L.A.'s Sneakers in the City: August 2012

Monday, August 27, 2012

A STELLAR STAR SIGHTING THANKS TO FOOD POISONING?

I have good news and bad news. Which do you want first?

I prefer to end on a positive note so we’ll start with the BAD.

Friday night I met some girlfriends out for dinner. I knew it wasn’t the best idea the night before a long run but the dinner was for K, one of my best college girlfriends, so I couldn’t miss it. I scoped out the menu before to pick a suitable meal, swore off spirits, and thanks to a semi early reservation knew that I could be in bed by 10pm. I even set out all of my long run necessities before leaving my apartment for dinner. My plan was to come home and go right to bed to be ready for my 7am training run with TFK Saturday morning. Great plan! What could possibly go wrong?

Saturday morning's essentials

After the waitress brought out our appetizers I started to feel hot. The others at the table said it was a little warm but were not sweating like me. I’m going to spare you the details of the next 4 hours but long story short, I spent the rest of my Friday night with FOOD POISONING.

Food poisoning on a weekend? The night before a long run? While out to dinner with girlfriends? You've got to be kidding me!

Physically, I was in pretty bad shape. Emotionally, I was a mess as well.

My whole weekend was centered around this long run and I really just wanted to get it over with. This was NOT how I planned everything!

Saturday morning I woke up feeling much better and seriously contemplated heading uptown to join the team. I thought my stomach was back to normal but after realizing that I might be slightly dehydrated from the night before, I opted for coffee and morning reading (Runner’s World) on my balcony instead.

An article on starting your own running blog?!?!? Great idea Runners World!

By 9am I was a little stir crazy so I spent the rest of my morning cleaning out closets, reorganizing everything, and redoing my weekend schedule. Mid-day I needed some fresh air so I joined A on a trip to the Brooklyn Flea Market where I felt like I was living in an episode of “Girls”. Except that we got lost in Brooklyn and were wearing Nike running shorts. Anyways, you know what I mean.

Once I got home that afternoon I started to feel sick again. I was exhausted and slept for the rest of the evening. I finally woke up around 8, ordered food, and put myself to bed again. NOTHING was going to stand between me and 17 miles on Sunday morning. Literally, NOTHING!

Sunday morning I woke up feeling back to normal. My long run necessities were still sitting out so I was ready to go. My plan was to run up to Central Park, do a loop, and then take the West Side Highway down until the Garmin signaled freedom at mile 17. I would find my way home from there and I brought my MetroCard because walking was not an option.

The GOOD news is coming, I promise…

Miles 1-6: Felt great! The park was packed with cyclists and fellow marathoners in training. I loved my Rihanna playlist, inspired by the Oprah special that I watched the night before. Running was awesome.

7-8.5: Just kidding. My stomach did not feel TOTALLY back to normal like I thought. I was bored. I felt fatigued. I needed a new playlist. I was bored. How was I really going to do another 10 miles of this? Oh yeah and I was bored.

HERE COMES THE GOOD NEWS….

As I was running on the Bridle Path I saw a Mother and Daughter walking my way. They looked very sweet and were out for a Sunday morning stroll in Central Park. Most of the people were running along the Reservoir or Main Drive so the Bridle Path was empty except for us.

Immediately, I recognized them. It was Katie Holmes and Suri Cruise.

Many of you don’t think this is a big deal. BUT there are some of you that are going to appreciate the AWESOMEness of this sighting! The girls were dressed in their relaxed Sunday attire as Suri carried a stuffed animal under her pink sweater. I tried not to stare as I ran past Manhattan’s most talked about duo. Needless to say, my mood changed.

Once I was beyond earshot of them I got out my phone to call home. I knew that my mom and sister would share in my excitement. Both gave me the expected reaction and got me to mile 9. After chatting with them, I fumbled for my phone again and almost completely wiped out. I recovered and texted any and all people that I knew would provide the same reaction. My phone rang off the hook and blew up with text messages. This was a lot of excitement for a Sunday at 10am.

Instead of leaving the park I decided to do another loop of the Bridle Path to perhaps see my girls again. At this point I was at mile 11 and naturally thought we were all best friends. I stayed in the park for the remainder of the run only to leave around mile 15 and finish up the last two miles running home. Luckily I ended right outside CVS where I darted in for Gatorade and water.

This was the BEST Sunday ever! Thanks food poisoning!

Not only did I complete the dreaded 17 mile training run but I made two friends along the way! Okay, I MIGHT be exaggerating but seeing the two of them really put the pep in my step that I desperately needed.

I thought about this 17 mile run all week. I was genuinely nervous even though I had completed 15 miles just two weeks before. Those extra two miles really frightened me. After the run, I felt fantastic emotionally and not too shabby physically either. I just have to do another 9 miles on November 4^th. I think I can do it.

I’m making jokes about it now but Friday night’s food poisoning was really upsetting. Not only did I ruin dinner with my sprints to the bathroom but I was really looking forward to finally a chance to run with TFK on Saturday morning. I’ve tried to take part in a team run for two weeks now. I wanted to take advantage of being in NYC for a Saturday which we all know does not happen often. Both weekends, factors outside of my control altered these plans. Thank God for Katie & Suri or my spirits would likely still be down in the dumps.

