Year of Running: 2013

Hi all! 

Hope you had a good weekend. Mine was pretty low-key. I was sick with a head cold for most of last week, so I don't have a workout recap for you since I got in two 4 mile runs and that was it. I probably could have run, but that would have meant less sleep, and I chose rest and recovery. I think it was the right choice since I'm feeling 100% today!

 

Plus, before I got sick, I was able to get in a run and see this gorgeous sunrise.

I picked up our itty bitty NYC apartment-sized tree on Saturday. I've been eating breakfast at the coffee table the past few days so that I can have the tree in my sight line while I sip tea.

I also got together with some lovely runner friends to celebrate Leticia's birthday at Jacob's Pickles! Fabulous brunch, fabulous lady. Happy birthday, Leticia!

Feedie App

My friend Hana shared this fun app with me. If you're someone who likes to take pictures of your food at restaurants -- or even if you aren't but are someone who likes to help people -- this app is a neat way to share food with those who need it!

From the app's website:

Simply sign up via Facebook or Twitter, and visit a participating restaurant. When you use Feedie to take a photo of your meal and post it, the restaurant makes a donation to The Lunchbox Fund—a non-profit organization that provides daily meals to schoolchildren in South Africa. Your post thanks the restaurant and spreads the Feedie message!

It's a totally free way to make a difference. And now you have a retort when someone makes fun of you for photographing your food! You can download the app here. (Sorry, Android users, looks like it's only for iPhones right now.)


Year of Running: 2013

In lieu of a workout recap this week, I'm participating in Miss Zippy's Year of Running once again (here is last year's post). I love her running blog and thought it was a fun way to cap off 2012, so here goes...

What was your:

Best Race Experience? Chicago Marathon. No question. Everything came together in an incredible way. I honestly don't think I could have had a better first marathon experience. I've never felt so strong or so happy during a race. I still can't quite believe it happened!

Best Run? This one is tougher. I ran in some incredibly gorgeous places this year, and my location always has a big impact on how I feel during a run. I think I'm giving this one to the run I did before flying back to NYC, when I went home to Washington to study for the bar exam for 10 days. A full moon was rising over the mountains as the sun set and I felt incredibly happy and peaceful after a stressful weekend of studying.

Best New Piece of Gear? My Saucony Kinvara 4s. Not everyone likes these shoes, but I'm a big fan of them for speed work and love running in them. I've nabbed two PR's in them so far for shorter races (a 5K and 5 miler).

Best Piece of Running Advice Received? Embrace easy running. This has made running so much more enjoyable for me. Sure, if I was pushing hard and felt good running was fun, but if I didn't feel great that day then running became a chore. Focusing on feeling rather than pace has totally changed how I view running.

Most Inspirational Runner? Hmm.Probably my dad! At 62, after running for just a year, he ran his first half marathon, the fairly hilly Wenatchee River Run. He trained hard, ran strong, and inspired me so much. Not to mention his regular emails detailing his runs, regardless of rain or wind, inspire me to get outside and get running!

If you could sum up your year in a few words, what would they be? Running is a metaphor for life: the effort you put in dictates the rewards you'll receive.


Now your turn: please answer as many questions as you'd like about your year of running.

NYC Half - Race Week

It's race week, meaning most of the time, I'm feeling nervous. Butterflies in the stomach without thinking about the race specifically. And I keep checking the weather forecast, which continually changes.

Not loving that forecast. What if Saturday's weather moves to Sunday?  Or it gets colder and the hills make my breathing tough? SO MANY THINGS TO WORRY ABOUT.

Trying to remember this. (source)

Since I have no control over the weather, I'm (trying) to concentrate on the things I can control: what to wear (changing daily with the forecast), hydrating constantly, getting enough sleep, and eating well. Yesterday was a huge success in the eating well department. I'd say I deserve a cookie, but that kind of defeats the point. 

So that's basically where my mind is. I keep vacillating between, "I'm so ready! Bring it! I'mma rock these 13 miles!" to "Really? You think you can break 2:00? Hah. Hahaha."  Ugh, hate that judgmental bitch who sits in my head sometimes.

Pretty sure the judgmental bitch would look like Bea, who is such a bitchy kitty. She reaches out and swipes at the dog's tail when he passes by. Just because.

I do wonder why I'm trying for such a big goal, knocking almost 10 minutes off my October time at Grete's Gallop, my first half (where I had no Garmin and did not know what my time was until I got home and checked it - ignorance is bliss?).

