3 Things

Today there was a really bad thunderstorm in NYC. Apparently, my office building got hit by lightning and it triggered our fire alarm system. No one from the building announced anything and no one else really knew what was going on or what to do. When the alarm didn't go off, a few people took initiative and we walked down 12 flights of stairs, out the side exit in the rain, only to be informed everything was fine. It's safe to say that if it were an actual emergency, I'm sure we all would've died. Hot mess, I tell you. 

Gowns at the doctor's office are totally in this season

Friendly PSA: Melanoma is no joke. You should have an annual exam and definitely be on the look out for new/different moles especially if you run outside. In case you're wondering, I got a clean bill of health, but definitely need to be careful as summer training rolls around- as should you! 

This weekend is the anniversary of B and I's first date and our engagement last year. I'm going to actually have to start thinking about wedding stuff soon, aren't I? I can honestly say I would be extremely happy just going to City Hall. 

What are you doing for this holiday weekend? 

WoW!

Summer training is here. 

Boo.

The Brooklyn Half: Volunteer Recap

Other volunteer posts: 
2012 NYC 60K

2013 NYCHalf

2013 Run as One 4M

2AM is no joke, people. And it wasn't even for a runDisney event. As I was rolling out of bed, B was just rolling in. No kidding. Who goes to bed at 10PM on a Friday anyway?

I had stalked the subway schedule all Friday to figure out the best way to get to Prospect Park by 4AM. The 2:47AM L train was full of people still out. I'm used to getting on the train pre-long run with people still out, but those people are usually sleeping and done for the night. You could tell these people were just bar hopping. Wowsers. It was strange.

I made it to the volunteer setup at McNair Park. We started by setting up the corrals for the second wave. This year the race was so big there were 2 waves, black bibs (1st) and white bibs (2nd). Have you ever tried to carry a barricade from one side of the street to the other? Spoiler: It's hard. At least for me. . .and at 4AM. Once we got that done, we headed back to the volunteer tent to get instructions on what we would be doing. Each volunteer was going to be stationed at a corral making sure the correct runners got into the correct corrals.

Good Morning, Brooklyn Museum

Before any of that happened, I got pulled to make sure the runners were walking on the sidewalk instead of through the corrals- which little did I know, was harder than expected. Runners are stubborn and don't like to listen to direction. The portapotties were set up inside the corrals and it was hard to convince people that they needed to go to their specific corral to use them. It was also fun trying to convince people they needed to stay on the crowded sidewalk because the empty one lead to nowhere. Still confused as to why they'd think I was lying to them.

At this point, people were filing into their corrals, so I was assigned to one. Luckily, they put a security guard with me which was nice. There were only a handful of runners who hated me for not letting them in, so I consider that a win. Here's a tip, runners: If you want to break the rules, don't ask me if you can. If I catch you, just walk away like you're supposed to. You know better. I'm sure people got past me, but I tried. I'll admit it, I've tried to get into corrals I don't belong in- will I be doing it again? Probably not. 

It was pretty cool getting to see the end of the pack, if you will. A couple of runners were taking advantage of all the space to warm up some more. Others were jumping in the now empty portapotties. Once the last runner left, we started picking up the trash and moving the clothes to the side so that Goodwill could take them. Sadly, we never got gloves and I refused to use my bare hands, so I figured out a system of picking up the trash with the side of the bag and then putting it in. By the time we were done, the start line was being broken down and all the excitement of the race was officially on it's way to Coney Island.

Who's been up since 2AM and wearing an orange vest?!

Working the start line was fun, but I don't think anything will compare to working the finish line. Originally, I wanted to volunteer at the finish, but the logistics of getting to Prospect Park from my part of Brooklyn was enough to scare me away from going all the way to Coney Island. It looked like a lot of fun though. Can't wait to enjoy it next year. Thanks to volunteering, I'll get automatic entry to next year's race and I'll finally get to run through my favorite borough!!

My Volunteer Bling

As always, if you're a runner, you really should volunteer at a races often. I think everyone needs to do it to understand what actually goes on before, during and after a race in order for you to run it. You'll definitely have a new appreciation for it and hopefully thank a volunteer or two during your next race (if you don't already).

What do you think would be your favorite part of volunteering? 

My very first spin class

Since a few of you were wondering about spin, I figured I’d make a full post about it. Disclaimer: this was my experience. Take it for what it’s worth.

I showed up extremely nervous, but relaxed a bit when I realized everyone else there was a newbie, too!  The staff was really helpful and the instructor helped me fix my bike. Once the class got going, it was high energy and a workout you won't soon forget; Or at least my butt hasn't.

From the moment I was just sitting on the bike, before we had even started, my butt hurt. Like a lot. That should've been the first red flag. I was hoping that sometime during class, I'd get used to it or my butt would go numb; something besides excruciating pain. Unfortunately, that never happened and, not gonna lie, there were definitely moments where I cried. Luckily, the lights are off so no one can really see what’s going on and the music is so loud, no one can hear your soft cries. 

