weekly training summary -- december 7 - 13

This was one of those awful weeks where I wasn't able to get more than a few hours of sleep per night and, as a result, had far too much take-out and far too few runs and cross-training. I usually try very hard to get exercise even when life gets busy, but this was one of those weeks where even I had to throw my hands up in frustration. I hate that feeling.

Monday: 4 miles

Tuesday: 3 miles

Sunday: 10 miles

I did manage to run out for a few hours and finish up my remaining Christmas shopping, since I won't have any time between now and when I leave for the 'Couv on Dec. 23. There are AMAZING sample sales this weekend (Opening Ceremony, Helmut Lang, Luca Luca, Bird, Aloha Rag . . . ) and although I couldn't stop by many of them, I did swing by the Rag and Bone sample sale and purchased the Nancy blazer in black.

I cannot own enough Rag and Bone, I tell you!

I also picked up a few presents online from J. Crew, including these gifts to myself:

I tried this schoolboy blazer on at the store before and really loved the fit. Now that they've marked down the price (plus the extra 30% I was able to take off with the internet sale this weekend), the piece became irresistible!

I thought this tee was adorable and plan to style it similarly to this picture.

Picked up a few of these basic tanks.

I'm a little old school and still like to keep a paper day planner and book for notes. I thought it was a good idea to finally pick up something to keep track of birthdays and anniversaries so that I remember when to send out cards and presents accordingly.
Not bad for a sprint-paced shopping session! I am so relieved to have all of my Christmas presents ready to go for the upcoming holiday (and perhaps a few too many presents for myself!) -- now I can just focus on getting a million and one things done at the office before I leave NYC for a short vacation. Really looking forward to seeing some of you while I'm back West visiting my parents!

weekly training summary -- november 30 - december 1

It is so much harder to train now that the weather is getting colder and the days are getting darker much earlier here in NYC. I'm trying to stick to a 5 days per week workout schedule (consisting of 3 - 4 runs + remainder as strength and cross training), but it is such a challenge -- especially with my crazy long work days!

• Monday: 60 minutes elliptical + weights
• Tuesday: 4 miles (intervals)
• Friday: 6 miles
• Saturday: Total body conditioning class (strength training)
• Sunday: 18 miles (Long run pace. Weather was cold and sunny. Overall, the run felt great, although I was VERY disappointed by David Sedaris' "Holidays on Ice." It was by far the worst book of his that I have ever read -- actually, listened is more accurate. Boo.)

It's no secret that I'm a nut about making music mixes (I still have lots of mixed cassette tapes from junior high and high school, holla!). My most embarrassing mixes are the ones I make for races and working out. They're 90% teenybopper music and 10% music that I would actually listen to outside the confines of headphones (where no one will hear my secret shame!). That being said, I received a request for some good workout songs, so I'm including my current short run mix. I change it up every couple of months. Here's what I'm listening to on my iPod shuffle for my runs that are 8 miles or less at the moment (just in case you want some suggestions):

"Idioteque" (Radiohead), "Frug" (Rilo Kiley), "Bulletproof" (La Roux), "50 Yard Dash" (Raphael Saadiq), "Heads Will Roll" (Yeah Yeah Yeahs), "Maneater" (Nelly Furtado), "Get off the Fucking Flowers" (Blakrok and Raekwon), "Telephone" (Lady Gaga and Beyonce), "Good Girls Go Bad" (Cobra Starship),"Use Somebody" (Kings of Leon), "Battlefield" (Jordin Sparks), "Morning After Dark" (Timbaland and Nelly Furtado), "You Belong With Me" (Taylor Swift), "I'm Good I'm Gone" (Lykke Li), "Misery Business" (Paramore), "Run This Town" (Jay-Z, Rihanna & Kanye West), "Celebration" (Madonna), "The Fixer" (Pearl Jam), "Fly on the Wall" (Miley Cyrus), "Shut Up and Let Me Go" (Ting Ting Tings), "American Idiot" (Green Day), "New York Girls" (Morningwood), "I'm the Boy" (Serge Gainsbourg), "Dirty Little Secret" (All-American Rejects)

Nick and I also saw David Duchovny while on our long run today. Not a very good celeb sighting, but I did still have to fight the urge to run back and ask him if he could really be serious about his problem -- not cool, Agent Mulder. Not cool at all.

weekly training summary -- thanksgiving week.

Nick and I ventured out to Boston to spend the Thanksgiving holiday with one of Nick's college buddies and his family. It was an incredibly relaxing and fun trip --- but I definitely went overboard with the eating and lack of exercise. I just got back into town and am going to work hard to get back on the wagon. I feel like I gained weight just from my three days of gluttony! I may have to even resort to another 3-day Blueprint Cleanse just to feel back on track.

My training runs were limited this week, but I'm glad I even got a few in, considering all of the R&R time I put in. My long run for the week was really fabulous. Today was one of those gorgeous NYC fall days that just reminded me why I love this city so much. Running around Central Park (even the Harlem Hills felt really soothing), ending with a fantastic view of the Statue of Liberty . . . I'll never get sick of it!

• Monday: 5.5 miles
• Tuesday: 4 miles
• Sunday: 16 miles
  

long time, no blog . . . .

Yikes! I can't believe it's been over six months since my last blog entry. Let's just say that things have been incredibly busy, particularly at work. But I'm back and ready to start doing these updates more frequently.

