Only Hours Left

There are no more days left. Only hours until my first ING NYC Marathon. By this time tomorrow, I will have crossed the finish line, had a medal put around my neck, picked up my food bag, my personal bag from the UPS truck and met up with my family on the UWS. The weather forecast has been changing quite a bit the past few days, and it looks like it won't be too bad after all! The rain should move through overnight and we might just have a few sprinkles to deal with at Ft Wadsworth. This is FANTASTIC news! I have run through the rain several times, but I wasn't particularly looking forward to hanging out in the rain for a few hours before the race even begins. Anyway, it looks like it'll be good and I jumped for joy this morning when I saw the forecast! I do hope though, that the rain doesn't force them to cancel the fireworks tonight. Rather than fighting the crowds we might head up to our roof to catch them if it's not raining.

Yesterday was our trip to the Expo at Javitz Center (one of the hardest places to get to in the city). Thank goodness the marathon offers free shuttle service from several spots in midtown. Our bus was packed and a nice couple squeezed over and offered a seat to me. They are from Ireland, have been in NYC several times before and have run marathons before, but this is their first time running NYC. I spoke with Chris on the way to Javitz and turns out he is the founder of an International Non-Profit and had been in Detroit not too long ago speaking about his organization. I plan on writing a post about it later on.

This is, obviously, me after picking up my number (38011) and goodie bag.

Most people point to the finish line in this picture, I pointed to my apartment. We will cross our street twice on the route (1st Ave and in the park) I hope I don't feel a huge desire to veer off course and run home! No. I won't. No way! I want to cross that finish line!

After we explored the expo for a few hours, purchased Asics/Marathon gear, talked to the women at the Cherry Industry booth (representing the Michigan Cherry Industry and distributing cherry juice samples and Michigan dried cherries!), picked up some cheer signs for my Dad to decorate tonight (he has the best handwriting of the four of us) and a few other stops, we got on a bus uptown and had lunch on the Upper West Side. Then we took a walk through the park to check out the finish line since my parents won't see it tomorrow.

Woody had to work yesterday (if you're wondering where he is in all these pictures) but didn't feel well when he got home. Unfortunately, he had to miss out on going to Blue Note to see Ron Carter, Russell Malone, and Mulgrew Miller. Let me just say, they are amazing. It is always an honor to see such great jazz musicians. I sat there in awe of these guys who played with more ease than most people speak. It was beautiful and relaxing. A great way to spend the evening. I would have taken a picture, but it was too dark and my camera doesn't do well in those situations without a flash (yes, I know, I need a new camera). I was exhausted by the time we got home. Woody was already asleep - trying to get rid of whatever he got.

This morning I ran an easy 2 mile jog, we went to Neil's for breakfast so I could load up on their awesome Maple Walnut Pancakes, a banana, and scrambled egg whites, and I've been hanging out at home all day getting ready, slowly, for tomorrow. Woody has been resting so he'll feel okay to cheer for me tomorrow and my parents went to the Guggenheim (I didn't want them bored all afternoon). I've been trying to keep my mind off of tomorrow and have done a pretty good job of it. I think I'm ready. I KNOW I'm ready. Just have to remember to set the clocks back an hour and get to the start on time!

I have my clothes set out (including my throwaway sweatsuit), my pack filled with the Black Cherry Shot Blocks, Pomegranate Luna Moons, Kleenex, and my phone. My race bag has a little food to eat while we're waiting to start, garbage bags to sit on instead of the wet ground, extra socks, the State hat I will wear for the race (I'll switch from the winter hat I'll wear on the way there), and as many people have suggested, I also have some toilet paper in my bag! I heard to be prepared for the porta poties to be low on this necessity. A post race bag is ready with a hoodie, compression socks, gloves, and I'm making a pb&j sandwich Woody will add along with my Ronnybrook chocolate milk to have on the way home. I think that's enough stuff for a simple run through the city!

Okay, time to chill for a bit more before we head to Lenny's for my pre-race dinner. I hope Tall Mom On The Run had a great Halloween Half Marathon today! I wonder if she wore a costume?!

I hope you all have a great Halloween! I'll be back soon to tell you all about the race!

ING NYC Marathon Setup

My parents have arrived for the weekend, they're getting settled in, and I'm about to head to bed. I have to get some sleep while I can, since I doubt I'll get much Saturday night! Before I go to bed though, I wanted to share a few photos with you that I took on my way to work today. Enjoy and have a good night!

Almost There

Bet you could have guessed. 3 days till the Marathon.

Today is my last early morning run before the race. I'll be heading out in about a half hour. Looks like the rain we've been having since the end of my run on Tuesday, has finally stopped. Yesterday, I realized at one point that neither of my feet hurt for the first time in over a month. Let me tell you, that was exciting! I was walking fine without any problems. Unfortunately, my left foot is hurting a bit this morning, but not too badly. I have a good feeling that I'll be okay on Sunday. Just have to be careful that I don't do too much on them between no and the start. I'm heading over to the expo tomorrow and can not wait! So many vendors to see, information to pick up, and 2009 NYC Marathon gear to choose from! Hopefully it doesn't ratchet up my nerves even more!


*****

Have you heard of this recent study conducted by Yale University’s Rudd Center for Food Policy and Obesity on the marketing of breakfast cereal towards children? It's not completely surprising, but it is pretty incredible how some cereal companies market extremely unhealthy foods towards children and save the good, healthy stuff for adults. Maybe they think kids just want the sugary, colored stuff and won't touch the healthy cereal that fills their parent's bowls? Maybe they think that they have to get the kids hooked on different cereal than the parents so that they'll make twice as much money (the parents have to buy the sugary stuff for the kids but the bran cereal for themselves - two boxes instead of one). I don't know, but it's kind of crazy.

