June 23, 2011

Going to Miss You....From the PIlot


Hi there!! You are leaving and going across the world tomorrow! I hope you are excited to see and help the world. You will be missed over here especially by me : (. I know we live a 1000 miles apart currently (and will change within the next month) but we have always made it through everything and no matter what happens I will always be with you and thinking of you. I hope you like the picture of us I put up, it is one of my favorites. Everywhere we go we always have an amazing time together and can't wait to start traveling the world together sometime soon....Make sure you take care of Mr. Bear....Love you and miss you!! Have fun!!
-The Pilot

three things thursday

1. Leavin' on a Jet Plane - So kiss me and smile for me, tell me that you'll wait for me. Hold me like you'll never let me go. I'm leavin' on a jet plane...Thank God I do know when I'll be back again. August 21. 2 months from now. I've been out of the country for a lot longer than that before but this time it's different. I hate to say that it's not as exciting because it is but it's a lot more...scary. See, when I went to London for 5 months, I had been there before. I knew exactly what it looked like, how to get around, what to except, etc. I have absolutely no idea what to expect in Sri Lanka. And while I'm usually not one to fear the unexpected, I feel like nothing is in place for this trip. I got my placement assignment in February and I still haven't had any contact whatsoever with my Sri Lankan staff. I sent a few emails last week and haven't had any responses. So right now, the plan is to just kind of show up and umm find them? I'm excited about everything else, but all of the cloudiness surrounding Sri Lanka is really putting a damper on the rest of my trip.

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2. Tryin' to throw my arms around the world - The whole reason I'm going on this trip is because, in a way, I am "trying to throw my arms around the world." In The Netherlands, I'll be sitting in on actual trials of people who have been convicted of war crimes, crimes against humanity and genocide. In Bosnia and Serbia, I'll be talking to survivors of war and trying to make sense of how they reconcile with the aftermath of a war that ended nearly 20 years ago but whose effects still linger today. In Sri Lanka, I'll be addressing human rights issues. When I first came across Chloe's blog about a year ago, I fell in love with it simply because of the title. I didn't realize until recently that it was named after a U2 song which really disappointed me because (sorry, Chloe) I really don't like U2 and, despite the fact that I've dedicated my life to the humanitarian cause, I have a lot of issues with Bono (but we can talk about that later). Anyway, Chloe and I hit it off from the first time we GChatted and even started our own running blog together. (Please go check it out, I promise we'll right more often!) And this Monday, in the midst of my craziness, I finally had the chance to meet Chloe who is an absolutely beautiful person. I already knew that from her blog but she just positively shines and I definitely need some more of her in my life. Her new baby, by the way? Beautiful.

Chloe, please teach me your awesome watermarking skills.
3. Be OK - If I had one word to describe how I feel today, it would be "emo." I feel like I should be writing some deep poetry on my Xanga and listening to Dashboard Confessional. Instead, I'm typing on Blogger and listening to Ingrid Michaelson. She's a lot happier than Chris Carabba. I just wanna know today, know today that I will be ok. That's what all of this boils down to. I know that I'm setting off on the trip of a lifetime. I just wish that everything would fall into place like it should have 3 months ago and I just want to know that everything is going to be ok.



Pray for me, will you?
I'll try and squeeze in a post before I fly out tomorrow night. 
 

June 21, 2011

#22: Take a Photography Class

A couple months ago Living Social offered a deal for a 3 hour photography class in Hoboken. The class was offered by Digital Photo Academy and after perusing through their website for awhile, I jumped on the offer.

I knew I wanted to take the class before I went away this summer so that I could really make the most of my trip and take some amazing pictures! The best part about DPA was that they welcomed all cameras so I didn't feel bad about going to the class with my Plain Jane little point and shoot and I felt even better when 3 other people showed up to the class with their point and shoot cameras.

There were about 10 people in the class and the instructor, Rick was awesome. He spent the first 15 minutes or so chatting with us about our individual cameras and explaining some things about them. One thing I really appreciated was that he spent a lot of focused attention on everyone and really catered the class to what we were interested in. The class was a walking tour of Hoboken so we started at the train station and then spent 3 hours walking through the city taking pictures while he explained different techniques for shooting and framing shots, adjusting lighting and so on. The best part? I learned that my little point and shoot camera can actually do a ton of things that I had no idea it could do!


