Dumbo Training week 9

MON: Rest

TUES: 3.5M "speed" work, which means I ran to the track, tried to run as fast as I could for a half of a lap then walk the other half. That turned into alternating quarter laps. I did 3 laps then ran home. 

WED: Rest

THURS: 2M

FRI: Rest

SAT: 5M- NYRR Pride Run

SUN: 5M- NYRR Achilles Race

Much better week! Since I was in charge of the dog this week, I came straight home and ran around the neighborhood  Of course, the week I had to do this, we have a heatwave. The pollen didn't help much either, but I got through it. I'm glad I got to run outside; I'll admit, I was getting too accustomed to the 'mill. I need to get reacquainted with the road, but I'll be so glad when August is gone. 

The schedule originally said my long run should be 8 miles this week (well, technically last week but we switched everything up, remember?), but I'm hoping back to back 5M suffices I guess we'll find out- next week is the "official" start of back to back runs- 2M and then 9.5M. . Yikes! 

How's your training going?

(3 things) marriage, marriage and where is the time going?!

First things first: Yesterday was amazing. Thank you, Supreme Court. It's very exciting and even better, it's NYC Pride! 2 years ago,  I was out of town when marriage was legalized in NYC (which also coincided with Pride weekend). I heard all the great things about the weekend and was bummed I wasn't there. The announcement was on Friday and Saturday was the Pride Run 5M. You can just imagine how amazing that experience would've been. But this year, I am so happy I get to be there and experience it for myself! Who knows?! I might even enjoy some of the festivities!- Just kidding. I scheduled another race for Sunday morning. Boo!

Speaking of marriage, I'm still exhausted from this past weekend's festivities. Nothing like going to one to make you realize exactly what you don't want to do for yours. I've always heard but just now noticing, weddings aren't really for the bride or groom or even their close family. It's for friends, not so close relatives, co-workers. . . the people who have no stake whatsoever. . how much sense does that make?! I just don't get it. Married people- what did you get out of your wedding? Was it worth it? 

(source)

Originally, I was going to bitch about the heat again, but can someone please tell me how it's already almost July?! Where was I for May and June? Is it just me or is the world spinning faster?! That JT meme is still friggin hysterical, btw. I don't care what month it is.

What's up in your world? 

WoW: Tricks!

This is definitely a trick I use and abuse- and it works! 

ps- it's a great day.

Influenster Spring Fever Vox Box

Spring Fever Vox Box!

I received another goodie-filled box from Influenster, this time the Spring Fever Vox Box. You can check out what I had to say about my previous Vox Box or go to their website so you can get in on it, too! As always, these are my own opinions. I received the product to try and tell you all about them. 

NYC New York Color Applelicious Glossy Lip Balm

Applelicious glossy lip balm delivers color, shine and moisture in one single swipe! The unique apple-shaped core is filled with Shea Butter, Jojoba Oil, Vitamin E, and Avocado Oil to give lips a healthy, irresistible look!

I was excited about this lip balm when I saw all the good moisturizing stuff in it that would make my lips healthy and happy. Then I noticed the color. The subtle hint really makes a difference. It's now my favorite, especially if I don't have time to put on makeup- and let's just be honest, I don't wear makeup on a daily basis. Now, lip balm- I have no less than 5 on my person at all times. They range from organic and nourishing to glossy and fun. But there's something about lip color and mascara can really pull you together, even when you're not. Bonus, it's around $4 from any convenience store. Who would've thought?

Secret Outlast Clear Gel: 

- No white marks: Formula is designed to adhere to your skin and resist rub-off onto clothing, leaving no white marks or residue plus effective 48-hour protection that goes the extra mile.

- Fast drying ingredients: Secret Outlast is specifically formulated to dry faster than other clear gels. 

- 48 hour protection Outlast is clinically tested to help stop odor before it starts, continually working to detect odor and wetness, ensuring coverage whether you’re sitting still OR on the move.

