Two Things Tuesday

Remember when I used to do these posts?

That was fun. Let’s do that again.

1. Sports bra love. Because I’m on an ever-constant quest for the best-feeling-and-fitting sports bras on the market, I feel entirely compelled to let you all know when I find a keeper — and as of this morning, I can confidently say that New Balance’s Tenderly Obsessive Bra falls into that category. (It’s also only $17, which is quite the steal, as it’s really well-made and supportive!)

I wasn’t totally sure about it as it offers more (cup) support than I generally prefer, but after wearing it on a run this morning, I’m hooked (and realize I probably have been wearing options with too little support). It’s lightweight, breathable, comfortable, and has built-in no-slip padding, which is clutch, b/c I hate those removable pads! Plus, I think every runner needs a fluorescent yellow sports bra, no? It just screams summer fun.

2. Spindrift. One of my bffs recently introduced me to this amazing real fruit infused sparkling water and am totally hooked. It’s seriously delicious, seltzer-fans, and entirely unsweetened — just splashed with a little real fruit!

I’ve had the Raspberry Lime and the Cucumber so far, and definitely have my eye out for the Blackberry. I feel like that’s going to be a winner for me. They also give 1% of their sales to environmental organizations and partner with non-profits all over the country.

Try them. You’ll like them.

Sparkling water: yay or nay? What flavor of Spindrift entices you most? I’m currently drinking a cucumber one as I write this and it’s totally hitting the spot!
Sports bra fave? I love Lulu’s but this new one is a real winner!

 

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WILW {1.21.15}

*races. i haven’t done a race in a whiiiiilllle — since the Brooklyn Half last May, actually — and i now have two on my docket, registrations locked:

– the Michelob Ultra Queens 13.1 on March 21 in Flushing Meadows Park, Queens. i ran this in 2012, signed up for it last year but had to bow out because my bff got married that weekend, and will hopefully have a successful time running it again this year. i was a little bummed because my initial reason for running it a few years ago was because it raised money for World Vision, which i think is a great charity, and that partnership isn’t happening this year, but i still decided to do it after i didn’t get into the NYC Half lottery. the nice thing about this race is that it has a very manageable 9am start time; the down side is that it’s, like, an hour away by train, and i felt pretty awful running it last time, so i’m hoping to erase that memory.

– Airbnb Brooklyn Half Marathon on May 16. i’m psyched for this race, even despite the 7am start time. this will be my third year running it, and it’s just an awesome race, at a perfect time of year to run here in NYC, and draws sooooo many runners and such a great crowd. i absolutely loved running it the past two years and am excited to have gotten into it, as registration just opened today and it’s already nearing capacity. runners looooove to run the BK Half, and i think the iconic finish on the Coney Island boardwalk certainly adds to the charm and appeal. if you live nearby and want to run an amazing half, hurry and sign up for this race!

*food. i don’t post a lot about food, because it’s really not the focus of my life/blog, and i rarely cook or get adventurous with my meals. my fave meal is actually Chobani with fresh fruit and granola: a homemade parfait, if you will — and it makes me so happy when the boy stocks up his fridge with all of these things for our weekend brunches when i’m upstate. i can easily be won over with the thoughtfulness that is Chobani & Bear Naked V’Nilla Almond Fit granola. take me to the gym, feed me fruit & yogurt and tell me i’m prettiest without make-up, and i just might like you for a long time.

*running. two things:
1. i had a nice lil run (pun intended) with the Kinvaras, but i’ve switched back to running in New Balance. there was nothing wrong with the Sauconys, but i was alternating between the Kinvaras and the NB 890s for a bit and found that and the Newbs just work better for me, so back to my first love i go.

2. i have fully embraced my identity as a cold-weather runner, and i’m loving it. like, not even just tolerating it, but actually lovingggg it.

who would have thought? i sort of even like seeing my breath while i’m bounding along. i think the clear, cold air helps clear my head and calms down my (racing) mind. it’s amazing, and embracing the cold is really making this winter much more bearable for me. bring it on, cold & dark. i’ll crush you.