Before and after shots - learning to adjust the lighting of the camera to take a nice picture without backlight.


More before and after - learning to tilt the camera to make a picture more interesting.


Learning to adjust the lighting to take a picture exactly as it looks: note the sky in the picture on the right compared with the white background in the picture on the right.

Action shot!  

We met these 2 guys on our tour who were rugby playing photographers! They acted as our models after spending awhile talking to us about photography and their training! Interesting combination, huh?


Learning to use the color settings on my camera to take pictures of colorful things and to frame the picture to give it context!

So there you have it! I still have a lot to learn but I'm so glad I took this class! I learned so much and now I'm really excited about using all of the features on my camera while I'm away!

So my questions for you: Have you ever taken a photography class? What kind of camera do you have? Any photography tips for while I'm away?

June 20, 2011

love/don't love

Before I start this post in true Christy-fashion, I have a big 'Don't Love' that I need to get out of the way. I got some pretty off color comments in response to my visit to Yankee Stadium. First of all, this is my blog and I'm entitled to my opinion so if you are going to leave an off color comment on my blog, you need to give me a chance to respond to you and if you don't, I'm not going to post it because well hey, that's just rude. I wrote that post about a negative experience I had at a ballpark. I didn't write a post bashing the team, the fans, etc. so the off color comments were really off putting. Telling me that "there are Yankee fans and there's everyone else" is exactly why so many people commented about why they weren't surprised at my experience. Also, telling me that mascots and entertainment between innings is "cheesy high school kids stuff" is entirely false since the Yankees are only 1 out of 4 teams to not have a mascot. Oh and telling me that I need to go back with a positive attitude just demonstrates that you didn't read the entire post because I was really excited to go to the game until everything happened. And for the record, I brought my Kindle to the game because I keep my text books on it and had to go to class after the game, not so I could sit there and read it during the game so don't tell me that I'm not a true baseball fan because I had a Kindle in my purse. DON'T LOVE.

Now, moving on:

1. I had a great weekend. It was the perfect mix of relaxing, fun and family filled. Love.
2. I didn't get in my last run for the weekend because I was exhausted and at the advice of the Redhead, I needed to just listen to my body and take the rest day. Don't Love.
3. I crossed something else off The List this weekend! I took a photography class! Pictures and review to come this week! I can't wait to use my new photography skills on my trip this summer! Love.

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 4. Its hard to believe that this weekend was my last weekend in the states for 2 months! It's weird, I've definitely been out of the country for much longer than 2 months but this time, everything just feels so different! I think it's because I'm going to be bouncing around so much. Don't Love. 
5. The Pilot got some fantastic news last week which I'll be sharing at a later point in time but I'm so unbelievably happy for him and so proud of him. Love.


6. I have a ridiculous amount of packing to do. I always pack light and I hate that I can't do that this time around! 6 different countries with 6 different climates is not very easy to lightly pack for. Backpacker's backpack, here I come! Don't worry, I will be posting ridiculous photos of me with my backpack that is 2x larger than me. Don't Love. 
7. I slept for 13 hours on Saturday and it was glorious. Love.
8. It's been a month since The Pilot and I have seen each other and while we were planning on seeing each other as soon as I get back to the states, that might not happen anymore meaning it'll have been over 3 months since we've seen each other. Don't Love. (I miss him so much)

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That's that!  I've got a busy day ahead of me. On the schedule: starting to pack, lunch with Chloe (first time we're finally meeting!), a 6 mile run, tracking down foreign currencies and my passport which is somewhere at the Indian Consulate and trying to get my life in order sooner rather than later!

Sorry for the mini rant on this post but I was a little bit less than pleased with the way some people responded to my post.

Happy Monday everyone! Have a fantastic week!

June 17, 2011

Ballpark #13: Yankee Stadium

I come from a long family history of Yankee fans.