But hey, when I applied to my undergrad college, an Ivy League school on the East Coast, I was a high school student from a farm town in rural Washington State. I thought I had no chance of getting in, but I did. Dreaming big hasn't hurt me in the past so why would I stop that when it comes to running?

So I'm trying to embrace my big dream. I put in the work during training, I tried to listen to and care for my body through the process, and now I just need to rest, stretch, and drink lots of water.


When's the last time you dreamed big? Did it work out? Wait, don't tell me if it didn't...

Making Some Changes

Guys, I've got to get real about weight today. And since I have no pictures to illustrate, I'm going to use pictures of my pets.

I wrote in January about defining my "best life". In that post, I mentioned that I wasn't trying to lose weight, I didn't count calories, etc.

Well, after stepping on the scale for the first time in a while yesterday morning, I saw a number that's over my happy weight range by a few pounds. Honestly, I've noticed it in pictures as well -- that's why I stepped on the scale in the first place. And I know why I've gained weight.

Mason knows, too. You can tell from his knowing expression here. 

I eat quite healthy and I'd say 80-90% of my diet is very nutritious. But lately, I've also made my servings much too large and snacked too much. I'm almost never hungry, and being hungry is a good thing because it signals you need food. Getting to that point of "hungry"--not "starving"--is important.

The truth is, maintaining a happy weight is a struggle for me (Theodora had a fantastic post on this a few days ago). I love, love, love things like fries and tortilla chips and hard cider and baked goods. And I never want to deprive myself of these things completely. So I have to balance "what feels good now" with "what will feel good in a month." It's a hard thing to balance because you want to enjoy yourself but you don't want to place the cravings and desires of "now" so far above your general wellbeing.

Betty isn't big on balance.
No, for real, she is terrible at balancing and falls constantly. 

Lately, feeling justified by my training efforts, I've definitely been giving my "now" cravings precedent over what's best in the long run (ha! long run -- part of the reason I've been eating too much!).

I could just accept a few extra pounds as consequences of eating and enjoying more food, but there are three reasons I want to lose a few pounds and get back into my happy weight range (which again, is not far off).

First: I'm vain. I can't lie. I like wearing fun clothes and especially with summer coming up, the extra pounds on my hips and thighs are not something I want to be carrying around.

Second: I have specific time goals in mind for my half-marathons this spring and my marathon in the fall. If I weigh a bit less, they'll be easier to hit.

Third: more is not necessarily better. I don't want to restrict my food and I'm not going to count calories (although if you are trying to lose a lot of weight, I know some people swear by that method!). But I do want to pay more attention to portions and amounts for a while.

Bea prioritizes her goals. Like sleeping in nesting boxes.

Feeling good in my clothes and meeting those time goals mean a lot more to me than eating a cookie tonight. I need to keep both of those in mind.

I keep repeating "sub-2:00" to myself when a run gets hard or a strength exercise is tough. Why can't I do the same when I consider eating that extra snack or rummaging my cupboards for dessert?

Mason wanted to be a CEO dog and now he is, see? Because that's a CEO chair. 

So with all that said, how am I going to try to lose a few pounds? For me, it's going to be mostly mental exercises.

(1) Stop feeling justified.
Yes, I just ran 12 miles. That does not mean I can eat a bag of tortilla chips. I can totally eat a bagel or a muffin. But not both and definitely not both and a cinnamon roll (that may have happened between Saturday and Sunday...). Especially since you're taking in calories to fuel during a long run, it is not an excuse to eat everything under the sun. If I want to run intelligently, I need to fuel and refuel intelligently.

(2) Stop snacking.
Snacks are a really great way to avoid binging on meals. However, I've never had a problem binging at mealtime. It's actually more that I get bored and then feel like chewing on something. I used to chew on gum but I find it gets me terribly bloated, which is no fun (sorry, TMI?). So I need to just work on sipping water and brewing more tea, and just stick to one mid-afternoon snack a day.

(3) Stay focused on the big picture.
I have big goals that I really care about achieving. I want to make them happen and losing the weight I've put on recently will only help that happen. A cookie that makes me happy for a minute or a PR at my half-marathons that I will be proud of for years? It's an easy decision when I think like that. Not that I don't get to enjoy cookies sometimes. Just not all the time. Y'know. Balance.

Betty eats the same food as Bea, her biological sister, and yet she is enormous. I don't understand. 

