My First 20 Miler!!

This past weekend I ran my first 20 mile run!  It was inspiring, and now I have total confidence that I can run a marathon.

My longest run prior to this was 14 miles.  In order to make my 20-miler a little more fun and a little less daunting, I made a game out of it.  I broke it up into four rounds of five miles.  Round 1 included miles 1-5, Round 2 included miles 6-10, Round 3 included miles 11-15, and Round 4 included miles 16-20.

The first 9 miles flew by.  I was averaging a 13:00 min/mile and feeling great!  Then around mile 10, my ankle/foot injury started to flare up and my knee started to ache.  At mile 12, I slowed to a running shuffle to help alleviate the pressure I put on my right leg.  Then I hit mile 16 and thought, “this is the home stretch!”  I had really slowed down by this time.  Then at mile 17 I got a call from my Dad and he was so stoked for me!  He cheered me on gave me words of encouragement and support.  He’s the best!  That gave me a total boost and despite my pain becoming more prominent, I pushed through.  Finally I was on my last mile.  By this time I was running really slow, averaging a 15:20 mile (When my right foot hit the ground, a jolt of pain shot up from my foot/ankle to my knee, so I had to shuffle.  Like I said, I was doing a running shuffle; but I never walked!).

I finished with a total time of 5 hours and 29 seconds (5:00:29).  I felt amazing!  My energy was up, my spirits were high, and finishing those 20 miles gave me the reassurance that I can and will finish the LA marathon.  A major part of finishing with ample energy was my nutrition plan.  My coach was awesome and provided on-course support.  I carried my gels with me in my iFitness belt, and my coach was there in his SUV to provide Accelerade and water when we needed it.  During my 20 miler, I took a total of 4 gels and drank some sips of Accelerade about 4 times.  For me, miles 12-17 were probably the most challenging.  During those miles is when my injuries really flared up, and it was also the period where I was achieving a new “longest run”.  At the end I was sore…my right foot/ankle hurt to walk, and my right knee hurt to bend…but I knew I had an ice bath waiting for me at home, and nothing could taint my spirits and happiness of this accomplishment.  Now I know what it’s like to be out there running for that long, and I’m ready for LA on March 17^th.

When I got home, my hubby had the ice in the bath ready for me.  I was so excited!  Ice baths are painfully cold when you first get in them, but I swear by them.  They help reduce inflammation and every time I've taken one my soreness the next day was minimal.  So I shivered my way in, and it was great.  On top of prepping my ice bath for me, my hubby surprised me with a massage appointment that afternoon!  He reserved me a deep tissue at our favorite place and I nearly hopped out of my ice bath with excitement.  He is the best, most supportive and loving husband in the world!  Thank you my love!  Let me tell you, that massage was the greatest one I've ever had.  She worked on my legs/glutes, and between the ice bath and massage, I was barely sore on Sunday!

Today marks 20 days until the LA Marathon, my very first marathon, and my Marathon for Mom.  I am running for the AA&MDS International Foundation, the foundation for the disease that my Mommy passed away from last March.  She was my hero, my inspiration, and my best friend.  I am running this in her memory to raise awareness and funds for MDS.  If you would like to contribute, please click the link here.  Thank you so much with all my heart.

Peroneal Tendonitis

Happy Friday!!!

Yesterday I had a checkup with my podiatrist regarding my shin splints and the horrible pain I was feeling post Surf City.  I was so worried it had turned into a stress fracture, but the day before my appointment, the pain was subsiding.  So I went in and we took some X-rays, and good news!!!  I do NOT have a stress fracture!!!  Hooray!!!  However, my peroneal tendon which is the tendon that runs on the outside of the ankle just behind the bone called the fibula, is very inflamed.

My Doc said in a perfect world, he’d like me to rest for 3 weeks and let the inflammation go down 100%.  He followed that statement with, “but I know you have LA coming up, so I am going to give you a cortisone shot today, rest for the next couple days, and you should be good to run on Saturday.  In the meantime, ice whenever you can.”

