Can We Rewind?

I don't know about you, but I would LOVE to do this past weekend all over again. And not because I want to do it differently, but because it was so great!


We had a rough idea of what we wanted to do over the weekend, and only a few things we had to do, and that turned out to be the perfect way to plan our three day holiday weekend.


Saturday started with a run in Central Park! Yes, that's right! Not only did I run again, but it wasn't on the treadmill. I had invited Woody to join me but since he's not really a runner, I didn't know if he'd come or not. Saturday morning he decided to shake things up a little and come. So, we headed uptown and started out on the bridle path. I'm not exactly sure how far we ran, but I think it was about 4 miles. Maybe a little more. It was extremely humid out and already 71' when we started not long after 8am. I learned a few things on this run:

1. I need to re-build my cardiovascular endurance
2. I need to take more water stops when it's so humid
3. Running the bridle path is a great alternative to running on the roads
4. My leg didn't hurt once

Overall, I am really happy with how the run went! That last point, that my leg didn't hurt (and still doesn't) at all, is great progress! We stopped to snap a picture before heading out of the park.

Instead of heading straight for the subway we decided to pick up iced teas from Argo Tea then walk down to 50th. I'm sure our fellow strap-hangers were also happy because we were able to cool down a little!

Late in the afternoon we went out to explore a part of the city we had never been to before - Greenpoint, Brooklyn. I admit, we're pretty sheltered living in Manhattan. We don't explore the other boroughs like we should. Greenpoint is a neighborhood that Woody has wanted to go to for a while because it's known for it's Polish restaurants. Greenpoint, which was first settled in 1645 and was very marshy with large cliffs delving into the East River. While it has always been a difficult part of Brooklyn to get to, the areas population grew due to diseases and fires in Manhattan. With that immigrant population, it became an industrial area popular for shipbuilding. At one point, there were 12 shipyards in Greenpoint where in 1862, the world's first ironclad, turret warship, the USS Monitor, was built and launched. The neighborhood became very popular with Polish immigrants. Still, street signs are in Polish and there are several Polish restaurants, grocery stores, and Polish Catholic churches. 

Woody's Grandmother is a war bride and came to the US from Poland after WWII. He grew up hearing her stories and eating her Polish meals. Since he learned of Greenpoint, he's wanted to have dinner there. He was in heaven when we sat down at Karczma. Polish beer, pierogi, potato pancakes, kielbasa, stuffed cabbage....all on one plate.

We definitely needed to walk off dinner a little, so we walked through Greenpoint then through McCarren Park and found the L train back into Manhattan. The weather was beautiful and it was such a great evening.

Sunday morning found us at the gym and then a quick trip to Whole Foods. In the afternoon I took a walk over to the Esplanade in Battery Park City and stayed in the shade as much as possible! It was another hot and sunny day. I grabbed an iced coffee and hung out in the north cove for a while watching the boats. I always wonder what it would be like to have a boat in NYC. Just a whole different world than anything I've ever known.

Later in the evening we headed to the movies. It was Woody's choice. Hangover 2. Yeah. I don't have much to say about this movie except it was wrong and indecent. But, it was a little funny too. After the movie we walked home along the esplanade. It was another gorgeous night and why walk home through city streets when we can walk along the water? So nice to be a Sunday night and not have to worry about work the next morning.

We had two things on the schedule for Monday. The gym and a picnic. We headed out to Governor's Island (we are so lucky that the ferry is less than a 10 minute walk from our building) with a packed cooler. The ferry was jammed. There were so many families, friends, couples, bikes, strollers. It was really great to see so many people going out to enjoy this cool, strange, little gem we are lucky to have as a park. We walked a bit and found a spot in the shade with a bit of a breeze and a water view, then set up our picnic. Unfortunately my allergies seemed to really bother me out there, but it was still very relaxing and fun.

It was a great weekend and I wish all weekends could be three days long. Just think how much happier we'd all be. Right? I really don't think I could pick a favorite part of these last three days. 

• Can you pick a favorite part of your weekend?
• What do you have coming up this week?