I'm not going to make this a weight loss blog because it's not like a I have a major journey ahead of me. I just want to lose the pounds I've let creep up and I want to be honest about them. So I might mention how that's going, from time to time, and feel free to totally ignore me :)


Do you have a happy weight? Do you sometimes struggle with staying at that weight?

Night at the Races Recap

(source)

I love that quote, because honestly, I stay in my comfort zone most of the time. I think most of us do, right? The day-to-day doesn't require you to leave your comfort zone. It's easy. It's nice. It's comfortable.

Yet all the biggest life decisions I've made have been hugely out of my comfort zone, like moving across the country for undergrad. Too often, though, I stay complacent.

I bring all this up because last night, I went to NYRR's Thursday Tuesday Night at the Races, an event which was totally and completely out of my comfort zone. (This event had been rescheduled to a Tuesday, but normally the event is on a Thursday)

I hadn't run on a track since I was 13 when I struggled to run a mile around my middle school track. In over 14 minutes, by the way. I'd also never run a mile race. And I knew most of the people at this  meet would be serious competitors (they were).

My law school friend, Christine, is a former collegiate track athlete and wanted to get some people together for the relay. She invited me to join and also to run the mile race beforehand. I figured it was a perfect speed workout for the week and something I'd never done, so I decided to join her.

Christine, former track athlete and resident Speedy Friend. 

I am so glad that I jumped out of my comfort zone and participated because last night was incredibly fun and reminded me of how much I love the sport of running and how glad I am that I found the sport last year.

I headed up to the Armory after meeting up with Christine, Rachel, and Yi Han. We had 8 Columbia Law students total (the rest were meeting us there) and we had to find two more runners to make up our relay team. Only Christine, Yi Han, and I were planning to run the mile.

Rachel stretching and psyching herself up for the relay. 

After arriving, we started warming up and chatting with each other, running 1/2 a mile around . I loved hearing about Rachel and Christine's track memories from undergrad. Track seems so foreign to me since all I ever do is run outdoors on trails and roads.

Way too soon, we were being called to the track for the start of the mile heats. Women were broken into three different heats based on estimated time. I'd never run a mile before so put myself in the very end of the last heat.

After cheering Christine on to a 5:30 finish, which seemed crazy fast to me, but Christine was hoping for better because she's crazy fast, I lined up alongside 9 other women. A starter gun went off and we were off!

Love this picture because I appear not to be moving and the girl in orange is a blur. Kind of how it seemed to happen! 

The race was 8 laps around the track. I started off somewhat fast but, since I'd never run a mile before, wasn't sure how much to hold back.

I felt kind of frustrated, actually, because the dry air of the Armory meant my mouth immediately felt dry and breathing started burning. I felt like I could have pushed harder throughout the mile, but it hurt too much to breathe harder.

Still, it was fun to push myself since I'd never run a timed mile before. I ended up with 7:28 and I was happy considering how much my lungs hurt. I want to try timing myself for a mile outdoors where I don't have any breathing issues!

Yi Han also ran the men's mile, his first mile race as well, and rocked. We're number one! (No, we really, really weren't)

The relay race was the best part of the night. Each member of the 10 person team had to run a lap, five times, for a total of 1,000 meters each. We grabbed two runners who were willing to join our motley crew and they turned out to be awesome.

Jeff joined us after Christine and Rachel asked around for another runner. He's a professional runner training for the NYC Marathon. His form was incredible, he was super friendly, and despite having just run the mile, he'd finish his lap and immediately start cheering for everyone else (despite the fact that we were all MUCH slower than him). He rocked.

Mary Louise also joined us. She was a 71 year-old dynamo who was eager to hop in and join us. She paced herself perfectly through each lap. She learned everyone's names immediately and was cheering us all on immediately. Did I mention I love runners?

Our Team!
Jeff, Yi Han, Christine, me, Tim, Rachel, Chao, Jason, Mary Louise, and Mia 

Running the relay was so much fun because it was such a team effort. We all ran hard and cheered each other on. And we didn't come in last! But it would have been fine if we had, because all the runners there cheered for each other even after their team had finished.

I am so glad that I jumped out of my comfort zone and participated in the races last night. I had a great time, I was inspired by some amazing runners, and I met awesome new people. Next time I get scared of doing something new and different, I have to remind myself of how often it ends up being a wonderful experience.


