NYC Marathon 2015

Where do I begin?! So many emotions still fill my head with the memories made on Sunday! I woke up early that morning around 430 am, there was really no way I could sleep any longer, I kept dreaming I'd be late for the ferries to Staten Island! But I also woke up feeling so emotional, I knew what was lying ahead for me that day and it just brought me to tears everytime I thought of finishing the race. My fiancé was surprised I was crying because last year I was nervous and excited because I didn't know what to expect but I didn't cry! This year I knew what I was getting myself into and it frightened me, and I think it was because I knew where I might struggle, but I also felt emotional because this race would be the end of a long two years of running long distances! 

So when I left my apartment that morning my only goal was to enjoy the experience, and to forget finish times , but to look forward to the journey to the finish line. As I rode the train to the ferry, my brain was running wild, would I see my family, would my injuries flare up and make the race harder than it already was, and would I be able to stick by my friends side no matter what and would they do the same for me? It was decided at our 20 miler that Christina and I would try to run the race together to help pace each other to the end, it was the best decision because I love running with her, we always have an awesome time together! 

So when I arrived at Staten Island to the start villages, once I seen some of my crew I felt less nervous about the roads ahead of us! We met up with my friend and teammate Melissa, she wanted to stick with us also, it was her first marathon and she wanted the support to help get her to the end. I love her personality so I knew the three of us were in for a great day! 

We had a short wait and soon were headed to our corrals! Thankfully the weather has been unseasonably warm, so the weather on race day was expected to be 64 degrees, mostly cloudy, with 60% humidity, ideal running conditions! So the weather on the bridge was no issue this year, the wind was at bay, and most runners were in short sleeves or tanks, so we were ready for this! 

All of a sudden the cannons went off and it was time to start this journey! The bridge was crowded so it took lots of weaving through the crowd to keep our pace up, but we were going pretty slow with the congestion anyway. I had to pay attention to where my friends were because wave of runners felt massive and every so often when I was taking a picture or looking elsewhere I'd lose someone ahead of the pack! I love running on the Verazzano bridge, the marathon is the only day of the year pedestrians can cross it on foot, so it's really a privilege to be up there and take in the beauty of NYC from afar. 

Three miles in and we were in Brooklyn! Brooklyn is where the party really gets going, the crowds are really amped up and excited to see runners pass by. There was music all over the place, so many bands played, and DJs were blaring music at times when church was just letting out! It was amazing, Brooklyn gives you that initial rush of excitement, and we were running at an awesome pace, it was exciting and I was looking forward to each new part of the race we were heading in! Suddenly around 7 miles in, Christina started to have some pretty awful stomach issues, and we took a longer than expected potty break, but it wasn't a big deal to Melissa and I, we agreed to stick together as a trio til the end! The next few miles before Queens were a little shaky, Christina was being cautious, and at times she told us to leave her, but of course that wasn't going to happen we were a team! I knew the latter part of the race was when I was going to need her and Melissa most, so there was no way we were giving up on each other! 

I knew our spirits would feel lifted when we were finally in Queens, because Melissa had her husband and friends waiting to cheer her on and my family was also going to be there for me! We ran through Queens, found Melissa's awesome family, and right after my family was there! When I spotted them I had to do my best not to lose it, just having them there means the world to me, and hearing them cheer, and seeing the excitement on their faces means the world to me! My youngest brother had on his old Halloween costume, which cracked me up when I spotted him, he was wearing a mouse head to resemble Deadmau5, and he had a bowl of snickers in his hands, and my sister was holding a sign telling runners to "whip and nae nae" for a snickers! It was so cute, I loved it! I'm also wondering how many selfies are floating of him out there, he said lots of people stopped to take their picture with him! 

Soon after we were on our third bridge! We were on the Queensboro bridge heading into Manhattan, where the fun continues! The bridge really is so silent after 14 miles of non stop loud noise, it's just the runners, and at that point I guess most of us are wondering how the next half will go, how crazy we were to attempt this at all, or if whatever aches and pains we were feeling would get us to the end. It's a moment of reflection before the chaos continues! But it's also really beautiful to be up there, and I always reflect on 9-11 because the first time I ever walked that bridge was on 9-11 and now years later I'm thankful for where I am and that the city I love most is still thriving after tragedy. I felt privileged to be on the bridge, living my life to the fullest running a marathon! 

We also bumped into Aki and Tibby on the bridge, our fellow NYIR teammates, they were walking the marathon! Tibby was injured earlier this year and hasn't been able to run any races that she signed up for, but she doesn't back down from a challenge and decided she would walk the whole marathon, and Aki who was also injured walked by her side the whole time as well! 

Once we got into Manhattan I hit my wall. It was the wall for me because those miles up to the Bronx felt never ending. There's also the uphill along 1st avenue that just looks painful from a distance. I was running with my heart and grit because I didn't feel my legs and every time I checked how far we had gone I felt like we were still so far behind! I was feeling out of it, the exhaustion was hitting me hard, I was throwing gummy bears in my mouth every few blocks, I was actually feeling desperate for a banana, I was being careful not to take in too much sodium at that point because I had taken a salt packet at mile 16 to prevent cramping later on. There was a blister forming on my pinky toe at the same time and I was praying that the pain would stay at bay so I could finish, that blister plagued me all summer, and I cut runs short because how bad it felt at times! I was upset also since I was wearing blister preventing socks too! I was texting my family already apologizing that their wait for me would be longer than expected, but they were great, they told me I was doing good and that they'd be there waiting however long it took! Suddenly we were blocks away from the bridge into the Bronx, and an angel in the form of my fellow teammate and NYPD officer Tee Jay was patrolling the race but cheering us on, and she had a banana! Life saver! My mouth and tummy were satisfied at the sweetness! 

