Drunk on Opportunity

My Favorite Date Spot (in honor of Valentine's Day)

2012-02-13T19:36:00.000-08:00

A few years ago, one of my favorite people introduced me to Wo Hop (17 Mott Street, downstairs, go NOW). Lucky for me, we still go there. It's a hole in the wall Chinese restaurant that's been a favorite of locals and tourists alike for more than 30 years. I know some awesome folks who've been going there since the 70s...and let's be real, lower Manhattan in the 70s was not such a great place to be, so it'd have to be reallllllly delicious to make that trek, no?

Anyhow, Wo Hop is incredible, and it's SUCH a fun place to go on a date, be it your first or your thousandth. If you go on a Friday or Saturday, or really any day when it's decent out, expect a line coming out of the ground, but trust me, stay and wait! When you get seated, I need you to order the wonton soup. I promise you, it is the best wonton soup you will ever have.

The crunchy noodles are optional, but they're pretty good too. The wonton soup is NOT optional. SO GOOD. According to my favorite, Wo Hop is a "noodle place" so he always get's lo mein. It's pretty good, but I like to get a little bit of vegetables in my meal, so I often go with the chicken with broccoli. The broccoli is always fresh and just cooked enough.

Luckily, the portions at Wo Hop are ginormous, so you can share dishes with YOUR favorite person. (Honestly, it's technically all family style...except for the wonton soup, DO NOT SHARE, get your own.) When all is said and done, I guarantee you'll be so full and happy, if you weren't love in the way in, you'll be in love on the way out ;)~

How could I not love a restaurant that sends me home with this message?

Happy Valentine's Day!!

Pitza

2012-02-11T20:59:00.001-08:00

Nom Nom Nom

My Favorite Snack Right Now

2012-02-06T18:16:00.000-08:00

I don't know about you, but I go through phases with my tastes. Lately I have been digging ice cream, probably because I realized that vanilla ice cream is fantastic with warm fruit. Here's how it works.

1) Pour some frozen berries in a bowl.
2) Microwave it
3) Add ice cream
4) Enjoy the amazing deliciousness of summer in the middle of winter

YAY!

Newsflash: I Crave Structure

2012-02-02T19:15:00.000-08:00

Ok so.. for someone in the world, working part time from home is dream come true. Forgive me for sounding ungrateful, but I'm not that person. I like to busy, frantic even. I'm only working collectively, say 15-20 hours per week, and since I only have one class and my thesis is plugging along, well...I have too much time on my hands.

photo borrowed from raywj.com

Frankly, all this free time is making me feel a little listless.

Frankenstein wishes he was busy too

So I've decided, if a job & school won't do it, I'm going to have to schedule myself within an inch of my life. Because let's be real, if I have four hours to write a blog post, go for a run, take a shower and write a press release it ain't gonna happen...buuut, if I have 30 mins to write a blog post, 1 hour to go for a run, 30 mins to get dressed and showered and an hour to write a press release, I'll also manage to write a chapter of my Master's thesis & knock out some strength training in those four hours. I just need to be structured.

This is totally normal, right?

So part one of this plan is to get up at the same time everyday and workout as if I were super busy. Morning runs and workouts are coming back folks. I'll let you know how it goes!

January NYC Bloggers Playdate

2012-01-31T19:17:00.000-08:00

This past weekend, Keelie of Sweat = Success (it really does, she is living, breathing proof), organized another fabulous NYC Bloggers Playdate! I love getting to know other bloggers and fitness enthusiasts, the ladies who I've met at these get togethers are so awesome.

This month, Dasha Libin of Kettlebell Kickboxing hosted us for a class. I'm not going to lie, I took a kettle bell class recently (for the first time) and I was so sore afterwards that I walked down stairs sideways for four days (I wish I was kidding, ask my friends and family), so I was...intimidated. Unfortunately, I love a challenge and am physically incapable of saying no to a free workout (fact).

kettlebells!

Dasha and her co-teachers were 1)fantastic and 2) hot. I don't know about you, but when I walk into a fitness class and the teacher looks amazing, I want to be doing what she's doing. They walked us through each of the exercises and corrected our form (SO important and SO often neglected in fitness classes). By the end, I was a sweaty mess who couldn't wait to come back for more.

The whole gang (photo from Sweat = Success)

If you know me, you would guess that I was very very hungry at this point, and you would be right. Luckily, part of the NYC Blogger Playdate always involves food (let's be real about why I go)! We headed deep into Chinatown to check out Buddha Bodai, a vegetarian dim sum restaurant. We didn't know when we started on our journey that we would end up in the midst of the Chinese New Year.

FLAGS! (this one's for C-Lou)

Dragons! (Also reminded me to be excited about Game of Thrones Season 2)

When we finally made it to the restaurant we were really hungry, but there were about a million and five delicious sounding options on the menu, so deciding was yet another adventure.

serious menus demand serious concentration

In the end I could't settle on one item (shocking, I know). I split some dumplings with my friend Colleen, rocked a wonton soup & spicy rice noodles with eggplant.

All good things folks, all good things. Finally, full & exhausted, we took a picture (we are bloggers) and called it a day!

From left to right: Keelie (Sweat = Success), Toni (Running, Loving, Living), Ashley (Freckles & Spice), Me, my beautiful friend Colleen, Meredith (Dare You To), and Erika (Shoes Shirts & Other Sh!t)

There were lots more bloggers around for the workout, but alas I do not know them all! If you want to know about the next NYC Blogger Playdate/want to talk about blogging/plan a fun event everyone should go to, let me know!

Working from Home

2012-01-29T19:42:00.000-08:00

Last week I finished my internship and began life as a freelancer. Nowadays, I work from home for two companies on a project basis. It's been...an adjustment. I'm a little bit high strung, so being in the house all day can be a challenge. When I'm not doing work, I've found lots of ways to amuse myself.

Up first, LOTS of running. The weather outside had been gorgeous and I've been taking advantage of it.

Sometimes a run will make you hungry. If you have a midtown meeting, you can meet your favorite person for lunch at a diner and order this amazing dish:

This was by far the freshest most delicious gyro with greek salad I've ever gotten at a diner. It was incredible. Maybe if you walk past a Bikram Yoga place every day, you could pay $20 for the unlimited introductory week and learn the glory that is lying in your own sweat (overshare, sorry).

I liked it, but at the regular price, I won't be able to afford to go week after week. Le sigh.

Do you ever work from home? What do you fit into your day when you don't have to go into the office?

Delicious Food Week & Healthy(er) Beef Stew

2012-01-24T16:36:00.000-08:00

I am officially dubbing the fourth week of January 2012, Delicious Food Week. I have been eating so much amazing food it is ridiculous. It all started on Saturday when I headed out to Brighton Beach for Ukranian Food at Cafe Glechik.

In all honesty, I could not tell you what any of those things were, but they were delicious. My grad school classmates (aka some pretty awesome women who I adore) and I had a slew of appetizers, split several entrees family style and got dessert! (Did you know pierogis came in a dessert variety?) I won't tell you just how affordable it was, but I HIGHLY recommend this place.

On Sunday, the Giants were gunning for the NFC Championship so I naturally went to dinner at the home of my favorite Giants fans. I TOTALLY forgot to take pictures of the food, but we had a straight up delicious home cooked meal of chicken, mashed potatoes and gravy, sauteed carrots and salad. You can imagine that, right?

Since I indulged all weekend, I'm trying to integrate some delicious into my healthy weekdays. Toast with peanut butter, sliced apple and cinnamon? That makes the cut!

Also on the list of delicious goodness: BEEF STEW! I know, I know, it doesn't sound very healthy, but here's why it is.

1) I used naturally lean beef from Trader Joe's

2) I used vegan vegetable stock with sea salt (the sodium on this stuff is WAY lower than typical stock & is chock full of delicious herbs

3) I folded in a tablespoon of flax seed meal for some extra omega 3s

4) I added collard greens and kale!

Juiced up/Scaled Down Beef Stew (a made up recipe from yours truly)

Ingredients

1.5 lbs lean beef cubed

1 tbsp olive oil

1 white onion sliced or diced

2 cubes low sodium vegetable stock

4 cups of water

3 potatoes cubed to desired size (I cut em pretty big since you want them to stew a long time)

5 large carrots cubed to desired size

2 tbsp flaxseed meal

1 tbsp flour

3 cups of tough greens (any variety will do)

Brown meat in the pot with olive oil, once lightly browned on all sides add onion, simmer on LOW for 10 minutes. Add water and vegetable stock cubes (or 4 cups of low sodium vegetable stock), cover and simmer for 10 minutes. Add potatoes and simmer for 1 hour on LOW. Add carrots and simmer on LOW for another hour. Mix flour with a little bit of water and add to pot, stir until it is completely dissolved. Stir in tough greens, cover and simmer for at least 30 minutes.

You don't have to follow my instructions exactly, basically if you put everything in a pot and cook it covered on the lowest possible heat for as long as you can wait, it will turn out delicious. It isn't exactly a salad in terms of nutrition/calories, but it's a pretty delicious way to get some things that are good for you!

Happy eating :)

What do you do when your race is snowed out?

2012-01-21T11:51:00.000-08:00

So I was supposed to be running the Manhattan Half Marathon this morning, but because NYC got its first snow of the year, they made it a "non-competitive event" that you didn't have to run to get credit for. If I was a good runner, or lived near Central Park, I would've bundled up and gotten out there to run 13.1 miles in the snow for fun...but I'm not a good runner. I'm a bit on the lazy side, and getting that 9 + 1 credit for 2013 from the warmth of my own bed... well that's just awesome. So at 5:30, I went BACK to bed to the sound of plows pummeling down the street.

At 9:30 I got up for real, made myself a delicious cup of coffee from the french press (this is my new favorite thing EVER),

made some toast with peanut butter, apple and cinnamon, and eased into the day.

Since I played the snow day card on this morning's race I resolved to head to the gym. I knocked out an hour long vinyasa class, ran a mile on the track and did a 20 minute plyometric workout in which I sweat like a (insert expletive here). Yay sweat!

This afternoon I'm headed to Cafe Glechik, a Ukrainian restaurant in Brighton Beach with my fabulous grad school classmates. I'm sure I'll have some fantastic food & friend photos for you later!

Do you still run outside when its snowing? How bad does it have to be for you to call it a snow day?

A Long Wintry Weekend

2012-01-17T18:56:00.000-08:00

This weekend was COLD man. Luckily, I had some work to do inside so I didn't feel too guilty staying in, on the couch, with a mug of hot whatever. Hot whatever started with the first cup of coffee from my new French Press (a present to myself for nailing my third semester of straight A's. Grad school = 0, Aubrie = 4.0)!
In case you were wondering, the coffee was delicious, but I was too excited to remember to take a picture.

On Friday night I went to this KILLER kettlebell class that kicked. my. butt. No joke, folks, I was dripping sweat on the floor of the YMCA cardio room and my legs are stilllll sore (4 days later?!). Needless to say it was all kinds of awesome and I can't wait to go back! However, the sore made me even more of a couch potato and after an unsuccessful mile on Saturday morning, I retreated to netflix and a warm blanket.

On Sunday my parents came up for the day, and my mom suggested going to Central Park...on that tepid 18 degree day. Really, mom? I talked her into the Smithsonian Museum of the American Indian in Battery Park (inside) and a trip to the World Trade Center Memorial (less outside than Central Park?). We had a great day, and I have to say I was incredibly impressed with the WTC memorial.

Because the water cascades down two levels of darkness it gives you an incredible sense of loss and weight. You can't see the bottom, it's just this endless drop. It's powerful and beautiful and captures what an enormous loss that day was for our country.

After the memorial it was time for the game! Now, I'm an Eagles fan through and through, but my dad grew up in New Jersey, so he has a soft spot for the Giants, and my boyfriend's a huge Giants fan, so we were cheering on the G-men this weekend. We watched the game at this awesome bbq/mexican place in Park Slope called Rachels. They have $4 margaritas (yay!) and this:

Can you say HOLY GUACAMOLE? That was my dad's dinner. It was huge. For reference, that's an iPhone at the top right corner of the photo. The width of this burrito was longer than an iPhone! He ate about 2/3 of that thing, which I personally find very impressive (and potential inspired by the $4 margaritas). I had a taco/enchillada combo with black beans and rice that was just right. I will definitely be going back there soon.

Now, where am I going to watch the games this weekend?

Bagel Friday!

2012-01-15T09:04:00.000-08:00

whole wheat bagel with strawberry cream cheese = awesome start to the weekend

Boring Dinners and a Late Start to 2012

2012-01-12T20:41:00.000-08:00

So the big event I've been planning at work FINALLY came and went and now I'm on the path to a regular life again. After the craziness of the past few months, I'm definitely looking forward to having some time to myself to refocus and relax. I hope to stop eating dinners that look like this:

(morningstar farm "buffalo wings" and frozen veggies)

and start eating meals that look more like this:

(homemade ministrone from herbivoracious.com)

Basically, I want to slow down, enjoy life and take care of myself. I know I'm a little late for the resolution wagon, but I've set a couple of large life changes I want to make in 2012 and smaller goals that I want to accomplish towards them.

1) 2012 is for feeling good.

I will take a vacation. I haven't actually taken a vacation in 3 years...unacceptable. One week of 2012 will be devoted to me going somewhere to enjoy myself.

I will take care of myself. I'm going to keep my nails done b/c it's something simple I can do to slow myself down and make sure I'm taking care of me. I'm also going to make sure I'm going to the doctor (and dentist) when I should.

I'm running the 2012 NYC Marathon (my second marathon thankyouverymuch). I want to get stronger and faster before I begin training so that it's a more comfortable process this time around.

2) 2012 is for building for the future

I will start actively saving again. Before I started school I had saved some money, but that got re-invested into my education so my savings are pretty measly right now. I'm going to start putting money away again, and I've already opened a mint.com profile to help me out!

I graduate in May (provided I finish me thesis...), so the plan is to find a permanent job in the next few months. While this isn't completely within my control, I'm going to launch the most ambitious job search I can.

I will learn about building a business, investing, and owning property so I know what options are available to my inner ~~hustler~~ entrepreneur. I will also bring my shoddy knowledge of either Spanish, French or Russian to fluency. I'm bored of being mono-lingual.

3) 2012 is for being a responsible citizen

I will buy fair trade, organic, or local whenever possible. I will buy vintage, recycled and thrift when I can, make more at home and be more proactive about recycling, reducing the waste I create, and reusing what I can. I will grow herbs!

I will volunteer 100 hours in 2012.

I will be more patient, considerate, and respectful of people in my life and strangers (even the ones walking SO SLOW 5 people wide on the sidewalk). Everybody's got it rough sometimes, everyone has somewhere to be, and let's be real, it's not like I'm late for an appointment to save the world.

So that's my plan for 2012; to feel good, to build for the future, and to be a responsible citizen. What are your goals and resolutions for 2012?

January 11, Hot Toddy Day

2012-01-11T12:02:00.000-08:00

With a blog called Drunk on Opportunity, I have to let you know that today is National Hot Toddy Day. In addition to being a delicious way to feel all warm and fuzzy inside, hot toddies are chock full of antioxidants from black tea and cinnamon.

Celebrate!

It's official, I'm in!

2012-01-05T09:40:00.000-08:00

Hey ya'll, I am SWAMPED since the event I've been working on since JUNE is this Monday, but I couldn't wait to tell you my news!

NYC Marathon registration status: Accepted

!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

2011 Redux

2012-01-04T19:31:00.000-08:00

Things that were great about 2011:
I finished my first year of grad school with a 4.0
I got to usher at the Royal Shakespeare Company's productions at the Park Avenue Armory and therefore see LOTS of amazing Shakespeare
I got to teach a college course AND was asked to return to teach the class next year
I learned A LOT about... A LOT actuallly
I found out I'm a lot stronger than I thought I was
I RAN MY FIRST MARATHON!!!
I got to spend a time with some of my best and oldest friends

Things that were awful about 2011
It was overwhelmingly busy
I got my heart broken
I was extremely frustrated at my job
There were roaches in my apartment
I felt lower than I've ever felt

I'm a very optimistic and usually every year around this time I think, "How could next year be any better than this!?", but not this year. I had thought that 2011 was a pretty rotten year, but looking back it seems like a victory. 2011 was a year full of growing pains. Things that I took for facts were challenged, the limits of my mind, body and sanity were tested, and I hardly had a moment to breathe for the last four months of the year. However, while the stable footing I'd been standing on for the past few years fell out from under me, I've learned that I can stand pretty well on uneven ground. I learned that I can tackle hills, find my balance in the dark, and when I really can't handle it on my own, that I have more amazing people in my life than I ever could have imagined. Yea, a lot of things about 2011 really sucked, but they put me in a great place to start 2012 and I couldn't be more grateful.