I'm sold. This, coming from someone who is always very concerned about smelling good. Blame it on my smoker days, but honestly is that really such a bad thing? I have a stick of deodorant everywhere- my bathroom, my bedroom, my purse, my desk, my gym bag, etc. This Outlast Clear Gel  definitely held up for an entire day (sorry, I had to reapply. . something about 48 hours and not reapply freaked me out too much) and even for a long run or two. I also reapplied it this past weekend at the wedding, with a black dress on, and there was no white! That's pretty huge. 

imPRESS Press-On Manicure by Broadway Nails

The revolutionary way to apply polish! Featuring advanced nail technology, you can get a salon-perfect manicure in seconds – simply peel off, press on, and you're done. There's no drying, a killer shine and a manicure that lasts up to a week! And, imPRESS is so easy to remove, you can change it up to match your mood as often as you want. Check out all colors and patterns, including trendy brights, classic darks and animal prints. With imPRESS, your nails will always be your best accessory.

Sadly, I cannot wear these nails on an everyday basis, but I did test them out for fun on the weekend. It totally threw me back to pre-teen times when I used to beg my mom to buy them for me. They really are a cute way to go faux fake nails without ruining your actual ones. Bonus, I got the super cute design that I don't know how else I'd get without spending lots of money at a salon for. They're definitely something I'd use for fun/ special occasions. 

Kandy Bar Kakes 

Light and fluffy chocolate enrobed cakes come in a unique kandy bar shape with a delicious créme filling made with your favorite candy flavors. Available in S'mores, Peppermint, and Peanut Butter flavor.

I don't make a habit of eating or buying sugar snacks but every now and then, it's nice to have a treat. I got the Reese's flavor and it was pretty much gone before I could even get a picture! I'm not normally a cake with cream filling kind of gal, but I am a Reese's peanut butter cup type of gal and the two together was pretty amazing. I'm pretty sure I'd be a fan of the peppermint flavor, also. It was very light, which I'm sure is what makes it so addicting and wanting more. Luckily, they only gave me one :) 

Schwarzkopf Professional OSiS+ Rough Rubber

- Innovative rubber consistency provides you with outstanding texturizing effects

-Versatile, moldable texture

- Separates, defines and shapes as you wish

- No shine, subtle matte effect

- Strong style control for thick hair, but not overburdening for fine hair 

Admittedly, I wished I had gotten the powder. I had no idea what to do with this rubber stuff. Well, as luck would have it, it became summer training. During summer training, I usually wash my hair at night (after I workout), braid it and wake up with fresh waved hair. One night, I let my hair dry more than usual before I put it in a braid and I noticed it had a really cute natural wave to it. So, I decided to try the trick I learned on their website. I scrunched it in my hair and it was perfect! Now, I do that but put it in a bun to sleep and voila! Seriously. I'm extremely fickle when it comes to my hair products, because most don't work on my really long think fine hair. This one is a winner, though and I'm excited I don't have to take the time to braid anymore. 

Do you use any of these products? Which one do you think you would? 

Dumbo Training week 8

MON: Rest

TUES: 2M and Piyo

WED: Packing (that counts right? :) 

THURS: Rest at a bar/ work outing

FRI: Run through terminals. . . travel day :)

SAT: 4M (hopefully- stay tuned!) UPDATE: yea, that didn't happen. The wedding was a 12hour marathon and the entire weekend was  jam-packed with events- so that counts for something, right?! I didn't realize how much stuff was going on and I wasn't even in the wedding! It was exhausting. We made it through, but sadly my long run did not. Being in heels that long should give me extra points, too!

SUN: Run through some more terminals- you think the Ohio airport has a yoga room. . . travel day :)

You see what I did there? I was so active, let me tell you. 