************

Saturday's workout -

~4mile run

stretching

Sunday's workout -

50min elliptical

100 crunches

1x40sec plank

2x20 hip abductor

2x20 lat pulldown

stretching

foam roller

Monday's workout -

35min elliptical

2x20 hammer curl

2x15 upright row

2x15 tricep kickback

2x15 weighted side bend

100 crunches

stretching


Tuesday's workout -
30min elliptical
125 crunches
2x20 front arm raise
2x20 cable pull pushdown
2x20 leg press
3x15 back extension
foam roller
stretching

5 for Friday

Happy Friday!!

1. The last few days I've been having trouble signing into blogger. Obviously, I can get in to write posts, but when I try to comment on other blogs, 99% of the time I'm denied! I know I'm not the only one experiencing this frustration, but I want you to know that I've been reading posts, I just can't always comment on them. Last night I could comment on a few posts but this morning I don't seem to be able to again. So annoying. Hopefully it'll be all worked out soon or Blogger might see a mass exodus to wordpress.

2. I love the Friday before Holiday weekends! Get our of work early, the anticipation of three days off. I also love when we stay in town for holiday weekend's because the city pretty much clears out. Ahhhh.... calmness. There are a few things on our to-do list, like sleeping in, going for a run in the park, going to see The Hangover Part 2, a picnic on Governor's Island, the farmers market, finish reading The Help. You know, a lot of really taxing activities!

3. Speaking of The Help...it pains me every time I have to put it down! I've been catching the bus to work a little earlier the last few days so I can read on the bus then sit in a park near my office and read for a few more minutes before getting to work. (This is also because it's been so incredibly beautiful the past few mornings that I want to spend the whole day outside). I will definitely finish this over the weekend and will post my review next week!

4. Last Friday I mentioned Woody and I were taking a knife skills class this week. Well, we took the class Tuesday night and I can't wait to tell you about it. But, it'll have to wait for another post. We learned a lot, more than just the technical stuff I thought we would, and the teacher was great. (Insiders tip: Brendan teaches knife skills at both Brooklyn Kitchen and Institute of Culinary Education, but the Brooklyn class is much cheaper) Be sure to check back next week for the recap!

5. Last night I cashed in one of the best Groupon deals ever! Several months back The  Running Company offered a $50 for $25 Groupon that could be used on anything but electronics. Well, hello! Instantly I thought "NEW SHOES!!" I put off going for a while because of my injury, but last night I picked up a pretty new pair of Brooks Ravenna 2! I love the Ravenna's I've been wearing and the new ones felt pretty good in the store when I was able to do a quick little treadmill jog before committing. I plan on breaking them in slowly, especially since I'm still coming back from the stress reaction, but it's good to have another solid shoe in rotation.

• What are you plans for the holiday weekend?
• What's your favorite thing to eat at a BBQ?
• Am I the only one who gets more excited about buying running shoes than any other kind of shoe?
• Have you ever switched blog platforms?

Have a great weekend!!
************
Today's workout -
None. Rest Day!

Less Than A Week Away

You've read it here before.

June 1st is National Running Day!

How are you celebrating and sharing your love for running?

Or.... are you going to use the day to discover your love for running?

Either way, I just hope you get out there and RUN!!

A little back story on National Running Day...

National Running Day, held annually on the first Wednesday in June, is a day when runners everywhere declare their passion for running. Wherever we are and whomever we’re with, we run—fast or slow, alone or with others, all over town or just around the block. It is a coast-to-coast celebration of a sport and activity that’s simple, inexpensive, and fun. It’s the perfect way for longtime runners to reaffirm their love of running and for beginners to kick off a lifetime and life-changing commitment.

Last night I went to a NYRR Young Professionals Committee meeting where we discussed the last few details for our annual National Running Day Fun Run & Happy Hour. It's been one of our best events every year and the crowd is always energetic and excited to get involved (even though it rained the first year)! Like always, our events raise money to support the NYRR Youth Programs, including the Mighty Milers and Young Runners, around the country.

You don't have to be a running club like NYRR or a charity group to plan an event. All you have to do is decide on a time, place and route then go to this website, register and add your event. It can be a run through your neighborhood; it doesn't have to be a big event. What matters is that people are getting out, being active, meeting new people and running (any speed, any distance).

name tag courtesy of runningday.org,
but that's one of my reason's to run!

