Road Blocks

Why does life pose such challenges? Is there a simple answer to that? Yes? No? Depends on the context right?

Life isnt easy. Whoever said it is has a really good outlook on things. I had this goal - something I really set out and trained and dedicated my time to achieving - Qualifying and Running the 2011 Boston Marathon. I was 19 days away from achieving that goal. Yesterday, registration for Boston opened and it closed in a record breaking 8 hours. 8 HOURS! Unbelievable! I couldnt believe it when I heard it. Its times like these that make me wonder why things like this happen. I know and truly believe that everything happens for a reason, but why did this happen?

I sat up all night thinking about how the race closed out so fast; how if I had only run a marathon a week before or a month before or just anytime before. I thought about how I havent really set a goal in a long time that I was 100% dedicated to and how I felt so proud to be doing this. I thought about what could possibly be the reason behind this race closing out so quick. I cried, I stared into space, I tossed and turned with anger and disappointment.

The funny thing about all of this is last night when Coach Brian and I walked home from practice, we had a pretty deep heart-to-heart post the breaking of the Boston news. We talked about 'looking at the positive in things'. How there is always some good in whatever the bad may be. This goes back to the 'everything happens for a reason'. So after wallowing in my misery, I remembered this little conversation and started laughing at myself. Alicia-- there is a reason why Boston closed out so quickly; I may not know what it is now, nor in the near future. But somewhere along the line of life there is a reason.

Life throws you curve balls. and yeah sometimes they leave you extremely disappointed. But what now? Am I not going to run NYC to qualify? Absolutely NOT! I am going to go out there with all my heart, run my race and still qualify. Instead of 2011, it will have to be for 2012. And I will have every calendar notification ready to go off the morning registration opens for Boston 2012. Outlook, Blackberry, day planner, sticky notes hung in my cube, countdown counters, mental notes... you name it! But do you know what else? This makes me want to run this marathon with more heart and soul than I intended. 3:40 is a qualifying time, so why not shoot for a 3:35. Say some prayers, give me some luck folks! 3:35 is the new goal...

Wait, how many days???

So summer's here and gone... Fall is definitely upon us! What does that mean??? Fall running apparel!!! Cute jackets, arm warmers, spandex come out of hibernation, hats... the stuff that makes running a fashion statement.



As much as I am a sun bunny/beach bum, I am loving this time of year. Fall in the City is absolutely spectacular! To describe the fall here, its too hard to just write about. You have to experience it. The weather is perfect, the people all have smiles on their faces, the street fairs, the sales, and aaahhh duuh... FOOTBALL SEASON IS BACK! and of course its MLB Playoff season and the Yankess made it to the post season, AGAIN! Gotta love the dynasty!



Not only is the fall good for all the reasons above, but the Marathon is in sight. 32 days away from today! Soo exciting! Asics is one of the largest sponsors for the ING NYC Marathon. Every year they set out this huge campaign and this year's might top lasts. Check out the Asics marathon website, http://www.asicsmarathon.com/en/index.html and check out the Internet Marathon. It 'runs' you through the journey of the 26.2 (42.195 Kilometer) journey we will embark on November 7th. The pain, the joy, the exhaustion, the thrill... its all there!






If that isnt enough, Asics also put up an iteractive map of the course. Take a peek, I did! it has totally vamped up my excitement. Its a lot of ground we cover.. woah! http://www.asicsamerica.com/nycm/map.htm





So... since race day is so close and Fall is upon us, its time to think about the 'Race Day' apparel. 2 million spectators all eyes on you, another 315 million watching on tv.. hmm... gotta look your best because you just never know who your going to run into, he he he :) Man oh Man can you tell my priorities are straight?

PERSEVERANCE

So this summer has been a whirlwind. Trying to keep my head straight, my sanity and my physical well being has been quite the challenge. I am one of those major superstitious freaks that reads into everything as a "sign". Turning 27 back in April all I could think about is, 'man, the luck I have had the past couple years couldnt get any worse. 27 is going to be a good year.' So would you call the pessimism or optimism? As much as I like to try and convince myself as being an Optimist, Im not. But its definitely something I have been working on. So, in my 27th year of life, I have encountered so many obstacles I never would have though would have occurred. I have fallen in and out of love and learned that you cant change someone, they have to want to change themself (touche!). I wasted so much of my time playing this game of cat and mouse I lost sight of what I really wanted out of a relationship and the insignificant things that really dont mean much.