This really upset me because I wanted to enjoy the workout, but I couldn’t. All I could focus on was literally the pain in my butt and trying to get it to stop. I don't know about you, but I like feeling sore in the muscles I used during the workout; feeling like my butt is black and blue and on fire? Not so much my idea of a good time. I could feel each blood vessel pop and as the bruises were forming.

I was terrible at this stuff. My core strength kind of sucks and little did I know that seems to be a big factor in spin class. There was a lot of standing on the bike, which I don't think was set up correctly because my knees kept hitting the handlebars. I could barely get off the bike, so I just pedaled as hard as I could without puking. Being in the front row didn't help matters either. I felt bad that I couldn't keep up and I was directly in front of the instructor. I was not feeling good about myself at all and that's not really how I like to feel when I'm working out. (for the record this instructor was super encouraging and even told me I did a great job after class. Thanks for lying ;)

There are many different ways of encouraging and a fine line between that and pushing too far. I’m a fan of the lighthearted yoga and Zumba encouragement. I do better in those environments. High intensity spin classes or Crossfit don’t really seem fall into those categories, which is why I’m sure I stayed clear of them in the past. But hey! Gotta try new things every once and awhile, right? I also feel like if I were stronger, I’d feel differently, but who knows? For now, high pressure and intense workouts like that are not my cup of tea. I also don't think there is anything wrong with that. Everyone’s different. I’d like to stick to things that make me feel good. Bruises on my butt do not make me feel good.

I'm not ruling out that I'll ever do it again, but definitely not until I've completely forgotten what a pain in the ass it is, pun definitely intended. So, it's safe to say I won't be signing up for a triathlon anytime soon and probably will need to sit on ice for the rest of the week.

I also want to stress, just because this wasn't my jam, doesn't mean it won't be yours. I totally encourage you to go and try a class. How are you going to know what you like until you try it? If I hadn’t tried Zumba, I never would've known how much fun cardio could be! Fred, who actually is a fan of this torture, mentioned on my last post that the key is finding a teacher you like that plays music you enjoy and will keep you focused. Personally, I’m ok with never figuring that out and I’m sure my butt will thank me.

How do you feel about spin?

Dumbo Training week 3

MON: Rest

TUES: 2M and PiYo. My legs were still super sore from the race but once I got into it, they felt better. I think I need to switch up my minimalist shoes for now. My feet have been hurting me since getting back into things. I've already switched out my shoes. I think I just need more cushion to get my feet accustomed to being back in training. 

WED: Rest 

THURS: 2M and Zumba

FRI: Rest

SAT: Volunteered

SUN: My First ever Spin Class!*

hopefully, I'm leaving for it as soon as I post this. Wish me luck! 

I know there is supposed to be a 3 miler in there, but Saturday's volunteer session left me completely wiped out. Between the 2 hours of sleep, the carrying of the barricades (hello, no upper body strength) and being on my feet outside in the height of allergy season for 4+ hours, I think it's safe to say I earned my Saturday on the couch.

Even though this week started out super sore (probably not the smartest idea to race someone like the first week of training), I did notice I wasn't as tired as I was in the previous ones. I'm hoping this is a sign my endurance is slowly coming back. 

Congrats to all the BK Half marathoners and everyone who raced this weekend.

How was your weekend? 

3 Things.

If you haven't seen it already, there is a very funny story at the Runner's World website about runner's etiquette. It address my number one pet peeve:

 

THIS!!!!

Just pretend that marathon means 4 miler :)

In an effort to mix things up this training season, I bought a passport with Classtivity to try out a ton of different studio classes. . . now the challenge is trying to figure out how to add them into my schedule and my schedule is annoying. It's easy for me to double up my Tues/Thurs workouts, because those classes happen at my gym. If I take a class on one of those days not at my gym, where/when am I going to run? And do I really want to add another day that I have to lug my gym bag around the city? I know, I know. I'm just being lazy about it. Since I kicked off my membership and it only lasts 30 days, I will hopefully get on it. My first class is going to be my very first spin class! Hoping it works out as well as my Zumba class, but who knows? There is opportunity for me to fall off the bike. . .

(source)

Good luck to everyone rocking the Brooklyn Half! Can I please express my love love love for this event's branding?! Kudos, NYRR! You really knocked this one out the park. Keep up the good work (The Oakley Mini 10k looks super cute, too!) I love all that is surrounding this event dedicated to my favorite borough and I can't wait to run it next year! I really want to go to the pre-party, but sadly I am a New Yorker, we generally don't like to venture into different neighborhoods (j/k! but not really. If it's not on my subway line or easy to get to and from, I'm probably not going). I'm way nervous about having to BE at Prospect Park for 4AM on Saturday, too. YIKES! But for automatic entry to next year's race with some kickass branding? I think I can do it!

What's your running pet peeve? What's your favorite branding from a race?

WoW!

Totally a fan of recovery :)