Week 16: the longest run

On Monday, Nicky and I encountered the longest run yet. It's nerve wracking knowing you're going to just run for two and a half hours. Something inside you is saying "noooooo" but you also know 12 miles is not 26 so you got to get your ass out there and do it.

With the weather nearly 10 degrees cooler (with a splash or two of rain), I found it easier to find a faster pace. I have to be mindful of Nicky's shorter legs as she did have to ask me to slow down a bit.

The first 6 miles we killed it and then had some water and gummies (sugar, salts and whatnot for runners) to gear us up for the next 6. My knee started to hurt about 9 miles in so we walked the hill (I find uphill to be difficult if I'm sore) and then not long after we decided to do 13 miles, my back began to ache.

Now I've had a bad back for a long time - car accidents and a sledding accident did me in really but it's ok for the most part. The running though is showing it's not quite ok. Though I discovered on Monday that it wasn't the usual back issues I face. The major problem? My tight hips and hamstrings.

When Nicky had to stop and tie her shoe, I stretched my legs. Suddenly the back twinge was gone. My legs were the culprits! Curses!

So I'm going to have to do a few things the next 2 months so I don't hurt myself/
1) Yoga and stretching
2) Weight Training
3) 2 other days of training to act as cross training.
4) Go to a sports therapist to analyze my gait.
5) Buy new trainers (they've already done 68 miles!)

Apparently the Nike app allows you to give challenges to friends so Marianne and I are going to give it a go. Maybe this will help me get my speed drills in...

I couldn't have done it without you

Last and most important part of this post is here to thank Luke, Laura, my friends from around the world and especially Nicky for coming on this journey with me.

A year or so ago when I moved to New York, I'd never had expected to find friends willing to spend a entire night running with me. Who would come halfway across New York on Saturday morning to run in 100 degree heat. Who cheered me on every step of the way. Who said they were proud of me. Who were just amazing and lovely people. I knew they had to exist in New York, I just didn't know I'd find them so fast.

And this is one example of this awesome support...As as we hit 11 miles of the run on Monday night, and my back was done, Nicky asked if I could make it to 12. Yes, I said through gritted teeth. She nodded, fumbled through her pocket and pulled out her phone.

Your mom's Facebook post inspired this, she said.

A couple button presses later and "Eye of the Tiger" (also known to most as the Rocky song) came blasting out. Perfect. I was laughing and the two of us picked up the pace, singing along in the darkness of central park. We hit mile 12 as the song came to a triumphant end. We did it.

And I couldn't have done it without all of you. Thank you from the bottom of my heart.

Week 15: the plateau is broken!!

Thank fricken god it's finally happened. 6 weeks of only 2 pounds of weight loss and boom. 4 pounds this week. So I'm now officially half way to my goal weight! Yay!

I think it helps that I've been running longer runs now. Hit 8 miles on Monday. It was the hardest run I've done yet. If it wasn't for my friend Nicky, I don't think I'd be able to pull it off. It's crazy hot and feels like we're running in a botanical garden. I may be sweating the weight out...

It's funny. A friend of mine commented on the picture below which shows the changes in my body from the beginning until now. Just one side mind you.




He said, all I can see is that you have better posture and bigger boobs. The funny thing with bodies is that your shape doesn't really change. I'm still going to have junk in the trunk no matter what size I am.

So I look the same shape but I'm shrinking. I've lost between 5-6 inches everywhere (except my arms). That's hips, thighs, bust and waist! And now I've officially lost 30 pounds. That's 30 sticks of butter people! Or, as the picture from Passion for Paleo shows, a whole table of fat :)



My boobs look bigger only because Hector (my affectionate name for my belly) is slowly disappearing and by the time I hit the marathon, I expect him to be well out of my life. Only 12 weeks to go! Just have to work even harder to get the next half of the weight off.

The most exciting thing about getting to the end will not only be about feeling fantastic and healthy but I'll be able to get a whole new wardrobe. I'm already buttering up my friend Kim to take me shopping. She's such a style guru that I can't wait to see what she picks out for me. You'll definitely be seeing a very new me this winter.

Weight training needs to be a bigger priority

It's not that I don't listen, it's that I don't do. Charlene has given me great advice about training and I'm just not doing it. But the more that I run the more that I realize I have to get my muscles even stronger.

The two places I need it most is my abs and my thighs. A strong core is SO important when running. In order to run tall without injury is to get those muscles wrapping around your spine working. If you don't, you'll start to lean forward with not only puts a strain on your back but your knees as well.

Nicky and I spot check each other when we're running. I've started to imagine my shoulder blades trying to touch and my head floating up on an invisible string like I did in ballet. Much easier to do on mile 2 vs mile 8.

