Blessed

I feel really blessed.

When I started this triathlon, I had lots of thoughts. I was mostly excited - about helping a great cause, about becoming a triathlete, about meeting new friends. But I was also pretty scared. My fundraising minimum was daunting - $2,900 is a lot of money. My mind works in logical terms, so I started subtracting what I though my close friends and family would donate. After a conservative few calculations, I realized I would be quite short of my goal.

I figured I would make it there somehow. With some creative fundraising tactics and social media efforts, I would get there. Even if it meant fronting a fair amount of the money myself.

Then I sent out my first email to close friends and family. I tried to be as real and honest as I could, and hope for the best. And the donations started rolling in. And in. My fave people were so much more generous than I expected, and they started forwarding it to their friends. People I have never met donated. I was astonished, delighted and humbled.

MANY THANKS! Amazing card I found at Paper Source
I'm using to write my thank you notes on.

I'm now only $800 away from my fundraising minimum, and I have every intention of exceeding it.

The physical part of my training is going really well. I think I'm finally healed from my ridiculous IT band injury, thanks in major part to Dr. Levine. I've been foam rolling, icing and stretching like it's going out of style.

Oh beautiful sidewalk, how I missed you.

I've also been very diligent about going to swim practice. Every Monday night I make my way to our group training session in downtown Brooklyn, trying to think of all the things NOT to screw up in my stroke. This includes keeping my head low, staring straight down at the pool, breathing in the right part of my stroke, not lifting my head up too much when I breathe, kicking without flailing my legs too much... the list actually goes on.

But at least I feel myself improving. While I go to the intermediate/advanced session, I firmly plant myself in the "slow" lane. We had our first "continuous swim" last week, where we snaked around the pool for twenty minutes without stopping... TWENTY MINUTES IS A LONG TIME TO SWIM. Not to mention that it was meant to simulate race day, so we were mixed in with all the advanced swimmers who were trying to pass me. I like my slow lane. The people in the fast lane are really fast, and they're really excited about being fast. I am slow, and I am perfectly okay with that.

The continuous swim was a bit of a wake-up call. I realized that while I've been diligent about going to the group training, I haven't been that diligent about doing a swim training on my own. So I'm making it my mission to fit in an extra swim session every week so that by the time July hits, I'll be ready for the Hudson.

On the topic of this week's post, I just want to say how blessed I feel that all of my friends in Boston are O.K. Keith and I were in Boston last weekend, visiting our friends, and headed home to NYC on Sunday night. I stayed with my friend Jaime, who's apartment is a block from where one of the bombs went off (luckily, she left for home Sunday as well, and wasn't in the city on Monday). While all my loved ones weren't near the bombs, if different decisions were made, one of them could have been.

My friend Anna and me last summer, ready for a run in Boston.

I have such a big place in my heart for Boston. It's where I went to college, it's where I met so many great friends, it's where I met Keith, and it's where I have some of my best memories from days like Marathon Monday.

Marathon Monday Senior Year.

I'm sending my prayers and thoughts to everyone in Boston, especially those who were affected by Monday's horrific events. Boston and runners, you are two resilient communities, and I know that with some time, the wounds will heal. We just have to take it one day at a time.

**Edit on 4/19: Sending my hugs to Boston this morning - everyone be safe!

My Second Home

I moved to New York City two years ago this week. I was wide-eyed from the tall buildings, abundance of outdoor bars and restaurants, and the hipsters who seemed to fill said bars and restaurants every hour of the day. I was looking forward to starting my life as a big girl, all grown-up, in the city that never sleeps.

But before I moved to the big city, where some of the glitter has rubbed off and reality has set in, I lived in the wonderful city of Boston.

The finish line of the Boston Marathon!

I suppose the grass is always greener – but when Keith and I visited some friends in Beantown this past weekend, I suddenly forgot the reasons why I left such an amazing place.

It’s so clean! It’s so quaint! The north shore is so close! LOOK AT ALL OF THE RUNNERS!

Boston Marathon 2011!
I think that is Ryan Hall, but don't take my word for it.

We got in late Friday night, and had a couple drinks with our good friends, Anna and Steve. We plotted out our Saturday activities, which ended up being a perfect day.

First stop, the beach.

We drove up to Ipswich, and took our towels and sunscreen to Crane Beach. It was a bit overcast, but it was kind of nice not to sweat profusely as I usually do at the beach. Also, we did cartwheels and handstands on the sand bar.