The Bronx is only a mile long, but it was painful, my blister was the only thing I could feel, and I wanted my feet to go faster but it felt like it was taking forever! The Bronx was barren of spectators too, there weren't many, the music helped us push through the borough, but as soon as I was there I was ready to say goodbye! I wanted to be back in Manhattan and through the last few miles! 

We made it over the last bridge and the sounds of Harlem were with us! I felt excited to be in the city, my team was waiting for us on 125th street, and I knew seeing them would make us feel alive again! And we were so excited to find them dancing to "whip & nae nae" on the course, that the three of us stopped to take a dance break! It was short but it was what we needed to push past Harlem and head to Central Park! After we saw the team, I crashed a little over the excitement, I suddenly was over come with thirst and I felt like I was getting dizzy, and like any second I was going to have to stop. As soon as I said I need water we found two spectators on the course with pretzels and Coca Cola! I am not a soda drinker at all, but these kind women assured us that they were runners themselves and that we should try it for a small boost, and at that point I was so desperate I gladly took a cup from them! In those few seconds Coca Cola was the best thing I've ever tasted in my life! It was a change from everything else I was ingesting and the sugar gave me some new energy, which I needed to get over the hill on 5th ave just before Central Park! I wish I knew who they were to thank them again! 

Mile 23 my head was blurry, my feet were going, I was feeling pain in my butt from my siatica and my blister, and the three of us were racing against the sun! It was just starting to go down and we didn't want to run much in the dark, so we pushed as hard as we could when we could! Once we were in the park, I started focusing on seeing my family at mile 25, and just finishing strong! Those last two miles felt so long, and we gave our all to get to the finish, I was just telling myself to stay strong because we were so close to the end! And suddenly as we were exiting the park, my left hamstring gave in! It got so tight and painful, I had no choice but to start walking, but when I did that it felt even worse, I gave myself 30 seconds and told the girls to keep running! I ran and it was still there but I had to slow down so it didn't feel as bad, but inside I was praying I could run through to the end! I didn't care how long I was running, I just prayed to God that I could finish running, walking wasn't an option for me! I got over it quickly because then the blister on my foot felt like it exploded in my sock and that pain took over everything! My foot was hitting the pavement and sending waves of shock through my toe and up my body, in my head I was screaming bloody murder! But in reality I kept it together, and focused on finding my family just before Colombus Circle, I just kept running and praying for the strength to keep on. I saw my family, got super excited hearing them cheer us on, and it gave me the final wind I needed going back into the park toward the finish! 

This was it, there was no going back, because we really did it, we ran a marathon together, took in all the good, and pushed past all the bad, and there we were, just feet from the finish! Christina was doing her best to hold it together, thinking of her late aunt and uncle, and Melissa was the strength that bonded us at the end, yelling at us that this was it! I was struggling so bad those last few feet, my toe felt demolished, my hamstring was cursing me, my heart was racing, and my emotions were doing everything possible to keep it together! We held hands and crossed the finish line, strong, unified, and accomplished! And slightly delirious, I was so thirsty for water, and I almost lost my stomach just after we crossed, scary few seconds after running 26.2 miles! 

But then I saw my girls, Amy, Michelle, Helenita, Heather, and the rest of the NYIR girls at the medal racks with beautiful smiles and the hardware we just earned! I hugged Amy and I cried like a baby, I was so happy to see my sole sister, I told her every sign that said "go Amy!" or anytime I heard anyone say Amy, it made me think of her at the end, waiting for us, and helped pushed me ahead! Then I hugged my girls Christina and Melissa, and thanked them for being the best running partners I could've asked for! 

It was such a special moment to share with them, and then my family over dinner! I was so exhausted and hungry, I had fajitas and beer for dinner! 

Running a marathon is life changing, every mile changes you, and anything can happen along the way! But it's how you face each mile, and overcome every challenge that makes you so strong when you cross the finish line. I don't know when my next marathon will be, I will most definitely revisit the distance again, but for now I am so thankful for all the support I've had along the way! And I'm so glad I never once gave up on myself, I'm glad I fought for the finish through a summer of crazy training that had me doubting myself so many times, because I would never want to miss out on this experience, it was really something special and almost magical!  

Less than 24 hours to go!

Well the last few days have been a whirlwind of activity and now we're hours from the start line! Thursday night was such a fun night with my running team! We all met up at the expo at the Javits center, and shopped for our new gear, and talked about our nerves, course strategies, and reminisced about marathons past! I will be running with two of my teammates, Christina and Ariel, and each of us has a reason why this marathon is so important for us to finish! I hope we can motivate each other alon the way and have a great time on the course!