One big accomplishment over the past months: Nick and I ran and finished the NYC Marathon on November 1st!
I can honestly say that it was one of the hardest challenges I've ever faced, both emotionally and physically. Running the mileage was hard enough, but then to throw in an incredibly difficult course was almost more than we could take. Although we finished more than a half hour longer than our goal pace, we are both really proud to have finished the race at all.

It was especially nice to celebrate post-race with some very supportive friends and Nick's parents, who were in the city from Seattle. I'm already looking forward to running the course again next year (already ran my requisite races to qualify), but this time spending a lot more time training on hills. The elevation of the bridges really kicked my butt on the course. Nick and I are also running the Goofy Challenge in Orlando, Florida this coming January. This race is over the course of a weekend and entails running both a half-marathon and a marathon in two days. The good news is that the course is incredibly flat, which we hope will help us get a much more respectable race time. The bad news is that it's only a couple of months away, and we are only now feeling (almost) physically recovered from the NYC Marathon. We officially start training again this week, after taking the requisite time off. I'm a little nervous about the races, but mostly excited. Nick and I ran the half-marathon part of the race last year and had a fun time -- great weather and an easy course should make the experience extra-enjoyable.

Other than tons of work and some running, I've been keeping busy trying to get out and about around the city. I was really bad about maintaining much of a social life because of work for awhile, but have been back on the social wagon for the past couple of months. I've caught some fantastic concerts (one of which I will need to post about later -- the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame 25th anniversary show was ridiculous!), and had great dinners/drinks out with friends. It is so important to maintain a social life even when work is ridiculously busy, which is something I forget when I get too wrapped up with work.

Sorry that this isn't the world's most exciting blog post, especially after a long absence, but I figured it was better to keep it short and simple and let you know that I'm back on the blogging wagon, rather than keep on postponing an entry because I can't think of what the heck to write about. Hope all is well!

Workouts completed this week (borrowing this idea from my friend KB to help keep me on the exercise and training wagon):

• Monday: 5 miles
• Tuesday: 5 miles
• Wednesday: 5.5 miles (speed work -- intervals)
• Saturday: NYSC Boot Camp (this was most difficult exercise class I've EVER taken -- highly recommended for anyone in NYC looking to burn some major calories)
• Sunday: 13 miles

MORE half-marathon weekend.

Long time, no blog! I'm going to skip over lots of what's been going on in the past couple of months, and will just post a few of the more recent highlights.

Starting with that fact that I finally ran the MORE Half-Marathon in Central Park on April 26th.

Tons and tons of ladies milling about in the post-race waiting area.

I was really excited for the race --- I'd trained pretty hard and completed my last long run at my goal pace. So you can imagine my disappointment when, on the morning of the race, I found out that the race wouldn't be scored and that it was downgraded to a "fun run." I was really bummed. The change meant that the scoring chips (which monitor the amount of time you spend running a course) wouldn't work and that the race wouldn't be listed on my New York Road Runners record. Not a big deal in the long run, but the competitor in me was sad. I've been working to improve my speed in a long-distance race (which isn't saying much in terms of all runners, but good in terms of my personal goals).

But it made good sense why the race got downgraded. When we started the race, it was 70 degrees. By the time I crossed the finish line, it was just about 80 degrees! Way too hot for a 13.1 mile race, even with lots of hydration. Especially considering that 7,700 women ran or walked the race, many of whom had not completed a long-distance race before. The ambulances kept very busy throughout the course. Luckily, no one was seriously hurt. And I was happy because (although I had to time myself) I beat my personal goal in terms of race time!

With Nick near the finish line -- a sweaty mess, but happy to be finished!

After the race, Nick and I grabbed brunch at one of my favorite Soho restaurants, Lure. They have a great weekend brunch menu -- $24.95 for a prix fixe meal that includes a drink (including my fav, the bloody mary), appetizer (which includes 1/2 a dozen oysters as an option) and entree. Perfect post-race fuel. Plus, the restaurant is under the Prada store. Who could resist?

Later that evening, Nick and I met up with some friends for a low-key early birthday dinner at Mary Ann's, a Mexican restaurant in my neighborhood.
It was nice to get together with some of my NYC favorites, especially given how busy everyone has been lately!

2009 new york marathon, here i come!

It's official! My entry to the 2009 New York Marathon was accepted today. As most of you know, one of my big goals is to run a marathon before I turn 30. Since this year marks my last opportunity before turning 30 in 2010, I figured it was finally time to commit to the big race. : )


The race isn't until November 1, 2009, but I'm already feeling a bit anxious and excited. The longest race I've done is the Disneyworld Half-Marathon last January with Nick. I won't start my official training until 18 weeks prior to the race, but already know that I'm in for a load of hard work. In the meantime, Nick and I are committed to running 3 - 4 NY Road Runner races per month from now until the big race (ranging from 5Ks to 10Ks+). I also will run the More Half-Marathon (13.1 miles) on April 26, and I'm pretty deep in that training schedule right now (8 mile long runs right now).

I may post blog entries here and there to update you on my training progress --- although the main purpose would be to keep myself accountable for sticking to a strict training schedule. Although I've really grown to enjoy running, it can be a battle to stick to a regimented schedule sometimes!

By the way, for my friends who are considering a visit to NYC in the fall . . . might I suggest the beginning of November? I'd love to have some fans cheering me on! : )