This year went by so incredibly quickly. Probably because so much happened! Without a doubt, this has been the most jampacked year of my life. So much travel, so many life changes.

I spent a month at home in Washington over the holidays.

I ran the NYC Half Marathon.

I went to Washington, DC for two race weekends (Cherry Blossom 10 Miler and Nike DC Half).

I visited Cuba for a school trip (recapped here and here).

I graduated from law school.

I road tripped to Montreal and Quebec with my parents after graduation.

I studied for and took the bar exam (blech -- least fun part of the year). Spoiler: I passed!

I trained for the Chicago Marathon all summer, running all across the country.

I went to Chicago for my birthday weekend.

I drove 4500 miles on an epic road trip (oops, never recapped the Montana portion -- maybe someday?), hitting Portland and Eugene...

...San Francisco...

...Monterey and the Pacific Coast Highway...

...Los Angeles...

...the Grand Canyon and Sedona...

...Zion National Park and Snow Canyon State Park...

...the Grand Tetons and Yellowstone National Park...

and Glacier National Park.

I started working at my law firm.

I ran the Chicago Marathon, one of the best experiences of my life.

Overall, 2013 was an incredible year for me, and it also led to some huge changes that should make for a big, exciting 2014.


Happy New Year! I hope you have an amazing holiday and that 2014 brings wonderful things to all!!

Weekly Workout Recap: Christmas and Washington Snapshots

Hi all!

Hope you had a lovely holiday, if you celebrate Christmas, and a lovely day off if you don't. I had a fantastic time relaxing at home in the Pacific Northwest with my family. If you follow me on Instagram, you might have noticed a few sunset and beach snapshots. I got really lucky and it only rained once during my time in WA, so my family took full advantage and got out every single day.

Unfortunately, I wasn't so good with the whole "taking pictures of people" thing. We were too busy eating, I guess...

My dad made a delicious paella for Christmas eve dinner, and Christmas day we had a Thanksgiving-style meal. Friday we had a big lunch with my old piano teacher and surrogate grandmother, and Saturday we feasted on tamales and homemade guacamole. Oh, right, and there was some great gift-giving, too! (Clearly we're a food-focused family.) I am now officially 100% stocked on running gear and have no excuse to buy anything in 2014, other than new shoes.

I flew back to NYC yesterday, and I'm back at work today. I have New Years off and am so excited to run the New York Road Runners 4 Mile New Year's Eve Midnight Run Race on Tuesday night! I'm not sure what this week will look like workout-wise, but starting next Monday, I'll be back in training mode. The NYC Half is only 10 weeks away!


Workout Recap


Monday: Rest day (travel).


Tuesday: 3.4 miles along my favorite running path at Semiahmoo Park.

We got out to the park around dusk after picking my mom up from work. It was pretty dark, but it wasn't too cold and I was so happy to be running on my favorite running path again that I kept a really fast pace (for me). The path is only a mile long, but it's one of the prettiest places in the county, so I never mind running back and forth along it.


Wednesday: 5 miles at Semiahmoo Park.

Christmas day miles, again at an extremely speedy (for me) sub-9:00 pace. It must have been the Christmas sugar cheer powering me along.


Thursday: (1) 60 minute yoga class (2) 60 minute boot camp class.

In addition to a 2 mile walk, I took my dad's morning yoga class and accompanied my mom to her boot camp class. It's a program that meets every weekday from 7:30-8:30 PM. The boot camp seemed sort of like CrossFit, from what I've read (I've never actually been to a CrossFit "box").

The class first warmed up for about 5 minutes by running up and down stairs and doing inchworms across the floor, then did a roughly 40 minute workout of the day -- a 12 days of Christmas-style workout starting with one stretch, two flights of stairs, three lunge jumps, etc., all the way up to 12. We finished with 12 minutes of the Thursday workout: three rounds of four exercises, trying to see how many reps of each exercise we could do in a minute. I was sore the next day! I'd never done a "man maker" before, and we did about 50 altogether (slightly adapted from this guide -- no single arm row or second push-up).


Friday: (1) 2 mile run (2) 60 minute boot camp class.

It rained most of Friday, but the sun came out around 2:30 PM, and we decided we had to get out to Semiahmoo one more time. We got lucky and the sunset was stunning. I was sore from Thursday's workout but had promised my mom I'd also attend the Friday night boot camp, so I did two slow recovery miles to try to get my muscles moving.