*school. i can’t even believe i’m saying this, but i started my final semester of grad classes last nigh!! that seems so surreal, to think i’m almost done with three years of classes. i still have a long way to go, as i have to do the clinical piece (which will take God knows how long), but i’m so stoked to be down to just one last semester of school. sometimes it’s still incredible to me that this program even worked out for me the way it did, that i was able to go back to school at night for something about which i’m truly passionate while working full time in NYC, and still feeling like i kept a balance of fun and friends and social life and running and everything else. and i don’t even feel exhausted, most days. this has truly been a blessing, and i’m praying i can finish this semester strong.

*travel. so much of this in the works for me in the next few months, and i just booked another flight today for a family trip in the end of April! but the imminent trip i’m taking is to Austin, Texas on Friday, to celebrate my cousin’s bachelorette party with a fun girls’ wine tour weekend. i’m sooooo stoked to visit Austin, as it’s one of the main cities in the US i’ve been dying to see, and i’m thrilled to see my cousin and be able to celebrate her, so this should be a blast.

i was telling the boy this past weekend that i’d love to make it a goal to visit a new city i haven’t been to in the US every year, so Austin is kicking that off for me this year. last year i saw Boca Raton, FL and San Antonio, TX for the first times, and this year i have Austin, Amelia Island (FL), and Vegas in the line-up already (because i don’t count the last time i went to Vegas, since we stayed outside of the strip and only went in for a day). yee haw for Austin, which i’m expecting to looove, because apparently everyone does!

Anyone else in the NYC area running either of these races?

What meal/food combo makes you the happiest?

Any fun travel plans in your near future?

i love everything lately

this has been my first full week of summer vaca from grad school and i am totally making the most of it and loving everythinggggg. such a nice little shift, to be able to have so much more free time for a bit! i didn’t get to post a What I Love Wednesday post this week so i’m just going to carry that right over into today.

*my new sneakers. they’re the same model i’ve been wearing for the past year +, the New Balance 750s, but these rainbow sherbert looking guys are just wayyyyy too much fun:

i’ve only run in them once so far and i swear it was like a party on my feet. i couldn’t stop looking at them. runnerd alert. i don’t want these babies to ever die.

*The Book Thief. now that my semester is over and i can finally return to reading for fun (hallelujah), this was the first book on my list — and i was hooked from page one.

one thing i really appreciate in a novel is a unique writing style — and this one certainly has that. the storyteller’s persona is entirely intriguing, and he lures the reader in by addressing him directly, adding little asides and “let me explain this” tidbits.  it’s raw. it’s creative. it’s captivating.

i highlight parts as i read. here’s one i that spoke to me so far:

“somewhere, far down, there was an itch in his heart, but he made it a point not to scratch it. he was afraid of what might come leaking out.”

what a commentary on humanity; on how afraid we are to expose our deepest vulnerabilities and “scratch the itches in our hearts” until our rawest, truest sentiments come leaking out before another’s eyes — or even before our own, if we’re so cloaked in comfort of denial — that we often choose to bury those itches beneath all sensible reasoning and leave the darkened corners unexplored.

i like to read into things. i like words to challenge me, and change me. i like a book to find me one way, and leave me another, and embed itself into the core of my being long after i’ve closed the back cover.