I have seen loved ones hit rock bottom; something I used to be so ashamed to keep a secret. Seeing a family member lose control of their life and let a disease consume them might have been the harshest reality to face. I used to run away from all the issues, but still be the front end of the reprocussions of this downfall. The funny thing about all this is, trying to keep this a secret from the friends and loved ones around you is virtually impossible. They know, so why hide it... its okay to admit fault, even if its not yours. I have experienced the pressures of dropping everything in my life to help others. I put my life dreams on hold to get my mom the help she needed and to get her life back in line. I have experienced a family literally crumbling at the seams. The effects a disease has over an entire family runs full circle, not just the people who witness it first hand.

So my superstitions stand... In the back of my mind, I had this feeling if I had a negative thought about my 27th year, then I will have all these crazy things happen to me.

This year has been such a learning experience. I realized that sweating the small stuff and dwelling on all the negative things in my life are just, well, a waste of time. Running has been this outlet; its allowed me to really contemplate what has occurred, how I should handle the situation, what I will do to persevere, and... well get out all that aggression. So during several of my mindless runs this summer, I realized I need to stop worrying about others. Things will happen that are going to be beyond my control. If they affect me, then dont look it as some negative issue; look at it as a test. If I can persevere and work beyond it, then its a lesson not some horrible problem. Pounding the pavement paved way to a new perspective; work toward what you want. Why let others bring you down? what is it going to do for you? Nothing! Why let someone elses negativity or problem interfere with your goals? So, instead of waiting until New Years and setting some New Years resolution, I set 'New Day resolutions'. Every day, I wake up and set a goal for the day. Whether its something like, smiling at a complete stranger, or not over indulging in sweets or sending thank you cards and emails to those who have donated to my charity, or an even bigger goal like trying to figure out where I want to be 5 years from now, but I set something. It puts things in perspective on a personal level. How do you move ahead if you cant make yourself happy first? Perseverance is my motto... without a little, you cant grow. So, in retrospect, 27 has been a pretty fab year!

Muddle it over, tell me what you think...

Clumsyness at its finest...

Ummm... I know I am a blonde and pretty much define what a blonde is, but seriously? I need to get it together!

Typical me once again have an Alicia moment. I was being super lazy one morning and didnt feel like looking for parking before work, so I drove down and parked in the garage by work. I put my claim ticket in my bag and went about my typical ground hog way of a day and walked out about 5:15. I hopped into the elevator by myself finally relaxing from a busy busy day when the elevator stops at the 4th floor and 2 very attractive guys hop on... that caught my attention! Hot damn! ha!

Like a gentlemen, they let me off the elevator first and we walk out of the building and across the street at the same time. Looking for my claim ticket, not paying attention I walk full force head on into a pole!!! hahahhaaaa (Cracking up at myself thinking about it!)

Those 2 guys I told you about? yeah, well they were walking right in front of me and witnessed the whole thing! I mean, I walked square into this parking pole so hard it rattled and I thought I knocked my tooth out. The guys turned around and asked, "are you alright?" and all I could do was laugh and say yes. To make the moment more embarrasing, one of them turns to me and says, "Well we know you work at Credit Suisse." and they both start laughing and walk away... who does that!?

This was probably the 2nd most embarrasing moment of my life... second to the Infamous "TREADMILL" story. I had a bruise on my forehead for a week. Honestly, I am amazed how I function in society sometimes... Like my Bff always says, "Lee you got the brains but when it comes to common sense, you got none!" ohh maaan I am definitely my own comedian.

Queens Half marathon

3rd Boro in the Half Marathon Grand Prix series!

When most of us think of Queens, whats your first thought? the comedy show King of Queens? Thats mine. And sure enough, the race was in Corona Park. So, was my experience as nice as the show portrays it to be? HA NO! Waking up at 5am, the temperature was already 85 degrees with a forecast to reach the upper 90's with 80% humidity. Yowzas!

The start of the race was in Corona Park... Okay... I get it... its a park. Soccer fields, some fountains, tennis courts, a big giant globe, ya know, a pretty nice NYC park.