Portugal 5M

Wow. I did not realize that going clockwise through the park would be so hilly. . and worse hills, I might add! I always thought the 3 bitches on the west side were the worst going the other way. I was proven wrong on Sunday. At least it was just the lower and middle loops; no Harlem Hill, but it could've easily snuck in there on me. It was pretty brutal. The weather was a saving grace, though. It rained a little when I was getting to mile 1, but stopped. I'll take it; better than heat and humidity. 

I'm sure it didn't help that the first mile and a half I had a calf cramp. No thanks to the non-running week I had, I'm sure. Although, for not running AT ALL (except maybe to get to the Izod Center because we were super late to the concert) last week, I think I did pretty well. Not well enough to PR, but that's ok! I knew I wasn't going to, but I did want to push myself as much as I could. From now on I'm no longer just going to get through it. I'm going to challenge myself. How else am I going to get faster? Hope I can keep that thinking up.

I am a fan of tech tees. . .and compression socks! 

Thanks, Portugal, for the boost of confidence.

(3 Things) #sweat pink, suit shopping and out of town running

Earlier this week, I got an awesome email from The Fit Approach Team. I'm officially a Sweat Pink ambassador! I'm so excited about it. I think it's a perfect fit and I'm  honored to be a part of such a great community. Stay tuned for all the fun stuff!

This weekend, we will be traveling for a wedding. I'm actually looking forward to getting out of the city and getting dressed up, much to B's chagrain. We have had a doozie of a time with getting a suit. PS- I don't know about the Men's Warehouses around you, but I'd avoid them like the plague (or at least the one in Manhattan). I get better service from the Gap and I am not dropping hundreds of dollars on a tshirt. They really jerked us around when we were there to buy them. The kicker was when we came to pick them up: 1. they weren't ready and we had come a day after they were supposed to be. and 2. they wanted to charge us for a mistake they made. Luckily, the manager was very understanding and we got everything cleared up, but I'm still not ok with the service. Sadly, we don't go suit shopping to know any better, but we're glad it's over.

This weekend I am technically supposed to have an 8 miler on the schedule, but I switched it with next week (2 back to back 5 Mile races works, right?). Now, I need to figure out if I really want to do the 4 miler or not. How good are you about out of town running? There will already be a lot to do with the wedding, do I want to squeeze it in or not?

WoW: Sports massages

Just in case you need an excuse/ reason to justify!

Disney on the Road: Social Media Moms Celebration NYC edition

Last week, I was invited to attend The Disney Social Media Moms on the Road. The half day event, took the content from the official Celebration in Orlando and made it more accessible for women all over the country. NYC was their first stop on their multi-city tour. For the content of this post, I'm going to borrow the keynote speaker and CEO of Cotton Babies, Jennifer Labit's metaphor. Lots of "balls of information" were thrown our way throughout the multiple presentations and I'm going to tell you about the ones I "caught" that really resonated with me. 

Maria Bailey, Gary B and Jennifer Labit

First off, as a blogger, your blog is your business. It's your brand. If you're not already looking at it that way, you really should start. I took all the information from the day and related it that way. The biggest messages that I got were the following:

Having a solid foundation. Once you get your idea (for a business/blog/whatnot), you need look through and plan. What do you want to get out of this? What kind of mark do you want to make? and most importantly, what's your exit strategy? For now to be blogging/ starting a business about whatever you're interested in at the moment is awesome, but what happens later down the road when your business goes public or your interests change? Make your goals but also think about what's next once you reach them.

How much is enough? Being present is such a big key topic lately with so many social media outlets. When do you draw the line to be present in what you're doing instead of worrying about what's going on via the internet? Social media has turned into such a driving force nowadays, but as a person, you really need to know when it's time to be in the moment. Balance is key.

The mompreneur panel was a great insight on starting your own business and building your brand. There is so much that goes into coming up with a product and getting it created. One of the big key messages I got was you have to know your limits and when it gets to be too much, it's time to build it into the contract what your actual duties are. This really hit home for me, especially when doing freelance graphic design work. Kudos to these women for being rockstars and then sharing their experiences with us!