Here are a few low lights:

• The average preschooler sees 642 cereal ads per year on television alone, almost
  all for cereals with the worst nutrition rankings.
• General Mills markets to children more than any other cereal company. Six of the ten least healthy cereals advertised to children are made by General Mills, including the advertised cereal with the worst nutrition score—Reese’s Puffs, which is 41% sugar.
• Cereals marketed directly to children have 85% more sugar, 65% less fiber, and 60% more sodium than cereals marketed to adults for adult consumption.
• All cereals marketed directly to children — including Cocoa Puffs (44% sugar), Cap’n Crunch (44% sugar), Froot Loops (41% sugar), Lucky Charms (41% sugar) and Cinnamon Toast Crunch (32% sugar) — meet industry’s own nutrition standards for “better-for-you” foods. (not sure about you, but I think it's pretty crazy that something with over 30% sugar content can be "better-for-you." What is it better than?)

You can read more about this study here.

Time for my run. Have a great day!

4 Days!

Oh my gosh! 4 days. FOUR DAYS!! That's it. Well, 3 days, 23 hours and 57 minutes (according to the website right this minute). 4 days until I wake up early, throw on my running gear, grab my already packed bag and head out to meet Gracela to take the subway down to the ferry to go meet up with 40,000 other runners and take a several hour long foot tour of New York City. After years of thinking about this and months of preparing, it is finally almost here and that fact is starting to really sink in. I am one of those people who like to be as prepared as possible, likes to be early, and ready for anything. This trait forced me to read the marathon handbook from cover to cover the night it came in the mail (and re-read sections a few times since). I have read blog posts, the marathon website, Runner's World (both the magazine and website), anything I can get my eyes on. It wasn't bad until yesterday when I started getting that pit feeling in my stomach. I told Gracela is completely opposite from me. She knows where she needs to be and when and that's all she cares about. She knows where the expo is, what has worked for her on her long runs, where she's going to meet her friends after the race, where they are eating that night. I wish I could be like her. I am on information overload and I think it may be backfiring. I told her yesterday that I need to distract myself and try to forget that we have this race on Sunday. It's a good thing I have a lot of work to do today and tomorrow. I can bury my head in invoices and marketing plans. That should keep my mind of Sunday, right? Oh, and the fact that I have a lot of cleaning to do tonight before my awesome parents arrive tomorrow night!

I'm not running to hit 4 hours, I am not even setting a time goal for myself. Well, I would love to get in under 5 hours so my name will be in the NY Times on Monday, but if that doesn't happen, it doesn't happen. I just want to take a fun tour of the city (there are so many neighborhoods that I have never been to in the 5 years I've lived here), soak in the atmosphere, and cross the finish line. For my first marathon, is there much wrong with the mind set that this is another long run? Just with a few million people along the route? Even with all the reading I've done, I'm still not really sure what to expect. It's different for everyone and I'm just hoping that my story is one of the good ones!

What do you do to keep nerves down before a big race or event? Any tips?

Have a great day! If you're on the East Coast, I wish you a dry commute this morning!

It's Still Dark Out

Woody just left for the gym but I'm hanging out here for a few more minutes before I head out for my run. With the sun not rising until well after 7am now I don't feel all that inspired to go out running at 5:15am. I'll head out around 5:45 and hope to get my four miles in before the rain starts. I hear it's coming. Out over central Jersey and on it's way. We're in the low 50's and it's already 80% humidity. Today is going to be a great day for my hair, I can tell ya that! But really, I'm okay with it raining today and tomorrow. Thursday and Friday look nice right now, a little bit of rain Saturday but just cloudy on Sunday. I can deal with that. Really shouldn't be looking at the weather yet. It can change so quickly. Really need to stop that!

Hopefully though the rain will end tomorrow before the first World Series game. There are a lot of people out there, especially those paying thousands of dollars per ticket, who are desperately waiting for the series to begin. It's an interesting dynamic in the city. You have the Yankees fans, the Mets fans, and the (fewer in number, but stil active) Phillies fans. We have all three in our office! I mean, Philly is only an hour and a half from here. It'll be interesting to see how this all plays out. I, am not a fan of either three of the teams, although I've been to both Yankee Stadium (not all that) and Citi Field (pretty fantastic) this season.

Last night I had a meeting in the Village for a Step Up event coming up on the 7th (I'll write more about it later) and I often find Step Up meetings a great excuse to stop by Peanut Butter & Co. for a sandwich since it's literally around the corner. I ordered the Dark Chocolate Dreams sandwich - a fantastic combination of Dark Chocolate Dreams peanut butter, cherry jam, and coconut. YUM! It's decedant and oh so good. I really wanted some chocolate yesterday but am trying to cut back this week, so why not have chocolate peanut butter?!

Okay, I have to get ready for my run and out on the road. Instead of going into the park this morning I think I'll run up and down 5th Ave. I feel a bit safer running in the dark when I know there are people around and there aren't any racoons to jump out at me from the bushes like in the park (seriously, they are not nice animals!). 5 days till the MARATHON!!!

Oh! I want to say congratulations to April who ran the Marine Corps Marathon in 3:24 and qualified for Boston! Woohoo!! AMAZING!!

Have a great day everyone!

A Beautiful Monday Morning

Happy Monday morning!