The second boot camp class wasn't quite as intense, thank goodness, since I was extremely sore, but it still had me dripping sweat. These classes are no joke! (If you happen to live in the Bellingham area and are interested, the program is only $180 for 6 weeks, which averages out to $6/class. Kind of amazing! Here's the website.)


Saturday: (1) 75 minute yoga class (2) 4.4 mile walk.

It's incredible what yoga can do for sore, tired muscles. I have to remember this and make sure I get to yoga classes during half-marathon training!

My parents and I finished the day by taking a long walk along Bellingham Harbor and, once again, we saw a beautiful sunset.


Sunday: Rest day (travel).


How was your Christmas? Do you have a favorite running path near your parents' home?

Weekly Workout Recap: Winter Blues, Hot Chocolate, and Movies

Hi y'all!

Hope everyone had a good weekend. I've been MIA because Sourabh's computer's keyboard stopped working last week, right in the middle of finals, so he's been using mine nonstop. I have a computer at work, of course, but I always feel a bit awkward blogging there, even when I have down time.

Also, honestly, not that much has been happening around these parts lately! I kind of hate winter so I hibernated most of Saturday and Sunday (Christmas trees make hibernating more pleasant).

I did leave the apartment to see American Hustle Saturday morning with Sourabh and my friend Sarah. The acting was great (not a surprise in a movie with Jennifer Lawrence, Christian Bale, Bradley Cooper and Amy Adams), but I thought the plot was extremely scattered. Worth seeing, just not as good as I'd hoped. I love seeing all the awards contenders that start coming out in November and December, and Sarah and I put together a list of all the movies we have to see before the Oscars air on March 2.

Oh, one thing I have to share -- I had two cups of delicious hot cocoa on Saturday. The first was from the Wafels and Dinges cart at Lincoln Square and the second was from Birch Coffee. Highly recommend either if you're in the hot chocolate mood!


Workout Recap

As you'll see, the cold mornings and dark evenings are definitely getting to me (yes, already... I'm a winter lightweight).

Monday: Rest day.

Tuesday: Physique 57 class.

Ouch. I'd forgotten just how much Physique 57 classes burn! I got an email saying that since I hadn't been to the studio in so long, I could come in for a complimentary class. Since I had unexpected work come in Monday night, I took the 6:30 AM class. It felt so early, so I'm not sure if it was extra hard because of the time of day or because the instructor was kicking my ass, but props to Summer for making the burn feel fun at such an early hour.


Wednesday: 4 miles in Central Park

Brrrrrrrr. That is all.


Thursday: 60 minutes boxing/strength workout with trainer Amanda.

SO FUN to put on gloves after a long time not boxing during training sessions with Amanda. Not sure why we stopped! My arms were so tired by the end and my shoulders were nice and sore the next day.


Friday: Rest day


Saturday: Rest day


Sunday: 2 miles of speed work intervals on treadmill + 15 minutes TRX work


On multiple days this week, I made the terrible workout mistake of not working out before work. Somehow, at some point this fall, I turned into a morning exerciser, and if I don't get my workout done then it just doesn't happen. Even if I don't work late, I just never feel like running on the treadmill, which is my only option since it gets dark at 4 PM now. And when I go later in the day I don't have much motivation.

So, my goal for this week is to commit to my morning workouts, which also means committing to earlier bedtimes!

Weekly Workout Recap: Friendsgiving, Turkey Trotting, and an Awesome Uplift Deal!

Hi guys! 

Here are the workouts I got up to last week. I've come down with a nasty cold, so we'll see how this week looks. Between holidays last week and sickness this week, it probably won't be the best two weeks of workouts ever. But hey, that's the end of the year, right? 

Much more excitingly, I have an awesome Uplift Studios program to tell you about, and even better, a discount on the program! 

Workout Recap

Monday: 30 minutes lower body strength workout

Has anyone ever tried the "magic circle"? It's both evil (ow!) and wonderful (toning in tough to tone areas!). It's also super awkward to exercise with since basically you're squeezing it between your thighs. I wasn't thrilled when a few dudes walked into the gym while I was pulsing on this. Awkward.

