5 for Friday

This week has gone by soooo slowly. Am I the only one who thinks so?

I have a few ideas why.....

1.  I've been very excited about the Royal Wedding, unable to get my fill of predictions, documentaries, photos, and other craziness. Yes, today was a rest day for me, but I still woke up at 5:30am and quietly turned on the TV while Woody slept, to watch the Kate arrive and the happy couple wed. I really have no idea why I've been so intrigued by this whole thing, I just am. Some things just can't be explained. They look incredibly happy!



source: msnbc.com



source: msnbc.com



 

 

source: msnbc.com



source: The Times UK

source: ABCNews.com

 2. I've been waiting and dreaming about today. My first day attempting to go crutch-less since I was presented with them two weeks ago. I'm going to take it slowly and be careful to not spend too much time on my feet and walking around. My leg is feeling really good and as much as I still believe crutches are completely annoying and frustrating, they were obviously what I needed. Two weeks ago, my leg ached almost constantly, now, not at all!! It's a good reminder that sometimes we just have to suck it up and deal with it if we want to get better!

3. Tomorrow is my birthday. The big 3-0. Yes, I admit it, I will no longer be a 20-something as of tomorrow. It really doesn't bother me, I've heard so many times that the 30's is a great decade, and to tell you the truth, I'm kind of excited about it. Now I just have to act like an adult. Since my original plan to run the Broadstreet Run in Philly on Sunday was scrapped, I made other plans: brunch with three amazing women then later dinner and a movie with Woody. What movie are we going to see? This one

4. Sunday is the first New Amsterdam Market of the year! I wrote about this market at the old Fulton Fish Market quite a bit last fall after we moved to FiDi and discovered this gem only a few blocks away! Unfortunately, this Sunday's market is their Floralia Celebration (celebration of Spring) and the weekly markets don't start until June 5th. But, it sounds like a good number of vendors will be selling their goods, and I can't wait to check check it out! Local is good.

5. This has nothing to do with why the week has gone so slowly, but I have to share it with you. A friend of mine posted THIS LINK on Facebook yesterday. Have you ever become really annoyed with someone on Facebook or Twitter who absolutely can not spell at all? Even if you haven't, you still need to check this out. I was reading it as I was waiting for a meeting to start and it was all I could do not to laugh out loud! Hilarious. (and a little disturbing, because it's all real)

• Did you watch the Royal Wedding? I did!
• Are you a birthday party person? I, most definitely, am not.
• Have you heard of a way to make a donation to help the communities in the South devestated by the recent tornadoes? I haven't had a chance to look yet.

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Yesterday's workout -
10 min arm bike
3x12 back extension
2x20 lat pull down

2x25 seated row

200 crunches

3x12 reverse crunches
50 leg raises, each side

2x40sec superman

foam roller
stretching

Today's workout -

None! Rest day!

PopChips Winner!!

So last night I went to another great Step Up Women's Network panel featuring executives from companies including Bravo Interactive, Yahoo!, MORE Magazine, Revlon, Bank of New York Melon and Time Warner, Inc. It was an impressive lineup of strong, independent, risk-taking women. That was actually one of the key messages from the event, that the hallmark of a successful woman is taking risks; in work and in life. This is definitely one thing I need to do more of.

A random quote I found intriguiging: "We're born with two fears: loud noises and falling down."

The PopChips winner is

Congratulations Stephanie Anne! Look for an email from me soon!

• Are you a risk taker?

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Today's workout -
10 min arm bike
2x20 cable pushdown
2x20 lateral arm raise
2x20 upright row
2x25 bicep curl
200 crunches
2x40sec superman
2x20 weighted side bends
foam roller
stretching

NYC Running Show Pt 2

So, I know, more from the running show? Yep.
Yesterday I left off with the Preventing Common Running Injuries talk.

After the talk, Grace decided she wanted to get her running form analyzed at the New Balance booth. Grant Robison (who talked about running form) is working with New Balance to teach good form and they set up a cool system that analyzes runners form as they run on a treadmill and are filmed. It goes beyond the normal gait analysis that some stores provide.

Grace, who came ready to run, jumped on the treadmill and got going.

The camera filmed her running and the New Balance guy played it back on the computer.

After taking a look, he brought out his iPad and showed us the playback pointing out different aspects of her form. She had really good posture (!) but she tends to strike with her heel and lands too far out in front of her body. So, he suggested that she increase her cadence to shorten her stride and that should help with both points. He then printed off a copy of her analysis for her to take home and emailed the link to her, with the video! How great is that!? I love it. Unfortunately they're only doing this at expos and it's not available at any stores. Such a great idea and use of technology! We were both blown away. I really wish I had been able to try it out myself.