Follow National Running Day on Twitter HERE
Be a Facebook fan HERE

If you're in the tri-state area, I hope you'll join us next Wednesday! I encourage you to register  HERE before hand because our events do sell out!

• How are you celebrating National Running Day?
• Why do you run?

************
Wednesday's workout -
None. Rest day!

Today's workout -
25min elliptical
2x20 weighted side bends
2x20 front arm raise
2x20 leg press
2x15 tricep extension
100 crunches
2x10 tricep push ups
3x15 hanging reverse crunches
2x30sec side plank
1x40sec plank
1x60sec superman
stretching
foam roller

Cha..Cha..Cha...Changes

Work was pretty intense and really long yesterday, especially for a Monday. That means, this post will be short and sweet.

You all know I had great ambition for my racing schedule this year, scheduling three half-marathons, a 10-miler, a couple 10Ks and hoping to add a few more to my calendar. You also know that so far my current stress reaction scratched the 10-miler, a 10k and a half-marathon off that calendar. Well, I did some soul searching over the weekend and made a decision that was made final today.

I reached out to the organizers of the See Jane Run Half-Marathon series and asked to have my registration switched from the half-marathon to the 5k race. I registered to run the half-marathon in Seattle on July 17th, less than two months from now. While I'm happy that I ran 2 miles on Saturday without any pain, there's no way I can safely build up to 13.1miles in less than two months. I still have the Detroit Half Marathon scheduled for October 16th, and in all reality, that's the most important race to me so I don't want another injury to keep me from running it.

I'm hoping to run the Mini 10k here in June, but that's still tbd. It all depends on how I continue to feel and progress.

My thanks and gratitude go out to the wonderful people at See Jane Run events who are allowing me to switch distances. I'm thrilled that I'll still be able to participate in such a great event!

If life throws you a lemon, make lemonade.

• Have you ever switched distances for a race?
• What's your favorite way to relax after a really long, hard day at work?

**************
Today's workout -
.25mile walk warm-up
1.5mile run
.25mile walk cool-down
20min elliptical
100 crunches
1x30sec side plank (each side)
1x40sec plank
stretching
foam roller

Filling The Void

First, a BIG congratulations to all the Brooklyn Half Marathon finishers!! And a special congrats to April who set a new PR on Saturday! After a week of gray skies and rain, Saturday morning was absolutely beautiful. Just in time for the runners!!

Since I didn't run Saturday, I had to find ways to fill my day....right? Well, the weekend started out with dinner at Madison Square Eats.

There was a pizza place making pizzas in a wood fired oven. Right there in the pedestrian plaza! Very cool. I chose the Calexico cart. Calexico is a well known taco/burrito/quesadilla cart that started serving the SoHo neighborhood at lunch but has expanded since then. I got the two taco platter - one chicken, one pulled pork and rice, beans and tomatoes on the side. delicious!!! I didn't get a picture of Woody's dinner because he had finished by the time I got to the table with mine. He said his Turkish wrap was good but that I had made the better choice. Being the sweet wife that I am, let him have a bit of my dinner.

Oh, did I mention Mario Batali walked by while I was in line? Must have been checking out the Eataly booth. I did not notice if he was wearing crocs, but I bet he was!

After the gym (where I ran 2 miles!) we had breakfast (did you know black beans are delicious in eggs?) and went to the farmers market and Trader Joe's for our weekly grocery shopping. We couldn't let the day pass without taking advantage of the nice day so we headed up to Central Park. We used to spend quite a lot of time in the park when we lived on the Upper East Side, but since moving downtown we hardly ever get there and haven't been yet this Spring! We watched a little lawn bowling, the British and Canadian police officers who are in town raising money for Jack's P.A.C.K. (Police Against Cancer in Kids) running in interesting outfits, enjoyed a little soft serve at the Boat House Cafe, explored a few trails, listened to a harpist playing classical music, watched the eclectic group of roller skaters and visited the new visitors center at the old Tavern on the Green. It was a nice, relaxing afternoon that reminded me just how lucky we are in this city to have such an incredible and versatile park just a few steps, or a few subway stops, away!