Tuesday & Wednesday: Rest days (and by "rest" I mean crazy busy at work days).

Thursday: Second Annual @RxBethOnTheRun's Turkey Trot! 7.25 miles with Beth, Allison, Abby, Nicole, and Liz.

I printed out these bibs the night before. It's not official without a bib, right?

BRR it was "feels like 20 degrees" and we were all dying of frostbite. But so great to see Liz, down from Boston where she's doing her MBA, and continue the tradition of the Turkey Trot!

Luckily I had these "medals" saved from last year. I used gelt coins for the medal part, and the combination of gelt and a turkey seemed particularly appropriate this year because it was Thanksgivukkah!


Friday: 60 minutes lower body strength with Amanda

I was sore from this for roughly 4 days. We focused on hamstrings, glutes, and hips. She texted me the next day to see how I was feeling and I replied back, in all caps, that I was OMG SO SORE. Also that I was probably dying. In a good way.


Saturday: Rest day (unless journeying to Jersey City for Friendsgiving counts?)

Hana, my wonderful friend and office mate. She makes the long hours so much more fun!

The spread of delicious food. Huge thanks to my work friend Ben for hosting a fun night!

Also to Ben's cat, Tina, for providing endless entertainment. She tried to pilfer some turkey. Nope, she didn't get away with it, sadly. Also she wasn't the best thief since I was able to snag this picture of her nefarious attempts at thievery.


Sunday: 3 slow, painfully sore miles with Sourabh through a decidedly wintry Central Park

Ouch, these miles hurt. I could barely keep a 10:00 pace and Sourabh kept running ahead because he's working out and running these days and has gotten so fit! I'm a wee bit proud of him. Just a bit. I think he was probably ridiculously proud that he kept running faster than me, but just wait, Sourabh... A rematch will happen soon.


The Strengthen Up(lift) Team Challenge!

Y'all know that Uplift is one of my two favorite strength workouts in town, right? The instructors are kick-ass, the founders are incredibly awesome women, and they provide a gorgeous and welcoming space to work out or chill back. It's such a unique, special fitness space in the NYC exercise scene.

And now, they're adding an even cooler element -- a team challenge after the holidays!

Here's the deal:

• Teams of 4-6 women will compete to see which team can lose the greatest percentage of body fat during their 8-week challenge.
• Each team will have access to unlimited classes at Uplift and a Team Coach to help them plan their workouts and achieve their goals!
• Kick-off party at Uplift Studios on January 6, 2014. The challenge concludes on March 3, 2014, with a finale party in the studio, where final results will be tallied and winners will be announced.
• The winning team will receive $1,000 cash to divide amongst the team, and the second place team will receive $500. All participants will receive prizes from Uplift's amazing sponsors, which include Bliss Spa Products, BluePrint Juices, and Jack Rabbit sporting goods!

If you sign up before December 15, the cost for two months of unlimited classes is $450 -- but Jen's Best Life readers get a 10% discount, bringing the cost down to $405! 

Sign up by December 15 and get 10% off using the discount code STRENGTHENUPLIFT2014!

To sign up, go to Uplift's website, click on Buy, and select the Strengthen Uplift Challenge.

Have questions? Email info@upliftstudios.com for more details. 

P.S. In full disclosure, I am not doing this challenge. HOWEVER I would 100% be doing it and propose putting together a team if I didn't have the triple whammy of my plane ticket home to WA for Christmas (way to gouge over the holidays, airlines!), buying Christmas presents for friends and support staff at my firm, and student loan payments starting this month.

Christmas Trees, Cookies, and Exams

Friday was a day full of getting errands done since classes are over and, after presenting my group project, I just have a 6-page double-spaced paper to write to finish my term. I was going to do speedwork, but Thursday's double workouts left me way too sore! A full hour of core work and an Uplifting class at Uplift Studios can do that to you. (Seriously, I can barely get out of bed or pick things up off the ground)

So Friday turned into a day for GSD: getting stuff done.

my view as I walked to the subway after Thursday night's Uplifting class 

While I'm basically done with my term, Sourabh is not. I've mentioned before that this year we are both law students. We were both admitted to Columbia Law our senior year of undergrad. Actually, our admittance letters came the same day -- it's the only time I've ever jumped into his arms out of excitement. We were poor college students, so we celebrated by buying a mini bottle of champagne and a mini chocolate cake. Ultimately, he decided to defer for two years and work in order to gain some real-world experience, while I went straight to law school.