Even though I haven’t been outside yet, it looks like today is going to be a great day! We had perfect fall weather yesterday – sunny, cool breeze, 62’, beautiful. After the race and our post-race brunch, Woody and I took a walk down to the new Asics store on 42nd St (apparently their only free standing store in the country) and then walked back home with a stop at Pump for smoothies. It was a nice 3 mile walk and we only had to dodge between tourists for a few blocks each way! Southbound Park Ave was blocked off to traffic at 57th St with cops and a lot of hub-bub, so of course, we wanted to see what was up. It wasn’t long before we realized they were filming a movie. This happens all the time around here – movies, TV shows. It’s not really anything out of the ordinary. But, it was obvious they were setting up a car chase scene with some nice old cars, so we stopped to check it out for a minute (and take a few pictures!). One cop told us they were filming “The Other Guys.” Well, a quick IMDB search shows that the movie to be released in Aug 2010 features a crazy cast of stars including Will Ferrell, Mark Wahlberg, Samuel L Jackson, Dwayne Johnson, Eva Mendes, Michael Keaton, Steve Coogan, and several others. What an interesting cast, right? Well, after a few minutes of nothing too interesting happening, we decided to move on.

When I wasn’t hanging out with cool Step Up members and friends or walking around the city, I was reading a lot this weekend. Including the new issue of SELF which arrived in the mail last week. (Have I mentioned how much I LOVE this magazine?) The cover story on Becki Newton was great. I love the premise of the story. For seven days, she tried one thing each day that she had never done before. One day she tried gymnastics, another she went kayaking in the Hudson (this is still on my list), and one day she went a full day without make-up. Some of the things she did were adventurous and others weren’t so much. That’s the best part about it. I imagine that just by doing something a little different can give you a new perspective or you might discover something you love that you had no idea! Take a different route to work, try a new fitness class, have lunch with someone you haven’t eaten with before, you never know what you might learn. I think I’m going to try this. Maybe not every day, but a few times a week I’ll make a conscious effort and see what happens!

Well, so, today is Monday. A week from now I will be recovering from my first marathon. This is going to be a busy week so I hope I can still get all the sleep I need! My parents fly in Thursday night for the weekend and I’m very excited that they’re coming. I feel a bit badly though because we won’t run around the city all weekend like usual checking out the sights and things they actually haven’t seen yet. We will hit up the Expo on Friday, a jazz gig at The Blue Note Friday night, and the Highline on Saturday. Of course, they will see beautiful 1st Ave and the park on Sunday, and hopefully the trees in the park will still be as beautiful as they were this weekend.

Time to get going. Have a great day everyone!

Race Report: Poland Spring Marathon Kick-Off 5 Miler

Hi there!

Today was the Poland Spring Marathon Kick-Off race! I heard a race official say the race was capped at 5,000 (registration closed mid-week) so there were probably a few hundred less than that on the course since there are always no shows. Still, a pretty impressive showing.

It was 55' at the 8:30am start, 64% humidity and sunny. A great change from yesterday's rainy and humid weather! I'm pretty happy with my results although my feet did hurt a bit. I woke up with no pain so was a bit surprised when they started hurting right out of the gate even with a dose of ibuprofen. Oh well. That's how it goes. I kept thinking of all the runners in D.C. this morning running the Marine Corps Marathon, including April, hoping they're having as great of a day and feeling good! The race course for today's race finishes at the marathon finish line. It was good to run that last quarter mile, which includes a curve and an uphill. It can be a little deceiving so this was great practice. I can't wait to see all the bleachers full of cheering spectators. I have a feeling that my emotions will get the better of me and I'll have tears in my finish line photo. I guess we'll find out next week, won't we!?

I finished in 47:23 with a 9:28 pace.

















Post race brunch at the Boathouse in Central Park with Woody and Gracela!

Elites Only or Open For All?

WOW! Two posts in one night! I know, crazy. I just had to say something about this.

There was a very interesting and, well, annoying article on the front page of the New York Times yesterday. The author, and several people who were quoted, complained about people who walk marathons and cross the finish line many hours after the start. Personally, this made me a bit mad. I am not going to finish under 4 hours. Last year when I made the decision to do this, I had hoped for 4 hours, but after surgery in January set me back a little, I knew that wouldn't happen and instead decided to do the best I can this time out and nto pressure myself to finish in any particular time.

As you might imagine, the article stirred up many emotions and many comments were left on the site. 400, actually. Including one from Tish Hamilton, the Exec. Editor of Runner's World. I was encouraged to read that even she finished one of her (35!) marathons in 5:45 and encourages anyone who wants to run 26.2 miles. (another reason to love Runner's World). I do however, think that people attempting to finish a marathon need to prepare and take it seriously. It's a big deal and should be respected.

What do you think?

Here are a few pictures I've taken around the city in the past few weeks. (There are more where these come from!)

Fitness Class Review: Pilates at Kinespirit

I was going to wait until after the marathon to start this feature, but I have the perfect opportunity now, so why wait?

Here it goes: the first Fitness Class Review.

Studio/Gym: Kinespirit (www.kinespirit.com) 40 E 23rd St. NY, NY
Class: Pilates (and Gyrokinesis)
Date: 10/24/09
Teacher: Chantal (and Jen)

Class Description (from the Kinespirit website): Pilates is a training system that uses specially designed spring resistance-based equipment (pictured at right) or specialized mat exercises to develop core and full body strength. The first emphasis is on building a strong, supported, yet supple spine. Gradually the entire body is challenged to connect into this strength, and the whole body becomes more integrated and stronger as a result.

Review: First off when you enter the space, you leave your shoes at the door and can place your belongings in a locker. The space is one large room that runs the length of the building, separated with two cloth hangings that separate the space into three sections. The back is for Pilates and mat classes with the restroom, dressing room and lockers, the middle space is the reception area, and the front space contains the Gyrotonic® towers. Looking at the class schedule, it seems Kinespirit focuses on Gyrotonic® classes as there are several more of them than Pilates classes. However, they do offer one on one classes. The equipment appears to be in good condition and they have several towers, exercise bands, mats, and other complimentary pieces. Chantal and Jen, the co-owners, were inviting, friendly, and answered all our questions. They seem extremely knowledgeable and have a good deal of experience. Kinespirit opened about three years ago and they have a second studio uptown that is solely for the practice of Gyrotonic®.

