Coffee? Yes, Please!

Oh wow. That was tough! My alarm went off just after 5am and for the first time in over a month it wasn’t just for Woody!

I started going back to the gym over the holiday weekend, but we were able to sleep in till 7 or so. I admit, I did miss that extra hour of sleep I’ve been getting and when Woody announced this morning that he didn’t sleep well and was going to skip the gym, I came real close to skipping as well. But, if I want to build up my strength again and loose the few lbs. I’ve pub on during this hiatus, then I’d have to get up and go to the gym. And I definitely need to do that. I got up and got myself to the gym, but my eyes were a bit foggy at first. This is going to take a few days to get used to again.

Yesterday I had my check-up with the Sports Doc. It went pretty well. I’m still feeling these odd tweaks every once in a while but it might be due to nerves rather than the fracture. The bad: it’s going to be a while before I’m running again. The good: I have to go to PT. I’m actually happy to be going to PT. I think I need some expert advice to get me on the right track, so I’m looking forward to this. Sports Doc did say that if the PT office has an Alter-G Treadmill then I can run on that, but otherwise I need to stick to the bike for now. I made an appointment at a PT office near my work for next Monday morning, but I forgot to ask about the Alter-G, so I’ll be calling them back today!

I’ve been trying to drink less coffee during the week and more Green tea, but today might be an exception!

Giveaway alert! I’m almost done lining up some great items for a giveaway that I’m planning to post next week. It’s been a while since I’ve done a giveaway, I hope you like it!

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Today’s workout -

• 150 ab exercises
• stretching
• 2x20sec, 1x25sec plank
• 2x30sec superman
• 40min stationary bike

Let the Shopping Begin!

I hope you all had a fantastic Thanksgiving, enjoying time with family and friends, reflecting on all you have to be thankful for!

I have some Oiselle holiday news to share with you! Because I know you all love cute running clothes as much as I do!

Check out these great deals…

Psst. the link doesn’t work, so click HERE

How are you spending Black Friday?

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Today’s workout -

• stretching
• 100 ab exercises
• 2x15 cable pull push-down
• 3x10 cable pull side twists
• 2x15 front arm raise
• 3x10 backward leg extensions
• 20 min stationary bike

A Moment to Reflect

This week a lot of people have been talking about what they’re thankful for. The chatter is all over twitter, Facebook, the news, and conversation. It’s great that people are thinking about it, but it also makes me wonder why we don’t do it more often. Why it takes a National Holiday for so many of us to do it. I wonder what the Occupy Wall Street protesters are doing today. Are they thinking about the things they have to be thankful for? I’m the type of person who believes that everyone has something to be thankful for, no matter how small it might be. Maybe I’m living in a fairy tale, I don’t know. But I think life’s too short and I’m trying hard to focus on the good things rather than get caught up in what’s hard or disappointing.

I know I have quite a lot to be thankful for…

I have an amazing, and healthy, family that cares about me

A comfortable apartment with a cozy place to sleep and plenty of food in the kitchen

A good job

Great friends

(Relatively) good health

The ability to watch the sun rise and set every day

Opportunities to travel and experience amazing things

I get to live in a city with endless opportunities

I was able to run one of the half marathon’s I had set out to run this year

That I went to the gym for the first time in over a month this morning!!! (even if it was only a mini-workout)

And so much more…

What are you thankful for?

Woody and I stayed home for Thanksgiving, as we’ve done every year, but our hearts are with our families today.

HAPPY THANKSGIVING!

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Today’s workout -

This was my first workout after more than a month off due to a stress fracture. Because I need to ease back into working out, and not re-injure myself – the first few workouts will be on the shorter side with little cardio. Our gym is closed for the holiday so I used the fitness room in our building. So far, I’m feeling good, no aches or pains, but I could definitely tell it had been a while since I had stretched or done any strength work!