After hanging at the expo for a couple of hours my team headed to a pub for an amazing pasta dinner! The food was amazing, and we got to carb load amongst each other, and do what we do best; talk all about running!!! Being with them that night helped ease lots of nerves, and just knowing I'm sharing a journey with so many friends is a blessed feeling, I'm a lucky girl! 

Yesterday was spent with my sister at the expo to shop and look around! It was so much fun! I ended up getting a new shirt customized to wear tomorrow, picked up some headbands, and had fun at the photo booths! 

After the expo we had pizza for lunch, and then headed to the opening ceremony in Central Park! I walked with the Ecuadorian delegates, and had so much fun seeing other cultures celebrate the marathon and being in NYC. There was music, dancing, and fireworks, the crowd was hyper and ready to party and have a good time! Its definitely the best way to get excited for the marathon, because after it's over it's time to rest up and eat the last meal! 

I already went out on a shakeout run this morning, ran just a little over a mile, and reminisced about why I started running, and how I've come to accept and understand that all the bad things in my past had to happen in order for me to be at the start line. Everything that's happened to me needed to happen because life showed me how hard and dark it can be if you lose control of it. I had to make choices, sacrifices, and learn to trust myself to find the strength to believe that I'm made to run a marathon. It's given me the confidence to believe that I am a marathoner and it was who I was meant to be this whole time. I'm a marathoner and whatever happens tomorrow won't change that, so now I'll rest, and enjoy whatever comes my way, it's going to be epic! 

 

4 days!

Yesterday turned out to be a pretty sweet day! After work I checked out the marathon pavilion set up in Central Park! I felt like it was a sneak peak of the expo, a place to get some of those jitters out and a way to start getting excited for the big day! 

I picked up a shirt and a new Sparkly Soul headband! I posted the first picture of the new headband for the marathon on Instagram, and I won a surprise 12 pack of headbands, which is super exciting since I own so many already! I wanted to buy more gear but everything said finisher on it and I'm super superstitious before a race, and I just couldn't bring myself to buy anything but the headband that said finisher! Technically I am a finisher since I ran last year but still don't want to jinx myself! 

Afterwards I ran in the park, and that's when panic set it. I was really excited and then I started running and felt this pain in my inner thigh I've been dealing with since I ran my 20 miler. It went away with some rest and stretching, but during the last week it's been coming back after every run, and it's worrying me. I'll take care of it after the marathon, but I hope I can make it through the marathon if it begins to flare up during the race. This is one reason I'm more nervous than last year, my body was fine and felt OK during my training, but this year I've had more aches and pains bother me than ever before. I'm just praying it gets better, I'll be there Sunday no matter what, I just hope I have a good race, and make it to the end as strong as I hope to be. 

5 days and counting...

So here we are 5 days out from the NYC Marathon, and I'm a nervous wreck! I feel more nervous than last year, and I think it's because I know what to expect this time around. For some reason I keep thinking of the pain I'll eventually be in, and it's not that it scares me because it wasn't really so bad last year, it's just wondering if I can break through it again this year and not hit the wall.

I'm also nervous because last year I ran with two friends, and this year I'm hoping to run with my friend Christina, but she's actually dealing with a bad cold this week, and we're not sure how she'll be feeling come Sunday morning. So if I end up running the marathon alone, now I'm wondering if I can mentally get through it solo! I know I'm crazy because I've done all my training runs alone, and got through each one, so I should be fine, but it's my head that's going crazy in the final days ahead! 

During these last few days my focus is carb loading, drinking lots of fluids, getting everything I'll need together, and the weather. So far I feel more prepped than last year since I was scrambling around the day before looking for last minute stuff. This year I've been prepping since last week and I think I'll be ready with everything by Friday! (I hope!) 

The weather is driving me nuts too, because it was supposed to be cloudy and high 50's but as of this morning it's now going to be in the 60's and 50% chance of rain! I don't mind running in the rain but for 26.2 miles it really doesn't sound like fun! So I'm torn btw short sleeves or long sleeves and I'm sure I'll be torn up until the morning of, so who knows what I'll do! 

Thank goodness the expo opens in two days, that way I can distract my nerves from the thoughts of actually running and just have fun seeing my teammates at our pasta dinner and the opening ceremonies on Friday! I'll do my best to blog about everything leading to the marathon, but if not I will be posting a recap a few days after! And if I'm lucky I'm going to record whatever I can on my GoPro and make a you tube video!

Halfway Point!

How is it week 9 already!?? Time flies when you're training for a marathon! I've been so busy with life I'm just glad I've been able to get my training done! My runs have not been stellar at all, my Achilles tendinitis is the worst it's ever been, and has been slowing me down big time! I'm anticipating that my finishing time will be much slower than last years marathon, and I've let that idea beat me in the head mentally. The slower I run the more and more I feel like a total failure, but then I talk to myself and try to remember that the time was never important to me in the first place, only finishing was! Still it's really hard and it's affected my diet, I haven't really gained but I haven't lost either, I'm pretty hungry lately but that's no surprise with the training I've been doing, but I'm not eating the best foods either, I've been trying but then I'll get discouraged and end up eating what I shouldn't. 