For full disclosure, I took this class through Step Up Women’s Network. We offered it to our members as a Passport to Health event and Chantal and Jen volunteered their time and talent. We had two classes available – Pilates and Gyrokinesis (the mat based version of Gyrotonic).

Class began promptly as we all took a seat on our mats. Throughout the class we engaged our core, using our ab muscles to slowly raise or lower our upper body or to hold positions. Chantal would direct us to use our exercise band to help with resistance and allow us to lengthen our legs further for a variety of exercises, then she would have us do the same exercise without the band in order to engage more muscles and work harder. Her directions were clear and she demonstrated almost every move. She was conscious of the fact that we were all at different levels of proficiency with Pilates and often provided us with variations of specific moves in order to fit each person. I do so much running and other cardio for my usual workouts, so relate sweating and shortness of breath with a hard workout. This was definitely a change of pace for me. After class my core and legs felt like they had been through a workout but I didn’t quite feel as stretched as I thought I would. Perhaps that comes with classes using the Pilates reformer? I’ll see how I feel tomorrow, but I’m still not sure the workout was as fantastic as I thought it would be. I did learn a few new moves that I will integrate into my regular stretching routine though, and I’m definitely thankful for that. They will strengthen my back, which is an area I want to work on.

I didn’t take the Gyrokinesis class, but I did take a few pictures of it to share with you! I took the class last year to try it out before our first event with Kinespirit. I do remember that my lower back felt more loose and I felt a bit more limber than normal. Again though, this is not a sweat inducing class, so if you’re looking for a good sweat, you’ll need to hit a sauna or steam room after. Two things to note about Gyrotonic® - the movements are flowing and similar to swimming, it includes 360’ movement while Pilates is front and back, and the creator of the practice, Juliu Horvath, is still active and teaching. Unlike yoga and Pilates, Gyrotonic and Gyrokinesis is still evolving and expanding as its creator continues to develop the practice.

Overall, I really enjoyed my time at Kinespirit today and the other class members seemed to as well.

On another note, Penn State just beat U of M in the Big House 35 - 10. It's a good day. Now I just have to keep looking for updates on the MSU score! Neither team has put any points on the board yet.

Tomorrow is the start of Marathon week with the Poland Spring Marathon Kick-Off 5 Mile Race! I went to the NYRR office last night after work to pick up my number and t-shirt. The place is buzzing with excitement and overflowing with banners, posters, merchandise. It was great and definitely pumped me up!

Healthy Kids

I was intrigued this morning when I saw footage on several news programs of the First Lady hula hooping. Have you seen those clips? Well, here's one for you if you didn't catch it.

Seriously though, that was the important part of the day. Mrs. Obama was hosted an event for children from six Washington, D.C. area schools, the We CAN! Program, and their parents. The afternoon featured an address from Mrs. Obama, healthy cooking demonstrations, nutrition stations, and physical activities. Personally, I think the attention she is bringing to healthy living is extremely admirable and I love that someone in the White House is taking such an active position so quickly. Her efforts go hand in hand with the work her husband is doing with Health Care Reform, except on the ground floor and helping people now. I love that she started a White House vegetable garden that produces food used in the W.H. kitchen. I love that she, a former hospital administrator, is out there meeting with people, with kids, parents, health professionals, bringing awareness to the fact that we need to do something about our health and fitness levels.

(AP Image)

In her address to those at the event, she spoke about the dire state of obesity among children in this nation. 1 in 3 children in the US are overweight or obese, and apparently (I hadn’t heard this before) medical experts are now predicting that life expectancy for the next generation is going to decrease for the first time. That’s crazy! She spoke about the reality that we need to teach children how to eat and exercise when they’re young so they know how to live a healthy life when they’re older. We need to set the example and even though many of us are working long hours, families are busy running around, and there is just a lot to do, we have a responsibility to ourselves and the younger generations.

Even though my husband (who I’ll call Woody from now on) and I do not have kids, but we are always thinking about how important it is to be a good example for little ones. We love seeing families out for a bike ride in the park, or shopping at the Green Market.

Another story that has been popular in the news has been school lunches and the amount of time allotted for physical activity every day. When we were young, you had recess after lunch, a morning or afternoon recess, and gym class 2-3 times a week. Until you got to middle school and then you had gym every day. Now, schools are dealing with huge budget cuts and increasing pressure to achieve high standardized test scores, so music classes and Phys Ed are often first on the chopping block. We also need to make sure there are community events for kids to take part in and safe places for them to play. As a society, we need to make healthy food options and physical activity a priority for our kids or they are going to be dealing with Type 2 Diabetes while trying to study for final exams as college students.

Two Dept of Agriculture programs that have become important to Mrs. Obama are The Healthier U.S. School Challenge which challenges schools to commit to providing healthy foods and time for physical activity for students every day, and the Child Nutrition Program which provides healthy meals and snacks to children. With more than 30 million children relying on this Child Nutrition Program as their primary source of nutrition for the day, this is an extremely important initiative.

I look forward to seeing what else Mrs. Obama has in store for our health and wellness. I hope that she continues to bring awareness and progress on this issue over the next four (or 8!) years.

On another note, there is a lot of stuff going on this weekend!

In NYC there is the Central Park Pumpkin Festival on Saturday (noon – 5pm). Right now the forecast is for rain, but I hope it clears up for a bit so people can enjoy the pumpkin carving, a haunted house, the scarecrow competition, Green Market vendors, and more. Definitely check it out if you’re in town. If you’re not, look to see what might be going on in your area. A local orchard may be having Halloween or other fall festivities!

Sunday is the Poland Spring Marathon Kick-Off 5M race in Central Park. I’m super excited to run in this fun, quick race that shares a finish line with the NYC Marathon! It’s a great way to get pumped for next weekend. My running buddy/co-worker, Gracela, is also running so we’ve made plans to meet up afterwards and enjoy brunch at The Boathouse! I can’t wait.