I spent the rest of my Suri Sunday shopping in Flatiron and enjoying a treat from Sixteen Handles with M. We both wanted to take advantage of the beautiful weather as I was still riding on an endorphin and celeb sighting high.

Seriously. Thank god for food poisoning!

In the end, I ran all of my miles this week! I hit a little bit of a mental block mid-week on Thursday morning but thanks to a sweat sister, M, I was able to pull right through. She left me on Friday for Ireland for the week so I will be running solo in the city until I leave Wednesday night.

LAST WEEK

	Monday	Tuesday	Wednesday	Thursday	Friday	Saturday	Sunday (flex)	TOTAL	TOTAL (w flex)
TFK Plan	7	REST	7	6	REST	17	5	37	42
LA	7	Rest	7	6	30 min yoga	0	17	37	J

This week I’m traveling once again. I can’t complain because I leave Wednesday night for a family vacation at home in Florida. I’m spending the Labor Day holiday at the beach with some of my California cousins for the second year in a row. Luckily, Hurricane Isaac will be out of town and not affecting my weekly miles. Dad is looking forward to running with me Thursday morning and I am trying to convince G to lace up her sneakers while we are at the beach. Let’s see!

THIS WEEK

	Monday	Tuesday	Wednesday	Thursday	Friday	Saturday	Sunday (flex)	TOTAL	TOTAL (w flex)
TFK Plan	7	REST	7	6	REST	11	6	30	36
LA Plan	7	Rest/ Strength	7	6	REST	11	6	30	36

How is fundraising going? I am so happy to report that fundraising is going VERY well.

Recently, I felt pleasantly overwhelmed by all of your generosity. As mentioned, I hit a mental block with my running this week and physically am feeling the pains of marathon training. I say this as I do stretches under my desk to hopefully fight off a case of plantar fasciitis.

Thanks to an amazing group of family and friends, I have raised $1759.20 so far! THAT IS A LOT OF MONEY! I am so close to my fundraising goal that I can feel it. Plus, I haven’t donated yet and plan on making a donation so big that the dollar signs will be blinding. Kidding?

Honestly, I want to say THANK YOU. Thank you to everyone that has donated. Thank you to everyone that has sent emails of encouragement. Thank you to everyone that has asked how I am feeling. Your positive energy has kicked any negative energy that I might feel right out the door.

The race is just 68 days away and don’t worry, there are still 39 days left to DONATE!

Lots of love and laughs.

XOXO

L.A.

L.A.'s Team for Kids Marathon Homepage

Tuesday, August 21, 2012

LA's LIST OF AWESOME

I start every single day with a list. I write out my tasks, work/social obligations, and any other nonsense that I don't want to forget. I even make these stellar lists on weekends.

My list below is much more fun. I wrote it out in the midst of my standard Sunday night insomnia.

This list doesn’t involve upcoming tasks and tedious to-do’s, instead it is full of the AWESOME things that made up last week.

1. MY TEAM FOR KIDS JERSEY ARRIVED… It’s starting to feel real. This neon gem arrived in the mail Monday after I blew past the half way mark for fundraising. Right now, this sweet new running tank is hanging in my room where it will stay shining beautifully bright until November 3^rd. That is when I will lay it out with my sneakers, capris, and other race day essentials. It’s like Christmas Eve or the first day of school. You know exactly what I am talking about.

2. I WAS A NYC RESIDENT FOR A FULL 7 DAYS STRAIGHT… I didn’t travel this past week! It was so refreshing to be living out of my apartment instead of a suitcase. I was thrilled to get back into a routine and my training and overall well being definitely benefited.

This week? Same thing! Who’s excited? THIS GIRL!

3. IT WAS A SUCCESSFUL TRAINING WEEK … I made a plan for the week and I finally stuck to it! Okay, I swapped my runs on Thursday and Friday but I was listening to my body so it’s fine. I ran every required mile and would like to give myself an “A” grade for the week.

LAST WEEK

	Monday	Tuesday	Wednesday	Thursday	Friday	Saturday	Sunday	TOTAL
TFK Plan	7	REST	7	6	REST	11	5 (flex)	31
LA	7	Yoga (30 min)	7	REST	6	11	Yoga (30 min)	31

4. I HAD A HAIR FLIPPING GOOD TIME ON WEDNESDAY NIGHT … To celebrate the end of the Upfront season, my company threw a summer shindig on Wednesday night. I went with no expectations and planned to take things easy. I woke up Thursday morning with an empty bag of pretzel nuggets and perhaps a minor case of whiplash?

We all trekked to the party in the worst storm of the week and were greeted by finger foods, spirits, a DJ, and beer pong. Fast forward to a few hours later and the dance floor was bumping as the LA hair flip made an appearance or two. What do you expect with the DJ playing Call Me Maybe, We Found Love and Whitney Houston?

I said it before and will say it again. I work with an extraordinary group of people. This crew makes me laugh Monday through Friday and they love a dance floor as much as yours truly. What more could I ask for?