I'm off to get a bone density scan before work. Hopefully all the calcium and vitamin D I've been taking is making a difference.

• What was the highlight of your weekend?

************

Saturday's workout -

2mile run

.25 walk warm-up

.25 walk cool-down

100 crunches

2x15 each:

lateral arm raise

bent row

weighted side bends

leg press

leg raise

hip abductor

back extension

2x30sec side plank

stretching

foam roller

Sunday's workout -

30 min elliptical

2x20 hammer curl

2x20 bicep curl

2x20 lat pulldown

2x40sec plank

stretching

Today's workout -

25min elliptical

100 crunches

3x15 hanging reverse crunches

3x18 cable pull push-down

3x15 front arm raise

3x20 tricep kickback

stretching

foam roller

5 for Friday

After a week hiatus from Five for Friday due to the unfortunate Blogger Blackout of 2011, we're back and running this week!

1. Today is my big sister's Birthday. I feel bad because with all the rain I didn't get her gift sent until Tuesday; I hope it got to her in Minnesota for today! As the Mom of a rambunctious and super-smart three year old boy and an adorable 7 month old little girl who can melt your heart in an instant, she has her hands full day and night. My brother-in-law is leaving on a two week work trip today, but I hope she has an incredible Birthday nonetheless. She deserves it!

2. Tonight, assuming that it isn't pouring out, Woody and I are meeting after dinner and going to Madison Square Park for Madison Square Eats for dinner. The outdoor food festival featuring a wide variety of food, started May 6th and is happening every Friday through June 3rd, so we're going before it's over! We can't wait to see what there is! Oh, it's open from 11am till 9pm.

3. Saturday is the Brooklyn Half-Marathon. It's part of the NYRR Half-Marathon Grand Prix, the 5 race series of half-marathons in each borough. This was to be my first of the borough half-marathons; I was one of the lucky ones who registered before the it sold out in a matter of days. I've heard it's the best of the 5 because it starts in Prospect Park and ends on the Coney Island Boardwalk. As much as I wish I was running, I hope everyone who is out there has an incredible race! I also hope we have a break in the nasty rainy weather and it's a beautiful day! Good luck to all the Brooklyn Half runners and everyone else racing this weekend!!

4. Woody and I have decided that we're not going to let this summer pass us by. Can you believe that next weekend is the un-official start to summer?!?! It seems as though the seasons pass by and we haven't done half the things we were hoping to do. But not this summer. We've agreed that we'd rather be exhausted when Fall rolls around than have any regrets. So, we're starting a list of all the things we want to do and we'll check them off as we go along. Grace has already agreed to join me for the 'girl' stuff that Woody might not be so interested in, so I'm convinced that this will be the best summer of my life here in NYC! (Well, maybe aside from the summer when Woody and I got married!)

5. Since I've been posting videos all week, I'll post one more. This is just crazy....

• What's on tap for your weekend?
• What are some of the things on your 'must do' list for the summer?

************
Today's workout -
None. Rest Day!

Want Some Food Coloring With That Cheese?

Yesterday, while reading the daily email newsletter from Sugar Inc, I read about this Good Morning America segment posted on YumSugar.



It really got me thinking about the use of artificial coloring in just about everything we eat. But even more, I wonder if I could pass the taste test!

Did you know that the use of food dyes are regulated by the FDA? In 1960, Congress passed the Color Additive Amendment that required all types of additives to be regulated by the FDA. Today, there are 9 certified synthetic food dyes and the FDA only certifies dyes that are safe for use. (click HERE for more details). Because of this regulation, when used in food, the dyes have to be listed as an ingredient. (exempt, non-synthetic dyes do not have to be disclosed).

Earlier this Spring, the FDA examined the possible link between food coloring and ADHD in children. Ultimately, they decided that there was not sufficient data to confirm the link, but it did make people think about the use of artificial coloring in foods. There is some evidence of intolerance to food dyes, but these can be difficult to determine because there food dyes are so prevalent in the food we eat today and no diagnostic tests are available.