I don't ever remember being at my grandfather's house without a Yankee game on. My grandfather loves the New York Yankees. One of the first things he did when he came to this country was go to a Yankee game.

I, unfortunately for my Abuelito, am not a Yankee fan. But that makes for good fun sports rivalry at family events.

I wish I could write an awesome post about how great Yankee Stadium is. With 13 out of 31 ballparks down, I think I have a good sense of how a baseball stadium works and operates. Unfortunately, my trip to Yankee Stadium was terrible and left me incredibly disappointed.

See, at every ballpark, I've been collecting pins. I love browsing through the Team Store and finding the perfect pin and adding it to my MLB pin collection. So when I found out that they were giving away Special Edition Yankee Stadium pins at the ballpark this Thursday and that the Yanks were playing my favorite AL Team, the Texas Rangers, I knew I was in.

My mom is a huge Yankee fan, so we decided to take the trip to the Bronx together. Even though I'm not a Yankee fan, I was really excited for the game. It was a perfect day for a ball game and I love baseball. I wasn't about to sit and sulk at a baseball game just because I don't like the team playing!

We weren't sure if we were going to make it to the game since I had an early appointment to get my Indian visa so we didn't buy tickets in advance. But we ended up getting there at 11:45 for the 1:05 game. I walked up to the counter and said, "What've ya go?" The guy says the cheapest thing he's got are $95 tickets. I was ready to turn around but my mom said that she knew what Yankee Stadium cost and had planned for it to be about that so let's go. I was really hesitant about it but my mom was all about it and, she being the Yankee fan, I decided to go for it.


So we walk over to enter the stadium, they scan our tickets and then they check our bags. The guy pulls out my Kindle and says, "You can't enter with this, you have to go put it back in your car."

My car??? This is New York City. No one has a car.

The guy then proceeds to give me about 700 different reasons why I can't enter with my Kindle. He was so unbelievably nasty, I was biting my lip to keep myself from crying and I don't cry. I'll list his reasons in order of which he gave them.

1. Kindle is not affiliated with the Yankees Organization.
2. If I get hit in the head with a foul ball while reading my Kindle, the Yankees are responsible. (But if I get hit by a foul ball while texting, it's ok).
3. No electronics are allowed inside of any MLB Stadium.
4. When I refuted this by telling him that I've been to most of the MLB stadiums, he said that he's 'heard that before' and that it wasn't true. Umm are you calling me a liar? Then he said well the Yankees are different and then proceeded to tell me why the Yankees are different from every other team in the MLB and how the Yankees make their own rules (emphasizing the Yankees the whole time).
5. When you buy tickets, you sign a 'contract' with the Yankees Organization which can be displayed on the back of your ticket and explains all the rules. (Despite the fact that the font was a size 2, I still read it and it said absolutely nothing about electronic devices)

Then he tells me that if I go down a few blocks, there are lockers which I can store my stuff in but that they aren't safe and if anything happens to them, the Yankees aren't responsible.

Umm we're in the Bronx. Are you kidding me? Yankee Stadium isn't exactly in the nicest area in New York. In fact, it's in one of the worst.

Supervisor comes over and says the same thing, again emphasizing that the Yankees are different than everyone else, and we finally just ask for our money back and say thanks, but no thanks, this isn't worth the hassle. Here's the catch: Once they scan your tickets, that's it, you're in the game. No refunds, no nothing. Umm then why did you scan my tickets before you checked my bags?

Because that's what the Yankees do.

Finally, after dealing with the 4 biggest assholes I've ever met in my life who were so freaking arrogant about the  Yankees Organization,  (I swear, I never want to hear that word again in my life) an extremely polite lady cop comes explains that everyone leaves their stuff at the bar a few blocks down and that they have a baggage check, it's not lockers and it's very safe. So that's what we do. The people there were very nice but they charged us $10. So now, Moms and I have spent $200 and we still haven't set foot inside the ballpark.

We go back to the stadium and get inside the park. By this time, it's 12:40. We had been dealing with this shit for an hour. Game time was 25 minutes away and guess what? They were out of pins. The entire reason I went to that game on that day was to get a f*cking pin. So then I had to dish out another $10 to buy one from the stupid Yankees Organization. Mind you, they're $8 everywhere else.

