My Type of Sunday

Happy Sunday! I hope you were able to enjoy at least a few hours of rest and relaxation today.

Last night, Bo and I enjoyed a cooking date. We stayed in, cooked a delicious dinner together, enjoyed one of our Archery Summit bottles from our September trip to Portland, and relaxed.

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We picked up a fresh baguette and three small portions of cheese at Eataly yesterday during our shopping trip. The creamy 3 milk chev was definitely my favorite.

We knew we wanted a summer meal inspired by the fresh vegetables in Eataly’s produce department.

IMG_3169 (640x478) A cold tomato salad paired with fresh red corn kernels was the perfect side dish to accompany our rack of lamb.

Unfortunately, around 9:30 I headed to bed due to a horrible headache. I’m not sure what the cause but I know that I slept like a rock until Bo finally woke me up around 10:15!  I still didn’t feel wonderful when I woke up even though I slept 13 hours.

I decided to take it easy today and take a breather. Sometimes I plan so much that I end the weekend absolutely exhausted. I wasn’t going to let today end that way.

We started with a delicious and healthy brunch.

IMG_3171 (640x478) IMG_3173 (640x478) An open faced egg white and parmesan cheese sandwich paired with fresh berries was the perfect start to our day while watching Meet the Press. Bo and I have resolved to be more in touch with politics this year and are really enjoying this time together each week as it leads to some intense debates and conversations.

Around 1pm, we headed to the gym for our individual workouts. Bo is confined to the spin bike for the next 10 days until his follow up appointment regarding his thumb. Since it was a nerve surgery it’s a very sensitive healing process.

My training plan called for a 3 mile recovery plan. This is a new idea for me as I spent every Sunday on the couch last year after my long runs. So far I’m really enjoying it after the fact. The 3 miles have been slow each week, around a 10:10 pace, but when I leave the gym my calves and hamstrings feel much looser. I guess my coach really is the expert!

IMG_3174 (640x478) After a quick manicure and pedicure date, I came home ravenous. I’m focusing on eating healthier on the weekends and therefore turned to a measured bowl of Kashi Crunch, skim milk, and berries. This bowl included 1 cup of Kashi and 1/2 cup of raspberries.

The rest of the afternoon was spent watching the Women’s World Cup final and doing a chore that has been on my to do list for weeks.

IMG_3176 (640x478) IMG_3177 (640x478) Oh the joys of organizing my dresser drawers! Lately my race t-shirts and Lululemon gear had taken over my drawers to the point that they barely open! I spent an hour going through the drawers. In the end there were 2 pairs of compression socks and one pair of CEW tights found and 15 t-shirts donated due to lack of wear or size. I have no need for L running shirts that are huge or XS shirts that I haven’t worn in years.

Don’t worry, I fueled this intense activity and Theodora’s early evening visit with a side of summer cherries. I told Bo that I think cherries always need to be in our refrigerator. They are clean and easy to eat which makes them the perfect summer snack!

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Last but not least, we ended the weekend with a healthy homemade dinner: grilled chicken salad.

IMG_3181 (640x478) IMG_3182 (640x478) The ingredients included:

  • fresh mixed greens
  • beets
  • goat cheese
  • pistachio
  • grilled chicken
  • olive oil
  • balsamic vinegar

It was a delicious combination that left us full and satiated due to the flavor complexity.

I’m going to curl up with The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo before an early bedtime.

It should be a fun week with some blog friends in town, a stepped up training schedule, The NYCM Long Training Run #1, a special preview screening of Captain America, and celebrating Theodora’s first triathlon!

Question: Do you enjoy relaxing Sundays or Sunday Fundays filled with brunches and fun?

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NYRR Run for Central Park 4 Miler: Negative Splits!

 

Happy Saturday!

Even though this morning’s agenda included the NYRR Run for Central Park 4 mile race and my second long run of marathon training, I was still able to enjoy a double date last night and even get in some salt and carb loading.

IMG_3112 (480x640) We saw the 9:30pm showing of Harry Potter 7 Part 2 in 3-D at the Lincoln Center I-Max theatre with our Hogwart fanatic friends Mike & Liz. Luckily they knew a few things we didn’t:

  • Seeing HP7 in New York City opening weekend means you HAVE to be in line at least 2 hours in advance if you want to get seats together.
  • A few handfuls of movie theatre popcorn is the perfect way to load up on carbohydrates since it also includes a nice dose of salt.
  • Looking like fools in 3-D glasses after a long work week is the perfect way to feel like a kid again and forget any stress you left at the office. IMG_0761 (640x478)

I was a little nervous about my 6:30am wake-up call after going to bed past midnight, but surprisingly I was bounding out of bed five minutes before my alarm clock. Maybe it was the new Lululemon outfit I had waiting for today’s run or the fact that I had heard rumor that it was going to be cooler outside this morning than last week.