Enough of the nice things about this race. This race was absolutely miserable! From the moment the race started until the end, it was probably the most miserating race I have ever done! the course looped in and out of all these crazy streets and through some foreign terrain. Every road we went down, we came back up. They were painting some fountain, so all you can smell was turpentine for like a mile on the way out and for the last mile coming back to the finish. We ran through a swamp parallel to a highway, they claimed there was going to be music "all" along the course but it was only at mile 6... Oh, and did I mention it was like 90 degrees already? uhh yeah! Any PR's? no. about 10 min off the norm to be exact.

What I can say about this race is that I finished it. I felt great considering the circumstances and really took it easy not to "race" this race. I felt accomplished and so did all of my teammates. We all felt as if we finished that race in the oppressive heat and humidity, we can conquer much much more!

All in all, the day was great! Jackie Vanessa and I planned a weekend down the shore and couldnt wait to get out of the city for the weekend. A stinky car ride over the Verrazzano bridge, through "The Rock" and into Jersey to spend the weekend with Ken and Sue. We spent an awesome day on the boat lunching in front of Bon Jovi's house waiting, or should I say stalking him with Ken's binoculars to see if he was home; cruised the bay; watched some prissy rich kids party on their boats; tried to swim a little and ended the day with a nice Jelly fish sting. Good thing we had beer! Wash away the pain with a little Amstel Light please...

A nice run in the summer heat followed by another road trip. This is definitely a benefit to living in the City. You can ALWAYS escape for the weekend, whether mentally through a run or physically to basically anywhere...

Celeb citings.

So I always get the question from family and friends, "do you ever see celebrities walking the streets of New York?" and ususally they are disappointed with my answer. "No, not at all. Plus I wouldnt know one if I tripped over one." Umm yeah. basically...

The opening night of Shakespeare in the Park I was strolling through passing the Great Lawn and the Public Theatre passing all these people dressed to the nines sipping cocktails with a jazz band playing tunes oblivious to the fact that tons of stars were among NYC's elite crowd. So of course, Im barreling down the hill to our "TFK meeting spot" and who crosses my path? Bette Midler with a s**t eating grin on her face because Im staring right at her like I know her from somewhere... typical me, I dont realize who it is until about a minute and a half after I walked past. Next up--Liev Schrieber. Chillin' on the bench by the entrance, blended in with the common folk. No one approached him, no one stopped and stared. Just let him be. Pretty cool. Not LA style... no papparazzi or crowds making a scene. My favorite scene that night was watching Kevin Spacey get an escort on the back of a club car up to the show. No need to walk when you can hitch a ride on a club car! Good for him! Supposedly tons of celebrities came out for the opening night gala. And yet, Im standing in a pair of spandex shorts, tech tee and sneakers stretching like some poorly dressed 80's aerobic instructor. Ohh the life! hahaa!

So, there ya go! I do sometimes (but verrrrrrrrry infrequently) see celebrities strolling the streets.


Next citing? the Womens Mini 10K. You might not think its a celeb citing, but I got to meet Kara Goucher and Paula Radcliffe; two highly talented and respected marathoners! The 2 women came out to NYC for the annual all womens race to support and run with us women. Kara and Paula are both preggers, and believe it or not, due on the same day!!! They came out on that hot June day to have a "fun run" and enjoy themselves, no racing! Seriously, these women are such an inspiration. They are proud of the running community and embrace the support of their fans. After the race, we got the chance to meet both of them, and ahh duhh... us picture whores... our picture taken with them! Kara is so cute! the little preggo mama can crack jokes like no other! Paula and her little accent, soo sweet!! These women are the top american runners and yet they were out with us and talking to us, giving hi-fives, signing autographs and welcomed all of their fans wishes and words of praise.

Okay so Im all celeb'd out. That was overkill for me, haaa. I never see any famous people and I seel all these up close and personal in a weeks time, pretty sweet!


Dont ask about the race. it was awful. First time I have ever felt sick to my stomach and stopped in a race. Awful! I cant eat bananas before a race ever again! the ringing in my ears, the tingling in my fingers and the dry heaving on Harlem Hill was enough to make me never want to eat a banana again! Hopefully that was my first and last bad race. I dont like knowing I can feel like that during a run. I never felt like that during swimming... and I used to do race after race after race over 3 consecutive days. Major lesson learned! Exnae on the Monkey Fruit.

what do you get when you mix work, social life, family, 30+ miles of running, and gym sessions piled into one? lack of sleep and total burn out. Delirious.

