NYC HALF 2013 RACE RECAP

Hi there! Remember me?

I missed you. Well, not really. Work has been VERY busy in 2013 and not training for a marathon has given me all the time in the world for a pretty full social agenda. A marathon-less life means you can travel to see family on the west coast, eat drink and be merry over the holidays, and celebrate turning “quarter life plus one” surrounded by an amazing group of family and friends.

During (most) of this time, I was still running. I made workouts and usually completed them. This weekend the NYC Half marked my return to running in 2013.

The NYC half is without a doubt my FAVORITE race. The energy running through the city is like nothing else. Wait, I’m sure it’s like the marathon but we all know that I can’t comment on that…YET!

All week I went back and forth debating a race plan for Sunday. Part of me wanted to set out for a PR but another part of me wanted to just have fun and enjoy the race. I had a ton of girlfriends running it, one of which being my most dedicated training partner M. It was her 3^rd half marathon and we trained together for weeks in preparation.

By Thursday I made my decision. My training for this race was decent but not stellar. I really didn’t know if I was in the shape physically or mentally to break my time from Philly last year (1:48:19). At that point I had been full-fledged marathon training and we all know that I overdid it on the course. I didn’t know if I really cared enough to push myself to that point on Sunday.  

In the end, I decided that I wanted to share this fabulous race with an even more fabulous friend. I’ve had a lot of great race karma in my years of running so I wanted to pay it forward. I was going to stay with M the whole race to offer any support she needed. I think I was also a little bit relieved to be taking the pressure off myself.

After deciding this race was for fun and not for time, my days leading up the race were very different than my usual pre-race preparation. I skipped Friday’s last training run for a girls’ dinner at Penelope and ordered an entrée at dinner on Saturday night that was actually served inside a block of cheese. So much for no dairy on race eve!

Sunday morning my alarm went off at 5am and I threw together an outfit that incorporated some form of green. I love my all black everything race outfits but in the spirit of my heritage’s holiday I had to change things up. After a Cliff bar and coffee, it was time to be dragged uptown to find friends and jump in corrals.

Fun fact… The weather was maybe 30 degrees and felt like the low 20s. The corrals were crowded with bundled up runners ready to start running in an attempt to warm up. We did start running but unfortunately the “warm up” part came much later than any of us wanted.

Miles 1 - 2: Holy mother it was freezing. I couldn’t really feel my feet and hoped that my body would warm up… eventually? I didn’t feel fresh but didn’t know if it was from Saturday’s dinner or the bitter cold. I told M that I was running with her even though she asked me at every other step to run ahead.

Miles 3 - 4: Hello Harlem Hill. M and I got separated after she had a mildly traumatic iPhone mishap right at mile 3 so I darted up the hill to get it over with. I called her phone until she finally picked up. I told her that I was at the top waiting for her. She told me to go on but no such luck sister, she was stuck with me. I found her at the top and we kept going.

Miles 5 - 6 : The Sister Hills. Harlem and Cat Hill are a pain but the three “sister” hills on the west side of Central Park aren’t really a piece of cake. I could run the loop of Central Park with my eyes closed but it doesn’t make it any easier.



Once the end of the park was in sight we were ready for the fun to begin. “Empire State of Mind” came on my iPhone right as I was entering Times Square and I didn’t even plan it this year! Last year I might have turned it on, don’t judge. M really enjoyed the change to a flat course and my paparazzi skills mid-run.

Mile 7: Bright lights and lots of people! This might be the only day that I absolutely LOVE Times Square!

Oh hi Times Square!




Hi M!



Just being 16 and taking selfies























Miles 8 - 11: We left Times Square on 42^nd Street and headed to the West Side Highway for the remainder of the race. The wind hit us briefly and I regretted ditching my gloves 2 miles back. Once we were on the highway it was SUPER flat and the weather was starting to warm up.

NYC Half. There's no race like it.

This year I also noticed a huge increase in crowd support and excitement along the West Side Highway. This was the point in the race where I started having a lot of fun. The endorphins kicked in and I was entirely too peppy for M to handle. Luckily, she didn’t trip me as I kept running with her.