How does the cortisone injection help?
Cortisone is a powerful anti-inflammatory medication. Cortisone is not a pain relieving medication, it only treats the inflammation. When pain is decreased from cortisone it is because the inflammation is diminished. By injecting the cortisone into a particular area of inflammation, very high concentrations of the medication can be given while keeping potential side-effects to a minimum. Cortisone injections usually work within a few days, and the effects can last up to several weeks. (Source)

So he gave me my shot, and I was sore yesterday afternoon, but today I feel much better and I think I’ll be ready to run tomorrow!  I’ve been pretty antsy this week to hit the pavement, so I’m looking forward to tomorrow’s run!!

My VO2 Max Test

This past Sunday I got to do my first VO2 max test! I was so excited to get some real numbers on my body such as heart rate levels for aerobic, anaerobic, lactate threshold, as well as my VO2 max, which is basically how much oxygen my body consumes. I was curious how it was going to feel to run with an oxygen mask on my face, but I knew the workout was only going to be 10-15 minutes, or however long it took the computer to collect my numbers.

My coach put my oxygen mask on my face and connected the tube to some high-tech gadget that was connected to a computer. The mask felt heavy and awkward, and all I was thinking was “Good thing I’m not claustrophobic!” I started with a light walk, then about every minute or two, my coach increased the speed. Then he started to combine inclines with the speed increases. The mask was getting heavier and heavier, and it felt like it was pinching my nose. Around 9 minutes I was sprinting and it felt harder and harder to breath in the mask which was frustrating. At minute 10, I was done. In hindsight I could have pushed myself to run faster, but being my first time, I was ready to take the mask off.

So what were my numbers and what do they mean?

Aerobic threshold heart rate (burning fat; easy pace): 140-150
Based on the calculation I was using prior to this (180 minus age), I was at 154. So my actual aerobic threshold was slightly lower than I had expected, and this means I will be running at a slower pace to maintain that heart rate. My coach reassured me that I will improve and I will get faster, especially with speed work.

Anaerobic threshold heart rate (burning sugar): 160-180

VO2 max: 40.0, which means that 40.0 millimeters of oxygen per kilogram of body weight per minute is consumed. For a woman of my age, this falls into the “EXCELLENT” Fitness Level! I am pretty stoked about this!

I’m thrilled I have my actual numbers now. Here are my workouts and the corresponding heart rates:
     Long base runs: 140-150
     Speed work: 180 peak and 130 recovery
     Lactate tolerance training: 165 peak and 150 recovery
     Active recovery: 130

I'm so happy I did the test because I can really fine tune my training and run more efficiently. I know these numbers will improve with more training, and I look forward to seeing those improvements when I take another VO2 max test next year.

Great Training Week + a 13-mile PR!

Last week was a pretty awesome week of training for me. I kicked it off on Sunday, December 30 with my last run of the year: a 2 hour long run. The most amazing part of this run was that I ran the entire 2 hours without a single walk break! In the past during long runs, I’d have to scatter a few couple-minute walk breaks in. Not this time! I ran consistently the entire 2 hours and logged just over 9 miles. I felt great!

I kicked off 2013 with a solid one hour run on January 1st. It was so refreshing to get out there. I did see a lot of new faces in my neighborhood (new year’s resolutions perhaps?).

On Thursday, January 3rd my coach kicked my butt with 800s at the track. This was my first time doing 800s and man oh man are they hard! After the 4th one I was exhausted!! Luckily I only had 6 sets, but holding a faster-than-normal pace for 800 meters is no small feat. But I got them done! Needless to say, I was a little sore the next day and I loved it!

And finally, on Saturday January 5th, I ran 13 miles through 3 cities! I completed my 13 miler in 2:48 which was a PR for me {and no walk breaks!}. I tried a new gel called Accel Gel {vanilla flavored} and it was delicious! I took two of them during my run and they gave me the energy I needed to finish my run feeling great!