Next we went back to the Zensah booth because we wanted to try on their sports bra and tank. We both tried them on and I fell in love with the tank immediately! It seemed to be exactly what I've been looking for! Stay tuned for a real review soon!

Then it was soon time to grab seats for the next speaker. Matt Long, author of The Long Run.

If you haven't read my review of the book, you can read it HERE. If you've read it already, then you know I loved the book. Long is incredibly inspirational and as soon as I saw he was speaking at the show, I knew I had to see him.

He started with an incredibly emotional video that told his story for anyone who didn't already know. This isn't the actual video he showed, but since I can't find that one, this will have to do:

 

He talked about his experience, where he had been before the accident, what his life was like in the hospital, how his mom 'smacked' him (he made sure people knew it was a verbal slap) and woke him up, and how he stopped saying "I want" and focusing on what he had before, and started saying "I will" and focusing on the future. He had stopped moving forward in life and had to change that. He stressed how important it is for us to set goals, push ourselves, and achieve those goals. This really hit home as I've been facing this latest injury and how I've gotten caught up in the feeling of hopelessness a few times. I have to take his advice and look to the future and find ways to accomplish my goals.

Matt Long is such an incredibly strong soul, it's impossible not to be moved by his story, confidence and perseverance. 

After the speech he had prepared, he took questions from the standing room only audience. Of course, the first question was from a woman asking if he is single! (he's not). Apparently his nephew, Matthew, thought he needed to put a shirt on for the cover art. Two kids in the audience had recently written book reports on his book. (the first he had heard of) He's currently on leave from the FDNY to travel for book tours and speaking engagements as well as spend time on the I Will Foundation, which he started to help people overcome adversity caused by life altering illness or traumatic injuries. When he's hurting during a run, his mantra is "I Will."

It was a great way to finish the day and I'm so thankful we were able to hear him speak!

I had hoped to go back the next day for the Women's Running Health panel, but it was raining pretty hard then and the crutches and rain are not a good pair! If you went to that panel, I'd love to hear about it!

If you came here today hoping to see who won the PopChips giveaway, I decided to extend it one more day, so there are a few more hours to enter! I'll post the winner tomorrow.

• Do you have a running mantra?
• Have you had your form analyzed?

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Today's workout -
10 min arm bike
2x20 lat pull down
3x20 overhead tricep extension
200 crunches
3x10 reverse crunches
3x10 leg extension
3x10 back extension
2x30 sec lying leg lifts
foam roller
stretching

NYC Running Show

Welcome to a new week! I hope you all had a great weekend. Overall mine was pretty good; I just wish it was longer (but when is that not true?!).

I started writing this post yesterday and realized that it was going to be pretty long; so, I'm doing part one today and part two tomorrow. I'm also extending the PopChips giveaway till tomorrow night! (Go enter if you haven't!)

As I mentioned Friday that I had taken the day off for a mental health day and I definitely needed it. Before meeting up with Grace, I stopped off for a little pampering and got a manicure and a 10 minute chair massage, which really helped loosen the tight muscles I've gotten from using the crutches for a week! I went with Essie's Nice is Nice purple for my nail color, what do you think?

Then Grace and I met at Jack Rabbit's NYC Running Show, the first running expo not associated with a race, in NYC. I loved the idea of it and was excited to check out the running gear and hear some good speakers.

The show was held at the Metropolitan Pavilion in Chelsea. There was plenty of space to move around between booths (even on crutches) and an easy flow. Since we were there early afternoon on Friday when most people are at work, it wasn't too crowded and we had plenty of time to look at everything and talk to people. The top brands represented were Brooks, Asics, Adidas, Mizuno, Saucony, and Vibram. (notice, Nike isn't on the list) Others there included New Balance, Nathan, Zensah, CWX, Feetures, and more. We were surprised by the lack of clothes available for sale, but that kind of fits with Jack Rabbit stores, as I feel they don't devote a lot of square footage to clothes.

We found seats and listened to some interesting speakers.

First was Grant Robison, a member of the 2004 Olympic Team, talking about good form. Here are a few pointers he gave us (audience participation was encouraged):

• Posture: bend knees, keep arms loose & don't swing across body. Everything else works best if arms are working efficiently. To 'reset' posture, reach arms above head, clasp hands and stretch.
• Foot fall: the heel isn't stable on it's own (try balancing on your heel, it doesn't work well) so the mid-foot, including the heel, is the most stable way to land.
• Cadence: most people hit the ground approximately 75 to 80 times per foot per minute, but 90 is much more efficient. It keeps your stride shorter (less likely to strike with your heels) and you lighter on your feet.
• Lean forward: lean slightly forward and let gravity help move you forward. Don't sit back or lean back, you're working against yourself!

