(3 Things) Living in NYC, Blogging and Once Upon a Time

A friend mentioned last week that there are tons of perks to living in NYC. While that is true, I believe NYCers put up with a lot and rightfully deserve those perks. This morning was a perfect example. My subway line went down during the morning rush. So I took my alternate route which I wish I didn't have to take as often as I do. Today, it consisted of waiting 30 minutes for the bus (that schedule on the bus stop pole is a complete waste of the paper it's printed on) to take me to another 30 minute wait for an alternate subway line, to transfer to another line, to transfer to another one to walk 2 avenues. Does your alternate commute include all that? Most of the time it's just easier to wait until the subway goes back up and endure the bone crushingly crowded train. Either way, it was clearly not in the cards for me to have a good morning. 

Anyone else start doing their 3 (or 5 or 2) and decide you want to elaborate on that subject and it deserves it's own post and then start constructing that post? It just happened to me 3 times. These 3 things are getting hard! Or I just need to start doing more fun and exciting things, unless you consider laying on the couch catching up on TV fun and exciting. . 

and in that case: I will admit, Once upon a Time and my apt have had a love hate relationship. So much so, we stopped watching it shortly after Season 2 premiered. We had a ton of other shows we were trying to catch up on together and we only have a limited amount of time to watch them together, so Once was the odd man out. Well, now that all the shows are rapping and a few have been cancelled (won't lie, I almost shed a tear at the series finale of Smash), we decided to start catching up. Well, holy cowsers has it gotten fun! A coworker accidentally revealed a serious spoiler that I HAD to marathon watch until the episode (14 if you're wondering) because I suck at keeping secrets but didn't want to ruin it for B (who, btw, didn't find it as mind blowing as I did). . . anyway. It's definitely getting better. We are emotionally invested now. Anyone else want to rewrite it so Regina can be good?! Or Captain Hook and Emma get together? PS- A villain should not be that good looking. But sadly we all know how the storybooks end. 

What part of your morning commute do you hate? What TV shows were you bummed got canceled for next season?

WoW!

Some seriously good advice. 

Honestly, when I saw these on other blogs, I would just glaze over and skip the post. I thought they were super boring, until I realized it wasn't for my viewing pleasure, but more for their accountability. That's why I started the weekly log for Dumbo training and it has definitely worked! Every time I just want to go home and lay on the couch (coughyesterdaycough), I remind myself I'm going to have to put that in the weekly training log on the internet. And the internet never forgets.

Do you have a training post? Why/ why not?

My first yoga class

So I wrote about my first ever spin class, I thought I should follow up with my first ever yoga class. 

As many of you already know, I practice yoga with the pros- Elena Brower, Rodney Yee, Tara Stiles- in the comfort of my own home. I've been saying I want to go to an actual yoga class forever, but the thought of picking one was so overwhelming that I just stuck to what I know.

I tried to research. Definitely not a yoga class at a gym, because I don't think it would be the same atmosphere as a studio. I'm pretty sure I'd be into Hatha, because Vinyasa is too much of a workout. I want stretching and meditation. I don't think I'd be a fan of Bikram/ hot yoga because I don't generally like to go out of my way to sweat more. Maybe not so much chanting? Some chanting is ok. See? How is anyone supposed to navigate through all these options? What's a girl to do?

Well, how about just diving in? That seems to be the theme lately. So, I picked a class that was on my classtivity passport and went with it. Little did I know what I was getting myself into.

When I walked into the class room, it was wall to wall with yoga mats- super overwhelming for this newbie. Luckily, an employee was right there and helped get me set up. I also made a friend who said "What are you so nervous about? It's just yoga". That definitely made me feel better. . and a little bad for passing judgement (I will admit, I felt an air of pretension when I first walked in).

I found out the reason for the crowd was this was a popular teacher who was going out of town for 5 weeks- everyone was trying to take as many of her classes as they could. After the hour and thirty-five minute complete sweat fest, I can completely understand why she's a favorite. 

