So I don’t think I’ve mentioned yet but I won the lottery!

No…not that lotto (although I did win the lotto a couple months back – $500 big ones! Guess I’m pretty lucky.)

I actually have to pay quite a bit of money for winning this lotto but I’m still pretty excited!

I will be running the NYC Half again this year!

This race holds a special spot in my heart (cheeseeeey) because it was my first ever half marathon. Plus, the course is amazing!

The only problem is…I haven’t really been running. Like, at all. Between starting work full-time, the holidays & being sick – running has been put on the back burner.

But I realized that I found a sure fire way to kick start my NYC Training schedule. It’s actually pretty simple.

Buy fun, new running gear!

So on Saturday, BLC & I took our gift cards and went shopping in Manhattan.

Wanna see my new stuff?! (Also, someone decided that they wanted in on the photoshoot…)

Women’s Active Compression Leggings and Women’s Active Compression Jacket from Old Navy (hey there, Freck…)

Nike Rain Running Jacket from Macy’s (oh, Freck. Stop slouching!)

Yoga top from Lady Foot Locker – $9.99! (Can you spot the nose?)

GapFit gfast colorblock capris from Gap (Such a lady.)

This one actually arrived on Friday – through PV Body! PV Body is a really cool monthly package that sends a workout shirt & pants for $49.95. Most of their packages have a retail value of at least $100! Definitely a deal! I’d recommend checking it out (Freck liked it)

Women’s Active Stretch Pullover from Old Navy

She thinks she is a model. Actually, she was. That’s a story for another time…

So obviously all my new stuff made me super stoked for my first training run on Sunday! & I saved my favorite new outfit for the special occasion…

Pullover from Lady Foot Locker (love the green zipper accent and thumb holes!) and GapFit gfast Running Tights from Gap.

I woke up on Sunday, made some coffee & ate a banana with PB. (After putting on my new gear, of course!)

I also had some FRS energy chews while I waited for my Garmin to locate those damn satellites. (Freck thought they were for her.)

After about 30 minutes (no exaggeration) I was finally ready to head out on my run!

The day was gorgeous in Brooklyn (I even got a little warm!) & I barely looked at my Garmin. I tried to just run on feel & I felt great this whole run!

Oh running…how I’ve missed you!

5 miles in the books!

WHY DID I STOP FOR SO LONG!

Moral of the story:
Buy cheap, awesome running clothes. Renew your love for running.

Done and done.

Have you bought any new running gear (or fitness gear) to help kick start your routine?!

So I know you guys are just loving my recaps but unfortunately this will be the last.  Which is more sad for me than you probably – because it means that my RTB experience is really over.  I’ve managed to drag it out for a few weeks but all good things must come to an end, i guess.  I’m hoping my team can all get together some time in the future because I really had a great time getting to know them!  So…after a little bit of cheesiness – get ready for my last RTB recap!

If you want to read my first few recaps, please do!  (Recap 1 & Recap 2 & Recap 3)

I left off right before Van 1 started out on our last legs!  We were all pretty tired but really excited to be done & on our way to the beach.

By the time Dave started his run, the sun had come out and it was no longer dark outside.  Dave’s leg was short so we had to head out immediately to make sure we were at the TA for him.

While we waited for Dave, the RTB photographer caught Megan and I hanging out by the van (I may or may not have a toothbrush in my hand…).

Dave ended up getting a little bit lost so it took him longer to get to the TA than planned but luckily he called me & I got him going in the right direction.

Loretta quickly finished her leg and we sent Mecca off on her last 7-8 mile leg (she ran the most out of all of our teammates).

Mecca started out in this outfit (the RTB photographer apparently jumped out to capture this awesome picture) and ended up in this after she threw us all of her clothes…

Another awesome collage by Loretta.

Mecca handing off for the last time to BLC!  & BLC had his longest leg yet!

Brutal 7 miler that was mostly uphill.  But he was a trooper!  We met him at the half way point so we could give him some water and then we drove up to the 5 mile point.  While we were waiting, some of our van mates got some pizza at this little local pizzeria.  I waited for BLC to come up the hill.  When I saw him, he was still trucking along so I decided I would run for a couple minutes with him and give him some more water.  We chatted and he was really optimistic so all the anxiety I had about him being able to run without hurting himself was eased.  At that point I turned around and ran back to the van so that we could head to the TA.