*good cocktail bars. the only thing better than drinks with the girls after work is stumbling upon an adorable new bar in which to have fun & unique cocktails with the girls after work. we lucked into not one, but two fantastic hidden-gem cocktail bars in Midtown last night.

the four of us met at Lantern’s Keep in the Iroquois Hotel, a charming, cozy little French-style salon tucked in the back of the main floor of the hotel. it only has a handful of tables (30 seats total) and a very tiny bar and boasts a Prohibition-era heavy menu of unique cocktails. there are no flavored alcohols —  all ingredients are fresh and homemade and pure, and we were all really happy with our choices.

i definitely ordered well, as i liked mine the best: it was called Sutter’s Mill and was bourbon, honey, lemon, pineapple and cinnamon, served “on a rock” — one of those massive ice cubes that make any drink better. i can honestly say this was the best drink i’ve had anywhere in a long time, and i am far from a bourbon drinker. it was so well-balanced and perfectly spiced and like nothing i’ve ever tasted.

i really must get my hands on one of those big ice cube trays.

after one drink at Lantern’s Keep, we flounced directly across the street to Forty Four at the Royalton Hotel. who knew W44th St btwn 5/6th Aves was such a happening street? this was one hip hotel lobby bar: spacious, sprawling (dare i say massive?), sort of modern chic with a lot of dark wooden touches. and it had an impressive cocktail list to boot. i had a Chai Manhattan, which was a chai-infused version of a Manhattan, and i really enjoyed it.

quite the night of fancy-pants cocktails for me. i like it.

*because life is really that good, after all.

 

xoxo.

how i (really haven’t) prepped for my next race

heyyyyy Brooklyn, i’m coming for you, bright and early tomorrow.

so tomorrow morning, i’m waking up before the sun to jaunt on over to Brooklyn and run my second Brooklyn Half Marathon. and i mean earrrrrly. i’m in Wave 1, which has a start time of 7am, which means i need to be there by, like, 6:20. which means i need to get up at an ungodly hour starting with a 5 handle. the things we do for the loves of our lives (running, in my case). not too many other things sound worth waking up for that early. maybe an airplane ride, or snowboarding, or a really great date. but usually if i’m up at this hour, i’m running a race.

good thing i’ve become accustomed to being a morning runner since i moved to NYC. that definitely helps when you have to pair an early start time with a half hour + commute!

the expo this year (hosted by New Balance again, my faves) was quite a trek out to a pier in downtown Brooklyn. pretty sure the 20-minute walk from the subway to the expo (okay, so i got lost a bit on the way there…apparently i need to get out of Manhattan more often?) counted as my warm-up to the race. geesh. i was on a mission to just snag my bib and t-shirt and get out of there, so i didn’t really experience much of it, but i snapped a few pix in passing.

please enjoy some views of downtown Manhattan and the Brooklyn Bridge:

a “recycle your soles” fence, which was pretty sweet (and i wish i’d known so i could have brought some):

and a little hipster humor. ah, Brooklyn. i wish i knew you better, you appeal to me so.

so, how am i feeling about this race? to be honest, i’ve had such a busy life lately that i haven’t given much prep to it at all, mentally or physically. i did two shorter runs (4 and 5 milers) last weekend in San Antonio, and two more 5-milers this week:

seems to be the magic mile number lately, and i’m totally okay with that. even though i haven’t done any much structured training for this half, i’m really looking forward to it and have no jitters at all. i know that i’m perfectly capable of running this distance and enjoying it, and even if i don’t achieve a PR or have to run on legs that are more than a little tired (it’s been a long week!), i’ve reached the point with my running where i am comfortable with half marathons and can really enjoy the experiences.

and that’s good enough for me.

plans tonight, for last-minute prep:

• stretching and foam rolling (so guilty of neglecting to do these as frequently as i should! bad bad bad)
• soaking in the “good lucks” i know will come my way from my fam
• laying on the couch with a healthy meal (probably grilled chicken and salad, i’m not a carbo loader) and some mindless TV
• lots and lots of water
• choosing an outfit for tomorrow — i really want to wear my new shorts, but haven’t run in them yet, so i’m debating
• laying out the necessities: sunglasses, shot blocks, Body Glide, headphones, bib
• making a playlist (i desperately need some new running songs, if you have any suggestions for me!)
• getting cozy with the pink CEPs
• crashing earlyyyyy

and that, my friends, should do it. i might be under prepared, but hey — i’m happy to be running it, and to be stress-free.

let’s just hope i can sleep. a lot. 🙂

enjoy your Friday!