It's excuses but I'm working on it, and still getting lots of exercise in! My mileage fell short of what I wanted to accomplish in August, but I did spin every Friday, and have incorporated kickboxing or Pound from Crunch gym into my training. I felt stronger physically but mentally I'm fighting myself everyday. 

Depression is not easy to talk about but it's there, and I'm coping with it the best I can, the endorphins I get from exercise help tons, I just have to face the food demon that plagues my heart when I'm really feeling down and out. I know I can get over it but it's just harder with the hunger training brings lately. 

I decided after the marathon I will not be running another one for a few years. I don't know that I'll run anymore half marathons either, I think the pressure of constantly having a big race to prep for is burning me out mentally and affecting me physically too. This training season has shown me that I do love to exercise and I do love to run, but I love doing whatever I want more. When I'm training for a race I have to stick to a plan, and everything else in my life and it makes fitting in other workouts harder, when I'm running 4 days a week. I want to go back to the way I was before I tried long distance running, doing all the workouts I wanted, and running when I felt like it. I'll still race but maybe a few times a year, and I'll work on getting my Achilles stronger and try getting faster at shorter distances! 

But for now I'm going to make the best of the rest of my training and try to enjoy the process, and know that the NYC marathon is still an amazing journey to be on and be part of. 9 weeks to go, that's it! It will be here before I know it, and I just pray that I have a wonderful experience and relish the moments. 

Thank you to my readers that have stuck by me, I'm not perfect at all, but I just try to live as healthy and happy as I can! And I'll try to post more in the weeks leading up to the big day! Til next time! Xoxo! 

It's Week 5!

Holy crap! It's the beginning of week 5 of marathon training! Time flies, it's amazing how fast it goes! But so far I've done really great with my training, I'm getting my runs in, cross training, and my diet hasn't been horrible! After 4 weeks of training I'm down 3.6lbs for the month, and for me that's fantastic because I lose weight really slowly, and so far it's on pace for how much I hope to lose by the end of training.

Figuring out rest days has been the hardest of all. My training plan calls for 4 runs a week, my sister and I take spin class every Friday together, and then I try to fit cross training in there like kickboxing. So far I've been exercising 6 days a week, so my slow weight loss has been discouraging, but I've been feeling pretty amazing, so I'm trying not to let it get to me! 

I also found a kickboxing class I really love near my neighborhood through ClassPass! They use real heavy bags, and you get a full body workout from class! One half of the class is combos on the bag with high intensity intervals, and the other half is strength training, which is where I feel the weakest. It gets a little discouraging, because I suck at push ups, burpees, and most ab exercises, but I'm trying my best and hopefully I'll see some improvement soon! My favorite is punching the bag of course! It feels so good to let out the frustration and just exert all the negative energy into the workout and come out so much better at the end! 

Week 5 & 6 are busy!!! This week is gonna be a challenge to fit all my runs in but I'm gonna try and do morning runs if I have to. So far I have class at Crunch tonight, running tomorrow, probably AM runs on Wednesday and Thursday since I have a going away dinner, and a workout at New Balance Girls Night Out, then spin class Friday with my sister, and Team Championships Saturday morning with my team, and my long run! Yea, that kinda busy! I'm not even going into next week, but it's very similar, and that's just what comes with marathon training!!  But as long as I'm enjoying it, it will be all worth it come November 1st!! 

My Ride or Die

Marathon training is in full swing, meaning sometimes I'm too busy to even remember everything I need to accomplish around training! I'm getting all my runs in, but so far I feel more hectic than last year. Last year my runs were consistently on Tues, Wed, Thurs, & Saturday's, but I'm on week three and I've done runs on Sunday and Monday, miles in the morning, or rearranged my runs around the classes I've taken! I'm hoping August will be more like last year, this month of July has been hectic so far, but I'm hanging in there, and just staying focused on my goal of getting to the finish line healthy and strong this year! 

The newest change to my training has been my fiancé! This past weekend we went to Sports Authority and he purchased a hybrid bike! When I first met him he used to have a bike and he rode everywhere, to work, to the city, it was his only mode of transportation, he hardly used the subway. But when his bike got damaged a few years ago we never replaced it, and for him it made him out of shape. So buying this bike was something he wanted for so long and I was so happy because I've wanted him to get a new one for so long also because I know he loved it so much. 

The best part was once we got the bike we left the store and we decided I'd do my long run, and he'd ride with me! It was great having him there to push me along the way, and it was nice to finally feel like we were doing something active that we both enjoyed together! 

The next day when he got home from work, which was supposed to be a rest day, he asked me to put my running gear on and run, while he came along with me. I wasn't expecting it but it worked out and we had fun, laughing, talking, and exploring our neighborhood. 

It's nice to have him there, he has water with him, so I'm able to test my hydration, and he looks out for my safety, which I secretly find sexy, but don't tell him that! Like yesterday he came out with me on my run, and he rode ahead of me for awhile, and when I finally caught up to him I noticed him waiting for me on the side, where a group of guys were causing ruckus, and he waited til I ran past them to follow me again, it was sweet! I know he was just being protective but it felt nice to have him be there for me. 

