Slacking

I have been slacking and I can't deny it.

I ran Tuesday, a measly 5 miles and that was it.  I just couldn't get motivated.  Can you believe it after rocking the 18miler I just went kaput?  It is shameful, but hell, it is a fact.  Tomorrow I'm going to run 20miles and I know I will pay for my lack of effort this week.  It is almost like the 18miler was the marathon and I just gave myself a "bye" week.  I missed 13 miles this week and that is no joke.  Even writing this is making me annoyed at myself.

Also, I have been eating bad, a direct correlation no doubt.  I think I know what it was.  Like I said in previous posts, B has been unemployed for about 2 1/2 months.  Well, he was going for a position that is amazing for him and there has been a lot of stress on the wait game.  I am proud to say that he got an offer this am and it is going to be amazing for us.  We are both very lucky that during this economic time we are getting by just fine.  I really do feel blessed, but all week we were up together talking and getting stress out.  All week!!! I didn't sleep that much, ate really bad and skipped runs.  It is crazy how a little curve ball in life can take such a monumental switch in your routine!

I ran the NYC 18 Mile Tune Up Race!

I did it! I ran the 18 Mile Tune Up race and I rocked it!  More on that in a bit...

Let’s start out with Friday!  I left work, did a quick 5 mile run.  It wasn’t the best, my legs where a little rickety from the 7 miles on Thursday but as I said before I fell into my stride around mile 2 and finished at a decent pace, including a round of hills.  As soon as I got home I hopped in the shower and by the time I was finished my sister was there to pick me up.  We headed uptown to pick up my other two besties and off to the caves for dinner!  We had wine, talked and talked and talked and then woops we missed the movie!  No biggie though, it was worth it to catch up and have such a great time with amazing people.  Here we are a bunch of chooches sitting in our cave.  Can you tell which one just came from a run and quick shower?  Ah, yes, I got dressed in a flash and didn’t do my hair or make up, at least we were all wearing our best smiles!!!!

Saturday morning started off with a long walk with B and good ole Clyde.  It was a gorgeous morning and we got an early start because, we just do now a days!  One of my besties Kristin spent the night at our place so when we got back from the walk some quality chill time was in order.  About one hour of TV and full on laziness.  Let me tell you, we know how to do lazy right!  I had to get my bib for the race the next morning so we took a “quick” trip into NYC to get the goods.  Going uptown, a breeze, coming back, a nightmare!  It took us about 20min to get there and over an hour to get back.  I get why they close the streets for pedestrians to chill, etc, I really enjoy it actually, but dang when you are driving in NYC, it is a traffic smorgasburg!  Once we got back into Hobo I said goodbye again to my girl K and headed down to see my dad and step mom for dinner.  It was really nice.  My dad is about 10 on the tense scale but he means well and he has a good heart, just full on set adult ADD for sure.  When our bellies where nice and full and the Yankee game was over, we headed home.  I went to bed around 9pm...on a  Sat night.  I am that lame!  Not even B made it up to bed that early! 

At the butt crack of dawn I took C for a walk and B and I headed into NYC.  Yes, I got up at 5:45 to walk the dog, but we didn’t actually make it into the car (B had to load up his bike) until 6:45.  Um, the race was at 7am!  I got to 102^nd street at around 7:05 but my stomach was rumbling.  I noticed some people still waiting for the toilets, so I jumped on it.  I did the deed (so gross but such a necessary part of training) then sprinted to the start.  They were literally rolling up the mats when I crossed the start.  It was about 19 minutes past 7am.  Ok so I knew I started 19 minutes late.  

After about ½ a mile there is a climb immediately.  It’s a long one about ½ a mile and its tough.  I will say training on with some hills defiantly gave me an advantage.  I remember doing the ½ Marathon in April and the hills really gave me a hard time right from the get go.  This time, not as much.  The first climb I made sure to remember to sike myself up each loop.  I noticed each climb we took and remembered the mile marker.  The first loop was easy.  I hit my stride as I was climbing in mile one.  I felt great.  I was passing a ton of people toward the end of the loop (this is because I started like dead last so I was catching up to people who are naturally a slower pace).  The weather was perfection, chilly, shady with a slight breeze.  Everything was going great and I noticed I was shaving time each mile. 

The second loop started, the first mile I didn’t shave off any time but I knew with the climb if I don’t add any then I will keep up for a great 2^nd loop.  Then something happened, I started shaving 20 seconds at a clip each mile marker.  It was amazing I don’t remember the last time I felt so great running.  I started wondering was it running in the sun, the heat, what was causing this run to feel so much better despite the much harder elevation?  After I thought about it for a mile, I decided who cares, just go with it.  I saw B on his bike around mile 12 and he was so cute!  Taking my picture and cheering me on.  I cannot tell you how amazing it felt to know that you weren’t alone, at least it did for me, I’m a sucker for cheerleaders!