After taking a break and heading out to grab a snack, we came back in time to check out a few booths before our next talk: Preventing Common Running Injuries (I needed this a few months ago!).

Dr Jordan Metzl, of Hospital for Special Surgery and a 28-time marathoner, spoke along with Heather Williams, a marathoner, Physical Therapist and co-author of Run Metrics. I took a lot of notes, but I'll share just a few with you now

• Dr Metzl sees far fewer triathletes in his practice than runners because they build muscle balance through the mix of training
• Goal setting is incredibly important for runners/tri-athletes and it needs to take into account the athletes current level of fitness, physical attributes and background. Most importantly, the goals need to be realistic.
• overuse injuries are the most common in runners, usually due to running to far and/or too often without enough preparation or buildup.
• pylometrics training is incredibly important to build power needed for running
• strength training to build a strong core is also key; high reps with low weights. Running is an endurance sport and being able to complete a lot of reps helps increase endurance.

Dr Metzl writes columns for Triathlete Magazine and has also created a library of videos. They can all be found on his website HERE.

Okay, I think that's enough for today. There's more to cover but I'll post that tomorrow! I'll just leave you with this: Woody and I tried a new restaurant for brunch on Sunday - Coppelia. It's a South American restaurant on West 14th St and it was delicious! They don't have a liquor license until the end of May and in a few months they should also have a back garden. The atmosphere was relaxed, the food fantastic. The pastry chef is forward thinking Pichet Ong. Woody doesn't like me taking pictures of food at restaurants, so I just have this one to post (there are more HERE).

I definitely recommend this place if you're looking for somewhere to eat in the area!

• How was your weekend?
• What's your favorite Spring nail color?
• Peeps or NO Peeps?

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Saturday's workout -

10 min arm bike

200 crunches

3x15 reverse crunches

3x10 flys

3x12 weighted back extensions

3x20 lat pull down
3x30 superman's
50 ea side - lying leg lifts
stretching
foam roller

Sunday's workout -

None! Rest day!!

Today's workout -
10 min arm bike
2x20 hammer curls
2x20 cable push-down
2x20 front arm raise
150 crunches
2x35 sec superman's
stretching
foam roller

5 for Friday

One week down, one week to go! There is an end to my crutch-aided life.

1. News flash: I'm taking a mental health day today! Yes, I need it and deserve it. I'm taking the day off to sleep in, go to the gym (arms and core only) and spend the afternoon with my Grace.

2. Did you know today is Earth Day? While this one day is called out each year, it's really important to think about the earth every day and how our actions effect our environment. Whether you believe in global warming or not, it's just not cool to litter or pollute. The little things we do, like carrying re-useable bags with us, do add up and made a difference. No change for the better is too small.

3. Today is also the first day of the NYC Running Show. That is where I'm spending the afternoon, so if you are there, just look for the girl on the crutches! I am looking forward to checking out the vendors and a few speakers, including Matt Long. I have a feeling I'll be exhausted by the end of the day, but hanging out with Grace and talking running all afternoon, that should keep me going!

4. Speaking of running, next Wednesday is another NYRR YPC event. This time it's a fun run and happy hour! These are always a ton of fun and great way to spend an evening. Runners of all levels are encouraged to join in, of course, and you can choose between a 3 mile and 5 mile route. This is a fundraiser, so tickets are $15 in advance or $20 at the door. Go HERE to buy your ticket!

5. I realized I haven't been talking about food very much lately and I need to do something about that! Lately I've been eating pretty simple, easy to prepare meals that aren't very special, so I haven't been sharing. Last night was a perfect example. It was very healthy and really easy though.

Dinner was a bowl of Trader Joe's low sodium butternut squash soup with walnut pieces along with a mixture of lentils, carrots, zucchini and onion, and a pear. It was really simple but a really tasty combination, too.

And now I'll leave you with this Easter picture from my past.

• Am I the only one getting Royal Wedding fever?!?!
• What are some easy things you do every day to help the earth?
• What does your weekend hold?
• Have you entered my PopChips giveaway yet?

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Yesterday's workout -
10 minute arm bike
250 crunches
2x10 hanging reverse crunches
3x10 upright row
3x10 lateral arm raise
3x10 back extension
3x10 leg lifts

Today's workout -
10 minute arm bike
3x12 cable push down
3x10 overhead tricep extension
3x10 weighted side bends
3x12 seated row
3x12 hammer curl
200 crunches
3x10 hanging reverse crunches
stretching
foam roller

PopChips Giveaway!

First, I have to say, again, thank you. Thank you for all the amazing support and encouragement you've given me over the last few days. Injuries are hard to face, but they happen and they can make us stronger if we let them. I had a really tough time facing this one (and still do sometimes) but I'm starting to come to terms with it and just focusing on getting better and how to approach training in a smarter way once I can run again!

