June 18, 2013

Reunited

Two weekends ago, I attended my college’s 5-year reunion! It’s hard for me to believe I graduated 5 years ago from The University of Scranton, because it seems like just yesterday (isn’t that what all old people say?), but so much has changed on the campus since I was there as a student back in 2008. It was a lot of fun to check out the brand new science building, stay in one of the new apartment styled dorms, work-out in the amazingly fancy new gym, and reconnect with people I haven’t seen since the glory days.

The magic in the mountains!

The magic in the mountains!

My friends and I didn’t have much planned aside from the cocktail hour and class dinner on Saturday evening, so I took to the Internets (of course) to see what, if anything, was new in Scranton in terms of food to check out. I figured I might as well get some good eats while I was in the area! My college roommate and I headed to a Mexican restaurant that I had been to once before for dinner on Friday night, and obviously started things off the right way – with a margarita! I got the coconut margarita, which was delicious. It tasted like a lighter version of the typically creamy and heavy pina colada. It was a perfect match for my combination plate of enchilada, chalupa, and burrito.

Coconut Margarita

We were planning to race a cross country 5k on Saturday morning, but thanks to the rain and some flooding on Friday those plans were thwarted. I didn’t really mind too much, though, because we were staying in the dorm apartments, and I forgot just how uncomfortable dorm room beds are… so extra “sleep” was appreciated. We eventually got up and made our way to the new gym on campus – SO amazing! I spent my college years in a gym from the 80′s that definitely needed some updating… though I never complained while I was there because it served its purpose. But man, the new gym is spectacular – rows and rows of treadmills and elipticals, tons of free weights and weight machines, all in a well lit and spacious area. Plus, it’s on the bottom floor of one of the dorms, which is perfect for people that live in the building!

So fancy!

So fancy!

[Source]

After our time at the gym, I convinced my roommate to check out Eden A Vegan Cafe for lunch. I found the restaurant on Yelp, and whenever I have the opportunity to eat at a vegetarian or vegan restaurant, I do it! It’s nice to be able to walk into a place and order anything I want, instead of trying to find what I can have. When we first walked in and looked at the menu, my roommate turned to me and said; “wait, I’m confused…” because everything on the menu seemed to be a meat dish (burger, turkey sandwich, BLT, etc.). It was funny, but at the same time I could understand how it was confusing – so tried to explain it to her the best I could. Eventually she settled on a tuna melt, and I went with a chili cheeseburger and a green refresher smoothie. The restaurant is actually right next door to a tattoo parlor (where I got my very first tattoo – looks like it moved a few blocks), and I was tempted to go and get something… but I didn’t! The food was awesome, and I have every intention of heading back on my next trip to the electric city!

No meat here!

No meat here!

After lunch, we wanted a little something sweet, so we headed to Northern Light Cafe a few blocks away. This was the place to go when you were trying to get your serious study on in college. It was a nice change of pace from the library, and sitting in a coffee shop typing or reading away gave us all a sense of being “grown ups.” I ordered a soy chai latte and a 7-layer cookie bar, and was definitely stuffed by the time we got back to the dorm where we were staying.

Northern Light Chai Latte

By the time we had finished gallivanting around downtown Scranton, we had to get ready for the all-classes cocktail hour and then class dinner. The university does their reunions in 5-year increments (obviously), so since I graduated in 2008, my class was there for their reunion along with any other class that graduated with a ’3 or ’8. So we had the opportunity to mingle with other graduating classes during the cocktail hour, and then sat down for a dinner with just our class, which was served by plenty cafeteria workers I recognized! It was fun to catch up with old classmates, but it was clear that being only 5 years out of school, the different groups of friends that hung out while we were in college still exist today. There wasn’t a ton of mingling, but I imagine that will change as the years go by.

After cocktails and dinner we headed to some of the local bars to continue the fun, and before I knew it the weekend was over and I was driving on route 380 and 80 back to good ‘ole Central Jersey. It was great to spend time with people I don’t see too often (and people I get to see all the time!) and check out some new and old favorites. I have every intention of heading back to Eden next time I’m in the electric city, and with all the changes and updates that are happening at the University, I can’t wait to see what’s new next time.

Where did you go to schoool? Do you still visit?
Have you ever been to a high school or college reunion? 

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June 13, 2013

Summer Series 5k

A local running club, Raritan Valley Road Runners (RVRR) hosts a 5k running series every summer, and I finally decided to join in the fun this year. They have 4 race nights throughout the summer (on Tuesdays, two in June, two in July) and you can do any or all of them. I felt ambitious when filling out the form, so I obviously signed up for all four races. I figured I might as well, since Tuesdays are speed work/intervals anyway, and for only $15 each, I could get in some fast running and participate in some cross-country races (which I’ve never done before).

The last few days have been exceptionally wet around here, which actually caused the race I was going to run in Pennsylvania this past Saturday to be cancelled. Since we’re close to the Raritan River, and the race is actually held in a park that borders it, I was worried that there would be flooding at the park. There was a chance of rain on Tuesday, and I had my eyes to the sky, especially in the afternoon as clouds rolled in and the wind started to pick up. Thankfully the weather couldn’t make up its mind, and by the time the race started the sun was back out for a bit.