Overall this week has been a success, I've tracked all my food, my guy is getting active, did all my training runs, and I'm set up for a pretty awesome weekend! I have spin class Friday night with my sister, followed by my long run Saturday and a kickboxing class I'm going to try also, and I'm supposed to be volunteering at this years NYC Triathalon on Sunday too! Can't complain, life is good! 

Sometimes all you need are drumsticks!

On Monday after work I took a class at Crunch Fitness thanks to the awesome ClassPass! The class was called "Pound", and it's a low impact aerobic class that uses drumsticks! You do movements in tune with the music, and use the drumsticks with the movements either tapping them on the floor or over head. I have zero choreography skills so it usually takes me a few classes until I can keep up with the beats, but this class was pretty easy, and at the end I was drenched! I loved it but it was only 30 mins long, I could've gone for 30 more! That and Bootcamp on Sunday left me completely sore yesterday, and I love it! I mean come on, it hurts, but that's only our bodies telling us that it's working!! Can't wait to take another class again soon!! 

The Fat Kid in Class

So in my post yesterday, I was talking about all the perks having joined ClassPass and how I was a nervous wreck about taking Barry's Bootcamp for the first time! Well, I took the class, and I survived! But boy was that class such a challenge for me!!

I signed up for the Full Body workout, and I think everyday since I signed up I've been a nervous wreck! I've been on Google looking for all the information I could on the workout, all I wanted to know is if regular people like myself could actually get in a workout and do everything that was asked! But all I found online was how this was the workout to the stars and how hard it was instead! So all week all I could think of was how I'd be the weakest one in the class and that I wouldn't keep up and basically make myself look like a joke! 

The day of the class I was pacing all over my apartment just telling myself that I could get through it, it was only 50 mins and it would be over before I knew it! That really didn't help me, I seriously told myself that I'd rather run the NYC Marathon that day  than take this class! What in the world was I thinking!?!? 

So as I arrived to the studio I was even more intimidated when I saw the model like photos of the instructors plastered to the glass, and the camo militant theme from the outside. I mean could I feel any less fit than I already do?? But I told myself everyone has to start somewhere right!?

When I was all checked in, I was waiting with the rest of the class outside the studio, and ordered a peanut butter smoothie for post class, because in reality I just needed something to look forward to after class was over, in case this crazy idea of mine was a bust! 

Anyway when we were finally let inside, I felt a little better knowing this was coming to an end soon! The room is set up with mirrors all over the room, with treadmills against the wall on one side and then steppers set up on the opposite side. We were instructed that we'd be starting on the treadmills for class and then doing floor work later. As the the instructor told us to start warming up he also asked if anyone was new, and I introduced myself to him, and he told me what to expect, but that if I needed to, to take it at my own pace. 

We started and he started calling out commands to run at a speed of a 5-8, which I was ok at a 5, but then he said to increase the incline to a 6%, and that's where I started to struggle! So I never made it past a 5.7 on the treadmill, but I kept running anyway, and it was so hard because I really hate the treadmill, but I pushed through it. When we were ready to hit the floor the instructor told females to grab 10-15 lb weights, and the guys, 20-25 lbs, and I gladly took the smallest 8 lb weights they had, which was still heavy for me because I usually go for the 5 lbs or less! The lunges, squats, and presses with the weights were easy, but the countless bur-pees, push ups, walking push ups, and triceps push ups, made my arms so dead! I was a sweaty hot mess, front and center in the class, while everyone else was doing just fine with their heavy weights! And just when I thought we were almost done, we had to hit the treadmills one more time. After the floor work my legs were already shaking, and telling me no girl, not now, but I got on it and pushed through the best I could without giving up. I was ready to crawl under a rock because at moments I felt silly for even thinking I could be a part of this class, but I was doing it even if it wasn't as great as anyone else. We were back to the floor, and it was time for ab work. Ab work is the worst for me, we were doing bicycle crunches, and I could barely move my legs, and then we had to keep them straight up and do crunches, and that wasn't cute either. But once the instructor said we only had two moves left, I realized, I just did this, I took a class that scared the daylights outta me, but I pushed through and made it! 

At the end I was in tears, tears of pure pride and joy, I couldn't really feel anything else, I just felt proud of myself for not wimping out. And then as I walked out of class the instructor said to me, " Hey! You didn't die! Great work today!" and that made me want to go back for more, and I will because it felt so awesome after class. 

I was on a high the whole day, I used to give up on myself so easily in the past, but with marathon training in full swing, I feel like I can at least try to better myself, and try new things to keep me motivated. I want to be stronger than I am today on November 1st, and I want to know that I trained, and put in all the hours of hard work to get to the finish line strong and healthy. 

ClassPass Adventures

So earlier this week I started marathon training! Eeep! So many emotions were running wild through my head thinking of all the preparation necessary and how my life is pretty much over for the next 4 months! It's exciting because that it remains as one of the best days of my life, but I'm also nervous and scared because I just hope my mind and body can get through the training again. Last year I used Hal Higdon's Novice 1 plan and since it worked wonders for me then, I've decided to go with it once again this year. Last year my only regret with training was that I didn't incorporate enough cross training or strength training in my plan. Which is so hard when everyday life needs tending to also, training already takes up so much time, so to commit to even more time to train, is hard to process! But this year I'm gonna try and throw in other workouts on  non running days, starting with spin. Spin makes my legs feel refreshed for a long run, but also helps with recovery! And since I've been spinning at least once a week since the winter I want to continue and maybe pick it up to twice a week.