To review the stadium, since that's why I'm doing this whole visit every MLB stadium thing, here's my list of pros and cons.

Pros
-It's actually really pretty. I was pleasantly surprised and it reminded me a lot of The Ballpark at Arlington (TX Rangers). But that was all it had going for it.
-We had really good seats.


Cons
-The line to get into the Hall of Fame was a solid 2 hours long which was disappointing.
-The stadium doesn't go all the way around which is ridiculous for a stadium built 3 years ago.
-The stadium isn't completely open, so you can't walk around the stadium and watch the game the whole time.
-The food was mediocre at best. There were no special food items that distinguished them as being specific to the Yankees. (Examples: Rally Fries in Seattle, the fries at CitiField, Fenway Franks, etc.)
-The prices. Everything cost on average $1-$3 more at Yankee Stadium than at any other ball park. $6.50 for ice cream? No thank you. $12 for beer? Definitely not. I know ball parks are expensive but this was pathetic. They weren't joking when they built the new stadium and said that Yankee fans were going to have to start deciding between taking the kids to Disney World or to a ball game.
-The fan experience. There's no fun music being played between innings (except the YMCA during the 6th), there is no t-shirt launch or mascot race, no one sang 'Take Me Out to the Ball Game.' The game was a ball game and that was it. There was nothing to enhance the game, you go to Yankee Stadium to watch baseball, not to have fun. 
-The people. The entire experience was a nightmare. I was so upset the whole time and I tried so hard to have a good time but there wasn't a single person in that stadium who was friendly. No one smiled and welcomed you to the park, no one who worked there looked like they were having fun, and they were all so nasty.

We ended up leaving during the 8th inning because I had to go to class but the game went on for 12 innings before the Yankees beat the Rangers 3-1 which was disappointing.


I really wish I had a better report to write about Yankee Stadium but it was really disappointing. When people are paying $200 for baseball tickets, they should at least be respected and feel welcomed at the ballpark. I felt awful. I wanted to go to the game and have a good time with my mom and instead, I just felt disappointed.

Next year, I'm supposed to graduate at Yankee Stadium. I'll have a smaller graduation from my program and a much larger one for the entire school at the stadium. To be honest, I don't think I want to go. I don't want to be disrespected and made to feel unwelcome on the day I graduate with my Master's.

We'll cross that bridge when we get to it though. At least now I've been to every stadium in the AL East.

There you have it, 13 ballparks down, 18 to go.

June 16, 2011

three things thursday

1. Stress - I've been under an unbelievable amount of stress lately. I'm not too sure what's causing it but it's causing a lot of stomach issues. Since I've been back from my Florida-Texas-Iowa trip, I've gotten really sick three times for a minimum of 2 days each time. I've never been one to have stomach issues so for them to be starting 1 week before I travel and 2 weeks before I go to countries where it's not safe to drink the water, eat raw vegetables or even brush your teeth with tap water, I'm a little nervous.

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2. Wrist/Training Update - I haven't worn my wrist splint all week and I'm actually feeling fine. I have bouts of discomfort/pain but other than that I'm fine. In terms of training, this week has been a hot mess. This week should have marked my base training for Marine Corps and instead, I have a big fat 0 logged for mileage this week. That's right, I haven't run since the Mini 10k. On Sunday, I wanted the day off so I took it. Monday and Tuesday, stomach issues. Yesterday, we had our annual benefit at work so I was out of the house at 7:30 and didn't get home until midnight. Today, I was up at 6:30 for my appointment with the Indian Consulate to get my visa and just got home now. I'm still hoping to get at least 15 miles in this weekend, 18 if I can manage it but I already know that running in Europe is going to be immensely difficult given my schedule so I need to get up on that.

3. Europe - On that note, I'm leaving for Europe (and everywhere else) next Friday and aside from all of the stress I'm under to shop for everything I need, get the last of my shots, pack, etc. I'm actually really excited! I'll be starting my trip in Amsterdam (actually, The Hague) and after a few days, venturing to Sarajevo and then to Belgrade and Rome. Total: 11 days, 5 cities. It's going to be interesting, that's for sure! But I'm really excited about it all.