5. SUMMER STREETS PROVIDED AN EXCITING NEW ROUTE FOR THE WEEK'S LONG RUN… I woke up Saturday morning only to start my day with disappointment. It was raining when my alarm went off at 5:30am which kept me from joining the TFK group run. I thought about braving the rain but it was a little too hard and I knew the iPhone and my sanity could be in danger.

Instead, I ran a few errands in the rain and by 10am the sun was shining after the skies cleared. I was so relieved and excited to lace up the sneakers and get out the door.

Almost 7 miles in the city were open to play, run, walk and bike as part of NYC’s “Summer Streets” this past Saturday. From the Brooklyn Bridge to Central Park, along Park Avenue and connecting streets New Yorkers could check out various health & fitness expos while cruising up and down the vehicle free street. I discovered this event last year on a Saturday with A and could not wait for its return. This was the only “Summer Streets” Saturday that I would be in town so I was absolutely not missing this chance at an exciting new running route.

I only had 11 miles on the training agenda so my plan was to head Park Avenue with my new playlist. I ran downtown, turned around at the Brooklyn Bridge, and then cruised up to 72^nd where I skipped Central Park to make my way home. Eventually, I ended up around Flatiron which was perfect as I set out on a mad dash for a game day outfit. I frightened some shoppers by running into the stores but it was worth it as I came home with a green tee and completed my training for the week.

6. I WENT TO MY FIRST NY FOOTBALL GAME… After recovering from Saturday morning's run, I made my first trip to MetLife Stadium in the afternoon to watch the Jets & Giants pre-season face off. I went with M, whose family might be the most devoted Jets fans I know. M and I grew up in Florida but after her family relocated up north she followed. Now, I have my best friend from 1^st grade in the city with me. How lucky am I?

Mr. H is dressed to tailgate.

The H family invited me along to check out the Jets madness first hand. This was just a pre-season game so I was told it was not the usual amount of shenanigans. Regardless, I didn’t know the difference and had a blast. I love football season and can’t wait for it to kick off this fall. Growing up in Florida, we didn’t care about Fall but we all cared about football. Now I am lucky to have the benefit of both and it makes this Florida girl very happy.

Football & Friends! Hurry up Fall!

7. I LEARNED A VALUABLE LESSON IN SUMMER RUNNING ATTIRE… I set out to run the park on Wednesday morning and thought I would try to run in shorts. I am a devoted capris girl but it was hot and humid so I figured I would let the legs breathe and maybe get some early morning sun?

Apparently running in light colored shorts in extremely humid weather for a long distance is not the best idea. After we finished our loop, I headed down 3^rd Avenue only to discover my perspiration showing through my bottoms in a less than favorable area. Awesome. I looked like the runner that couldn’t find a bathroom. It was the fastest 2 miles of my week. I ran through traffic lights and prayed the whole way not to see any familiar faces.

Lesson learned. Light colored running attire is best for low mileage and less humidity. At least my running buddies appreciated the picture to start off their morning.

Oops?

8. YOGA ON DEMAND IS MY NEW BEST FRIEND … I brought my yoga mat and gym clothes to work last Tuesday. I haven’t been to a yoga class in months and my body missed it. I psyched myself up all day to leave at 6pm and get back to that New Year's resolution.

As feared, the work day ended and I chose to head home instead of St Marks Place. I had plenty of time and needed a good stretch so I decided to see if On Demand had any yoga videos. I was not trying to sit in crow's pose for an eternity but I needed something to ease the physical pain and now emotional guilt.

Jackpot! I discovered “Yoga for Runners”. It only took 30 minutes and I did it in the comfort of my own living room. By the end of the practice, I felt like a new runner.

But the yoga fun for the week didn't stop there! I also did the On Demand video Sunday to work out the aches from Saturday’s long run. I forgot to stretch when I got home as I rushed out the door to tailgate. Stretching after a long run is always necessary but if I skip, now I know that I have my new best friend, Yoga on Demand.

9. FUNDRAISING IS ROLLING ALONG AND THERE'S LESS THAN 1K LEFT TO MY TFK GOAL … Have I mentioned my fundraising anxiety yet? No. Well, raising money for a charity has been a very rewarding yet challenging experience thus far. I am not a huge fan of asking people for money. Actually, I despise it. However, I realize that this is not about me, its about the kids.

Just $50 will sponsor a new child to participate in Mighty Milers for an ENTIRE year. I am incredibly proud to say that the support of my overly generous family and friends has sponsored 33 kids thus far.

If you haven’t had a chance to donate, don’t worry the deadline is still 46 days away! Go get em!

How can you donate? WELL CHECK THIS OUT!

10. I’M HEALTHY AND HAPPY AS I TRAIN FOR MY FIRST MARATHON… There are mornings that I don’t want to get out bed at 5:30am. There are evenings that I just want to watch reality TV instead of put on my sneakers to run. My body aches and subway stairs can be a challenge with sore legs. But when I realize how lucky I am to be healthy and enjoying this journey, it makes it all worthwhile.

Like I promised, you can see that last week was pretty AWESOME! This week, I have high hopes as I am in NYC yet again and have this brand new training schedule to look forward to.