Team Sandals & Evening Light

Top 13 things about last night's Team for Kids group run

- Thankful a subway delay did not keep me from getting to practice on time.

- Central Park was just beautiful and perfect tonight. Not too hot and the light was gorgeous. I was overwhelmed with the feeling of how cool it is that I get to run in Central Park a couple times a week during this training. I'd rarely make it to the park otherwise. I'm really grateful for the opportunity.

- I am grateful for the group. I never feel like running, but I allow the group to pull me along and then a mile in my bratty lazy attitude has melted away into "I'm running!"

- Met and ran with a new person: J, a PE teacher from CT who must be in her late 50's or even 60's? Super nice and inspiring, as always, to run with someone older than I. Plus, she'd read Cutting for Stone, so it was fun to talk about Ethiopia with her.

- Ran 6 miles, 2 looong loops on the bridal path, from W. 81st Street up to 102nd Street and back down the East side. Our route was a bit different tonight to accommodate for more mileage.

- Tonight was our last base building Wednesday night run in experienced, intermediate, and beginner groups. No group runs on Saturday or Monday due to the 4th of July (good! I won't be missing those if we end up in Thailand for the next 2 weeks). Speed training and pace groups will commence next Wednesday. Am sorry I'll miss that (if I make it to Thailand).

- Did two hills tonight at the end. New PE teacher friend pushed me to go faster at the very end. I needed a PE teacher in my life at that moment.

- I love stretching when it's all said and done. When we stretch up to the sky I reach to God and say thank you.

- No post run nausea! Whoo hoo!!!

- Treated myself to a chocolate shake, cheese burger and fries at Shake Shack afterward. Oh no she didn't. Oh yes she did! A luxury indulgence I felt I deserved after a couple very stressful days.

- Summer sandal season has been saved! After thinking I'd lost a toe nail around mile 6, I was happy to find out my toe nail was still intact when I took off my shoe and sock while walking to the subway. I was prepared to take a picture and post said-missing-toe-nail on this very blog. You are spared.

- I actually had fun tonight. Running is not always fun for me. And it truly was a stress reliever after a couple tense days of thwarted Thai travel plans.

- There's nothing more delicious than a wine glass of ice cold water after a subway ride home.

Achilles 5 miler

Had the honor of running the Achilles 5 miler on Sunday in Central Park, alongside veterans and other heroes. John Stewart and Anthony Edwards kicked off the race which was fun. On the heels of my "running vacation" in which I ran the most consistently I've ever run in one week's time, the 5 miles felt pretty good and I PRed on my mile pace which also felt good. Surprise! Another medal! So fun. Thank you NYRR.

So, have not run since Sunday. Back in a world where it's hard to work it in amongst everything else. We were supposed to leave for Thailand tonight, but the trip has been delayed because of a transit visa issue, so we are hopefully departing on Saturday night. In the meantime, this opens my schedule to attend the Team for Kids group run tonight. Wednesday night groups runs are more technical, pushing us to get faster. I'm looking forward to it, as I haven't been able to go to a Wednesday night run yet.


One final family vacation photo (apologies for the poor quality): my brother and our kids. Really sad the week is over. So thankful the family could spend some time together.

Inspiring Runner of the Week

(Jenny, having finished her first marathon)

Because I'm grieving the end of my Florida vacation, I thought I'd highlight yet another Floridian as my inspiring runner of the week. This week's runner is Jenny B-P. I've know Jenny since my Florida State days. She's the kind of friend you can go without seeing for years and still feel close to when those few and far between opportunities to get together come around.

I credit Jenny with pushing me off the couch last fall when she came to NYC for a visit and said, "come running with me." I replied there was no way, as I hadn't run in over a year and I dropped her off at the entrance to the Williamsburg Bridge. The next morning I joined her for a walk. Movement. She was training for the Miami marathon. It was November 2010 and Miami was in late January 2011. I decided I had time to train for the Miami 1/2. So I did. Movement. But my plane got snowed in and I missed the race. So I promptly registered for the Miami 1/2 2012. I'm now confident it will be a great follow up to this November's marathon. Movement!

And now, I give you Jenny:

At what age did you start running and what motivated you to get involved in the sport?
I started running at age 13, as a Freshman in High school. I was running so I could stay in shape for basketball and softball, but I never went back to those sports.