Christmas Recaps: The Feast of the Seven Fishes

2011-12-27T18:06:00.000-08:00

Those of you who are Italian probably know about the "Feast of the Seven Fishes". Basically, it's a Christmas Eve tradition in which families eat seven different courses of delicious FISH! Now, I'm not Italian, but my mom's best friend married into an amazing Italian family and we were adopted into their Feast of Amazingness. Since everyone was obliging enough to let me take photos of EVERY dish, I'm going to share them with you!

Course 1- Fish Stew

Course 2- Tuna in Pasta

Course 3- I forget what this one is (cod maybe?), but was fantastic

Course 4- Fried smelt (weirdly YUM)

Course 5- Bluefish- this was SO GOOD (I won't give away the secret)

Course 6- Scallops in Risotto

Course 7- Baccala

After all that amazing (healthy) fish, we closed the evening with some killer TIRAMISU!

and finally, MY contribution to the evening, a bottle of my favorite, Veuve Cliquot!

My Aunt Beth (family by friendship, not blood) broke out these hilarious glasses because one of the couples at dinner surprised us by showing up engaged!! (This proves my theory that if you buy a bottle of great champagne, things will happen that are worth celebrating.) Cheers to the happy couple!

Many many thanks to the 3 generations of gentlemen who brought all seven fishes to delicious fruition and to the whole family for including my Irish/German/Slovak/English/Extremely American family in this AWESOME tradition.

Holiday Favorites: Day 5- COCKTAIL (and a Secret Santa exchange)

2011-12-23T08:34:00.000-08:00

Who likes eggnog? That's like asking who likes ice cream, right? But let's be real, 1 cup of eggnog has something like 400 calories in it, and with all of the wonderful things to be enjoyed over the holidays, I'd rather spend half of those calories on a cookie and drink something a little lighter. To get festive, my favorite cocktail is hot mulled apple cider with whiskey.

To make, pour cider into a large pot, add whole allspice, whole cinnamon sticks, and whole cloves and heat, covered on LOW for as long as you'd like. The cider packs a little bit of Vitamin C, the spices (esp cinnamon) deliver antioxidants, and even with the whiskey, one drink clocks in at about 200 calories. And those 200 calories you saved by skipping the eggnog? How about a couple of dark chocolate covered pretzels?

Last night my amazing classmates (aka girls who run the world) and I held a Secret Santa exchange to celebrate the end of the semester and the holidays! I've often found Secret Santas fail miserably, but I guess we all know each other so well (we do spend EVERYDAY in class together) that this was a smashing success. There was cider and mulled wine (another fave), chocolate covered pretzels, pizza, and lots of festive decorations & heartfelt gifts. And maybe there was some lip syncing to Adele...

Have you ever participated in a Secret Santa? How did it go?

Because everyone loves a cat in costume

2011-12-22T09:15:00.000-08:00

This is Frankenstein. He lives in Brooklyn with me, but spends every Christmas at his country home with my parents. To cover his room and board, he moonlights as holiday entertainment.

Holiday Favorites: Day 4- PRESENTS

2011-12-22T08:58:00.000-08:00

Everybody loves presents; getting them, giving them. Presents give joy to the gifter and the receiver, but THIS present brings joy even further.

Charity Gift Cards!

The "good card" is from Charity Navigator but there are a number of reputable sources that sell these. I gave my mom one for her birthday and she thought it was the greatest thing ever. If you already know someone likes a certain charity, you can also make a donation in their name.

I don't know about you, but I don't really need anything, so I love the idea that someone could me give a gift that helps someone in need.

What's the best gift you've ever given/received?

Holiday Favorites: Day 3- TRADITIONS

2011-12-21T09:12:00.000-08:00

While some of our holiday traditions have changed over the years, this one has stood the test of time (mostly because its so low maintenance). I LOVE driving around with the family looking at Christmas lights on Christmas Eve. It doesn't matter if it's just on the way home from wherever we were, we're looking for them and there's something so amazingly peaceful about it. A close to the madness that is holiday preparation and before the insanity that is Christmas Day. (More on how Christmas Eve is my favorite holiday another time.)

Check out some great Christmas lights in Dyker Heights!

photo & linked article from BrooklynBased.net

Where are the best Christmas lights in your neighborhood?

Do you have a favorite holiday tradition?

Holiday Favorites: Day 2- MOVIES

2011-12-20T08:25:00.000-08:00

I'm cheating a little today. I have two. One is a classic, the other is a more recent fave.

A Christmas Story

Love Actually

What are your favorite holiday films?

Holiday Favorites: Day 1- SONG

2011-12-19T08:46:00.000-08:00

I'm almost done with finals...but I'm not there yet, so I'm going to share some of my holiday faves this week.

Here's my favorite holiday song:

Enjoy!

Finals + Holidays = Sporadic Workouts

2011-12-14T07:52:00.000-08:00

While I LOVE the holiday season, I haven't spent much time enjoying it this year. Unfortunately my finals go up until December 21st, and since the event I'm coordinating at work happens right after the new year, I'm completely slammed at the office. So right now, my average day looks like this:

7:30- wake up
8:30- leave for work
9/9:30- get to work
9:30-5 WORK LIKE CRAZY
5-6pm-travel to class
6-8:30- SO MUCH LEARNING
9/9:30- get home from class
9:30-12- FINAL PROJECTS, STUDY FOR FINAL EXAMS, MORE FINAL PROJECTS
12- Fall alseep on top of my ~~extremely novice~~ architectural model of a theater

Somewhere in all this madness I have to eat, shop for Christmas gifts, and plan my holiday travel. Needless to say, I am not getting much exercise. (As in I am FAILING the 30 for 60 Challenge.) Instead, I'm being careful about what goes into my body, since I know I won't have the opportunity to sweat it out.

Lucky for me, FAGE Greek yogurt was on sale this weekend, so I've got lots of delicious protein to start my days. I've been eating a lot of these at my desk:

A whole lot of fruit on the run,

And I've allowed myself a couple little pieces of dark chocolate everyday to curb any sweets cravings.

Yum. Normally I'd get sluggish from only working out once or twice a week, but I'm going on week two of a reduced schedule and I'm still feeling pretty good. Here's hoping I can keep it up until the semester is over and I can get back to this:

Busy Girl's Guide: The Nut Butter Apple Wrap

2011-12-06T13:00:00.000-08:00

Whew! The past month has been insane for me, and it shows no signs of slowing down until....wait for it....December 22nd. If you're like me, you have to squeeze all of your Christmas shopping in somewhere between eating and your daily commute, so here's a good eat on the go breakfast/lunch/dinner for that quick hop into Macy's during your nonexistent lunch break.

The Nut Butter Apple Wrap

You will need:

1 Whole Wheat Tortilla
1 Apple, sliced
Nut butter

Spread the nut butter on a whole wheat tortilla, layer apple slices in rows, and wrap like a burrito. wrap a paper towel around it to protect your food from your fingers and GO!

How do you fit Christmas shopping into your schedule?

Something to think about when you do your holiday shopping

2011-12-05T21:19:00.000-08:00

So, while I come from a family of very political people (both sides of the fence...on both sides of the family), I don't consider myself to be a highly political person. My personal views tend to fall somewhere in the middle, with a liberal or conservative stance on specific issues. However, I don't think human rights is a political issue. It is a human issue, and as a human with lots of rights, I feel I should support the rights of other humans. With that in mind, I'd like to bring these two articles to your attention during the holiday season.

One of the most powerful roles we play in society is that of consumer. We often don't realize how much power we have as purchasers in a global economy. So please, this holiday, purchase Fair Trade items whenever you can, buy recycled items and antique jewelry, and maybe tell your local jeweler that you'd like to know where the precious goods are coming from. If we all decide to be mindful consumers, we really can change the world.

From NBC's Rock Center
Fair Trade activists fight for responsibly mined gold

via The Huffington Post
The sad truth about the fight against blood diamonds

My Wild Weekend...of Homework

2011-12-04T19:56:00.000-08:00

It's ~~the holiday~~ finals season over here, and I had one wild weekend preparing for it. I stayed in Friday night just to decompress from the insane week I've had, and to get a head start on my weekend itinerary: work on three final project, study for one final exam and write one final exam for my undergrads.

Saturday I was lucky enough to get breakfast with one of my favorite people. I neglected to take pictures, but I had whole wheat french toast with Canadian bacon. It was delicious, and fueled me through several hours of research, but I hit my focus wall and knew it was time for a distraction.

Cooking! This is completely unglamorous, but I make food in bulk over the weekend so I don't have to during my busy weekdays. Cube up some chicken breast, griddle with a drizzle of olive oil, salt and pepper, and you've got a lean protein to add to any meal all week long!

After cooking up the week's supplies, I still wasn't ready to head back to the books so I hit the gym. Day 3 of 30 for 60 consisted of 30 minutes of speed drills on the treadmill, followed by 20 minutes of strength training and 10 minutes of stretching.

Dinner was leftover Chinese with some extra veggies thrown in, with a side of homework.

After a looong day of gettin stuff DONE, I was in no shape to go out, but in serious need of a break. I learned something very important at my corner bodega, Stella Artois now comes in a can!

I had one of these suckers and was tucked in bed by midnight. I told you guys, WILD. I would tell you about how thrilling Sunday was, but you probably couldn't handle all the awesome.

Thank Goodness It's Friday

2011-12-03T09:07:00.000-08:00

Holy Moley you guys. This week kicked my butt. Anyhow, now it's the weekend I can spend the whole weekend ~~hanging out~~ doing homework. I've decided to stay in the Borough of Brooklyn all weekend and to walk everywhere I go. (I'll let you know how I do!)

Friday is the only weekday that I don't have grad classes after work, so I often skip my morning workout with the intention of working out in the evening. Want to know how often that actually happens? Yeaa...

I was in no mood to work out so I played Wii Dance instead! Hello 30 minutes of daily exercise (day two of 30 for 60)!

Afterwards, since I am the model of healthy habits, I indulged myself.

Hello mini canoli, chocolate mousse tart and Guinness.

How was your Friday night?

Day One of the 30 for 60 challenge

2011-12-01T20:25:00.000-08:00

Brrr, its (finally) cold outside. It's also December 1st which means the holiday season is upon us. The tree in Rockefeller Center has been lit, the windows of Macy's are all aglow, and this New Yorker has big plans to pull her fake Christmas tree out of storage tonight. Since the holidays are always hectic, I wanted to put a plan in place to help me stay healthy through the New Year. Since I follow about a zillion fitblogs, I knew I could steal somebody else's plan to help me stay healthy through the New Year.

Hats off to RunCupcake from Because I Can, who started the 30 for 60 Challenge to help out exercisers like me. The challenge, work out everyday for 30 minutes from December 1-February 1. Since I'm not training for anything, I think a variety of shorter workouts every day will be a great way to fit fitness into my holiday.

Here's my first 30 for 60 workout:

27 mins- 3 mile run
30 seconds- Mountain Climbers
30 seconds- Marine plank
30 seconds- Side plank right
30 seconds- Side plank left
30 seconds- V sit
30 sit ups

It was a simple mix, but a great way to start the day. I wore my new sport gloves (thanks Mom), since it was only a few degrees above freezing at 7am. They have finger pads that allow you to work a touch screen..clearly this is so exciting I couldn't keep my eyes open.

What are you doing to keep up your healthy habits this holiday season?

NYC Blogger Playdate

2011-11-30T07:05:00.000-08:00

Every month, Keelie over at Sweat=Success organizes a killer NYC blogger playdate so those of us who read and write blogs can get together in real life and enjoy some fitness and food. I went in September and was thrilled to meet some of the ladies behind blogs I already love, and to learn about some great new people and blogs to follow.

This month the playdate will be on December 10th and we're headed to Burlesque Bikini Bootcamp (I know, it's totally outside of my comfort zone too, but it'll be FUN!)

Check out Sweat = Success for the details and to RSVP!

Where are my post marathon blues?

2011-11-28T12:37:00.000-08:00

I'd read so many articles about the post-marathon blues, I half expected to get them, but a week out from my big race, I'm feeling GOLDEN. While I'm no expert, I think these factors have contributed to my post-race glow.

1) It was my first marathon and everyone I've seen this week has congratulated me. Let's be real folks, the praise for this race is a big part of what makes it worth the AGONIZING PAIN of running 26.2 miles. I'm more proud that I survived the damn thing than anything else, plus I kept an average 10 min per mile pace which ain't too shabby for a first marathon. Additionally, a bunch of my running friends have told me how inspired they are to try a marathon or half, so now I can look forward to training with friends for future races!

2) I'm super busy. When I decided to run a marathon over the summer I had a LOT more time than I've had the past few months. My fall schedule went from packed to INSANE when I put "train for a marathon" into the mix with full time grad student, full time job, teaching an undergrad class and searching for a permanent full time position. I haven't felt the same empty space that many runners experience when training ends. I've felt relief. Enormous amounts of relief, a return to my social life, and can you say 8-9 hours of sleep every night?

3) The holidays. Thanksgiving was hectic, but it's still great to see friends and family, and the start of the Holiday season is a great distraction from well, anything. I swapped multi hour runs for christmas music and baking. Not a bad trade eh?

4) Other forms of fitness. The last month of my marathon training I was DESPERATE to mix some new fitness routines into my running but I 1) didn't have time to meet my necessary mileage and do other workouts and 2) wanted to avoid injury. Now that I don't have to hit 35-40 miles a week I can roll a spin class, strength training, yoga and dance back into my life. Yay!!

Do you get post-race blues, post race highs or both?

Thanksgiving Weekend or Anything But Turkey

2011-11-27T19:34:00.000-08:00

After Thanksgiving, I was ready for anything but Turkey. Lucky for me, this weekend was full of scrumptious food far from holiday fare. I got back to Brooklyn from the Homeland on Friday night and promptly set a date at Joya, a Thai restaurant in Cobble Hill. There are only two words to describe this spot: delicious and affordable. We split an appetizer, and each had an entree and with tip the whole thing was $30 including tax and tip. Yay!

I got one of the specials: skirt steak over spicy noodles with vegetables. Sorry about the crappy picture, but it was truly great (even reheated 6 hours and several beers later... Note to self: drinking multiple bud lights is not a good idea ever, but especially after you've had on average 1 a week for four months because you're training for a marathon).

Saturday night I met up with my gorgeous friend Maggie and some of her sister's friends for dinner at Dos Caminos in the Meatpacking District. This was classier and more grown up than my typical Saturday night, but very, very fun. Since I was hanging with some real grown ups, I felt it might be taboo to photograph my food, so you will just have to imagine how good my ASADA TACOS looked and tasted.

This afternoon I needed a quick and cheap lunch, so I stopped by Lopez Bakery for a spicy pollo panini. One of the best thing about this place is that every sandwich/panini comes with your choice of salad: fruit, Isreali, coleslaw or corn and bean. How awesome is that?

However, my favorite meal of my post-turkey weekend came from my very own kitchen. It wasn't fancy, it wasn't exotic, it didn't take any skill to make, and it was even a little boring. Salmon with habanero sauce, brown rice with butter, and frozen broccoli.

But you know what? It wasn't turkey!

How was your Thanksgiving?

I Survived my First Marathon!!

2011-11-20T19:18:00.000-08:00

I haven't blogged in a few weeks, and frankly it's because I was too overwhelmed to articulate all the things I've been doing. With this morning's race over, one of the biggest challenges is behind me and I feel ready to share again!

So the Marathon. The First Ever Bucks County Marathon to be specific, consisted of 26.2 miles of trail along the Delaware Canal Tow Path in (where else) Bucks County, PA (this happens to be my homeland). We kicked off a little after 9am in Yardley and plodded north to New Hope. Let me just say, this is one of the most beautiful places in the country and I highly recommend a stint in a Bed and Breakfast to rejuvenate your soul.

I'm in the weirdly short person in the blue hat and purple shirt. I swear I'm not that small irl.

Miles 1-12 were easy peasy. I carried along with a pace between 9 and 9:30 min miles and soaked up some lovely views.

Miles 12-14 got a little bit warm and sunny, but weren't bad, and then 14-16 was golden again...then I started getting tired...and sore...and really, really over running.

