the (new year's) situation

ahhh...first bloggy post of the new decade.  only took me 5 days! :)

so where did I leave off...oh yeah...fun and drama-free New Year's Eve.  may not scored an invite to the real big party of the night, but me and others held our own on the other side of the East River :)  Just knockin' back some good wine and champagne, not to mention laughing our a$$es off at the new episode of Jersey Shore.  As you can see, I couldn't resist making a reference to "The Situation" in this post title :-P  That show is such a train wreck, but now I am unfortunately addicted.  This show definitely has the makings of inspiring another drinking game...drink whenever someone says "situation", whenever the "duck phone" quacks, whenever one of the guys reminds us that he's "not here to fall in love at the Jersey Shore, just here to hook up"...I'm sure there are a lot more we can think of :)  But getting back on the topic, was a nice way to say goodbye to the old and bring in the new.  Thanks, "cool friend" ;-)

And if the last few days have been any indication...looks like 2010...well at least the winter of, is gonna be a brutal one.  Almost makes me glad that I'm not training for a spring marathon right now...or that could just be me telling myself that to make myself feel better.  Still keeping it short for now...can actually do the lower 5 loop (clockwise-don't have the nerve to hit Cat Hill just yet) with the (sh)IT band holding up.  (And I will share again an extreme-cold weather dressing tip of mine for the ladies-running skirt (the kind with shorts instead of briefs) over tights!  It actually does work...)  And yesterday I wanted to join the Flyers for the downtown "First Monday" run (plus it's good to get to run on the flat surface of the West Side path every now and then)  But I'm not quite up to their distance of 6-plus miles...thankfully Flyer EG also wanted to run shorter-4 and change-with me which worked out well-and we got to hit the bar first :-P  But after getting nice and warmed up indoors, getting back to the gym where my stuff was stashed was a rude awakening...brrrr!!  Man how 9 blocks seem so long...oh and being in the part of the city where numbered streets are mixed with named streets just seemed to taunt us so!!

So yeah, still just taking it day by day for now.  I do get my new orthotics later this week though...yay!!  Hoping they will help some.  Besides all that, I've just felt like hibernating...is it me, or does dealing with the freezing cold just suck the life out of you?

Oh-and a bloggy question for you all.  I'm pondering a switch from Blogger to WordPress (the free version).  From what I see, there seems to be more flexibility with the layouts/designs, can create pages (e.g., I can have a page for all my race reports instead of cluttering up the sidebar, or having to create a post dated way way in the past), and maybe is more stable than Blogger?  For those of you who use that/have used WordPress...or have used both Blogger and WordPress-which do you prefer/think is better and why?  Thanks in advance :)

it knocks you down

Blame the weather.  Lately just been feeling knocked out, knocked down...thankfully not knocked up :-P  Or maybe it's a bit of the holiday blues too.  I don't know.  (And on that note, why does "blue" have to be associated with being sad?  Blue is a pretty color...my favorite color!!  The color of the sky!  The color of this blog!)

Well to catch up a little, I started with my new PT last week...thankfully this one is much more knowledgable than my previous one. (treats/has treated a lot of runners.)  This one pinpointed a lot of hip and core weakness...which is the bulk of what I am going to need to work on for now.  Thankfully, running is not on the banned list for now-but I gotta keep the distances relatively short (e.g., no double-digit runs) and make that the secondary focus.  I even asked if running a half in May would be possible and she actually thought March would be possible (though I still think March is too soon.)  So maybe there is a light at the end of this tunnel...I guess as long as I am a good little girl...

But I think what has me down is the "right now."  It's just so damn frustrating not being able to really run.  I mean yeah, I can do a few miles here and there...but I can't do anything social.  No long runs, fun runs, group runs...and it's got me feeling a bit lonely.  I even feel bad that I can't even help out my own team since I don't know when I'm going to be able to comfortably run the 6-mile loop on a regular basis.  But seriously...does everything social have to revolve around actually running?

Then...I think this weekend's snowstorm was the last straw.  I've said it plenty of times before, I am not a winter person at all.  As much as heat, humidity and I don't mix, I just find summer, the warmer temps, the longer days to be a saving grace.  Snow days just lost their novelty once I joined the working world and had to deal with "adult" responsibilities like a full-time job.  Can't play in the snow, I'll get sick and well, I can't afford to get sick and miss work.  Not to mention how the subways cease to function when one snowflake falls.  And I don't even want to hear that Central Park is a "winter wonderland" and that running there in the snow is "magical."  When you're really dependent on the reservoir being runnable and every snowstorm seems to knock it out of commission for weeks...you get what I'm saying.  (Not to mention the "resolution" peeps who will crowd the gym come January, meaning I'd be lucky to get any treadmill time.)