Sulley is always ready for his close up with the media!

Michelle Stepney, a contributor of the Disney Parks blogs, had a great presentation regarding dealing with the media. It was full of great information and the most important takeaway would be, once you agree to speak to the media, it's never off the record- especially with controversial topics. A good interviewer wants to tell your story, but your story should always have a hook for it to be newsworthy.

Representing Team #runDisney with Kimberly!

And it wouldn't be a Disney celebration without the announcements of the awesome new things going on in the parks! Gary B told us all about the new attractions for both coasts, including New Fantasyland additions on the east coast and the New Fantasy Faire on the west. We even got to see a glimpse of the Monstrous Summer kickoff; the 24 hour event in under 60 seconds!

Maria Bailey was an amazing host and panel mediator, offering tidbits of her experiences. She is extremely inspiring and very personable. It was great getting to meet so many inspiring women and bloggers. There were so many really good insights that really made me sit back and take it all in.

The event was a great experience for moms, and women in general, trying to juggle all aspects of life. I feel extremely blessed for the opportunity. Thanks again, Disney Social Media Moms and safe travels as you continue your tour. If you're going to a future event, have a blast! 

Disclaimer: I was invited to this event. I was not required to write about it, but I wanted to share what I learned because it was awesome!

NYCM 2013 and a run-posal

In case you haven't heard yet:

I'll be running the New York City marathon this year.

I already had my automatic entry for this year anyway, thanks to marathon training last year. If you're a NYC runner, it's really not that hard to run 9 of NYRR's races and volunteer for one (that's how you get the automatic entry). It's actually quite easy when you're already training for a marathon; they have races pretty much every weekend in season. For example, by the time summer is over, I'll already have 7 races under my belt. After last year's debacle, the PIC chose to defer her registration to this year, since she raised money through TNT and did not want that to go to waste, which I completely understand and would've done the same thing. 

When I didn't tell people I registered right away, I knew I wanted to do something fun to tell my PIC. So, when I heard about The Spirit of the Marathon II screening, I checked to see if she was in town and decided that's when I'd tell her. The movie was a great setup and it was far enough after the NYCM lottery, for her to believe I really wasn't running it again (I know. It's so mean. I'm terrible).

Normally, her schedule doesn't really permit me to see her often, so it was perfect. I wouldn't be tempted to tell her (I can't keep a secret to save my life!). She had asked me a few times over text or a quick visit to run the marathon with her, but it was easy to change the subject quickly. As my luck would have it, I saw her a LOT before the movie. But I prevailed!

Apparently, "proposing" to your bridesmaids is a thing nowadays (thank you, Pintrest!). I researched a bit and decided I was going to borrow the idea. I decorated a plain pen box in ING-esque colors and put a purple Under Armour headband in the box (since she's raising money with TNT. Appropriate, no?).

So, for those that actually propose, let me just say, I can totally feel you on this. It's super nerve racking! Trying to figure out the perfect moment can be tricky. Luckily, she set me up for a perfect lead in . . . something about how it's ok that I'm not running it because we'll be training together anyway. . . that's when I told her Funny, she should say that, because I had something that might help her train, and I gave her the box.

It was a great moment and I'm glad I decided to make the moment special. I mean, how many times do you get to run your first marathon? :) Even though we ran 26.2 miles anyway, I'm really glad we're going to be able to finish the journey together we started last year.

Wish us luck; I might need it! 

Spirit of the Marathon II: Thoughts

From the producers of the award-winning documentary Spirit of the Marathon (2008), this highly-anticipated sequel follows seven runners from around the world as they journey to the starting line of the 2012 Rome Marathon. Spirit of the Marathon II weaves the compelling stories of each runner - the trials and the triumphs - that paved their road to Rome. 

I loved that they revisited the runner's story through the eyes of different people and a different race. This time, internationally! Rome is such a perfect destination race. It was fun getting to see what it would be like to run it. 