My dad was Captain Camera today... also, told you it was beautiful.

I carried on pretty well until about mile 19. I stopped, stretched a little and then carried on. The last 7 miles were a mix of running, walking, and shuffling. After mile 25, I decided to just power through whatever pain came my way.

I wasn't thrilled, but I finished strong and crossed the finish line under my goal of 4h30m with a final time of 4h25m38s and promptly found a patch of grass on which to plant my sore bum.

I did it. I ran my first marathon. I am a marathoner. It hasn't all sunk in quite yet, and thanks to a tip from my parents, I took a couple advil right after and I am feeling FRESH right now. I imagine the crippling soreness tomorrow might help me process the event :).

Thanks a million to my parents, who managed to make it to EVERY spectator spot along the course with signs, cowbells and words of encouragement, to all my friends who've reminded me that this is something to be proud of, to all the AMAZING bloggers whose tips, tricks and recipes I have shamelessly stolen and utilized, and to all you runners out there who inspire me each and every day. We rock, and we really can accomplish anything.

Now I'm going to sit on the couch with my purring heating pad :)

What are you proud of this week?

Holy Overwhelmed

2011-10-26T08:31:00.000-07:00

The past few weeks have been crazy. To be fair, much of my obligations have been self imposed and for fun (blowling with friends, going to see shows, marathon training runs), but since there isn't much wiggle room in my schedule, thing's have gotten a little...errr tight. Given my need to mental free time, coupled with the demands of school and work and sleep, I have NOT been getting up before work to run. I know. It's pretty bad. My weekly mileage looks more like that of someone training for a 5K than a marathon. Ooops.

Not to fear: Groupon has come to my rescue! New York Sports Club offered a one month "passport" membership for $24 and I jumped on it. There's a NYSC in the building where I work, which means I can squeeze in a few miles and a shower during lunch or between work and class whenever I can spare the hour. Awesome, back on track! (I'll give a full report on how it works out.)

Since I havevn't been running enough, I've been dealing with my emotional and mental overwhelm-ed-ness in other, not so productive, but equally fabulous ways:

Retail therapy! Who doesn't feel great when they have on some cute new underthings and new makeup?

Malbec! I got halfway through that glass, put it in the fridge to finish tomorrow and went to bed. Nothing like a little resveratrol for your health, right?

Expensive greek yogurt! Umm, just yum, so much yum. Plus, all I need to do is throw it in my lunchbag and breakfast is made. Quick, delicious and full of much needed protein to start my day off right.

HUGH JACKMAN! This Friday, LIVE on Broadway, with these wonderful ladies (my grad school classmates, Melayna drew this on the board before our design class last night, mad skills, no?).

What do you do when you just need to cut loose?

2011-10-22T13:48:00.000-07:00

Sooo, it's one month to my marathon and I just knocked out my 20 miler. It took me 3 hours and 10 minutes which I'm pretty proud of and the run itself was surprisingly pleasant. I will be fighting for the additional 6.2 when the race comes around.

1) I now know that I will be able finish the marathon (I will be walking through water stations, but still).

2) I also know I will be in pain when it's over because right now my butt legs and toes (sooo many blisters) are sore as all get out.

In spite of the fact that I'm sore and tired I'm enjoying my afternoon:

Chinese food, a beer and college football: I am officially in sloth mode.

What do you do post run?

Busy Girl's Guide to Lunch: Baked Potatoes

2011-10-18T13:30:00.000-07:00

In the interest of being useful, I'm going to share my tips for quick and easy packed lunches/dinners for all you over scheduled folks. Up first: Baked Potatoes.

Potatoes get a bad rap since they are king carbs, but they're also pretty good for you (especially if you eat the skin, mmm fiber!), and serve as a great vessel for other healthy foods. Honestly though, the reason I really love a baked potato is that it takes NO EFFORT to make. Wash, fork, let sit in the oven for an hour. Done. I can bake potatoes while I do my homework, my laundry, the dishes, while playing Dance Dance Revolution on the Wii; the possibilities are endless (as is my to-do list).

Once the potato is cooked you just load it up with something good and it's ready to go. This week I piled on some black beans and salsa, packed them to go, and instantly had multiple meals for the week.

Yum. Total time expenditure on 2 lunches for the week: 3 minutes.

Fun + Friends + Work + School = Not enough miles

2011-10-16T18:59:00.000-07:00

Sooo, I've been a little...under...my scheduled weekly mileage the past two weeks, but I'm not disappointed in myself. I started running a few years ago to keep in shape in the absence of a gym membership, but I grew to love it. I decided to run a half marathon because I thought it would be fun. I decided to run a marathon because I wanted to accomplish something epic. I run for me. Running is something that's completely natural and freeing and makes me feel both relaxed and exhilarated. This is why I'll never get down on myself for cutting a run short, missing my goal miles for the week, or even deviating from a marathon training schedule. The fact of the matter is that I run because I love it, but there are many things I love in life: beer, theatre, sleep, learning, and more importantly friends and family. Lucky for me, there have been lots of friends around lately, new and old, that have taken up some of my running time. (Don't worry, running knows I have a life and it loves me anyway. We have a very healthy relationship.)

As I mentioned earlier this week, I took a trip to the homeland and got to spend time with my wonderful parents and a couple of elementary school buds. When I returned, one of my favorite ladies from college was visiting NYC from London. We did happy hour, did lunch, went dancing with fabulous ladies, took shots of tequila (only one), and ate lots and lots of fro yo (it was really hot last weekend).

The lovely Adi

This week I got to spend a number of delightful dinners with my classmates (yea grad school!), including one that began at a Thai restaurant (Yum Yum....not sure which version), traveled to a bar for pumpkin beer ($5 special what whaaaaat) and ended with one of the most amazing pieces of theater I've seen since I moved to New York. Seriously, go see Sons of the Prophet at Roundabout. I say no more.


Green curry...yes I'm obsessed


Shock Top Pumpkin Ale. mmmmm.


Best Classmates Ever.

These are just some highlights of the glorious disregard for deadlines I've been reveling in lately. Yes, I have a marathon to run in a little over a month. Yes, I need to find a full time job soon. Yes, I'm in charge of making a huge event happen in early December. Yes, I have a flurry of school deadlines looming over the next few weeks. No, I haven't accomplished as much as I should have on any of these things, but I haven't been wasting any time. I've been taking good care of myself and my personal well being. I've been treating my relationships with the wonderful people in my life with all the care and time they deserve, and I've been enjoying every minute of my life. And you know what? I'm not behind on any of my big projects either. I still went on my long run on Saturday (which went great), I've gotten all my work done for this week's deadlines, and that event is going to be awesome.

Work hard. Play hard. Love life.

Do you prioritize fun? How do you feel about missing a workout?

My First 5K

2011-10-11T12:43:00.000-07:00

This weekend was a whirlwind of awesome (with just a hint of sadness over Philadelphia sports)! After work on Friday I hopped on a bus to my hometown, Pennsylvania (legal official name, obviously).

After an awesome dinner of delicious Italian food from a local spot I went to bed, like a baller at 10pm. I had to run 10 training miles before my first EVER 5K the next morning (I know, I totally skipped this really basic distance).

On Saturday I got a slow start and only squeezed in 7 but whatever, I'm still nursing a cold with limited mileage (justification of lazy much?). I headed over to the race (which was a memorial for my friend Lauren's father who passed away last year and was a hugely wonderful member of the community) with about 15 minutes to go and got to catch up with a few friends from my childhood. We decided to line up together and intended to run the race together, until Lauren looked at me and said, "I'm thinking 7:30s, that's doable right?"

My face did this (I do NOT run that fast...EVER). When I got my words back I said, girl leave me in the dust I ain't runnin that fast. Lauren shot off like a bullet (girl is FAST), and I plodded along like my jolly self is prone to do with another one of my lovely friends. The whole first half was downhill, so I let gravity pull me a little bit, but I knew I'd have to go back up that hill so I tried not to push too hard. As I neared the finish line I realized I was still under 25 minutes and sprinted the last 50 or so yards to try and finish under. I finished in 25:05 womp womp. Next time.

Anyway, as it was a small hometown race I was the 4th place female finisher (and 14th overall out of about 150)! Woot! I even got a prize (on a technicality since Lauren finished third and was not prize eligible). I can't wait until I'm done with this marathon and can bring some serious speed training back into my life.

What are your thoughts on the 5K? Love it? Hate it?

Which do you prefer: distance or speed?

I have my priorities straight (Frozen Yogurt and the Phillies)

2011-10-07T13:53:00.000-07:00

I've been short on words this week, I imagine because I have a nasty cold and talking hurts, but I've got some pictures of important things that are going on in my life right now.

Frozen Yogurt. My dear friend Adi, who lives in London nowadays is in town on very professional business. Yesterday we met up for lunch and she suggested frozen yogurt. Now I've avoided the fro yo chains since I moved to NYC because I KNOW I will develop an expensive habit, but with friends it's always worth it. So, I give you Pinkberry pomegranate and original fro yo with raspberries, mango and chocolate shavings.

TODAY, is game five of the NLDS series between the Cardinals and the Phillies. I am psychotically (mildly) obsessed with the Philadelphia Phillies (some day I will blog about the wall in my home dedicated to this regal sports team), so I'm wearing my colors today.

I'll be watching the game tonite in the Philadelphia area with my family because it is a million times better than watching it with some angry Mets fans at a Brooklyn bar. See you tomorrow New York!

The Vegetables have something to say.

2011-10-05T19:55:00.000-07:00

I thought this was really cute. Unfortunately I couldn't figure out where the original source was (I found it on tumblr), so if you created this lovely little piece of art, let me know and I'll credit it immediately!

Things that make me really happy

2011-10-04T09:22:00.000-07:00

1) Getting something DONE (and consequently scratching it off my list)

2) Red October!!!! GO PHILS!

3) Hot Ham and Cheese Sandwiches

4) Seeing dear friends who now live very far away when they come to visit

5) Cool crisp fall mornings to run in

I get all of these things today. Today is a very good day.

Just call me a foodie (aka I've been playing pretend)

2011-10-03T12:03:00.000-07:00

So, I'm going to be really honest with ya'll. I LOVE FOOD. I really truly do, but I'm definitely not a foodie. I often go out looking for swiss chard and come back with collard greens or bok choy. I don't usually go to organic locally sourced resturants (although I very much enjoy them when I do), and I'm not averse to swinging by Subway when I'm short on time and refrigerator resources. I buy most of my groceries at one supermarket because it's easier than going to several different spots, and to me, spaghetti with canned sauce and some shaved parmesan totally counts as cooking dinner. Suffice it to say, I am a casual food lover and healthy eater.

That said, I'm trying to expand my cooking abilities and have decided that given my ethical standing on a number of issues, that I'm going to try to buy local as much as possible. This weekend I was basically chained to my computer since I had a LOT of schoolwork to do. Since I spent so much time in the apartment I decided to try some new recipes.

On Saturday I gave Women's Health Magazine's Creamy Pumpkin Peanut soup a shot. While this is probably obvious to every other person on the planet, it never occurred to me that you can make creamy soup in the blender!

Since I didn't make this one up, and followed the recipe very carefully, it turned out fantastic. It's a little unusual, since you've got pumpkin and peanut and a little zip in there, but it TOTALLY works and is super filling. Sweeeet.

Sunday was the most boring homework filled day ever, except it started with a BLT.

Made on fresh multi grain bread from a bakery in my adorable neighborhood.

However, now that I knew I could make broth soup into creamy soup just by putting it in the blender, I had to try something else! I took a look at the goodies I got at the farmer's market last week and decided to make Aubrie's version of creamy tortilla soup (If you know me, you're cringing right now, it can't end well, right?)

Well guess what kids, it worked! It needed a little salt and spice when it was done, but on the whole, it's kind of delicious.

Aubrie's Made Up Tortilla Soup recipe

1) Simmer one onion and 2 tbsps of vegetable oil until golden
2) Add diced tomatoes, chopped peppers (I used a red, a yellow and a green), simmer for 20 minutes
3) Stir in tsp of medium chili powder, tsp of cumin, two mashed cloves of garlic and one jalapeno chopped and de-seeded, simmer 5 more minutes
4) Add 2 cups of chicken broth, bring to a boil and simmer for 20 minutes
5) Pour half into the blender and blend until smooth (don't fill the blender more than halfway full..... you will make a mess. I know. Pour into a bigger pot and then do the other half :)
6) Add corn (I shaved mine off of boiled cobs as opposed to using canned or frozen, but anything would work.
7) Add shaved chicken (about 2 cups... this should be cooked already, you can bake or griddle or roast, just cut it into little peices or shave it before it goes in the soup. Salt and spice (with hot sauce of your choosing) to taste
8) Cook on medium for 5-10 minutes and serve!

If you make it and it's awful, I apologize for making up bootleg recipes and sharing them.

House Rules

2011-09-28T19:40:00.000-07:00

Dinner for One

2011-09-28T06:55:00.000-07:00

Last night I had a whole hour between work and class and a measly 2 blocks to travel to get there (woot!). I meandered over to Schnippers Quality Kitchen on 8th Avenue and 41st street. I've walked past this spot many many times and have often wanted to stop in, but never did. Well the opportunity arrived at last!

Deciding what to order was incredibly difficult. They have burgers, hot dogs, mac n cheese, sloppy joes, and combinations of the above all over the place. Could you specialize in more awesome foods? After some serious contemplation I decided on a turkey burger (comes with arugula, tomato and Schnipper's sauce on a whole wheat bun) and an order of sweet potato fries.

I'm not going to lie, this was an expensive meal (but at Times Square/Port Authority, what isn't) at $14 with the fountain soda, but I have to say it was worth it. They have this huge open seating area with amazing windows all the way around the place that makes for EXCELLENT people watching when you have some time to kill, annnnd the food was realllly good. The experience is kind of like an upscale Five Guys (and who doesn't like Five Guys?). I can't afford to make a habit of this place, but I have a feeling I'll be back there before the end of the semester.

What are your thoughts on fast-ish food restaurants?

True Confession Tuesday

2011-09-27T13:43:00.000-07:00

1) I'm back on diet soda. I had one on Friday and another one tomorrow. I went two weeks without having one at all, which I'm pretty proud of, but I feel like the fact that I'm not having one every. single. day. is progress. I'll keep working on it, but in a jam when I need caffeine and all that's available in a vending machine, sometimes a girl just needs a Diet Coke.

2) I had chocolate chip cookies for breakfast. I KNOW. There isn't any breakfast food in my apartment since my weekly grocery shopping got pushed to tomorrow (heyyy no classes on a weekday night!!). So I had a couple cookies (they're homemade so I know there's nothing unnatural in them :)...no?). Since I stopped to get an iced coffee on the way to work, I also picked up this guy:

NAKED's green monster. Um, how have I never had one of these before? dElicious!! Also, there's like a day's worth of vitamin A and C and a good portion of other vitamin goodness like Bs and folate, plus 4 grams of protein. Not bad for a beverage. It is high in calories, which is probably why I'd never gotten one before, but it's got so much fruit and veg in it (no added sugar!) that it totally doubles as breakfast. Awesome.

3) I took another rest day today. I'm feeling a little bit burnt out by life right now, and I was still exhausted when my alarm went off at 6am...so I reset the alarm and went back to sleep. I have much shorter days the rest of this week, so I know I'll be able to get my mileage in no problem, even with taking two days off of training.

So those are my confessions. I'm walking a little bit of a fine line here between busy and COMPLETELY OVER THE EDGE INSANE BUSY right now, and it means that I have to make compromises on my lifestyle sometimes. It doesn't mean that I can't do my best every day and that each new meal, or workout isn't another chance. Mess up once, ok. Do better next time. Mess up a whole week, that's ok too. Be better next week. Mess up for years? That's ok too. Right now is a fresh moment. Give it you're best shot.

Got any confessions you want to air?

Back to the Grind

2011-09-27T07:04:00.000-07:00

Oouf. I am sore. Not achy, painful to move sore, but ummm excuse me you should REST after racing 18 miles, not run errands all over NYC, sore. Luckily, I have theater design class after work today so I'm carrying around foam board and drafting supplies in addition to my usual bag o tricks.

total bag lady

Last night I fell asleep by 10pm I was so wiped out after my bustling weekend. This morning I woke up, did some early morning homework (because today is obviously a rest day on my training schedule I was NOT running), showered and got ready for work. In spite of my 8 hours of sleep last night I was still pretty tired. Luckily, I packed myself a power lunch of leftover eggplant stirfry, chick peas and brown rice. Yum.