This year the race moved to a different park from where they’ve had it in the past, so we actually wound up starting 20 minutes late due to some people heading to the other park by accident. I didn’t really mind, but it was awkward to have warmed up and then sit around for 40ish or so minutes. I really didn’t have any expectations going into the race because I had never ever run cross country before, so I didn’t know if I should try for a PR or not. Plus, like I said, there had been a TON of rain over the weekend, and the park we were in typically floods. So it was no surprise to me to see parts of the path under water, and big puddles of muddy water on the grass. It’s a good thing the sneakers I wore are on their last leg; they’re covered in mud now!

Just a little muddy

Just a little muddy

We got a brief course description, and then before I knew it we were off. Even though they explained the course, I really had no idea where we were going… even though when I first started running I spent 90% of my time in this park. We jumped over a little ravine, trudged through puddles on a path, sloshed through wet grass, ran up some hills, and down some hills… twice. I kept it controlled on the first loop, trying to get a lay of the land and figure out what exactly the course was, knowing I’d have the opportunity to pick it up (if my body let me) the second time around being more familiar. I’m happy to report that after the first quarter mile or so, I didn’t get passed by anyone, and instead did all the passing myself. I did pick it up the second time around, and that proved interesting – I almost lost my shoe at one point due to some seriously muddy grass!

By the last half mile or so I had zeroed in on a younger boy and another woman a few strides ahead of me. Since the path was narrow and had some branches and tree roots, I didn’t push it as hard as I probably could have, which wound up a smart idea because I still managed to roll my ankle at one point. I hadn’t seen any other women in front of me aside from the one in my view, but I was sure I must have missed someone somewhere. Things started to hurt, and I just kept repeating my new mantra, “so much pain. so much fun.” We made a sharp turn onto the field and I powered through to the finisher chute, with the boy I had been trailing out kicking me.

The little bit of pavement on the course!

The little bit of pavement on the course!

I crossed the finish in 22:42, a brand spankin’ new PR! I was kind of shocked – sure I had felt decent, but the race was hard. The whole time I kept thinking about how cross country running is no joke! Everyone around me kept saying after the race “wow, that was a true cross country course!” which made me feel better about how hard I thought it was. It turns out that there hadn’t been any other women in front that I miscounted, and I came in second (by two seconds…) and first in my age group! Plus, because it was a new course, I automatically scored myself the current age group record! Since this is a series, though, I have added pressure now to make sure no one else creeps in and grabs the course record in the next three races. But even if they do, I’m okay with having it for two weeks… I had plenty of swimming records in high school and college come and go… that’s the beauty of athletics! For my efforts I got a sweet potted plant, that I’m actually going to plant in my front “yard” eventually.

Plant for the win - literally!

Plant for the win – literally!

After the race they have food and beer, so I grabbed myself a slice of pizza and a Philly pretzel for dinner. It may not have been the healthiest post-race food, but it sure was delicious! We didn’t get home until around 8:30p, and I was in bed not too long after that since I got up at 6am Wednesday morning to run again. I’m really looking forward to the other three races in the series, along with the other summer races I have on my schedule.

Have you ever raced during the week? Love it? Hate it?

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June 11, 2013

Summer Simple

Does anyone remember the acronym/mnemonic device KISS (keep it simple stupid) from elementary school? Well, that was the first thing I thought of when I decided to make zucchini “pasta” and basil pesto for dinner on Monday night.

I signed up for the “Fresh Box” from Alan’s Orchard again this year, and I can’t say how much I love getting a fresh box of produce each week. It’s such a fun surprise to show up on Saturday morning not knowing exactly what I’ll be getting for the week (they send out a newsletter that day, but I enjoy the element of surprise). Once I have the box I’m able to plan my meals for the week around the fruits and vegetables, and having farm fresh produce over less than impressive grocery store produce is a real treat.

When I saw that we’d be getting basil this week, I immediately thought of making a simple basil pesto and having it with spaghetti. Then I saw we also got zucchini, and decided to give zucchini pasta a try. I’m not going to lie, when I first saw vegetables being used in place of pasta I scoffed at the idea… I think mostly because I saw them being pushed simply as a low calorie alterative to pasta, which isn’t how I roll (bring on the calories, people!). But I can say that they are in fact delicious – but this definitely isn’t filling enough to have on its own (so have it as a side dish). And it only took a few minutes to throw together!

So try this… you can thank me later.

Zucchini Pasta with Basil Pesto | Foodosaurusrex.com

Simple Zucchini Pasta with Basil Pesto
- Serves 2 as a side - 

Ingredients for pasta:
1 Tbsp oil
4 medium zucchini
Ingredients for pesto:
1 cup fresh basil
1 tsp olive oil
1 clove garlic, roughly chopped
1 Tbsp lemon juice
Salt & pepper to taste

Directions:
1. Peel the zucchini with a vegetable peeler, set aside. 
2. In a blender, combine the basil, olive oil, garlic, salt, and pepper and blend until well combined. 
3. In a medium skillet, heat the 1 tbsp of oil and sauté the zucchini until heated through (about 3 minutes). Add the basil pesto and stir to combine, cooking for an additional 2 minutes. 
4. Garnish with red pepper flakes and parmesan cheese if desired. 