(SPOILER ALERT BUT NOT REALLY- if you know history) My favorite part was probably when they gave you a deeper look into the marathon and the influence Italy had on it. If Mount Vesuvius would've never erupted leaving the country in no shape to host the Olympics, then they never would've moved to them to London, where they added the extra 1.2 miles (the queen wanted it to finish in front of the palace is the rumor I heard), and the marathon would still be 25 miles. Crazy to think about. 

They also showcased the NYC Marathon as the pioneer race of big city races. It's funny to think not that long ago, the idea of shutting down the streets of NYC for people to run through all 5 boroughs was crazy! Who'd a thought it would turn into what it is today?! The original course of the marathon was IN Central Park (4 loops), one of the runners said at the time, the amount of runners were so small, people didn't even know a marathon was going on! That is definitely NOT the case today. This part reminded me a lot of Run for your Life (the Fred Lebow documentary) which goes into even more details about how NYCM came to be.

If you didn't get a chance to see it on Wednesday, I highly suggest renting/ buying it when it comes out. It was definitely a keeper to add to the running movies library.

What's your favorite running movie? 

Disclaimer: I received passes to see this movie, but was planning on seeing it anyway. 
As always, all opinions are my own.

Dumbo Training week 7

MON: Rest

TUES: Broadway Bodies

WED: Rest 

THURS: Revolution in Motion: Slip-n-slide

FRI: Rest

SAT: Aerial Yoga

SUN: The Portugal 5M

Holy wow, there is not a lot of running in there. As previously mentioned, this week was crazy life busy on top of already committing to mixing my workouts up! I wanted to get in a couple of more classes off my Classtivity passport before it expires this upcoming week, so I had to sacrifice my weekday runs. I'm very interested to see how the Portugal 5M goes (stay tuned!)

Revolution in Motion was another first for new workouts. It was just me and the instructor so it was a quasi-personal training session. Yes, slip-n-slide sounds like lots of fun (which it is!) but it's HARD. I seriously sucked at it. I already have terrible coordination skills, as in none. But the instructor was super encouraging and I felt really good about myself even though I know I was terrible. I really need to work on my core strength. There were a lot of moments of me looking at her like she was insane. I tried everything she showed me but they looked nothing like when she did them. I followed the class by going on our adventure to Jersey to see NKOTB, Boyz II Men and 98 degrees. Who knew throwing a jacket and a scarf on and you can look suburban housewife chic?! 

Saturday's Aerial Yoga really wiped me out! I'm glad I got to experience it, but I wish I wasn't so prone to motion sickness. I got through it, including my fear of ripping the silk from the ceiling with my body weight and breaking a bone. Seriously. That took pretty much the majority of the class. The instructor was amazing and helped me with a lot of it. She could see the sheer terror in my face and assured me everything was ok, many many times. I did ended up swinging upside down and even doing a flip! But when it came time for hammock work (Mermaid pose looked so cool!), sadly, I got super dizzy and had to rock child's pose. After class, I was supposed to swing by B's work so I could bring home her suit for her sister's wedding this weekend. Let me just tell you how not fun it is navigating the streets of NYC with a bad case of nausea holding precious cargo. I do recommend this class, but definitely be aware you might need to chill for awhile after if you're not used to being in the air or upside down for long periods of time.

As much as I like mixing it up, I definitely feel like I get more out of working out from my regular gym days, where I can take a class AND run. I also like the anonymity of the classes at my gym- at least until I can built more core strength and not embarrass myself- all. the. time. Or maybe I'm just set in my ways and miss my old schedule :) This upcoming week is going to be a little different again- I want to get in another class or two and I need to prepare to go out of town- but I can't wait to get back to "normal". 

What's a workout you want to try?