Questions:
How do you prepare for a race?
Any races coming up?

let’s get race ready & running for World Vision

welp, due to a hacking cough and the fear of having caught my brother’s pneumonia (prayers for Ry, please and thank you!), i took a much-needed sick day from life yesterday, whereby “life” = work, class and anything requiring real clothes and brushed hair. ever notice how productive you can be when you don’t have to work? it’s really quite something. i managed to get some extra sleep, go to the gym, go grocery shopping, actually cook dinner, clean and organize my apartment, watch American Idol, catch up on emails and phone calls…all in one day, after 1pm.

solution to how to make this a regular thing: become a stay-at-home, running-and-writing non-mom.

back in the real world, let’s talk a little running talk, shall we?

*loving the new kicks. my order from Joe’s New Balance was an exciting addition to this week, as every single thing i ordered is awesome. i’m so, so glad i discovered the 750s and really like the ActevaLite technology. they’re light, flexible, with just the right amount of padding, and offer a bit more support than the minimalists (which kill my calves). i’m totally digging everything about these sneaks, including all of the 3 color schemes i’ve had, and am pretty sure the rainbow ones will feel like a party on my feet…so if i start dancing while running, well, i can’t really be blamed, can i?

*New Balance’s running tights. i really, really like both pairs of tights i ordered from NB as well. the Run Capris are lightweight and comfortable and perfect for the gym and running:

and the Cold Gear Brushed Tights have a light lining, a smooth look and just fit super well. they’ll be great for cold-weather running, or even for wearing as a first layer beneath my snowboard pants.

i’ve always been a NB sneaker fan, but lately i’ve been really impressed with their apparel as well. it can be hard to find really great running tights, and these are some of the best i’ve found in a while.

*race season. i have three half-marathons on the near horizon, and i’m stoked to start training for them more seriously.

race #1: NYC Half on March 16

i got into this via the lottery for the 2nd year in a row, but opted to go snowboarding in Colorado and visit my bro in Denver that weekend last year, so this will be my first time running this race. praying it goes well and isn’t freezing and windy (as i heard it was last year).

race #2, a week later: Michelob ULTRA New York 13.1 in Queens on March 22

i ran this in 2012 and honestly struggled to enjoy this race, despite the fact that it was a nice, easy course through Flushing Meadows Park. i’m hoping it’ll be more of a breeze this year.

what sets this race apart for me is that it’s the one charity race i am doing, as part of a team in support of the charity World Vision, which seeks to fight poverty and injustice around the globe.

if you’d like to learn more about this charity or contribute to my fundraising efforts for World Vision, please visit my Personal Fundraising Page. no pressure to donate — just wanted to spread awareness about an organization that i think is doing wonderful work, and for which i’m glad to be running to support.

race #3: Brooklyn Half Marathon on Saturday, May 17

i ran this last year for the first time, and i had a really, really great experience. everything about this race just lined up wonderfully for me: the weather was good, the course was varied (with only one hill) and ended on the boardwalk at the famed Coney Island, and the energy was phenomenal, as over 21,000 people finished this race last year. a bunch of my girlfriends have signed up for this one as well, so i’m definitely looking forward to it. this is also my PR for a half marathon, which i’d love to beat this year. 🙂 they also have a sweet expo along the water in downtown Brooklyn the week before, with a pre-party sponsored by (drum roll) New Balance. right up my alley.

so i think this is a nice little repertoire of half marathons to look forward to in the next few months. i’ll be sure to keep you guys posted on how my training goes, once i start running distances outside again.

Questions:
Have you run a half marathon before? Any desire to run one, or run another one?
Any races on the horizon for you?