But let's face it, workout classes are expensive, but going to the gym and hopping on the elliptical, and trying to make sense of the weight machines just isn't cutting it for me anymore! Alas a solution in the form of an app called ClassPass is here to save the day! I was introduced to the concept from my running friend, Kathleen, who has nothing but good things to say about the app and how it works! You basically sign up for a monthly fee of $79 or $99 depending on your location, and you get access to all the classes on the ClassPass network all month long! No limit to how many classes per month, but there is a limit of 3 studio visits per month, which still works out because there are so many options to choose from! The average rate of classes in NYC is around $30-$35 a class so just 3-4 classes in a month will pay itself off, but you still can take more than that in a month! So I signed up this week, and I plan on canceling my gym membership, and I hope I can commit to this! I already love taking spin classes at Peloton but now I can take classes there and other studios I don't know about yet!

In the palm of your hand are no more excuses for not working out, there is literally something for everyone! And living in NYC I think it's perfect for variety in addition to my marathon training! So the first class I took was a spin class at Swerve Fitness, and I had been the studio in the past but never went back because it was too expensive for classes. But once I hopped back in the saddle I felt at home, and glad that I can go there 3 times a month now! 

Today I'm freaking out and shaking a bit because I'm currently en route to a Barry's Bootcamp class. The name should be enough to tell you it's no fun and games, this class is about business and and getting down and sweaty! The class consists of 25 minutes on the treadmill with sprints and intervals which I've never done, and that's making me scared because although I can run miles outside, I'm a terrible treadmill runner!! After the run portion of the class is the free weights part, and I heard the lightest weights they have are 8lbs and if that's the case my arms will be dead by the end of the first rep! I'm trying to convince myself that I'll be fine and I know I will be, but knowing how hard this class is, its giving me butterflies. But who knows maybe I'll love it and be hooked to hit!?!

Anyway I hope to write more soon, like right after class,that way I won't forget how I feel and I remember that for the next class!

I'm still here!

I'm here! Haven't disappeared yet! The last few weeks were pretty hectic, I went away on vacation to the fabulous Las Vegas! I had the time of my life, and enjoyed every minute, but now that I'm back home it's back to work!! Monday is the start of marathon training, so I'll be spending this weekend filling out my calendar with my training days! I am nervous for this training to get underway because my plantar fasciitis is really not pretty this year, It gets so sore much easily now, so I will be incorporating cross training if I feel like I need to scale back my mileage. But I am excited to embark on this journey again, I know it won't be the same as my first one, but I'd like to see how it changes me and how I learned from last years training.
I'm also excited to be running tomorrow morning! I'll be participating in the NYRR LGBT Pride Run in the morning in Central Park, and it should be a beautiful day! This morning the Supreme Court ruled  that all marriages be recognized in all states, giving everyone marriage equality! This is so historic and today I'm proud to be American, and tomorrow I can't wait to show my support. Love is love, and Love wins today!

The Food Transformation

Sometimes I feel like my world revolves around food and my next meal. Ever since joining WW it's changed the way I think about and eat food. It has taught me how to pick the good, and skip the bad, even though they stress you can have anything, they do teach how to make better choices.

During my pre WW days, food was my bestie. If I was feeling sad and depressed (which was almost always) I would buy myself a meal and make it the best part of my day. I would justify the stress and emotions I was feeling, make the food my happy place. And it didn't even really make me happy, I just ate the food because it was what I had made myself accustomed to.

Those days I used to work at Shea Stadium, I was part of the concessions management team at the ballpark, and had access to all the food I wanted there. When I worked there I had done WW once and lost 54lbs, and then fell in love and gained it all back and much more. So I knew about portion sizes, and I had the belief that because I had been somewhat successful and my job required me to be on my feet all day, walking back and forth, that I had this in the bag, no more meetings for me! I remember eating countless hot dogs, cheeseburgers, and chicken tenders on a daily basis, and then of course I'd have fries, but I'd top them with cheese from the nacho stand, and maybe add a pretzel in there too! I never drank water either, I'd have a bottle or two a day, but you'd always find me with a Snapple  in hand in some sweet sugary flavor! I knew they were no good but I'd justify the fact that I was walking all over the stadium for more than 8 hours a day as my exercise, and in turn food was my reward!

What was worse, was after my shift was over, I'd head to the bar with my coworkers and we'd get more than enough drinks to make us feel nice for the night, that on my way home I'd need more food. You know, to "absorb the alcohol", so that way I wouldn't be so drunk or hungover! FYI kids, you wake up feeling worse, and always vow you'll never drink or eat like that again, but there was always a next time for me.

I can remember getting off the train at my stop near my apartment, and I already knew what I was going to order to eat at home, cash in hand, ready to stuff my face. There's a Popeye's right outside the train station, and it became my food mecca. I was there almost every night, and I would order the same thing each time. I'd order 4 pieces of chicken, with fries, a biscuit, a large Hi-C fruit punch, and a slice of Mardi Gras cheesecake. But that wasn't all I got, I needed a snack after my meal, so I'd go to the deli right next door with my change, and get myself a 99 cents Arizona iced tea, a bag of nacho cheese Doritios ( the $1 size), and 4 bags of hot cheese popcorn (25 cent bags). Then I would go home to my bedroom in the attic, and devour everything in minutes! Once I was finished I'd hide all the evidence, stuff it deep into the trash at home so no one would notice or I'd keep it in my purse till I could throw it away outside.