How has running changed your life?

It has been a place I have achieved two dreams, as a kid, it was to be on a state championship team, and as a grown up, to run a full marathon before age 40, and I did 2!


What do you get out of running? Why do it?

it is MY time, a place I can go to "run" away, to be with God, to not here MOMMY, or Jenny, or hear the phone ring. It makes me feel stronger in all areas of my life - physically, mentally, emotionally and spiritually.

What is your favorite race (distance) and what is your best Personal Record(PR)/ fastest time?

half marathon, time, 2:30:58

Where is your favorite place to train?

my Saturday morning long runs with friends, I LOVE running the beach bridges
because it is so pretty where we live.

(Jenny & sister Tammy, State champs!)

What is your proudest running moment? Do you have a favorite or most meaningful running experience (a race or a day when you pushed further than you thought you could go?)

as a sophomore in HS, I was on a State Championship team, the first our High school had ever had. it was a big deal to get to run varsity as a freshman and sophomore, and this was truly a memory I still hold onto.


Do you have a favorite song on your ipod to run to? Or if you don't listen to music, what do you think about when you run?

Superchick, ONE MORE


What do you find most difficult about running and how do you overcome this difficulty?

the demands of finding the time. I don't often "feel" like running, but I always FEEL so good after it, and even during it after about five minutes of re adjustment

Do you have a race coming up? When and where?

two half marathons, October 2011, Stuart, Fl, Halloween Half and Miami Half, January, 2012


Do you have a favorite movie or book about running?

chariots of fire for sure


Who is your favorite running hero?

anyone who chooses to run a marathon that has never run before, so YOU are lulu!


Can you offer me any advice on how I can best train to get to the 2011 NYC marathon finish line?

one step at a time, literally don't over train, as it causes injury. running two average runs is good, and then one long run a week. doing stretching will save the day as well.


(Jenny in Miami 2011-she wrote my name on her arm because I missed the race-so kind!)

What's your best advice for fighting negative thinking when faced with a challenge like running 26.2 miles?

DURING the race - have a bible verse, this was so good for me. you already have your race dedicated to others, my first marathon was Hebrews 10:23, dedicated to my Dad, my best fan (in heaven. next one was Isaiah all of chpt 40, and was dedicated to heart disease and the two girls I coached through their first marathon

after a certain mile, many say 18, or 20, it just HURTS, no matter what. push push push, and know that YOU are reaching a goal for YOU, it is worth it. don't let the pain take over in your head. you chose this for bigger reasons and crossing that line has more to it than running some race.


Anything else you want to say about running?

keep it fun, keep it fresh, with your music, with where you run, who you run with
keep growing as a runner, but don't beat yourself up when you aren't exactly
where you want to be and DON'T compare yourself to other runners

one of my favorite shirts I saw during a race, Sarah's Race Sarah's Pace

this is YOUR race, and it is YOUR finish line and end time. it belongs to you.

Thank you Jenny, for being a 18+ year inspiration in my life. Whether playing tennis at your married housing apt at FSU, or football in your Texas seminary yard some Thanksgiving, or surfing at the beach, or walking across the WillyB bridge in NYC, your passion for movement has always been a good for me. I appreciate you and your many gifts!

A Runner's Birthday + 19 weeks (gulp!)

Last week I turned 39!!! Holy crap. I really have no idea how that happened. I definitely am happy to say I don't feel 39! It just dawned on me that I'll be running my first marathon before I'm 40. That's cool, but if it goes well, I think it'd be cooler to run marathons after I'm 40.

Bearden gave me an awesome birthday present: a subscription to Runner's World on my ipad and some real running clothes. I received 3 pairs of running shorts and 2 running tanks. I've been running in soccer shorts and old T's that serve as pajama tops. Sure is nice to have the real thing. I feel fancy! Just need a visor made for running...this 10 year old Old Navy visor is okay, but sweat and sunscreen pours into my eyes.

Thank you Bearden, for a great birthday surprise! And for your encouragement (and childcare) on this journey!

19 weeks until the big day!!!!!