Which makes me wonder if it is time to make 2010 my escape from NYC.  I've said before I'm really not sure this city can actually be my home...I've given it 10-plus years.  And maybe this is something I should have done a long time ago.  I mean, just because this area is where my parents chose to make their home, does that mean the same has to go for me?  I'm not my parents.  I'm not a winter person, the job situation isn't great here, and the dating scene is even worse.  So maybe a change in scenery and climate is what I need to really find a "home."  Something to think about in the new year...

staten island trumps punxsutawney

Sorry, but I'm preferring to believe the more local groundhog this year :) Wishful thinking? Perhaps, considering this winter has been the worst I've experienced in a few years. But after a few cold-snappish days this past week, this weekend turned a corner (as well as the upcoming forecast for this week.) Yesterday, I was overdressed in tights and long sleeves, today I chose shorts and short sleeves for my longish run. Eleven and change miles, down the west side, up the east side, only thing missing being the water fountains that I thought were supposed to be operational all winter on the west side path? Nevertheless, good effort and hopefully I will be ready for Cherry Blossom in a coupla months!!

It was good to get back outside, after several days of fighting a cold this past week. At least 2 dozen Flyers got sick shortly following the awards gala-anywhere from a cold to the flu. Thankfully I didn't get hit as hard as others but still wasn't fun. But it's just crazy how many people got sick from one event...what the heck was in the water?? (or the cosmos?)

In other news, a blast from the past contacted me in the last coupla days. One I never thought I would hear from again-or would want to hear from again. Longtime readers can probably guess who it was ;-) No plans to respond-leaving it alone for now...

the "operation" continues...

Tuesday-actually got to watch the inauguration on TV!! and still made it to the gym in the evening.

Wednesday-long day that consisted of an 8:30 am meeting, 2 1/2 hour lunch, and a killer speed workout. Gawd, I forgot how long 3 minutes at 5K pace can seem...someone remind me how I was ever able to do 3 x 800 on the track at 5k pace last year when it was like 80 degrees out?

Thursday-activity consisted of walking around in heels and hitting the dance floor at our annual client party at Tavern on the Green. And made it home before midnight this time because, for a change in pace I was planning to work on Friday...

Friday-despite many caffeinated infusions, I was practically falling asleep at my desk by 2 pm. very tempted to just crash as soon as I got home, but hit the gym instead...

Saturday-deemed the better of the 2 weekend days, ran 10 miles and change with JS, DN and AU. Very fun, albeit a bit windy!! We came to the conclusion that it probably doesn't matter what direction we choose, we're always gonna hit a headwind when close to the water :-P

Sunday-felt like such a slacker since I didn't run the Manhattan Half. Got out the door in the afternoon with the intent of doing 4 and change. Saw that the bridle path didn't look that icy over on the west side and decided to brave it, needing a change from the roads. But it was bad on the east side and i slipped and fell on the ice :-\ needless to say, i had to walk to engineers gate and hit the roads then...

This week's mileage added up to an amusing number-26.2

So here's a dilemma...I think I am ready to race again (it's been 6 weeks...) The problem is that there seems to be not a lot out there for those of us who want to keep it short...I have the Cherry Blossom 10-miler coming up in April but nothing really on the agenda for February or March. I'd prefer to keep it short...yeah, I know there are half-marathons in abundence but I'm really not up for doing one until I know I'm in 1:45ish shape or better. Something between 5 and 10K...any suggestions? (preferably non-NYRR, if possible) Guess I'm finally itching to do something a little more exciting than slogging out slow miles every weekend...

and something non-running related...i thought this video was amusing so i am posting it :-P

so far, so good

alright...so far "Operation: Don't Wuss Out" has been somewhat successful...

Saturday was insanely cold, yet I still got in a full loop of the park in the afternoon (better to wait until the temps were in the high teens-right?) I just bundled up and got out there...wasn't so bad once I started moving, and I just thought about the Starbucks that I will treat myself to when the run was done :)

Sunday-a little warmer, but kinda snowy. Decided this day would consist of a spin class and 2 miles and change on the dreadmill.