A while ago I mentioned I had two giveaways coming up. Well, the Raw Crunch Bars were sent off to Alaska, so now it's time for another one! My friend Grace won an amazing sweepstakes a while ago that included a personal trainer, health coach, spafinder gift certificate and a years supply of popchips (I'm sure I left something out).She's a fan of the popchips, but the entire year's worth showed up at the same time! There's only so many bags of popchips a single girl in the city can handle! So, she graciously offered a box to me to giveaway on this here blog!! yep, she's awesome.

If you don't know about popchips, here's a little quote from their website

None of the flavors include gluten ingredients, but they are made on equipment shared with wheat. just so you know

What you win: a box of 9 assorted single-serving popchip bags!

How to enter (one comment per entry, please):
1. Go to popchips.com and tell me what flavor you want to try most.
2. Tell me what you would most like to eat the popchips with.
3. Head over to Grace's blog, say 'hello' and then let me know you did!

Entries will be accepted until 8:00pm EST Monday April 25th.
(fine print: must be a USA resident)

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Today's workout -
8 min arm bike
200 crunches
3x15 supermans on bosu ball
3x12 upright row
3x12 cable push-downs
3x10 shrugs
3x12 seated row
3x10 hammer curl
3x10 weighted side bends
foam roller
stretching

Nutrition on the Run

First, thank you so much for all the words of encouragement yesterday. I know a lot of you understand exactly how I'm feeling, and I really appreciate your kind words of support.

Second, did you watch the Boston Marathon yesterday?! I listened to/watched the life feed online and was totally absorbed by it in the last few miles of the women's race. What a finish!! Desiree Davila was so close to being the first American winner since 1985. She did an incredible job, as did Kara and Ryan. I had a meeting at noon and didn't see the men's elite race finish, but I imagine that was a nail biter too! Great day for running!

So, as I mentioned last week, the NYRR YPC hosted a great event, Nutrition on the Run. The funny and endearing Lauren Slayton, owner of Foodtrainers, located here in the city, was the featured speaker of the night!

We had a great turnout for the night (a little over 70 women) and everyone seemed genuinely interested and happy with the program. As a committee member, I couldn't have been more thrilled with how it all turned out.

Lauren had planned a program titled "Spring Training Table Foods" that focused on healthy foods for athletes, specific for the Springtime. She stressed that while what we eat pre-, during, and post-run is very important, what we eat all week long is just as important and shouldn't be overlooked.

Lauren's Top 10 Spring Training Table Foods
1. Amazonian Jungle Peanuts - I'd never heard of these, but they contain all 8 essential amino acids, are sustainable products from the rainforest, free of allergy causing aflatoxins found in conventional peanuts and a great source of calcium, iron, oleic acid and vitamin e. Lauren also mentioned they're great as a recovery food.

2. Buckwheat/Soba Noodles: also known as kasha. Interesting fact: buckwheat isn't a wheat, but rather a relative of rhubarb. I would never have thought! Because it's not a wheat, it works in gluten free diets. While a 1/4c serving has about 150 calories, a daily serving has been shown to help lower cholesterol and blood pressure.

3. Cherries: aside from being delicious, research has shown that cherries are a natural anti-inflammatory. The antioxidants, anthocyanins, are what helps fight muscle soreness and also help ward off arthritis. Pour an ounce or so of tart cherry juice in some seltzer water and enjoy after your workout.


Cherry orchard in Northern Michigan

4. Tumeric & Ginger: I've known ginger is a great anti-inflammatory, but didn't know about tumeric. It can be grated fresh or used as a powdered spice and added to just about anything. Tumeric is apparently as effective as Advil but without any side effects. There is thought, as well, that it can help ward off Alzheimer's.
5. Dates: I love dates but had no idea how great they are for me! They are great for a pre-run snack because they provide a quick boost of energy through the release of glucose. Dates are high in potassium and non-heme iron (the plant kind). Traditionally they've been used to break fasts because they can help reduce over eating.

6. Peas: yes, peas might seem boring, but there are actually health benefits to them. They contain saponins, phytonutrients that provide antioxidant and anti-inflammatory benefits. They also provide energy and stabilize blood sugar. I never knew they're a good source of omega-3's and vitamin c.

7. Lentils: turns out, these little things are one of the best vegetarian sources of iron and are high in folate and potassium. High in fiber and protein like beans, but easier for some people to digest. I've been a fan of lentils, but now I plan on eating more of them. They're also pretty fast to cook, which is always good!