When we got to the transition area, we decided to use the time to stretch and use the stick (another great thing to have on a relay!)

Loretta demonstrating proper stick technique.

At that point I was ready and raring to go for my last RTB leg!

It was hot and sunny (about 11:30a) when I started my leg.  I was so happy that it was my last leg that I couldn’t have cared less!  By the end of my run my legs were super tired though.  They felt like lead but I knew I just had to finish, if for nothing else – my team was counting on me!

At about 3.5 miles, I saw my team van on the side of the road and Megan getting out and into a car behind the van.  I was so confused about what was going on and since I was sleep deprived and my body was super tired, my mind immediately thought that I was going so slow that we were behind the time limit and RTB crew was taking Megan to the next TA.

At that point, I started sprinting ( or at least it felt like sprinting to me) so that I could make up the time I thought I had lost.  The whole time I’m thinking I let down my team – that definitely pushed me to run a lot faster.

This whole time I am running against traffic on this super busy road and no less than 7 Mack trucks drove by me and each of them caused a gust of dust to blow into my eyes.  So that was awesome.  Nonetheless, I ran that mile in about 8:30 min (when the rest of my miles were an average of 11 min/mile).  Way to finish, right?!

When I saw Megan at the TA, I was so happy that she was there.  Santa was also there cheering me on so that was nice.  I gave him a high five, slapped the bracelet on Megan and keeled over.

When I saw BLC and Dave, they explained to me that another team’s van had broken down so they had to wait for the other team’s runner which is why Megan was driven to the next TA.  So I wasn’t a failure!

At that point, I got into the van, chugged a Cheribundi & some Nuun flavored water.  Then I laid in the back seat with my compression socks on.

My body was hurting but the Pro Compression socks really helped.  In total, I had run almost 19 miles in 24 hours.  After not running at all for a month.  My body was very confused.  Thank you, body.

We went to the next VTA after passing Megan & cheering to meet up with Van 2.

Don’t mind my boots.  They were comfortable.  #sweatpink

BLC and I after running our first relay!  (BLC ran about 16 miles total.  He is awesome.)

Megan coming in to hand off to Isaac!

Megan done her last run with the marker I immediately thrust upon her.

Our check boxes on our van slowly being marked off…

Megan marking off our last box!

VAN 1 DONE!!!  <3

Van 2 before their last legs!!

After we wished Van 2 luck, Van 1 headed to the beach!

Arriving in Seaside Heights!
Once we arrived, every one used our cleaning products and changed.

BTW, these little wipes were super helpful throughout the relay.  While they were no shower, they really made me feel clean and a bit more hygienic   I recommend them for any relay or time you need to freshen yourself after a run and don’t have access or time for a shower!  Thanks for helping us stay clean, ShowerPill!

After we were changed and clean, we headed to the free (with registration) buffet provided by RTB.

Every thing was actually super tasty.  They also offered chocolate coconut water which is my absolute favorite.

After that we treated ourselves to a beer on the boardwalk.

Truly deserved.  Yum.
By the time we were done with our beers, Van 2 was arriving and we decided to wait on the Beach for our last runner to arrive!

Finish line on the beach!

When we saw Sarah, we ran behind her to the finish.  She did great finishing on the beach!

We received our medals and could say we officially Reached the Beach!

We officially finished in 31:42:18.  & we weren’t last!!  Woop Woop!!

This experience was like nothing I have ever done in my life.  I met and became close with some amazing people in a short period of time and I had an absolute great time.   There was never a moment when I wished I was some where else.  If you ever have the opportunity to run a relay, PLEASE DO IT!  I’m already looking for my next one

A big thank you to my team members for being  so great!  I really truly miss all of you already!

If you haven’t already, please read my first two recaps of my RTB experience (Recap 1 & Recap 2)!

So I just left off after I had woken from my sleeping bag slumber & got some coffee to prep myself for Van 1′s night runs!

& it wouldn’t be a 24-hour relay race without some reflective vests and headlamps, right?