Man, I love summer. there is nothing like the long sunny days, hot weather, shorts tee-shirts and flip flops! ahh... who am I kidding?? thats not why I love summer... who cares about the little things, its the big things! Yankee games, Happy Hours, long hot runs, Concerts (oh yes, Bon Jovi x2 baby!), outdoor dinners, some races, World Cup (who knew soccer was so flipping fun!!) and of course ROAD TRIPS! Squeeze these into a jam packed day of work from sun up to sun down, a little gym action or a run, trying to keep up with family and friends outside of NYC and maybe a little "me" time is exhausting! literally. Over the past month or so, I have come to realize I have been trying to do waaaaay too much and need to learn to say "No" sometimes.

I was tired.. very tired. Alright outright exhausted! I ran a race every weekend for a month on top of 3 practices a week. Throw in there a Half marathon too.. my body was screaming, take a break before you hurt yourself! So finally I did.

That break didnt come before some great times though! One especially great time was the weekend of Fathers Day. My dad is my life! He deserves the world! Hard working, and needs a little spoiling once in a while, so I coaxed him into coming to stay for a weekend. What better way then say, "hey dad, so I really really want to do the Prostate Cancer run on Fathers day, how about you come in and spend the weekend here so I can do the run? Ill pay....?" Of course I got a yes... YESSS!! Papa-dukes is coming to my 'hood! So that saturday morning of our Dad's day weekend, I had my first Team for Kids group run, and then needed to volunteer for a few hours with the Foundation I help support through work. (again note--another thing packed into my busy life!) Pops came in early, so the Jac attack, a.k.a my roomie took him under her wing and took him for Cervesas and World Cup; thanks Jacs! With that said, I had quite the appetite and took dad to Luke's Lobster for infamous lobster rolls. Delish! Headed to Dugout Days sponsored by Delta airlines in Madison Square park, played some games, won some, lost some, got some free drink vouchers for my next flight and watched the Subway Series on the jumbo screen in the park. It was so fun! No better way to spend a hot summer day in the city then watching the Yanks play the Mets with some beers, and crossing your fingers hoping your raffle ticket number is the winning domestic round trip travel vouchers! Too bad they werent...

The rest of the day was spent at a wine tasting that we stumbled across, a little air conditioner installation and a fantastic dinner in Chelsea. After all the walking, a little Pinkberry, and my upset stomach, I think it is safe to say, I wore dad out.

The next morning was Fathers day.. the Prostate cancer run. Holy mother it was a scorcher! Hottest and most humid day of the year. The news actually advised staying indoors in a cool place, not to do any strenuous activity. Ehh, not for meeee... off to the race. 5 miler here we go... I told myself I wasnt going to race it, just pace it; and I failed that attempt. Running that race meant so much to me! Running with so many dads that were survivors, supporters, mothers and children, grand dads and grand kids. Everyone was out for the same reason, supporting the cause. So, of course I raced it! Zoomed right by dad too! He didnt even see me coming, I scared him when I yelled hi and waved in his face. Oh gotta love the chuckle he gave me seeing his face, hahaaa. After the finish, I ran into 3 of my closest coaches. and yep, got yelled at. Well not technically yelled at, but lectured. Especially by Asteria. She told me I am trying to do too much, I have too much potential and I am wearing myself out. I need to take a break before I hurt myself. I wanted to be like, "ahh duhh! I have only been saying that for 2 weeks now" but its my own fault for keeping at it. After her serious chat, the only thing I can think of doing was eating and taking a nap. And thats what I did... little Gracie Mews pancakes and dad's 3rd breakfast of the day, I sent him home and crashed for a few hours.

Buuuut........ the weekend didnt stop there! (I mean, did you really think the story was going to end that easily? ahh no!) I abruptly woke up at 2:20. I was supposed to meet Vanessa and Jackie at 1:15 for the World Cup in Little Brasil. I literally run out of the house and fly downtown to meet them to find them screaming at the score of Brasil's first goal at some bar I cant even remember.. about 4 Caipirinha's later, some serious World Cup excitement and a Brasil win, we headed to our second home... Cascabel for what else? Carnitas Tacos.. .oohh delish! and a free round of drinks because we are there so frequently. Oh help us when they move next door to the bigger space! No hour and a half wait? Hello! Tacos por favor! hahaa

Okay okay, then the weekend was over. Seriously exhausted just thinking about it. and typing about it :)

So on that note.. another story in another post.