• stretching
• 125 ab exercises
• 2x15 weighted side bends
• 2x15 overhead tricep extension
• 2x15 lateral arm raise
• 2x15 hammer curls
• 2x16 bicep curls
• 2x16 upright row
• 12 min stationary bike

NYC Favorite Places

With this being a blog partially about NYC, I thought I’d start sharing with you some of my favorite places around the city! Saturday was the first time in over a month that I was able to go out and enjoy the morning without crutches. I made a trip to the Union Square farmers market to stock up on a few Thanksgiving essentials and then checked out a few shops in the area, including Fishs Eddy. I love all the unique treasures and vintage style. I went into the shop without needing anything in particular, but I left with two little treasures; check them out below!

• Have you ever been to Fishs Eddy? What did you think?
• Do you shop at independently owned stores?
• Would you ever eat off a polka dotted plate?

It Just Snuck Up on Me

I realized yesterday that the holiday season starts a week from today. Well, as far as I’m concerned the holiday season starts with Thanksgiving, although it started about two months ago for most retailers. Please tell me I’m not the only one who’s totally annoyed by how retailers skip holidays and put out the Christmas decorations before Halloween. I mean, we’re always in such a rush to get through life, shouldn’t we enjoy it a little?

Woody and I had a really great time in Denver over the weekend! It was nice to get out of the city for a few days and …. go to another city! Seriously though, we stayed with my aunt and uncle who showed us all over the city. They know the best restaurants and sights, and they can definitely grill a fantastic salmon! I wish I had been able to run as there are running trails everywhere! While it was too windy for a visit to Vail on Sunday (I had no idea they get 100mph winds there!) we did take a trip into the mountains with a stop in Estes Park for lunch and fudge and a little turn through Rocky Mountain National Park. I think we would have been perfectly happy to stay another week, although by then I’m also sure we would have worn out our welcome. Still, we had a fantastic time and I hope I get back there again soon.

In the lobby of The Stanley Hotel (apparently they filmed a movie here?)

Elk by the side of the road in some guys front yard!

I really need to start taking more pictures on our weekend trips. I love to travel, and if I have anything to say about anything, we’ll be doing a lot of it over the years. And I want a good record of our adventures. 2012 Resolution: Take more pictures

We are staying in the city for Thanksgiving, like every year, and since the holiday apparently snuck up on me I’ll be spending this weekend figuring out our first gluten free Thanksgiving and cooking a dish for my company Thanksgiving potluck on Monday!

Because this is still a running blog and you’ve read this far in the post, I have one piece of running news for you. Penny, from Splits59, a women’s active wear company, is sponsoring two women to run the LA Marathon in 2012. Two winners will be chosen on December 1st, to receive not only paid registration for the race, but also gear from Splits59. If you’re interested, click HERE to register for the drawing.

• Are you the one in your family and group of friends who always has a camera at the ready or do you sometimes miss capturing memories like I do?
• Are you staying home or traveling for Thanksgiving?
• What’s the one Thanksgiving dish you can’t go without?

Crutches and Air Travel

A rare evening post on EMR!

Today I used my crutches to get to and from the office, but once I was there, I was on my own. I was pretty confident that I’d be slow, but that it would be okay. Well, it didn’t turn out quite as good as I had hoped. You know how sometimes you can just feel something a little funny? Well, that’s how it was for me. I’m definitely disappointed but maybe I was just expecting too much. Maybe this is normal. I hope it’s normal. I’ve been on crutches for almost a month now and it’s just frustrating. I want to get back to the gym. I want to get moving again. I know I need to stay on the crutches a bit longer, I’d rather be on them a few more days and make sure it’s healed rather than go solo too early just because I’m impatient and then regret it. But, it’s still just annoying.

Bright and early tomorrow morning Woody and I will be on our way to Colorado. It would definitely be more fun without the crutches (I had hoped to try some high-altitude running), but I’ll have to make due. It’ll be a great time anyway and we are definitely looking forward to getting away for a long weekend and exploring a new place. It’s always good to get a change of scenery once in a while!