After work and class and countless back and forths on the subway I ordered up some chinese from my local hole in the wall. I can't say it's anything special, but when good chinese can be ready and at your door in 15 mins, it is life saving. (I would have taken a pic but I was STARVING...I got steak and peppers if you're interested).

Tomorrow's another busy day but then I have 5 DAYS WITH NO CLASSES!!! (Thank you Rosh Hashannah!) I will be going grocery shopping, and yoga classing, and cooking, and napping and tv watching and blogging! Having evenings off is going to be stellar.

Got anything exciting planned for this week?

My Epic Weekend....of EATING

2011-09-25T16:50:00.000-07:00

This weekend was DELICIOUS. On Friday night I made an eggplant stir fry. On Saturday I baked chocolate chip cookies:

Since I had an 18 mile race on Sunday morning, I knew I would need more carbs than just cookies, so I wrangled my favorite Brooklyn native into going to Vinny's of Carroll Gardens. Chicken Parmesan anyone?

BUT, I didn't quite think I was done with the carb-loading so we went out for a couple beers (obviously). In spite of myself, I headed home at a reasonable hour, tucked my merry self into bed at 10:30 and set the alarm for...early. I'm trying to forget about how early it was.

The 18 mile tune-up was an enormous success! (FYI, I'm not running the NYC marathon, but I AM running a marathon in November, so I figured I totally count for the NYC Marathon tune up, right?). The race was 3 miles of Central Park, and since it's pretty hilly I made a deal with myself that if I ran completely through the first 2 laps I could walk up the big hills on the last one. Strategy was implemented, and I finished the race in 2:49:57, more than 10 minutes under my goal! Woot.

After the race I scurried my smelly self home, showered got gussied up and met some amazing ladies at a meet-up of health bloggers organized by the amazing Keelie of Sweat = Success! We met up at East of 8th in Chelsea (brunch in Chelsea, so glam, right?). I got to meet Ashley of Freckles and Spice, Toni of Running, Living, Loving, Juliette of Finish Your Broccoli, Lynda of Healthy Hoboken Girl and Amelia and Dierdre from Highways to Health.

Since I was in the presence of so many healthy ladies I obviously tried to order something health conscious:

The Monte Cristo, aka a ham and cheese sandwich in french toast. I am so good at this healthy stuff. Since there weren't any fruits or vegetables on my plate I made sure to order a mimosa to get some vitamin C.

Sigh. So much goodness. Did your weekend involve as much delicious food as mine did?

I would like to be this hardcore

2011-09-23T19:36:00.000-07:00

You guys, this might be TMI, but I lost my first toenail to running. RIP dear toenail. Luckily, I hung on to it long enough for a new one to start growing in! (Ok now it's DEFINITELY tmi.) Either way, I'm feeling pretty hard core, but you know what's REALLY hardcore? This guy, and his "old school" workout:

I'm a Guest Blogger

2011-09-22T11:03:00.000-07:00

Hey guys!

Keelie over at Sweat = Success is doing a guest blogging series on busy people and their healthy lives. Guess what? I'm one of them! You can check out my guest post here. While your there, subscribe, because her blog is amazing, and she is seriously smart when it comes to health and fitness (and acting and dancing and teaching and any number of other things, but that's another issue entirely).

Also, it's almost FRIDAY!!!

Who's ready for the weekend?

Do you 10Q ?

2011-09-21T08:20:00.000-07:00

A few years ago I started answering 10 questions about myself and the world every September. The following year, those answers pop up in my inbox. I love this project (10Q) and it's made me realize that 1) I know myself pretty well and 2) Many of my feelings and beliefs about the world are consistent year after year, but some things do change. It's cool to see. Like last year I said one of my goals was to live healthier and "cleaner" one step at a time, and I've definitely taken steps to clean up my diet and lifestyle. Here are some of the more amusing predictions I made:

Day 9:

What is a fear that you have and how has it limited you? How do you plan on letting it go or overcoming it in the coming year?

Your Answer:
I'm afraid of going to the dentist and finding out I need expensive procedures I can't afford.
I'm going to have to go eventually.

Day 11:

What are your predictions for 2011?

Your Answer:
More homework.

1)I finally went to the dentist
2) I definitely had a beast ton of homework

Have you ever participated in the 10Q project or something similar? Do you ever amuse yourself with your past year's goals/resolutions/predictions?

How I Ended Up Training for a Marathon

2011-09-19T11:08:00.000-07:00

It's not what happens to you, but how you react to it that matters. ~Epictetus

A year ago today I ran my first half marathon and LOVED it. In eighth grade I got a B in gym because I refused to run the mile for the Presidential Fitness test (I walked it happily), because I HATED running. How did I go from someone who absolutely hated pounding the pavement to someone who can't get through the week without a good run?

I was very athletic growing up, I was on the swim team, rode horses (English-style, jumpers), did gymnastics, danced, and cheered. In college I was committed to staying fit, and was a total gym rat. However, this funny thing happened when I graduated college and moved to New York without a job...I was broke. Like realllllly broke. I paid my first months rent, convinced my parents to stock my fridge with Costco goods and was left with $90 and stolen internet to find a job (which I did). With no free campus gym membership in sight I started running up to Prospect Park, doing a few crunches and pushups and running home. It started as two one mile legs, and eventually became a continuous three miles. I started working at a local restaurant to supplement my paltry actor's income and the chef was a runner runner (He's like insanely fast). The idea of distance running sparked my interest and I worked towards building my endurance. After a year of living in New York I was running about 15 miles a week and actually enjoying it.

For my 2010 resolution I decided I wanted to run a race...a long one. The longest distance I could fathom running was a half-marathon, so I signed up for the Rock N Roll Philly Half Marathon in September and started building my mileage. I started running 20-25 miles a week and have pretty much consistently maintained that ever since. I completed my first race in 2h10m02s and I was hooked. Honestly, if you want to get into running, but don't like it, sign up for a race. You will never go back.

(I totally talked my parents into it.)

Ever the casual goal -setter I decided I wanted to try a marathon....eventually. I decided that 2012 was the year. I would run 26.2 miles the year I turned 26. I'd be done with grad school, have the mental, physical and emotional capacity to handle it, and have plenty of time to prepare. For 2011, I joined NYRR and decided to run the 9 +1(volunteer) races I'd need for automatic entry into the 2012 NYC Marathon (side note: I live a block away from the NYC marathon course and I LOVE going down to watch it every year). I was ready. The plan was set, my life was swimming along brilliantly and I had the mother of all marathons to look forward to when grad school was done.

Then I got dumped...by my boyfriend of three years...who I was pretty sure I was going to spend the rest of my life with. That SUCKED. I was pretty devastated (note the sappy and philosophical posts that dominated the middle of the summer). I needed something to throw myself into, and fast. When an invitation to run the Inaugural Bucks County Marathon popped into my inbox, I clicked through instinctively. It was the first ever marathon in my home town. It was four months away. Before I could question what I was doing, my credit card was out and I had a receipt from active.com. I was running a marathon.

Wooops. Impulsive much?

Honestly, I've had my doubts about this decision, but it's brought a lot of positivity into my life over the past few months that I desperately needed. Marathon training forces to me fuel properly, not get rip roaring drunk, go to bed at a reasonable hour, gives me energy throughout the day, but leaves me exhausted at night so that I sleep like a baby. On some level, I'm grateful for the heartbreak because it's given me the opportunity to run this race and focus on myself right now. I'm working on becoming a better person all around and it's something I can be proud of. It's not the path I would have chosen for myself, but its a path that presented itself, and I'm happy to say I'm enjoying the journey.

Did a less than favorable situation ever drive you to something good?

Back to the Weekend Long Run

2011-09-17T11:09:00.000-07:00

I was delinquent last weekend and abandoned my long run in favor of two shorter runs...oops. Anyhow, I'm back on the wagon and (smartly) stayed in last night to prep for this morning's 16 miler. Since I was 1) tired 2) feeling super lame about staying in on a Friday night, I ordered some takeout from my favorite Mexican restaurant . OBVIOUSLY I needed to carb load, so I got an order of chicken enchilladas (comes with rice and beans) and an order of chips with guac (so much yum).

Sorry I neglected to take a photo before I annihilated it. I was hunnnngry. I got to bed at a decent hour, made sure I got a full eight hours and took a leisurely morning to fuel for my run. I woke up at 8:00 (for those of you who've been getting up at 6am all summer to run before it's 9,000 degrees out know how absolutely THRILLING it is to get up at a human hour for a long run), got coffee from the local bakery, had toast with peanut butter and half a grapefruit (and gummy vitamins), and sat on my bum for a couple hours.

When I was at Target on Thursday I picked up a couple of CLIF Shot Bloks to try out for my long runs.

I actually really liked the taste of these, and they definitely kept me feeling fueled longer and better than Gatorade does. They're extremely chewy, so I really had to walk while I chewed them, but since my plan for the marathon is to walk through water stations, these could definitely work for me. I had one "shot" about every 3 miles, for a total of 5, so the 6 in the pack will probably serve me really well in next weekend's 18 mile tune-up. I'll keep you posted.

So how did the run go?

I ran 16 miles in 2 hours and 35 minutes, for an average pace of 9:41, which puts me right on track to run next weekend in under 3 hours (my goal). I walked up most of Prospect Park's "big hill" on my fourth and final loop in the park, which I'd prefer not to have done, but I finished my last two miles strong so I really can't complain. New distance PRIDE.

Time to go eat those leftovers!

Fridays are for TREATS!

2011-09-16T15:29:00.000-07:00

I work hard. I'm sure most of you do too. We are busy people with lots of obligations and interests and we do our best to take care of ourselves along the way. Sometimes we deserve to treat ourselves, right? Today that meant that after my morning miles I picked up a whole wheat bagel toasted with apple cinnamon cream cheese. That's right, APPLE CINNAMON CREAM CHEESE. (I'll wait for you finish drooling.)

This stuff literally tastes like fall themed cheesecake all over your morning. It is, for lack of a better word, awesome. Anyway, I had a rather glorious breakfast. The rest of the day has been rather uninteresting. I did give another late afternoon diet soda alternative a try:

SNOW Natural Soda. The ingredients on the can all seemed safe. Helllo natural cane sugar, it's nice to meet you! I always worry about things that are fortified with vitamins, but with the exception of the added Bs and Cs, I had faith in its natural-ness. It also tasted great, and there were only 115 calories in the can. No caffeine though, I ended up having a mug of black coffee afterwards. I'm definitely going to make a special trip to Whole Foods for Kambucha this weekend though. The search for a healthy alternative continues!

How do you treat yourself for all your hard work (at living)?

Song I'm loving right now

2011-09-16T08:28:00.000-07:00

"Everything is Borrowed" by The Streets

This song is really connecting with me this week. Hope you enjoy it!

Clean Teeth and Good Food

2011-09-15T14:08:00.000-07:00

I bought a Living Social deal to go to Park Dentisty back in......March (I may have been putting off a trip to the dentist....since 2008). The reality is that I haven't had dental insurance since college. For a long time I was terrified that they'd find a cavity and I wouldn't be able to afford the costs of fixing it. Obviously avoidance was the best way to deal with the situation. So for the past 3.5 years I've been practicing the very best dental hygiene and hoping against hope that I didn't have a serious dental problem. No pain, no problems, right?

Anyhow, when a trip to the dentist (in my neighborhood no less) literally came through my inbox, I had to jump on the opportunity. Thankfully, I'm in a more secure financial situation now than I have been, so I decided to go for it. Oh. My. Goodness. SO GOOD.

Dr. Milito was amazing. She was so kind, her assistant and her receptionist were absolutely lovely and accommodating, and my teeth feel oh so fabulous right now. Luckily, my delinquent self didn't have any cavities or gum disease (although I had a little bit of plaque build up courtesy of years without a dentist's cleaning). She cleaned me up, sent me off and I've promised to go to the dentist every six months like a good girl from now on. Cue creepy photo of my clean teeth:


Pearly whites!

When I got home I waited the obligatory hour after the appointment (is that still a thing?), and then started MUNCHING on all the fruits and veggies in my apartment. I had a monte cristo panini (no sides) from Prospect Perk Cafe for lunch, so I was a little desperate for some greens. First I cut up some mango all fancy pants to show of my mad knife skills:

Next I decided to try my hand at roasted brussel sprouts. I LOVE brussel sprouts, but I'd never roasted them before so I wanted to give it a shot. I tossed those bad boys in a little bit of olive oil and salt and pepper:

I roasted them in the oven at 350 for about ten minutes, then flipped them all over and roasted for another ten. They were delicious! (Also, my teeth weren't sensitive post dentist as I'd worried they would be, wahoo!)

Have you ever put off taking care of yourself for financial reasons? Know of any affordable options for the uninsured?

Solutions from the house

2011-09-14T13:33:00.000-07:00

Thanks so much to the lovely ladies who gave me some advice on my little problem (diet soda). While I totally had to google Kombucha (does that make me completely out of touch?), I'm definitely going to take Alexandra's advice and try it next time I swing by Whole Foods. For today, I took a little hint from Keelie (Queen of Iced Coffee) and Kerri and did this:

Black coffee and seltzer (I did not mix them, if that's what you're wondering)! I figured I'd get the bubbles annnnd the caffeine I need for the afternoon. It's still in the experimental stage, but I figure I'll give it a shot for the next couple of days and see how it goes.

Thanks for being awesome you guys!

The Unhealthy Habit I Cannot Kick

2011-09-13T12:56:00.000-07:00

I hit up an enormous deal at my C-Town this weekend, 99cent FAGE yogurt. This is awesome because I got delicious and nutritious Greek yogurt for about a third of the usual price, but horrible because now I know how unparalleled and perfect the texture and flavor of this exhorbitant-ly priced yogurt is and I will be tempted to purchase it at it's full price (which is around $3) when I go back to that sneaky sneaky grocery store. Sigh.

Anyhow, I had one of the offending (and oh so marvelous) FAGE yogurt's today with about a 1/3 cup of granola and some fresh blueberries thrown in there. I didn't take any pictures because there's a new crop of interns in my office and they're already eying me like I'm a nut so.... ya know. However, I assure you it looked as elegant as this image from their website.

Lunch was rice and beans (cheese free version), (I would have taken a picture of that too, but I think I've shown you enough photos of rice and beans to feed a virtual village so I'll refrain) with carrots and Sunchips. Dinner is on the run today as well, and it's going to be a tuna sandwich on whole wheat with a bed of mixed greens in there. I make my tuna with mustard instead of mayo, which gives it a hell of a lot more flavor and heck of a lot less calories - win win. But I didn't come here to talk about food. I want to talk about beverages, and not the kind you're thinking, I am in full support of my drinking habits in that department (healthy moderation is my jam). I want to talk about diet soda.

Sigh. The ever powerful call of the mid afternoon bubbly caffeine indulgence with a side of aspartame. I CAN NOT KICK THE HABIT. I have tried again and again and again, and for some months I will switch to just seltzer, or nab the beast altogether, but I always go back. Now I realize that right now isn't the right time to try and go cold turkey (you mean working full time, going to school full time, training for a marathon and applying for long term gainful employment require all of available my willpower?) but I want to quit eventually. I would like to cut the daily dose of harmful chemicals out of my life, but I think I need a healthy substitute in this situation; something to keep me going back to the beast.

Are there healthy alternatives to diet soda? Is there something I can drink in the mid-afternoon when I'm starting to fade and have 8 more functional hours in my day? Something with caffeine and bubbles? Maybe something a little sweet that feels like dessert?

The Good, The Bad and The Ugly of Monday

2011-09-12T20:21:00.000-07:00

Oh Monday, you never cease to kick my lazy weekend booty. So rude (Stephanie from Full House style). While it's never fun to go back to my crazy packed weekdays, it's never as bad as I imagine it will be on Sunday night. Since I like to end on a good note (this translates to "finish strong" when it comes to my runs).

The Bad
I woke up about 20 minutes late and proceeded to drag like molasses all morning. How many minutes late was I? Who's counting?

The Ugly
I finished my homework for this evening's class on my lunch hour at work...I still squeezed in 20 minutes of outside time to physically eat my lunch though, so not too bad.

The Good
I brought the pumpkin spice cupcakes I made into the office and they were a huge hit. Credit where credit's due (totally not my recipe). Also, I ate really well today, and despite the long day, felt great throughout!

How do you get through a busy Monday?