This looks like a fabulous place to get a run in in Sarajevo if you ask me!

That's that!
I had big plans for today. I did all of them but nothing went according to plan. 
But you'll hear all about that tomorrow when I tell you about my trip to Ballpark #13...

'Night!

June 13, 2011

love/don't love

1. I had an awesome time racing with some great girls this weekend and had a nice, relaxing Sunday watching movies and hanging out in yoga pants and compression socks. It really was the perfect weekend. Love.


2. I had to get a tetanus shot today (among the million others I've had to get for my trip) and I'm feeling super crappy after it. Don't Love.
3. I went shopping Mom took me shopping this weekend for nice cool clothes I can wear to the office in Sri Lanka and I got some great stuff! Love.
4. I feel like I have an unmanageable amount of stuff to do before I leave next week but I have no motivation to do any of it. Don't Love. 
5.  Mom's on vacation this week so I'm spending the week hangin out with her before leaving again. (I know she'll be thrilled to not have my belongings strewn all over the house.) Love.
6. I watched the movie Se7en last night.  I liked it and it had a lot of potential but I was disappointed. The plot was really good and it was really suspenseful but I hated the ending. I also don't like Brad Pitt as an actor and I didn't like the way he played the role. Don't Love.
7. I downloaded a ton of new books for my Kindle this week and I'm excited to be able to dive through them while I'm away. The best part? They were all free! Love. 


8. I just got pictures from the Mini 10k and even though I felt like I was dying, I really like this pic of my crossing the finish! Love.
9. Jordan is hosting an incredible giveaway on her blog: a trip for 2 to Paris! The Pilot and I were just talking about going to Paris so of course I entered! Next time we see each other, it'll have been 3 months and this would be the perfect way to spend some quality time together so I hope I win! For details and to enter, visit: Oh Happy Day Goes to Paris! Good luck! Love.

That's that! I'm gonna go fight off this Tetanus-thing.
Hope you're all having a great start to the week!

June 11, 2011

NYRR Mini 10k Race Recap

The first race I ever ran (besides the one I cheated of course) was a 10k. I finished in 1:01:54, had to stop and walk twice and thought it was the hardest thing I had ever done.

3 half-marathons, 1 full marathon and a number of smaller distance races later, I've definitely become a better, faster runner since that 10k last April so I knew that I was going to PR today no matter what.

What I didn't expect was to have to work so damn hard for it.

This race was tough. The race was mostly in Central Park which is where I did every single one of my long runs for the Philadelphia Marathon. The Harlem Hills aren't easy, but I did that loop 2,3, sometimes 4 times in one run. I think that's why I did so well in Philadelphia, because I had such a strong hill base and ran an entirely flat course. That's why my first marathon seemed so easy. The hills today weren't bad but training in Central Jersey, Florida, Texas and Iowa (read: entirely flat) for the the last 6 weeks made them a little bit less manageable than I would have liked.

It didn't help that I had to wake up 3 hours before the race started and take an hour long train + a 20 minute subway ride just to get there and wait around for an hour but what killed was the 96% humidity. It wasn't that hot out (70 degrees) but that humidity just got to me. The air was just so thick and it was so sticky. As soon as I started, I knew I wasn't going to run the race I wanted. By Mile 3, I just wanted it to be over. At Mile 4, I started getting horrible side stiches...which I never get. At Mile 5, I started to feel how close I was and tried to pick it up, but I got another side stitch and I just couldn't go any faster. I tried so hard to pick it up toward the end and I couldn't. I knew it was a bad race when I couldn't even sprint through the finish.

I finished in 53:36. A huge PR which I'm both excited and proud about but I'm disappointed about how the race went. I know I have a better 10k in me. But I'll just have to prove that to myself next time, right?

In terms of the race itself, I really liked it! An all women's race with awesome cheer squads (almost all guys too!)  and a great but challenging course dedicated to Grete Waitz (9 time winner of the NYC Marathon) - what's not to like?