When was the last time you stepped outside your comfort zone?

Why I Love Running: It's All On Me.

The other day, while brushing my teeth and having deep thoughts (obviously), I was reflecting on why I love running. Ricardo had shared a great post he wrote on why he runs, and he encouraged me to post something similar, while Run Chat is collecting posts that share the love of running. Sometimes the question isn't even why I love running, it's why I run at all, since not every run is good and when you have a string of bad runs you're left doubting the entire sport.

So... why do I run? Because it's all on me.

There are few things outside of athletic pursuits that are 99% dependent on ourselves and the effort we put in. I worked really hard my first year of law school, knowing how important getting good grades was to getting a job. But ultimately, how you do on an exam is up to a professor with a pen reading the gibberish you typed out on a timed 3-4 hour exam. What she tests on isn't in your control.

In work, too, there's a certain lack of control. Sometimes your supervisors just don't like you. You can bust your ass but the partner says they don't like your writing style because you used Oxford commas (this is a legitimate point of contention for lawyers -- to use the Oxford comma or not??).

Not when you run. When I run, it's on me. Sure, I might have a stomach ache that I can't control or I might pull a muscle, but still, it's all my body.

Running is about my mind moving in sync with my body to power myself up hills and around corners.

Running is about pushing myself and seeing how much I am truly capable of, without any external limitations.

Running is a test of my strength and resolve -- how strong is my body? How tough is my mind?

When I have a bad run, sure, it sucks. It isn't pleasant. But a lot of life isn't pleasant, right? Even those who love their jobs aren't happy 100% of the time. So much of our lives are determined by how we manage the parts that aren't great.

For every hard run that I don't give up on, for every 400m speed interval that I sprint with burning thighs, I am teaching myself to get over the shitty parts of life, and I'm doing it when I have no one to blame but myself. It's on me to be my best.

And every time that I am my best, it shows me how strong I am. I learn how much I am capable of. In 2011, if you had told me that I could run 13 miles, I would have laughed at you. I would have laughed at the idea of my body being capable of that. But running has taught me that I am capable of that, and (I'm guessing) so much more.

Running has taught me is that there is always a reward for pushing myself, even if it isn't a shiny new personal record. There is a personal satisfaction in knowing I did my best in anything. I now carry that with me to the areas of my life that aren't as much in my control, like work or certain relationships.

I love running because it teaches me about me. I love running because it inspires me to be my best self, a "best" I am constantly rediscovering.

Why do you run? And, if you don't run, is there anything you love because it's helped you push yourself?
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I created a Facebook page for the blog! I'd love for you to like it and let me know what kinds of things you'd like to see on the blog more :)

Crushing on Running. Also, I need travel help!

Run Crush
I am loving running. Every run isn't great, and some runs hurt my face because of the whole being below freezing thing, but I'm just loving running and training right now.

I may have tweeted something along these lines yesterday after a brief two miles around Central Park to round out the 2.5 I'd run at Finish Line for my training plan's called-for 4.5 miles.

Lately, even when the runs are kind of hurting for some reason (cold, pushing the pace, etc.), I just feel good. I think this may have to do with increasing my mileage so running feels less difficult. Whatever it is, I'm really enjoying this training cycle so far.

also enjoying coming home and warming up by snuggling with Mason

I've been really open about my goals, telling everyone who asks (and some who don't...) that I'm training for a sub-2:00 half. So whenever my ass feels attached to the couch, I just think to myself -- will the couch get you a sub-2:00? That gets me off the couch and then once I start running, I feel great.

it also helps when I can come back from speed work and eat this. well, half of this.
stupid boyfriend wanting dinner. sheesh.

I'm sure there will be plenty of downs to come since there are still quite a few weeks left in this training cycle, but right now I'm just enjoying my runs and the increased mileage that I'd thought would be so tough. It's kind of a surprise, honestly, but I think it helps that I always feel so encouraged and inspired by the running community on Twitter and in real life.

Basically, I'm crushing on running. Real hard. We're close to Valentine's Day, and despite my feelings about that particular holiday, it's the perfect time for a crush. Right?

So about that credit card charge yesterday...
Thanks so much for the concern yesterday about that $4,000 charge! I was able to have it credited back to my card and then billed to my firm relatively quickly, so no harm no foul. It was just a lot of money to be worried about on a Wednesday morning! (Thursday mornings, of course, I could care less about $4,000. Obviously.)