The weekend I accidentally disconnected

2011-09-12T14:10:00.000-07:00

I didn't plan on it, but I ended up spending very little time on the web, twitter, foursquare, facebook, mobile, etc. this weekend. I was a little bit preoccupied, a little bit busy, and a little bit plain old lazy.. so no blogging. Right now I've got a killer sinus headache, so if I stop making sense, please forgive me. (Also if you have a cure for a sinus headache and sinus congestion I will be forever grateful!)

Friday ended up being a crazy night for me! I expected to be home alone in bed by 10pm like the boring old lady I've become nowadays. Let's just say I didn't get home til FAR later than that, and I did not kick out 14 miles on Saturday. To be honest, I'm not too upset about it. I didn't end up going on a legitimate long run this weekend, but I covered 28 miles for the week, so I wasn't too far off of my goals. Besides, going to see my friends' show, spending time with some of my new classmates, and catching up with old college friends was all infinitely more important than my run. Life is like that. Fitness and training are important, but they are a part of your life, not all of it. The people in your life will always matter more than your marathon PR, or the number on the scale, or the "cleanness" of your diet. Remember that.

Saturday was lazy, I went to work for a few hours in the afternoon, and then exhausted, fell asleep on the couch before I could meet up with a neighborhood friend for drinks. I guess my body knows what it needs. I did however have some delicious (and incredibly spicy) green curry for lunch:

Sunday was a day for being quiet and running errands. I went on a sweet little run to clear my head, did my grocery shopping, went to church, baked some cupcakes and watched football. (YEA EAGLES!) I wore my Eagles green, but forgot to take a picture until long after I was covered in powdered sugar, so instead I give you a picture of my Sunday night.

Obviously Corona and cupcakes go together.

The most important thing I did on Sunday though, was reach out to those important to me and let them know that I love them.

How did you spend your weekend?

Comfort Eating/Buying

2011-09-09T11:34:00.000-07:00

I woke up this morning with the feeling that a cold might be coming on, so I'm in defense mode today. Since I don't have classes on Friday nights, I decided to bump my AM run to a PM in order to catch some more zzzs. For breakfast I got a whole wheat bagel with strawberry cream cheese (not a healthy choice, but an acceptable every so often deviation imo) with an apple and a glass of OJ (DEFENSE!). So much yum. My lunch looked like this:

(walnuts, dried cranberries, mixed greens, goat cheese & italian dressing)

and some of this:

It was not so delicious as I thought it would be when I impulse bought it at Duane Reade, which is unfortunate because I was really craving some fall weather soup. Note to self: don't buy food at the drug store. I did however walk out of there with some serious wins.

Essie's "eternal optimist" and mellowcreme pumpkins!!! Nail polish is my go to, quick fix, pick-me-up for everything. I'm feeling a little sad? Buy nail polish. I'm feeling a little under the weather? Buy nail polish. The world is falling down around us and the rapture is upon us? BUY NAIL POLISH! Seriously, it can effectively solve all distract from problems. The pumpkins? Yea, if you're not familiar with them, they are a juiced up version of traditional candy corn. The main ingredient is high fructose corn syrup, and I will probably die 5 years before my time for eating them, but they are so good. I have an affinity for seasonal candy. I can say no to a snickers or a starburst no problem, but if it's holiday candy, I am powerless to resist! This includes: mellowcreme pumpkins, cadbury cream eggs and candy canes. They are my kryptonite. This one's another bad habit of mine:

(can you say pot o' gold?)

What's your favorite bad habit?

LINK: Pumpkin Spice Cupcakes from Sweet Tooth Sweet Life

2011-09-07T08:06:00.000-07:00

You guys, it's no secret that I would not be able to cook/bake/eat like a human if not for the internet. Seriously, it's a little embarrassing, but I like to keep it honest. Google reader is my jam. Anyhow, Sweet Tooth Sweet Life is another GREAT blog. I mean how good do these look?

Do you have any blogs you love/ do you write an awesome-balls blog you want me to know about?

Fall is here! (sort-of)

2011-09-06T11:40:00.000-07:00

It was HARD to get out of bed this morning. For the first time in months, there was a chilly breeze coming in through my window, and my bed was just so cozy. I thought about staying in bed and passing this morning's miles onto another day until I realized that there's not time to put more miles on ANY days (thank you grad school and marathon training combo), so I put on my big girl face (and a fun t-shirt) and bit the bullet.

Thinking it was raining harder than it was, I slipped my gym membership card in my pocket and set out for an early AM run. I am SO glad I got out this morning. As it turned out, it was just a little drizzly and breezy; enough to deter a lot of runners/cyclists, but actually perfect for a morning run. I had the park almost to myself, passing only a handful of other exercisers (normally there are dozens) while I knocked out six cool miles.

Since the weather's below 70 degrees today, I got to welcome back an old friend: hot coffee! While I love me some iced coffee in the warm months, I have definitely missed the traditional brew. I love coffee so much I drink it black. Weird, I know. I like cappuccinos too, they have milk (froth) in them! Blame my dad, he's the king of the espresso machine and drinks stronger coffee than anyone I've ever met.

For lunch, I added some sweet snap peas to leftovers from last night's Wo Hop (This is the best Chinese restuarant in NYC's Chinatown. Get the wonton soup, you'll thank me. I believe the address is 17 Mott Street, the basement one, not the one at street level.) Only the very best Wo-Hop date will let you keep ALL the leftovers (thanks!!!), so I'll be having more deliciousness this week.

Do you have favorite leftovers? What is it, and where can I get some?

An Assyrian wedding, a lot of good food, and a little baseball (aka my Chicago weekend)

2011-09-04T20:32:00.000-07:00

So, do you know where Assyria is? Because I sure didn't! Turns out, it was an ancient kingdom where current day Iraq and Iran exist, but it hasn't been an actual country (or kingdom for that matter) since the BC years. However, Assyrian culture is alive and well, and I had the very good luck of being related to someone who married into an Assyrian family. Anyhow, I went to a very fun and very different wedding yesterday here in Chicago. The food was AMAZING. Just look at it (sorry about the cell phone quality pics).

Also, the bride and groom were an absolutely beautiful couple inside an out. They made the centerpieces together with sand from Lake Michigan beaches. Too sweet.

Sunday dropped us at the Cub's game at Wrigley Field!

I'm a big baseball fan (Phillies fan really, but I love the sport in general), so when there's an opportunity to check out a game and a new stadium I'm all about it. Wrigley is a really unique spot. They have an old-school scoreboard that somebody changes by hand from the inside, and there are bleachers for seating on all of the buildings surrounding the stadium. Say whaaat? Check it out! But the BEST thing about Wrigley Field is definitely the Chicago style hot dogs.

Piling vegetables all over my hot dog makes it healthy right? YUM. My trip to Chicago began with a 15 mile run along Lake Michigan and ended with an enormous hot dog and a baseball cap full of nachos. Hehe. I've loved this city, but I am raring and ready to go back to Brooklyn.

Ever been to Chicago? What are some of your favorite Chicago things?

I'm an Adjunct!

2011-09-03T07:10:00.000-07:00

Sooo, I'm teaching an undergraduate course at Brooklyn College this semester (squeee!). I was a little intimidated when I first got the job, but after the AMAZING support of my department and some alums, I felt completely prepared and ready to take on teaching at the university level. I spent the summer drafting a syllabus, working out a class structure, writing lesson plans, and securing (the world's coolest ever) guest speakers. All that was left for me to do was get in the classroom. What does Brooklyn's newest adjunct look like on the first day of class?

Excited! (For the record, the class went reallly well, and the students seem fantastic. I feel incredibly lucky to be able to share my passion with such great individuals.) Anyhow, since I was so darn pumped up, I didn't really eat much all day. (Well, that and the fact that there's NO food in my apartment.) So I treated myself to Chipotle before my class (I'm still working on ye old MFA).

There are few things better than an enormous burrito with lots of hot sauce, but teaching college students might be one of them :)

On giving up control

2011-08-31T11:05:00.000-07:00

Photo from CRUMBS Bake Shop's Website

Those of you that know me personally, know that I like to be... on top of things. I like some semblance of order, I like to be prepared for whatever comes, and I like to feel like I'm in the driver's seat. (Hey-o maybe that's why I'm so much happier on the ~~boss~~ management side of theater than I was as a performer; too much is out of your hands when you're not the one writing checks.) Anyhow, the events of the past week have been a huge wake up call. Oh hello, you mean I can't avoid earthquakes by living on the east coast? It's possible that the WEATHER can completely shut down my only reliable form of transportation (heyyy MTA)?

Rude awakening. I've blogged about being flexible before, and I think I'm pretty good about adapting and adjusting to whatever life throws at me (which makes me feel even more in control, since obViously I am a defensive driver and have tactics B, C, D & E in my toolbox to avoid that tree branch in the road), but this summer and the events of this week have really thrown me for a loop.

As it turns out, sometimes no matter how prepared you are, no matter how much you do the right things, no matter how hard you work, or how strategically you plan, things will go awry. A hurricane will devastate parts of the Northeast. A client will reject your proposal. The market will tank. Someone will not love you back. It's ok. You dust yourself off, look at the battered pieces and figure out what to do with them. You can't blame yourself, or wonder what you might have done differently. You have to look forward and focus on what you have to do next time. Moving forward. Right now. Some of what's coming is still going to be out of your control, so you just have to do your best in this moment with what you have.

Sometimes that means making really weird breakfasts and buying lunches out when there's just no food in the apartment because you couldn't go to the grocery store over the weekend in the only free time you had because it was closed (thanks Irene). Sometimes it means focusing on the things you can exercise complete control over (hello schoolwork), because you're just not ready to deal with the things that are beyond your jurisdiction.

Today it means I'm getting a cupcake. With sprinkles.

What do you do when things go haywire?

LINK: 12 Things Happy People Do Differently

2011-08-30T11:43:00.000-07:00

I love twitter. A lot. It is my primary source of news, and the articles I get linked into through the people I follow have expanded my horizons and taught me new ways to think about things. I honestly believe twitter is one of the internet's most valuable learning tools. Anyhow, I came across this article through @CaseyB of VolunteerMatch and I think it's worth sharing.

12 Things Happy People Do Differently on Marc and Angel Hack Life

It's all pretty practical, and maybe obvious, but I love being reminded that giving back, being grateful, and taking care of your body are keys to a happy life.

GO BE HAPPY!

Post Irene

2011-08-29T11:17:00.000-07:00

So I survived the hurricane unscathed, hope you did too! The first thing I did when I woke up was check on my tree (yes, the City of New York planted it for the public to enjoy, but it is MY tree).

It was A-OK. I made a ginormous protein pancake for breakfast and foolishly (woops) headed out for coffee down the block. It was pretty windy all day yesterday, but for the most part my neighborhood really lucked out.

For all its disruption to my weekend plans, it was pretty nice to have some forced downtime. I got all of my pre-school work done and got to bond a little bit with my new roommate (who, btw is awesome). When we were confident Irene was out of the better borough, we scurried down the street for some sushi. Courtney (roomie) worked in a sushi restaurant for awhile, so she KNOWS good sushi. I was worried that our local joint wouldn't be up to par with her standards, but it did not disappoint! I got the "Spicy Roll Combo" which came with a green salad, miso soup, a spicy tuna roll, spicy crunchy salmon roll, and spicy crabmeat. I subbed in a cucumber roll for the crabmeat, because I'm always an advocate of more vegetables. The delivery was pretty (and it tasted even better).

Under the guidance of my resident sushi expert I also tried Japanese soda called Ramune (guys this stuff is so fun!), and mochi ice cream (how did I not try this before?). We celebrated our hurricane survival skills, and the new school year (that starts today!), so I guess Irene wasn't all bad.

Hurricane Preparedness: Aubrie Style

2011-08-27T13:59:00.000-07:00

So if you live in the Northeast or Mid-Atlantic, you're probably expecting a visit from Irene. (I hear she's a hot mess, but enough of the gossip.) Since all of the news stations have been telling me what to do for the past week, I've been prepared for days. Batteries, jugs of water, non-perishable goods (have I mentioned that half of my diet consists of canned beans?), I've got that part DOWN.

Since I'm not in a hurricane evacuation zone (all good thoughts and prayers to all who are), I've been focusing on the more important aspects of Hurricane Preparedness.

Step 1: Go out with friends and get all of the weekend wild out of your system.

Coney Island Lager at BAR(n)

I did this twice already (Thursday and Friday), so clearly I am prepared. On Thursday I hung out with the amazing folks of the Brooklyn College Graduate Theatre department at BAR(n). Lucky for me, this included Keelie from Sweat = Success, who is kind of my personal hero (I may or may not stalk her blog).

Friday night included my awesome new roommate (who incidentally is also a grad student at Brooklyn College), and some neighborhood friends. We went to The Clover Club for some fancy cocktails, and were not disappointed. I got a Rhubarb Spritz (oh hello fruit and champagne), and it was divine. I highly recommend this bar for a first date. The noise level is perfect and they explain all of the different kinds of cocktails in the menu, which makes for great conversation. Since no weekend is complete for me without a terrible light beer, we swung by my favorite dive, Angry Wades. Step 1 Complete.

Step 2: Eat all of the perishable items in the refrigerator just in case you lose power.

For lunch I knocked out the last of my romaine and spinach with some snap peas, black beans, and parmesan in one killer salad. You guys I am running a race against time to eat all of the cheese in my fridge before the the electricity goes and it rots. This is VERY IMPORTANT.

Do you know what else isn't going to survive without the gentle loving care of AC power? The ICE CREAM! What a travesty it would be if there was anything left of that pint of Ben and Jerry's Karamel Sutra in my freezer when we lost power! Obviously, I am on it.

Step 3: Figure out how to log into your work email remotely so you can find out if the office is closed on Monday morning. (I'm still working on this one.)

Step 4: Stock up on books and magazines because you KNOW, you will go crazy if you are not constantly entertained. Living without the internet for several hours might be the most dangerous part of this entire storm (in my opinion).

Step 5: Put up snide and saucy messages all over twitter and facebook. Retweet and Share everyone else's snide and saucy statements that were far more witty than your own.

In all seriousness though, everyone be safe through the storm, and thanks to everyone for the good wishes and thoughts!

Link: Bacon Cinnamon Buns

2011-08-25T07:18:00.000-07:00

Oh My. You guys, you're welcome, or I'm sorry, but this just HAD to be shared. (via The Bacon Bible)

from The Bacon Bible

Staying healthy on a busy schedule

2011-08-24T18:39:00.000-07:00

I've been feeling a little...bleh lthis week. Not under the weather per se, but just not at my optimal level of health. I think my body might be fighting off an impending cold, or maybe I'm just worn out from trying to squeeze a summer's worth of social life into two weekends (oops?). Either way, I'm just not feeling up to snuff. What I've noticed though, is that I'm not eating as well this week. Sunday afternoon I ate an entire pint (1/2 for lunch and 1/2 for dinner) of ice cream...not such a good idea. On Monday, I picked up a box of Duane Reade branded cookies that I've been munching at my desk ever since, and today I succumbed to the office bagels and cream cheese. What gives?


The Offending Cookies

I'm reminded of the Nutri Grain commercial "One good decision can lead to another." So what does one do when she falls into a trap of bad self propagating bad habits? Make a plan! I know that the reason I'm making bad choices (and feeling overwhelmed) is because I feel the fast approaching semester breathing down my neck. There's a lot to get done over the next couple of days! However, I can't let it be an excuse. This is the new normal, and I need to start plotting out my meals for the week and packing healthy snacks so I don't end up grabbing the goodies in the office kitchen at 3pm.

Since I've had some good experiences with it in the past, I decided to head over the Self.com for some ideas. A few years ago I took on the SELF Challenge to lose 10 lbs. I didn't really follow it, but I exclusively used their recipes and snack ideas for a few months. Combined with my own exercise schedule (running 20-25 miles per week & the occasional strength training), I didn't lose a single pound, buuuut I lost an entire dress size without cutting any calories. I'm pretty sure that's a win! What I like about the Self programs is that they use real food (better calories), and offer lots of simple options for meals. It's less of a diet plan than a healthy lifestyle jump start. I can cook, but I'm a busy girl and I want to eat healthy as quickly and efficiently as I possibly can. Self's recipes are PERFECT for that. (If you're interested, they have a "Lose 8" plan going on right now.)

So now I'm geared up with a few new recipe ideas, a shopping list full of whole foods, and a way to stay healthy with my crazy schedule.

Do you have any tips for staying healthy on the go?