For me especially, I need to strengthen my thighs. Squats and lunges! I had surgery on my right knee after falling at work. I've been noticing on longer runs that my right leg is weaker and my right thigh muscles really tire out. My knee doesn't hurt, it just all feels weak.

Standing tall

My posture is so much better. Yes. The running and great eating helps but I think it's more than that.

I feel more like myself again. I walk into a room and I'm holding my head higher and giving it. I think I've always been confident but now I feel more free.

I think when you are in that good space you attract good people. We'll see where that goes but all I can say is life is great right now and I have to thank all of you supporting me along the way.

Week 13 & 14: Feeling better in the skin that I'm in

So Independence Day (aka July 4th) completely threw me off and it's like I went into a blogging black hole. It felt like Saturday. It was not.

This means this post covers week 13 and 14. I'm starting to feel more like myself. I'm not 100% there but I feel sleeker and healthier.

I think I may have lost 1/2 a pound but maybe not. I'm still hovering at the same weight this past 3-4 weeks. I'm not exercising everyday - maybe that's why. 3 months in and I still haven't found my rhythm. I think I just have to start and make myself do it for 30 days until the habit is set.

The not drinking part

I feel great not drinking. It's fantastic. And my friends are awesome and don't care if I drink or not. I'll still go out and dance and have a great time, there's just no booze in me.

A friend of a friend asked me to come out on Saturday night for another friend's birthday. I was early, got myself a tonic and waited for him. He kinda shook his head at my instance of no alcohol.

Later when we were on a rooftop overlooking all of New York, he grabbed me a seltzer and a drink for us to share. He was disappointed and claimed it wasn't fair. He'd get drunk and look stupid and I'd be sober. I shrugged. I'm ok with that but he obviously wasn't.

I said good night well before the party was over (I still witnessed a bar top dancing serenade, flaming sparklers, unlimited bottle service and met a lovely midget doorman in a top hat) and took the excruciating 90 minute ride home on the NYC subway after midnight. He offered to drive me but 9 drinks in? I'm not getting into any car with someone who's spent the night drinking whiskeys (or anything else).

I realize that I wasn't as straight forward off the bat as I should have been. I said - oh I'm training tomorrow so I can't and was all bashful like 'I would if I could kinda thing.' I should have said 'I stopped drinking 3 months ago so I could get healthy again so I'm not drinking now but thank you for the offer.'

As long as I'm clear with my intentions, that's all I can do really. Its just how sone people are but the good ones aren't. I guess this is an easy way to see who I should hang out with.

Brunch with friends: Stone Park Cafe Vs Barking Dog

Last weekend I got the joy of brunching both Saturday and Sunday. Woohoo! But which was the better brunch joint?

Hitting 5th Avenue

As you may imagine, Park Slope is chalk full of brunch places and other eateries. After seeing a company class with the American Ballet at the Metropolitan Opera House, I headed back south to have brunch with my friend Casey.

We went to Stone Park Cafe, a place he always wanted to go to. As I seem to be eating a lot of omelets lately, I went for the poached egg on bluefish cakes with wilted spinach. Oh that yellowy goodness of the perfect poached egg. I gave my potatoes to Casey (who loved that idea) as I didn't need them. The veggies were enough.

The waitresses and waiters were super friendly and kept our coffees regularly filled. Only downside was that we were sat next to a group of yummy mummies who brunch who'd had quite a few cocktails. Boy were they loud but that is the slope for you!. (Note to self: this makes me sound like an old curmudgeon. I don't believe I am.)

Dogs, dogs and omelets

On Sunday I was due for a long awaited catchup with Elisabeth. We were meant to meet at noon at Penelope's but it was rammed, an hour wait and I was stuck on the other side of the pride parade. I did get to see Mayor Bloomberg waving a flag in the parade so I'm glad I got stuck for a bit.

We settled on Barking Dog. As you may imagine, dogs are welcome to sit outside as their owners enjoy a meal and the whole interior is dogs, dogs, dogs. One of waitresses had a cat shirt on - definitely a place with a sense of humor.

Though everyone was nice it wasn't anything more than a dog themed Denny's. They mixed up my order so it had cheese in it (damn my allergies!) but they quickly replaced it and were nice enough to give me fruit salad instead of potatoes and biscuits.

Elisabeth had cream cheese and fruit stuffed French Toast. She said it was OK but most of it was left on her plate. Cute, not bad prices and was good in a bind but we're definitely going to try Penelope's next time.

I definitely think Stone Park Cafe won food wise but I loved the cheeky fun of Barking Dog. If I had a family in tow I think Barking Dog would have been a better choice but as I didn't, I'll leave it for the history books.