Dave getting ready – our first night running ninja. If you couldn’t tell, it was super cold.  Hence the full body wicking & beanie

As we waited for van 2′s last runner to come into the VTA (Sarah), we all tried to change into our running gear because we wouldn’t have too much time at each of the TAs.  Being that it was super dark and we would be running on little side roads with very few light posts, we decided our van would hopscotch our runners for the majority of their legs.  Hopscotching is when the van pulls up about 1/2-1 mile ahead of it’s runner, waits for it’s runner to pass, then drives another 1/2-1 mile ahead of it’s runner, repeat, repeat…you get the idea.  With 4 out of 6 of our runners being girls, we knew that we would be following them closely, for safety’s sake.

Dave, me and some of Van 2 before Dave’s second leg.

When Sarah got to the VTA, we sent Dave off and chatted with Van 2 for a few minutes before we had to leave so that we could keep an eye on Dave.  Luckily his leg was relatively short and he wasn’t too concerned with the dark so we only hopscotched him twice before heading to the transition area for Loretta to get ready.

Loretta was amazing – she ran the most gnarly hill I have ever seen and even passed a chick!  She said it was better that it was pitch black because that way she didn’t have to see how much farther she had to go up this epic hill (btw – RTB actually referred to this hill as “epic”…if I had to run this leg, I’m sure my tumble down this hill would have been “epic”).

After Loretta kicked her epic hill’s butt, Mecca headed out on another 7-8 miler.  We led her in the wrong direction when we passed a route marker but quickly turned her around.  Sorry Mecca!!

After Mecca, BLC headed out on his second leg.

BLC had a longer leg with two pretty large hills but he did so well!  He wore his KT Tape and Pro compression socks – & managed 5.66 miles with no shin pain!  I’m telling you, if you suffer from shin splints, these products are totally worth the investment!

At about mile 4, BLC told us to head to the transition area to wait for him so I could get ready.  I used the restroom, put on my night gear and jumped around in the hand off area because it was sooo cold!  I was wearing my fleece lined running tights and my pink zip up running jacket along with ear warmers.  I chatted with the volunteers while I waited for BLC to head up the hill.  Finally, I saw BLC in the distance!

When BLC got to the hand off area, he had to transfer over a blinking light for the back of my vest, my knuckle lights and my head phones that he had been using (tucked into his beanie and not in his ears, of course!) so our transition was not super smooth.  We did get it done relatively quick – & I headed off into the darkness for my second leg at around 12:10a.

My legs were tired but I knew this leg was soooo much shorter than my first leg and I was a little bit scared running in the pitch black.  Adrenaline definitely took over.

The majority of my run had no shoulders to run in and very few cars on the road.  Thank goodness for my knuckle lights!  They were so much more helpful than the headlamp!  I even turned off my knuckle lights at one point to see how I would have been able to see with just my headlamp & it just made me more thankful for the knuckle lights.  Minus the few times I went to look at my Garmin & blinded myself with my knuckle lights, they were truly a life saver. (I just said knuckle lights way too many times)

While it was very dark during my run, I just tried to focus on not falling on my face and making sure I didn’t miss a route marker.  That focus made the run going pretty fast and I was running into the TA to hand off to Megan a little before 1:00a.  I handed her my blinky light and told her to take the knuckle lights – I wished her luck and ran over to the van so we could start hopscotching her.

I really wanted a picture of Megan running her night leg…but clearly the reflective gear would not allow for it.  That’s her, I swear.

Megan was a bit scared (understandably so!) so we made sure to stay pretty close during her leg.  At about a 1/2 mile till the VTA, we drove over to wait for her to come in with Van 2.

Loretta and I were really excited for Megan to get in so we could try to get some sleep!

Van 1 (minus Mecca who was sleeping in the van) after our night legs!  Yay!

After we were all done with our night legs, all we wanted to do was find a place to sleep for a few hours.  Unfortunately, the next VTA was about 45 minutes away…so we had to drive a little bit before we could just relax.

Also, we went to the wrong TA and encountered one other RTB van who was also lost & a group of people who were clearly drunk (it was 2a after all) dressed as a doctor & some sort of black swan.  Never a dull moment, I tell ya!

After all the hoopla, we arrived at the VTA.  Dave and Loretta said that they would go sleep in sleeping bags outside (saviors of life!) but because I gave my sleeping bag to Loretta, I had to sleep in the van with my towels as a blanket.  While I woke up a few times really cold, Loretta and Dave actually froze.  No lie.  Their pillows and sleeping bags froze along with a piece of Loretta’s hair.  I’ll take a cold van with towels as blankets any day.