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May 29, 2013

Inspired: What I Drank Wednesday

Last week, Ashley did a hilarious “What I Drank Wednesday” post. It was absolutely hilarious, and I thought to myself; ‘hey, this isn’t such a bad idea! Everyone always talks about what they eat, but what about drinks?!’ So, I figured it would be appropriate, given we just had Memorial Day Weekend, to share what I’ve been drinking lately. I’m by no means a big drinker (anymore), but I love craft beer.

Things started off on the right foot Friday when I got to leave work at 2pm. It was rainy and cold, so a stop at Wawa for coffee (and jalapeño bites, don’t judge) was necessary. Thinking of Hollie, I made sure to snap my #coffeeaday and add some of their Irish cream creamer, which is delicious and should be available everywhere.

Wawa coffee. It's good stuff.

Wawa coffee. It’s good stuff.

To further my weekend of drinking, a package of Nuun was waiting for me when I got home – citrus fruit, tropical, Kona cola, and lemon tea flavors! These were all new-to-met flavors and I couldn’t wait to try them… so I started with the cola during dinner, had the tropical after a run on Saturday, the lemon tea while lounging on Saturday evening, and the citrus after Sunday’s run. No surprise to me, I loved them all. I think my favorite was the tropical (it reminds me of something, but I can’t put my finger on what exactly), and the cola and tea flavors are impressively close to regular cola and tea (obviously watered down, since it’s mixed with water). Things got crazy on Monday when I made myself a cherry limeade and Kona cola slush!

Just a few new (to me) Nuun flavors to add to the collection!

Just a few new (to me) Nuun flavors to add to the collection!

I also picked up some of Starbucks’ new 3 Region blend, which admittedly first caught my eye because of the bright floral package. I was happy to see that it was a medium roast that boasted “floral, citrus, and herbal notes” that was a perfect companion to a sunny day. After my 8.5 miler on Sunday, I was more than happy to plop down on the couch with a cup while I watched the new season of Arrested Development on Netflix.

Coffee. Always coffee.

Coffee. Always coffee.

I suppose it wouldn’t be a Holiday weekend (or a weekend, or a regular day for that matter) without some beer. We’re a little low on inventory, so I made due with what we had in the fridge. Thankfully we only buy good beer, so I wasn’t disappointed in my choices. I had an Ithaca Beer Co. Flower Power IPA on Sunday evening, and a Flying Dog seasonal Woody Creek on Monday. I love me some good craft beers!

Ithaca Beer Co. Flower Power

Ithaca Beer Co. Flower Power

I’m currently headed to Punta Cana for a friend’s wedding this weekend, so I’m sure I will have even more drinks to share next week!

What have you been drinking lately? 

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May 27, 2013

A Day At The Races

I remember the first big-time track meet I went to – the Millrose Games at Madison Square Garden back in 2000 with my mom, dad, and sister. I remember thinking it was SO cool to see people flying around a makeshift track, right there in the middle of MSG. I didn’t really know much about the race, or track in general, but my dad was an avid runner himself in his younger days, so we all went at his suggestion. This was just at the beginning of my really intense swimming career, so I sort of forgot about track and running after that.

Running track was something I always had in the back of my mind… I even went to a general information meeting my sophomore year of high school! After playing field hockey my freshman year, I realized that with just a little conditioning, I could actually be in decent running shape. Unfortunately, because swimming was my #1 sport priority, I couldn’t dedicate the time to track that the coaches were looking for, so I didn’t get to join the team. Aside from running on the treadmill here and there during the swimming off season in college, I never paid running much more attention. Fast forward 5 years, and I’m obsessed.

Leaping into the water after I raced for the very last time - 2008 Landmark Conference Swimming & Diving Champs!

Leaping into the water after I raced for the very last time – 2008 Landmark Conference Swimming & Diving Champs!

So naturally when I found out that one of the elite Oiselle runners, Kate Grace, was running at the Adidas Grand Prix on Randall’s Island this past Saturday, I immediately bought tickets. I haven’t had the opportunity to see Kate race in person yet (I couldn’t make it to this year’s Millrose Games), but have had the opportunity of hanging out with her a few times, and of course watching race replays online.

Despite the fact that it’s been sunny, in the 80′s and super humid the last week or two, it was cold and rainy on Saturday. So I got up, went for an easy run, grabbed some coffee, and then headed to Icahn Stadium with lots of layers on.

Like an Ogre, or onion. Lots of layers!

Like an Ogre, or onion. Lots of layers!

The track events started at 11:30a, and we got there just after 12p, with plenty of time to see some famous names take to the track (Tyson Gay in the 100m, Lidya Chepkurui in the 3000m steeplechase, Veronica Campbell-Brown in the 200m, and more!) It was fun to watch them squeegee the track every so often, but I would have much rather had a sunny day. Thankfully I bought general admission tickets, and the wind and rain blew at our backs for the majority of the meet. Before I knew it, though, it was time for the main event (at least for us) – Kate’s race… the sun broke through a few cloud layers, and while still covered, gave me the chance to warm up enough to sport my Oiselle feather trials hoodie (which up until that point I had been wearing underneath a rain coat).