Now, I'm the wizened third-year and Sourabh is the bright-eyed and bushy-tailed first year! Since you interview with firms in August after your first-year (trying to get a summer associate position that typically leads to a full-time post-graduation offer) it's the first year grades that really matter, so I've been feeling really anxious for him. Sourabh had his first exam on Friday, and I barely slept Thursday night I was so nervous! (He thinks he did well -- fingers crossed until January when grades come out)

gifts for NYCares Dear Santa letters!
(Pro Tip: the post office said the best way to mail weird-shaped items like a basketball is to wrap them and put a mailing label on the wrapping paper!)

I wanted Sourabh to have something nice to come back to after taking his exam, so after doing laundry, tidying up the apartment, and buying gifts for my NYCares Dear Santa letters, I went to Whole Foods and bought a small Christmas tree! It's actually the first time we've had a Christmas tree, even though we've lived together for three years. Since our parents always have trees, we just never got one, but this year I decided that needed to change. I might be a tiny bit obsessed with it, as my Instagram feed shows.

Christmas tree + Instagram = dangerous

The tree was only $19.99, and I bought lights, a garland, mini ornaments and a Chihuahua ornament (!!!) for only $15 at CVS. That seemed like a great deal by New York standards!

I also decided to bake some cookies for Sourabh and try out the coconut oil I purchased. After he got back from his exam, we spent our Friday night munching on these amazing cookies, catching up on our Thursday night shows, and admiring our twinkly little Christmas tree.

Quasi-Vegan Chewy Chocolate Chip Cookies 
(adapted from Heidi Kristoffer's delicious recipe on Shape.com)

I ended up using Ghirardelli chocolate chips and a regular egg instead of the vegan substitutes, but kept the cookies dairy-free by using coconut oil instead of butter. I also had no brown sugar (it hardened from disuse, apparently) or spelt flour, so I had to use white sugar and regular flour. They still turned out delicious! I'm definitely going to make them again with the proper sugars and flours.

Whatever you do, do not substitute butter for the coconut oil. I really, really loved the different taste these cookies had without the butter.

Ingredients:
1/3 cup coconut oil
1/2 cup packed brown sugar
1/2 cup vegan white sugar
2 tablespoons vanilla extract
1 egg (see original recipe for egg replacement)
1 cup spelt flour
1/4 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 cup vegan dark chocolate chips

1. Preheat the oven to 325 degrees and line cookie sheets with parchment paper or spray with canola oil.

2. Mix coconut oil and both sugars using a hand mixer in a mixing bowl. Blend until creamy, about 2 minutes. Beat in vanilla and egg (or egg replacement) until light and fluffy. Add dry ingredients slowly until well blended. 

3. Stir in chocolate chips by hand.

4. Drop by heaping tablespoon onto the cookie sheet about 1-2 inches apart. 

5. Bake for 15-17 minutes, until edges are lightly browned. Place baking sheets on wire cooling rack for a few minutes, then transfer cookies onto wire racks to cool completely.

Step 6. Enjoy!

Have you baked any holiday cookies yet? Share the recipes, please!
When was the last time you were really sore?

Spoils of Black Friday

I love the week after Black Friday and Cyber Monday! Almost every day I can count on coming home to something in the mail since I can never seem to completely ignore the deals. Mostly I shop online because I like to avoid crowds, but I also do so because I love receiving packages. It's just more fun to know you have something waiting for you at home!

this is what I get to walk past on my way to and from the law school now!

Oh and I also love the week after Thanksgiving because it's now perfectly acceptable to have holiday decorations. I'm a sucker for bright colors and twinkly lights, what can I say.

So, what have I been receiving in the mail?

A Garmin!

picture of it before it came out of its package? yes, that's how excited I was for it

I'm extremely psyched about this one. I've been running Garmin-free and using Nike Plus, but as you might have read in my Stanley Park Seawall Race Recap, I realized that Nike Plus was pretty far off on distance tracking. It also wasn't great for checking in on my pace since I'd have to listen to the voice tell me my pace. I feel weird categorizing myself as a "serious runner," but it's a hobby that I'm dedicated to, so having a Garmin should be very helpful. I got the 410 because it was 50% off on Amazon over Black Friday weekend!