It was a great training week for me, and I know the coming weeks will only get better! 69 days until the LA Marathon!!

2013 LA Marathon Training Plan

Official training began this week so I thought I'd share my training plan.  Remember from my last post that this time I'm training differently-I'm training by my heart rate and running for a set time instead of distance.

In this plan, I've color coded the types of runs I have, which is explained in the key below the plan.

This marathon is very important to me because I'm running in memory of my Mom and to raise awareness and donations for MDS.  Please consider supporting me, whether it's $1, $10, or $1,000.  Every dollar counts and will fund research for this rare disease that affects less than 1% of the population.  Thank you from the bottom of my heart.

Training By Heart

This time around I’m training differently. First of all, I have a running coach. Second of all, I training based on my heart rate. I’ve never paid attention to my heart rate until now, and it’s been a fascinating learning experience. I’ve learned so much about myself just by wearing a heart rate monitor.

My training program is comprised of 5 components:

Anaerobic threshold (burning sugar for energy-this will carry me the last few miles of the marathon)
Aerobic capacity (burning fat for energy-this is the level at which most training occurs)
Motor skills development (brief, precise intervals that challenge neuromuscular motor recruitment)
Lactate tolerance training (train the body to diffuse the lactic acid accumulation in the working muscles)
Active recovery (walking, swimming, biking, etc)

Most of my training will be done below my anaerobic threshold (AR), which for me begins at a heart rate of 154. So I need to maintain runs with a heart rate of 154 or less, unless it’s a specific AR training day.

Last Saturday, I ran a test mile at my aerobic capacity (154 or less). It was eye-opening, because I kept hitting a heart rate of 170 and would have to walk to slow my heart rate back down to 154. No wonder I have never been able to run long distances without walking, getting tired, and ending up running super slow. I was never running efficiently for my body. And now I’m learning how to do that by listening to my heart. Right now in order to maintain a 154 or less, I have to run very slowly and many times my heart rate shoots into the 160s-170s and I will have to walk to slow it back down. It’s a little frustrating, but my coach tells me everyone who trains this way experiences this in the beginning. Over time, I will be able to run faster and consistently at my heart rate of 154 without it unintentionally shooting over. I definitely notice a difference though…I am able to run for 1.5-2 hours without stopping, because I’m running efficiently for my body.

I’m sure this all sounds complicated. It is! I’m still learning, but it’s very exciting! I’m seeing a vast improvement, and I’m eager to see the changes in my body and my running capabilities as my training continues.

Do you train with a heart rate monitor?  What's your feedback?

129 Days To LA!

The LA Marathon is just under 19 weeks away!! Wahoo!!!

I have been training with my coach for about a month now, and I am so happy with my improvement. When I first started running with him, I couldn’t run longer than 15 minutes (I hadn’t been running much at that point so I wasn’t conditioned at all for running). Now I’m up to 47 minutes. Honestly, I believe I could run for longer, however last week my old IT band injury flared up around minute 40. Remembering how bad it got in 2010 when I injured it, I’ve taken this past week very easy and have been nursing my knee (ice, elevation, foam rolling, etc). I’m also taping it which helps tremendously (Rocktape is my new obsession). Tonight I have a track workout with my coach and my knee feels good and ready to go. I just need to remember to foam roll and ice it after every single workout especially since soon I’ll be getting into the long runs!

T-minus 129 days!

Three Things Thursday!

1.  Marathon training: I began marathon training for the LA Marathon, and I’m glad I started early. After a gait analysis, I learned that I am an over-strider and a heel striker. Both not good. Now I know why I’ve had knee/IT band issues. So the benefit of beginning to train nearly 5 months out is that I can take the next month to focus on my form, especially mid-foot striking. I’m working with my coach 3x/week and it’s great! He is full of knowledge and I am confident I will be in the best mental and physical state I can be in by the time March 17, 2013 rolls around.