Sunday is also the Marine Corps Marathon in D.C. I wish all the runners tons of luck and hope they have a great time! I especially want to wish April a great run and can’t wait to hear about her experience!

Think Pink

Have you been seeing a lot of PINK lately? I know I have been! From magazine cover stories, displays in store windows, news segments, and fundraising walks, pink has been everywhere this month. And it should be. October is Breast Cancer Awareness month. It is a month for everyone to focus on something that infects over 1 million women around the world each year and affects the millions more people who love and care for them. On average, a woman is diagnosed with breast cancer in the United States every three minutes. It can devastate families but can also make women stronger.


There are a great number of organizations that help fund research and support cancer patients and survivors. The two most well known are Susan G Komen for the Cure which focuses on research, education and support and Avon’s efforts – specifically through the Avon Walk for Breast Cancer – to raise awareness and money for screening, treatment, and support. The American Cancer Society’s Making Strides Against Breast Cancer campaign works to save lives and honor survivors. The Breast Cancer Research Fund provides funding for innovative research techniques while also raising awareness. Breastcancer.org provides support, guidance, and information for women and families facing cancer or those who just want more information. The National Breast Cancer Foundation focuses on education, early detection and supporting patients and their families. A smaller organization, The Young Survivors Coalition, was founded by three young survivors of breast cancer and works with patients, families, the community, research organizations and legislators to increase the quality of life for patients and survival rates for those under 40.


There are a lot of people out there working hard to find a cure for breast cancer, but it is our responsibility to be screened and to make sure that the women we love and care about are being screened for this vicious cancer. And take a minute, whether it’s this month or another month, to support these great organizations.

A Fresh Start

Monday is a great day for a fresh start. The beginning of a new week, new adventures, new responsibilities, events. Last night I attended a celebration honoring three women who were awarded grants from the Carefree Fresh Start Fund in partnership with Step Up Women’s Network. We gathered at the posh Spa Chakra on Fifth for cocktails, hor dourves, networking and celebrating the idea of fresh starts and change.

Thousands of women submitted essays explaining why they were deserving of a grant from Carefree to make a fresh start in life. Carefree provided $25,000 to 10 courageous and deserving women, women who are just like you and me. Three of the women attended the event: two who are struggling with health issues and one who is faced with debt while trying to raise a family.

There were also two featured speakers – Ariane de Bonvoisin, a change expert, author, and founder of The First 30 Days.com. She spoke about the fact that we are all facing change, that it is the word of the year and century. She spoke about several of her top tips when facing change – either self imposed or forced upon us. One is the idea of ‘Change GPS.’ As with the GPS in your car, you have a start location and an end location. It doesn’t care about where you were yesterday or what you did earlier this morning. If you want to make a change you need a start and an end. If you’re trying to lose weight, don’t worry about the cookie you ate yesterday or the run you didn’t do, but make today the start and decide where you want to end up then map out your path. However, when mapping out your path, don’t expect change to come quickly. Give yourself time. Change doesn’t happen in a day or a week, but you may be in a completely different place three or six months from now. When you’re making a change, whether it is your health, your job, or a relationship, you need a support system. Friends, family, colleagues, they can always be there for you and you can go to them for support. The second speaker was the actress Kelly Rutherford, well known for her role on Gossip Girl. She spoke about how the biggest change recently in her life has been becoming a mom. She experiences a fresh start whenever she gets a chance to take a shower or the first massage she had after giving birth. She also made a fresh start after having children when she realized that she needed to take care of herself and her diet not just for cosmetic reasons, but also so she will be around and healthy to see her children grow up. Yes, I think her life is a bit different than most of ours, but it’s all relative. A fresh start can be something as significant as taking responsibility for our health with a complete overhaul, moving across the country or seeking a new job, or as simple as eating more fruit each day, walking to work, or helping an elderly neighbor.

We shouldn’t be afraid of change and taking steps, big or small, towards a fresh start. We all deserve it. Every single one of us. We all deserve to be happy and healthy.

Are you in search of a fresh start?

Back from Michigan

I’m back!

Sorry for being MIA for a few days. We were in Michigan enjoying the chilly fall weather and Spartan Football! We got back pretty late last night – our flight was delayed 1.5hrs – so this will be a short post.

I stopped by Playmakers, a local running shop on Friday and picked up some new gear, including two pairs of socks and a new top. I’ve been reading a lot about graduated compression socks and how they do wonders for preventing leg cramps and getting the blood flowing back where it should after long runs. Well, I picked up a pair of Oxysox and asked one of the salespeople if they’re any good. He highly recommended them and mentioned some people wear them while running but he prefers not to because they look stupid. I picked up the pair and decided to wear them with my Nike capri’s on Saturday for my very early run.




















I was on the road at 6:15am so I could get my 15 mile run in before the noon game. It was 27 degrees and DARK in Okemos so I was very glad to have a small flashlight my mom lent me and the battery powered red light flasher from my dad. Definitely important to be safe and have lights or reflective gear when you’re running in the dark. I enjoyed my run, going by tailgaters grilling and drinking, and feeling good. The rest of the day though, I had pretty brutal stomach cramps that were a bit frustrating. This happened last week too after my 20 mile run but I hadn’t experienced them before. After a bit of research I believe they were caused by dehydration. Because the weather was cooler I didn’t feel the need to drink as much as I had in the past and I didn’t take as many walk breaks. I think those two changes were big mistakes. I don’t have any more long runs left before the marathon (two weeks away!) so I will just have to be sure to take more walk/drink breaks during the race and hopefully that will help my stomach later in the day.

I still had a great time at the game, and cheered the Spartans on to a 24-14 win over Northwestern!
















Well, now I have to head off to work. I have a feeling that a big coffee is in my future!