Food coloring is in almost everything we eat. As the video says, even some fruit! Food colorings are mostly used to make food look appetizing. I mean, who would be thrilled to sit down to Thanksgiving Dinner if everything looked a drab gray? This is just my guess here, but it seems that only people who eat a diet absolutely free of all processed foods. Some people do try to eat only foods without dyes or with just natural food colorings, but for most people that's pretty difficult to do.

If you were given three different bowls of pudding, each a different color but all chocolate, do you think you'd be able to pass the test?

• What's your favorite food? Do you think you'd like it as much if it was a drab gray or brown color?
• Are you going to participate in National Bike to Work Day tomorrow?

************
Wednesday's workout -
20min elliptical
2x15 lateral arm raise
2x20 bent row
2x20 lat pull down
3x15 back extension
100 crunches
stretching
foam roller

Today's workout -
20min elliptical
2x20 cable pushdown
2x20 bicep curl
2x15 tricep dip
2x15 weighted side bends
2x20 front arm raise
100 crunches
3x15 reverse crunch
lots of stretching
foam roller

Run to Run or Run to Race

The results are in and The Help won with 53% of the votes!

For all of you who participated in my survey, thanks for helping me decide what to read! I started the book on Friday and I absolutely love it. Like Karen, I can't wait to get out of work to read more!

One of the many previews we saw at the movies Sunday was for the movie version that's coming out this summer. I hope it's a good adaptation.

So, today I decided to take a day off from the gym. Through my injury I've only been going five days a week instead of the usual six, but last week I went six again. We didn't stay up late Sunday night, but it was hard for me to get out of bed Monday morning. Even though I felt much better after the workout, I knew I needed a little extra sleep. Tomorrow I plan on trying out another run since I still haven't felt any pain from the mile I ran Saturday.

I really don't know how realistic my goals of running a 10K race in June and a half marathon in July are at this point, but I'm going to try. I have to take it one day at a time, try my best and see what I can do. I want to sign up for the new Portugal Day Race in June, it sounds like it could be a lot of fun, but I don't want to commit myself to another race (and possibly lose more race fee money) before I know if I can run the first race in June.

So, this might be an odd question, but do any of you runners just run for fun without racing? I started running by signing up for a race and setting a goal. As long as I've been running, I've been running races, and I don't know any different. I'm starting to think that maybe I should rethink my strategy.

• How many races do you run in a typical year?
• How long did you run before you ran your first race?
• Why did you start running?

************
Today's workout -
None. Rest day!

Rainy Day Sunday

What do you do on a day like this?


there should be more buildings in this picture


Eat some of these...

and then meet up with great girlfriends...

not a picture from Sunday

for a chick-flick movie marathon!

Bridesmaids was totally hilarious, while as inappropriate as you'd expect from a Judd Apatow film. But, that's what they were going for! Something Borrowed, was cute and definitely a chick flick. It was a great afternoon and I can't wait till we can do it again.

Saturday morning, I ran a mile. It was a slow mile, and on the treadmill, but it was the first mile I've run in over a month. I went into it with clear limits. I would stop the second it started to hurt, but if it didn't hurt, I would stop at a mile and not an inch further. It didn't hurt, my form felt really good, so I stopped when the distance read 1.00. I did a bunch of stretching before hand, warmed up with a quarter mile walk at a quick pace and then followed it with another quarter mile, stretching and 10 minutes on the elliptical to finish my cardio. Nearly 24 hours later and I haven't felt any pain! I'm definitely taking this slow but I have races I want to run. If it means I only run two or three times a week, then that's what it's going to take. I don't need to break speed records, I just want to be a part of it all again. And have fun.

• What was the best part of your weekend?

************
Friday's workout -
None. Rest day!
(If you didn't know, Blogger was down Friday and is why I haven't posted since Wednesday!)