Hasta proximo tiempo, Amigos!

Big orange cones

What could possibly stand in your way during a road race? hmm.. not much. Roads are closed, marked off -- ya know virtually car/object free so theres nothing but the wide open road...

yeh.. well virtually right? The Brooklyn half marathon was a great spring day! race #2 in the Grand Prix series. I cant even begin to tell you how great this run was. Mentally, going into it I was miserable... I woke up feeling not ready to run, walking into Prospect Park I was hating the massive crowds of people. I hadn't ran more than 7 miles prior to the race since the NYC half marathon in March so I had such negative thoughts until I realized I stood in line for a Port-A-Pottie for almost a half hr and had to run to my corral which was already closed... Squeezing through the crowd as the horn goes off, hopping the makeshift fence into my corral in enough time for the crowd of runners start moving up to the Start I dont have time to think. So, basically all those negative thoughts came flooding into paranoia that I was going to get stuck in the back of the pack and have to bob and weave through the crowds. The paranoia subsided and the adrenaline kicked in and I started kicking some serious B-U-T-T Butt! Being out of the city, I took in the sights of Brooklyn's finest landscape and made my around the loop.

On my second loop, I took a steady comfortable pace behind 2 girls. About 2 miles after following them, I lost them... How? Well... steadily coming down a hill behind them, the 2 girls diverge around a giant traffic cone marking off the the lane for the race, and with no time to react, I go flying right into it! (hahaaaaa.. Im cracking up flashing back!) the cone doesnt move, and I yell, and roll around the cone (not falling, surprisingly) and stumble to gain my composure. Honestly, I cant even explain in writing how ridiculous it looked or I sounded. Obviously, I crack up at myself for a good 5 min afterward as everyone is staring at me and asking if I was okay.

BUT THE RACE MUST GO ON!! And it did... after my embarrassing moment, a little adrenaline kick comes into play and my mood gets even better! Onto Ocean Parkway and down the flat course with the sun shining and the wiiide open road... nothing to get in my way now!! Coming to the finish, I see Kelsy and Ren cheering me on and cross the finish in a new PR time of 1:42.

On another note, my roommate had a personal best that day too! Jackie beat her best 1/2 time by about 20 minutes, now thats impressive! you go girl!

Nothing beats a good Half Marathon with out drinking and eating all them burnt calories away! Brunch in Prospect Park, a little shopping... great little sunday!

L.A., a Boozey Brunch and the ultimate punishment

So what do you do when you clearly dont want to celebrate your birthday? Visit the friend clear across the country who would love for me to visit!

For my birthday this year, I decided to visit one of my closest friends who I have neglected to visit since she moved out to L.A. 5 years ago... A solid bonding weekend with Lily! Loved it! What better way to spend a birthday than with a friend you see once a year (maybe twice if our schedules arent conflicting) and with the one person who I know wouldnt make a huge ordeal about celebrating my bday. Thanks Lily!!! No running, just relaxing, site seeing, a little shopping, lots of eating, a comedy show and what else---CELEB SPOTTING!! My first spotting?? at Joan's. Who do you ask? Kate Bodsworth. Sitting right in front of me with a table full of girlfriends. Pretty cool! She is just as beautiful in person as she is in the movies, al-naturale. 2nd spotting?? at dinner saturday night, Hayden Panettiere was sitting right behind us at Katana. Have to say, she looks like a linebacker. short and stocky. but beautiful!

Upon my return to NY, I jumped right back into running. A week off and I was totally anxious to lace up the sneaks and hit the road. Saturday, plans for brunch were preluded by a little gym action. No run - it was raining, I melt. ha! Ohhh Brunch! Brunch at Zuccherro e Pomodori always winds up with some sort of shenanigans to follow.... and sure enough!!! Clearly, Katie didnt have enough Bloody Mary's, Maria didnt have enough Mimosas, and Jackie and I obviously didnt have enough Screwdrivers. Yes Screwdrivers. Me Screwdrivers. Clearly, a bad idea from the beginning. OJ and me dont get along. Acid reflux? Yuup! Annnnywaysss... back to the story. Boozey Brunch leads to rambunctious girls giggling and yelling down 2nd avenue with the brilliant idea to continue the day with some of Katies famous Blueberry Spritzers. Lets drink some more vodka but this time with a splash of Club Soda, oh and a couple of fresh muddled blueberries.. danger written all over it!!

