A Mile or More in My [Running] Shoes

This post brought to you by the number 5… Nicklas Lidstrom: The Perfect Human To be so...

Thu, 31 May 2012 15:39:32 -0400

This post brought to you by the number 5…

Nicklas Lidstrom: The Perfect Human

To be so unaffected by the accomplishment and fame he has accumulated, to have remained almost precisely the same person throughout the years certainly sets a standard. To be such a nice guy and such a rare athlete is a measure of his greatness.

-From The Detroit News: http://www.detroitnews.com/article/20120531/OPINION03/205310436#ixzz1wTe9dpWk

"These Are A Few Of My Favorite Things" Thursday

Thu, 31 May 2012 10:32:58 -0400

Color: Until recently, I didn’t have the confidence or slightest clue how to wear pants that were anything but denim. (I’m not the most fashion savvy person in the world and the oft well-dressed New Yorkers — I swear it’s a requirement for living here or something — would be embarrassed to name me as one of their own.) BUT, I got with the program and lately I have loved these green, cropped chinos from Ann Taylor LOFT.

Espadrilles: This kind of piggybacks off of the previous favorite thing. I picked these (pictured above) colorful espadrilles up at Les Toiles du Soleil last year. It was the happiest stumble into a store I’ve ever encountered. Seriously, color everywhere you look. Anyway, these shoes are the most comfortable, fun shoes I’ve ever owned. I can’t even begin to explain the depths of my love for them. I will be going back to pick up another pair or two as these, at a year old, are probably reaching the end of their acceptable use.
Vornado Fan: The lack of A/C in my apartment has reached its breaking point… Up until now though, this little fan has worked overtime to keep me cool. For being as small as it is, it does some serious work. After gutting it out with Shaun T and Insanity, I like to park myself in front of this bad boy until I’ve cooled down and I leave it sitting in my window to help circulate cooler air at night. Lifesaver and sleep-giver…

This is a Tumblr Cloud I generated from my blog posts between...

Wed, 30 May 2012 16:11:00 -0400

This is a Tumblr Cloud I generated from my blog posts between January 2012 and May 2012 containing my top 22 used words.

GPOY: Wedding Guest Edition

Wed, 30 May 2012 11:33:05 -0400

GPOY: Wedding Guest Edition

I’m sitting in Union Station whiling away the time before my bus leaves at 5:30. Aside from a few...

Tue, 29 May 2012 16:00:00 -0400

I’m sitting in Union Station whiling away the time before my bus leaves at 5:30.

Aside from a few travel snafus, the weekend was fantastic. I met new people, saw an old friend, and got to spend time with Rob. On Sunday night we headed out to a bar and as the night drew to an end, we managed to find ourselves in a stretch limo back to the hotel.

Monday was a relaxed and lazy day. I didn’t feel so hot after the previous night’s festivities, but Rob and I managed to pull ourselves together and squeeze in the Insanity plyo cardio video before getting ourselves all dressed up.

The wedding was lovely though really hot. It was at a picturesque manor situated on a golf course. Temperatures at the start of the 5:00pm wedding were around 90°. I felt bad for the guys in their shirts and ties and even worse for the groom and groomsmen in their tuxes. Still, everyone looked great and it was a beautiful ceremony.

After the ceremony we enjoyed air conditioning (for a little while anyway), dancing, beer, and food. I’m feeling great but really sore this morning from insanity and tearing up the dance floor. Kind of dreading the bus ride home for that reason.

Best wedding date or what?

Mon, 28 May 2012 23:48:00 -0400

Best wedding date or what?

Fun night last night at the bars in Ashburn. Tonight we’re...

Mon, 28 May 2012 09:16:00 -0400

Fun night last night at the bars in Ashburn. Tonight we’re going to put our wedding guest/dancing shoes on.

Passing through Baltimore… On to DC!

Sun, 27 May 2012 10:26:51 -0400

Passing through Baltimore… On to DC!

Rainy, early morning bus ride to DC… Seems like a perfect time...

Sun, 27 May 2012 07:16:39 -0400

Rainy, early morning bus ride to DC… Seems like a perfect time for a nap, don’t you think?

This morning, I woke up at 5:45 for no reason and I was wide...

Sat, 26 May 2012 11:36:02 -0400

This morning, I woke up at 5:45 for no reason and I was wide awake. I turned on the news and around 6:45 I resolved to make myself pancakes if I got just 1 more hour of sleep. (I managed to get a little more than my agreed-upon hour.)

Treats and snoozin’, snoozin’ and treats… Isn’t that what weekends are for?

Flashback Friday 2003 Right about this time 9 years ago, East...

Fri, 25 May 2012 11:56:43 -0400

Flashback Friday 2003

Right about this time 9 years ago, East Kentwood Women’s Soccer won its first District title and my sister and I helped.

Fill In The Blank Friday...