Today-I was out all afternoon running errands and was sooo tempted to just call it a night as soon as I got home and scrap a workout (be it running or XT) But thanks to reading an email chain from the downtown crew, where they talked about the show (or the run) still going on, I put on my running shoes/clothes minutes after I got home and hit the park for 5 snowy miles before I lost my nerve. Thanks for the inspiration, downtown crew :) That plus one of the things I bought today was a pair of shoes that I plan to wear to the awards gala...which ties into making sure the dress still fits :-P

And is everyone excited for a certain inauguration tomorrow? :) I only wish I could watch online, but our IT department has blocked all streaming video. Thank goodness for DVR...

hello, motivation

I think I figured out what I need to do to get me out the door on those chilly nights instead of staying home-try on my dress for the Flyers awards gala. Got a little over 2 weeks to make sure it still fits, so gotta stay on track... (I guess that's what I get for buying the dress right around NYCM time...you get what I'm saying :) )

So winter has hit with a vengence here in NYC. I don't remember it being this cold in a very long time. Cold enough that I have to use my supplemental electric heater-which I don't think I have used since 2005!! So despite that, did I get back on track this week? Well...kinda sorta so far.

Monday-5 1/2 miles
Tues-yoga class with 2.2 dreadmill miles beforehand. The last 2 minutes were at 8:34 pace, which is basically MP for me-man, how did I ever maintain that for 26.2?
Wed-couldn't run in the evening due to a prior engagement...I did set the alarm for the AM but just couldn't do it...too damn cold (this was the beginning of the current cold snap)
Thurs-5 miles tonite. Was 18 degrees (just like Midnight Run night!) but since I had the right attire on, wasn't so bad. Though my hands were freezing for the first mile even though I had gloves on...maybe time to replace them. And a trick for an extra bottom layer? A running skirt-the kind with shorts instead of spankies. Provides the extra layering where I need it most-it actually worked!!

I was hoping to take a spin class tomorrow morning, but considering it's supposed to be single digits at 6 am, I am not sure that will be happening. (why venture outside if I don't have to...even I have my limits...) I guess just make sure I get in a shorter run on Saturday and a longish run on Sunday. There, I have it written down :)

And in non-running news...today's plane crash on the Hudson River-wow, that was a miracle if there ever was one. Unbelievable.

i need motivation

did i mention that i hate winter?

well in case i haven't, i'll say it again. i hate winter. :)

i don't know why, but this past week I was so unmotivated to run, only running twice. i did hit the gym 3 other days this week, but the annual onslaught of the "resolution" people mobbing the treadmills...you get the idea. Like the plan on Thursday was to do a few miles on the treadmill after a yoga class but all treadmills were taken, and i didn't have the patience to wait...

Then Saturday, the intent was to get in a short run outside after hitting the gym, and the hourly forecast looked favorable for me beating the snow but that wasn't the case...

And today? I had to sleep off my share of beverages from last nite...needless to say running did not happen today.

I don't know what's wrong with me, I figured vanity alone (worry about not fitting into my dress for the Flyers' awards gala at the end of the month) would get me out there but that has not been the case this past week. Guess the fact that there are no races on the horizon for awhile has made me a little bit lax. Or actually there is a race next month I would like to do, but that is contingent on being able to form a team...and looks like so far, training would be a breeze compared to convincing others to trek out to Brooklyn to run 3.3 miles :-P I don't know, guess I'm just sick of racing loops around Central Park and want to do a race that would be different and fun...maybe my idea of fun is different than others? :-P

tomorrow's another week...let's pray for better weather and more motivation!

global warming? yeah right!

Can't remember last year at this time...but I do remember this time 2 years ago, it was still shorts weather (at least for running!) And didn't have to break out the tights til December. Well not only have I brought out the tights already, last nite the full winter gear was utilized!! I'm so tempted to buy more (this top in pink has caught my eye)...do i really need to? do i or don't i??

And so much for the park being a ghost town once the marathon was over and it got cold-came almost face-to-face with a huge mob of TNT'ers on the east drive. Well not exactly face-to-face, as I was forced to run outside the rec lane as they were taking up all the room!! A little etiquette please? Thank god the cars were out of the park...