Mile 12: I took out my headphones to take in the energy and excitement as we neared the end of the race and entered Battery Tunnel. I absolutely LOVED this part of the race although I know some others didn’t feel the same. I knew how long the tunnel would last but unfortunately others, like M, didn’t love it as much. Once we exited the tunnel we were in the home stretch with roughly .5 to go. The sun was shining and streets were lined with tons of people cheering all of us all on.

Mile 13: SPRINT! I don’t even remember seeing the mile 13 marker because once I saw FINISH it was game time.            

M crossed the finish line right after me and it took her some time to recover. We caught up with her parents, took a few post-race pictures, and then made our way to the nearest bar. I love running a race but celebrating post-finish sometimes is the best part.

We headed to Stone Street to catch up with fellow runners and super supportive friends. I definitely still felt the endorphins and finally M began to feel like herself again. I actually overheard her saying she wanted to do the race again next year which was just slightly different than the comments she had moments after the finish.

Post-Race celebrations & hydration

I 100% recommend the NYC Half to any runners and non-runners that have an affinity for or live in NYC. It's the best!

This race was the perfect way to kick off 2013. I feel like I remembered what I love about running and it got me excited to see what this year holds. I am strangely looking forward to start marathon training again and can’t wait to take a trip to DC for my first Nike race next month.

“I love waking up rested and ready to meet the new year in the finest way possible - running into it.”- Kristin Armstrong, Mile Markers blog, Runner's World.com

I have a good amount of work to do in the next few weeks on my running and overall fitness. The Nike Women’s DC Half appears to be a flat course and my mind is set on a PR. I loved everything about my NYC Half experience this year but I am itching to push myself and see what I can take on next. I think I needed this break from running and PR reaching to get fired up. Game on.

I’ve had a hard time creating a good running playlist this year but think Sunday’s was a good start. I’m going to start with the NYC Half and add on some new tunes for DC. If I am going to set out for a killer time, I'll need the perfect soundtrack for the course and self-torture.

*NYC HALF 2013 PLAYLIST*

1-      Crazy Train – Ozzy Osbourne

2-      I Love It (feat. Charli XCX) – Icona Pop

3-      Feel This Moment (feat. Christina Aguilera)- Pitbull

4-      We Found Love (Glee Cast Version) – Glee Cast

5-      Starships- Nicki Minaj

6-      Don’t You Worry Child- Swedish House Mafia

7-      Collide- Leona Lewis & Avicii

8-      Mirrors – Justin Timberlake

9-      Empire State of Mind (feat Alicia Keys)- Jay- Z

10-   Thrift Shop (feat. Wanz)- Mackelmore & Ryan Lewis

11-   Brokenhearted- Karmin

12-   Raise Your Glass- Pink

13-   Die Young – Ke$ha

14-   Cinema (Skrillex Remix)- Benny Benassi

15-   We Found Love (feat Calvin Harris)- Rihanna

16-   Rosalita (Come Out Tonight)- Bruce Springsteen & the E Street Band

17-   Firework- Katy Perry

18-   You Can Call Me Al- Paul Simon

19-   Dog Days Are Over- Florence + The Machine

20-   Use Your Love- Katy Perry

Lastly, I will leave you with this video. Thank me later...

http://www.latenightwithjimmyfallon.com/video/justin-timberlake-mirrors/n33727/

When will we meet or talk again? Soon my friends, very soon.  LA’s sneakers are back in action.

Lots of love and laughs!

xoxo
LA

LIFE AFTER 26.2

A month ago I ran a marathon…but you already knew that!  



Post high five from my boy Mike Nutter at 4:06 (disregard the clock people)



The days following the race were full of physical pain and emotional bliss.

The high literally lasted for over two weeks mainly from the never ending love and support from family and friends like all of you.



My co-workers decorated my desk! And I still haven't taken it down...



The countless amounts of congratulations continued to flow in for the weeks after the race. I spent the Thanksgiving weekend in Philadelphia surrounded by family and feeling incredibly thankful. While there, I also celebrated the engagement of one of my cousins and prepared to be the BEST BRIDESMAID EVER!  

I'm thankful for these fools... and our inability to take a normal family picture

I traveled to Los Angeles for work and managed to fit in some family time. One morning I even rode the elevator with my new bff Matt Damon after my morning workout at the hotel gym. Good thing I wasn’t drenched in sweat. TMI? Well, it was tragic.