The Many Ways to be "Spartan Green"

We are taking our annual fall trip back to East Lansing for a Michigan State Football game this weekend! I've been going to campus for events, classes, games, or to visit my Dad's office, since I was a baby. My amazing husband and I met, fell in love, and got married at Michigan State. MSU is part of my heart and soul. We bleed green and can’t wait to go back.

We have certain restaurants we have to go to (Lou & Harry’s), friends to visit with, and the Student Book Store to stop by to load up on new MSU gear (this year I'm in search of a dry-fit tank I can wear for the marathon). A large project my Dad has been working on for years is being dedicated on Friday and we get to go to the ceremony. It is also his Birthday so we're excited to be able to celebrate with him.

This year we are going back for the Homecoming Weekend and the theme is “We’ve Always Been Green!” For several years now MSU has been working hard to be more ‘green’ than it already is (our colors are green and white). The administration has made a concentrated effort to reduce energy usage while increasing sustainability, conservation, and recycling efforts. They have asked students, faculty, and staff to participate. The most recent issue of the alumni magazine focuses on the sustainability efforts being put into practice and researched on an academic level.

MSU is a large school. There are 579 buildings, 5200 acres (I don’t think that includes land in other parts of the state), and approximately 58,000 students, staff, and faculty. Campus uses 1.3 billion gallons of water per year and operates over 2000 vehicles. Last year, several departments worked together to consolidate evening classes into fewer buildings in order to cut down on energy use. They determined that approximately 211 electrical megawatt hours fewer were consumed and the university saved $16,904.00. Not only did it save energy and reduce carbon dioxide emissions, but it also saved money, which is extremely important.

This past summer MSU opened a new recycling facility which will have the ability to triple the amount of recycled materials from campus. They purchased 53 Ford Fusion Hybrids that get 41 miles per gallon in the city. The custodial department uses chemical free cleaners in the buildings. A Doctoral student created a way to use glass in cement. MSU Bikes rents and repairs bikes for students, faculty, and staff, while promoting an environmentally friendly way to get around the large campus. Back to Homecoming, the university is providing tips on how organizations can ‘green’ their parade float by using bikes or people to pull floats instead of trucks, use eco-friendly products to decorate, and purchasing local products or using items from the Surplus Store to reduce the carbon footprint.

Faculty members are also doing their part to research new techniques and alternatives to reduce our environmental impact. One professor has patented a way to reduce the production costs of processing gasoline. Others have determined a way to capitalize on unused land in areas of the state to grow crops to produce biofuels in an economically sustainable way.

This is just the beginning. The “Be Spartan Green” campaign focuses on the R’s: Reduce, Reuse/Recycle, Research/Reeducate, Redesign, and Rethink. It’s fantastic to see a world class University taking these forward thinking steps that take advantage of all the assets and talent they have available. Hopefully this is just one example of countless others like it. I can’t wait to get back there and celebrate Spartan Football with thousands of other Spartans this weekend!

Be Spartan Green

Still Running

I’ve been struggling the last few weeks with sore feet. Well, more than sore, actually. Painful. At times it has been difficult to walk, so needless to say, I’ve been quite worried about my marathon prospects. I visited a stand-in podiatrist (mine wasn’t available) two weeks ago who didn’t see anything on the x-rays, taped up my left foot for a few days, and told me to come back in a week. Yesterday was my checkup with the podiatrist I had seen four years ago when I fractured my left foot. He pushed and prodded and declared that I have stressed my tarsal-metatarsal joint, in both feet. Apparently I am quite talented because he has no idea how I managed that.

The Doc prescribed lots of ice and anti-inflammatories, but said I can run! He has run 18 marathons and was just in Chicago working with the elite runners over the weekend, so I trust his judgment and advice. I was fitted for orthotics that I will have to wear after the marathon, but that’s okay. I used to think orthotics were for older people with delicate feet and were a sign of weakness, but I’ve actually learned that several of my peers wear them and really like them. If it means I can keep running and walking as much as I like to and it will be more comfortable, I am all for it. With fashion the way it is, most of us do not wear the shoes we should to protect our feet and then we end up with foot problems. I think it is especially evident here in the city since many of us walk a lot. We’re too worried about what the shoes on our feet look like (and for good reason in some instances) that we forget the fact that we only have two feet and we need to be good to them.

Even though I have pain at some points during the day, I am SO happy that I do not have stress fractures and I can still run the marathon! I have one more 15 mile run to do and then I’m in full out taper mode. Hopefully that will help lessen the stress on the joints and after the race I’ll take it easy during recovery to heal. This experience is about crossing the finish line and completely months of training. My first marathon is not about hitting a time goal for me. I want to take in the entire experience, see the city, the people, the excitement.

Today's lesson: take care of your feet people!

No Impact Week

Have you heard of this? I found it while surfing The Huffington Post last night. They’ve declared the week of October 18th No Impact Week and are asking people to sign-up and reduce their impact on the earth by taking specific steps each day for one week.

Colin Beavan’s documentary, No Impact Man, follows his family over a year long period as they reduced their impact on the earth. In 2007, Colin, his wife, their daughter and their dog changed their lives dramatically. Their goal was to create no waste for a year. To live in New York City but leave no impact. Sounds absolutely crazy and impossible to me, but an incredibly noble endeavor. He didn’t want to wait any longer for politicians and CEOs to make the changes necessary to save our earth. He wanted to take matters into his own hands and see what impact he and his family could make on their own. Cut out trash, walk or ride a bike but no motorized transportation, take the stairs, eat only food grown locally (within a 250 mile radius)… the list goes on.