Saturday's workout -
1mile run
.5mile warm-up/cool-down
10min elliptical
2x15 lat arm raise
2x20 weighted side bend
150 crunches
3x15 reverse crunches
2x20 tricep kickbacks
2x20 bicep curls
foam roller
stretching

Sunday's workout -
20min elliptical
100 crunches
2x20 hammer curl
2x20 bent row
2x20 lat pull down
2x60sec superman
stretching

Today's workout -
25min elliptical
100 crunches
3x15 reverse crunches
2x20 cable push-down
2x20 overhead tricep extension
2x20 front arm raise
3x15 back extension
stretching
foam roller

What's Next? Vote For Your Choice.

For my birthday, my amazing husband, Woody, gave me a Kindle! I had casually mentioned a few times that I thought a Kindle would be great so I could easily throw it in my purse and read books on my commute no matter how large they might be. While the bus and subway can be great places to read, it's hard when the book you want to read is only available in hardcover and weights 3lbs! Kind of gets in the way and Woody knows all too well. I'm sure it's only a matter of time before he has one too, but I seriously have a great husband (who I'm missing right now since he's in Milwaukee on business for a few days).


we're pros at taking pictures of ourselves!

Anyway, the Kindle store has this great feature where you can sample books for free. You get the introduction and maybe a chapter or two, but I love this feature. I can't tell you how many times I've bought a book because I've heard it's great only to start it and two chapters in realize I can't get into the book at all. Please tell me I'm not alone here!

So, instead of jumping right into another book, I decided to try out a few that I've been interested in reading, but now I can't decide which to read first! This is where you come in. Which book do you want me to review next?

Create your free online surveys with SurveyMonkey, the world's leading questionnaire tool.

Since I'm eager to start reading, I'll go with the top vote getter by Thursday afternoon. Thanks so much for your help!!

• What is the best book you've read in the last year?
• What books are on your 'must read' list?

************
Today's workout -
25min elliptical
2x20 lat pull down
2x20 hammer curl
2x15 lateral arm raise
3x15 back extension
2x20 seated row
100 crunches
3x15 hanging reverse crunches
2x10 donkey kicks
foam roller
stretching

Finding the Right Running Gear

For a while now I've been looking for a tank to wear for runs and gym workouts that is body skimming but not too tight. It's been a long search because everything I find is super clingy and does not look good on my body. So, back a few weeks ago when Grace and I went to the NYC Running Show, I was on the hunt.

I tried on a top from Adidas that Grace has and loves. Didn't work for me. The few others I saw were not what I was looking for. Then, we hit the Zensah booth. You know, the company known for their compression socks. Well, turns out not only do they have socks, arm warmers and sjports bras, they also have racerback tanks for women!!

The fabric was so light and soft, and seems loose enough, so I tried one on. And fell in love.

It seemed to fit the bill perfectly. Body skimming but not too tight. Lightweight, moisture wicking fabric and a longer length so it won't have to fuss with pulling it down when running. I had to buy it. At $44.00, it was a little bit pricey, but it worked out well with the discounts I had at the show!

Okay, so I don't take great pictures, especially first thing in the morning, but trust me, this top is cute and comfortable. I can't wait to wear it out for a run...once I'm running again!

• Do you have a favorite go-to piece of workout gear?
• How do you take advantage of beautiful Spring days when you work indoors all day?

************
Today's workout -
20min elliptical
6min arm bike
150 crunches
2x20 cable pushdown
2x15 weighted side bends
2x15 leg extension
stretching
foam roller

Above the Streets

I wish I had some great race recap or run to tell you about today, but that's still going to have to wait a while. After taking Thursday and Friday off from the gym, I did get back there on Saturday though, and felt much better! I am really glad I took those two days off. You can check out my workout details below if you're interested. They really aren't that exciting, but it's what I have to do to get back to running.

Woody and I both cooked eggs for breakfast after the gym. After he declared his breakfast "picture worthy" he decided he wanted me to share with you what he put together! I followed suit with my eggs including: yellow squash, zucchini, peppers and dandelion.

After breakfast, I didn't do a whole lot. We went to the farmers market, which was the first time I'd been there this Spring!! We left with kale, asparagus, and apples.

Went to Best Buy, where I bought a cover for my new Kindle, and stopped off at Trader Joe's before taking the bus home. I still needed to be careful with my leg so I hung out at home the rest of the afternoon even though it was absolutely gorgeous out.