This is a nice view courtesy of Casa de Kreischer

Show time!

Holiday parties filled my calendar last week and kept me hitting the snooze button in the morning. Sorry I’m not sorry.

Leopard print & Hair flips

Saturday I laced up my sneakers for my first run longer than 4 miles since the marathon. M and I signed up for the NYRR Ted Corbitt Classic 15K this past Saturday in Central Park. When we signed up we made grand plans of getting back in shape and fitting in a few substantial runs during our training. We forgot to actually put this plan into action which lead to us freaking out on race morning.  

You are not getting a race recap. There is not really much to share. Here is a glimpse of what it would say… At mile 7 I looked over to M and told her this felt like mile 24.

Yep. It was THAT awesome.

In the first mile of the race I was in so much physical pain that I actually debated just stopping and heading to Starbucks to wait for M to finish. The pain subsided and I eventually got into my groove. M and I ran together the whole time and pace was the least of our worries. It was quite refreshing for a race freak like me to just enjoy the Saturday morning run with my favorite running partner.

Also, around mile 8 we started planning out our post-race brunch and that certainly helped pass the time.

Why on earth would I sign up to run a 15K just a month after the marathon? Why not give myself the rest of the year to CHILL? Well, I was one race short of completing my 9+1 for the 2013 NYC Marathon. Since I have not heard from NYRR officially regarding my status for next year I dragged myself out there to get the final #9. We’ve all heard through the grapevine that we are receiving guaranteed entry but the small chance that we don’t was enough for me to subject my feet to Saturday morning’s torture. Kidding, it was fun!  Kinda…

Who cares! We finished all 9.3 miles which surprised both of us.

I spent the rest of my day with my favorites celebrating my favorite holiday season.

Okay, back to running. What’s next?!?!?!

Well, funny you should ask. Last week I found out that I was accepted into the inaugural Nike Women’s Half Marathon in Washington, DC. I was so excited I booked my train right away and started planning out race weekend. This will be my first race in our nation’s capital and my first Nike race as well. I’ve heard they put on a good show so this over enthusiastic running nerd can’t wait to take part and check it out.

I'M SO EXCITED I NEED TO START A COUNTDOWN!

The best part? I’m running it with my two fabulous DC cousins and three of my favorite sweat sisters. 4/5 of the 2011 Disney Half crew are reuniting! I think we plan to leave the tutus behind this time unless we can find red, white, and blue ones. Time to google…

I also entered the lottery for the NYC Half and picked out a few smaller races to kick off 2013. In the next few weeks, I am going to try to avoid running as much as possible. Sunday reminded me that my body has still not fully healed from last month’s marathon. I have some substantial pain in my hips, heel, and ankle. All of them need to take a hike before 2013 because I have big plans for next year.

Maybe like the NYC Marathon on November 3^rd?!?!?! Speaking of which, now would be a good time for NYRR to tell us our status for next year. Ya think?

I hope that you all have a wonderful holiday season over the next two weeks. I’m heading home to Florida for some sunshine and holiday festivities. I’m going to give myself some downtime before the start of the New Year.

Have a wonderful holiday season filled with love from family and friends!!!!

Lots of love and laughs!

xoxo

LA

NOVEMBER 4TH

After the marathon’s cancellation I dreaded November 4^th.

November 4th. Anything special? Nah, not really...

I thought that I would be depressed feeling incredibly unaccomplished on this lack of a race day.

Instead, I had one of the best days EVER.

I woke up with a pit in my stomach and a heavy heart. I wanted so badly to be on a bus to the starting line with my fellow Team for Kids teammates.

Luckily M offered to run Central Park with me in the morning. I knew that a few miles in my “happy place” with my favorite training partner would be needed. I thought it would lift my spirits but had no idea that it would put me on cloud nine.

I entered the Park with M like every other morning but this time what we ran into was so much different. The Park was filled with THOUSANDS of runners all wearing their respective marathon gear. Some wore their international uniforms or charity singlets while others sported this year’s bright orange marathon shirt. The positive energy and unity overwhelmed me. I cried when I started running on East River Drive. I cried tears of pure happiness for the first time during this rollercoaster of emotions week. 