Fri, 25 May 2012 10:04:46 -0400

The best surprise ever would be, if some kind individual decided to pay off all of my student loans.
The week we rented a cottage in Muskegon along the channel and it poured the entire time, but we played the music loud and enjoyed ridiculously silly ping pong tournaments while the storms raged outside is one of my most favorite memories.
The hardest, but most worthwhile thing I’ve ever done was moving to New York City from Michigan. It forced me out of my comfort zone and led me to the wonderful place I find myself in now.
The best part of my day is when I leave work and call my mom to chat or right before bed when Rob and I make time to video chat for a few.
Something I like that most people don’t is the morning. I’m a morning person.
Something I am willing to fight for is my family.
Something you might not know about me is that I played flute and was a full time/four year band geek while I was in high school. (I even considered trying out for a spot in the University of Michigan Marching Band.)

Play along!

Congratulations to my gorgeous sister, Amanda, who is graduating...

Thu, 24 May 2012 17:45:48 -0400

Congratulations to my gorgeous sister, Amanda, who is graduating tonight! Wish I could be there seester!

I’m one very proud big sister…

"These Are A Few Of My Favorite Things" Thursday

Thu, 24 May 2012 10:58:00 -0400

Of Monsters and Men: I am all kinds of in love with this album. Every so often I stumble upon a new album and fall head over heels in love with it and I listen to it non-stop. (Exhibit A: Lana Del Rey) Some people (myself included) can listen to the same album ad nauseam… This album has been on repeat since Tuesday and I don’t see it stopping any time soon.

Dressing Up: Because my work environment is very casual on the dress code side of things, any excuse to dress up is cause enough for excitement. This weekend I’m going to a wedding and while I found the dress shopping process stressful, I’m really excited to wear the one I got. Every so often it’s nice to ditch my standard jean + cardigan combo to throw on something pretty and feminine. (And I’ll even be wearing heels this weekend!)

Wandering in NYC: With the arrival of warm, sunny days (and the current lack of A/C in my apartment) my need to get out-and-about has increased exponentially. There are so many things to see in New York. This past Sunday I wandered to nowhere in particular for a good 4 hours and stumbled upon some cute little stores and more street fairs than I care to count. My journey ended with a stroll up the Highline on the newly opened pieces and parts that I walked for the first time when Rob was here the other week. I even managed to unplug my headphones for most of it to fully take in the sights and sounds and I’m glad I did.

(Photo by Iwan Baan)

Charity Miles

Wed, 23 May 2012 22:03:00 -0400

Tonight I went to JackRabbit Sports on the Upper West Side to check out the info session they were holding on their NYC Marathon training program. It gave me a lot to think about and I will have a few weeks to decide how I’m going to tackle my training for 26.2. (Ultimately, it comes down to whether or not I think I can do it solo or if doing it with a group will keep me accountable and make me better equipped to go the distance.)

What I found really interesting about tonight’s meeting though, was a guy named Gene who came in to tell us about his new app for iPhone and Android that gets corporate sponsors to donate 10 to 25 cents for every mile run, walked, or biked to a handful of charities. The app is called Charity Miles. Participating charities include: the ASPCA, Habitat for Humanity, Achilles International, The Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis, and Malaria, and Autism Speaks, just to name a few.

I think it’s a brilliant idea and thought I’d share it in the Tumblr community. I’m excited to use it. I mean, if I can do a training run of 5 miles and donate $1.25 to a charity of my choosing, why wouldn’t I?! Just imagine how much good I’ll be doing once marathon training is in full swing!

The facility supervisor just walked into my lab to inform me that they want to do a massively...

Wed, 23 May 2012 11:56:00 -0400

The facility supervisor just walked into my lab to inform me that they want to do a massively disruptive construction project (as an extension of the construction upstairs) in my experimental room next week. He thought the delivery of this bad news would be tempered by the offer of Peruvian rum that he picked up while in Machu Picchu. I’m sure my face said it all…

Must stay calm.

Bahahaha! Immediately after posting my race picture, this was...

Wed, 23 May 2012 10:02:42 -0400

Bahahaha! Immediately after posting my race picture, this was posted… Timely.

heyrunnergirl:

thanks, Jessica

My 25k race photos arrived last weekend… As usual, there...

Wed, 23 May 2012 09:44:00 -0400

My 25k race photos arrived last weekend…

As usual, there are some pretty laughable shots, but in this one I look focused (within meters of the finish) and pained (accurate considering the state of my stomach).

Still proud that I managed to finish. On to the next one…

Wrapping Up This Afternoon At Work Brought To You By: Of...

Tue, 22 May 2012 16:18:29 -0400

Wrapping Up This Afternoon At Work Brought To You By: Of Monsters and Men

Just a little obsessed. Just a little…

Getting back into it...

Tue, 22 May 2012 14:58:37 -0400

After taking time off to recover, I’m back in training mode. (Sort of.)

I’ve started doing the Insanity workout again and I’m feeling it today. It hurts so good. So much so that I am dreading the long walk up the hill to my apartment after work. Ask anyone who has visited me and they will confirm that the hill is a doozy. (I console myself with the fact that it’s got to be doing wonders for my legs and butt, right?)

I forgot how much I liked the Insanity workout. (“Like” is relative… I like it because I have been pleased with the results and because it’s over-and-done-with in about 45 minutes.)

So, for now my plan is to stick to the strength and conditioning stuff with short runs here and there until marathon training starts. What concerned me most about the break between the 25k and marathon training was that I would lose fitness, but this seems like the best way to keep myself healthy while staying fit.