Alright, time to finish packing….

Have a great weekend!

• If you could take a last minute long weekend anywhere, where would you go?

Healthy Burgers? Yes, That’s Right.

Before I get to the yum stuff, a quick injury update. Today is the last day I need to be on crutches full time!! Starting tomorrow I am to use them for a few more days when I’m going longer distances (so, to and from work and in the airports, for instance) but can start walking around the office and such without them! I cannot wait! My leg is definitely feeling much better, but I’m going to follow Sports Doc’s orders and do this right. I don’t want to be reunited with these crutches once I put them away!

Okay…the burgers.

Now that the weather has turned cooler and the days are getting shorter, I’m trying to cook more often and try new recipes. The other day I decided I wanted make black bean burgers but switch it up a little from the recipe I’ve used before. I need to get a good amount of protein and fiber in my diet – especially while my stress fracture is healing – so I decided to try adding lentils to the black beans.

I’ve had a bag of lentils sitting in our cupboard for a while but haven’t made them. Not sure why since they’re pretty easy to prepare and they’re an extremely healthy legume. Lentils are a great source of dietary fiber, protein, iron, folate, copper and B vitamins. They pack a pretty good punch!

I really had no idea what I was doing when I put this together, but I thought it was worth a shot. (And I had a backup dinner in mind just in case)

Black Bean Lentil Burgers

• 1 can black bean drained and rinsed
• 1 cup cooked lentils
• 3/4 cup onion, small diced
• 1/4 cup zucchini, small diced
• 1 egg
• 1/3 cup oats
• 1tsp turmeric
• Pepper to taste

1. First, dice the onion and zucchini then sauté with a little black pepper till the onions are opaque and zucchini is soft
2. In a 9x9 baking dish mash black beans till there aren’t too many chunks
3. Add lentils; mash some more
4. Add onion, zucchini, more black pepper and turmeric; combine with mixture and mash a bit more
5. Add oats and the egg; combine and mash
6. Spread mixture evenly within dish then divide into four quarters. Use a spatula to remove each square from dish and place on a pre-heated and greased flat griddle.
7. Heat on medium for a few minutes, making sure the burgers aren’t sticking to the surface; flip and cook some more, letting each side brown. Burgers are ready when they’re firm.

When you get to step 6, the mixture is pretty moist, but don’t worry. I was a bit apprehensive at this point but thankfully, it all turned out well! I just bought a jar of turmeric as I want to our meals, but since I hadn’t used it before I only added a small amount. I definitely think one teaspoon or a little more, would be fine.

I made one of the burgers a bit bigger for Woody, and I had two for leftovers for this week. That worked out well since Woody has been out of town on business and I’ve had pretty easy dinners. Turns out they were a bit dry after the first day, but nothing a bit of ketchup and avocado didn’t fix!

I won’t lie, it did take me a bit of time to put these together, with all the mashing and mixing, but as with most recipes, they should be faster to make next time since I know what I’m doing. If you’re in a pinch for time, save this for another night. They got a thumbs up from Woody so I’ll be making them again!

*While some people with gluten sensitivities can’t eat oats, or can only eat certified gluten-free oats, I (thankfully) don’t have a problem with them, which is why I was able to use them in this recipe.

• Do you prefer meat or veggie burgers?
• What’s your favorite spice?
• If you could only eat one type of legume for the rest of your life, what would it be?

ING NYC Marathon

The other week I wasn’t sure if I’d be able to volunteer for the Expo as I had signed up months ago, but I followed through with my commitment and I’m so glad that I did!