2.  New addition to the fam: No, I’m not pregnant. Yes, hubby and I brought home a new puppy! Hubs and I have been entertaining the idea of a 2nd dog for a few weeks. Well, last weekend we brought home a little girl and she is the cutest thing.  Her name is Juno and she is the sweetest little cuddle bug. Rugby loves her, and they get along so well!  Pics to come soon!

3.  Deliciousness: I’ve been cooking up a storm lately! My most recent creations are a Sweet Potato Jalapeno soup, herb and lemon pork loin, pesto chicken, paleo pancakes, and more. Everything is so delicious. Tonight my wonderful parents-in-law are coming over for dinner and to meet their new grandpuppy, and I’m making tequila chili chicken, butternut squash, and an arugula salad with walnuts, avocado, goat cheese, and apples. Yum!

Happy Thursday!

Training for the LA Marathon with Coach Chris & A Natural Running Network

As you know from my previous posts, I am running my very first marathon, the LA Marathon in March 2013!  The Aplastic Anemia and Myelodysplastic Syndrome International Foundation is sponsoring me, and I am running to raise awareness and funds for this rare blood and bone marrow disease that my mom passed away of this past March.

I know it is going to be battle both mentally and physically.  I am ready for this challenge and I am pulling my strength from Mom, the strongest person I’ve ever known.  I want to do this right, I want to do it well, and I want to finish strong for Mom.  So when a coworker of mine told me about Chris at A Natural Running Network and how he coached him to his first marathon, I immediately reached out to Chris.

We chatted about his training philosophy and what my training plan would look like.  That’s the key right there…what my training plan would be.  Yep, he will be my personal coach on this endeavor.  He will test my heart rate and gait, and make adjustments to my form to help me run most efficiently, and he is going to build a plan specifically for me and my ability to best reach my goal (to finish STRONG).  Additionally, we will train together 3x per week!  I’m stoked about this because he will hold me accountable.  If I have a 14 miler and I don’t feel like waking up, I HAVE to because my coach is waiting for me.  Some people might say that’s dumb, but I know myself and I want that accountability.  And we kick off training NEXT WEEK!  I am beyond excited for LA and I know Chris will help me reach the finish line feeling strong, healthy, and successful!  I’m not saying it’s going to be easy, but I know I’ll be the most prepared I can be when race day comes.

Another motivating factor for kicking ass at LA is that my bestie has signed up to run it with me!!!!  We will be running our first full marathons together!!  And we’re both running for wonderful causes (me for MDS and she for pediatric cancer).  Bring on LA and let's kick cancer's ass!

Please feel free to support me on my journey to my first marathon to fight MDS.  Every dollar counts!  Thank you.

Do you guys have any marathon training advice for a newbie?

Weddings + bday + triathlon training & more!

Gosh it has been a long time since I’ve blogged!  So many things have happened since my last post:

1.  One of my dearest friends in NY got married!

2.  My future Sis had her bachelorette weekend in Vegas!

3.  My husband is amazingly thoughtful and “kidnapped” me on my birthday!  He wanted to make it special since it was my 1^st one without Mom, so he told me to take the day off of work because he had a day of adventure planned.  I woke up to a fuzzy pink tiara (I’ve worn a tiara on my birthday every year since I was 16, and of course when I was a kid, but yes, I do it now as an adult!), and two boxes from my favorite store (Nordstrom).  Inside one was the cutest pink and white silk romper, and in the other was a perfect pink purple and white silk dress!  I put on the romper, and he took me to Disneyland!!!  Despite having passes for years, I’ve never been to the happiest place on earth on my actual birthday.  We went early and rode every ride I wanted to, enjoyed corn dogs (Disneyland’s are the BEST!), and scoped out the new Cars Land over at CA Adventure.  THEN, he took me to see the movie Brave, which was so great!  Afterwards, we went home, cooked dinner together and sat on our patio all evening talking, laughing, and listening to music.  It was the best day ever!!  Then on Friday we celebrated with the rest of my family and went to an amazing dinner at Fuego on the water!  Thank you to everyone who made my 26^th birthday so special!  And Mom, I know you were right there celebrating with us :)