I think we all slept for no more than 3 hours (& most of us did not sleep soundly) so when we woke up the first thing we thought was coffee and warmth.  Luckily there was a Dunkin Donuts right around the corner.  We went there to use their warm bathroom with lights (alternatively, we could have used the freezing cold portapotty in the corner of a parking lot with zero lights) and get some coffee and breakfast.

I got a pumpkin spice coffee with a bagel and cream cheese.  I forced down the bagel because I knew I needed fuel for my run but I drank the coffee easily.  Love me some DD!

After Dunkin Donuts, Van 1 headed back to the VTA to wait for Van 2…

& that’s where I will leave you for now

So where did I leave off?  The starting line! (Read my first recap, if you feel so inclined…)

Dave was our first runner (0501) and he started us off so well!  Even with the distracting Caveman beating his chest next to him.  Dave’s leg was super short so all of Van 1 had to head to TA1 immediately so that our second runner would be all ready to go when Dave got there.

Dave arrived quickly and Loretta was off!  She had a bit longer of a leg so we followed the yellow arrow markers, passed Loretta and cheered, then made our way to TA2 to wait for her.
We took the opportunity to decorate our van (priorities!) and drink some Nuun.

Obviously very excited for Lemon Iced Tea Nuun (my new favorite flavor!) and my awesome Nuun water bottle.  & check out that sky!

Megan and I had a fabulous time with the paint markers.  They became a very important part of the relay.

Mecca, me and Megan before Mecca’s first leg!

Once Mecca was off, we drove to the next transition area to get BLC ready for his first leg.  As I said during my first recap, our training was not the best.  More like…non-existant.  Plus, BLC has had some shin issues in the past so I was nervous that he would hurt himself.  It was definitely giving me anxiety.

But KT Tape was kind enough to send me some tape for BLC’s shins.  I was kinda skeptical but I had heard great things about KT Tape and I figured there would be no harm in trying it out.

So I taped BLC up real quick before Mecca made her way to the transition area.  We were literally still taping him up when we heard our teammates yelling that she was heading up the hill.  Luckily, he got to the handoff area on time and before Mecca reached us.  And he gave us a nice parting view before he ran leg 4.

BLC’s leg was nice and short – and his shins did not hurt at all!  He said it was unbelievable.  I will have him review the product at some point soon but all I can say is BLC ended up running over 16 miles total…with zero shin pain.  Miracle tape, for sure.

So after BLC rocked his leg – I mentally prepared myself for my first leg and my hardest leg by far.

BLC came into the hand off area at around 12:10p, I gave him a quick kiss and headed off on my first leg which turned into almost 10 miles according to my Garmin.  It was the longest leg of the relay.  Good choice, Alex.

But before I started, I made peace with the fact that I would run this leg slow and steady because not only was it almost 10 miles, it was my first leg.  So I threw on my music (I had to hook my ear phones to my sports bra because it is against the rules to put your ear phones in your ears during RTB) and headed out.

Right as I left, I realized that I had forgotten to put my bib on.  So of course, I was freaking out the whole time patiently waiting for my vanmates to drive by so I could yell to them to get my bib ready.

Finally, around the half way mark of my leg, my van pulled up and I told them to pull up to a shoulder and get my bib ready to be put on.  They drove a bit forward, pulled over and BLC jumped out with my bib and some water.  I put on the bib and drank some water with Nuun while BLC massaged my calves a bit.  I am a very lucky woman.  After I got my bib, I felt a little more at ease and kept on running.

It was a beautiful day (slightly breezy, about 55 degrees, cloudy – perfect running weather!) and the time passed quickly mainly because I had to pay attention to the route markers and lots of vans were passing by and cheering.  I even created a little game for myself.  I would wave to each car that would pass by & I counted how many actually waved back.  I was at a near 100% when the sun started shining in a way that I could no longer see into the cars as they passed.  I was pretty bummed to have to end my game…but at that point I was already almost 8 miles in.

I was super excited when I saw the sign that said the transition area was coming up because I knew that my next two legs would not be nearly as long as my first.  Of course, the last 800 meters was mostly uphill.  I had a guy pass me say, “What a cruel joke.  Uphill at the very end of the longest leg!”  All I could think was…hey, it’s almost over!