Mile 26. That's funny. 

The sides of the “course” were filled with people handing out water bottles to the runners, some of which were attempting the full 26.2 miles. Support sections were spread out all over the Park with an abundance of fans cheering each and every one of us all on. In a week where the marathon was surrounded by so much animosity, this positivity kicked it all right out the door.   

Water!

Cheering! 

FINISH LINE!

MORE pictures courtesy of Runner's World

... awesome story about an awesome day!

I was amazed at the mass number of us out there Sunday morning running without a race. Then I remembered that we are runners. This is what we do. When life hands us lemons, we put on our sneakers and run it away. I ran my pain away Sunday.



Who's excited for 2013?!?!?!



I left the Park with peace in a full heart. 

I was proud to call myself a New Yorker and almost a marathon runner.  

My dad still came to visit me for the day. I knew that if there was anyone that could make me feel like a superstar, it would be my biggest fan. He stocked my fridge, filled my stomach, and even left me with a new bottle of wine. He’s the best.

Many friends including my TFK teammate M still wanted to get together in the evening and celebrate. We had the reservation for our post-race party and many of our friends wanted to put this to good use. We obliged and I spread the word to any and all other marathon mourners.

We didn't race but we could still celebrate! 

I’ve never felt more loved than I did Sunday night. I don’t know how I got so lucky to have these amazing people in my life. My friends came out in full force and made me feel like I ran the marathon and won it all. They gave me hearty hugs, shared kind words of encouragement, and put a smile back on my face.

Wildcat story time. 

It was humbling beyond words.

I feel like I hit the lottery when it comes to the outstanding people that I call my closest friends. Oh yeah and my Dad is pretty awesome too.

Thank you to everyone for the thoughtful words over the last few days. I know that my loss pales in comparison to so many others right now but thank you for caring. I’ve had strangers read this blog and offer encouragement. I’ve had family members contact my mom to see if I am okay. I even had one rockstar aunt offer to run the marathon with me in 2013. Hi Aunt S!

Again, I really don’t know how I got so lucky to have all of you in my life.  

I don’t really know what’s next for me. I don’t have any immediate plans for a replacement marathon and that is by choice. I am waiting to hear from NYRR about the next steps and then I will take it from there.

I do know for a fact that I will keep running... because I am a runner and that’s what I do.

Lots of love and laughs!

XOXO
LA

2012 NEW YORK CITY MARATHON- MY RACELESS RECAP

The 2012 New York City Marathon is not happening tomorrow.

Many people expressed opinions for and against the race. I respect everyone's opinion and right to form one. I just wish people realized the words they used to express these opinions can hurt. In a time like this, no one needs to inject any more hurt into our cities, towns, and lives that were affected by Hurricane Sandy. We are all in pain.

To be completely honest, I was a little embarrassed about Wednesday's post on Thursday. I lost power during and after the storm but that is all that I lost. I realize that I am insanely lucky compared to so many others.

During my powerless time, I had two amazing friends take me in along with others on the Upper East Side. Everyone knows that New York City apartments are not known for their space. These girls took us all in, gave us their beds, and allowed us to remain charged and in turn connected to out of state loved ones. Not only did they take us in, but they did not kick us out.

I realize that I was incredibly fortunate. I think that in being so fortunate I did not fully grasp the devastation that this storm caused. I got a dose of reality on Thursday. I returned to my neighborhood to grab clothes and check out my apartment after hearing that power would not be restored for days. I used this trip downtown as my route for my final training run. I knew it would be quicker than public transit and I felt there was no better route for my final run than through the streets of NYC that I love so dearly.

I arrived in my neighborhood and felt the dark. Although it was light outside every store front, apartment, and street light was dark. NYPD was stationed at every street corner to direct traffic and National Guard were around town assisting as well. This was alarming and quite frankly depressing. I know that our area is not even "depressed" compared to so many others but seeing my neighborhood that I have lived in since I put my bags down in this city in this light or lack thereof, it saddened my heart.

I returned uptown and my mood was changed for the day. I heard the story of a fellow TFK team mate whose family lives in the Rockaways. She clearly had bigger things to handle this week and was deferring her race entry to 2013. I caught more of the news footage which showed the devastation. When I sat down and took all of this in, I felt sick.