Icahn Stadium - Randall's Island

Icahn Stadium – Randall’s Island

Unfortunately the other Oiselle birdies that were at the meet got into the stadium section, so we were spread out on opposite sides of the track. But I think it worked out – Kate had fans on either side to cheer for her! It was so fun to see them line up and each get introduced, and I had such a sense of pride when they announced her name. I wanted to turn and yell to everyone, “I know her! She’s awesome!!” Not to mention I always love seeing the Oiselle racing kit in action!

Look at her fly!

Look at her fly!

We stuck around long enough to watch a few more events, and then gave in to the cold and headed back… but not before getting an Oiselle Team picture!

Oiselle Team Birds! Abby, Robin, Jenna, and me.

Oiselle Team Birds! Abby, Robin, Jenna, and me.

The track meet was such a great experience despite the rain, and I definitely need to make attending them more of a habit… I can’t wait another 13 years! Who knows, maybe I’ll even find a local one to be a part of (but I should probably stick to road races for now). It was a great start to a Holiday weekend full of running and relaxing (weird how those two things go together so well, huh?).

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May 24, 2013

Friday Favorites

Happy Friday! And for those of you in the good ‘ole U.S. of A, happy Memorial Day weekend! I’m pumped to unofficially kick off summer, since it’s been oppressively humid the last few days.

Thumbs up! This is how I feel about Holiday weekends.

Thumbs up! This is how I feel about Holiday weekends.

There have been a few things I’ve been absolutely loving lately that I’ve bought with my own money, and wanted to share it with you. I always enjoy posts from people (that aren’t sponsored or full of affiliate links) sharing things that they really like – recipes, clothes, fitness products, etc. I think the blogging world gets a bad rap sometimes, and people assume that if you’re writing about it, it’s because you either got it for free or are being paid to say so. While that may be true for of some bloggers, it definitely isn’t the case for a lot of other bloggers. So I’m here to be the “you should think about buying this because I bought it and I think it’s awesome” voice of information!

This particular post doesn’t follow a theme – everything from running shorts to face moisturizer, but I think they are equally important!

Daily Writing Tips

If you are a blogger, consider yourself to be a writer, or heck, just want to write cohesive and grammatically correct e-mails, you need to read Daily Writing Tips. Sure I was an English major in college and am even certified to teach English Language & Literature to the children of America (well, at least in New Jersey), but I learn something every single time I read this blog. Seriously.

I often find myself cringing at grammatical errors in blog posts, professional e-mails, and even (generally) professional websites. I realize that mistakes happen (they all do, no matter how great of a writer you are), but some of these things should easily be caught with a simple once-over. I’m obviously not here to preach grammar and writing tips, because I know my blog posts are far from eloquent and profound, but in a world where so much of our communication is now through writing, it can’t hurt for us to all brush up on the rules now and again!

Yes To Tomatoes Moisturizer

It’s no secret to anyone that knows me that I have (and still do) struggle with my skin. I have a combination of super oily (thanks, dad) and super dry (thanks, mom) skin that is also extremely sensitive. So if I attempt to treat one side of the problem too much, the other one flares beyond belief. And, both oily skin and dry skin can cause breakouts… resulting in me usually at a loss when it comes to products.

Yes To Tomatoes

I first discovered the Yes To products when they were first starting out as Yes To Carrots, and hadn’t yet introduced other vegetables. After getting a pack of their Yes To Cucumbers face wipes to use after runs, I decided to try some of their other products, starting with the tomato moisturizer. It’s awesome. First of all it smells great; something I was skeptical of considering it’s made with tomatoes (I don’t necessarily think tomatoes smell good). Also, since my skin is oily yet dry, it manages to provide the right amount of moisture without being oily, something I’ve struggled to find with moisturizers in the past. I’m still shiny hours into the day, but I’m yet to find a product that prevents it (so I just own stock in blotters).

Oiselle Stride Shorts

I don’t know why it took me so long to try these Oiselle stride shorts, because they’re great. When I started running I wore cotton Soffe shorts from my high school days, and let me tell you, that got uncomfortable quickly. So I wore “typical” running shorts, and we know how most of those wind up – puffy front, riding up, chaffing, you know the drill. I discovered spandex shorts a few years ago, but it seemed like all of them were more like booty shorts on me… and the last thing I want to be worrying about while running a race is pulling down my shorts because I may be showing some cheek. I eventually abandoned the idea of spandex shorts because I couldn’t find any at the perfect length (others were too long and reminded me more of biking shorts) and settled on Oiselle’s Distance and Roga shorts (which are also awesome).

So magical they deserve a lime green background!

So magical they deserve a lime green background!

Eventually I decided to give spandex shorts another try, and went with the Stride Short. They are the perfect length! I don’t have long legs by any means, but I do have a long torso which means I naturally like to have my shorts sit a little higher since I’m not interested in a muffin top. These shorts fall in the perfect spot for me – long enough to prevent any free shows, but short enough so they don’t gobble my entire leg and make me look like a stump. And they don’t ride up at all. I need to buy these in every color possible.