8. Sardines/jarred tuna: while Lauren admitted she's not a fan of the taste of sardines, she is a fan of their health benefits. Both are high in omega-3's and anti-inflammatory properties. They're also easy to add to salads for a healthy meal; just don't add a creamy sauce to create a tuna salad cause that will give you more calories and fat than you need!

9. Coconut water: ever since I found Vita Coco, I've been a huge fan of coconut water. Thankfully it's good for us, too! Coconut water is from the inside of young, green coconuts and is nothing like coconut milk, except for the fact that they're both liquids! It's the ultimate sports drink as it's vitamin and electrolyte rich. But, it has very low sodium, so it's not necessarily the best to drink on the run since it won't replace sodium loss, so it's great for pre- or post-run. I think it's so refreshing after a hard workout! It is also higher in potassium than bananas and potatoes.

10. Chia/Maca: if you've read "Born to Run" or any of my breakfast recipes, you've heard about chia. It's high in fiber, calcium, iron, and zinc and helps relieve joint pain. It's great pre-run (or any time) and can be added to things like yogurt, smoothies, oatmeal, salads, and more. It's also a natural appetite suppressant. Maca is sold in powdered form and can also be added to yogurt, smoothies, oatmeal, and more. It's a non-stimulant form of energy and also great post-run.

So, I know this is a long post, but just a few other quick tips from the night:

• liquids and yogurts are easiest to digest, so they're great post-run, or when you don't have a lot of time to digest your food pre-run
• when drinking water/sports drink on the run, gulp it, don't sip. Gulping helps it move through the digestive system faster reducing the chance of cramping.
• know how many carbs you need on the run per hour: divide your weight by 4.
• bananas, dates and papaya are good sources of quick energy
• if you choose to eat real food on the run, go for low fat & low protein sources that'll digest easily
• the amount of food you eat pre-run directly relates to the length of the run. Pre-run fuel is most important when going out for an hour or more.
• it's super important to eat something shortly after a run, but it doesn't have to be a huge meal
• everyone is different so it's really important to know what works best for you before race day. Practice the types of fuel and when you fuel to be most confident when you hit the start line!

Because of some generous donations, we were able to give samples to attendees of products Lauren likes


coromega and eboost



Vita Coco and Living Fuel

 It was a fun evening with lots of great tips!

Check out the Foodtrainers site and blog for more tips.

• have you ever seen a sports nutritionist?
• what food(s) makes you think Spring?

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Today's workout -
8min arm bike
200 various crunches
25 reverse hanging crunches
3x25sec superman
2x10 laying alternate side arm/leg lifts
60 laying leg lifts, each side
3x12 lat pull down
100 arm circles
stretching
foam roller

The Verdict Is In

And it isn't in my favor.

warning: this is a long and emotional post, so feel free to skip it and come back tomorrow when I recap last week's Nutrition on the Run event.
I woke up Friday morning feeling really good. It was a rest day, so I got ready for work, made my commute and went on with my day as usual. My leg hardly felt funny at all and I didn't need any pain reliever all day. So, I felt pretty confident that all was going to be okay when I went to see Sports Doc.

The super-nice nurse took me into the exam room and pulled this up.

I could somewhat figure out what I was looking at but, of course, I had no idea what it meant. So when Sports Doc came in, she asked me a few questions and then dropped the bomb:

Mild stress reaction in the left femur

This was not what I wanted to hear.
Bomb number two:

Crutches for two weeks. No running. No elliptical. No stationary bike. No race.

I'm not going to lie. As positive as I had been during the week, I was trying to prepare myself for bad news, but it didn't help. Tears weld up in my eyes immediately and Sports Doc handed me the tissues. Being an athlete herself, who suffered a stress fracture in nearly the same spot during her senior basketball season in college, she understood why it was so hard for me to hear. But even with that, it really didn't make me feel all that better.

I've always felt so bad for anyone on crutches in this city. I've spent my fair share of time wearing a boot cast on both feet, but it's nothing like having crutches. I was terrified at the thought. I only used crutches after my knee surgeries in high school, and even then, I was off them after just a few days each time.

Sports Doc explained to me that because of my osteopenia, running long distances is going to be really hard on my body. She said it's not definitely ruled out of my future, but I'm going to have to start my training long before a runner with healthy bones. So, instead of starting my training for the Broad Street Run a few months ago, I should have started it last year. Even though I'm always pretty active.

After my first visit with Sports Doc, I had my Endo's office send over all my test results - blood tests and bone density scans. She had looked them through and wanted a few other tests run so after I was fitted with crutches, and spent a few minutes in an empty exam room trying to control my sobs, I made my way through hidden tunnels to the main building for Hospital for Special Surgery. My first outing on crutches was not fun. The whole way I felt like a liar because my leg felt fine to me and I could have walked with no problem. I felt like a total scammer!