And then one day I woke up and realized that I was probably 300lbs. I had always known I was overweight, but I didn't care enough at the time to change my habits, but I had always told myself, even as a teenager, "I will never go over 300lbs, when I do that will be the day I have to change."  Once I realized that I was finally at that limit, it scared me. I actually never thought I'd get that big, I thought I had the control, but I really didn't, I let the food control me. Now I was really scared, because what if I couldn't lose the weight on my own, what if I needed a greater intervention, like surgery, or would I end up so bad that I'd need to try out for a reality weight loss show?, or worse what if I couldn't do it, and I'd end up a victim to my home and my fridge?  300 is a big number, and on the scale, its a number that feels impossible to diminish, one week at a time.

When I finally decided to join WW again, I was more determined than ever to get my weight down and not rely on food as a means of support. I paid attention to the nutrition labels, I stopped fast food all together, and I became aware of the types of foods that were beneficial to my health, and let go of the foods that held me back for so long. I learned to love vegetables and fruit, I drank only water, nothing else, and I let go of my constant need for snacking. I also learned that I didn't need to reward myself with food, I started rewarding myself, with clothes, accessories, and new fitness gear. Eventually I was able to let go of many bad habits, and I no longer felt a need for the food that became my friend for so long.

Today I'm still not perfect, but I am so much more aware of what I eat. I passed by a McDonald's this weekend, and realized I haven't had a McDonald's burger in years! As for Popeye's, I haven't gone in there either in a few years, I love the food, but I know I don't need it anymore. When I go food shopping, I only buy food for my main meals, and no snacks at all, just plain popcorn kernels or sugar free ice cream pops. I don't fry any food anymore, all my food is cooked with spray oil, or baked in the oven. I bring my lunch to work every day, and it consists of a protein, veggies, a small carb, and fruit. I make breakfast every morning, and I make dinner every night. I fell in love with running, and it has increased my appetite greatly, and I still struggle with my hunger after a run, but I'm getting better at making good food choices post run. I don't need food to have a good time anymore, I can pass up just about anything and not feel bad about it anymore.

I don't think my relationship with food will ever be perfect, but I'm glad its not my source of comfort anymore. I used to live to eat, but now I do my best to eat to live. As I grow older I hope I continue to live that way, and spread the knowledge to my future family, because living a healthy life is so much more plentiful then living a life full of junk!

Hello June!

It's a new month and summer is almost upon us!! This is an exciting June for me, with 3 races planned, a Vegas vacation, and the start of marathon training, I'm going to be a busy lady!! I've already been swamped these past few weeks, my boss was away and I felt the pressure of the extra work getting to me, I've missed a bunch of workouts lately, and it's disappointing. Life is just hectic, my in laws are in town also, so being with family also takes up my time, and then prepping for our vacation too has kept me busy as well! 

But my boss is finally back and I'm ready to focus! I plan on taking a few spin classes next week, one with my sister too, and I have the Oakley 10k next Saturday, so it should be a great week to work on some goals! Vacation will be hard but we'll be walking a lot and I hope I can make healthy food choices most of the time! 

I'm also excited to jump back into marathon training, I've actually missed the discipline I had last year and  hoping to achieve the same thing again. I'll be starting on June 29th with the Hal Higdon Novice 1 training plan, it's the same one I used last year, and I hope to keep spinning this training session, because that helps my running a ton! Let's just hope there are few heat waves this summer! Last summer was wonderful, so I'm frightened to find out what this summer will be like since we've already dealt with a terrible winter!! 

Anyways that's all for now, I'm on the train on my way to work, and my stop is approaching, but hope the next week is awesome!! Xoxo

What's going on?

Life has been so hectic the last couple of weeks!! My boss is currently on vacation, she'll be away for about 3 weeks, so in her absence I have to fill her role at work. So that means I've been pretty much swamped at work all day doing both of our jobs, and by the time I leave I'm so frazzled and stressed I don't have the energy for anything else! I've wanted to write a few other blogs but my brain is so exhausted from staring at my computer all day that I've hardly been on my phone and I've neglected my laptop! After work I'm  busy at my job at home! Ya know, cooking, cleaning, working out, and taking care of my dog and fiancé! I think once my boss is back life will be a little easier and I'll be able to get more posts in! 

In the meantime I'm also getting excited because I will be traveling to Las Vegas in a few weeks for 5 days! My fiancé and I will be scouting possible wedding locations and enjoying some quality time together! My man has been working his butt off with two jobs and no days off in months! I admire him so much for being able to stick it out, but he's been doing it so we have the funds to enjoy ourselves out there and I can't wait! Just leave me at the pool with a drink and I'll be good!!