Nuun

Maybe I was late to jump on the Nuun train because it seemed like everyone was singing its praises, and I am a natural skeptic. I mean could hydration tabs really be that great? Growing up swimming you could usually find me guzzling Powerade or Gatorade – I wasn’t picky and just drank whatever my mom bought at the store… though it always seemed just a little too sweet, and a little too syrup-y for me. When I was in college, we had powdered Gatorade at practices and meets which I liked a lot more because it was usually watered down. After I graduated, though, I stuck to just water for my hydration needs, even after I started running. 

My favorite Nuun flavor, Cherry Limeade, and a surprise visit from a Picky Bar ;)

My favorite Nuun flavor, Cherry Limeade, and a surprise visit from a Picky Bar ;)

Finally after seeing enough tweets and hearing enough people talk about it, I decided to give Nuun a try. I picked up a bunch of single tubes at REI in case I didn’t like some (or any) of the flavors about a month and a half ago, and have gone through three 12-tab tubes, and ordered 7 more tubes since then. So I guess it’s pretty safe to say that I love it! My favorite flavors are Cherry Limeade, Lemon Lime, and Watermelon. I just recently purchased some new flavors that I’m sure I will love as well (they even have cola flavored tabs, which I’m sure would go great with the cherry). I absolutely love how convenient they are, and that I can just throw a tube in my purse or spike bag and have it any time I’d typically have water. The fizz that the tab creates is an added bonus to a seltzer lover like myself.

The Run of the Year!

runoftheyear

Well, at least that’s what Jocelyn says it will be! But seriously, if you’re a runner in the general NYC area, you should clear your morning schedule for next Saturday, June 1st.  At 8:30am there will be a fun group run (4 and 8 mile options) from Greatist’s headquarters, with Oiselle, Nuun, and Picky Bars as sponsors (meaning samples)! You can sign up and get free tickets for the event here. I’m super bummed that I won’t be able to make it because a friend is getting married that weekend, but I know it’s going to be awesome, so you have to go for me!

Any big plans for the weekend?
What are you loving lately?

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May 22, 2013

Fitness Magazine Meet & Tweet Event

Last week, I had the opportunity to head into the city and be a part of Fitness Magazine’s Meet & Tweet blogger event! I remember reading a lot about it last year and wishing I had been a part of the fun, so when I heard that they were looking for bloggers to sign up for the event I made sure to get my name in, assuming I wouldn’t be one of the chosen bloggers out of the hundreds that applied. So you can imagine my excitement when I learned that I had been selected to attend!

The event was held at The Mercedes Club, an upscale gym on West 54th Street in midtown Manhattan. Since it started at 9am, I had to take a 6:30ish train into the city to make sure I was there with plenty of time to meet up with some other bloggers and head over from Penn Station. Originally I was dreading the idea of getting up so early and taking NJ Transit during rush hour, but it was a completely uneventful morning – just the way I like it! A few days before the event I connected with Brianna, Toni, and Jen on Twitter and Facebook, and since they were coming either from Long Island or Upstate New York, we decided to meet in Penn Station and head over to the gym together. It’s funny to think how “meeting people on the Internet” was SO dangerous and somewhat taboo only a few years ago, and while it still can be (very) dangerous, I’ve met so many wonderful people and made great connections thanks to the Internet and social media in the last few years!

Once I met up with Brianna, Jen, and Toni, we decided to walk from Penn Station to the gym rather than take the subway since it was a beautiful (albiet a little humid) morning. We made a quick pit-stop at Cafe Olé across the street where a few other bloggers were meeting, and then went right into the event!

fb

Picture courtesy of Brooklyn Active Mama!

As soon as I walked into the Mercedes Club I couldn’t help but be just a bit envious of the gym’s beauty. To be fair, I only belong to a $20/month gym that’s barebones, but it sure would be nice to workout at a location with an awesome facility and beautiful views! But anyway, we checked in, received our schedule for the day, and our name tags that made me feel oh-so-official.

Too legit to quit.

Too legit to quit.

We were able to grab some breakfast (muffins, eggs, Elixir juice), and headed outside to await the event’s speakers. There were a bunch of different speakers, ranging from Sara Lucero, a make-up artist to the stars, to Dr. Jennifer Ashton, to trainer Brett Hoebel, to a pannel of bloggers including the first food blogger I started reading (Smitten Kitchen!), and Rocco DiSpirito.

Posessionista, Smitten Kitchen, Jill Hanner, and Fit Bottomed Girls!

Posessionista, Smitten Kitchen, Jill Hanner, and Fit Bottomed Girls!

It was really great to listen to the speakers talk about different topics (health and wellness, beauty, food, blogging, etc.), and I loved that we got to sit outside and enjoy the day while listening. I must admit I was a little sad to hear both Dr. Ashton and Rocco talk about limiting carbs, but as a runner I know I need them. Plus, let’s be honest – bagels are delicious (so delicious, in fact, that I had three in the last 4 days). But other than that, I really appreciated the honest and genuine talks each person (or persons) participated in!

He's pretty dreamy.

He’s pretty dreamy.

After the awesome speakers, we were given the opportunity to grab some lunch, and check out the vendors. Of course I made a beeline to the Saucony booth, and was thrilled to find out we’d be getting our own pair of Kinvara 4′s! I’d been eyeing these sneakers for awhile, mostly because of their bright and awesome colors, but also because it seemed like everyone who tried them loved them. But I wasn’t in the market for a new pair of running sneakers, so I couldn’t justify buying them… so thanks to Saucony I didn’t have to!