The End of Summer Scramble

2011-08-23T12:37:00.000-07:00

So I've been a terrible blogger lately, but I HAVE been getting things done in real life. Since I start classes again next week I have been trying to fit in as much non-performing arts management related stuff as I possibly can (FYI I'm working on an MFA in Performing Arts Management). On Friday, I talked my friend Colleen (law student extraordinaire) into going to a free volleyball clinic at Brooklyn Bridge Park. (We) I was terrible, but it was a lot of fun and we rewarded ourselves with beer afterwards at 61 Local in Cobble Hill. We had an awesome window-front view of the crazy lightening storm we got, and had some delicious local beer.

Saturday I tried my very first group run with the South Brooklyn Running Club (am I overdoing it with the links today?). I've always been a solo runner, and quite frankly was intimidated by the idea of the group run, and the running club. I mean, I see those teams at NYRR races and they are DAMN FAST; however, I was planning on running summer streets on Saturday anyway and that's the route they were taking, so I gave it a shot. Lucky for me, there was another runner there who kept my pace and wanted to run the same distance (14 miles baby!). I didn't think I ran well with others, but it was so much fun! Also, summer streets is awesome, can we do it all year round NYC?

After I tried and failed to go out on Saturday night, I spent a lazy Sunday relaxing and getting prep work done for school...which I've been doing ever since. I need to fit in at least one summer movie and one crazy night out before the semester begins....looks like this is the week for it!

What are you trying to fit in before summer slips away?

Morning Shake Out & Protein Pancakes

2011-08-18T11:40:00.000-07:00

Today was an easy run day; 3 miles, doodled along in the early morning. Sometimes I struggle with easy runs, not because I mind running a relaxed pace, but it's so easy to compare yourself or unconsciously start racing other runners. Today it wasn't a problem. I was so inside my own run, I don't even know if I saw any other runners (which I obviously did since my route took me along Prospect Park). This was the first run I've had in awhile where there was no music, no noise inside my head, just me and my run. I paid attention to every footfall and breath and just relished the joy of being able to propel myself forward. This is why I love to run. It's the same reason, I love to dance: the pure joy of movement. I have a body that is strong and able and can run, dance, sit at a desk, walk to the subway, carry groceries, play in the park, swim in the ocean, etc. How cool is that?

(I only make recipes I find on blogs)

Since I had plenty of time this morning (a short run will do that), I tried to make protein pancakes for the first time. I used this recipe from Sarah Fit's blog (love it!). The pancake was awesome. Being the indulgent person I am, I topped the whole thing with a serving of Boysenberry Syrup (150 delicious empty calories). The syrup was good, but it was wayyy too much (note to self: serving size is a suggestion, not a mandate), so next time I'll be using a third of that much.

Lunch will be more of my kale/lentil creation leftovers, and I'm thinking dinner will probably involve some Bone Suckin Sauce.

Are you ever totally amazed at what your body can do? You brain? (I know there's some smartypants out there!) What daily accomplishment are you most prooud of?

Yoga and Lentils

2011-08-16T18:15:00.000-07:00

Call me Christopher Columbus folks, because I've discovered a whole new world. I had never gone to a Yoga class before, despite doing some yoga in dance classes and doing pilates for years. I though yogis were pretentious and kept their perfect mats in their lululemon mat bags, who held disdain in their heart for the casual class drop-in. I was intimidated, and I was a little bit stuck up about it, so I never tried yoga.

Lucky for me, I belong to a YMCA that offers Beginner's yoga classes. I thought I could give a beginners class a chance. So tonite, I did. OH MY OHMMMMM. I am hooked. Rita, the teacher was amazing, and I left that class feeling cleansed. It was a comfortable challenge for my body, nothing too strenous, that's left me feeling refreshed of body and spirit. Yoga is officially added to my training schedule. Done.

Since I was feeling so intrepid today, I decided to try cooking with lentils for the first time. I read that lentils are the best protein for the environment, based on the amount of protein in comparison to the amount of energy it takes to grow, harvest and deliver it. I'm all about protein that loves the planet!

I sauteed kale, onion, garlic and vegetable stock in large saucepan. Next I added cooked brown rice and canned lentils (amateur, I know) sprinkled in some salt and pepper and let it simmer for 10 minutes. Since I'm addicted to spicy, I added some hot sauce to my bowl. It was delicious. My roommate even said so.

Then I treated myself to some Cappuccino Chip blended Frozen Yogurt/Ice Cream (thank you Edy's).

Any healthy new discoveries out there? Foods, workouts or tools that you love to stay healthy?

Marathon training is my new boyfriend

2011-08-12T10:20:00.000-07:00

I met up with some fabulous ladies from one of my former lives yesterday (one of them blogs here). We met up wayyy downtown for happy hour (mmm sangria), and to take stock of the past few years. However, one drink in I realized I could not, in fact, have another. I was buzzzzed. One drink? Really?

To be fair, I haven't had more than two drinks in a week in....a month? What happened to my bud light fueled social life!?!? I go to bed at 10pm on weeknights (sometimes on weekend nights too so I can wake up early the next day for a long run), I get up at 6am on weekdays (I can't sleep past 8am EVER now), and after one drink, I'm eager to go home so as not to upset my new boyfriend: Marathon Training.

He's definitely more of a clinger than I've ever tolerated in a new boyfriend, but I think he's worth it. When I treat him right, he is sooooo good to me, and when I ignore him or treat him like sh*t, he's a little mopey but comes around. No matter what I do, he refuses to leave me. That's a rare bird in this city (am I right ladies?)!

While it takes sacrifices to be in this relationship, I couldn't be happier about it. In the face of all the challenges in the rest of my life, it provides a strength and solace that I don't get anywhere else. However, it has made me decidedly less cool than I used to be ;)

What about you? Ever feel married to your training?

Klout Perks & Secret Clinical Protection

2011-08-12T07:01:00.000-07:00

Ever heard of Klout Perks? Apparently if Klout thinks you are influential about something, it can hook you up with a product/advertiser and hope that you will talk about it. I like free stuff and trying new things, so I signed up for this thrill ride a few weeks ago. Lo and behold this lovely package showed up in my mail last week:

The "year's supply" of Secret Clinical Protection came with this cute little disclaimer from Klout Perks, "The Influencer Code of Ethics". They're encouraging full disclosure, score one for Klout Perks! I decided to give myself a week before I wrote about my internet be-got goodies so that I could 1) Actively assess the efficacy of my current deodorant and 2) Test out the new one in a few different circumstances.

I had been using Mitchum Power Gel for Women , and had overall been happy with it. The scent is light, almost non-existent, and the gel consistency doesn't leave white marks on your clothes. The only problem with it would feel sticky at the beginning of a workout, and quite frankly it was irritating.

Secret Clinical Protection is a white solid (it seems to have a sort of whipped solid consistency), so I was little worried it would get on my clothes. So far, it hasn't been an issue, I'll keep you posted! It smells AMAZING. The second I put it on I was in love with the smell. It's fresh and clean, but not too strong. The downside of this is that I spent all morning trying to get a whiff of my armpits...oops?

In terms of protection, it kept me dry and non smelly sweating during the day, and was comfortable through my workouts. When I ran a 3 miler, I still smelled good afterwards...weird. However, in true I am a sweaty athlete form, if I went on a hard run, a long run, or did speedwork I was a smelly beast from head to toe (but I really don't expect a deodorant to make me smell like a rose 2 hours and 12 miles later).

All in all, I'd give it an A+. When I run out of the free stuff, I will probably buy more.

Do you have any favorite products that you would never trade for another brand?

Being Flexible (of mind and body)

2011-08-10T15:00:00.000-07:00

There are riots in London, a devastating famine in the Horn of Africa, a quarter of my friends are unemployed, and we're about the commemorate the 10th Anniversary of this country's greatest national tragedy.

Things are tough out there. Sometimes I feel like I'm living in a world I don't recognize, a place that is foreign and unpredictable; in many ways, it is. From your personal life to the global world, there are a lot of unknowns and free radicals out there (health pun). This is why I try to stay flexible. I'm not talking about stretching (although I am a HUGE fan as a result of my dance/gymnastics background, but that's for another post). I'm talking about the day to day adjustments that you should NEED to make in life (especially if you are an amateur athlete/recreational runner/person leading a healthy lifestyle).

Yesterday I knocked out a lovely 6 miles before work. It felt great, the weather was lovely, and I rocked the rest of the day. I ate healthy and hydrated properly. Last night I got into bed an hour later than usual, and was exhausted today. I got out of bed, but decided to push my run for the day to this evening. I took leisurely morning stroll and got a bagel (whole wheat with strawberry cream cheese, because 1) its DELICIOUS and 2) sometimes I want to eat something pink).

At lunch I picked up a salad from Hale and Hearty since I didn't have any food in my apartment, but then I picked up a cookie from a corner deli (I was feeling mopey). When I get home I'm going to plod out three sloooooow miles, I'll probably even do two of them at the gym, and I'll come back and have a bowl of whole grain pasta with sausage and peppers because that's all the food in my refrigerator.

It's ok. I like to cut myself breaks. I'm not the world's hardest worker or most dedicated individual, but I put my best into everyday. Some days, that means I'm a rockstar employee and kick butt athelete; other days that means I need to organize my files because I don't have the brain power to think strategically, and I'll embrace couch-potato-hood the minute I get home.

Rest, in life and running, is extremely important to a healthy mind and body. That doesn't mean I can make excuses to get out of a long run or a avoid a big project, it means I have to be flexible. I'll put my long run off a day and do an easy one in the meantime. I'll work on the less taxing projects on my desk and put a focused effort into the tougher ones tomorrow.

For me flexibility is a necessity. Are you a hardliner when it comes to training, or do you cut yourself some wiggle room like me?

Busy Weekends and Kale Chips

2011-08-08T19:09:00.000-07:00

Sorry I fell off the face of the internet this weekend! On Friday night, my amazing friend Maggie came all the way down from Connecticut just to sit in my apartment with me and drink margaritas and chat. She is the best, and nights in are sooo good. Saturday I worked as an usher for Lincoln Center Festival (yes I will pick up extra shifts to be around amazing theater!), met my old roommate Elise for more chatting and cocktails (it seems we're all in the need for a little bit of relaxation and reflection lately), and got to bed by 11pm.

Sunday morning was my scheduled long run. I had wanted to do 13miles, but woke up late after I spent the night tossing over the obnoxious loud people below my apartment. By the time I got up, I only had time to get 10 miles in before showering and heading back to the festival (yes I will work doubles to be around amazing theater). Today, I was exhausted, but made it through the day. I was craving salty snacks all day (I do that when I'm tired), so I made some kale chips. They are SUPER simple, and soo delicious.

What you need:

A bunch of kale
2 tbsp olive oil (you only need 1 but I think 130 calories of oil is good for me)
salt and pepper (or whatever you prefer)

Tear the kale into bit size peices (avoid the stem-y part its hard to eat). Wash thoroughly (I once found a bug on a piece of raw kale so now I wash it EVERY TIME).

Put it in a bowl and drizzle olive oil over and sprinkle with salt and pepper as you like it. Toss it like a salad.

Spread over a cookie tray covered in wax paper (or if you're spoiled like me, over a pampered chef baking stone). Bake for 10 minutes at 350 or until edges are slightly browned. Remove from the oven at EAT!

Easy. Peasy.

Got any healthy snack ideas for me?

Ladies Night & Endurance Workouts

2011-08-04T07:31:00.000-07:00

Sorry about the poor picture quality...

After work yesterday I headed out for a little Happy Hour turned Ladies Night ($3 drinks in pink cups? Yes please!), with the best business women in New York City's performing arts scene (this is a fact...aka my grad school classmates). Since my wild night didn't get me home until 10:30pm (gasp!), I cut myself a little slack this morning and gave myself an extra half hour. Instead of heading out for a run I did a quick "endurance training workout" (whatever that means) I picked up from this article. I switched it up a little to work for me and did the whole thing as a circuit instead of repeating reps of the same exercise. Mine looked like this:

20 Step Ups
10 Standing Lunges (left)
10 Standing Lunges (right)
10 Burpees (kill me)
20 Crunches
20 Flutter Kicks
10 Push Ups
10 Dips

Rinse, repeat!

The whole thing took about 20 minutes and felt like a pretty decent (albeit short) workout. Since it's gorgeous out, I may still go on a quick run this evening, but I wanted to keep in the habit of getting up early (in spite of my late night shenanigans).

I need some cross/strength training advice. Have any workouts that you love to supplement your running?

Marathon Lifestyle

2011-08-03T08:35:00.000-07:00

New kicks! Good food! Less booze! All elements of getting my body excited to kick 26.2 miles. While I'm already a runner, marathon training is still an adjustment for me. From everything I've read, your body is typically cool with you running up to 20 miles (something about glycogen storage...blank stare). Anything beyond that, is a real test of both physical and mental fortitude. Since I'm not one to subject myself to discomfort, this is going to take some real dedication.

The first thing I needed to do before I could get started was get new running shoes. I have to be honest with you (and all you runners out there are going to chide me), I'd been running in the same sneakers since last August. My Brooks Defyance had taken me more than 1000 miles (you're supposed to get new shoes every 300-400 miles), and it was time to retire them. I headed to the running store in Doylestown (where they are AWESOME and hard core), and they set me up with a new pair of Brooks GHOSTs. They are bright! One of the things I love about getting my shoes there is that they send you outside (outside!) to try out potential purchases on the block. Running a full block on the road gives you a better sense of how it will feel to run miles in them, plus you get to look like a nut to all the passersby (I never say no to a chance to look crazy in public...I learned this in New York).

The next thing I've been doing to prep my lifestyle for 26.2 is a diet overhaul. I've said it before, and I'll say it again, I'm already a pretty healthy eater. However, the number of miles I need to log in a week has increased, and I need more protein to do it. This means that my regular diet has been infiltrated by protein powder, and the starchy snacks I'm partial to have been replaced by fruit and nuts (or fruit and cheese). Right now I'm really into pistachios, because they're salty enough to make me think they are chips or pretzels, but pack a little bit more protein.

Last night for dinner I had a lot of peas (I like it when half of my plate is green), griddled chicken with Bone Suckin Sauce (I never say no to condiments, especially ones that come out of North Carolina, aka the land of the pig pickin'), and corn on the cob with a little lemon juice, hot sauce, and parmesan (obviously there needed to be cheese). I eat wayy too fast, so I thought I was still hungry afterwards, but I waited it out about 15 minutes and it became very clear that I was FULL. Even though I was stuffed, I had a few spoonfulls of frozen yogurt before bed (calci-yum!).

This morning marked my second "I WILL run in the morning" run. I booked 4 decent miles, a little slow, but steady, and got a great stretch in afterwards.

What have you had to change in your life to train for an event/get healthy? What would you like to change about your current habits?

Weekend in the Country

2011-08-02T18:39:00.000-07:00

So I grew up in Bucks County, Pennsylvania, and my parents still live there today. I never thought much of it (I mean I knew it was a nice place to live and all), but when I moved to New York I realized that its something of a destination. One of my bosses would visit her friend's "country house" in Bucks County, and nowadays there are ads on the train and telephone booths in Manhattan for "Beautiful Bucks".

Whether it's a weekend vacation destination, or a place I once called home, it is pretty beautiful:


(and that's just my parents backyard!)

When I got out there on Friday night I went over my friend Kara's house for apps and zerts with our friend Amanda (I've known them both since 4th grade!!). As it turns out, Kara is a regular Martha Stewart and treated us to alll this deliciousness:

I got to spend Saturday with family, as my cousin Marissa's adorable little twins were turning 1! The twins, a girl and a boy are the world's cutest kids, but I was having too much fun to take pictures, so you'll never know. The party was adorable too. The whole thing was "Thing 1 and Thing 2" themed from Dr. Suess. Marissa did an amazing job making the whole day beautiful.

Again, I forgot to take pictures on Sunday when I did brunch with my favorite ladies from high school cheerleading, Kaitlyn and Marissa (different Marissa, and yes I was a cheerleader in high school...four years of varsity and captain senior year...and no, I'm not ashamed). Suffice it to say, they are both gorgeous and doing well and blueberry pancakes have a very special place in my heart.

It was a super relaxing weekend and a much needed respite from the oppressive heat we've had in the city. I tried to get a 12 miler in on Saturday morning, but it devolved into a run/walk 6 miles. I'm not mad, sometimes you need to give yourself a break...I needed it.

Any weekend trips out there? How do you get away from the city in the summer?

Beans, beans, good for your heart....