So, The Huffington Post and Colin Beavan teamed up to create No Impact Week to give everyone the chance to try out Beavan’s suggestions for one week with support and guidance. I’m probably showing my pessimistic side right now, but I doubt many people will keep such a strict lifestyle after the week is over. I don’t think that’s what this is really about though. In a perfect world, it would be fantastic if everyone left little to no impact on the earth, but that’s not realistic. Even if those who participate continue to follow of a few of the tips after the week is over, it’s worth it.

Check out these sites and see if this is something that interests you. I definitely see myself adopting some of these but I’m not sure I can do all of them. Let me know if you sign-up to participate. I’d love to hear how it goes! If nothing else, the Beavan family definitely has an interesting story!



No Impact Man

No Impact Week

It's Turning Colder

I woke up this morning and it was 47’. Yes, I know that’s not bad compared to where some of you are, but it’s all relative, right? It’s fall. In some places it’s like winter. I think all the meteorologists I’ve seen have said that this is much too early for such cold weather. This is just a guess on my part, but it’s probably a result of global warming. Another reason to recycle, conserve, and do our part to take care of the earth.

Yesterday, I ran. It was a beautiful morning: a bit chilly and a few fluffy clouds on and off. My foot was still bothering me a bit and at times was worse than others, but I got through all 20 miles and it actually hurt less after the run! I was looking forward to the run with a bit of trepidation since I didn’t know if my feet could take me through the whole thing. I was using this as a gauge of sorts and was elated when I finished. Tomorrow I go see the podiatrist again and hopefully the x-rays will come up clear again.

Long runs can be a lot of fun. You’re probably thinking this is a joke, but now I really enjoy them. When I was training for the half last year, I though 13 miles was a huge feat, now it’s a great outing. I’ve done my long runs on my own, which may seem pretty difficult to some, but I like having the time to myself to think, enjoy the weather (rainy or sunny), go at my own pace and again, have time to think and dream.

Yesterday as I was running back uptown along the west side highway, I found myself in a sea of pink. The Avon Walk for Breast Cancer was finishing up. I have such great admiration for all the women (and a few men) who walked for 2 days to support the cause and all of the friends and family cheering them on. These women dotted the city with pink all weekend and helped to bring attention Breast Cancer Awareness month and the need for more research and making information and services easily available for ALL women. I also have great admiration for all the women who are dealing with and recovering from breast cancer. They are strong women who we should all admire and learn from.

The City On The Lake

It’s racing season. A large number of marathons and half marathons happen in the fall around the country and the world. While the NYC Marathon isn’t for another 22 days, the Bank of America Chicago Marathon is this Sunday! In honor of the Chicago Marathon, I am dedicating this post to The Windy City.

A few cool facts:
+ Chicago is 237 square miles and has 26 miles of lakefront
+ There are over 300 miles of bikeways and 552 parks
+ Route 66 begins in front of the Art Institute of Chicago
+ City Hall has a green roof and there are more than 7million square feet of green roof’s throughout the city
+ After running through 29 neighborhoods and past dozens of historical landmarks, runners and their posse’s have over 7300 restaurants to choose from for a post-race feast!

A few things not to miss:
+ See the city by taking an Architecture Boat Tour
+ Catch a show at Second City (insider tip: Sunday night is the easiest to get in)
+ Pick up custom shirts at the T-Shirt Deli Co in Buck Town/Wicker Park
+ Check out the fall pumpkin patches in the city parks
+ Grab some Chicago pizza at Gino’s East (insider tip: get the cornmeal crust)
+ Stop by The Field Museum or The Museum of Science & Industry
+ Shopping in Wicker Park and on the Magnificent Mile
+ Take a walk on the Pier near the aquarium
+ Check out Chicago Comics
+ Indulge in an ice cream sundae at Margie’s

I’m sending lots of luck to Redhead Morgan as she runs her first Marathon in Chicago!
Anyone can watch the excitement on UniversalSports.com













*Thanks to all my awesome friends who contributed to this list!
**If you're in NYC this weekend, check the mta website before you head out to the subway. I hear there is going to be a lot of rail work, so you know what that means....delays!

Nuts over Nuts

If I haven’t told you yet, I LOVE peanuts. Well, nuts in general, really. (Even though peanuts are technically legumes, I still tend to lump them all together) I eat a LOT of peanut butter, almond butter and food containing nuts. It’s really a very good thing that I don’t have a peanut allergy. It would probably be about as bad for my psyche and soul as if I somehow became allergic to chocolate! I truly believe that chocolate and peanut butter together is the best flavor combination ever discovered. My husband thinks I’m odd because I like peanut butter on my BLT’s. Yes, that’s right. Don’t diss it until you try it! Peanut Butter & Co even has it on their menu, so I must not be the only one who likes it.

Not only are nuts incredibly tasty, but many help your heart, too! It seems that as part of a healthy diet, eating nuts can help keep LDL cholesterol (the bad kind) low. Walnuts, almonds, macadamia nuts, and hazelnuts are some of the best for your heart. High in Omega-3 fatty acids, fiber, vitamin E, l-arginine (a substance that appears to help improve the health of artery walls), and plant sterols. While nuts generally have a good amount of fat, it is the good, non-saturated fat that we need in our diets. So don’t be afraid to have a small handful of nuts every day, or a serving of peanut or almond butter. Just be sure not to overdo it (which is easy for me!).
Remember earlier this year when there was the nationwide peanut recall due to a salmonella outbreak? Yeah, I was pretty nervous about it. I checked the list of recalled items several times and was relieved to find out that most peanut butter was clear. None of the products contaminated were sold directly to consumers, but many were ingredients for other products – snack bars, candies, baked goods, ice cream – so it was and still is, important to make sure what you’re eating is safe.