In case you're curious, (you probably aren't but oh well) here's how law school works for those who have jobs lined up at NYC corporate law firms for post-graduation. I'll graduate in mid-May and have about 10 days before my bar review course starts.

Then, I'll spend June and July studying for the bar exams, and the bar review class and homework take up 8-10 hours a day.

this will be me from June through July.
I'd pretend I'd be better dressed , but let's be honest... no. I won't be.

The bar is a two-day exam, 6 hours each day, where you're tested on both New York State laws and multi-state laws. I'll be taking that the last week of July and then I'll have roughly 6 weeks off before I start working at my firm!

 And that, ladies and gents, is my next 8 months in a nutshell.

I need help! Have you been to Montreal or Quebec?

(source)

During that 10 day break after I graduate law school and before my bar review course starts, I'm going to be taking a road trip with my parents up to Montreal and Quebec. I've been to Montreal before (it was Sourabh and my first min vacation together), but never Quebec.

If you've been to either city, I would LOVE to get your recommendations! Where should we eat? Where can I run? What should we see?

If you're training for something, are you enjoying your training? Do you have travel tips for me? Help!

January Intentions Recap and February Goals

Happy February!!

First off, I have to say Happy Birthday, Dad!! It is my dear ol' (but not old) dad's birthday today. I am always so bummed that I live far away and can't spend my parents' birthdays with them. He is 62 today. My mom is also 62 (her birthday was in September), but you'd never guess it from looking at them. As I've mentioned before, my dad is a yoga teacher by night/mornings/weekend, and an accountant by day. My mom went back to school to become a physical therapist's assistant and used to teach singing.

also, they've been married 43 years. that's just crazy.

They both continually inspire me to remember that age is only a number. My dad has recently taken up running and started a running group at work -- they run 3-5 miles at lunch three days a week! That's in addition to his own speed workouts I've given him, some weights, and teaching yoga. My mom is working with a personal trainer and working out consistently despite being on her feet and doing physical work in her job. She can't run until she has a minor surgical procedure that makes high-impact workouts ok, but she's already excited to enter some 5k's once she can!

No More Sick
So guys, I ran last night! I think that's the biggest sign that I'm no longer sick. I ran on the treadmill for four miles (since I didn't get back from work/class/meeting until 9 PM) and did a super short strength workout with heavy weights since I only wanted to do one set.

apparently if you don't hook yourself up to the heart rate monitor it just... estimates for you?

My appetite still isn't back, which is worrying me. I'm normally always hungry. Like always. But after throwing up about 20 times in the span of 12 hours (TMI? sorry...), I feel queasy even thinking about food and everything is giving me a stomach ache.

I did feel a bit hungrier after running though, so clearly running is the cure to everything.


Recap of January's Intentions
As I wrote on December 31, 2012, I have five general intentions for this year that I'm trying to follow through with by setting smaller, tangible goals each month. My intentions are to (1) continue my plant-based diet, (2) get faster, (3) disconnect more, (4) cook more, and (5) be on time, and I set four goals that would further those intentions.

As I was reviewing them, I realized that, to my surprise, I think I was actually pretty successful with my goals! I cooked a lot more often, at least once we were back in NYC and weren't sharing food prep duties with my dad.

I didn't do speed work for two weeks following my half-marathon because I didn't want to do any intense running workouts, but I did do one each week after that. I've started leaving for things a bit earlier (ok, maybe not 15 minutes, but it counts right?). And I have been getting off my computer more often in the evenings, trying to do my seminar readings on my Kindle.

I'm excited to continue to pursue my intentions by setting more concrete goals for February. Since I always set weekly workout goals, I'll call these my "big" goals.


February's Big Goals

Be a more mindful food consumer. I eat very healthy, especially for a grad student, but truthfully I am not very careful with the food choices I make in terms of how my purchases affect others. I've always been vaguely aware of the fact that fisheries are depleted, but I didn't realize that 85% of fisheries are "exhausted or on the path to collapse." After reading this Greatist article on the ethics of healthy eating, I want to be a more savvy and concerned food consumer and use my purchasing power in a positive manner.  This is especially important when it comes to fish and produce. I also want to avoid the "dirty dozen" -- those items with the highest amount of pesticide residue (which include potatoes?? what?).