6 a.m. Lighthouse Run + I heart St. Augustine

Got up at 5:15 to meet up with the Ancient City Road Runners again...this time at the St. Augustine Lighthouse. The sun was just coming up. Gorgeous. The humidity was low(er). Hallelujah.

I took Florida history in high school, but I had to google the following to get the details straight:

St. Augustine was founded 1565 by Spanish explorer and admiral Pedro Menéndez de Avilés, it is the oldest continuously occupied European-established city and port in the continental United States.

We ran through a little historic home area in the shadow of the Lighthouse called Lighthouse Park, and then north on A1A to the Bridge of Lions. We had to wait for the draw bridge to be lowered.


Onward! To Castillo de San Marcos! Construction began in 1672 and the fort was built in to protect and defend Spain's New World! How many times did I tour this fort as a kid? Can we stop by the Fountain of Youth for a mid-run libation?


And then down historic St. George Street. Love it! Thanks to the ACRR President David for running ahead of us and taking this picture.


Once through the downtown loop, we headed back on the bridge and to the lighthouse. What a lovely run. It's in my top 10 for sure. And what a lovely running club. I met some very nice people. I love that running can turn strangers into something a tiny bit more. Hoping to squeeze one more group run in before our Saturday flight, but am not sure with all that's on the to do list. I have the Achilles 5 miler in Central Park on Sunday, so it would be nice...

Wide Open :: Day 21

This morning my brother was MIA, so no brother-sister beach run. :(

Since I'd planned to try to join the St. Augustine Running Club at the Publix on A1A tonight, I thought I'd head out this morning for a little run-walking to warm up a bit. Today I headed north on the beach, walking 2 miles, running 1 and walking 1 more.

(wonky photo...sorry)

Saw a bunch of cute tween gals setting up for their surf lessons. Must be surf camp. So fun. We brought my funboard over (in between a short board and a long board) from Gainesville, but so far the surf has been pretty flat. Hoping still to get a ride or two in before we have to head home. Time is moving way too fast. When I'm in NYC I adore it. But when out of the vortex of the center of the universe, I wish I lived here. Someday....

I hit the Publix parking lot tonight to meet up with the Ancient City Road Runners. What am impressive and kind community! They welcomed me with open arms and one benevolent youngun' took pity and ran with me at the back of the pack and even tolerated my 60 second walk breaks toward the end...OMG! O.M.G. Floridian runners!? How do you do it in all this humidity. I can't believe I grew up in this! And there were no less than 3 folks running with baby strollers...one cradling a 7 week old, another cradling twin 7 month olds and a 3rd with someone riding along who looked like she was 6 years old! I honestly can't believe I made it back to the Publix. And actually, I cannot wait for Thursday morning's 6 am group run: starting at the lighthouse, running across the Bridge of Lions and down by the Fort and through an early morning deserted St. George Street. Oh! I can't wait to post pictures. Such a beautiful city. Thank you ACRR for welcoming me. Day 21: complete.

A beach run

Yesterday I got out of the condo a little too late: 8 am greeted me with a wall of humidity as I ran down A1A over a dead snake, past a dead turtle and past a few very lively bunnies darting off into the palmetto scrub. But I loved every second of my weary 4 miles. Home! So happy to be in one of my favorite places! Palmetto scrub! Snakes! Gnats in my sweaty eyes!! I've missed these things!

This morning I headed out at 7 for a run on the beach. Another 5 miles is all that was scheduled.

My stupid Garmin battery died (is it normal that mine has such a short battery life? Basically I have to charge it after each use) while walking down the boardwalk, so I ran by my regular watch, estimating that in the end I did close to 6 miles, based on my recent 10K time.


My ex-military brother who lives all the way across the country from me volunteered to run part of the way with me. So fun! A brief brother-sister run! He turned around about a mile in.

I saw a jelly fish on my way back.

Other than that, the beach was pretty quiet. I did see a naked man in the open window of his pink hoopdie beach house. I'd like a pink hoopdie beach house.

Tuesday night I head out to run with the St. Augustine running club. And even though I'm only scheduled to do 6 for my Saturday long run, I'm going to do 8 by running down to Ft. Matanzas and back--a must do before we fly out that afternoon.

Inspiring Runner of the Week : Hello from Florida!