2011-08-02T11:38:00.000-07:00

I love black beans. Really any beans, I mean legumes are my JAM, but black beans are quite obviously the pinnacle of all beans. I blame my dad, who developed an affinity for Latin American food while flying to Central and South America for years (he's a pilot). He would bring back rice and beans from this amazeballs Cuban place in the Miami Airport (I know, good airport food?), and ever since I have been hooked.

Last night for dinner I had some cheesy (I needed the calcium) rice and beans with hot sauce and salsa.

Today for lunch, classic rice and beans with some onion and lime (and hot sauce b/c I can't help myself).

I think I may take a break from beans and make some of the chicken that's chilling in my freezer for dinner tonight....with some Bone Suckin' Sauce...yeaaa.

Anyhow, weird love of black beans and BBQ sauce aside, I'm making the full transition to morning running this week. Since my fall schedule is ~~insanely packed~~ full, I know I won't have time to get my runs in unless it's before work. I'm getting myself in the habit now while I have the time and mental fortitude to adjust. This morning was a 5 mile from 7am to 7:45. Not bad for a morning workout. I had a packet of Sport Beans before I went out (it's too early to eat real food, but never too early for candy), and I think it helped (that and the fact that I went to bed at 11pm like a good little runner). Here's to doing it again tomorrow!

How about you, morning workouts? evening workouts? Are you a lunch runner? When's your favorite time of day to get sweaty?

On my schedule for this evening

2011-08-01T14:44:00.000-07:00

August... AUGUST?!

Wow, so while I was dealing with my internal turmoil with a string of philosophical posts about heaven knows what, July just flew on by! This is good news...but also puts some serious pressure on me. I have a new roommate moving in soon, so I've got to uber clean my apartment. I have to get in my IRB application for my graduate thesis in the spring (laaaaaaaame). The event I'm working on at my internship is creeping closer and not enough seems to be getting done. I have an 18 mile race chasing at my heels in less than 2 months, annnnnd I need to finish the syllabus for the class I'm teaching this fall (more on that to come). School starts again in exactly 4 weeks. I'm working the next two weekends (in addition to my regular work week). Are you tired just thinking about it? I am.

The reality is that my life is going to be insanely busy from now until December. No questions asked, I am going to be "burning the candle at both ends" for the next four months (Good thing I got all that moping out of the way in July). I'm going to get you some recaps of my super relaxing weekend this evening and then take you on the whirlwind I'm going to call Fall 2011. Get your game face on!

MY Best vs. THE Best

2011-07-29T09:06:00.000-07:00

"People are often unreasonable and self-centered. Forgive them anyway.
If you are kind, people may accuse you of ulterior motives. Be kind anyway.
If you are honest, people may cheat you. Be honest anyway.
If you find happiness, people may be jealous. Be happy anyway.
The good you do today may be forgotten tomorrow. Do good anyway.
Give the world the best you have and it may never be enough. Give your best anyway. For you see, in the end, it is between you and God. It was never between you and them anyway."

~Mother Theresa

I really love this quote (yea I'm having a quote kind of week). Even if you don't believe in any sort of higher power, the idea that your life is between you and you is pretty powerful. The motivation to strive to do your best everyday regardless of where it gets you is inherent. To give it your all is rewarding in and of itself. Imagine, if everyone tried to be the best person they could be everyday, and treated others as they would like to be treated. That would be some world!

It can be difficult not to compare yourself to others, not to judge yourself according to outside influences, or judge others against yourself. We've all done it at some point or another: felt inadequate by comparing our lives to another persons, felt superior by comparing our choices to someone else's. (I can't tell you how many times I've left the house so pleased with an outfit, only to get to my destination and regret how over or under dressed I am compared to everyone else.) That's one of my favorite things about the sport of distance running. The competition is between you and you. You're not racing against someone else (not really), you're chasing your own PR, or simply proving to yourself that you have the stamina, the dedication, the drive. I've got medals from some of the races I've run, and certainly people have told me they're impressed I run such long distances, but the real reward is internal. It's the strength I feel when I'm moving, the strength of will and body that I've cultivated, and the drive to always work harder. As I age, I'll get slower no doubt, and have to cut mileage, but as long as I'm making the commitment to do the best I can every day, it will be enough.

I made some resolutions in January (as I'm sure most of you did too), but to be honest with you, I don't remember what they were, and I can't find where I wrote them down. I've decided to make some new resolutions. For today. For tomorrow. For the day after that. Resolutions to make every morning before I get out of bed.

Today I will hold no grudges, I'll remember to forgive.
Today I will be kind and face the world with patience.
Today I will be honest.
Today I will be happy, at the very least grateful.
Today I will do good.
I will give the world the best I have today. Maybe it is a lot, and maybe it is a little, but whatever my best is today, I will give it.

Going Superhero

2011-07-28T12:58:00.000-07:00

"That's what running does to lives. It's not just excercise. It's not just acheivement. It's a daily discipline that has nothing to do with speed, weight, social status, sexual orientation, political affiliation, where you live, what car you drive, or whether anyone anywhere loves you. It's about the slow and painful process of being the best you can be. That's why the first step out the door is always so hard. That's when we choose between settling for average and being a superhero version of ourselves.
Some days, average wins.
But man, when you go superhero..."

~From To Be a Runner By Martin Dugard (seriously go read this book)

poppy art pink by essie

I don't know if it was the fresh mani pedi I gave myself before bed last night (yay pink), the 9 hours of sleep, or the beautiful weather this morning, but everything feels fresh today. Hopeful. Brilliant. I sent an email right before I left work yesterday and today it yielded fabulous results, crossing a huge to-do off my list and giving me the momentum I needed to kick today's petutie (pronounced: peh tOOt ee).

Since I had such a wonderful time reading Martin Dugard's memoir through running (see AMAZING quote from above), I decided to try another. New York Public Library's Mid-Manhattan branch has a pretty sizable section of sports books on the 5th floor (found where the 300 signs meet the 900 signs, I was confused too). If you're an athlete and are looking for some inspiration in your sport without dropping any moolah, I highly recommend it. I picked up Bart Yasso's My Life on the Run. I'm super excited to read this one, as he's a great contributor to Runner's World (obV my favorite magazine ever), and apparently he was a groomsman at my aunts wedding. So, even though he doesn't know I exist, it's like we're besties, right?

Tonight I'm headed out for another 5-6 miler. I haven't decided which direction I'll head out on yet, but I think it might be a park day...either way, I'm totally going superhero today.

Retail Therapy...and a love letter to friends

2011-07-27T09:21:00.000-07:00

Because when the going gets tough, the tough go shopping (that's how that saying goes right?). In an effort to dig myself out of the funk I've been in, I did a little athletic wear shopping. I ended up with two new sports bras and a pair of shorts, all from Old Navy, that were on sale for $10 each! Armed with my new gear, I set out on a 5 miler around south Brooklyn last night. I have to say, it was kind of glorious. I was rocking some tunes, kept a steady pace, and although it was pretty hot and humid, it started sprinkling the tiniest bit during my last two miles. In all my emotional overwrought-ness it felt like much need relief from the heavens. The whole thing felt pretty victorious.

I haven't been hungry in the evening lately (which is completely weird for me since I typically eat half of my calories after 7pm). It could be because I'm getting more protein during the day (yay!) or it might be because I become morose and dejected when the sun goes down. Either way, I've been making sure I eat a decent dinner and get in bed before midnight. (I've been super super good about breakfast! Bonus points?) Last night I watched "Spirit of the Marathon" which trails a handful of runners as they prepare and run the Chicago marathon. 1) It was awesome. 2) I sobbed like a baby when the gun went off at the EPIC-ness of it all. 3) I'm keeping it on my instant queue on Netflix and will watch whenever I'm feeling stuck while training.

In other news, I have amazing friends. It's really awe inducing to know that in spite of being spread literally around the world, that my friends are always there for me when I need them. I can't even express how grateful I am, to all those new and old. I'm going to have a chance to see some of my favorite girls from high school this weekend (who I haven't seen in an embarrassing number of years), friends from grade school, and family. When I come back from my country retreat, I know I'm coming back to wonderful people here in the city. I am incredibly lucky. Your generosity fills me with gratitude and I hope I bring as much goodness into your lives as you bring to mine.

So maybe shopping isn't what the tough do when the going gets tough....maybe they reach out to their even tougher friends.

Adventures in Protein Shakes

2011-07-26T10:01:00.000-07:00

I was getting a little bored with eating the exact same thing every morning, so I decided to take a tip from my Dad (Mr. P90X), and try a protein shake for breakfast. I used:

1 cup of frozen blueberries
1 cup of skim milk
1 scoop of chocolate whey protein
1/4 cup of plain nonfat greek yogurt
1 tbsp flaxseed meal

Nutrition deets: 40g Protein, 367 Calories

I realize it's a little redundant on the dairy, but it was really good and chock full of delicious protein, omega 3s and antioxidants. The greek yogurt gave it just a hint of sour to counter the sweetness of the whey protein I have some kale in my fridge that I wanted to add, but that would have required the foresight to food process it first. I was not so inclined. Anyhow, I recommend this shake (provided your not lactose intolerant), as it's almost lunchtime and I'm still full.

Last night I knocked out 3 miles...I set out for a 5 mile run, but it did not go so well. Note to self: when you cannot be alone with your own thoughts, run with an ipod. I spent the last mile sprinting home and singing the alphabet over and over and over to myself to try and block out all the noise in my head. I'll be hitting those five tonight armed with showtunes (nothing murders thoughts of reality like a good musical score).

This weekend I'm headed to the homeland so I'm super excited to do my scheduled 12 miler on some trails (currently listening to Simon and Garfunkel's Homeword Bound). I love running in the city, and I'm a mile from Prospect Park so I'm never far from a run with nature, but every once in awhile you just want to be alone on a trail. I recently finished Martin Dugard's "To Be a Runner" and it's totally got me itching to get off of the pavement and onto the dirt. I highly recommend this book, if you're even marginally inclined to running. For one, it's motivating, he's so excited about life and running and it's completely infectious. Additionally, he's not only an experienced runner, he's also a coach, so there's a lot of practical running wisdom woven into captivating narrative. I loved it.

My awful, terrible, no-good weekend.. or I think I'm running a marathon?

2011-07-25T08:40:00.000-07:00

Going into this weekend I knew it was going to be rough. I was scheduled to work all day Saturday and Sunday (and by all day I mean 12noon-12midnight) at the Park Avenue Armory, ushering for the Royal Shakespeare Company. While the hours were long, and I spent a little too much time on my feet, working turned out to be the best part of my weekend. The theater is air conditioned like whoa, I got to see FOUR amazing productions by one of the world's best Shakespeare companies (I may or may not have offended an actor at some point...oops), and I got to spend some time with a couple of lovely ladies from my grad program. All in all, it was not so bad. The items around working, in which Friday night was a disaster, I sweat it out in my apartment, cried out of exhaustion and frustration, and ran out of clean laundry were not so good.

Things are shifting in my life right now, and being the stubborn person that I am, I'm resistant to the change (mostly because I have no control over it). I suppose it's all a part of the transient nature of your twenties. It is a time for big life changes, seemingly insurmountable challenges, and testing your steel. Surely the moment of greatest difficulty is a moment for great growth. I'm determined to stay positive and focus on being the best I can be. So as any rational person would do in a moment of uncertainty, I made a rash decision.

I signed up for my first marathon...in November. The very first ever Bucks County Marathon is being held on November 20, 2011, and I will be running it. I'm completely terrified (sick to my stomach thinking about it right now), but I have no doubt I'll be able to handle the challenge. (I'm suddenly reallly glad I signed up for that 18miler in September.) Was it a stupid thing to sign up for (and fork over $100 for) on impulse? Yes. Do I hate myself a little bit right now? Definitely. Am I really incredibly excited to run my first marathon in THE very first marathon to be held in my hometown? Hell yes!

Since I'm already training for distance, I don't think it'll be a far cry once the time comes around. I was fairly healthy all weekend, in spite of a two day respite from running (does 4 reps of standing for 5 hours at a time count as a run?). I've been starting my days with a whole grain english muffin, peanut butter and banana, rocking a variety of salads for lunch, and eating whatever happens to be available for dinner. (I have big plans for a grocery store run this afternoon to improve my current evening menu options, of which I'll keep you posted.) It's time to get serious, and I can't think of any better motivation to run than when the world seems to be falling out from under me.

Surviving Heatpocalypse

2011-07-22T07:39:00.000-07:00

Happy Friday everyone! If you live almost anywhere in the US today you are sweating to death, but know that you are not alone. I feel you (and I may or may not have forgotten to put on deodorant this morning...feel bad for my co-workers). I'll be on a tour of places that are air conditioned today: the office, Loehmann's (I have a gift card!!), the gym, and later some bar (because obviously I can't go home since I don't have a/c). Thank goodness for modern amenities, can you even IMAGINE what today would be like if this were 1920 and none of us had air conditioning? Yea, I don't want to think about it either.

Yesterday I employed a similar strategy to beat the heat. I headed straight to the gym after work, but not before picking up this delicious energy bar by CLIF. I may have already mentioned my affinity for CLIF energy bars, as I find them to be the only energy bars on the market that are delightful to eat and enough fuel for long runs. This one's the CLIF Mojo, and its AMAZING. It's marketed as "sweet and salty" which obviously is the world's best combination of flavors. There are pretzels and peanuts in this bar and its chewy and crunchy and did I mention that its amazing? I hate half of it before my workout, and the rest after. It gave me plenty of fuel to get through (a 5K followed by some speedwork and strength training), and it was just so damn pleasant to eat. I'm going to try and buy it wholesale from the CLIF company.

Because it was so damn hot, and that Mojo bar had already rocked my world, I wasn't really hungry for dinner yesterday. I made some frozen broccoli in the microwave, had some popcorn and ate some nuts. Seriously, I know this is a sub par and really weird dinner, but I could NOT use my stove or oven yesterday. It just was not an option. Afterwards I headed over to Charlie's (he has a/c). On the way over I passed so many bars that looked like Thursday was the world's best ever night to go out, so I convinced Charlie that it was time to bring back thirsty Thursdays (not with that phrasing however, because he would have rolled his eyes and turned on Sports Center if I used the words "thirsty" and "Thursday" together). Anyhow, it was FUN! There are lots of people out on Thursday nights (bars are air conditioned), and its so casual, I loved it, I love it, I'm bringing back Thursdays: Friday mornings be damned!

This morning I rocked a banana, peanut butter, english muffin and a diesel iced coffee.

What are you doing to survive heatpocolaypse?

Things that are really good for me

2011-07-21T12:24:00.000-07:00

Exhibit A

Yesterday I had a little pity party for myself. Even though I brought my gym bag with me to work, I didn't go (in all fairness I did have hours of work to do when I got home), and after dinner I skulked down the block for a cheese danish (yes, I even love sweet cheese). This morning I had to be at work early, so I didn't get up before work to run before the HEATPOCALYPSE (it is like a bajillion degrees in NYC right now), but I've got my gym bag again and I think my resolve is a little stronger today.

I just had a ginormous (newest word in the dictionary!!) salad from Chop't and I'm feeling great. This morning's early meeting was super, I have on a power outfit*, and there is a seltzer in my future (the only thing I like more than cheese is bubbly water)! I've been drinking lots of water today (mostly because it's freaking hot), have only had one grain so far today, and already knocked down 4 servings of fruits/veggies, and 2 servings of protein. As it turns out, eating well makes me feel really good. Yesterday I was (sleepy)whiny and hungry all day. Today I'm full and full of energy, and PUMPED yo.

Lessons for the day:

1) Sleeping in when I need it is smart.
2) Getting dressed and ready in the morning makes me feel ready for the day.
3) Eating more protein and veggies with less grains feels good.

Do I get a cupcake for learning my lesson?

*power outfit refers to articles of clothing that when put together make the wearer feel powerful (See exhibit A, please note the elevator is not air conditioned and the lighting is bad, forgive the photographer for sucking at taking photos)

In which I share with you my twisted and very obvious dream.