In the meantime-this has really gotten me pissed off. My rent I'm sure will go up in 2009, don't expect much of a bonus, if any at work this year, the price of every single consumer good and service has skyrocketed it seems...MTA, please cut us a break!! Must be nice to be the only game in town...

vanity has no place in cold-weather running. or does it?

yeah yeah yeah we've come across the first real cold snap of the year. (not hard, considering this is the first week of January.) I'm sure yesterday, NYSC and other assorted gyms across the NYC metro area were filled with more than just the "resolution" people.

Me, I debated going for a run outdoors-specifically for that reason, I'm sure I'd have to wait forever for a cardio machine, or that the spinning classes would be full, etc...so I went to Engineers Gate to see if any other Flyers were showing up for the group run. If there were, great, if not-or if the ones there were planning on going too fast for me, at least I had my iPod so I can just continue on as long as I was out there.

Thankfully, a couple of fellow bloggers were there and we did the lower 5 nice and relaxed. It was actually a very nice night to run (despite both thermometers near Columbus Circle reading less than 20 degrees)...

...and I do partially have the apparel to thank for that!! Looks like the layering job I did was just right-and actually looked pretty sharp too :) This Sugoi jacket (in red) and tights (both of which I got on sale-especially the jacket, no way was I paying full price for that!!), and under the jacket was this top in black (I got that majorly on sale too-thanks to being a Flyer) and a black long sports bra, also wore my Mizuno gloves and I decided to pull out my old Midnight Run 2004-2005 black fleece cap :) And that combo was almost perfect-might have been able to use another layer on the bottom, but I dealt with it.

For good cold-weather pieces, I always look for good deals on the high-end gear...it's so worth it. Shop around, both online and in the stores...some of the NYC are especially kind to the local runners and give discounts!! :)

down with winter

you've all heard me complaining about the weather before, but I'll do it again for good measure...

For the record-I am really and truly sick of winter. It's at least a week into April already, dammit-no more f*cking snow!!

I look wistfully at my cute spring/summer clothes and my singlets and shorts and want to be wearing those instead of layers and layers.

I want the weather to get and stay in the 60s regularly, not just a teaser here and there.

I want spring fever, enough of the winter blahs!!

************************************************************

OK, now I got that off my chest. I guess the lingering winter blahs have also led to me not writing many blog posts of much substance. (C'mon, you didn't like my reality TV blog posts? What do you all think about the new Bachelor?? I do want to like him...but then he opens his mouth.)

As for running...it's been seriously lagging. Been trying to maintain 20 mpw, but fell way short last week...I'm blaming the weather and the heavy workload though, moreso the weather. It's been tough to force myself out the door when it's still chilly out. This Saturday is the Brooklyn half and even though I know a lot of people say it's a must-do, I'm gonna be sitting this one out. Forget what I've said in the past about Brooklyn, I'm just not prepared for a half right now. Yeah, I'll miss taking the bus with the Flyers, hanging out before the race and having brunch afterwards, but I think it's the right thing. (still hope that Queens shows up on the fall calendar!)

Which leads to another choice I need to make...I have 20 days left to claim my guaranteed entry for NYC, and honestly, I'm not even sure if I want to run a marathon this year. I guess I can always sign up and eat the cost if need be, but do I really want to do that...?

I'll probably be at a couple of the short May/June races (e.g., the Healthy Kidney 10k, the Mini) but I think I'm also sick of racing in Central Park...the races, the starts are getting too packed to be enjoyable, or to really run/race your best. Don't have any time goals yet in mind for those races just yet...was pretty discouraged by my running the last few weeks, especially during speed workouts...finally had a good one today, 3 x 1.02 mile around the Delacorte Oval, done at 7:35, 7:45, and 7:51 pace. Not my best, but much better than I have been churning out recently. So I may have turned a corner there. I've also made an attempt to get some cross-training back in to mix things up (namely my old favorite cardio kickboxing class and/or spinning)...maybe that's helping too.

As for work...still busy, I can't say I'm totally in the clear, but I have gotten at least one monkey off my back. (I feel like being cryptic right now :-p) And after a good 3 or so months where I probably had no business doing any dating whatsoever (no fair to any guy to have to deal with my pissed-off/stressed-out work mode) there is a prospect on the horizon. A certain couple of my blog readers/wing-women seem to have given this one a stamp of approval ;-) but as always, wait and see. I've been thinking lately about how different dating is now compared to about 10 years ago and was gonna make a separate post on that, but will hold off for now.

Oh, and how glad am I that Passover is over?? I didn't break it this year, but it seemed tougher than usual, there were a couple of days where I was feeling very low on energy from the lack of carbs. I don't know how those on low-carb diets do it!!