There's magic in there!

There’s magic in there!

I enjoyed stopping by the Reebok booth as well, because I got a chance to look at their sneakers, enter a raffle, and take a sweet picture. I’ve been eyeing the Reebok sneakers for cross-training for what feels like years, but never bit the bullet and bought a pair. Most of the time I do my cross-training in my living room sans-shoes, so I just didn’t see the need for them. I was obviously thrilled when I found out we’d also be receiving a pair of their sneakers! We were encouraged to write something fun on a whiteboard and take a picture, so naturally I went with something about food (cupcakes specifically).

Obviously.

Obviously.

My final stop was another favorite – Smart Balance! My parents have been buying their butter for years, and I’ve tried their peanut butter and love it. So when I saw they had chocolate peanut butter balls, you better believe I snatched one right up (of course as soon as someone started talking to me… so classy). We were given a free jar of peanut butter if we balanced on a bosu ball at their booth. Everyone was doing fun poses, and I was trying to come up with something neat – and then I got on the ball. I could barely stand, let alone maneuver to strike a pose! So after catching my balance, I just stood there and smiled. Better than nothing, right?

Sweet outfit, bro.

Sweet outfit, bro.

While I didn’t take pictures of the other booths, they were equally entertaining. I really loved the Marmot table, since Paige, a professional climber, was there telling us about her year long, world-wide climbing adventure! While I’ve never climbed before, her trip sounded amazing and an once in a lifetime opportunity, all while raising money for a good cause. Really inspiring!

The day finished up with group exercise – either a run with Saucony, a cardio dance class with Athleta, or yoga with Reebok. While I was tempted to sign up for the yoga, I ultimately went for the run, and had a blast running with Dorothy of Mile-Posts and other runner-focused bloggers. I didn’t talk much on the run because I was too busy taking in running on the West Side Highway (city running is my absolute favorite), but I enjoyed it!

After the run I was nice and sweaty, so Brianna and I tried to cool off, and then headed back to Penn Station with our giant goodie bags. As you can imagine, walking through the city with all this stuff wasn’t easy, but it was worth it! After a nice and cool train ride home (I’m pretty sure I smelled, oops), I met up with my dad at his office who was able to drop me off at home, where I unloaded all of my goodies.

So. Much. Swag!

So. Much. Swag!

I’ve already dug into a lot of the swag, and am slowly making my way through the rest. I’ll likely have some reviews in the future for stuff that I really loved (i.e. I would absolutely buy it myself), since a lot of the stuff is from new-to-me companies… and awesome.

It was such a great day – nothing like heading into the city, hanging out with a bunch of people that have the same interests and passions as you, and connecting with brands and people you love! This event just made me wish I lived closer to (or in) the city… it’s where all the fun stuff happens! Thanks again to Fitness Magazine for the amazing opportunity!

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May 16, 2013

Running is my BFF

I’m still here! Just haven’t been posting as frequently because, well, I haven’t had much to say… and I’ve never been one for filler posts (which is why I don’t have a “blogging schedule”). So what have I been doing lately? Running. Duh.

About two months ago I took to the blog and twitter to try and figure out my fall goal race. Obviously it was going to be a marathon (I haven’t given up on them yet), but I didn’t know where and when I wanted to race. I was ideally looking for a late-fall race in order to give myself maximum training time (and also because one of my best friends is getting married in October), so I zeroed in on November races that were within driving distance. I think in the back of my head I had an idea of which race I was going to pick all along, but I still wanted to get opinions from other runners. So after looking at my calendar, my finances, and Google maps, I decided on the Anthem Richmond Marathon on November 16th!

Prior to registering, I started thinking about training (of course). I had a ton of thoughts in my head – what training plan should I use? How many miles a week should I run? When should I start? How much build up should there be? Am I going to actually get through a successful marathon training cycle for the first time ever? What should my goal be? …and those were just a few of the questions I had. I like to think of myself as a mildly experienced runner (it’s been almost 4 full years), but I’ve only ever run by myself, for myself. I’ve done an okay job thus far, but thought it might make some sense to get a little help… especially since my marathon training has been awful up to this point.

So what do I mean by help? Well, I jumped on the coaching bandwagon! I know that I’m never going to be an elite runner, and heck, I may never even qualify for Boston. But I like the idea of having a professional that really knows the sport to guide me through training. I mean, when I was swimming I didn’t do that blindly, so why should running be any different? I know that there are a lot of mixed feelings on coaching for “average” athletes, but I say to each his/her own. The great thing about it is that I can stop at any point. So if it turns out having a coach really isn’t for me (which I doubt), I can go back to doing things on my own. I don’t really have any long-term goals with what I want to get out of coaching other than the obvious – get faster and better my marathon time!

A big reason why I decided to get a coach is that I’ve found that with every marathon training cycle, by the end I hate running. This is something I absolutely want to avoid, because as the title of the post says, running is currently my BFF and I’d like to add an AE to the end (you know, best friends forever AND EVER – welcome back to middle school). I think having the pressure of someone else waiting for my workout results that I’m PAYING will keep me in check. At least I hope so.