Just this past Thursday, The Peanut Corporation of America was ordered by a U.S. Bankruptcy Court Judge to create a $12M fund to reimburse people for health costs associated to the outbreak. The company’s products were linked to 9 deaths and hundreds of illnesses. The PCA declared bankruptcy after thousands of products had to be recalled. I hope this becomes a lesson to food processors that they need to be careful and diligent about how their ingredients are handled and the cleanliness of their facilities. If the health of consumers doesn’t matter much to them, hopefully at the very least, the health of their company and their job does.

The FDA has great, up to date information on food product recalls and safety information that you may not hear of on the news. It’s a great resource that I think a lot of people overlook.

If you have children, visit Read For The Record while you're online today to see how they're working to promote reading among children with a country wide reading event of one of the very best children's books The Very Hungry Caterpillar! The perfect excuse to make a peanut butter & jelly sandwich, grab a good book, and spend a little time with a kid.

Biggest Loser Recap (no spoiler)

I am a HUGE fan of The Biggest Loser. I think it’s a fantastic show that can teach people of all ages and sizes that they have the ability to lose weight, improve their health and live a long, full life if they put their heart, mind, and soul into it. I think it’s a great show for everyone to learn healthy eating and exercise tips. Now, I don’t agree with everything about the show (like locking up the kitchen this week and making the contestants order out for every meal), sometimes Jillian’s harsh tactics may annoy me and the contestants who don’t seem to care or don’t seem to take advantage of their situation frustrate me, but it can also be inspiring.

A few things that stood out to me last night:

Julio confessed to Jillian that “food is my drug of choice.” I think this can ring true for so many people. Food can be comforting and easy. Instead of alcohol or cigarettes or drugs, some people turn to food and become addicted to the feeling they get from it even though they know it isn’t good for them to have that type relationship with food. For a lot of people, an ‘ah ha’ moment is necessary to break out the comfort zone and make the changes necessary to get on a healthy track.

Kitchen Lock Down – eating out is definitely one of the toughest things that a person watching their weight or just trying to eat healthfully can face. One never knows what is actually in the meal they are eating when someone else is cooking it and you can’t be in the kitchen watching as it is prepared. I recently had a conversation with a friend about this. You don’t know where the food came from or how butter or oil or salt is being used. You just have to be able to make the best decisions you can and not be afraid to ask for special preparations or to send it back if it arrives differently from how you asked. It’s your taste buds, your heart, and your waistline.

I do particularly love one piece of advice Bob gave – before you go out to eat, go on the restaurant’s website and figure out what you are going to order. This way you can study the menu and a wise, unrushed decision and won’t be pressured by the people you’re with or your surroundings. I do this ALL the time. If the restaurant doesn’t have a website with their menu, I can often find it on Menu Pages. I especially do this whenever I go to a new restaurant with friends, family or co-workers. It definitely relieves the pressure for me when I sit down at the table. I already know what I’m going to get and I can enjoy the company of the people I’m with. I highly recommend this strategy.

Have you noticed how often they plug their branded products now? The Biggest Loser Simple Swaps book? The Complete Calorie Counter book? The protein shakes…. Still love the show, but it’s almost a 2 hour infomercial for their products. Did you catch the ‘commercial’ for Fitness Ridge, Biggest Loser’s fitness resort? Now that’s an interesting and smart brand extension.

Is it just me, or do the contestants seem much more supportive this season? As the weeks continue, a little bit of game playing is definitely showing (Tracy last week) but there isn’t the snarkiness and obvious competition as in past seasons. It’s nice to see them all encouraging each other. Weather someone is on TBL or at home, they need support when they are trying to lose weight not people trying to make it harder on them.

My favorite part of the show is the end when they show how the kicked off contestant is doing. It's great to see how they've changed their life and sometimes, the lives of those people around them. To see people healthy and happy. That's a great way to end the night.

One Can at a Time

I am working on a great new project at work. About a year ago I approached HR with the idea to organize a food drive for staff in our building. After several follow-ups and still nothing, I had pretty much given up until I got a call just a few days before Labor Day. It seems my name had reached the ears of many people in the company and what I had suggested as a trial food drive for the building I work in (I didn’t want to ask for too much) was becoming something much bigger.

We’ve now had two meetings and are well on our way to holding a food drive the second week of November. As of now, 11 buildings in 4 cities with probably over 3000 people, will participate and everyone working on the drive is extremely enthusiastic. It hasn’t even been announced to staff yet, but I’m so excited I had to share the news with you. Here in New York we will be collecting food for the Food Bank for New York City while the Los Angeles buildings will be working with the Los Angeles Regional Food Bank. Nashville, Miami and possibly an office in Dallas, will be collecting for local food banks as well! Go ahead, call me a geek if you want, but I think it’s really exciting and fantastic to see that we’re going to do something that has the potential to help thousands of people.

There are always people in our communities who don’t have enough food to fill their stomachs each day and now, this is affecting more people than at any other point in my lifetime. I am lucky and have enough food, if not too much, each day. It makes me sad to know that there are thousands of children who go to school without breakfast because their parents are unable to put food on the table. It makes me sick to see people throwing food away because they’re full or they don’t like it or they let it sit in their fridge for too long (don’t get me wrong, I am guilty of this too) when others have to beg and look through garbage. And it’s a shame that food banks are running low and soup kitchens don’t have enough to feed the lines of people at their door.

My hope is that we can do something to help a few people put food on their tables. That we can give someone a Thanksgiving dinner. A breakfast so they can go to school and concentrate on learning rather than trying to hide the grumbles coming from their belly. Or laundry soap to wash their clothes. In this time of hardship when there is 9.8% unemployment (and that doesn’t even count all the people who have given up looking for work) we need to come together and help each other. Those of us who are fortunate to have jobs and houses and food should offer a helping hand because if the tables were turned, I’m pretty sure we would be hoping for the someone to do the same thing for us. An extra can of beans or an extra box of pasta will add a few dollars to our grocery bill and give strength to someone else.

I promise to let you know how it all turns out!