The third loop began and I caught up a lot, there were loads of people everywhere.  It was actually annoying.  All I can say is I was on cruise control.  My legs where tired but not down and out, my head was in a euphoric zone, my breathe was steady and constant.  I started breaking down my mileage.  One more mile then I only have a 5k, etc.  Around mile 16 I was getting out of the zone.  My legs and breathe etc was all good, I was just getting super bored.  Like I couldn’t focus on anything except finishing and finish I did.  I shaved some more seconds off those last two miles!  As I turned the corner toward the finish line I saw B there with a big smile on his face.  I was so excited!  I did it!  I did it under 3 hours to boot!  I even thought I could have gone more.  My official time was 2hrs and 56min running at a 9:48 minute mile pace.  I needed this badly.  My mental state wasn’t optimistic to say the least and this gave me faith back into myself.  I can do this.  I know I can and I will prove it on November 4^th!!!!  Below is a pic of me as I'm about to finish!

After the run, B and I cleaned up, chilled and watched football all day.  Redzone rules and I recommend it to football fans.  Today I am going to go home and do a massive stretch session, some arm weights and crunches.  Then back to the running grind!  I did switch my days now.  All of my runs will evolve around a Sunday long run day, since the actual race is on a Sunday and this past week has been.

Training is moving along.  Another seven miles where run last night.  First two felt a little achy.  It is weird how I can run so much but I do not get into a nice easy stride until a mile or two in, no matter what.  I came home to curry chicken kabobs and homemade pumpkin donuts for dinner.  I ate about 1/2 a donut overall and that was hard.  They were amazing and calling my name.  We have a bunch left over so I'll take some pictures of B's work when I get home.  The kebabs where awesome!  I made some quick brown rice with curry powder and salt dissolved in the water before I put the rice in.  Perfection!  I took them for lunch today.  This is a picture of my leftovers reheated and waiting for me to eat!

Did you notice how amazing the setting is?  I ate my lunch in Central Park this afternoon. It was so beautiful out and I read.  So calming.  I literally get to checkout for an hour enjoy the weather and chill.  Only thing missing is a nice glass of wine!  I am reading the book Gone Girl, I pretty much have not put it down.  I definitely recommend it.  Check out my awesome kindle cover, jealous???

Tonight is a very special night.  I am going out with three of my best friends for a night out (one is my sister bonus!).  We grew up together.  Literally I knew them longer than I can remember.  One is my sisters age, one is  year younger than me and one is my sister.  I do not know too many people who have had friends that long and are still so close.  Tonight we are heading to an awesome cafe, I think I blogged about it before maybe, but it is made of caves, you sit in a cave ha and then going to see “The House on the Left”!  Spooky ya’ll!  First though I will be getting in a quick five miler, ah yes, always my life revolves around running...A.L.W.A.Y

Put down the chips

Last night was a doozy as far as food. 

Let me set a little stage for you.  My fiancee has been unemployed for a couple of weeks.  Trust me, we are thrilled about it, well not the unemployment part in general but the change of pace, he was working himself into an early grave.  Any who, he started baking and cooking with his available time and let me tell you, he is an amazing cook.   Amazing!  I have come home to ribs falling off the bone, a swiss chard casserole (who knew you could even do that), blueberry cobbler, homemade donuts, amazing cornbread, the list can go on and on.  Needless to say that if I wasn't running like a mad woman I would probably be 500lbs! 

Well, last night we had left over chili (that I made) and he whipped up some cornbread.  His cornbread is insane, moist, perfectly airy and so tasty.  It is really hard to have one big piece.  Well I kind of zoned out, I think my stomach is getting used to eating so much amazing food that the left over chili and only one fresh baked good didn't do it enough for me.  WTF!  I mean I had a bowl of turkey chili over brown rice and cornbread.  I was full.  I definitely was full.  What did I do?  I went for those freaking chips!  Dude, Lays Honey BBQ chips are the most amazing flavored chips ever created.

I just did you a disservice if you never had them and are intrigued to get them now.  I actually do not like having them in the house because I am that weak to them.  So there I was, full and eating these freakin chips.  Brendan took all of his strength (I am dead serious on this one because I have physically hurt him before when he tried to put an end to my eating) and mustered up a "honey, I think you will be disappointed in yourself if you continue to eat the chips".  Aahahahha.  I mean he was completely right, I really was already disappointed with myself for going for them after being completely full (ps I had popcorn too), but it made me laugh because I knew he was afraid of my reaction.  I think to his surprise, I said you are right and gave him the chips to put back, because I wasn't that strong to put them back myself (or I was just totally lazy, either way).  There you have, crisis semi averted. I weighed myself today.  From last Wed no gain, no lose either.  Until I learn to walk away from the flipping food when I'm full I am pretty much going to continue this crap.  Well, here goes another week of trying...

Weekend Recap and a rainy run

This weekend was everything I imagined it was going to be minus taking bunch of pictures!  Man I am so bad with pictures!  My girlfriend did take a lot of photos of our apple picking but I haven't gotten them yet.  Booo!