I saw Megan in the distance and I slapped that sweaty bracelet right on her wrist. (You’re welcome, Megan

I stretched for a minute, drank some water and then we all got in the van to meet up with the rest of our team at our first van transition area (VTA).

The one thing about a 12-person relay is that you get really close with your vanmates but don’t get to spend a lot of time with the other team members in the other van.  That was definitely a bummer.  But I did enjoy the time we got to hang out at the VTA’s!

Group shot while we were waiting for Megan.  (Clockwise from top left: Dave, Isaac, BLC, me, Mecca, Mike, Stephanie, Colleen, Loretta and Sarah.)

We transferred some stuff from our Van to Van 2 and vice versa, got to chat a bit and gave Van 2 some markers to draw on their windows.

Van 1 was very excited to see Megan heading toward the transition area because that meant we were all done our first legs!

Megan running down with another runner!

Loretta’s amazing collage of Megan‘s first leg and Van 1′s hand off to Van 2!

Megan and me after our first legs!  Happy to be done and ready for some FOOD!

After we wished Van 2 luck, we headed to a diner in the area.  Luckily, this was Mecca’s neck of the woods so she took us to a diner around the corner.  & it’s a good thing, because I was HUNGRY!

I got my go-to meal – eggs and hash browns. & as soon as Megan ordered a chocolate milk, you know I had to order one as well.

After we ate, we decided to head right to our next VTA and wait for Van 2 to finish their first legs.  Since we saw a couple other people sleeping out on the grass, Megan, Dave, BLC and I decided we would do the same.

I was so amped up that I doubt I got more than a few minutes of sleep but it was nice to lay down and relax.  Unfortunately, there was no way we could sleep any longer when a woman started cackling in the group next to us.  Cackling is the most accurate way to describe it, I swear.

At that point, since we were up any way, I got some coffee, used the restroom (portapotty) and changed into my leg 2 running clothes in the back seat of the van under my sleeping bag.  I am classy.

Until next time…

Hey, remember me?

Apparently it takes a Frankenstorm for me to actually write a blog post!

Just an FYI, this is not a real picture…yet.  BLC and I are working from home today – mainly because NYC decided to shut down all of their public transportation.  It would be super difficult to get to work without my beloved subway.  So now we are watching a Sons of Anarachy marathon, eating ice cream and I’m FINALLY recapping my Reach the Beach experience.

In one word, the experience was

AMAZING.

But I’m sure you all want to know all of the ridiculous details.  All 32 plus hours of it.

If you didn’t know already, in the month leading up to RTB: NJ I was working insane hours.  Like 15 hour days, 6 days a week.  Money was good but I literally had no life at all…and that included my training (or lack thereof).  But lucky for me, I got a new job and the Thursday before RTB was my last day of craziness.

Since I still had to work until 9:30p, my amazing husband, BLC picked up the van that I rented from Long Island on Thursday at rush hour.  Did I mention that he is amazing?

When I got home, I still had to run down the BQE to Megan’s place to pick up some Cheribundi boxes for the relay.

Cheribundi was one of our sponsors and they totally hooked us up with a serious amount of tart cherry juice for our team.  I wasn’t sure how much until I got to Megan’s…

Yea.  Each of those boxes contained 12 bottles.  Just imagine me in Brooklyn loading all of that juice into my little Versa.  Comical.

BUT I’m pretty sure everyone on our team was obsessed with Cheribundi by the end of the relay.  & felt much better because of it!  Thanks, Cheribundi!

Anyway, after my trek to pick up massive amounts of juice – I still had to go home and pack.

Packing for a relay is much different than packing for anything else.  I basically stuffed three running outfits into three separate ziploc bags.  Definitely a smart move because looking for clothes to run in is the last thing I would have wanted to do during my breaks.

So when we were finally done packing, BLC and I headed to bed because we had to wake up at 5:00a so that we could be on the road by 6:00a.

& that alarm came way too quick.  One of our other teammates, Isaac (who was wayyyy too excited for having driven 10 hours overnight with a half hour of sleep! but awesome and super speedy so it was okay!) met us at our place and we headed through Manhattan to pick up another teammate in Hoboken.