A new Sparkly Soul headband

I'm a huge fan of Sparkly Soul headbands

Sparkly Soul had a 20% off sale for Black Friday and I had to snap up this blue and orange headband while it was discounted. But wait, you might wonder -- why did she get NYC Marathon colors when she didn't run the it? Well, orange and blue are also Knicks colors. Since I'm not about to wear my Knicks jersey while getting my fitness on, I can wear this on runs and workouts to show my Knicks pride.

Runner's World

This wasn't a Black Friday deal, actually, but I'd subscribed recently and just received my first issue of Runner's World this week. I was surprised by how useful and informative it was. I stopped subscribing to magazines for a while because I always felt like I was reading the same thing every month, but I've already bookmarked multiple recipes and running tips in this month's issue. There are also some great stories about

New shoes!

shoooooooes

I didn't order these, instead I picked them up at the Jack Rabbit Sports clearance sale over Black Friday weekend. I am CRAZY excited about them! I've been having foot pain for a while and after meeting with Jess for a one-on-one run-coaching session to discuss my form, she advised me to get new shoes because I'd been incorrectly told by Jack Rabbit that I did not pronate (apparently I do -- a lot).

My foot pain was mirroring plantar fasciitis symptoms (suh-weet, totally what I want for Christmas, thanks Santa) so I knew I needed a new pair of shoes. But, um, shoes are expensive and I had gotten my New Balance shoes in early September so I really wasn't sure I could swing another pair. I like to think of the Jack Rabbit clearance sale as Jack Rabbit kind of making up to me the misdiagnosis the first time -- I got a pair of Brooks Adrenaline GTS 11's for only $50! The perks of having big feet; they had several options in my size in their $50 shoe sale.

The Brooks have arch support and I haven't had any foot pain in them so far, so fingers crossed the Brooks are the answer to that. Running my first half-marathon with foot pain the entire time kind of sucked. I'd like to not repeat that experience on New Year's Eve, thanks.

Oiselle runfinity scarf and long sleeved run tee

infinity scarves are awesome because you don't have to figure out how to tie it
(source)

Oiselle didn't have a sale on Friday, but they included free shipping and since I'd been wanting to try this brand forever, free shipping was just the tip-over-the-edge I needed. I couldn't get a good picture, but the scarf and top look even better in person than in the online pictures (a rarity, I've found). The runfinity scarf is way too cute -- grey with white stripes made of moisture-wicking material. I'll wear it on runs and with regular clothes!

I love how long the sleeves are! no cold wrists for me :)
(source)

I love a hometown brand. And by hometown I mean home state since they're in Seattle, WA, and I live two hours away from there, but still -- we're basically connected! The top is comfy and cozy and should be a great addition to my winter running gear. I had been waiting on this purchase almost as excitedly as the Garmin since I've heard so many people rave about Oiselle, and I wasn't disappointed. I'm going to wear it in my race on Sunday!

Iman Shumpert Knicks t-shirt for Sourabh

taken from the NBA's website because *someone* doesn't like to model
(source)

We're both Knicks fans and our favorite player is Shumpert (AKA Shump or "21 Shump Street"). He hustles on both sides of the floor and made a huge impact defensively for a rookie last year. Oh, and his twitter is hilarious. When he was injured during the first round of playoffs in May, Sourabh and I were both really upset that our favorite player was out (of course, the Knicks were out soon after that since they had no chance against the 2011-2012 Miami roster).

We've been searching for a Shumpert tee forever, but it was somehow impossible to find one anywhere. When I saw the 20% off sale the NBA Store was having online, I tried to look one more time and realized that I could customize a Knicks tee with any teammate's name and number, so I was extremely psyched to design a t-shirt just for Sourabh. I was hopping up and down when it finally arrived Thursday night and I could give it to him! He loved it and wore it while we watched last night's game.

Magnolia Bakery has the right idea...

In addition to all this, there were also several gifts purchased for friends and family, but those obviously need to remain anonymous until after Christmas! No spoilers here.


How did you spend Black Friday? Do you like to shop in stores or do you prefer to shop online (or not at all)?