WILW {1/15/2014}

i sort of feel like it’s Wednesday a lot. anyone with me? yes, i’m fully aware of the nonsensical logic behind that, and the fact that it’s Wed just as often as it’s any day, but still. it seems like there are a lot of Wednesdays.

welp, you’re welcome for that little dose of semi-philosophical rambling. in other news, here’s the camel who was waiting for me in my (work) inbox this morning:

possibly one of the strangest and most disconcerting animal shots i’ve ever seen. i like it.

so, let’s love on Wednesday, shall we?

* Joe’s New Balance Outlet. what a site. if you’re a New Balance fan (or even if you’re not, and you’re starting to realize you should be), this outlet site might become your new fitness gear fix. it offers amazing deals on sneakers and apparel, and i’ve found the customer service to be wonderful. i purchased those turquoise babies dangling on this blog header as my marathon shoes last summer, and i couldn’t have been happier with them. it’s replacement time, however, so i ordered these two pairs yesterday and am hoping i love how they run as much as i love their fun and spunky attitudes.

both are 750s like my current runners, just diff styles. i’ll let you guess which i’m more stoked about.

*the theater. man, i wish i took advantage of NYC’s amazing theater experiences more often, especially given that i live in the theater district, and it’s fairly easy to get discount tickets to certain shows. last night i had the opportunity to see the brand spankin’ new Broadway play Machinal at the American Airlines Theater (right in Times Square) on press night, as it officially opens tomorrow, because a girlfriend gets tickets to shows through her job. pretty sweet gig.

i love everything about going to the theater, and it totally makes me miss my (very amateur, aka ended in college) acting days and wish i’d pursued that. this was a crazy unique show that employed a very mechanical, industrial theme in all aspects, from stage design to character development and dialogue. it was based on the true story of one of the first women ever executed using the electric chair (because she murdered her husband). lead Rebecca Hall did an incredible job, and the show was complex and dark and very character-driven. i wasn’t quite certain how i’d feel about it at first, but there were a lot of cool elements and i’m definitely glad i saw it.

*Birch Box & Nature Box. what a nice treat to have two packages waiting with my doorman last night at the end of a loooong day: both my Birch Box and my Nature Box.

January’s Birchbox was pretty decent: Fekkai shampoo and conditioners, a Burt’s Bees eye cream, a perfume sample that i haven’t smelled yet, and a little quad eyeshadow palette. i’m always glad for the shampoos and conditioners because i they’re so clutch to throw in my gym bag, as i work out in the mornings and head right to work. i have a good feeling about these.

and Nature Box — oh man. what a lovely sight to behold on my kitchen counter.

his was my first Nature Box from the subscription i received for Christmas from my bff, and i customized it online so that i’d be sure to like every snack (love this feature!). i chose the Cinnamon Spiced Granola, Dark Chocolate Berry Trail Mix, Fancy Dried Figs, Blueberry Almond Bites and Whole Wheat Bluberry Figgy Bars. so far, so amazing. just hoping i can make this stuff last more than, ya know, a week…

happy snacking, indeed.

*snowboarding. oh, how i love that mountain life. i’m heading back upstate to get some more riding in this weekend, about which i’m soooo psyched. last year i only had one trip out to CO (albeit an amaaazing trip!! pix below), and the year before i mayyyybe got on my board twice. this year, i’m three times and counting already. pretty good for a city dweller/ snowboard bum at heart.

*blog love. one of the best parts about having a blog and getting involved in the “blogosphere” is finding other blogs you like and getting to know the people behind them a bit through their writing. writing is such a powerful tool, and as someone driven by a true passion for the written word, i believe fully in the importance of paying close attention to your voice as a writer and how your personality comes across. everyone blogs for different reasons; for me, my primary purpose here is to keep myself accountable, in the midst of a hectic life, to writing on a regular basis. it has always been my true love, and it pains me when i feel it being slowly edged to the shadowy corners of my life. i need to keep it in the forefront, where it’s always belonged. this, at least, is one outlet for that passion. i think everyone who is haunted by an innate passion of some sort feels the indescribable pain that comes along with it, when you find yourself unable to devote most of your life to this pursuit.

having said that, i follow quite a few blogs that i find interesting, adorable, helpful, inspiring, funny or entertaining, and so why not promote some of these other ladies’ stories?

this week, i’m pushing Gracie’s GirlMeetsLife. it’s adorable and relevant and fun, and she’s a fellow NYC girl, so she’s automatically a cool chick. 🙂 she just started her own line of necklaces (which i totally wish i’d had the vision for, as i dig the whole vibe behind it). check her out.