 

I did try to hang as long as I could, but never felt like I needed to do everything. I was completely fine jamming in child's pose while everyone else rocked a handstand and what other insanely flexible pose this runner wasn't willing to hurt herself over. The teachers were extremely hands on, which I thought would freak me out, but I found it comforting. Yes, it was hot. Yes, there was more than I thought I'd be comfortable with chanting. Yes, there were a lot of intimidating yogis. Yes, I totally loved it. 

I also found out why Lululemons are pretty damn amazing. I already knew how amazing they were for marathon training in the summer (ever try to go to the bathroom in soaking wet spandex? Lulus slid on and off no problem. Worth every penny). Even though I was soaked to the bone throughout the class, 5 minutes of getting out of the class, my pants were dry again. A-mazing. 

Guys, I don't even know how to explain how I felt after class. I was exhausted. I was rejuvenated. I felt like a new person. At the risk of sounding like a weirdo, it was the best thing I've ever done for my soul. I cannot wait to go back. I want to try out every studio I can in the city to find my favorite. I want to do it every day. I might be a little obsessed with it.

Have you ever been to a yoga class? What style is your favorite?

Dumbo Training week 4

MON: Rest

TUES: 2M and PiYo

WED: Rest

THURS: Zumba and 5M on the stationary bike

FRI: Yoga

SAT: Rest

SUN: 4M

Just got back from my run and it sucked. I can safely say, I won't be able to train this time around in my PureFlows; which is super upsetting. I don't think my body is ready to go minimal- although I have been running/training in my old Nike Frees and I can handle them. I tried to reincorporate my Flows today but it didn't work out so well. Mile 1: My feet hurt so bad, I walked. Mile 2: My calves hurt so bad, I walked. Mile 3: My bladder hurt so bad, I walked (Thank you, baby Jesus that most parks/ playgrounds have bathrooms!) Mile 4: My mental state hurt so bad, so I walked. I honestly only ran about 4 minutes total. But hey! It's time on your feet, right? I can't blame it all on my Flows, though. That yoga class was awesome but left me super sore.

I'm also having a hard time wanting/ psyching myself up for long runs. Usually, it's all the other stuff- cross training, running during the week- but now I can't motivate myself to get out the door on the weekends. I'm sure being sore all the time and doing all my weekday runs on the treadmill isn't helping matters. Maybe I'm over doing it during the week? Maybe I can only be good at one or the other? Maybe I need to incorporate more outdoor runs?! Maybe I should've thought of all these things during the 4 mile run this morning instead of focusing on the pain and it would've been better?

Aren't you glad you're not inside my head or my running partner? haha. Anyway. I am excited about having another day to recoop. YaY! Memorial Day weekend. 

How was your week of training?

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 :)

Japan Day 4M 2013

So clearly The Japan Day race is my jam. The 2011 race held my PR at the 4M (totally had to look that up- do you know your 4M PR?) and spoiler alert: this year's race holds it now! I definitely pushed the majority of the race and I'm really proud that I did. No one improves by just going through the motions, a lesson I'm learning from the many months of marathon training I refused to try to get faster in fear of getting hurt.

It almost felt like my very first race. I was nervous. It felt like the first time I ever met up with TNT to run in the park. I was terrified. I knew once I got out there and remembered what it was like, I'd be ok, but that didn't help me with the in between time. I was a mix of emotions all Saturday night. I was excited to get to lay my stuff out and get ready, but I was also trying to fight the "do you really want to wake up that early?" feeling. I did not miss that alarm clock going off at the ungodly hour. Get back into training is awesome. Let me tell you.