And is anyone else besides me going to be unproductive this coming Monday tracking the Boston marathoners? With the new 10am start, now I can spend the whole day tracking as opposed to just the afternoon...yikes...

now playing: "makes me wonder" ~ maroon 5

west side gets no love

OK-when it's at least 40 degrees, I usually don't complain about having to trek from the west side over to Engineer's Gate for the Flyer group runs. Actually, if it's during marathon training, I do welcome the extra mileage.

Tonite's group run, was a major exception to that rule. Well first off, even though I was sorta fooled that it didn't feel as cold as it really was (that's what happens when the UWS is at least 5-10 degrees warmer than where my office is-right by the Hudson and seemingly always situated in a wind tunnel) Running that half-mile around the reservoir felt like walking in sand-not surprisingly, the reservoir was in it's usual post-snowstorm state (read: unplowed.)

But, made it to the meeting spot, and it was a low turnout tonite-BCG, her co-leader and one other Flyer. So we set off, and no one protested when we decided to do the lower 5 instead of the full 6. It actually wasn't so bad once we got going. Was a nice night-though IMHO...the best scenery was running in the other direction on the west drive...heh heh ;-) East side once we passed Cat Hill was a little more slippery-lots of black ice there and one of our runners almost bit it-he was fine though.

When we were done, the 2 east siders headed home and BCG and I were trying to decide how to get back over to the west side...didn't want to chance the rez again, figured the M86 would do. Oh how little we knew...

First bus we saw arriving-not the M86. Fine, another one would be here soon.

5 minutes or so later, one did arrive. It said "Out of service." Fine, another one would be here soon.

5 minutes or so later, one did arrive. It said "Out of service." And no, unfortunately I am not kidding here.

We waited and waited...and mind you, I was dressed for running, not for standing still. Not only could I not feel my legs, but my Mizuno gloves which work extremely well while running, had no effectiveness and I couldn't feel my fingers. I could barely speak in full sentences and knew I had to get inside so I begged a doorman to have mercy on me and let me in the lobby to warm up. Oh and before I got inside, another bus came by....but our hopes were once again dashed as it was "Out of service." So I ventured back indoors.

After a few more minutes, BCG hailed a cab and we both decided to have him stop at the Starbucks on 86th/Columbus as a hot beverage was definitely in order. And once I regained the ability to speak in full sentences, one thing we both said is that "this is definitely going on the blog." A caramel apple cider/cinnamon dolce latte and some chatting later, we were both ready to face the cold one more time to get home.

And this is why I say the west side needs to have equal representation when it comes to run meeting spots!! Unless this is supposed to toughen us up or something :-p

now playing: "beautiful things" ~ andain

enough is enough

when, may i ask, do you know when you've reached a breaking point?

would it include something like this...yesterday morning, having absolutely no energy to get out of bed (the fact that i was chilly and was under 3 blankets had nothing to do with it)...in fact I had barely enough energy to reach for the laptop, turn it on, send an email out to my group saying i was taking a sick day and after that i went back to sleep til 2-something in the afternoon?

i guess my boss guessed it was a "mental health day" than an actual sick day...while i was talking about some other things, i let what has been bugging me out-and said no more. i can't do the crazy hours and weekends anymore. she seemed to understand put the blame more with our salespeople. so right now even though i have a mini-reprieve and my job may be safe for now, still doesn't mean i should stay in it...

but as a result, i finally made it to a Flyers group run in lord knows how long. though it was good to get out there, the fact that i have slacked off for the last 3 months really showed as i was struggling to keep up with the group...guess that problem is never going to really go away...oh, and the fact that i couldn't feel my a$$ by the end of the run, it was soooo cold...

I hope that that little groundhog proves what one of my teammates was saying wrong...i am so ready for there to be an early spring!!!

it is way too fucking cold

OK, forget the fact that December was so mild, I am so ready for winter to be over.

I take back what I said in my previous post about wanting to run in these frigid (pardon my choice of words) temps. I could barely breathe in the freezing air just walking, forget about running in it. (I still don't know how I did a 7-mile race in similar weather 2 years ago! anyone else remember that one...?) One of those days where I wish that underground tunnel from my office building to the A/C/E station existed...

(and no i'm not listening to this song to counteract the weather. i just like it-cool little madonna-esque rap in the middle)

now playing: "burning up/vogue (showgirl live 2006 version)" ~ kylie minogue