4.  I started training for my 1^st triathlon, and week one has been very successful!  The other day I was supposed to cycle 5 miles, but ended up going 20 miles (I was in the zone, what can I say :) ).  I’ve been cycling for most of my cardio, so this week I’m getting back into running and it’s been good!  Here is a recap of week 1 for my tri training:

Day	Scheduled Training	What I Actually Did
Mon  7/2	Rest	Rest
Tues  7/3	Run 15 minutes	Ran 15 min + walked 1 hour
Wed  7/4	Bike 5 miles	Biked 20 miles + 1 hr yoga
Thurs  7/5	Swim 200 yards	Rest (came into office @ 7am then had class until 10pm)
Fri  7/6	Rest	Ran 15 minutes
Sat  7/7	Run 15 mintues	Rest
Sun  7/8	Bike 5 miles	Biked 16 miles + 1 hr yoga

For my birthday, my Dad gave me cycling shoes!  I tried them out on Wednesday and they are AMAZING!!  They totally take the pressure off the top of my foot where the strap would go over your sneakers.  I am so stoked to train with them!

5.  We celebrated the 4^th of July with a BBQ and taking our Duffy boat out around the bay.  I’ve never seen the beaches so packed (people were squished like sardines)!

6.  Sean and I saw Cirque du Soleil’s “Iris”, a Journey through Cinema, with our best friends David and Lisa! The show was sensational!  It made me want to become a dancing acrobat contortionist!  Those guys and gals are talented!!

More great things to come!! :)

Signed up for my first Triathlon!!!!

I signed up for my first triathlon!!  I'm bursting at the seams with excitement!  It's on my 30-before-30 list, but I didn't think I would do it this year until my friend told me she was going to sign up and that we should do it together!  No convincing necessary!  Done deal!  So yesterday I signed up for the Long Beach Triathlon!

And to make things even more exciting, two others are doing it with us, and it’s all our first tri!!  I have pretty much everything (running gear, swimsuit, goggles, cap) and I'm going to borrow my Dad's road bike.  So I really just need to get a helmet and a wet suit.  If anyone recommends any tri wet suits, please let me know!  

Here is the training plan we are going to use, courtesy of TriNewbies.com:

I also reached out to my blogging buddy, Ms. Efo, for any tips/advice since she ran her first tri last summer.  She gave me some great tips.  Thanks Erin!!  I really appreciate it!!

If you guys have any advice or tips for a tri newbie, please let me know in the comments or email me at Love 2 Mags (@) gmail dot com.  I'd really appreciate it!


Weeeeeeee!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! :-D

Stronger

This morning's run was even better than yesterday's :)

Serenity

This morning I ran a good, solid, peaceful three miles.  There was a heavy cloud cover so it wasn’t too cold.  I set out just as the sun was rising (which I couldn’t see due to the cloud cover) and everything seemed so quiet and still.  All I could focus on was the steady beat of my feet hitting the pavement and the *surprisingly* calm and steady sound of my breath.  That’s right.  My breath was every so steady the entire run.  I don’t think I’ve experienced that in ages!  Towards the end of my run, the wind picked up…against me…and of course I was going up hill.  I was in my happy place though and it didn’t seem to phase me.  I cruised up the hill, wind pushing against me just focusing on my stride and breath.  Before I knew it, 3 miles were in the bag!

Don’t you just loves runs where everything is so serene and before you know it, you’re done and thinking, “Wait, that was __ miles?  Impossible.  I could run for __ more!”

Happy Wednesday!

9 miler + Happy Halloween!