Continue my speed workouts and run with faster friends. I've already seen the benefits of running with faster friends, but January was a tough month for meeting up with people. I wasn't even in the city until the 20th, then I was getting my new extern/school schedule set, then I got sick! So my goal is to work out with friends more. I work harder and improve more -- and it's more fun!

clearly these are excellent people to work out and run with...
(and if any of you read this, I'll be bothering you more to run/lift/work out/yoga with me) 

Leave my phone charging more often. Once I plug my phone in to charge, I check it much less because it's not there so there's no temptation to constantly look at it. If I plug it in soon after I get home, I won't check it as much and that combined with shutting my computer = disconnecting!

Cook a new and different cuisine at least once a week. I did pretty well on the cooking front last month, and I think I'll be more excited to cook more if I make more recipes that are different (while still being quick and easy). I made these Thai Peanut Noodles, found courtesy of Janae at Hungry Runner Girl, (swapping in almond butter because I was out of peanut butter) on Wednesday night and they were really tasty! If I'd thrown in some chopped bell peppers and broccoli there would have been veggies in there, too, which is what I'll do next time (I was up to cooking but not grocery shopping).

Don't read blogs during breakfast. What? This one seems super random, right? Well it turns out y'all bloggers are so interesting that I get sucked in and lose track of time and suddenly I'm late because I was reading about someone's amazing training run or their kickass race recap (or, y'know, just what they had for breakfast -- it's interesting at 7 AM) and suddenly I'm running late and haven't even changed yet.

pretty Top-of-the-Rock picture inserted for no reason other than to show my favorite place, Central Park

How are your New Year's resolutions/intentions/goals going? How are your initial workouts when you're coming back from being sick?

Defining My "Best" Life

Yesterday, Ali on the Run wrote a wonderful post about being a responsible reader. That is, no longer reading blogs only to get angry over them or feel badly about yourself in comparison. I thought it was wonderful because I think we've all been there, reading things we hate or continuing to follow people on Facebook or Twitter when their every tweet or status update annoys us.

But it made me want to reflect on a few things and define my blog's tiny space in the gigantic Internet world of blogs.

If I am defining my blog philosophy, I should probably include pictures of mountains. 

There's a reason I titled this blog Jen's Best Life. It's about my workouts and race training and balancing law school (and, come fall, work) with everything else in life, yes. But I also post about dinners out and seeing movies and getting drinks with friends. Because to me, living my best life is not about constant deprivation in pursuit of some unattainable vision of perfection.

Instead, I try to eat and live with a forward-looking view. That is, what will make me feel best today? Tomorrow? A month from now?

Having a dog? All part of living my best life. How could seeing this not make me feel happy?

Most of the time what will make me feel best is relatively "healthy" eating, lots of veggies and fruit. But I hate the terms "good" and "bad" foods. When I go to a Mexican restaurant and gorge myself on tortilla chips and guacamole, they taste extremely "good" to me. If covered in cheese, even better. I don't do that every night, but a life without nachos is a life unlived (to me). 

Oh, and I don't work out to burn calories. I don't even count calories. I tried to for a while, and yes I lost a few pounds, but it felt so restrictive. That doesn't mean it can't be a wonderful weight loss tool, but I'm not trying to lose weight so why would I do something that makes eating less enjoyable for me?

Going for a run and watching my dad "run" the mini dachshunds should probably also go in a post about living my best life, right? 

I've written before about how it's hard to motivate myself to go to the gym or head out for a run. But even the shittiest run feels great at the end. So I run. And I love how strong I feel when I strength train. So I lift weights and do push-ups.

Being strong and fit makes me feel excited and alive, but enjoying baked goods and Tex-Mex also make me happy. (Yes, I'm obsessed with Mexican food and have mentioned it about 5 times already, judge me if you want. Or go out to a Mexican restaurant with me -- even better!)

This picture in my blog header of me cooking? I'm in Mexico. Making Mexican food. Guacamole, to be exact.

When I am 90 and reflecting on my life, I don't think I'll say "I wish I were three pounds lighter." I also don't think I'll say "I wish I'd eaten that cookie that one day that I turned down." I'm pretty sure I'll reflect on the relationships I had with people and what I accomplished in my life, and that's why a great night out at a Mexican restaurant having drinks with friends and eating nachos is worth it. It's also why training for half-marathons and then, someday, a full marathon is worth it.

How did we get to me on my deathbed? That's morbid. Anyway, all of this is just my philosophy on how I can live my most fulfilling life. It's what motivates me as I write this blog, and use having a blog as motivation to live my best life.