I dropped the ball on my blog last week...mostly because I was trying to pack for our family beach vacation. So, hello from the Sunshine State.

Being that I'm in Florida for the week, I thought it'd be fitting to feature a friend from high school as my inspiring runner of the week. This gal happens to be vacationing in FL this week as well, but alas, our paths will only cross on the internet. However, reading over her words while being in FL takes me back not only to our 20th high school reunion last summer, but to our actual days at Buchholz High...this friend was (and obviously still is) a bad ass. I always admired her strength and talent and was happy to know her better as a classmate in "Teen Aiders" (yes, we were teens who aided others).

Sooo, without further ado, I present to you Sasha B., working mother of 2, pregnant with triplets, psychologist, and still faster and more dedicated than I will ever be!


(above:Walnut Festival 5K 2010)


At what age did you start running and what motivated you to get involved in the sport?

I first started running when I was 12. I was unwillingly recruited by a classmate to run the mile in my 8th grade county meet in rural Florida. I did not even consider myself an athletic kid and had never really participated in sports. Much to my surprise, I won the mile and broke the county record! That was my first experience running and it definitely made me think that running might be the sport for me.

How has running changed your life?

Running has instilled in me a lifelong value for my health and body. Even though I took several years off from running during my college years, I always ate healthy and worked out. Once I rediscovered running after my first child was born, I remembered just how much I loved the sport and how good it made me feel in my body and mind.

What do you get out of running? Why do it?

I love to compete. Unfortunately, I have never been one of those runners that just loves to go out and do long distances for the sake of running. I have the best time running when I'm running hard and pushing my body to it's limits.

Running for me has become a tremendous outlet since having children and settling in to my career. When I run, I feel free, powerful, and strong...like I can conquer the world. It really is an amazing feeling.

What is your favorite race (distance) and what is your best Personal Record (PR)/ fastest time?

My current favorite race is the 5k. It's fast and furious! So far, my PR is 17:26. I'm currently pregnant with triplets so I'm taking a break from running, but I'm already looking forward to getting back out there and seeing just how far I can go.

Where is your favorite place to train?

The place I train most is actually on a treadmill at my gym. Being a working mother of 2 young children, I have very little time to train on the road or track. So, while my kids are in the daycare center I do my training on the treadmill. I actually love the treadmill because it gives me such control of my pacing and allows me to do it all; distance runs, tempo runs, and speed work.

Do you have a favorite or most meaningful running experience (a race or a day when you pushed further than you thought you could go?)

My first 5k after I returned to running following the birth of my 2nd child was probably the most meaningful. It was about 2 years ago and was a large women's 5k in the San Francisco Bay Area. There were over a thousand runners and I placed second with a time of 18:45. That race helped me rebuild confidence in myself as a fast runner and inspired me to train harder and do more 5k's.

Do you have a favorite song on your ipod to run to?

I listen to lots of fast electronica and industrial music. When I'm training, I loved music that matches how I like to run...hard and fast!

What do you find most difficult about running and how do you overcome this difficulty?

The most difficult challenge for me is balancing running with my family responsibilities. The way I manage this is by focusing on shorter race distances that take less training time and less distance work. The childcare center at my gym has been a lifesaver when it comes to training.

Do you have a race coming up? When and where?

My next race will hopefully be next summer somewhere out in the Bay area. I'm about 5 months pregnant with triplets but I'm already chomping at the bit to start training and racing again!

Do you have a favorite movie or book about running?

Not particularly. I don't have much time to read books or watch movies with my schedule but I love reading inspiring stories about runners in Running Times.

Who is your favorite running hero?

Any woman with children who still manages to get out there and run is my hero. I think having a family makes training and racing that much more challenging. It takes a real commitment to the sport to be a mother and still manage to train.

Can you offer me any advice on how I can best train to get to the 2011 NYC marathon finish line?

I haven't trained for a marathon so the best advice I can give is to train with others, get as much information as you can about how to train properly to avoid injury, and take amazing care of your body. And most importantly, believe in yourself!

What's your best advice for fighting negative thinking when faced with a challenge like running 26.2 miles?

Just take it one mile at a time and keep remembering how amazing it's going to feel when you cross that finish line!! It's an experience you will never forget and an amazing legacy to pass on to Konjit.