Yesterday's 9-miler can be summed up with this graph:

It started out rough, slow, and sluggish, but I pushed through and just enjoyed the beautiful sunshine-y morning.  Around mile 3 my knee started to hurt.  I knew this would be my longest run in a while and I didn't want to risk another ITB injury, so I stopped and stretched my IT band and legs.  After that I felt great!  Miles 4, 5 and 6 ticked by and I was feeling great!  Then around mile 7, my legs started to tighten and tire.  I only had a few more miles to go and decided to throw in some short walk breaks (about 1 minute every 5-10 minutes).  Finally I made I saw my house and sprinted the last bit home.  My legs weren't happy with me, but post-run foam rolling helped a ton!  I'm really happy with myself that I got it done :)

And of course, today is *HALLOWEEN!!!*  Tonight will be spent studying for my midterm on Wednesday, but the girls I work with and I did dress up at the office today.  Can you guess what we are?

You can't really tell, but I'm even wearing my old retainer!!!

I'll give you a hint:

Happy Halloween!!!!

Surf City 1/2 Training Plan

I started training for Surf City ½ a couple weeks ago.  I opted for a longer training plan to really build my foundation.  This plan also has a significantly longer “long run” compared to other plans I’ve followed, with the longest run being 17 miles.  I know it seems a little crazy, but I think if I stick with this, I can train my body to run distances more efficiently, and when the 13.1 that is Surf City comes, I’ll be more than ready!

It’s quite simple.  I run Tuesdays and Thursdays for 45 minutes, and Saturdays are reserved for my long run.  My long runs are as follows:

Week 1:  5 miles (DONE)

Week 2:  6 miles (DONE)

Week 3:  4 miles (turned into 6 miles with my dad!)

Week 4:  7 miles

Week 5:  4 x 800s on the track

Week 6:  9 miles

Week 7:  6 x 800s

Week 8:  11 miles

Week 9:  8 x 800s

Week 10:  13 miles

Week 11:  10 x 800s

Week 12:  15 miles (I might sign up to run the Holiday ½ in Pomona, and tack on two miles before that…I’m still debating)

Week 13:  HONEYMOON!!!!

Week 14:  4 x 800s

Week 15:  17 miles (this might come down to 13 or 15…we’ll see)

Week 16:  14 x 800s

Week 17:  11 miles

Week 18:  8 miles

Week 19:  5 miles

Week 20:  SURF CITY ½ MARATHON!!  13.1 miles!

I’m really excited about this training plan, and very happy with it so far (I might be singing a different tune after some of those long runs!)!  On top of running 3x a week, I’m going to the gym Mon/Wed/Fri to get in my strength training.  Sunday is my rest day :) 

So, there you have it!  My training schedule for the next 20 weeks!

What races do you guys have coming up?  What kind of training plans do you follow?

Three Things Thursday!

1.  I've been working out so much and it feels great!!  I'm still not running as much (I'll get to that in a second), but I'm working with my trainer, and taking fitness classes and practicing yoga with my cousin.  I've been praticing yoga for a while now at my nearby yoga studio, and recently one of my coworkers put together a yoga group at work!  We had our first session this week and it's for an hour after work one night a week, mainly focusing on stretching, flexibility, breathing and relaxation.

2.  T-minus ONE MONTH 'til the Disneyland half marathon!  Yesterday I got an email with the "Final Race Instructions" and thought, 'Holy cow, it's nealry here!  Have I been training?  Not so much.'  I'm so excited about it though, especially since Sean and I ran the Disneyworld Half in Florida in January!  But I will need to implement some kind of walk/run ratio, more heavily weighted on the walk portions.  Which brings me to #3...

3.  I have a training plan!  Enough whining from me about how I don't have enough time to run.  I am going to make time even if it's only for 2 miles.  I like to follow a plan because it keeps me focused, so I put together a very simple 10-week training plan with runs 3x a week:  Mon & Wed - easy runs, Sat - long run

It's pretty simple and I have confidence I can make time for the miles.  When I built this plan yesterday (after receiving the Disneyland email), I scoped out the calendar and the Long Beach Marathon happens to be 10 weeks from now.  So I am "training for that" but as of right now I have no intention of running it this year...but ya never know!

So that's that!  Lots of activity, lots of endorphins, lots of happiness...and now, a lot more running!!!