I woke up Friday hoping for a new day with positive energy. I went to the marathon expo to volunteer and had faith that the environment would get me excited again for race day. I handed out bibs to countless runners and wished every single one good luck. I shared in their excitement and nervousness as I met people from around the world.

Not a single person at the expo brought up the thought or the idea of the race being canceled. Bloomberg said it was a go as of Wednesday and we all believed him.

After completing my volunteer shift, I picked up MY bib and race day felt real. Luckily the excitement of the expo filled me with hope and eagerness. I picked up all of my other goodies and stopped in to the Team for Kids table. They set me up with my bus assignment for the day and I treated myself to a tech running shirt of theirs. I adore this organization and its staff. I could not wait to wear their bright and bold singlet on race day.

I returned "home" to the Upper East Side and caught up with the girls working from the makeshift home office. While catching up, one of the girls got a text that the race was canceled. No. This was not true. This was not happening. There must be a mistake.

Within minutes we confirmed that Mayor Bloomberg made the announcement that the 2012 New York City Marathon would NOT happen on Sunday or in 2012 at all. I sat in shock. I called my mom and I sobbed like a child. I watched Mary Wittenberg explain the circumstances live on air and my heart went out to her. I know that she did her very best to make this race happen for the runners but more importantly for the city of New York.

I do not blame Mayor Bloomberg. I do not blame Mary Wittenberg or the NYRR. I don't have anyone to blame. I am just sad.

I know to many of you this was just a race and there is always next year. I know this and I absolutely agree.

I also know that the "devastation" that I felt after hearing that November 4th would not be the day that I ran my first marathon does not even compare to the true devastation that is out there right now. I know this and I absolutely agree more than I can ever explain.

I wanted this race not only for myself and my personal accomplishments but for the city of New York. We are a city known for its strength. I thought the race on Sunday would show the world that New York still stood strong and would recover better than ever. I thought it would show our energy and enthusiasm. However, I found out today that would not have been the case.

Today I heard through the rumor mill that the safety of the runners was in question. The rumors were that people were going to trip, tackle, or throw items at the passing runners. THAT is not my New York City Marathon.

The runners were not the villians in all of this. We were not going to put on our sneakers on Sunday with a lack of understanding or concern for the areas and situation around us. Personally, I wanted to run on Sunday to honor this city and surrounding area. I wanted this for me but more importantly I wanted this for NYC.

Tomorrow I will not be boarding a 6am Team for Kids bus heading to the Starting Line. I will not cross the Verrazano Bridge to "New York, New York". I will not enter Manhattan greeted by thousands of cheering fans on 1st Avenue. I will not complete my first marathon.

However, I will be running Central Park with many other marathon runners. I will be joined by one of my very best friends and I will wear my NYC Marathon shirt proud. I look forward to seeing my fellow runners on East River Drive. I know there is a group meeting at 9am to run the full 26.2 miles in Central Park tomorrow. I applaud each and every one of you. I will not be joining you for the full 26 but I will gladly share in 6.

There is another group of runners running down to the Staten Island Ferry with backpacks full of supplies that they will take into Staten Island and the storm victims. I admire every single marathoner that will be making this journey.

A third group will be wearing their bibs tomorrow and dedicating the day to volunteering instead of running.

After hearing all this, do people still believe that we are really the villains?

I plan to donate time and funds to the people and areas affected by the terrible events of the past week. I truly realize how lucky I am and I want to help. I know that losing a race does not compare to losing homes and loved ones.

We will recover from this as a city and as runners. Let's stop the negativity now.

I will be at the starting line of the 2013 New York City Marathon. Trust me on that one.

I am damn proud of everything that I accomplished since I signed up for this race on June 18th and I am damn proud to be a New Yorker.

Lots of love and laughs!

XOXO
LA

MY POST-SANDY AND POWERLESS RACE WEEK

Hello world! I'm reporting live from the Hurricane Sandy aftermath in NYC.

I am currently taking refuge at a friends' apartment uptown that has electricity and water, it's such a luxury! I lost power Sunday night 15 minutes into Hocus Pocus and it has not been restored yet. Not being able to finish watching Hocus Pocus was probably the most devastating part of it all. Kidding! But not really...