The volunteer organizers were incredibly accommodating and switched my assignment from goodie bags to ID check – the only seated volunteer position – so I wouldn’t be on my feet on the crutches all afternoon. It was a fun spot to be because you were basically the first line of interaction most of the runners had with marathon personnel or volunteers. I loved welcoming people from all over the world, and learning a little bit about their story. When you think about it, there are 45,000 stories running through New York City on marathon day. Each person has been through a long, and often grueling, journey to get to the start line. I welcomed locals from down the street (one guy I helped actually lives on 1st Ave so his friends and family were going to hang out at his apartment to cheer him on), and runners from Europe, Asia and South America. One woman in particular, broke my heart as she had to cancel her registration and defer because of a torn muscle. She had made the trip from France. And I felt a bit nervous for the people who showed up to the expo with less than an hour left and their luggage in tow. I would be a nervous wreck in that situation. I hope they got some rest before the morning! Overall though, people had smiles on their faces and were appreciative for the warm welcome. I doubt any of the runners will remember me, but I felt like I was playing a part in their marathon experience and I appreciate that immensely.

Throughout the afternoon, I was able to catch up with some friends – both old and virtual! And that’s always fun! In particular, fellow bloggers Molly and Amanda were in town and we made plans to meet up at the Expo. Molly was in town to run the marathon (Congrats on an awesome finish, lady!) and Amanda (fellow Team Oiselle runner!) was here for a Birthday celebration weekend! While I wish we could have chatted longer, it was so great to meet them in person!

I admit I was absolutely exhausted by the time I got home (although I’m sure that the fact it took me nearly a half hour to get a taxi), but I am so glad I was able to volunteer. I love the excitement and production of the expo, seeing all the people, emotions, great races, charities and companies in attendance, pro-athletes galore, and experts giving last minute advice. Everyone is there with one thing on their mind: The ING NYC Marathon.

Speaking of the marathon – what a women’s race, right? Firehiwot Dado pulled out an awesome win after Mary Keitany was on a record pace for most of the race. I was kind of pulling for Buzunesh Deba to win, as she’s been living in the Bronx for 6 years, but her 2nd place win was stellar! And a men’s course record was set by Geoffrey Mutai!! And even though Meb finished sixth, he still set a PR! The weather was gorgeous and it was a great day for running in the city! I hope ALL the runners had a fantastic time and are feeling great today! Whether you met your goal or not, just getting out there and tackling 26.2 is amazing. You did something absolutely incredible and you should be so proud! Hope you enjoyed your tour through NYC!

• Did you run a race this weekend? NYC, Savannah, or another? What was your favorite part of your race?
• What’s the best encouragement sign you’ve seen while running or spectating?

Why This Time is Different

Yesterday I had a follow up appointment with the Sports Doc. My leg has been feeling much better the last few days than it did last week, but I know I’m not 100% yet. Going in, I anticipated that she’d tell me I have a few more days left on the crutches. I was trying my best to be prepared.

After Sports Doc checked my leg and asked how I was doing, we took a look at my MRI. Originally she had just given me a call with the results so I didn’t have to make another trip into the office, which meant I hadn’t actually seen the pictures. On an MRI, solid bone appears black, while soft/injured bone ‘lights up’ the image, appearing white. There was one bright spot near the area that hurts and another area close to my knee. She had mentioned this on the phone but I haven’t felt anything odd near my knee so we didn’t worry about it since I was staying off my leg anyway. While her physical examination didn’t reveal anything new and I am improving, I am to stay on the crutches for another week then try short distances without them. Deal is, Woody and I are going to Denver next Friday, which means the annoying things are coming with me.

So, what is this time different from? It’s different from the last time I had a stress fracture, which was only about six months ago. Same leg. Some of you probably remember this episode.

Why is this time different? Because I am able to wrap my mind around it. Last time I was training for my first destination race, during which I was going to celebrate my 30th Birthday. The pain was a dull ache that came on slowly and I had convinced myself it was muscular because I didn’t want to think otherwise. In the end, we cancelled the trip and I also had to downgrade my registration for the See Jane Run Half Marathon to the 5K in Seattle. I had my heart set on running 3 half marathons this year and that dream was dashed with a simple MRI. I bet you can understand what that felt like.