I did the Stephen Siller WTC stair climb on May 17th, and it was pretty tough for me considering that I ran the Brooklyn Half the day before! The stairwells were so hot, with no ventilation, but hearing the stories from other climbers directly affected by 9/11 was very inspiring that I would love to do it again next year! Just not the day after a half next time!! 

I also participated in the Color Run 5k at Citifield on Saturday! I was chosen as an ambassador a few months back, and had a few of my cousins join me on the run! I didn't think I'd have as much fun as I did, but it was a blast! My favorite part was running the field inside the stadium since I am a huge Mets fan! It was so cool, I was like a kid on Christmas, smiling from ear to ear the whole time! 

Honestly though the spots where we were supposed to get colored along the run hardly did any damage! When we got to the finish I was pretty clean, I was disappointed until we got to the post race festival, that's where we got covered in color and sparkle! The music was great, and it was a pretty sweet way to start the weekend! 

I get a little breather for a couple of weeks from racing! My next race isn't til June 13th for the women's Oakley 10k in Central Park, which I'm excited for because my girls on the running team will be coordinating outfits for the day! I also have two other races later in June which will set me up nicely right before marathon training begins again! 

Till then just running short miles and focusing on some strength training! I love running but a small break is healthy for recovery! Trying my best to keep up with the blogging, hope you guys are enjoying it so far!! Til next time, xoxo! 

Brooklyn Half 2015

It's been a few days since the Brooklyn half, and I still have my runner's high! It was such a fun day to spend with my team!

The fun started Thursday when I went to the Brooklyn Half pre-party to pick up my race bib! I got to see my friends volunteering and ran into a few friends also getting bibs that day! Seeing them always makes the next few days before the race exciting! I went with my fiancé and we enjoyed a couple of beers, some tacos from the food trucks, and of course the beautiful view of the city from the Brooklyn Bridge!

Race day comes so quick for Brooklyn, since it's on a Saturday morning! On Friday I had gone to get my bib for the stair climb, and then had tickets to the Mets game at night, so there was hardly any rest for me leading to race day! I was pretty nervous too actually, because I knew I'd be pacing Amy, and I didn't want to fail her!

Before I knew it, it was 3:45am and I was awake and getting ready to head to Brooklyn! It's a long commute and I did not want to take my chances, so I made sure to head there early enough to give myself time to find Amy, use the porta potty, and take pictures of course! :) 

My stomach was giving me issues since I had woke up but I just told myself it was just pre race jitters! The weather was ok at the start, it was cloudy with a chance of rain but the air felt good with a promising run ahead of us! 

There were 5 of us running together at the start! Amy, Cari, Helena, Melissa, and I all started out strong with the crowd! We had planned on running with Heather but with 26,000 runners we never caught up to her, but she had had a great run with her husband! It was super crowded at the beginning but we had a good pace going and we were all smiles! Along the way Melissa paced ahead of us, and then it was us 4 til the end! We were running ahead of pace I was feeling great about it, and then....it rained! It started off slow, but then the sky opened up and it was a crazy downpour!! I love running in the rain when I am prepared to do so, but on Saturday I was in a tank and capris, with no hat to keep the water out of my face, and at times I felt like I was drowning lol! I mean really trying to run, and breathe, and see in crazy rain is hard to do! It slowed us down a bit, but we were still having a blast, and by the time we exited Prospect Park it was finally over!

I was so ready for Ocean Parkway, because it's flat and downhill to Coney Island!! It was so much fun, we were laughing, taking pictures, and our pace was ok till about 10 miles in, then exhaustion started to hit us but we were still all up beat and having a great run! Along the way we made friends with Team RWB, they were so bad ass, doing push ups, burpees, or mountain climbers at every mile marker! I was feeling super proud of my girl Amy because she just kept pushing along with us, and I never heard a complaint from her, she was so awesome! Cari and I kept ahead of Helena and Amy, so they could chase us down, and keep up the pace and it was working! Cari and I had a ton of girl talk along the way, and it was even fun for a few minutes when one of the fellas from Team RWB got a little flirty with me! I was flattered and he was sweet and harmless and gave all of us a good laugh!

Before we knew it we were at mile 12!! I could smell the beach! I love that smell so much, you have no idea! At that point we knew we missed our goal of under 3 hours, but with the rain, came the heat & humidity, and really we still did a pretty amazing job! Our next goal was to beat Amy's PR, and we were so close! That last mile I just kept pushing and I was annoying with my "let's go!"'s and " we got this!" I also almost made Amy cry when I mentioned her BFF sole sista Michelle! She was waiting for us handing out medals at the finish! The last mile was a breeze I was so happy to see our friends cheering on the sidelines, and next thing you know we were passing the infamous Cyclone roller coaster, and feet from the finish!

The beach was there, and all of us were cheering Amy on! When we crossed the finish I was so proud of her I wanted to cry! And then she saw Michelle and they hugged and cried for all of us! While we missed Amy's PR by a few seconds, she did PR the course! We also hope to beat her goal in October at the RnR Brooklyn Half! After the run we went for some grub, and feasted on beer and sliders!

The best part of this years Brooklyn Half was that I was able to run with my friends! It was so much fun, I love when I run with them, it made those 13 miles feel like we breezed right through them! I don't know if I'll do this race again next year, but I'm definetly looking forward to more runs with my running family!