Anything else you want to say about running?

It's an amazing way to connect with your body and mind at a very deep level. For me, it's a spiritual experience that I hope to have in my life for many years to come.

Sasha! Thank you for your wisdom about spirituality and leaving a legacy! And I just love how you discovered you could run as an 8th grader! How cool to discover such an awesome gift so young! Thanks for sharing your story!!!

The Rainbow Connection

(Someone has prettied-up the Williamsburg Bridge.)

I'll tell you, I was on such a high after the Mini 10K! I wore my little medal all day and even slept with it by my bed.

I spent my daughter's post-race nap time googling lots of running blogs and shopping around for my first running skirt and looking for cute compression socks and reading about celebrity runners on Runner's World (Dr. Jill Biden! Jo Dee Messina! Melvin Van Peebles! Flea! and okay, although I'd like to see her go away, Sarah Palin!). Dude, Flea ran a sub-4 LA marathon as a first timer. He'd barely even jogged before starting to train. Even though he's always looked in good shape, surely that guy has done some hard-living. Okay, I don't have his money, nor have I done much hard-living, but why can't I be a sub-4? I'd like to make it my goal to run a 3:59. I have no idea if that's possible, but I can dream it, right!? So right now, I'm aiming for 4:30. I guess as I get further along I'll know what is most realistic.

Whoa! Such a post 10k high and then back to the low-down the next morning. I had 4 miles to run on the schedule and as I pulled myself out of bed (not at all sore, happy to say), my high was gone. Back was "uhh. I don't want to run today." How can that be when I was making plans and setting goals a little less than 12 hours before? Brain chemistry, I guess is to blame. The endorphins had leveled out. But I got out there for a little recovery rainbow connection 4-miler over the bridge to Manhattan and back and around the neighborhood and was glad I did. When I returned home, my husband said, "another link in the chain." He's right.

Heading into vacation later this week...have planned ahead and found a running club in St. Augustine to join up with a couple times while in Florida. Looking forward to meeting some nice folks in front of the A1A Publix and hoping the community will keep me on track. I've got 30 miles to log while on the family vacay. Not going to let it intimidate me.

The NY Mini 10k! The coolest race I've ever run.

Yay! I rocked this 10K! I ran strong, felt like I was floating around the park, and *almost* met my goal. I wanted to finish in 59 or 60 minutes, but clocked in at 1:04. I'll take that! This 10k's time was waaaay better than the last and next time I'll only be stronger from all this marathon training and will be meeting my goal.


What an honor to running the 40th anniversary of the NY Mini 10K. The Mini was named after the mini skirt and was the first women's 10K held in 1972. Prior to that year, women were highly discouraged or forbidden to run---it was thought women were not built for running, that the sport might be harmful for us and of course, the running world was a boys' club. What a blast to run this race with Jen. I encouraged her to join me 6 weeks ago and man did she jump on board! Central Park is pretty hilly, especially in Harlem. A favorite memory from this was race was Jen screaming "Braveheart-style" We Got This!!!! She sounded the battle cry and a couple big-ass hills later, we owned the north end of the park.


This year's Mini was held in honor of Grete Waitz, who won the NY Marathon 9 times and the Mini 5 times. She recently passed away. Last week I learned that Grete "wintered" in my hometown of Gainesville, FL. Pretty cool. You can read more about Grete and this year's Mini here in the NY Times.

Among the 5000+ women running the Mini were two runners I really admire: Olympian Deena Kastor and trail blazer Katherine Switzer.

Here's an awesome video of Deena with my favorite foodie Mark Bittman.

Switzer was the first women to run the Boston Marathon. She entered at K. Switzer.

Clearly the men were not pleased. WTH?! Well, she finished the race. Thank you K. Switzer!


At the end of the 10K we were surprised with flowers and medals (NYRR never gives out medals at races, unless you run the NY 1/2 or Marathon)! So fun! I just LOVE my polka dotted medal!

So fun, also, to see Konjit's Godfather Yonas at the finish. I'll never run as fast as he does, but it's so awesome to share my successes with him.

Inspiring Runner of the Week

I've decided to keep my motivation up by posting a weekly interview with an inspiring runner in my life.