After a short workout in our building's gym, I did a bunch of chores around the apartment. Now that I'm able to do a little more, I'm trying to make up for all the stuff Woody has been doing the past few weeks. I also decided we needed to change our plans for the day. It was absolutely gorgeous outside so we needed to take advantage of it!

It might be hard to believe that we hadn't been to The Highline yet, but it's true. Sunday was the perfect day to go explore.

If you don't know, The Highline is a park on the west side of Manhattan. The elevated area was built in the 1930's to life dangerous trains off the street for companies to deliver their goods to the warehouses along the Hudson River. The elevated tracks haven't been used for trains in decades and were pretty much an eyesore until the city decided to turn it into a park! Once the second section is complete, the park will be a mile and a half long. It's such a great place to spend a few hours. If you visit the city (or live here) I definitely recommend you check out this innovative and green park!

• How did you celebrate Mother's Day?
• Have you ever been to a park in a really unusual place?
• What was the best part of your weekend?

************
Saturday's workout -
20min elliptical
8min arm bike
250 crunches
2x15 weighted side bends
2x20 front arm raise
2x15 overhead tricep extension
2x20 cable pushdown
4x20 hip raise
2x20 seated row
3x15 back extension
1x40sec superman
1x50sec superman
stretching
foam roller

Sunday's workout -
20min elliptical
2x20 lat pulldown
2x15 upright row
2x20 hammer curl
100 crunches
stretching

Sunday's workout -
20min elliptical
2x15 lateral arm raise
100 crunches
3x15 reverse crunches
foam roller
stretching
*workout cut short due to weird stomach ache.

5 for Friday

Thanks so much for all of your support as I try to make my way back to running. I really appreciate all of your thoughts, suggestions and kind words. The support from this community is probably the best part about blogging.

1. First and foremost, Sunday is Mother's Day. Unfortunately I won't be helping my Mom celebrate, but I will be thinking about her all day (like every other day). My Mom is an incredibly amazing woman and I am so blessed to be her daughter. She is always at the ready to help. I have no doubt, that if I asked her to, she would travel the nearly 700 miles to be by my side and help me in a moments notice. She's such a strong and courageous woman and I can only hope she realizes how much I look up to her and appreciate her.

2. On May 20th, leave your car at home and skip the subway for National Bike to Work Day! Biking (or walking) is a healthy, green, and relaxing way to get to work. Check out the link to find events happening in your area, or to organize one. Transportation Alternatives in NYC is giving out free iced coffee and cliff bars at locations around the city. Let's just hope it's also a sunny day! If you don't live in the US, click HERE to find out when National Bike to Work Day (or week) is in your country.

3. Did you watch The Next Great American Restaurant on NBC? Woody and I did. While we liked a few of the concepts, we were really pulling for Jamawn and his healthy soul food concept. Partly because it sounded good and partly because he's from Detroit (and we like supporting Detroiters). We were thrilled on Sunday when he won the reality show contest; restaurants in New York, LA and Minneapolis. Right away we knew we had to go check it out since it's at South Street Seaport which is only a few blocks away from our apartment!

The restaurant is hard to find if you're not looking for it. It's not right in the middle of the Seaport, but kind of around the corner. 

Woody had the baby-back ribs with collard greens, wild rice salad and whole wheat roll

I chose the herb baked chicken, sweet potato salad, black-eyed pea salad and chose the cornbread waffle (which I gave to Woody)

It was all delicious, but Woody said he'll go for the chicken next time. It's nice to have another healthy restaurant in FiDi. I just hope it's open on the weekend!!

4. I don't usually like sharing what I got for my Birthday with others, I think it's a little self-centered, but this is cool. Woody has been keeping one of my gifts a secret but he had to spill the beans last night. He had blocked out Tuesday evening on my calendar and only told me that we had to leave work at 5pm to be somewhere by 6pm. Then yesterday after work he told me that he has to go out of town for work next Tuesday and he had to try and reschedule. In the meantime, he told me what it was just in case he couldn't switch it and I could invite a friend. He enrolled us in a knife skills class at Brooklyn Kitchen!! I'm very excited for this! I know he gets annoyed by how I use the knifes when cutting veggies, so it's kind of for him, but I think it'll be fun and after a couple hours I hope to be a pro with a knife!