Questions:

If you’re not into snowboarding/skiing, what are your fave Winter activities?
Runners: Do you swear by a specific brand of sneaks?

xoxo

Fun Facts Friday (10/18): The Running Diaries

Wow, what a crazy week. I haven’t even had a free moment to think about starting a blog, which I greatly dislike. Craziness all around at the moment.

Since I’m still on a post-marathon high and have running brain like crazy lately, this will be an “all about my running story” Fun Facts day…whether that’s fun for you or not. 🙂

1. Running “runs” in my family. My dad’s dad (whom I unfortunately never met), my grandpa Frank Hussey, was known as “the school-boy wonder” in his day, because he qualified for the Olympics when he was still in high school. How cool is that?? He was one of the top sprinters in the US at one point and won a gold medal in the 1924 Olympics in France. I totally wish I’d gotten to meet him and would love to sit around and talk running with him and my dad, who also used to be a great runner (and whose best half marathon time totally trounces mine). It’s so fascinating to me how families have their own unique legacies and interwoven threads, and how much you’re influenced by these systemic factors whether you realize it or not. And it’s also pretty cool to hold an Olympic gold medal and know you’re related to someone who won it!

2. Growing up with a running-obsessed dad, I learned at a very young age that if you didn’t like to run, or didn’t plan to engage in some sort of physical activity that involved running (soccer, softball, anything), there was something wrong with you and you were obviously missing out on the Best Thing You Can Ever Do For Yourself. So many times in my childhood, my dad would pull the car over as we were driving home from somewhere, and we knew this meant he was running the rest of the way home. Sometimes this was a few miles; sometimes it was 10 miles. I don’t ever remember thinking that I wanted to be like that, to be someone who carried running sneakers around in the trunk of her car and be ready to hit the pavement at any given minute, but it happened all the same. Unconsciously, I settled into the family pattern and came to identify myself by this indelible thread that links my dad to his dad and now to me…and it makes this passion even more dear to my heart, knowing that I was born to carry on this legacy. It’s become a wonderful bond between my dad and I, and I’m forever grateful to him for instilling this love for running in me. This past weekend, as I was on the way to the train station with he and my mom the day after my race, my dad expressed how proud he was of me and said, “You’re the best runner this family has ever had, in terms of distance. You did a wonderful job.”

Thanks, Dad. I owe you. Like, forever. 🙂

3. I’ve come to terms with the fact that I totally have commitment issues. This probably doesn’t surprise many of you who know me well. I’m talking about in my relationship with sneakers, of course. Duh, what else? 🙂 I started with New Balance in high school, then briefly flirted with Asics, Adidas, and Nike before sticking with the Newbies throughout college…and then flitting over to Saucony for a few years’ stretch. We had a pretty good run of it, all things considered, until I cheated with Nike again (so hard to resist, all those pretty models and fun colors).

That didn’t work out the way I’d hoped, however — too many unrealistic expectations, and “Just Do It” can only go so far, ya know? After one half marathon in Nikes in 2012, I went running back to New Balance will my tail between my legs and haven’t looked back once. These are my guys, and I’m stickin’ with ’em. I probably have 10 pairs of sneakers and they aren’t al NBs, but those are the ones I use to run. And I love ’em.

4. I love fun workout clothes, as I’m sure I’ve reiterated 4325325 times. I definitely get more excited to buy workout gear than any other type of clothing. Currently crushing on these:

Shakespeare + workout clothing = best thing ever

5. And this totally gets to stand on its own. Love it.

Have a fabulous weekend, friends!