Today's runner is my long time friend Tim W. I've known Tim since I was a kid. We attended the same church and I quickly learned I could always count on Tim for a hug and some encouragement.

When I was toying with taking up running in a slightly more serious way, I heard Tim was running (having discovered it a little bit later in life) and I was impressed!!!

Here's Tim's story...



At what age did you start running and what motivated you to get involved in the sport?

63. A colleague had just run the Tower of Terror 13K at Disney and was telling me about it and I said, "That sounds like fun," and she said, "Why don't you run with us next year" I did.

How has running changed your life?

I feel better physically and psychologically than I have in the last 20 years. I have run places I never dreamed of running, like down 7th Avenue in NYC, along the water front in Seattle and through all four parks at Disney World.

What do you get out of running? Why do it?

I get to feel good and that saying a lot as I near my 66th birthday. It's amazing. I can feel terrible and go out and run and wind up feeling good. I don't understand it, but I know it works. I also enjoy the comradery of running with friends and the shear pleasure of being outside and enjoying nature.

What is your favorite race (distance) and what is your best Personal Record (PR)/ fastest time?

13K is about right for me. It's just long enough, but not too long. Not sure what my best time is at that distance, probably a little over 1'20". No matter the distance, I usually run a 10 minute mile pace.

Where is your favorite place to train?

Since most of my training takes place where I live, that would be around the UF campus. Other than that, anywhere I happen to be that new and different.

What is your proudest running moment? Do you have a favorite or most meaningful running experience (a race or a day when you pushed further than you thought you could go?)

My proudest running moment would be completing my first half marathon at age 64. Never in my life before beginning training for the Disney half had I even given thought to running that far. I ran the entire way and finished at a little under a 10 minute mile pace. My proudest moment in the race was around mile 11 when my friend and I reached an exit ramp that climbed steeply up to the road that would take up to the finish. We ran by a large number of people on that climb, which said we had some reserves others didn't have. That felt good. My favorite running experience was the NYC half marathon. I loved every minute of it and finished 7 seconds faster than I did in the Disney half.

Do you have a favorite song on your ipod to run to? Or if you don't listen to music, what do you think about when you run?

I don't use an ipod. I love the sounds of nature, of life. Thinking is not my forte. I am extraverted to the point of being handicapped if put in a room by myself. Running has helped me go deep within myself, which includes opening my heart to God. I am a Christian and have been since I was six years old. However, praying has always been hard for me. It's not that I don't believe in prayer; it's that praying means spending time by myself talking to someone I can't see and my extreme extraversion make doing so very difficult. Spending a lot of time running by myself has helped me spend more time inside myself and when I spend time inside myself my heart naturally turns to God. Of course, I think of other things, including my family and work. I get a lot of things worked out in my head when running.


(Tim & his bride Shirley-she's nice too!)

What do you find most difficult about running and how do you overcome this difficulty?

The most difficult thing about running is finding the time to do it. I still work full time and travel a lot, which makes finding time to run problematic. Depending on where I am and my schedule I can often find time to run, but not as often as I would like. When in the office I am usually able get away about 30 minutes early and run on campus. Sometimes my wife, Shirley, comes to campus and walks while I run. That's a big encouragement.

Do you have a race coming up? When and where?

My nephew and I are running a 5K at Disney's Animal Kingdom October 1. I would like to do one before then but it's too hot in Florida.

Do you have a favorite movie or book about running?

"Born to Run" is a must for every runner. No movie.

Who is your favorite running hero?
All of my friends who have encouraged me to run are heroes to me. I followed Marty Liquori's career years ago and still admire him, partly because we live in the same town, now.

Can you offer me any advice on how I can best train to get to the 2011 NYC marathon finish line?

Take your time and increase your distance gradually. Be sure and plan for light training week or two before the marathon so you can build up some strength. Have fun. I'm proud of you.

What's your best advice for fighting negative thinking when faced with a challenge like running 26. 2 miles?

Run with a friend, someone you know can finish and will stay with you and encourage you. Have Bearden and Konjit wait for you at the finish line. You'll get there faster that way.

Anything else you want to say about running?

Just that I'm so glad my friends encouraged me to try it. In turn I encourage everyone to give it a try as long as their joints and heart allow.