They had medals (a nice surprise!) and carnations for all finishers where I met up with the sweaty blog group for brunch!


I organized brunch for about 12 of us at Whym, a cute place right near Central Park. It was Emily (Sweat Once a Day), Celia (Running Seal), Ali (Ali on the Run), Tina (Carrots n Cake), Becky (Beck on the Run) Liz  (Food to Run For), Ashley (Healthy Happier Bear), Theodora (Losing Weight in the City),
Kelly (Meals for Miles), Lisa (Early Morning Run) and Claudia (Challenging the Body). We had a blast! And I had Bananas Foster French Toast. If you ever come to New York, please let me know and I will take you to Whym and repeat this brunch because it was the best French Toast I have ever had.



We were all starving and I think all of 2 pictures were taken at the table. Oops. So this is the only picture I got from brunch (besides my food of course):

Me and Ali!

That's all I've got for you know. A 5am wake up call, race + brunch takes a lot out of you. I promise I'll post pictures when other bloggers post them and I can steal them later. In the mean time, I'm having a lame-o Saturday and staying at home. I'll probably be in bed by 10. It's cool, you can call me Grandma. I hope you all have a super fun Saturday and I can read all about it later.

June 9, 2011

three things thursday

1. Consistency - I loved reading all of your comments yesterday about consistency and checking your Garmin/treadmill etc! It's nice to know I'm not the only one who plays mind games while running!

2. Wrist/Training Update - My wrist is kind of feeling better. I've been running and sleeping without the splint and only wearing it during the day. My wrist actually feels fine, but it's my hand that's bothering me these days. Sadly, while my splint wearing days are numbered, I still can't put any weight on it (which makes stretching post-run really complicated) or open jars or make any kind of decent fist, so the idea of riding a bicycle is out. I tried to tell myself I would be able to tri next weekend but it's just not going to happen. To look on the bright side of things though: I'm running an awesome race this weekend with some incredible bloggers, I can defer the tri for next year, and it's probably a good idea to not tri for the first time 5 days before I leave the country for 2 months.

3. India - After months of planning, searching the internet, reading guide books and talking to friends, colleagues and other people, I have finally booked my flight to India! On August 6, I'm flying from Colombo, Sri Lanka to Bangalore India! I plan to spend a few days in Bangalore and really take up the sights and sounds of the South (how's that for alliteration?!) before making my way up to Delhi to do the Golden Triangle, maybe venture into Rajasthan and then down to Mumbai for some Bollywood and yoga before coming back to New York. I. Can't. Freaking. Wait. I've wanted to go to India almost my whole life and it is finally happening! If you've been to India, please share your experiences! I want to know everything!

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That's all for today!
I woke up this morning and decided that today is going to be an awesome day, so guess what? It is!
I hope you're all having equally awesome days and gearing up for a hot weekend!
Have a good one!

June 8, 2011

Consistency

It was 85 degrees when I set out for my 5 mile run this morning at 10am. I knew it was going to be that hot and I knew I could have avoided the heat if I had left my house at 6:30am but I didn't want to do that.

My first 5 weeks of marathon training are going to be in Sri Lanka and India. Average temperatures above 85 degrees with humidity lingering around 85% during monsoon season? I have to get ready for that somehow. In reality, I've already looked into a few gyms and found a few that I'm probably going to join because those conditions just seem unsafe. In the mean time though, I'm trying to prepare. Don't worry, I'm hydrating and I actually felt great on my run this morning.

But I'm not hear to talk about running in Sri Lanka or India. You'll hear enough about that when I get there. See, I'm not a very consistent runner and as I'm starting to think about marathon training, I need to start thinking about how to be a more consistent runner.

You know when you first get your drivers' license and you constantly stare at the speedometer while you're driving to make sure you're not speeding? No? Was that just me? Ok well, I'm the same way with my Garmin. Sometimes I think getting it was a curse. I absolutely love it, but it was really awkward to bend my arm in such a way to stare at my pace on my Nike+ whereas with my Garmin, I find myself constantly looking at it. Sometimes, I play games with myself like: I can't look at my Garmin until this song is over, I can look at my Garmin again when I get to that lamp post. I rarely make it to the lamp post though before I'm peaking down. It's like an addiction!

