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NYRR Al Gordon Brooklyn 4 Miler Race Recap

NYRR Al Gordon Brooklyn 4 Miler

Wearing: Sparkly Soul headband, Lululemon Pace Perfect Sports Bra, Lululemon Run Swiftly Top, Brooks Cascadia Thermal Vest, Brooks Greenlight Tight

It was a wonderful morning to run the NYRR Al Gordon Brooklyn 4 mile race! My first NYRR race since giving birth to Katie, I was wearing a giddy smile all morning.

Since the race started at 8 AM in Prospect Park, just a 10 minute bike ride or cab ride from our apartment, I didn’t have to wake up early. In fact, I rolled over at 6:45, waking up naturally after nine amazing hours of sleep. Upon checking my phone, I saw that it was 40 degrees and sunny outside.  Since the weather forecast originally called for chilly and rainy, this was a welcome surprise.  I quickly got dressed, sipped a cup of coffee and ate my typical pre-race breakfast of toast and peanut butter before waking Katie up at 7:05. After a few minutes of cuddles, I grabbed my race bib and headed out the door.

Unfortunately, Zoe was running late so suggested that I focus on meeting Mary since she most likely wouldn’t make it from the Upper West Side to Prospect Park before the race started.  Since I cuddled with Katie longer than planned, I hopped in a cab instead of biking to Prospect Park. Luckily, there was no traffic and less than 10 minutes later I was at the entrance of Prospect Park and merging into the crowds of people heading to the start.

NYRR Al Gordon Brooklyn 4 Mile Race Starting Line

The race was sold out which meant that Prospect Park was packed! Luckily, Mary and I were able to quick find each other and then enjoyed a leisurely ten minute walk to the start area. We found our place in the corrals and spent the next few minutes before the race started chatting, stretching and reviewing our plan for the race.

Since I refuse to stress myself out with pace goals, we ensured that our goals weren’t about time.

  1. Have fun together.
  2. Run the entire race.
  3. Negative split the race versus going out too fast.

Like I said, we kept it very simple to ensure that neither of us were stressed about the race.  The race started at 8 and just five minutes later we crossed the starting line.  I had the goofiest grin on my face as I realized in that moment how much I’ve missed running with good friends, sunshine and energetic race atmospheres.

I knew that if I wanted to run the entire race and negative split, then it would be key for Mary and I to pace ourselves and not go out too fast. Luckily, the course, which was a bit more than one full loop of Prospect Park, included some big hills in that first mile which naturally kept our pace slower.

Luckily, since we started pretty far back in the corrals, we were faster than most people around us and were able to maintain a 10:14 pace as we climbed the steepest hill in Prospect Park without having to swerve and dash in between people too much. Once that first hill was finished, we knew that the next three miles would be filled with rolling hills but nothing nearly as steep as the first one. We enjoyed puppy watching as the park was FILLED with dogs, catching up and enjoying the Spring like morning weather.   I was thankful for the multiple water stops as I could easily grab a cup of water and take a few sips after mile 1 and 3, just enough to keep me hydrated through the race.

Less than 40 minutes later we made the turn back onto Center Drive which meant we had a quarter mile left in the race. Mary insisted that we pick up our pace as we were almost done and she knew I had something left in my tank. I wasn’t sure but finally, as soon as I saw the finish line, I high tailed it towards the finish, throwing down a 7:10 pace that last tenth of a mile!

Splits:

  • Mile 1 10:14
  • Mile 2 9:45
  • Mile 3 9:26
  • Mile 4 9:18

Total: 39:39 for 4.1 miles and 9:37/mile pace (Official results from NYRR are 4 miles – 39:25 for avg pace of 9:52

Once we crossed the finish line we grabbed water and apples to enjoy while we waited for Zoe and said hello to some local runner friends like Reggie who always gives the best post race high fives and hugs to everyone he knows!

Al Gordon Race Recap

Luckily, just a few minutes later Zoe found us and we were able to hang out for a few minutes before she headed off to finish a few more miles and Mary and I headed towards Grand Army Plaza to meander through the Farmer’s Market before I headed home to Katie and Bo.

While I’m not signed up for another race until the Queens 10k in June, I definitely have my eye on a few more Prospect Park races including the NYC Runs Prospect Park 5k or 10k in April.

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My Favorite Healthy Breakfast

For less than 300 calories, this healthy breakfast packs in 17 grams of protein and has the same flavor as an everything bagel with cream cheese. The good news is that it keeps me fueled and satiated for hours – far longer than a bagel!

A person of habit, I’ve been enjoying the same breakfast for the past month. While I love oatmeal, yogurt bowls and smoothies, recently I’ve been craving the same thing I ate for breakfast for more than half my pregnancy – toasted English muffins topped with cottage cheese.  I find that this carbohydrate and protein combination keeps me full far longer than many other breakfasts and I love that it is so simple and inexpensive.  In case you aren’t already a cottage cheese devotee, here are a few of its’ many benefits:

  • Low- calorie source of protein and calcium
  • The casein protein in cottage cheese helps prevent hunger pangs.
  • In just one serving, you get a dose of vitamin B12, riboflavin, niacin, folic acid, pantothenic acid, and thiamin.
  • It is a good source of magnesium, which helps maintain blood sugar levels.

So now that you’re convinced that cottage cheese is a rock star ingredient, here are the directions for this delicious breakfast. I debated sharing this “recipe” as it is so simple but after no less than 25 people direct messaged me on Instagram sharing how much they loved it after seeing it on my feed, I decided I needed to share it with everyone!