How do you try to live your "best" life? 

Thankful Thursday

I am so thankful to be here in Washington after yesterday's epic day of travel. A bumpy hour-long cab ride followed by a six and a half hour flight with a dog and then a two and a half hour drive to my family's home meant that I crashed immediately after getting here.

I thought I'd do a quick Thankful Thursday post because I always feel very thankful after getting to my destination safely. Then I'm going to drive (!!!) to Starbucks where they have fresh-pressed green juices (!!!). If the exclamation marks didn't alert you, I love driving and green juices.

I am thankful for...

right before boarding. he looks...bored.

... my dog. It's a huge pain to travel with a pet, and yet having him with me makes any place happier. He was so incredibly well-behaved during the entire process. I felt like a parent because I was so proud as he received compliment after compliment. "Why yes, he is a perfect pooch. Thank you." I left out the part about him being bossy...

... my family. Well, obviously. How could I not be thankful for them after they drove 2.5 hours to pick me up and another 2.5 hours to get me back? My mom even went to work early so she could get out in time to drive down with my dad. And my sister cleaned my old room so it would be nice and cozy for me to settle into. So much love to arrive to... and I am so thankful for them.

(source)

... good customer service. I was honestly amazed when the DryBar said my blowout was being comped because it was their first day in their Upper East Side location. That, in addition to the great blowout, the friendly women manning the front desk, and the delicious biscotti, are why I will certainly be back. I hadn't had a great evening and this perked me up so much.

... healthy fast food. I know, so superficial... blowouts and food. Sorry, but I was extremely thankful for this yesterday. On our drive back, we stopped at a chain called Taco del Mar where I could get black beans, rice, fish, salsa, and guacamole in a bowl. It was 10 PM my time and I was famished. Being able to eat something filling and quick was amazing. I love that more and more places are offering healthy fast food.

... beautiful sunrises. I got to see this on my last Central Park run of 2012 as I rounded the Reservoir. I'm often up fairly early, but rarely up early enough to see the sun rise. I was actually so awed that I turned off my music so I could just enjoy the calm, quiet beauty of morning in Central Park.

What are you thankful for today? 

Reflecting on Running in 2012

After seeing this survey on "your 2012 in running," I thought it'd be a fun survey to fill out and share as well. I love filling out surveys and forms -- they're like tests, but you know all the answers!

I wanted to do this even more after my run yesterday afternoon. I spent an hour crying and writing a farewell post to my cat back home in Washington, thinking about all his funny quirks that I'd miss so much when I'm home. But then I had to pull myself together for a phone call to discuss the pro bono research I'll be doing for an organization over break. I was able to sound fine on the phone, but I still felt so heavy that I wanted to get outside and run.

it's hard to feel sad when you have this kind of view staring you in the face 

I call runs like these "therapy runs." There's no goal and I'll only go for a few miles -- I just want to get outside and get moving in the beautiful city. It clears my head and reminds me of how much beauty there is out there. I stopped a few times during my run just to stare at the gorgeous sunset over the Manhattan skyline. 

The run just reminded me of why I love running so much and how lucky I feel to have "discovered" it.

2012 Running Survey

Best race experience? I'm not sure, especially since I still have two races left! I didn't love running Grete's Great Gallop (two loops of Central Park = ouch), but I did love completing my first half-marathon. I'd probably have to say my best race experience was the 5 mile Join the Voices! race in Central Park where I broke the 9 minute mark.

Best run? One of my favorite runs was the informal Turkey Trot organized by Beth. New friends and chocolate at the end! I also loved a very short run I did before I started this blog. It had poured for two days and I decided I wanted to run around the Reservoir. It wasn't raining, but there were giant puddles throughout the entire path. It was more of a puddle jumping run than anything, and it was SO fun. 

Best new piece of gear? My Brooks shoes! 

blurry then focused shot of my Brooks... I'm an artist.

Since getting them I have had no arch pain whatsoever. I ran Grete's Great Gallop with pain that got worse and worse as the miles accumulated. Running with no pain has felt miraculous. Huge thanks to Jess of Race Pace Wellness and Fit Chick in the City for telling me that I had to get new shoes. Pain-free, yay!!

Best piece of running advice you received? Since I only started this blog this year and didn't have a chance to include it before, I have to say the best advice I received was from my trainer, Amanda, when I started working with her in August 2011. She told me that I was capable of running and that I should be running. I can't imagine not having running in my life now, and I wouldn't have that without her advice.