5. Have you read the May issue of Runner's World? There's an article about form that I read on the bus to work yesterday and found really interesting. Specifically this quote: "Ours is one of the only sports where the technical aspect has been the skeleton in the closet," stated by physical therapist Phil Wharton. It's such a true statement. We get out there and run. We focus more on what jacket we're wearing, what kind of fuel we're taking with us, what kind of run we're doing, but we it's only recently that people have been talking about how they actually run. How our feet hit the ground, and how our arms swing. I had only been running a couple years when a few of my co-workers and I started running after work together in Central Park one night a week. I hadn't read the proper way to run, I just did what felt comfortable till then. But I will always remember my friend C, who ran cross country in high school, tell me as we were going up Cat Hill one night to shorten my stride and pump my arms harder when going up the hill to help push me up. He's also the one who kept me in check so my arms didn't cross my body in the slightest. I think those nights were the first times I thought about form. I'm still learning and think about my posture as I run, but it's so odd that running is one of the very few sports that you can do without thinking about how your body is moving as you do it.

• What's one of your favorite memories with your mom?
• Have/do you ever bike to work?
• What's your opinion of a soul food restaurant without fried chicken?
• What are you most skilled at in the kitchen?
• Do you pay attention to your form when you run?

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Yesterday's workout -

Rest day: On Wednesday, just after writing my last post, I found out I'm not yet ready to run. I had to catch a bus (or wait for 10 minutes in the rain) and I felt it the rest of the day. My leg hadn't hurt in the slightest bit for more than a week and then by not-quite-running about 20 feet. Bam.

Today's workout -

One more rest day. I'm not going to let my recovery get off track!

Moving Forward

Right now I'm in this weird kind of limbo.

I'm off the crutches but I'm not ready to run yet.

I know the Brooklyn Half Marathon, which was to be my first of the year, is off the table. How could I possibly run 13 miles in 17 days? Impossible.

I'm in limbo because I don't yet have a plan and I'm not sure how to create one.

Short-term Goal #1: start running again
I need to take it slow, but if I want to achieve goal number's 2 and 3, then I can't wait too long.

Short-term Goal #2: New York Mini-10K June 11
I have 38 days till this 6.1mile race. It is one over my favorite races and I couldn't run it last year because of an injury, so I'm not going to miss it again this year.

Short-term Goal #3: See Jane Run Women's Half-Marathon, Seattle, July 17

I have about two and a half months before this race. There are so many reasons why I want to run this one (including the chance to meet Mel); I definitely don't want to miss out on two half-marathons in one year!

One of the reasons why I had this most recent stress reaction is because I have osteopenia. I was diagnosed with this in when I was 28, which is really young for this condition. This diagnosis ultimately lead to my diagnosis of Cushing's Disease later that year. Because I have osteopenia my bones are more susceptible to fractures and breaks than normal. When Sports Doc told me about the stress reaction, she also said that because of my condition I need to start training long before the typical runner and increase my mileage slowly. Of course for someone who thinks the longer the better, and who has races coming up, this is not what I wanted to hear.

Right now I'm thinking this Saturday will be my first run, but only a couple miles. When I started training for the Broad Street Run, even though I have been working out 5 - 6 days a week for years, I went from running 2-3 days a week to 5 days. I think this increase in mileage so quickly is what did me in. I've definitely learned my lesson and will have a more even mix of running and cross training this time. But other than that, I don't have a plan yet, but somehow I will get to the starting line in Central Park on June 11th.

I'm not too concerned about the Mini 10K, it's six miles, but the half in July has me just a little nervous. I'm still determined to get there though.

If any of you are a running coach, or if you know one, who might be willing to help me workout a plan, please email me - lmhansen (at) hotmail.com

• What has helped you come back strong from an injury?
• What are your short-term fitness goals?

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Today's workout -
20min elliptical
2x20 lat pull down
2x25 cable pushdown
2x15 weighted side bends
125 crunches
3x15 reverse hanging crunches
3x15 back extensnion
stretching
foam roller