Thank you Tim, for your inspiration!!! I just love that you found running at age 63!

Day 3 :: 5 miles, solo group run & almost puked

Tonight was our 2nd TFK practice. (a few pictures here from our first gathering last weekend).

I'll tell you, there is nothing sadder than running alone during a group run. I joined the intermediate group tonight--led by a coach and followed by a "sweeper." The pack near the coach broke away from me pretty quickly and I guess I left the small group of gals with the sweeper in the dust because not even a mile in, I was alone. Alone on a group run. It got to me. I almost cried, actually, because I felt so lonely and that self-doubt of "WTH?! 26.2 miles?" crept in.

After one loop of the bridle path (about 2 miles) I waited near the water fountain for the sweeper and the other gals. Finally, a lone middle aged woman came around the bend so I introduced myself and joined her. The joy of running with a buddy became hmmm...I run faster than this nice lady and hmmm....I guess she doesn't talk while she runs. So I had to debate leaving her behind to run alone again or just running slow, but not talking. I opted to run slow. After our 2nd loop we waited a while for the sweeper and final ladies to round the bend. We joined them and although they were much slower than I, I tried to remind myself that one of the coaches said running slow will aid me in going faster in the end. It build capillaries in your muscles or something--giving me more O2 on race day.


A couple good things from what started as an emotional & lonely run:
- met a girl from FL who went to UF (in my hometown) and got her MSW at Columbia (where I did mine). She not only is a social worker, but shares my faith.
- wow the bridal path is beautiful at the end of the day. What a skyline! What a sky! and the lovely reservoir to run around. The light was just beautiful.
- Bearden and Konjit were waiting for me in the Diana Ross playground and no one complained that they'd waited an hour & a half when it was all said and done. Nice to have the support.
- today marked running 3 days in a row. Something I've never done before (have always taken a day off between runs...but NYRR marathon training has us running 5 days a week).
- realized tomorrow is a rest day. whooo hooo!

And now for almost puking...
I had extreme nausea by the time I got home. I couldn't eat anything and had to simply lay in the dark and breathe deep. Was able to google it a bit and found that I was either dehydrated and/or had eaten something inappropriate and too close to practice. I think it was all of the above. Last night was the hottest I'd ever run temp wise (was probably low 80s or high 70s in the park). I stopped at every fountain because I knew I should, but probably didn't hydrate enough prior in the day. Also, I ate a piece of peanut butter pie mid day and then had some string cheese probably too close to practice time. Thus, am going to work on cleaning up my eating on running days. Wednesday I'll be back at it: another 5 miles... but this time on my own because I cannot make practice due to date night. Wonder if Bearden would mind if I ran from home to Lincoln Center for our show?

Day 2 :: 4 miles & some self-doubt

I almost didn't do my four miles today. This morning I was up at 5:45 to head to Central Park to volunteer at the 4 mile race for my 2012 marathon credit (if I run 9 races and volunteer at 1 I get guaranteed entry for the 2012 NYC marathon). I thought I might just run home after my shift was over, which would have been about 6 miles (2 miles extra), but I was cold and tired from standing in one place for 4 hours. Basically, I found excuses to jump on the subway and avoid running. But Bearden encouraged me to get my butt in gear before the day was over. So after late-afternoon church I hit the Williamsburg Bridge.


(look: in the distance is the Manhattan Bridge and a bit further south is the Brooklyn Bridge. This is my view from the Williamsburg Bridge. Stunning).
I ran over into Manhattan and around a long block on the Lower East Side and then back over the bridge. Most of the time my attitude sucked. I began thinking, "I will never be able to do this marathon-thing. What am I doing?!" I heard myself say "you can't even run these 4 miles with ease. How can you run 26.2?"


Running is so weird on so many different levels. For one, how come I can run a 1/2 marathon a couple weeks ago and then feel like 4 miles is forever? Very thankful we have a Team for Kids group practice tomorrow night. Running with others gives me a boost for sure. I cannot reach the finish line alone. Thank you thank you already to Bearden for encouragement and keeping Konjit so I could hit the bridge tonight. Now, I just have to find a neighborhood running buddy.