Dave (a friend from college) overslept a tad but we ended up heading out of Hoboken and up to Vernon, NJ around 7:00a.  It should have taken about an hour and a half to get to Vernon but we made a wrong turn that cost us about 30 minutes due to traffic that we got stuck in.  BLC was a trooper driving that giant van through the city and up to the starting line, though.  We ended up making it to the start around 8:45a.  Being late was definitely not the first impression I wanted to make on the rest of the team but what can ya do!

When we got there, we parked and headed to the mandatory Orientation.

We briefly got to meet the rest of the team but it was very quick since we had to sign our waivers, check in our mandatory vests/lights/headlamps (none of which I brought but I did make BLC buy me a 10$ reflective vest that i never even opened…so prepared) and then we sat down for our orientation.

Fun Facts.

After our orientation, we went to get our team picture taken very quickly because it was about time for our first runner to start!  Stephanie made us some awesome shirts to wear and Colleen bought some Jersey Shore-esque sunglasses for our picture.

and so it began…

I’m such a jerk but this has already been too long of a post and I haven’t even gotten to the good stuff

To be continued…

Why hello there! I figured you all missed me wouldn’t mind reading a blog post after silence for 1 whole month over here at Healthy Life Happy Wife. Plus, this weekend is going to be super exciting!

So here I am, at my lovely Financial District Starbucks utilizing their free Internet during my half hour break. Please forgive me if I spell some things wrong or lack perfect grammar…

To the excitement!

Friday BLC and I will be running a 200 mile relay through New Jersey with 12 other runners! It is the first Reach the Beach through New Jersey so there will probably be a few kinks but I’m pretty excited if for nothing else than to meet my teammates!!

BLC and I are well trained not prepared at all but still super nervous stoked.

Our team name is a play on the Jersey Shore MTV show (which I may or may not watch religiously – don’t judge).

BETTER THAN GTL: RES REPEAT (run, eat, sleep, repeat in place of gym, tan, laundry)

You can keep up with our shenanigans throughout Jersey by following our hash tag on twitter #teamresr or following me on Twitter (wink, wink) at Asutt.

Other bloggers on our team are:

Jamie @ From Couch to Ironwoman (our co-captain!!)
Megan @ Run Like a Grl (who I’ve met before and can’t wait to share a van with!)
Sarah @ Mom Running on Empty
Colleen @ The Chocolate Mile
Stephanie @ Live Like a Grrl

I feel like I know all of these girls already due to how much we chat on our Facebook group page but I can’t wait to officially meet & hang with all of them!

My plan: have fun & don’t die. (I aim high.)

I have not started packing yet but I figured an after the fact packing list would probably be better to post because when I inevitably forget something, I can make sure to tell you so no one has to make my same mistake

We received our approximate leg times so I will share them with you so you can think of me (& BLC) during our legs:

BLC: Leg 1 – 3.13 miles at 11:53a; Leg 2 – 5.66 miles at 11:08p; Leg 3 – 6.2 miles at 9:27a

Me: Leg 1 – 9.36 miles at 12:27p; Leg 2 – 4.24 miles at 12:10a; Leg 3 – 4.63 miles at 10:38a

(Please keep in mind I will be running next to a cemetery at midnight. Eek!)

Tomorrow BLC and I will be picking up the van & we will be leaving Friday morning to head up to the start! Wish us luck

Also, our team has some absolutely amazing sponsors so I wanted to give them a shout!

PRO Compression
Aspaeris
Cheribundi
Chobani
Justin’s Nut Butter
Nuun
Shower pill
Bic Bands
Tommie Copper

Give them some loooove because they are keeping us compressed, hydrated & full thanks!

YTD: 273/600 miles for 2012

While I was running my 7 miler (actually about 7.5 but who’s counting?) today, I decided there were a few people (places or things) that I would like to thank (or not thank) during my run.  And since I had seven miles to think of who I wanted to thank, this post was born.

I have a few people I would like to thank…

To the man on the bridge…thank you for pushing me to run faster than I would have up that hill on the Williamsburg Bridge.  I really just wanted to beat you but you were too fast.

To New York City…thank you for being so f-ing beautiful.  I apologize for the language but we’re all adults here, right? Just had to make my feelings about the city perfectly clear.

To Cyrus & Comfort…thank you for making this song much more entertaining while I run because I kept picturing dancing with Cyrus (sorry, Comfort).

Please – if you never watch any other video that I post, please watch this one!  It is amazing!  & it makes the song even better than it already is.  No lie.