We were told it would be days until the power was restored so after climbing up and down 10 flights of stairs in complete darkness, I knew my apartment in Murray Hill was not the place to be. Luckily, super generous and hospitable friends A and M on the upper east side took me in with a few other lower Manhattan runaways. How long am I staying? Great question. While everyone else is obsessing over the power situation and stalking the ConEd website, I am totally disinterested and slightly distracted.

In the midst of all of this Hurricane Sandy MADNESS I completely forgot about Sunday for a while. What's Sunday? Oh you know just this little MARATHON that I am supposed to be running. Right. About that...

As of now, NYRR says that everything 2012 NYC marathon related is ON as planned. We will hear in the next day or so if there are any changes to events or the race course but I have faith in the fantastic people of NYRR, especially Mary Wittenberg. She's a fearless leader.

Now that I am settled and safe with electricity uptown I guess I should start thinking about all of this marathon stuff. I need to pick up my race fuel, email my race day pep crew, and write the blog posts that I planned out for race week. I had this entire week mapped out in a word document schedule that is currently sitting on my work computer. I guess that's a problem since my office is completely without power too. Oh well, just add it to the agenda for today!

Okay. Now let's talk MARATHON...

I took off work on Friday to get my NYRR +1 volunteer credit for 2013. I will be volunteering all day at the marathon expo handing out race bibs to equally excited runners. Can you handle all of the positive energy that I am going to send out and soak in? It's going to be awesome!

Saturday I have an early morning Team for Kids breakfast. Sadly, practice was canceled Monday and tonight. I am especially bummed about practice tonight because we planned to do the final run of the training season in costume and were going to be joined by some of the kids. Oh well, next time...

The rest of the day Saturday I am planning to be somewhat sedentary and chill. This sounded like a great idea when I had a full week of work on the agenda but now that the rest of my week includes couch sitting and movie watching, it suddenly becomes less exciting.

(There's a good chance my office will not have power this week. Forgot to mention that!)

Sunday morning, it's game time! I'm taking the 6am Team for Kids bus to the starting area and then mentally preparing to run my legs off. Sounds so easy. Right?

If the course does not change, I will start in Staten Island on the Verrazano Bridge.

From there, I will make my way through Brooklyn and eventually take the Pulaski Bridge into Queens.

My time in Queens will be short but sweet as I prepare to cross the Queensboro Bridge and enter Manhattan.

Manhattan is when the party starts. My best college girlfriends plan to be stationed inside Manhattan on 1st Avenue which will be the only thing getting me over the bridge. After I pass them I will keep going up 1st Avenue and undoubtedly enjoy MARATHON ROCK STAR STATUS.

Dad and the rest of my marathon crew will be waiting up around 103rd. After some much needed high fives and perhaps a hug or two I will venture through the Bronx. This part of the route might seem dull but if I stay focused and know the end is near.

Dad and the rest of the crew will cross over to 5th Avenue for another sighting around mile 23. After I pass them, I will book it to Central Park and the finish line. "Book it" does not necessarily mean pick up speed but rather keep legs moving.

ING NYCM Course Map

God willing, I will cross the finish and officially become a marathoner.

I'll meet up with Dad and K after exiting Central Park and hustle down to Mason Jar.

Anyone and everyone that wants to celebrate post-marathon and Sandy life FEEL FREE to come by Mason Jar. It's located on 30th St between Park and Madison. We have tables reserved in the front for anyone that wants to eat, drink, and be merry.

How am I feeling about Sunday? Well physically I feel fantastic. I've completed all of my short runs during this taper and being stuck inside continues to provide me with an abundance of physical rest time. Instead of walking all over the city, I am parked with my feet up on the couch.

Training during a hurricane might be challenging but I am happy to report that tapering is a piece of cake.

I am IN to finish more than ever. 2012 NYCM. Let's do this. 

THANK YOU to all of the friends and family that reached out to me this week asking about my physical safety and the safety of the marathon! You sure know how to make a girl feel loved.

NYC will get through this and recover to be better than ever.

Sandy is long gone and it's a sunny day in NYC today. Life is good.

Lots of love and laughs.