Most inspirational runner? Without a doubt, Abby. She ran a Boston Qualifying time at the Philadelphia Marathon of 3:33:29 in her first marathon. What is most inspiring to me about Abby, though, is that she only started running three years ago! Since I am also relatively new to running

If you could sum up your year in a couple of words, what would they be? Special and opening. "Special" because how many years can you become aware of something you love? And "opening" because I opened myself up to a lot of new activities and people and it has been so rewarding. 

With all that said, I am now so excited for 2013. I have bigger goals and cannot wait to push myself and see what my limits really are. 

How has your 2012 been? Are you excited for 2013?

I'm Lazy

Confession:

An illustrated description of my constant battle with laziness when it comes to working out and running. 

This blog is supposed to be my open journal of fitness and fun. I should be honest about something, then. I'm kind of lazy. I'm not lazy in an "all I ever do is stay in bed and eat doritos all day" kind of way. But I have to expend a lot of mental energy to get myself out the door and running, practicing yoga, or lifting weights at the gym.

This is basically me trying to get out the door to a workout

This is one reason I like to exercise in the morning. I'm just more likely to do something if I'm not putting it off to the end of the day. It's a delicate balance, though, because I'm always hungry in the mornings and skipping a workout to eat can be so tempting.

Excellent question, brain. What about second breakfast?

What do I think makes me lazy? I'm not sure. I don't think I'm naturally inclined to exercise. I love it once I'm out there. Ok, well... I love it 5 minutes after I've started. Sometimes 10 minutes. At the beginning, my body is saying, "what are you doing? why are you doing this to me, you horrible bitch? I want to rest and conserve energy! let's go home and watch bad tv and eat brownies. in bed." (My body is kind of a stoned slacker, apparently.)

My body, in the first 5 minutes of exercising.

Scientifically, our bodies are meant to conserve as much energy as possible because you never know when your next meal is going to be and how much energy you'll need to get it. But in modern-day society, most of us are lucky enough not to have that problem. My next snack will probably be in a couple hours, my next meal an hour or two after that.

Your brain's message to you as you start exercising.

Yet our bodies still don't want to expend energy because they haven't caught up to our modern day lives of (relative) leisure; however, they do want to eat more because they think we might start starving any minute. That's why your body is telling you to stop exercising. You basically have to override those messages, and as you do so it gets easier and easier.

You're (probably) not dying. Really.

I love exercise once I'm doing it, and I love it even more after I finish. That feeling of exhaustion makes me feel so accomplished. So why, after months of proving to myself that I actually love exercise, is it still so hard for me to get out the door for a run?

I think Battier is my body liking exercise and Stoudemire is my brain?
(Really, I just wanted to include this .gif because it's the best thing ever.) 

I have to continually remind myself of how good I feel when I workout and how bad I feel when I don't. Because a day with a workout leaves me feeling good all day, and a day without makes me feel, well, like shit.

Me, without sweating that day. 

This is why I love having workout and run buddies or signing up for a class. If there's a specific time I have to be there, I can't sit around for an hour coming up with things I have to do before I get out the door. Don't get me wrong, I'm still like, "why did I agree to this?"

My brain being angry at its 12-hour-ago self for agreeing to a 6:30 AM run.

But running with friends distracts myself from those painful initial minutes and then it's straight on to the endorphins. I never finish a workout feeling bad. I always feel amazing, and that feeling usually starts soon after I start.

Post-run, post-lifting, post-spinning, post-yoga, post-any-kind-of-exercise

So... what's the point of this post? 

There's really not a point. I just think that sometimes, it seems like people who exercise love it, and if the thought of working out fills you with dread, you should know that someone who works out 5-6 times a week has to push themselves to get out the door.

I write about fitness in such positive terms because I love it. I feel amazing after I work out or go for a run or practice yoga. But it's still really hard for me to get out the door. So if you're someone who feels like you can never make exercise a regular thing because it's so hard to start doing it, take heart. Make exercise dates. Find run buddies (Twitter is a great place to find fun new fitness friends). Join a site where you can track workouts and see progress (I use DailyMile). Figure out what helps you get over that initial hump of dread and on to the sweet, sweaty exercise endorphins.

But whatever you do, keep sweating!!

if not for yourself, then for the good of your husband.

Are you lucky enough to always want to exercise or is it hard for you to motivate yourself, too?