Between now and the marathon I have a bunch of fun summer road races planned, starting with a 5k this Sunday! I’m really looking forward to starting to work with a coach, and to have a successful marathon training cycle.

What do you think about running coaches? Yay or Nay? 

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May 6, 2013

D.C. Food & A Giveaway Winner!

I had grand plans of posting my Food Should Taste Good giveaway winner early last week, but a bout with a stomach bug kept me quarantined for a bit instead, and then I was just trying to get back to normal life. Rather than talk about how miserable my drive home from Washington D.C. was, followed by the rest of Monday into Tuesday, let’s focus on the second best part of my trip — the food! But first… the giveaway winner is…

Winner

Becky! Who gave a great suggestion for apple styled nachos… sign me up! Shoot me your address to foodosaurusrex [at] gmail [dot] com, and I’ll have chips on their way to you!

Becky

So now onto the good stuff – the food in D.C.! I didn’t have any set plans when it came to where I wanted to eat or what kind of food I wanted to try while there, except for one thing – Baked & Wired cupcakes! I had asked Krissy for some recommendations, and I remembered her stopping for birthday cupcakes there after the Cherry Blossom 10-miler a few weeks ago. While I’ve always wanted to try Georgetown Cupcakes, the thought of having to wait in a long line for cupcakes that I’ve heard are “just okay” wasn’t appealing. So I headed to Baked & Wired instead, and was thrilled with what I found. The storefront was small, but it was broken into two sections – one for cupcakes and desserts, another for coffee, tea, etc. I didn’t venture over to the coffee line, but from reading reviews online it seems like their coffee is just as good as their cupcakes. I should mention that they call them cake cups, which is appropriate since they are huge!

Chocolate Doom, Dirty Chai, Flapjack, and Tessita [clockwise]

Chocolate Doom, Dirty Chai, Flapjack, and Tessita [clockwise]

We decided to get four cupcakes – one to enjoy right then, and another to save for Sunday. We wound up with the Tessita, Chocolate Doom, Dirty Chai, and Flapjack. These cakes are amazing; some of the best I’ve ever had. The frosting was generous, the cake was moist, and the size for only $3.50 was more than enough… I had trouble finishing one! I can’t recommend Baked & Wired enough. The store is cute, the employees are super friendly, and their treats are delicious. I mean, what more do you need? Plus, if it’s nice enough outside (like it was on Saturday) you can sit right outside their shop and lounge while eating baked goods and sipping coffee or tea. Talk about a perfect afternoon.

Aside from cupcakes on Saturday, we had personal pizzas for lunch at Paper Moon, followed by Santa Fe salads from Chop’t for dinner. This was my first time having Chop’t, and I really wish there was one near me. The salads are huge, and when you get avocado, they give you half of one… that’s a generous portion of avocado! I absolutely loved my salad, and on the way back to the hotel (we got them to go), we noticed the street was completely shut down. So, we stopped for a minute, and low and behold, who drove by? President Obama! I thought it was the coolest thing ever. I’m sure that it gets old for D.C. residents quickly (especially when it means road closures), but it was so cool to see the President drive by us on his way to the White House Correspondent’s dinner.

Oh hai Mr. President!

Oh hai Mr. President!

On Sunday morning after the race, Ashley and I headed to The Mad Hatter for brunch. We walked in and the restaurant was basically empty, but we were told that they really didn’t have any seats for us because they had a lot of reservations that morning. Huh? We were able to score a seat at an upstairs bar, and got to work on the most important thing – booze! I ordered a mimosa followed by a beer, and Ashley hit up their Bloody Mary bar. That’s right… your server gives you a glass of vodka, and the rest is up to you. Just look at all the options!

Hot Sauce, anyone? [Ashley's Picture]

Hot Sauce, anyone? [Ashley's Picture]

I didn’t take any pictures of my food (post-race haze) but I had a really delicious Tex Mex burrito with home fries. When we left the restaurant was definitely crowded, but they could have seated us in the regular dining room. I mean, shouldn’t restaurants have seats for people with and without reservations? At least the food was good and our waiter was friendly. I would definitely return, but this time with a reservation!

Dinner on Sunday  night was pretty epic. I spent a lot of time looking through Yelp and FourSquare for suggestions, and stumbled upon a true gem – Founding Farmers. As soon as we walked in at about 6:30pm, thinking we’d beat the crowds especially since it was a Sunday, I knew we made a good choice. We were told that the wait would be about an hour and a half, and I quickly learned that once again reservations reigned supreme. We decided to wait based on the reviews we read and the fact that it was so crowded, and I’m really glad we did. The restaurant was founded on the premise of a farm to table concept (my favorite!) and is D.C.’s first green restaurant. They filter their own water, make everything from scratch in the kitchen (down to their condiments), and have a pre-prohibition era styled bar where their bartenders make their own syrups and infuse the alcohol themselves with juices, etc.

After waiting about an hour and a forty-five minutes we were seated, and had the nicest, most informative, and attentive waitresses I’ve ever had. She really was exceptional. Our meal started with their popcorn of the day (how cool is that?!) which was Old Bay seasoned, and fried green tomatoes. They were featuring Rogue beers on tap, so we each had one of those as well. Their menu is expansive, and I was really excited to see a separate vegetarian and vegan menu. Their regular menu denotes vegetarian and vegan (as well as nut allergy) options, but they also create vegetarian and vegan specials that all sound phenomenal. I was actually confused at first when I glanced over it seeing things like “bacon burger,” “shrimp scampi,” and “turkey burger.” Obviously they were all meatless, and it was awesome to know I could choose anything.