Originally I wasn't going to check a bag (just tie my shirt around my waist) but when it started raining, I knew I'd want my long sleeved shirt dry and ready for me at the finish. This also gave me a chance to experience the new security area. The bag check process for all races seems to have morphed into the same as big races- there is a secure area that you bring your clear plastic bags (no other kind was allowed in the area. If you had another kind, security asked you to put everything in a clear one that they had available for you). There are volunteers behind a table, who take your bag and hand it back to you. Gone are the days of wide open spaced bag check with volunteers checking your numbers match at the exits. I don't know if Rumsey Field is the permanent home for bag check every race, but getting to it can be tricky the first time.

The race was just the middle loop of the park. I knew I wasn't going to be a fan of Cat Hill before mile 1 or the 3 bitches on the west side, but it was nice getting reacquainted with my old training friend. I knew I also wanted to see how fast I could go on the road since I had been running fast on the treadmill. Even though it wasn't as fast as I was hoping, it was still an average of a minute and a half per mile faster than I had been run races, specifically during marathon training! It wasn't fast enough to hit my 10K PR goal, but it's a good start!

I would also like to thank the annoying lady who's goal throughout the entire 4 miles seemed to be making sure she was in front of me. I let it go after the first mile, but when I caught up to her at the end, I had had enough. It was cute how she tried to kick it up a notch at the end of the race, but since she had been pissing me off the entire race, I ran as hard as I possibly could and came out the victor; entirely ok that I wanted to vomit as soon as I crossed the finish line. Welcome back to racing, Abs.

Seeing as the race was also a part of The Japan Day celebration, there were a lot of food and drink venders around. The weather turned out to be a great day to hang out in the park.

What motivates you to run faster?

What's Beautiful

I'm so excited to tell yall that I'm working with Under Armour, thanks to Fitfluential, on their What's Beautiful campaign. Under Armour originally started this campaign to “redefine the female athlete by setting epic goals and pushing past where we’ve ever been and where we thought we could go.” I absolutely love everything that this stands for and I can't believe I get to be involved. 

Since the first 2 rounds were so successful, here is our chance! I've already signed up and picked a goal:

 PR at a 10k #iWill

There you have it folks. I put it out in the Universe. I think the timing is perfect, too- I already have a few on my calendar in preparation for Dumbo weekend. Seeing as focusing on getting faster has been a goal for me for awhile, I figured why not put it in writing and make it happen already?! I've been playing around on the site and I already feel empowered to kick some serious 10k butt.

Now, it's your turn- create a profile and accept the challenge. You don't have to be a runner or even consider yourself an athlete (although, you should!)- all you have to do is set a goal any goal and then kick butt at achieving it. Here's your chance to define what's beautiful!

Under Armour has set a bunch of fun challenges to keep you motivated along the way! I can honestly attest that it's a great community filled with lots of encouragement and makes me want to push myself to be the best version of myself; and that's definitely beautiful if anything ever was! Follow other beautiful people and cheer each other on. There is even an option to create or join a group for people who share the same goals or any goal you want to be a part of. With all these different ways to get involved, get motivated, be motivating and stay focused, I think it's an awesome way to redefine what's beautiful.

What goal do you have that you know you should just write it down and get over trying to achieve it?

** This post is sponsored by Under Armour & FitFluential. I am not being compensated for this post. All opinions are 100% my own** 

Dumbo Training: week 2

Happy Funday Sunday! Hope everyone had a great weekend and a great Mother's Day!

In an effort to keep myself more accountable for Dumbo Training, I've decided I am going to keep track of my weekly progress every Sunday (since all the cool kids are doing it ;) even if it means shaming myself into doing more. I feel like this is a good thing to help me focus and see what I'm actually doing vs what I think I am. This is the first time I'm switching up the old formula, so I'm excited! 

Since it's technically week 2 according to the runDisney Jeff Galloway plan, I will stick with that so as to not get us all confused. Sound like a good plan? 

Mon: Rest

Tue: 2 Miles/ 45 min PiYo class

Wed: Rest

Thu: 2.5 Miles/ 45 min Zumba class

Fri: Rest

Sat: Rest

Sun: Japan Day 4M

Yikes! There are a lot of "rest" days in there! Originally, I had this entire paragraph typed out with a ton of excuses but decided against it- because honestly, for me, that's a pretty awesome week if I do say so myself! Technically, that's 2 workouts on Tuesday and again on Thursday. What what?! It is week 1 of training for me, so I think I kicked it off quite well. 