Thankfully the blood draw didn't take long and then I was back out on my own on crutches. I tried to hail a cab but it must have been shift change because every single one had their 'off duty' lights on. I finally got to a bus and made my way back to work.

I'm a bit overwhelmed by this. I hardly left the apartment over the weekend, trying to just stay off my leg as much as possible. I guess I'll take the bus to/from work, which means my commute will be tortuously long and cancel a few plans over the next few weeks. I hate being dependent on people. Not being able to carry my own food to the table, grocery shop, go where I want, when I want. But what hurts the most is that my Birthday weekend is ruined. Instead of celebrating my 30th by getting off the island and taking a long weekend trip with my husband to run an awesome race in the city of brotherly love, I'll be sitting at home trying to figure out how I can make it to the start line of the half in Seattle without another injury. Our Philly trip has officially been cancelled.

Yes, I know that sounds dramatic, but that's really how I'm feeling. My follow up with Sports Doc is the day before my birthday, so I'm praying that I'll finally get some good news.

I didn't skip the gym on Saturday though and I went again today. My cardio came in the way of the arm bike (I guarantee, this is even more boring than the treadmill) and I spent most of the time focusing on my arms and core. The bright side is that I'll gain some major strength in some areas that I tend to ignore when I spend more time running. My leg feels pretty great today, which makes it harder to stay off. Like all of you, I'm an active person and just want to be on the go. All the time!

• What gets you through a running injury?
• Have you ever been to see a sports psychologist?
• How are you taking in the Boston Marathon today?

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Saturday's workout -
6min arm cycle
3x12 cable-pull push-down
3x12 bicep curls
3x12 seated row
3x10 supermans
3x12 overhead tricep extensions
150 crunches
2x50 laying side leg lifts
3x10 back extensions

Sunday's workout -
None. Full day rest day.

Today's workout -
8min arm bike
200 crunches
3x10 weighted side bends
3x12 straight front arm raise
3x10 hammer curls
3x12 seated row
lots of stretching
foam roller

5 for Friday

The NYRR YPC nutrition event Wednesday night was a huge success. Lauren Slayton, nutritionist and owner of Foodtrainers, was the speaker and provided some incredible nutrition tips that I can't wait to share with you. But, there's too much to share on the "Five for Friday" post, so I'll have to wait till next week! So, stay tuned for that!

Onto the regularly scheduled program.

1. If you're in the tri-state area and love to cook (or would love to learn how to cook), then head over to the James Beard House at 167 W. 12th St (at 7th Ave) on Saturday for a massive cookbook sale, with new & old books starting at just $3.00!! (No, that's not a typo. Three dollars) All proceeds go to the James Beard Foundation.

2. Back in 2002, the inaugural Tribeca Film Festival was held in lower Manhattan. Founded by Robert De Niro, Jane Rosenthal and Craig Hatkoff after the attack on the World Trade Center, was meant to bring people (and money) back to the area. "The Festival’s mission is to help filmmakers reach the broadest possible audience, enable the international film community and general public to experience the power of cinema and promote New York City as a major filmmaking center." Since that first year, the festival has grown by leaps and bounds, with screenings all around the city and expanding beyond the April event. There are incredible films of all types. Woody and I like going to at least one film each year and have seen some really interesting ones over the years. Tickets are on sale for AmEx cardholders now and go on sale for the general public on the 18th. If you can, check it out.

3. The iconic (and tacky) Tavern on the Green in Central Park closed last year. Last I heard, control of the venue was still in limbo, but the Central Park Conservancy has found some gourmet food trucks to hang out at the site and sell delicious foods. To start the season off right, the four trucks: Ladle of Love, Pera Turkish Tacos, Rickshaw Dumplings and Van Leeuwen Ice Cream, will be offering free samples from 2pm - 4pm on Saturday (rain date is Sunday). Sounds like a delicious way to spend the afternoon.

4. The other day Woody and I finally bought our plane tickets for our summer trips and I couldn't be more excited! It's official that we're heading to Raleigh, NC in June and Seattle in July! I can't wait to explore the Raleigh area and then run a women's only half marathon with incredible women like Mel (who's running Boston on Monday!!)! We love exploring new places and while our trip to Raleigh will be quick, we're going to get to know Seattle really well by the time our trip is over! Thank goodness for credit card points because we're getting 5 free nights at the W Hotel in Seattle with them!

5. If you haven't heard, Monday is Patriot's Day. Which really means, it's the 115th running of the Boston Marathon. Because I'm realistic about my abilities, I have never had any dreams about running Boston, but I do respect the tradition and excitement of the event. I know how the NYC Marathon takes over this city at start of November each year, so I can only imagine what Boston is like. While there has been quite a bit of controversy about this year's running, there are still over 26,000 people who have trained hard and sacrificed a lot to get ready for this one day and they deserve a ton of respect. I wish everyone running in Boston on Monday, London on Sunday, and any other race of any distance, tons of luck and lots of fun. That's what running should be about, right? Fun.