Not the best picture... but all those options are veg*n!

Not the best picture… but all those options are veg*n!

I eventually decided on the cauliflower steak with broccolini and risotto… and it was amazing. The cauliflower was nice and crunchy while maintaining it’s buttery flavor, and the fried onion strings that it was topped with added some extra flavor and crunch. For whatever reason I’ve found that people either really enjoy cauliflower or really can’t stand it, and I’m obviously in the enjoying it camp. But I really believe that this dish would convert someone with apathetic feelings towards cauliflower. It was fun using a steak knife to dig into a big hunk of cauliflower! I’d be remiss not to mention the risotto, because it really stole the show for me. It was creamy, cheesy, and everything I could want in a risotto dish… I just wish there had been more.

Not the best picture, but it was delicious!

Not the best picture, but it was delicious!

While we were waiting for our entrees, our waitress brought over their dessert menu, which I thought was absolutely genius on her part (get someone to commit to dessert before filling up on their entree). She pointed out their homemade biegnets, which under normal circumstances I would have been all over… but I knew based on how I felt before our meals even arrived that there was no way dessert could be in my immediate future. So we passed on their delicious sounding desserts, but a couple next to us got the biegnets, and you better believe I plan to order them if I’m ever back in town!

Nice neighborhood, eh?

Nice neighborhood, eh?

And unfortunately, that’s where our eating in D.C. stops. As I mentioned in my Nike Half recap, I woke up feeling okay on Monday morning with plans of coffee, but eventually started feeling sick. By the time I got home (about a 3 1/2 hour drive), it was only a matter of minutes before I was out for the count the rest of the day and into Tuesday. Obviously that was not the way I wanted to end the trip, but I’m thankful it didn’t happen while I was there!

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May 1, 2013

Running with Friends: Nike Women’s Half Marathon

A week after I completed my 6th half marathon, I completed my 7th! When I signed up for the inaugural Nike Women’s Half in D.C., I knew I would use the race as a training run (albiet an expensive one), since my goal race had been only a week earlier. It was the perfect opportunity to visit a new city, run, meet up with friends, and score myself a Tiffany’s necklace.

We arrived in D.C. on Saturday afternoon and headed straight to the expo. The line was super long, but I got lucky and found one of my college friends in line, and just hopped in with them. I picked up my bib and pace bracelet, and took a quick walk through the “expotique.” I’m not usually a fan of expos because they’re crowded and cramped, and this was no exception. There wasn’t much to it; there was a hair styling station, a Nuun station (which I would have loved to check out, but the line was just too long), a Luna bar station, and a Team in Training station all under a pop-up tent by the water. And I think that was it? It seemed like they really wanted people to head to Nike Georgetown, but I wasn’t in the market for anything so we headed out.

All bib'd up!

All bib’d up!

The race started early on Sunday morning (7am!), so I was up around 4:30a and going through my pre-race routine. Despite writing a post last week about what I always make sure to pack for races, I managed to forget a PB&J sandwich and a gel for during the race. I think I forgot because I wasn’t really treating it as a race, but it wound up being okay. The hotel was only about a mile away, so I decided to walk to the start rather than dealing with the metro. I had talked with Krissy and Ashley beforehand, and we decided to run together planning to keep it around 8:45 average, and picking it up if we felt good along the way. After snapping a quick picture we headed into our corral, got to hear Shalane Flanagan and Joan Benoit Samuelson be introduced (we couldn’t see them though), and then we were off!

Me, Krissy, Ashley, and Ritsa!

Me, Krissy, Ashley, and Ritsa!

I didn’t realize it at the time, but this race had 15,000 runners!! Let me tell you, we could feel it pretty much the entire time. I’ve always said that I have never experienced a run that “just flew by.” But I can honestly say that this run felt that way. No, it wasn’t the best run ever, and I didn’t even feel that great. But running with Krissy and Ashley, sharing laughs and stories, and just doing something we love on a beautiful course was SO much fun. It made me realize that I need to run with friends more!

SO MUCH FUN

SO MUCH FUN

The race itself wasn’t anything special – it was hot (it looked like I peed my pants by the end of the race I sweat so much!), crowded, and in all honesty, I probably would have hated every minute of it if I had been alone. But I just kept reminding myself that a pretty little blue box and cute finisher’s t-shirt was waiting for me at the finish. We finished in 1:58:34, with our actual running pace just around 8:50, but we took a pit stop around mile 6 which put us at the 9 minute average. After the race Ashley and I headed to brunch at The Mad Hatter (I’ll have a separate post on food later!) for delicious breakfast burritos and BOOZE to round out a pretty awesome morning.

Wahoo, finish line in sight!

Wahoo, finish line in sight!

I’m planning on running a bunch of 5k’s between now and the fall, and I’m pretty sure I’ll be running the Richmond Marathon in November. So I just need to stay healthy… which didn’t work out so well since I came home from the trip with the stomach virus. But I’m back at it today, thankfully!

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