Next stop, Russel Orchards.

Anna and Steve took us to this cute little orchard/farm just a few minutes away from the beach. There were lots of animals and farm-like smells to keep us entertained, and we picked lots of blueberries, raspberries and strawberries.

Blueberries! So yums.

When we got back from the beach, Anna and I went for a 5ish-mile run (obviously).

SO excited.

After having eaten lots of berries, some cider donuts, and basically drinking no water all day, our stomachs were a little rumbly. But we let our runners high take us through a run in beautiful Brookline. Anna is also an avid runner, and is one of the first people who encouraged me to run a marathon. The miles flew by as we talked about everything from running form to upcoming races. <3

Forgot the Garmin! Quickly downloaded the MapMyRun app which worked just as well.

While I adore my little nook in Brooklyn, it was refreshing to go back to a city that I truly love. As Keith and I were heading out, we passed the Charles River, and I pictured myself going for an evening run on the esplanade. I still have plenty of things I want to do and experience while I’m in New York, but I think my heart (and my running sneakers) want me to come back to Boston someday.

5 Races in 5 Weekends and the 3-Borough Run

After what felt like a really long week (no California vacations included), I was excited to lay low last Friday night. I pranced around in my apartment in my new Groove Shorts from lululemon, ordered thai food to “carbo-load” and watched Edward Scissorhands for the first time. So nice to see Johnny Depp in a movie where he isn’t acting like his Keith-Richards-alter-ego. 

I fell asleep nice and early in preparation of my long run Saturday morning, and hit the pavement at a sober 9:15AM. My plan was to run into Manhattan and meet Jillian in Central Park (yay!). I left sleepy Brooklyn, ran at a comfortable pace over the Queensboro Bridge, and found Manhattan to be buzzing with activity. I was feeling pretty good, and was pumped to run around the reservoir for the first time.

Is it Summer Streets yet? No?

Jillian and I met up at Columbus Circle, and caught up on everything from running her first marathon to my awesome SF trip. And we found the elusive reservoir I’ve heard so much about.

After a 5.5 loop, we were on a mission to find a diner to consume all the calories we just burned. Cue EJ’s Luncheonette and their greasy, delicious food.

I ended up clocking in just under ten miles, and despite the fact that my quads were a little fatigued and I ran through three boroughs before noon, I was surprised at how good I felt. It could have also been all of the eggs, home fries, bacon and the bagel with cream cheese I ate at EJ's that made me feel so good.

Like a well-behaved Brooklynite, I spent the rest of the afternoon day drinking. It was warm, and I was thirsty.

Unrelated to my day drinking binge.
I just thought this was cool.

It finally hit me today that I will be running five races over the next five weekends. That is a lot of bib pinning. Check back in 35 days to see if I’m still psyched about this whole 9+1 Program.

I’ll stop whining and list something I AM psyched about relating to my aggressive race schedule  – these AWESOME shirts that Lauren made for the Broad Street Run on May 6^th!

On the subject of races that sell out quickly, this year was the first time I didn’t go to Marathon Monday in Boston. I celebrated in spirit, but secretly wished I was filling up on jungle juice and Coors Light on Beacon Street.

Marathon Monday 2010
My shirt says "Run. Drink. Nap."
College.

Today I did just over seven miles in what is surely the warmest day Brooklyn has seen since last year. I was a little excited to sport my new Groove Shorts, so I complimented them with a bright orange tank… and a bright yellow headband… and a bright green sports bra.

Don't worry, this sweaty photo is post-run.

I went out a bit fast and hit the first mile at 8:40. My average pace was a hair under 9:00 overall, but I can’t tell you what my splits look like because I don’t know. I just know what my pink timex tells me, and it does not access satellites, calculate my heart rate or understand any commands other than start and stop.

I felt like I was going pretty fast, so I was a bit disappointed that my accurate and expensive watch didn’t represent pace closer to HMGP (did I just make up this acronym?). But before I started beating myself up, I tried to reason that I did run over the Williamsburg Bridge that has a b**** of a hill (that I love), and it was really, really humid.

Little did I know that the BEST post-run treat was awaiting me at Keith’s apartment. I dropped in to say a sweaty hello, and he offered me an ice-cold Gatorade, a frozen thin mint, and a loaded pita bread pizza that I just had to pop in the oven when I got home. I love him for so many reasons.