Dance Party USA was in full effect... until about 7pm. well for me anyways. I was in bed by 7:30 fully clothed tv blaring, lights on. (my mental remedy to feel better! ugh) 12am--outta bed in the bathroom hugging John (visit #1) back to bed... sleep a little more. 3am-- outta bed, John got a big hug again. (visit #2 and getting sick thinking about that night, ugh) 4:30am-- oh John still hadnt received enough love. (visit #3) Back to bed toss and turning hating life and the fact that OJ and vodka is my kryptonite! Never again! 7am rolls around. Im registered for the Run for the Parks race in Central Park. I drag my sorry ass outta bed, get dressed grab the Garmin and a Gatorade and walk up to the Park. "Punishment Alicia, punishment; your running this race no matter how painful it is." You gotta work hard to play hard, right? Right. With my body aching, I drag myself to the start and run the 4 miles. With my heart pounding, legs feeling like lead, I power through it. Probably the most difficult run I have ever had. But still made it outta there in 30 minutes.

Lesson learned? SEVERAL!!! 1-Unlimited drinks does not mean too many to count at Brunch

2-then CONTINUE there after somewhere else.

3-I know I cant drink OJ, so dont drink it. No matter how delicious it is, or whether you mix it with something.

4-If I insist on going out the night before a race, I better know the consequences.

5-John got a lot of love.

Lets just say, that never happened again!

Blogging Hiaitus?? I can fill you in up to the NYC Half...

woops! its been a while! Havent told you folks any stories in a few months... probably should get on that!



Welp, I have been somewhat of a "social butterfly" as my Grandmother would call me. Been constantly on the go, spending and not saving; but enjoying life. Like in the words of my uncle, "nows the time to do it before your old like me. Enjoy it now." hahaha. I laugh everytime I hear that! Seriously, you can enjoy doing wild and crazy and fun spontaneous things anytime. Maybe the recovery time isnt as quick, but ehh... you only live once right?? right!! So, where do I begin? Ohhh I donno... cold morning runs in Central Park? Nahh those are boring. All I ever wanted to do was turn around and go home... this winter was waaaaay tooo long. Couldnt bring myself to train for the Jersey Marathon. Every ounce of interest I had in running went right out the window every time I stepped foot onto the pavement and trotted up the road.. the idea of running in the winter, not for me! (Mental Note for next year!)



I did, however run the NYC Half Marathon! And to my pleasant surprise, it was a perfect day for running. March 21st - 58degrees. Perfect Perfect Perfect running weather. Have to say, was a little skeptical about the race. It was my first "important" race that I hadn't slept in my own bed for starters... (Jac had "Texas" here :-) ) 2nd I got "unexpected" phone calls at 5:30 in the morning.... (not really unexpected, more like typical) and 3rd had a lot of pent up anger that could have gone either way... (some disappointments, annoyances, you name it, it occurred prior to the race.) Sooo to my pleasant surprise, half way through the 1st loop of the park, I realized why would I drag my sorry ass all the way up here if I werent going to give it my all??? I took that negative energy and pushed through it. On my way out of the park, to my pleasant surprise I hear this absurd yell, "GOOO ALICIIAAAAAAAAAA!!!" in this deep voice that could only be one person.. Bernie. He happened to see me running out of the park as he was waiting to cheer his GF on. Thanks Bern! you gave me a good reason to laugh!



The NYC Half Marathon seriously is my favorite race. The course is awesome! I know I talked about it last year, but honestly, when do you get the chance to run through the heart of Times Square, down 42nd St and down the West Side Highway??? Never! Love, love, love! Full speed ahead, down through the finish line all I could think about is a PR (Personal Record). Sure enough... 1:44:24. What now Betches. New PR. by 7 min.



1463 calories burned later (yes according to my Garmin I did actually burn that many calories) time to eat, drink and be merry! Sunday Funday at its finest! Oh and the first day of Spring, yay! The weather was gorgeous, gathered with fellow runners and some good friends I havent seen in a while and enjoyed the fact I could eat and drink whatever I wanted. Gotta love running!! All-in-all this was the motivation I needed to want to get back out on the road... weather permitting, hahaaa



Gosh! I really do have so much to write about! If I told you it all now, then I would have nothing... so stay tuned..



a little preview to come---

A Boozey Brunch and the punishment of running...