How are you keeping yourself accountable during training for your next race?

KindRunner. Old shoes for new!

Don't know what to do with your old running shoes? Have I got the solution for you! 

Recently, I've gotten the opportunity to work with the soon to be launched site, Kindrunner and I'm excited to tell you all about it, because THIS is what you can do with your old running shoes!

Kindrunner.com is different from other running shoe sites for a few reasons. First, they have the Kindness Cash Rewards program. You send them your old running shoes (free, by the way. Their Free Three Way Shipping means you never pay for shipping- on new shoes, old shoes or returns!) they give you a credit to get new shoes. Credit for your old shoes- Sounds pretty amazing, right?

And those old shoes? They end up in the hands of shoe donation partners, including Soles 4 Souls, so that the shoes will get to those in need. This keeps old running shoes out of the trash and in turn, reducing the running community's impact on the environment. Did you know, average running shoe will not even begin to break down in a landfill for 90-100 years? Yikes! Me neither. Kindrunner also recycles all of their packaging material, and use UPS carbon neutral shipping just to make sure they're making their carbon footprint as small as possible.

On top of that, the founder and employees are experts in the running shoe world. They can help you decide what is the best option for you. Everyone at Kindrunner has experience running races, getting injured, coming back from injury, and they have all fit 1000s of runners with the perfect shoes for them. I'm totally taking them up on that now and will report back on how it goes! The site will also offer product review videos to help explain what each product is about.

Interested? You should check out the video on their site right now that also gives more insight to what it's going to be when it launches.

And they're already holding contests! Once their facebook page gets to 500 likes, they're giving away a pair of shoes to a follower and their running partner (both have to be followers) Also, from now until their launch, when you sign up for their email list, you'll automatically be entered in their "free shoes for a year" contest- what runner doesn't want free shoes for a year?!

Would you be interested trading in your old running shoes for new ones?

What do you do with your old running shoes?

Disclaimer: I am an ambassador for kindrunner.com and will be doing ongoing campaigns with the site. This will include reviews of products and giveaways provided by kindrunner. I will be providing my 100% honest opinion, per usual.

3 Things!

As requested, I'd like to share a really good NYC moment I had earlier this week. This happened on date night at New York Burger & Co. (ps- their sauces bar is amazing!). At some food locations (including this one), there are special drink machines that allow you to add flavor to your soda, like Raspberry Coke Zero or Peach Sprite (which I don't recommend, btw; but B loves it). Anyway, we had a nice little conversation with a lady who was so excited about the machine, she did a little dance. Like literally. It was brilliant! I don't blame her- when I drank soda, I would totally get excited about those special machines, too! And since I totally do happy dances in public all the time, it was only natural we would share a geeking out moment. It was a great NYC moment that reminded me of the human aspect of NYC. Sometimes its very easy to forget.

This weekend is my Dumbo Training kickoff race: The NYRR Japan Day 4M race! This will be the first time I've run in the park (or outside for that matter. eek!) in many months and that makes me super nervous! Now I know why I didn't take a break before this. Getting back into it is hard (que that violin, will ya?!)- I still can't believe how tired you get! Week 2 of me tuckered by Wednesday! Then I remind myself of my 2 favorites: "If it were easy, everyone would do it" and "It's not going to be easy, it's going to be worth it".

Speaking of Dumbo and being worth it, if you haven't seen these beauties yet, here they are:

(source)

I'm so excited about the Disneyland Half marathon medal, particularly because I've been lusting after it for the past 2 years and I can hardly believe it will be mine very soon! The color scheme and yellow ribbon were just an added bonus! Kudos on the branding, runDisney! The attention to detail on the Dumbo medal is such a Disney staple and I think it's beautiful- I forgive that the ribbon is blue for the awesome circus trim. I'm just a little sad those details fell short on the 10k medal. If it were in color, it might be different (maybe better for the 5k?) but I think there is too much going on. Hopefully it's just that it doesn't photograph well. Either way, I can't wait to find out!