Despite this, I'm actually all over the place when it comes to running. My mentality is always just to start strong and push through or pull back as needed. Turns out, that's not the best way to approach a marathon when you have a goal in mind.


And I have my sites set on some pretty big goals this training cycle. But first, there's that whole consistency issue, which I thought a lot about on today's run.

I think because I was thinking about it so much, I ran pretty consistently today though!

Mile 1 @ 8:49, Mile 2 @ 9:38, Mile 3 @ 9:44, Mile 4 @ 9:49, Mile 5 @ 9:44

But that was a rarity. Check out this 4 mile run from a few days ago:

Mile 1 @ 9:16, Mile 2 @ 9:04, Mile 3 @ 9:33, Mile 4 @ 9:56.

Now, it was in Texas and it was about 100 degrees outside so ignore the fact that they all start with the number 9. But I was all over the place! I also know that I'm a much faster runner than this and that when I'm not running in Inferno-like temperatures, I can bust out sub-8 miles like it's my job. But regardless of the temperature, I need to start working on consistency in order to be a better runner. You know what else I need to work on? Strength training. Which I don't do. At all. Yea, I know. I'm working on it.

You know what else I'm working on? Eating lots of protein and healthy foods. This is probably going to be challenging in Sri Lanka, but at least I'll be eating good food!

"The Power Classic" from Real Girls Eat: Juiced Carrots & Apples. YUM!
Protein packed snack: String Cheese, Apples & PB
So tell me, what do you do to be a more consistent runner? Do you constantly look at your Garmin? Do you do drills? Are you just awesome at consistency? I'd love to hear from you!

June 6, 2011

love/don't love

1. I started this post 3 times this morning, each on a totally negative note. I finally put it to rest, went about my day, went for a run and am now starting on a much lighter note. Love.
2. I just tried making some juice and I think my mom's 200-year-old juicer has finally been juiced. Seriously this thing is ancient and I really wanted to make juice. Don't Love.
3. I am listening to country music. Love. 


4. I finally hit 300 miles for the year this morning. I've been trying to hit that number for weeks but being sick just got in the way too many times. Love. 
5. My computer got a virus and I lost everything. I'm taking it to the PC doc tonight to see if they can recover it but it doesn't look promising. The worst part about it? I got it from clicking a link that someone posted on a blog. Don't Love. 

6. My wrist is starting to feel better and I've been able to run without the splint but it always bothers me afterward. Baby steps. Love/Don't Love.
7. I'm hosting a Blog Meet-Up after the NYRR Mini 10k on Saturday! If you're running the race or will be in NYC on Saturday, let me know! Love.
8. I miss my boyfriend. A lot. Don't Love.

We're total goof balls but we're totally in love. 

 Happy Monday! 

June 1, 2011

May Recap

May was certainly a busy month. I moved out of my apartment into temporary storage (aka Mom's house) while I started my summer travels. The month of May brought me to Florida for 2 weeks to visit The Pilot, to Texas for a week to surprise my brother for his 18th birthday and to Iowa for a weekend for the wedding of two of my great friends! It was a long, busy month and I'm pretty tired from it! I'm ready to dip into June and take the next few weeks to relax before I head out for my June travels! So aside from gallivanting across the US, I got some work done on The List.

In May, I:
  • Started training for my first triathlon and got in some good swims and bike rides before spraining my wrist which may take me out of the race. 
  • Read the Books of 1 and 2 Chronicles, Ezra, Nehemiah and Esther in The Bible. 
  • Came up with a preliminary itinerary for my trip to India!
  • Finished my first year of my Master's program!
  • Went to a Tampa Bay Rays game, making my 12th ball park!
  • Read 2 books off The Book List: The Golden Notebook and The Divine Comedy.
  • Built a sand castle!
It was a really productive month but I'm ready to take it easy a bit in June before I head to Europe at the end of the month!

How did your May shape up? Any big summer plans?
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