Giant Traffic cones.....



talk soon!

xoxo

Lee

On the road again

Welp, its official. I moved to the Upper East Side. I finally hit the pavement again twice in a week! Felt great! Loving my new neighborhood, let alone my new apt and my new fish Moby!

Now, I have to learn the running etiquitte of the UES neighborhood. Who runs on the East River? Who runs in the Park? When do people go? Do they go in pacts or by themselves? I have lots of questions, so I apologize in advance for harrassing people and asking a million questions to my fellow UES neighbors...

Next mission... hating that I dont have a marathon in the near future that I am training for. Yeah I mentioned that I changed my plan and am going to run the Grand Prix in each of the boro's but I still have this mission to qualify for Boston. I know I can do it, but New York isnt until November, and to procrastinate the training until July isnt what I want to do... I need a goal!!!

So - This is where you come into play... I need your opinion. I found a marathon here on the East Coast. Actually in the town of my Alma Mater. Should I do the New Jersey Marathon on May 2nd?? Its at the Shore, in Long Branch, NJ footsteps away from Monmouth University. I havent visited the school, let alone Monmouth County or the Shore in years. What better way to re-visit the place I loved so much, right?? So, SHOULD I DO IT??!!!

Here's the catch.. If I train for this Marathon, I will be training alone, unless I can recruit some people to do it with me... ANY TAKERS????

http://www.njmarathon.org/index.html ** Check out the site! Its close and its on the Beach!!**


feedback is wanted...

It's been a while... Do you miss me?

okay, okay, I know... I have taken a blogging hiaitus. I know its no excuse, but work has been so busy, and the last thing I think about at night is sitting down at my computer, yet again.

So where do I begin?

Well, I have slowly brought my self back into the running circuit. Since the New Year, I have not really ran as much as I would have hoped. Ive had this foot issue that only a little R & R and a new pair of sneakers can cure. So, according to the PT, I have high arches and they werent properly supported. At first, my self-diagnosis (aka WebMD research) I thought I had a stress fracture. At one point, I couldnt even walk barefooted because the pain was so bad... thank goodness I dont take WebMD too seriously. So, after 2 weeks of nursing my foot, I got some arch supports, laced up my shoes and ran the Manhattan Half marathon. And guess what??!! I got a personal best!

Since I dont have any marathon plans this spring, I decided to go an alternate route. I set a goal to complete all 5 Grand Prix races. Thats a Half Marathon in each of the 5 Boros. 1-down, 4-to go! Manhattan is by far the hardest! First of all the race is in Central Park in January.. ouch.. and brrr!!! doing 2 complete loops of the park means Harlem Hill (I curse you Harlem!) twice and Cats hill twice. Killer duuude! The park isnt as flat as you think... its a lot of rolling hills and then those 2 big hills. If you can do 2 loops of the park, you can run anywhere. So on the frigid morning of the 24th, I woke up slightly hung over and tired and conquered the park in record time! 1:51:40 thats almost 3 minutes faster than the half I did this past summer. Maybe I should go to brunch and have several hours of drinking Mimosas more often... OHHH Just kidding! Never making that mistake again. But of course, it surely didnt stop me or anyone else who ran from partaking in Football festivities and a few games of "Dirty Sanchez" (and yes, the game is as bad as it sounds! TEQUILA!!)

Post Half, the knee and foot began throbbing again... instead of being stupid and running through the pain, I took it upon myself to actually fix the issue. Hold off on the running, start spinning, stretching and foam rolling more. The next goal I have is to break 1:50 in the NYC Half Marathon so I dont want to be stupid about my addiction to running.

On another note, Jackie and I moved last weekend! Guess where? Closer to the park, none the less!! Ohh so excited! Not only are we closer to the park, but we are so much closer to all the great people we met training with TFK! No more half hr subway rides to and from a run, no more cutting the social life in half because of a miserable commute back downtown! Our apartment is so flipping cute! I cant even begin to tell you how much happier we both are to be Uptown and away from the roommate we did not get along with... Now... we just need cable and internet... haaa! who knew the Cable guy needs access to the roof to give us cable??? Seriously... never heard of a such thing.

Now that the full NYRR calendar is up, keep posted to the upcoming events!!

xoxo

Lee