What are your plans this weekend? Have you had an amazing moment happen lately?

WoW

I kinda love hills.

Great way to think about it.

Pre-registration for Solstice in Times Square

Happy Monday! Hope everyone's weekend went well. For someone who barely got out of the red on her NikeFuel Band (more on that later), I'm super tired. I did do a bunch of "spring cleaning" so my super neat other half doesn't leave me to make myself feel productive. I feel like next weekend, I'm going to have to switch out the closet, though. I'm a huge fan of winter, so it always makes me a little sad to put those clothes away. What can I say? Layers agree with me. 

In case you're in NYC and interested, the pre-registration for Solstice in Times Square is officially open. I just got the email and I'm super excited. I've been wanting to go since I heard about it 2 years ago. Last year, there was no way I was getting out there during a heatwave and the year before 7AM seemed way too early (and I think they only offered 2 times that year). This year it's going to be held on Friday, June 21st and there will be 5 different classes: 7:30AM, 10AM, 1PM, 5:30PM and 7:45PM.

I'm hoping my schedule will allow me to attend. I am supposed to be going out of town that weekend, so packing early and bringing it to the office early might have to happen. Getting up super early and toting a suitcase around midtown to do yoga with hundreds of my closest yogi friends just sounds like a terrible disaster. Maybe I should start doing that work out in the morning thing to get ready?

Have you every participated in a Summer Solstice/ Public yoga event?

How's your Monday?

Planning for Dumbo Training!

In case you were wondering: I survived Zumba :) In fact, I loved it so much, I stayed for the 2nd class! What?! I know. I can't remember the last time I laughed or even smiled during a workout. It was SO much fun. Originally, the size of the class was intimidating but once in it, I realized I like being surrounded, it helped make me feel more comfortable. The second class wasn't as crowded and it was a little harder. So, I'm sure I'll be feeling it tomorrow (Thank god it's Saturday!), I'm just exhausted today. I really hope it's a good form of cross training, because I can totally see it being a new favorite. And double win, it's a part of my gym membership. Score!

Dumbo training "officially" kicked off this week, according to the rD Jeff Galloway plan. Now, I'm having a bit of a dilemma with training plans.

A few months ago, this plan was posted online and it seemed to work out perfectly. I put it on my calendar and even worked in local races to work with it. It seemed to fit the previous training plans I've worked with, all being for beginner runners. Then, this Dumbo plan was leaked (currently, it's up the runDisney site, if you need it, too).

Oh, hello, possible Dumbo medal design? You're pretty :)

I was hoping they would have 2 plans (one just to finish, the other for speed), but it looks like the one for finishing in the upright position is it. This plan specifically says it's for "experienced runners" who have been running for more than 6 months- I'm assuming that means me, right? At this point, I think I can move from the beginner plans to the experienced- it's been 2 years, 2 full marathons and 13 half marathons. I think it's time I think of myself like that. Thanks, Jeff and rD for helping me realize that!

At first glance, it looks like it's a little light on the back-to-back long runs and alternates increased mile weeks. In the past, I've usually just continue to increase miles each week until taper. Since this time around I would really like to work on speed, I think the lower miles might help that- quality over quantity. A bit of doctoring might have to happen, too; add cross training (hello, my new love for Zumba!), speed work, and hills.

I also think I'm just weirded out because I'm starting fresh for this one. Previously, I had been piggy backing on my original base, which I'm sure wasn't doing me any favors towards the end. Hence, the much needed break. So, I'm anxious to see what happens this time around.

Anyone else following / have followed a Jeff Galloway plan? What do you think?

How are you training for your next race?