To the evil gnat…no thank you for flying in my eye at mile 2 and not leaving until about mile 4.

To the man running topless in jeans…thank you for entertaining me during my descent down the Williamsburg Bridge.

To the East River Path…thank you for being flat, breezy and wonderfully packed with runners.

To the men practicing karate…thank you for not karate chopping me as I passed by.

To the Manhattan Bridge Overpass…no thank you for blocking my satellites and causing my Garmin to get all wonky.  I know I didn’t run mile 3 at a 14 min pace.

To my Aspaeris Pivot Shorts…thank you for being so comfortable, not riding up, and keeping my legs fresh.  You are awesome.

To the water fountains on the East River Path…thank you for being around and making sure I didn’t regret my decision not to bring my hydration belt.

To the RevHoney Energy gel…no thank you for being wayyyy too sweet for me & making my tummy hurt for a good mile.  You may have helped at the end but dang, you were like eating straight honey…in a bad way.

To Mr. Meteorologist…thank you for being wrong about the weather.  Instead of sunny with no rain, it was cloudy with a light drizzle for most of my run.  Wonderful running weather   Also, had you predicted torrential downpour I may have rethought my long run.  So, thank you again.

To my iPod…no thank you for not playing “Call me maybe” once during my run.  It is on my playlist but I heard songs twice numerous times without hearing my jam.  I literally had to manually play it at the end of my run just to hear it.  On a different note, thank you Carly for making a song I could listen to 1,000 times without getting sick of it.  Your song single-handedly helped me to finish up my run strong.

To Mr. Downpour…thank you for deciding to start after I was already finished with my run & giving me a nice, cold nature shower.  My sweat got washed off AND I got to save water.  I’m so green.

To the Dunkin’ Donuts next to my subway station…thank you for giving me a place to get out of the rain and provide me with a delicious iced coffee.

To the blister that refuses to go away…no thank you for being so annoying.

To the bodega next to our apartment…thank you for have six-packs of Coors Light for $6.  It was necessary and also, won me the award for Wife of the Year.

Deranged wet rat, home from a run with a six-pack.  You are welcome, BLC.  You lucky bastard.

Now I’m gonna go drink beer, watch college football & google how to dry running shoes.

Go Penn State!

Tomorrow is my long run so I figured I would let you all know what I do the night before a long run. I’m sure you’ve heard it all before – but for the one or two people that have been wondering how to prepare for a long run, you are welcome

1. Check the weather.

I like to check the weather first so I can figure out what I need to bring, wear & what time I should leave. Tomorrow’s weather looks perfect for an 8am run!

2. Lay out my clothes, fuel & shoes.

Black Aspaeris Compression shorts, Mizunos, running socks, Nathan hydration belt, Nike Dri-fit tank, Chapstick, Metrocard, money, keys, sports bras ( yes, I wear 3) & RevHoney Energy.

3. Hydrate.

All.day.long. Water (& some Nuun, of course.)

4. Compression.

Love my new white Pro Compression socks! Already had the pink & black – just tight enough without cutting off circulation! Official review to come

5. Charge your devices.

For me, that means my Garmin 305 & my iPod.

6. If you run with music, create a pump up playlist. I know I always get more excited for a run when I have an awesome playlist to listen to. Check out my previous playlists for some new tunes!

7. Eat some carbs!

In the mix:
Veggie pasta
1/2 pack TJ’s Soy Chorizo
1/2 diced onion
3 cloves garlic
1 can diced tomatoes with jalapeños
1/2 can corn
TJ’s Sesame Peanut dressing
Frank’s Red Hot
Parm

8. Set out coffee & something to eat before my run.

TJ’s Instant coffee

My homemade energy bar (normally I have a banana but…alas, none in the house).

9. Lay on the couch & relax!

With the pup…

While watching True Blood & SOA.

& finally,

10. Get your beauty sleep!

I know Freck will

What do you do the night before a long run?!

YTD: 263/600 miles for 2012

Sorry about being MIA. This weekend has been a whirlwind!

On Friday, BLC & I flew out of Newark to Ontario, CA.

We had to leave this little one with my parents I miss her already!

I wore my Pro Compression socks on the plane. I always have to have socks on when I travel so I don’t have to step on the floor barefoot through security. Yick!