Building my base with a plan!

Yesterday I found myself toying with the idea of running Long Beach again, even though my focus is not on longer races this year. I started thinking about running the LB ½ again for redemption, because I TOTALLY hit the wall last year (I did finish though!). Worst.Race.Ever. But then my vivid imagination ran wild with that idea and I started thinking about running the full! I thought about it to the point where I actually built a training plan…a full fledged full marathon training plan. Hmm.


Reality soon sank in when I saw some midweek runs of 8+ miles. I don’t have that kind of time. Between working 40-70 hours a week and going to grad school 6 hours a week + allotting an additional 8-10 hours of studying, my “extra” time is quite limited. My free time right now is mostly spent planning Sean’s and my beautiful wedding (we just got our invitation proofs today and they are G-O-R-G-E-O-U-S!!!), then getting some runs in and working out with my trainer, and maybe hanging out with the fam and friends. Where would I fit a midweek 10-miler in?! I wouldn’t.


I realized what was behind this drive (aside from the fact that I indeed want to and WILL run a fully mary one day) and why I built a training plan for something I won’t do until next year (did I say that out loud? ;) ) Well, here it is: I realized I’m the kind of person who needs a training plan. I need a goal, something to work towards. Without a goal I’m just moving. I want to be moving towards something. It keeps my running on schedule with all the busy aspects of my life. It helps me focus and stay focused. With that said, I built myself a nice little plan for the next couple months. It’s what I call my “base-building” plan:

I have a couple 5K’s coming down the pipeline, two of which I mentioned here, and I just signed up for the Pediatric Cancer Research Foundations Cinco de Mayo 5K on May 1st which will be super fun! I’m also planning on running the Palos Verde 5K then cheering on Kristy, Penny, and Lauren as they run the half marathon!

Do you follow a running schedule or just go with the flow and run?

Happy Fat Tuesday!

Happy Fat Tuesday!!!!

Fat Tuesday refers to the "practice of the last night of eating richer, fatty foods before the ritual fasting of the Lenten season, which begins on Ash Wednesday" (Wikipedia), which is tomorrow!

Tonight I won’t be celebrating Fat Tuesday with the indulgence of “richer, fatty foods” but rather with meeting my interior designer at my fiancé’s and my new house! We bought a house! Weeee!!! I’ll share more in another post down the road ;)
So what I am doing for Lent this year?

Last year I added meditation to my daily routine. In the past, I have given things up like alcohol (and during college no less!), sweets, etc. This year I am combining giving something up with adding something into my routine.

This year for Lent, I will abstain from:
1. Coffee (I usually have an espresso in the morning)
2. Chips (I don’t have a sweet tooth, but my lack of sweet tooth manifests in salt-craving form, i.e. chips!)

In addition to abstaining from both coffee and chips, I will:
• Run 3 days/week
• Cross train with my trainer 2 times/week
• Commit to at least 20 minutes a day of walking/running/cardio (even on “rest” days)
• Clean out my closet and donate clothes
• Clean out my bookshelf and donate books to the Library
• Add more vegetables to my diet (I already eat a lot, but I could eat more)
• Read a book for pleasure (this becomes a challenge with work & grad school)
• Donate $$$ to fight breast cancer
• Not shop online


Have a happy and safe Fat Tuesday, and happy Lent-ing!

<3

NYC birthday surprise!!

I’m going to NYC this weekend!!!!  I’ve known about it for months now, but haven’t been able to say anything because it was a surprise.  Sean and I are going with our best friends David and Lisa.  It’s David’s big 25th birthday and Lisa wanted to surprise him with a weekend getaway in New York.  When she asked me and Sean to join the festivities, we shouted “OF COURSE!”