(3 Things) Broadway Bodies, Oakley sunglasses and The Package Tour

So, apparently, I go one week without doing my usual 3 things Thursday series or make my WoW post special edition and my loyal readers (coughBcough) start a riot! So, today, you get 2 posts. What?! I know. It's exciting. So much is going on; so much to talk about! 
 

I took another class through Classtivity on Tuesday at Broadway Bodies. It was a super cute class that each week teaches you a different routine from a Broadway musical or from something in pop culture (i.e.- I saw on the website, the routine from Smash when they do Rumor has it). The class I went to was a routine from Bring It On, the musical. I met a couple of girls right away, who were really sweet and helped calm my nerves. It was fun and relaxing and a good way to sneak in a good cardio workout. If you're into Broadway musicals, like to dance (no experience necessary) and having a non-pressure workout environment, it's definitely a good option.

Top: Obsessed Middle: Commit Bottom: Urgency

I won a pair of Oakleys thanks to the Oakley Mini10k instagram contest! What?! You have no idea how happy I was. I had been talking about them so much, I'm pretty sure B was just going to buy them to shut me up. I'm hoping I can pick the ones I want, because as much of a fan of the Commits, The Obsessed would be better for my go-to multi-purpose sunglasses. Yet, the Urgencys were the instagram favorites. What's your vote?

Yes, This week has been a doozie. . . and it's not over! Yesterday, on top of all the excitement of the Spirit of the Marathon screening (which will get it's own post later) and the Oakley contest, PIC won tickets to The Package Tour: NKOTB, 98 degrees and Boys II Men! For tonight. At the Izod Center. In Jersey. And guess who's going with her? The things this woman talks me into! I have another classtivity class tonight (I refuse to pay the $20 cancellation fee)- so I will be going straight to Port Authority. Attending a boy band concert in spandex. . . how appropriate. Never a dull moment with the PIC, I tell you. Wish us luck! If BIIM doesn't play Motown Philly (Full house anyone?!)- I'm going to be pissed!

Are you a fan of schedules or spur of the moment plans?

Wanderlust: Yoga in the city, NYC edition

One day, I'm going to go to an actual full out 4 day Wanderlust Festival. Until then, there was a Yoga in the City event at Pier 63 in NYC this weekend so I signed the A team up for it. We decided to take the 3pm class- late enough that we could enjoy a lazy morning but early enough so we could enjoy the festival afterwards. Even though there was a few frustrating moments trying to get there (i.e. The Puerto Rican Day Parade holding midtown transportation hostage, Google Maps telling me Pier 63 was by Christopher St., etc, etc, etc.), once we did, it almost made me excited for summer events and even the idea of moving to the West coast (I hear stuff like this is pretty much every weekend all year there- can anyone confirm? I'd totally consider it if so!).

PS- it was super awesome. Even though I'm a newbie at yoga outside of my apt, I never felt intimidated (and there was some SERIOUS yoging going on! WoW! So much awe) or out of place. It was a really good atmosphere of people enjoying the gorgeous weather and their practice. I will admit, some of the moves the teacher gave us, I had never heard of. When I couldn't rock a pose, I moved back to what I could do. Downward facing dog and I became even closer friends. I looked around a couple of times and noticed a bunch of people were doing their own thing, too, so I didn't feel so bad.  

Even though classes were going on throughout the day, you could totally have made a day of it. People were chilling on the outer sides of the stage in the grass. There was enough space if you were waiting for your class or had already taken one, you could hang out and enjoy the festival.

After the class, we walked by the sponsor booths, enjoyed yummy (and some not so yummy) samples. The area got really crowded in between yoga classes, but we hung out until the next class started and it thinned out enough so we could check out the brands. My favorite had to be Planter's energizing trail mix (soo addicting!). 

We're famous! Thanks to Health Magazine's cute setup.

I really enjoyed the event and I look forward doing more fun things as the summer progresses. Who knows, maybe I'll actually enjoy the summer if I'm doing things that I'm supposed to be sweating for. 

What's your favorite summer outdoor festival?