We arrived late on Friday night (& totally surprised BLC’s grandmom!) and went to bed shortly after because we were exhausted.

I woke up around 8:30a on Saturday & hydrated for my run.

Nuun & TJ’s instant coffee! So necessary!

BLC drove me up to this path in the middle of Euclid Ave in Ontario, CA.

It is kinda a dirt road which was harsh on my legs. But what was worse was that the first half is a slow & steady uphill. I was dying by the end (it was 2.6 ish miles long) but was super excited to turn around & run downhill for the rest of the run.

Other than that, the path was really nice because it was tree-lined which provided some shade & the houses up & down Euclid are gorgeous!

My splits definitely reflect the uphill & downhill portions.

Mile 1 – 11:38
Mile 2 – 11:25
Mile 3 – 11:12
Mile 4 – 9:48
Mile 5 – 10:19

Super inconsistent but whatevs. I wore my SweatPink tank to represent on the West Coast & my amazing compression shorts.

#sweatpink

BLC & I went home, showered & got ready for my GIL’s 90th birthday party. I met a ton of distant family members which was nice & I think my GIL had a really good time. Overall, a success!

After the party, BLC and I got to hang out with his cousins who I LOVE. I also introduced them to my favorite shot (and may or may not have drank way too many of them…YOLO?)

Best pickles evarrrrr.

Pickle backs!!

We had lots of bourbon/whiskey/scotch & roasted marshmallows on the fire. I also attempted a cartwheel & fell on my face. Good job, Alex.

BLC’s cousin’s son challenged us to the ice/salt challenge which turned out to be a terrible idea…& also proved that women can handle a bit more pain then the boys

Don’t try it at home!

Here’s my battle wound. It still hurts. Another good one, Alex.

Now, this is gonna happen for the rest of the week

Woot woot!

What’s your favorite shot/drink?

YTD: 257/600 miles for 2012

So for the past two weeks, BLC & I have been training at the track around the corner from our apartment for Reach The Beach: NJ.

I have been loving it. I haven’t run on a track since high school & I’m so glad we finally headed over there!

Since I love it so much & now think everyone should find a track to run on – I thought I would give you my top 10 reasons why I love the track!

10 Reasons Why I Love the Track

1. You can run on them at night & feel safe because there are lights!!

BLC & I ran an easy 3 miler at 8pm on Monday at the track. It was perfect because the track was perfectly lit so there was no chance of tripping (which I am really good at) or getting mugged. Important things.

2. Water Fountains. I love not having to bring or buy water during a relatively shorter run or speed work, especially in the summer. Amazing.

3. People watching. I don’t know if this occurs at all tracks but at the track we frequent (for a whole two weeks) there are a lot of interesting people to look at. & I get to look at them over and over again because I get to pass them numerous times. Yesterday there were guys break dancing in the corner & a children’s soccer practice. Pure entertainment.

4. Better for your legs because the track is rubber and gives a bit more than concrete or asphalt. With BLC’s shin splint issues, this is super important.

My legs love you, Mr. Track.

5. You can run with others who run at different speeds than you & not totally lose them. So if you want to do intervals but your run-friend wants to run easy, you can both head to the track together & do your own thing & still be able to leave together. Easy peasy.

6. Speed work is much easier. Yesterday BLC & I did some speed work at the track. I ended up sprinting 1 lap, recovery jog for 2 laps & repeated 3 times. I love speed work & this was so much easier than having to keep looking down at my Garmin over and over again.

7. Passing people. Road kill. I definitely get passed plenty but it’s still kinda fun to pass people on your sprints on the track. Even better if you can lap them

8. Takes me back to high school track. I only ran track for two years & pretty much sucked but still. The track makes me feel a little nostalgic. Kinda. Sorta.

9. I am one of those people who absolutely loves having a tangible distance to run. I will constantly be saying, “Sprint to that post.” or “Slow down till the end of the bridge.” in my head while I’m running. When I’m at the track, I can accurately figure out how much further I need to sprint or recover. I also love knowing when I’m exactly half way done my run or when I only have 1 lap left. But that may just be me.

10. No pot holes or stop lights – and if you do fall – its a little softer than asphalt. I love not having to worry about falling or having to stop at every light.

& that’s why I love the track! I recommend if you’ve never been!

Do you run on a track? If so, what do you love about it?