NY is my second home (I lived there for 4 years during college and go back several times a year for work and for fun to visit my roomies).  And Christmastime in NYC is absolutely magical.  The tree in Rockefeller Center is up and the entire city is decorated with lights.  One thing we’re doing, which I am TOTALLY pumped for, is ice skating in Rockefeller.  It’s always been a dream of mine, and I never did it when I lived there.  I suppose as a pseudo-New Yorker it was “too touristy and crowded,” especially to wait 3 hours. Lucky for us, one of my roommates knows someone who works there and got us VIP tickets – that means no lines!

One of my favorite things about New York is the restaurant scene.  I am a huge foodie and I love great food and wine.  We are beginning with Saturday brunch at Bobby Flay’s Bar Americain. I love Bobby Flay and I’m really looking forward to experiencing this restaurant. When Sean and I went to Mesa Grill (a Bobby Flay restaurant) over the summer, it was one of the best meals we had.  Then that evening for David’s birthday dinner, we’re going to the fabulous Bistro Moderne. Chef Daniel Boulud is one of my favorite chefs and I absolutely love his other restaurants.  This is going to be a real treat :)

On the running front, I have a 2 hour long run scheduled for Saturday.  It’s going to be cold with a 44/29 (high/low).  Since I’ve never run in this kind of weather before I was unsure what to wear.  I used my handy-dandy Runners Ally iPhone app cleverly called “What to Wear” and came up with running tights, a long sleeve, a jacket, gloves, and a beanie.  Lisa is going to join me on the long run, so we’re shooting on getting an early Central Park run in before brunch.  It’s going to be quite chilly, but at least we’ll be running together!

Speaking of traveling and working out, a while ago I came across a quick and easy routine to do in your hotel room.  It’s simple and requires no equipment making it ideal for doing on the road.  You should be able to do three to four rotations of this in no more than 15 minutes:
25 jumping jacks
25 sit-ups
25 body squats
25 push ups
25 lunges

Have a wonderful weekend!

xoxo

Awesome 8-miler + Family Festivities!

This past weekend was quite an eventful one! I woke up Saturday morning at 6:30am to meet up with Sole Runners after a fabulous Friday night dinner in Laguna Beach with a girl friend of mine. It was pouring Saturday morning, but made for a cool and adventurous run. I met up with my group around 7:20am and after doing our body looseners (warm ups) we took off, already drenched from the rain! I had a 1 hour 40 min run on my LA Marathon training plan, and it was the best run I think I’ve ever had! I ended up running 8 miles, and usually on longer runs like that I will take a walk break to drink water or eat my Sharkies. But this time, I never stopped! I felt like the energizer bunny and it was incredible! I kept a really easy pace (12-13min/miles) and I think the cool weather helped mask any fatigue I may have had.


After such an incredible run, my day only got better! My big brother, sister-in-law, and two nephews arrived for the holidays. I picked them up at LAX and first things first – we stopped at In-N-Out! That night we had a birthday party for my big brother at the house, and when the family gets together (there were 25 of us, some cousins couldn’t make it otherwise it would have been more) we are loud, crazy, and totally fun! I think we were up until 2am talking, laughing, and listening to the Beatles!


Then Sunday I was busy with homework and working on a paper before going to school to meet my study group. Luckily it was a rest day on the training schedule because my hamstrings were really tight and sore. But on the downside, I didn’t hit my 20 mile mark for the week. I was shy by just 2 miles coming in at 18 for the week. It was a busy weekend, and I have always said I need to be flexible with training. But I fully intend on making up those 2 miles this week and hitting at least 24.


One of my runs this week will be the local Turkey Trot on Thanksgiving morning. I’m running it with my family (14 of us are doing it). I know I had said my goal was to PR, but I think it’s going to be more of a “fun run” where we all cruise together as opposed to racing it. And I am A-OK with that. I just want to have fun with the fam this Thursday! It’s also going to be my nephews’ first run (the older is running it and the baby will be pushed by mommy in his stroller), and my little 17 month old cousin’s first run too (he will also be pushed by mommy in his stroller). I can always sign up for another 5K soon and focus on PR-ing then :)

It was an exciting and super fun weekend, and I’m looking forward to more family gatherings and festivities this week!

xoxo