Ingredients

  • 1/2 cup cottage cheese (Cabot is my favorite brand!)
  • 1 English muffin, toasted
  • Trader Joe’s Everything But the Bagel Seasoning

Directions

  • Split the English muffin and toast to desired level
  • Set toasted English muffins on plate and spread 1/4 cup of cottage cheese on each half
  • Sprinkle a small dash of Trader Joe’s Everything But the Bagel Seasoning on each half
  • Enjoy a bite while you smile because you know that this new breakfast will become a staple in your routine because it is healthy, easy and tasty!

 

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Weekend Reading – February 17th, 2018

Happy Sunday! After a long week of travel, I’m happy to be back in Brooklyn with Bo and Katie. So far we’ve spent the weekend doing some things around the house, catching up with friends and enjoying lots of cuddles with Katie. She is doing her best to army crawl everywhere possible so life has quickly taken on a faster pace. Today we’re heading into the city for brunch with friends and then tomorrow, Bo and I are enjoying a day date since Katie’s nanny share family doesn’t have the day off for President’s Day. Our plans include going to Aire Ancient Baths, a leisurely lunch and then going to the movie theater for the first time since Katie was born!

This week, instead of Friday Favorites, I’m sharing some weekend reading which includes recipes, articles, posts and other things that caught my eye this week.

  • I’m trying to incorporate more strength training into my weekly workout routine and this 20 minute Metabolism Boosting PopSugar video was the perfect thing to kick-start my motivation! I was dripping sweat by the end of the video, loved the intense but short routine, and I only needed a yoga mat and a set of 10-pound weights.
  • After seeing Little Fires Everywhere on many different lists I finally bought it a few weeks ago. I finished it in just a few days, as the characters hooked me immediately. The author did a wonderful job developing each of the characters and inter-twining the story lines as she shared the tale of the Richardson Family of Shaker Heights, and the people who came into their lives and changed everything they knew.
  • It’s been a month since I upgraded my moisturizer to Beautycounter Adaptive Moisture Lotion. Even during a week of three flights and far too little sleep, this was able to keep my skin hydrated all day long without looking greasy or causing any breakouts.
  • I finally started meditating last month and it was a game changer especially in January when I was dealing with some minor insomnia. While there are many different apps that you can use, I liked that Headspace’s offers a complimentary Basics 10 session pack. You can even change the duration of each session – 3 minutes, 5 minutes or 10 minutes. For the first few days I did 3 minutes before going to bed but by the 10th day, I was meditating for 10 minutes.
  • I heard about this New York Times article from no less than ten friends and family members the day it was published. The tiny Vermont town of Norwich has produced 11 Olympians and it isn’t due to their state-of-the-art training facilities or level of rigor. Instead, most parents stress enjoyment and participation over expertise and have created a  supportive community instead of a competitive atmosphere.
  • After the horribly tragic event that took place in Florida this week, I have to share this article which discusses the changes Australia enacted following a mass shooting in the 1990s. Regardless of political affiliation, everyone I’ve spoken with since the shooting agrees that something has to change. Whether the number is 6 or 18, the startling and scary statistic regarding the number of school shootings that have occurred this year alone is shocking and unnerving.
  • Three months later, these high rise jeans are still my favorite and I recently ordered a second pair in a different wash and am keeping my eye out for a white pair to wear this Spring and Summer.
  • Speaking of Summer, I just ordered a new cover-up and swimsuit after falling head over heels for Lilly Pulitzer’s vibrant prints and flattering designs!  When I went through my closet and dresser last month, I parted ways with most of my beach attire since it was either faded or didn’t fit anymore. While I refuse to buy more than I need, I’m hoping to find two cover-ups and two swimsuits for the Summer! Any recommendations for mom-friendly swimsuits? So far a number of my friends have recommended Athleta.  
  • A few weeks ago, one of my co-workers recommended that I give Apple AirPods a try as they are great for the hours of conference calls I have as well as listening to music, books, or podcasts on-the-go. After a week of using them, I can’t figure out why I waited so long! I love that they synch easily with any device, turn off when I take them out of my ear and have a convenient carrying case that doubles as a charging device. The sound quality is surprisingly good and they are snug enough to use for HIIT workouts. I will most likely not use them for workouts regularly as I fear that my excessive sweat would ruin them. The battery life is around five hours but I haven’t had an issue since anytime I have them in their case they are charging.
  • For years, going to the grocery store each week has been one of my favorite activities. I love discovering new items, exploring the shelves and finding the perfect produce. But, since Katie was born this has become more challenging and that combined with the winter weather, lack of car and work travel, going to the grocery store has become an arduous chore. We joined Instacart Express using one of their new member codes (click link for your own code) and were amazed at how easy it is. We have access to ten different stores (Whole Foods, Fairway, Key Food, Green Grape, Costco, etc) locally and the groceries are delivered within 2-3 hours even on a busy day like Saturday. I’ve been checking and so far it seems like most groceries are the same price they would be in store. Have you tried Instacart? Do you use another delivery service? 

Disclaimer: This post is not sponsored and instead is a list of the things of my favorite things this week. As normal, it includes lots of beauty and fashion items which means there are a few affiliate links via ShopStyle. It takes time and money to maintain a blog so I thank you for the support and few cents that come from clicking through the links!

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