Day 1 :: 5 miles

Our first official Team for Kids marathon practice was today in Central Park. We gathered to hear a few kids speak about the impact Team for Kids has had on their lives. As a result, I'm feeling pretty good about picking TFK as my marathon charity. As a social worker I like contributing to programs that benefit underserved neighborhoods and to hear teachers note how running has turned around their most problematic students is really cool.



Most of us were first time marathoners, which was encouraging. Lots of people haven't begun fundraising yet, which makes me feel really great about the donations I've received to date: I'm 16% of the way to my goal of $2620...that's over $400 raised since last Wednesday. Thank you Face Book and many many thanks to friends from my past and present for getting me started!

Our first practice consisted of a brief warm up run, some stretching and then for those who were game, 5 miles around the bridle path...which is easier on the body than the road. I'd never run the bridle path, so it was good, but running it 3x got a tiny bit boring. I met a few people who were very nice. Looking forward to Monday night's practice.

green bean summer :: garden report

Here come the beans!

My folks suggested I grow pole beans this summer, using my back stair railings as a pole bean tower. Being that I was born in Kentucky I opted to plant Kentucky Blue beans. The cucumber seeds have sprouted, but am not certain what's going with the spinach seeds. Something has sprouted, but having never grown spinach, I think they look a bit like weeds. We'll see... If I'm gonna do tomatoes I need to pull the trigger this weekend. This is just about the most exciting blog post you've ever read, isn't it. Happy Friday!

Make your own Red Mango (or Pinkberry)

I remember when Perez Hilton was gushing about Pinkberry years ago (okay, I'll shamefully admit...his blog was one I used to read with some frequency, but I gave it up for Lent one year and have never looked back!). Then I stumbled into a Red Mango (located just across the street from a Pinkberry in the Village) and after asking some questions and reading an article posted on the counter about the feud between the two*, I ordered a small cup of frozen yogurt. TCBY this was not. OMG. I loved it.


Fast forward to this May when I dug my Cuisinart ice cream maker out. I found an easy recipe for frozen yogurt on the Marcus Samuelsson blog and decided to try it.


OMG. After one taste I screamed for Bearden to come running to the kitchen. He took a taste. I took a second. Our heads exploded with sheer and utter excitement and disbelief. I'd made Red Mango. I MADE Red Mango!!! Holy mother of all that is good. We do not have to schlep to Manhattan to get Red Mango. Nor do we have to wait for a special occasion or call it a splurge. I can make it in my own kitchen. Welcome summer!

The basic recipe:
:: 3 cups of greek yogurt (whole or fat free, whatever your waistline calls for)
:: 1 cup of sugar (this can be lessened to 3/4 cup or I have read you can substitute agave, which is on my to do list).
:: 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
:: optional: add 1 Tablespoon vodka to keep it from turning into a brick when stored in the freezer. The vodka will keep it a bit softened so you don't have to let it thaw for 10 mins before scooping.

+ Mix together until sugar dissolves, put it in the fridge for one hour (forgot to do this on my 2nd batch due to excitement and it did make a difference).
+ Slap in in your Cuisinart and let her rip for about 25 minutes.
+Taste, die and go to heaven.


We went a little crazy and added chopped up Kit Kat to the 2nd batch, pretending we were in the Red Mango store. If you have a Cuisinart, please make this. If you don't, they're not expensive and you'll have so much fun with it. I've since made pineapple sorbet & tonight strawberry gelato is on the menu. I just can't believe how easy it all is.

The cuisinart website has lots of great recipes and you should also check out David Lebovitz's site for some others.

(*note: supposedly Pinkberry is a rip off of Red Mango. Red Mango is said to be 100% natural, while Pinkberry is said to use powder mixes. I'm team Red Mango. Well, actually now I'm Team Cuisinart since I can make it myself!).

National Running Day!

I hope I can get a run in today. Everyone's doing it! :)

I received my first email from Team for Kids this week--getting excited for our first team practice this Saturday in Central Park. We will start with a 5 mile run and for the next several weeks work on building a base. I'm really looking forward to speed work outs and the like, as I've never done anything but just try to run from point A to point B!

WHOO HOO! I've already raised 5% of my $2620 goal for Team for Kids!!!! Thank you donors!!!!