I see the doc this afternoon and learn my fate. I hope it involves the city of brotherly love and a street named Broad.

• Do you have a favorite cookbook? What makes a great cookbook for you?
• What's your favorite film genre? Favorite movie?
• Are you running Boston on Monday? Have you run it or do you hope to one day?

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Yesterday's workout -
50 minute elliptical
3x12 leg press
3x12 lateral arm raise
3x12 front arm raise
4x10 versa-loop side squats
100 crunches
1x25sec plank on stability ball
foam roller
stretching

Today's workout -
None. Rest day!

7 Things

The lovely Jess, at Run with Jess, passed the Stylish Blogger Award on to me the other day. While I'm truly honored, I'm also a little hesitant because it means I now have to come up with seven random facts about myself! And the pressure is on because apparently, the more entertaining, the better. Well, let's see how I do.

1. As I mentioned a couple weeks ago, I have a dinosaur bone.

2. Two of my favorite sandwiches are two things Woody can hardly stand to hear described. I only wish I had pictures of them!

• A  PBBLT - bacon, lettuce, peanut butter and tomato. My love for this sandwich was legitimized when I found it's on the everyday menu at the Peanut Butter & Co restaurant!

• Grilled Cheese with Jam - just what it sounds like. A regular grilled cheese with a layer of jam (or jelly, when I was little) on top. Delicious!

3. Speaking of sandwiches.... I don't think I ever asked my mom or dad to cut the crust of a sandwich when I was growing up. I actually like it so much, I am known to eat all the crust and then eat my sandwiches around the edge moving towards the center. Woody finds this quite amusing and will stare at me once he notices that I'm doing it. Nice, right?

4. I may, or may not have, fallen asleep while in the MRI machine. More than once.

5. Woody and I had our wedding reception in Spartan Stadium.

6. I have no idea what "three balls and two strikes" means. (Woody helped me with this one)

7. We live in a building that was built in 1930 to be a bank and the movie "Inside Man" was filmed in one of the original bank lobbies. I think the building might be haunted when the elevators stop on random floors or just don't move. Even though we don't have laundry in our apartment, the doormen and maintenance guys are awesome and we love this building!

source

Now it's my turn to pass this honor on to some great bloggers... keep it going!

Grace @ the lean girls club
Alfie @ Coffee & Stilettos
Sue @ SueMac on the Run
Rachel @ Girl on the Run

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Today's workout -

45min elliptical

3x12 cable push-down

3x10 versa-loop front, side, and back kicks

3x12 upright row

1x40sec plank

stretching

foam roller

Book Review: "The Long Run"

If you get nothing else out of this post, know this: it is in your best interest to buy, rent, borrow, or download this book as soon as possible. And read it cover to cover.

Yes, it's really that good.

I don't know why I hadn't read it until now, but whatever the reason, I'm glad I finally did.

The Long Run is the emotional true story about Matt Long's life: his upbringing in Brooklyn as one of the 9 Long kids, his perseverence and readiness to take on any challenge, his move to Manhattan, how he opened a bar (and more) with one of his brothers, joined the FDNY, looked for love, and became a tri-athlete. It's also a story about a regular day that quickly became anything but regular and how his life changed forever.

The day was in 2005 and while I won't go into the details of what happened to him, I'll say that I faintly remember that day. It was Woody's first winter in NYC, he was working downtown in the World Financial Center and we were living on the Upper East Side. Thankfully (for me) I was used to walking to work in mid-town but he, like many other New Yorkers, and to walk miles and miles to get to and from work each day when the MTA workers illegally went on strike. Reading this story, I am once again furious at the MTA and their union leader Roger Toussaint, for the upheaval they caused during that week before Christmas and how his vibrant, strong, heroic fireman's life was changed forever. All he was hoping to do that morning was meet up with his training buddies for an early morning run. Only the month before he had finished his quickest marathon, running NYC in 3:13.

Like most books I read, I often read this one while commuting on the subway to and from work. For several days in a row, I had to put it away because I started to tear. His story is heartbreaking, endearing, inspirational, motivational loving, and terrifying, all in just under 300 pages. I love that throughout the book, he is a real guy. I mean, if nothing else, that's who he is. Never does he pretend to be perfect, although sometimes it does seem as though he is, but that's just because of the type of guy he is. His family is incredible, his outlook on life is incredible. It's sad that this is how his story had to be told because even without this tragedy in his life, he's incredibly inspiring.