XOXO
LA

I'M THANKFUL FOR...

One of my favorite running blogs dedicates a weekly post to being thankful. I'm following her lead and taking a moment to be thankful for the events that have made up this fantastic week.

I’m thankful for a great massage… Tuesday I sprinted out of work and treated my legs to a desperately needed massage. I explained the rigors of my recent training (31 miles in 3 days) and the masseuse got right to work. At points I wanted to scream and cry as the knots in my IT Band were told to take a hike. I woke up Wednesday morning feeling like a new runner and followed with three more days of solid training. See ya later lactic acid, these legs have a marathon to train for!

I’m thankful for extraordinary co-workers… I love that some of them believe me when I say that running in the Bronx at the crack of dawn on a Sunday is a “fun” idea. Starting on Sunday and going through the rest of this week, they made cubicle life a LOT more enjoyable.  



Of course P appreciates the excessive birthday decor! Happy Birthday lady! We kinda like you...  

I’m thankful that I made it to TWO TFK practices this week… I’m on a roll! With the help of my TFK training buddy M we made not one but TWO Team for Kids practices this week. Monday we went for an easy run to shake out the legs around Central Park and Wednesday was a column run workout. I dreaded the workout but once we got going I felt like I was back in high school playing team sports again. We spent the miles forming new friendships and talking everything marathon.

I’m thankful for TFK mentors, coaches, and training pals… As I mentioned above, spending so much time with the TFK crew has really made my week. After practice on Wednesday we headed to a local bar for a post run social. The column run really wiped us out and we totally needed to replenish as soon as possible. Right? M and I loved soaking up all of the advice and getting to know some of the people that are running alongside us (literally and figuratively) on this journey. I truly believe that I picked the BEST possible group of people to share this experience with and for that, I am so thankful.  

I’m thankful for incredibly supportive friends… I especially love my friends that respond to 7am anxiety-toned text messages and offer to go for a run to keep calming you down the next morning. They devote the first half hour of the work day to listen to you vent on AIM (yes, some of us use AIM in a professional setting) and really make you believe you’re in a judgment-free zone.

I’m thankful that I live in NYC… I think the picture below speaks for itself.  

I’m thankful to be Philly bound this weekend… I can’t wait to jump on a bus tomorrow morning and head to my (second) hometown. I’m also pretty psyched to run the Philly Rock & Roll Half Marathon on Sunday. I am NOT going to set a time goal (lies) but really want to get out there and race again. Plus, I get to catch up with one of my favorite sweat sisters and hear all about her upcoming wedding! If I am REALLY lucky I might even get a surprise visit from my favorite collegiate athlete if he can wake up before my 5pm bus out of town that night. See you soon Philly!

I’m thankful it’s fall which means football and fabulous weather… I grew up in Florida but love the weather in the Northeast. I will happily pass on shorts and tank tops for sweaters and boots. This week’s weather in NYC has been brisk and beautiful instead of hot and humid like we’ve had for the past few months. I like to save my sweating for workouts, not my everyday public transit-filled commute to work. Next weekend kicks off football season for my brother which means traveling to Philly for family and friends filled tailgates. Hi Fall! Happy to see again!

I’m thankful for new running shorts… I am aware that this is really dumb but when you spend more hours running than anything else, this will excite you.

I’m thankful for people not judging my stretching during the work day… I might be the girl who bends over to touch her toes while waiting at the coffee machine. I also might be the girl who pulls back her quads while waiting for the printer. Before you freak out, there is no office flashing as both are common activities while wearing jeans and pants to work. I promise that I will stop when I get through this race.  

I’m thankful for Thursdays by Bravo… After work last night I met up with A at a local bookstore to get my copy of “Most Talkative” signed by the fabulous author, Andy Cohen! As a devoted Bravo viewer this was a pretty big deal. He was such a doll and I can’t wait to dive into his book during my travel to Philly this weekend. Mazel!

My favorite "BRAVOlebrity"

I’m thankful for the number 50… Why 50? Well that’s how many days it is from now until the MARATHON! Wow. This is really happening. Am I excited? You better believe it.

Have an amazing weekend and take a moment to be thankful!

Lots of love and laughs.

XOXO

LA

LA's Team for Kids Homepage

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