My morning started out just like any other Saturday of marathon training. I enjoyed my peanut butter and banana half sandwich and a Nuun cocktail before heading out with my CamelBak strapped to my back. IMG_3119 (478x640) IMG_3122 (478x640) IMG_3123 (640x480) This week. per my running coach’s recommendation, I did a true warm-up before arriving at Central Park. I walked from our house to 44th street before jogging a mile up to 68th and Park where I met Jes.

IMG_3126 (478x640)Last night, Jes jumped at the opportunity to use Bo’s bib for today’s race since Bo can’t run for two weeks while his thumb’s nerves heal. I was equally as excited to introduce her to the world of Saturday morning NYRR races since today was her first. We giddily chatted as we walked towards the start. She was amazed by all the people and the organization; not realizing that anything like this existed in the city.

IMG_3124 (640x478) IMG_3127 (640x478) Since we had both warmed our legs up with a mile jog before the race, we spent the remaining time doing some dynamic stretches. Since we both had different plans for today’s race, we decided to line up in the same corral but then run solo once the race started. Jes’ plan was to treat this as a true diagnostic race since it is her first race and she doesn’t run with a watch on a daily basis. My goal was two fold:

  • Run negative splits throughout the four miles
  • Finish the race feeling as if I’d pushed myself but could still run another 3 miles

Not every race is meant to set a new personal record and I’m finally okay with that. In fact, I think I was even more excited about today’s race because it was a new challenge. At 8am, on the dot, the race started and we were quickly moving towards the start line. I had a great feeling about today’s race. The weather was gorgeous, the crowd’s energy was high, and I felt very prepared after a great warm-up and stretching session.

The four miles passed very quickly as I focused on the gorgeous weather, my breathing, and starting out slow.

Four miles later I didn’t PR but I sure as heck registered negative splits! Success!

Mile 1 9:51

Mile 2 9:34

Mile 3 9:18

Mile 4 9:08

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Today’s 38:07 is a 7 minute improvement from the last time I ran this race back in 2009!

image IMG_3128 (640x480)I was super sweaty but felt great and immediately started running back downtown. My goal for the remaining 3 miles was to keep my pace below a 10 minute mile while also enjoying the sights and sounds of the Upper East Side, Midtown, Murray Hill, and finally Gramercy.

IMG_3131 (640x478) IMG_3133 (640x478) IMG_3134 (640x478) IMG_3135 (478x640) IMG_3136 (640x478) IMG_3138 (478x640) IMG_3141 (640x478) IMG_3143 (640x478) IMG_3145 (640x478) Success!

Mile 5 8:56

Mile 6 8:36

Mile 7 9:42

Mile 8 8:07

After an hour and a half of sweating, I was only craving one thing, thanks to Theodora’s influence.

IMG_3140 (478x640) I’m hooked on Zico now. It was refreshing, cool, and the perfect post run treat. In addition, the small amount of sugar helped keep me stable until our lunch at Guy and Gallard Cafe an hour and a half later.

IMG_3146 (640x478) IMG_3147 (640x478)It has been an amazing Saturday!

  • A wonderful long run, that shows great improvements versus last year’s pace.
  • A delicious lunch date with my hubby.
  • Plenty of time outside running errands and enjoying our city’s gorgeous parks, sights, and sounds. IMG_3149 (640x478) IMG_3150 (640x478) IMG_3152 (640x478) IMG_3158 (478x640) Like I said, New York City has some amazing sights and sounds.

Have a great weekend!

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A Priceless Kiss

I can’t believe it’s been almost two days since my last post! I could sit here and apologize profusely but instead I’ll just say that life got in the way.

In case you missed it, Bo and a very sharp knife had an ugly meeting on Saturday while making guacamole at a friends house. The moral of that story was to always use a cutting board and the proper knife.

Yesterday, I was able to be the wife that I strive to be on a daily basis. I was at Bo’s side when he came out of surgery even though I was missing the biggest meeting of the year at work. Yesterday I chose to put family first and nothing has ever felt better.

Even though the surgery was minor, the first kiss after he came out of surgery and awoke from the anesthesia was priceless.

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But, the doctor couldn’t finish the repair on Saturday and therefore decided to book a full reconstructive surgery for Thursday morning. Bo spent an hour under general anesthesia while his doctor repaired the severed nerve and thumb damage. Hopefully, within six months, his thumb will be just like new.

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Bless his heart, yesterday due to surgery delays he ended up going without almost 22 hours without food. Needless to say, a Delfonte’s hot Italian sandwich was the key to his heart after surgery!

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Unfortunately, in the mean time it means he has to wear a brace and can’t bend or get his thumb wet for three weeks. This means he can’t rock the NYRR Sprint Triathlon next weekend which is a shame since he has trained for two months and was super excited. Anyone want his bib?

In between nurse duty, worrying, and work I’ve spent the rest of the time sweating it out at the gym or enjoying the gorgeous New York City weather with morning and afternoon fruit stand walks.

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The summer months bring fruit stands that are alive and thriving on every corner in New York City.

Before I head out to catch Harry Potter with our friends, I want to share the winner of this week’s giveaway: Denise!

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Have a great weekend and I’ll see you tomorrow morning after the Central Park 4 miler!

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