I don't want to give away too much, but I'll leave you with a little background on how this book happened. If you're a Runner's World reader, you may remember, as I did, reading Matt's story in 2009 as a feature story titled "A Second Life" written by Charles Butler. Because of this great story and Matt's determination to run again, David Willey, EIC of Runner's World, gave the green light on book. Charles did incredible research, speaking with Matt's family, friends, teammates, fellow firemen, doctors, nurses, physical therapists and more, to get the story right. It's a beautiful story and I hope that many people, runners and non-runners alike, take the time to read it because it reminded me how precious life is, how wasteful it is to take a day for granted and how we should set our minds to achieving great things and go after them.

Now go get this book!


The Long Run
By Matt Long with Charles Butler
Click HERE for more information

If you're in the NYC area and able to get out of work early, Matt Long is scheduled to speak at the NYC Running Show on April 22nd at 5:00pm.

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Today's Workout -
45 min elliptical
3x12 leg press
3x10 versa-loop front, side and back kicks
4x10 versa-loop side squats
100 crunches
1x40sec plank
2x30 sec side plank
stretching
foam roller

It's Warming Up

Wow is it foggy this morning!

I hope you all had a great weekend. Mine was pretty good, no complaints here. Well, except that like all weekend's, it was too short for my taste. I woke up this morning feeling pretty miserable after a weird night of sleep, but I'm feeling much better now after a good workout. I'm wondering if it is really going to reach 78 degrees today.

Over the weekend, I made two very tasty post-workout breakfasts, perfect for warmer weather. I have a feeling that this will be the Spring/Summer of Smoothies for me. I do love smoothies, especially after a hard workout on a warm day, but I haven't made many of them. Woody even commented as I was starting to enjoy my concoction Saturday morning "It takes you a long time to make a smoothie" to which I replied, "that's cause I'm still learning!"

Saturday's smoothie was an all-in; frozen fruit - banana, blueberries, strawberries, mango - ground flax seeds, chia seeds, sliced almonds, cinnamon, unsweetened almond milk and non-fat greek yogurt. Can't get much more loaded that that, right? It was a bit on the thick side, which I think is a result of my ratio of greek yogurt to almond milk being a bit off. Try and learn, right? So what if I had to "drink" it with a spoon, what matters most is that it was healthy and delicious! Along with the smoothie (because mine are kind of small-ish), I had a piece of Ezekiel 4:9 sprouted bread with Mighty Maple peanut butter!


Need to practice my pouring skills so I
keep the sides of the glass clean!

Sunday I went to the gym at City Hall with Woody but made a trip to the Whole Foods in Tribeca before heading home. On the walk home I decided I was in the mood for fresh granola. I haven't made granola in months but it was already going to be 11:30am by the time I got home, so why not wait a little longer for breakfast and make granola? Then I decided to take it a step farther and make it a parfait! Even though I realized just as I was about to enjoy it that I had forgotten to include cinnamon, it was delicious and I didn't even miss the cinnamon!

In the granola mix: whole rolled oats, sliced almonds, roasted peanuts (unsalted, no oil), raw sunflower seeds, chia seeds, ground flax seeds, dried cherries, and honey. In the parfait: Greek yogurt, strawberries, banana, granola and a drizzle of honey. Dangerously delicious!

I think Woody was a little jealous of my parfait, but he had already had a smoothie by the time I got home. (I grocery shopped Sunday morning and he was on bathroom/kitchen cleaning duty. He's so good at it!) At least there was granola left for this morning!

On the workout tip, I had two good ones over the weekend. I didn't run but I did spend some quality time with the elliptical both days; 75 minutes on Saturday and 60 on Sunday. I also did some strength training and stretching. Overall I felt pretty good. I'm just taking it a day at a time and even though I had to miss the Scotland Run 10K in Central Park yesterday that I had been looking forward too, I'm not counting myself out of the Broad Street Run.

• What's your favorite warm-weather breakfast?
• Did you watch The Masters over the weekend? (Woody was glued to the TV all weekend and got me hooked Sunday evening. It was actually kind of exciting!)

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Saturday's workout -
75min elliptical
3x10 versa-loop (apparently that's the real name!) side squats
3x10 leg press
2x10 versa-loop front, side & back kicks
3x10 upright row
3x10 cable push-downs
stretching
foam roller

Sunday's workout -
60 minute elliptical
3x10 versa-loop side squats
2x10 versa-loop front, side, and back kicks
3x10 lat pull-down
3x10 hammer curls
100 crunches
foam roller
stretching

Today's workout -
40 min elliptical
4x10 side squats
2x10 front, side, back versa-loop kicks
3x10 lateral arm raise
3x10 overhead tricep extension
stretching
foam roller