Saturday the alarm went off at 5am and I went right back to bed ha!  Now that it is getting cooler I thought I would just let it ride weather wise.  At 6am the alarm went off again and I got up this time!  Took C for a small walk (20min) then put my belt on and off I went.  It was long as hell!  I ran from the very beginning of Hoboken to Trader Joe's in Edgewater.  If anyone reads this that lives nearby they will know how flipping far it is...when you drive!  The weather stayed nice, the run was actually so beautiful.  I am only on a main road without any views for about a mile or two cumulatively.  Not too shabby.  The rest is on the beautiful waterfront paths.  I felt OK but this is the first run that towards the end I started feeling leg pangs.  My ankle was sore, my knees were achy.  Around mile 17 I got inside my head and started getting worked up thinking about having to do another 8miles after finishing 18.  Well, thankfully that is for another day and right now I'm focusing on one run at a time!  Overall my pains where ok after a couple of hours and my soreness was minimum after the first day.

I showered, chilled for a bit then we were off apple picking.  We got a ton of nice apples but I think we were between seasons because there were loads of trees sectioned off as "not ripe yet" and the trees that were ok were pretty skimpy.  You had to really look.  They also had pick your own cherry tomatoes.  Holy mother of god these tomatoes were so yummy and so cheap!  I literally was picking, wiping on my shirt and popping them in my mouth!  To die for.  It was really nice trip but my legs where exhausted and I ready for bed.

Saturday night B and I went to check out the BBQ festival in Jersey City, we got there around 6pm (they close at 8pm) and pretty much everything was out.  What are ya going to do.  Instead we headed over to the Taquaria in JC and chowed down on some authentic Mexican.  This place is killer and super affordable.  I definitely recommend trying it.  Afterward, we got some ice cream and headed home.  I fell asleep around 8:30pm.  Insanely lame but necessary.  I was so dead tired I slept through the fire alarm that went off in the middle of the night.  Yeah, I was that tired!

Sunday was another fun day.  B and I took Clyde on a massive walk around Hoboken, my legs where nice and rested and feeling great so it was a beautiful walk and Clyde was pooped after it.  We made Chili, cornbread and apple crisp with the apples we picked and had some friends over to watch football.  The day was so fun, except for the minor fact that the Jets stunk it up, I did booze it up and that probably didn't help my weight loss cause but hey what are you going to do.  We did have a furry visitor for a couple of hours though.  This pup and Clyde are old time buddies!  Look how little he is (sorry for blurry)!



Monday came and went.  I didn't run, I didn't really do much but work.

This a.m. I was up at 6:10am and hit the pavement.  Five miles in the ran looks like above photo.  What cotton definitely was not my best choice!  Oh well.  I am going to do my weekly mileage on different days this week because I signed up for the 18miler tune up race in NYC and it is on a Sunday.  I know I did 18miles last week, but this is a whole other ball game.  Running Central Park 3 times should be considered torture.  The hills make me cringe.  I did a 1/2 Marathon which was two loops around and I hated it so I am sure I will despise doing it 3 times around.  Even though I will curse each hill, I know that this tune up is essential for training.  If I can do 18 hilly miles I think I will be able to push myself through the 26.  That is a big IF huh?

Just not feelin it

I didn't run last night.  It was a measly 4 miles, but I couldn't do it.  It wasn't the weather, or any soreness, just some good old fashion laziness.  Instead, I put on my comfy clothes and did some arm lifts with my 5 pound weights, some crunches and stretching.  I will say the stretching felt great. 

Food wise was ok.  I had an english muffin with reduced fat natural peanut butter for breakfast, a low cal salad for lunch (I get it chop't and opt out for dressing since it gets all juicy from chopping), sorbet for snack, black bean veggie burger, baked sweet potato fries & some salad for dinner.  After dinner, well I had a bag of light popcorn and some fruit snacks.  I was super full but continued to eat.  I am thinking that because there was no run and I did it purposely, I mentally wanted to go nuts on eating.  I can't say 100%, but I am thinking that was what happened.

Well tonight I am making fresh pesto sauce with our own home grown basil!  So excited!  I'm going to have it over whole wheat pasta with some chopped cherry tomatoes.  Tomorrow is my long run.  I will be up at the nice and early time of 5am again.  It is supposed to be cool, so I'm hoping for a nice easy run.  Apple picking with good friends and then a BBQ festival in JC is to follow!  All booze free and will be doing a ton of activity.  I am really hoping to get to the 160s by next Wed.  That would be amazing!  I have a great Sunday planned too!  Going to take Clyde to an awesome easy hiking area in Montclair, NJ where they let the dogs hike off leash.  It is definitely his favorite thing to do, then going home for some football.  GO JETS!!!  I'm making Turkey Chili with some fix'ns I got when I had a layover in Phoenix.  I plan to take many photos this weekend.  I definitely need to up my photo blogging :)

Closer to goal

I ran 7miles this am.  It felt really great, weather was great, etc.  My feet look like a Hobbit's who just had the journey of his, but hey, I can always get a pedi on Nov. 5th.

I weighed in today on Roni's.  I am not at the loss that I was so excited about last weekend, but I am at a loss.  I am down 1.5lbs but not in the 160s just yet.  Hopefully this weekend I won't binge on greasy foods and booze after my long runs.  I mean who does that?  Argh!!!  I'm close though, real close I tell you!

Nothing else to report, except I heard a coworker fart yesterday!  Awesome!  Farts are still funny at 30 people!