This time, it hurt so bad I could hardly stand. I knew right away that whatever happened was not good. This time the tears rolled because of physical pain rather than the pain of not being able to run. At least I finished the race this time. I realize this is a sign that as much as I want to run half marathons and event marathons, for some reason it’s not meant to be for me. Apparently while running can make your bones strong, in my case as someone with osteopenia, it’s stopping me in my tracks.

Long distance running is no longer in the cards for me. As much as I hate it, I have come to terms with the fact that I need to stick to shorter distances. Sports Doc and I talked about this and she doesn’t want me to stop running but she does want me to stick to lower mileage. Maybe next year my goal will be to get a new PR in the 4 and 5 mile. I’m only 30, I have many years left in me. Maybe I won’t run a half next year, or even the next, but maybe a few years from now. I am not happy about it, but this is my reality. This time I’m thinking logically about the situation and not letting my emotions rule. If I’m smart about this now, there’s still potential in my future.

I just hope you’ll stay with me even though I won’t be training for any big races in the near future. I’ll do my best to keep things interesting around here!

Until I can run again, this will be in my dreams….

ING NYCM Expo Training

I have been all over this week and it’s only Wednesday morning! I am not letting these crutches stop me!

As you know, I’m volunteering at the ING NYC Marathon Expo Saturday afternoon. I’ve volunteered for several races and I’ve been to the Expo a few times but I’ve never volunteered at it, so I’m pretty excited. For some runners, it’s the first taste of marathon excitement that they get and it can be a bit overwhelming and runner heaven all at the same time. I haven’t been to very many expos, but I have to imagine this is one of the biggest. I mean, it’s gigantic. Monday night, as an expo volunteer, I had to attend a training session at the Javitz Center.

Several hundred volunteers were there and we were right in the middle of everything. They had us meet in the massive hall where the expo is being built. Actually, they were building while we were there. It was pretty cool to see things in such a state. While we could have easily been out and on our way in much shorter time than we were, we did get an inside track on a few things. For those running on Sunday, it might be helpful to know that bib pickup isn’t color coded this year; it’s all by numbers only. Also, new this year, the marathon shirts are in men’s and women’s sizes. Ladies, you know what this means….you may not get the size you want (which really isn’t new though, is it?). NYRR ordered shirts using their ‘best guess’ so who knows how many there will be of the size you want. My suggestion is that if they don’t have your size, it’s best to go up a size instead of down because women’s shirts are typically slim cut and you’d rather have it be a little loose and be able to wear it than not be able to because it’s too tight.

Part way through the orientation Mary Wittenberg stopped by to say hi. She spoke about the importance of this race as it’s the 10th Anniversary of 9/11 (the marathon was the first big event to happen in the city post-9/11 and almost didn’t happen) and the race is being dedicated to Grete Weitz.

Check out the new NYRR logo!

The expo is open to everyone, so if you want to learn about races all over the world, pick up some cool new gear, meet runners (both casual runners like us and elites) and learn where the best places are to watch on Sunday, then I suggest you check it out. It can get a bit hectic, so you’ll need to bring along some patience too! I’ll be working ID check (just for the runners) Saturday afternoon, so if you come to the expo stop by and say hi! I’m looking forward to finally meeting MissZippy and Molly!

If you’re coming, here are the details: Location – Jacob Javitz Center – 11th Ave and 33rd St (It’s huge, you can’t miss it)

Thursday & Friday – 10am – 8pm, Saturday – 9am – 5pm

If you’re running this Sunday, I hope you’re having a great week and feeling good!

Quick injury update: My leg is feeling really good, but not quite 100% yet. I have a follow up with my Sports Doc this morning so we’ll see what she says! I know I’ll still be on crutches a few more days but I hope I don’t have to take them to Denver with us next week.

• What do you think of the new NYRR logo?
• What makes an expo a great expo in your opinion?