2011-07-20T13:11:00.000-07:00

I've been feeling a little.....stuck lately. I'm in between my first and second years of grad school, and feeling pretty darn ready to gear up and be employed like a regular person again. However, I'm currently committed in intern limbo and will start classes again in a month, so there isn't much employment seeking going on until December. Hence, I feel stuck and a little bit out of the drivers seat. On Monday night I had a super interesting subconscious protest to my current situation. It went like this:

I get on the bus (which is running the 2/3 line, but as a bus and above ground, but I'm not in New York...I'm in Boston but it looks like New York) going from Brooklyn to Manhattan (BUT ITS NOT NEW YORK, ITS BOSTON). The bus starts going over a bridge (that looks like the Manhattan bridge, but it's not, it's some bridge over the Charles River in Boston) but its a drawbridge and its rising to let a boat through. At this point I say to myself, "Is this guy just going to drive us into the river?" and the busdriver keeps going, as we reach the peak of the bridge, I'm not panicking, I'm thinking "SERIOUSLY, IS THIS GUY REALLY JUST GOING TO DRIVE US INTO THE RIVER?" as if he's some moron in my way on the street, not a suicidal/homocidal maniac. As it becomes clear that we are in fact going into the river, I sit and think "sigh, ok how do I survive this?" and as the bus plummets towards the water I wake up.

Let's analyze!

1) Obviously I'm feeling like I'm stuck in a bad situation and just have to figure out how to deal with it.

2) I read a blog on Sunday about someone who was running along the Charles River, which I have NO personal memory of. Hence, I was somewhere else but it really just looked like what my brain already knows.

3) I randomly took the 2/3 train to work Monday morning instead of my regular lines b/c my mom was visiting and headed somewhere on that line.

4) SOMEBODY ELSE IS DRIVING ME INTO A RIVER.

In response I'm trying to take control of the things I can. Long runs, healthy foods and getting to bed on time is going to be enough for now.

Want to know why New Yorkers wear black?

2011-07-20T07:49:00.000-07:00

(Note: this post is a day late..oops)

I was up and out the door at 6:28 this morning to get in a run before the heat set in. Don't believe me? I took a picture to prove it:

It was a ~~breezy~~ sweaty three miles, but a great start to the day. I didn't eat anything before I went out...too early. When I got home I put on this cute pajama dress my mom got me to chill out and get some things done before work, but I liked it so much, I decided to wear it to work. (I'm wearing pajamas at work!!) I meant to take a picture for you, but felt like a creepy blogger about it and didn't, so you'll just have to assume I didn't look like a nut in my hot pink dress.

I have to say, I now remember why I don't wear bright colors. You know that campaign against street heckling women that's floating around the internet? I mean I totally support you ladies, but I'm pretty sure its not realistic. On a given day (when I'm not wearing bright colors), I'll probably get howled at by no less than 3 different men of varying shape, size and age, not to mention the looks and the whistles, etc. Just so you know, this is NOT because I'm exceptionally attractive. Any girl in this city has the same experience on a given day. After your first few weeks, months, years here (depending on the person), you stop reacting, stare straight ahead and scowl at the world instead of flashing that megawatt smile as you walk on by. You don't keep track, you don't remember and it no longer phases you. There are a lot of people on the street and you just want to avoid as many of them as possible. However, in pink today, I was "complimented" as I deposited a check at the ATM INSIDE MY BANK, by the man who ran the cart where I purchased my iced coffee (he gave me the JUMBO for the regular price though so I forgave him), and by someone in the lobby of my building. C'mon gentlemen! I understand that strangers on the street are one thing, but I'm conducting my daily business here, keep your comments to yourself! Anyhow, now I remember why I wear black in the heat of summer. Sad but true.

On a more positive note, I have leftover Thai food for lunch today (shut up, I get a "get out of jail free" card when my mom takes me out to dinner, plus there's no cheese in it (in other news apparently cheese is also bad for the environment), and I don't have to go the gym or run in the billion degree heat this afternoon. I guess I'll take today as a win.

It's National Ice Cream Day!

2011-07-18T09:23:00.000-07:00

Self Magazine told me so! I have a sixth sense about these things though (these things meaning any possible reason/excuse to indulge in sweet goodness), so I got my fix last night.

My nails match my ice cream...

So after my wild Friday night and lazy Saturday, I actually did get up on Sunday and knock out my first training run of the season. I kicked a solid 10 miles, and a run/walked eleventh mile before stretching, icing and sitting on my ass for the rest of the day. As I'm a coffee drinker, I can't do a long run without caffein-ating first, so I started my day with half of a large iced coffee and half an english muffin with peanut butter and banana. When I got home I consumed the other halves...and then I ate a lot of cheese (what? I mixed the cheese with black beans and salsa! don't judge my cheese obsession!).

Since I have a really cool part time gig in which I WORK FROM HOME (this is seriously the coolest thing ever imo), I got some work done to earn some cash money, and then watched the Women's World Cup. Can we talk about a great game? Because I was totally nail biting the entire time. While it would have been amazing to see the US Women win (how awesome are they?), I wasn't upset that the Japanese took the Cup. First of all, they earned it (I don't think I've ever seen such a no-bull soccer game), second of all, Japan really needed a win this year. Even so, second place in the World Cup is nothing to scoff at and I'm pretty proud of all these strong American women. Here's to you ladies!

photo sourced from TVGuide.com

You know what's really bad for you?

2011-07-16T18:52:00.000-07:00

Being a 25 year old in NYC. Last night I headed over to my lovely friend Colleen's back patio for a little Friday night BBQ. I would have taken pictures for you, but I had a run in with this guy:

firefly vodka: amazing but deadly

In short, we had fun and I did not go on my scheduled long run today, so I'm hitting the hay early on this Saturday night (I'm super cool, I know), so I can get knock out a healthy 10 miler tomorrow.

Bonne nuit!

Taking Stock of My Healthy Habits

2011-07-15T09:19:00.000-07:00

Jelly Beans?

So in the interest of kicking off official Aubrie training season, I decided to stock the shelves with some healthy inventory. I've been hearing a lot about protein pancakes, and I'm a fan of health food in breakfast candy form, so I picked up recipes from here and here, and set out to get some whey protein. Can we talk about the fact that I would have to sell my firstborn (or my brother's firstborn since I have little intention of reproducing) to pay for protein powder?! Not to be discouraged, I texted my dad from the store and asked if he could nab me some at BULK DISCOUNT from Costco. Of course, I couldn't walk out without buying something, so I picked up the item that looked the most like candy (which also happened to be buy 2 get 1 free: SCORE!!) and hightailed it out of there.

Up next was the grocery store, but I had to check the stores at home first. I have healthy inclinations, but a few fatal flaws. For one, my protein of choice is cheese. Pepper jack, brie, cheddar, mozzarella, gruyere, swiss, goat, feta, parmesan, you name it, I love it. I will put cheese on an otherwise healthy dish and completely destroy its figure saving intentions...oops. Here is a cross section of my refrigerator shelf:

Among other things lives, THREE KINDS OF CHEESE (far right). But let's not focus on how I'm failing, let's build on the good stuff. On the left, a collection of leafy greens, almond milk, there's also some salsa (we won't talk about the enormous amounts of tortilla chips that go with that...or cheese), leftovers, eggs (we won't talk about the expiration date on those...I solely use eggs for baking), hummus, english muffins....and I'm boring myself. The point is, after taking stock of the food in my fridge and pantry, I realize that I'm not doing too bad. Here's what I need to change:

1) I'm heavy on the carbs. Yes, I eat all whole grains, but they make up the bulk of my diet. Yes I get 5-7 servings of fruits and vegetables every day, but I also get 7-12 servings of breads and grains....oops.

fix: replace grain based snacks with ones that are protein and fruit/veggie based

2) I'm not getting enough protein. I try to have protein with every meal, but since I don't eat eggs and meat is expensive, I eat a lot of beans and cheese and occasionally peanut butter as a replacement. These aren't bad options, but I'm not eating enough of it.

fix: add protein powder to my life, switch to greek yogurt, start eating nuts as snacks

3) I don't know how to fuel before a workout. I tend to either eat too much, or eat something that doesn't sit well, or not eat at all. Each of these situations leaves me sluggish. I like those mini clif bars before races, but they get pricey if I'm eating them everyday. So what's a girl to do?

fix: Visit runnersworld.com in search of pre workout snack recipes! And request suggestions from YOU...what do you eat to fuel before a workout?

Motivation Roadblock

2011-07-14T11:55:00.000-07:00

Today's lunch: chipotle!

I am a highly motivated individual. I've never been the smartest person in the room, or the nicest, or the prettiest, or the most graceful, or strong or fast or WHATEVER, but you better believe if I set my mind to something I will accomplish it. (Please note, I also reallllly like myself so I tend to set goals that are completely attainable in order to propagate this reality. Aim low, win big!) But lately, I've been feeling extremely unmotivated. I'm getting the things I need to get done, done, but going above and beyond is just not happening. There are a number of reasons for this: 1) I don't feel challenged by my current schedule 2) It's really hot and smelly outside 3) I've been eating a lot of junk (see photo) 4) I'm a little burnt out from the 80 hour weeks I rock when school's in session, etc.

The excuse train stops here. It has to, because in the fall I've committed myself to a couple of things that are just a littttttle bit outside of the range of my current capacity, and if I'm not ready...well, not being ready just isn't an option.

Goal outside my current capacity # 1: Running an 18 mile race

This is a funny one folks. I got it into my head that I would run the 2012 marathon by way of the New York Road Runners 9+1 program. As it turns out, one of the qualifying races for 2012 is the 2011 marathon tune up...so I signed up to race 18 miles with a bunch of folks who are planning on running 26.2 a few weeks later. I figured, might as well start bulking up the mileage this year, give myself a good juicy challenge. Have I ever mentioned that my longest run was 13.1 miles? Did I mention that my longest run in months was around 8 miles? HAVE I TOLD YOU THAT I'M EATING ALL THE JUNK?!

Clearly the time has come to focus. I've set myself up on a ~~very official~~ stupid simple training program that begins this week, and I'm going to have to start eating to fuel my workouts. Unfortunately, with my lack of intrinsic motivation, I'm finding it very difficult to get my butt in gear.

It's so bad I've been bringing my gym bag to work just so I'll go straight there instead of home (once my butt hits the couch, its over). So for the next nine weeks, I'm going to blog my training and eating so that YOU can hold me accountable (aka I'll be embarrassed just in case anyone reads this and I'm being a total lazyass). Don't worry, I won't become a health blogger on you (I would totally fail). I'm just going to pepper my usual menu of addressing the unjust plight of privileged twenty somethings in the first world, with tales of my ~~professional~~ extremely amateur athletic pursuits.

Pandora ads are stereotyping me

2011-07-13T12:50:00.000-07:00

However, they are doing it inconsistently. I currently have 6 stations tailored just for me courtesy of the music genome project (and I love them all), but what the internet thinks I want, changes based on which station I'm favoring at the moment. For example, when I put on my "country" station, Pandora gives me advertisements for Sealy mattresses and some Italian jeweler's engagement rings. When I put on the station I've deemed "hipster music" I get ads for Brooklyn singles and e-dating sights.

ARE YOU TRYING TO TELL ME NEW YORKERS ARE LONELY AND PEOPLE FROM THE SOUTH & WEST GET MARRIED AND BUY HOMES, PANDORA? Because, you would probably be right. But what about me Pandora? I listen to both stations, couldn't you come up with advertising that aligns specifically with me? The Netflix ads were a good pick, I totally bought that one. Vistaprint was decent too, that fits persons across musical genres! What I'm trying to say is that my possession of multiple stations should inform overall advertising strategy as opposed to stereotyping each of my channels. I don't know how Pandora's ad reps decide what goes where, and I probably shouldn't tell them how to do their jobs, but wouldn't you just LOVE to see what they would come up with if I put my "musicals" and "geto boyz radio" stations together?!

(Update: at the time of publishing this post, Pandora gave me an ad for GOOGLE...I guess it doesn't get more universal than that)

Poor (wo)Man's Guide to Keeping Cool

2011-07-07T09:36:00.000-07:00

Ya'll it is HOT out there! I don't know about where you live, but NYC becomes a festering pool of sweaty humidity in the summer months. It's totally gross. You know you've hit a new low when you're standing on the subway platform, and you lean in and enjoy that gross blast of air the train pushes out of the tunnel as it coasts into the station. If you've ever been here in the summer, you know what I'm talking about, and you've totally been there. If you don't know what I'm talking about, thank your lucky stars while I shoot you my death stare of envy.

As I took a vow of poverty (read, chose to work in theater and then pursue a masters in this lucrative field), I have abstained from purchasing and installing an air conditioner in my apartment...for the fourth summer in a row. To be honest, I wear this like a badge of honor and it's really not that badass. My apartment is the entire second floor of a three story building so I'm sort of cocooned. As long as I keep my blinds closed during the day and windows wide open at night, it's not so bad. We get a few sticky sweaty days in August where all you can do is lie on the couch directly in front of a fan and suck on ice cubes, but on the whole, it's liveable. However, since I am the master of keeping cool without maxing your e-bill, I felt it only right to share my wisdom with you. Here are my cheap tips for staying cool:

10) Take a tour of the nearest IKEA. I realize that this one doesn't work for anyone who lives more than a handful of miles from one, but there's a convenient way to get to Brooklyn's IKEA from pretty much everywhere in NYC. I guarantee you will lose at least an afternoon in this endeavor (if only because you cannot find your way out), and there are 50 cent (maybe $1) hot dogs and sodas at their snack bars.

9) Buy popsicles in bulk. Bonus points if you buy them from Costco in the cold of winter when they're on super sale.

8) Go shopping without your wallet. Some of you may have more self control than I do, and you can feel free to bring your wallet, but I don't recommend it. I frittered away several cool hours in a department store last weekend and didn't spend a dime.

7) Stay very, very still. After you turn off and unplug any and all electronics, appliances, and lights you'll cut your e-bill in half and stay cool. Better yet, adopt a vampire lifestyle in which you sleep during the day and wake at night, it's cooler without the sun and your body temperature drops when you're sleeping (I think?).

6) Throw an annual spring or autumn party (this one takes a little foresight). Invite all of your friends who have air conditioners. In the summer, it will be their turn to play host and guess who's on the guestlist? YOU!

sweet relief

5) Alter your coffee habit. You know what folks, it's way hotter in the middle of the day than it is in the morning. Get your caffeine fix in the afternoon in the form of iced coffee.

4) Join a gym. This one may sound counterproductive, but those places are air conditioned and many have great deals for the summer. The $40 you spend every month is way cheaper than the jump in your ConEd charges after you install an air conditioner. However, if you're not convinced it's worth the cost, I'll let you in on a little secret: Most gyms offer 1 week-1 month free trial periods, just "try out" a few. Also, the less body fat you have to insulate you, the cooler you will be. Win/win, right? (this one might be justification for my lazy ass that just can't get up early enough to run before it's unbearably hot)

3) Get a library card! Since I moved to New York, I read a lot more in the summers. For a long time I couldn't figure out why this was, but now I realize it's because they're all SUPER COLD in the summer. Free entertainment with an AC, score!

2) Get a job somewhere with air conditioning. Go there everyday. Pick up extra shifts, work late, do whatever you have to do to get paid to be in that cool environment.

1) Buy a Brita and keep it in your fridge. All kidding aside, this is the NUMBER ONE thing that gets me through the summer. Water is free. My Brita has paid for itself a thousand times over, and it never fails to provide me with delicious cold water when it's sweltering.

My Uneventful Independence Day

2011-07-05T12:42:00.000-07:00

Happy Belated 4^th to all! I had an intensely uneventful weekend, which was much needed. On Friday, we went up to the new hot dog stand + beer tent on top of a public restroom on Pier 6 of Brooklyn Bridge Park, Bark, and had some Six Points under the stars. I can't say anything for the food (Because of my vanity we didn't get there until after they stopped serving food), but it's a great environment to hang out and relax (read picnic tables and plastic cups). The drink options were limited, but fairly priced and the view of lower Manhattan and the harbor is incomparable.

Saturday I worked my new part time gig as an usher at Lincoln Center Festival (hello? I just got paid to watch the Royal Shakespeare Company perform Romeo and Juliet…awesome), and then headed to a BBQ. There were burgers and hot dogs and grilled veggies and grilled apple pie…that's right folks, we put the Apple Pie on the grill to warm it up (lazy ingenuity), and it was DELICIOUS.

(4th of July themed manicure done by yours truly)

Being exhausted from days of playing, Sunday was pretty lazy for me, but I did get an awesome workout in. It appears most of the city was out of town and therefore I had free run of the gym. I recently started strength training again (aka, I integrated various exercises with small dumbbells into my routine of just running whenever I find the time…I'm extremely structured about my fitness, obV), so it was nice to have access to all the goodies without fear of making a fool of myself in front of other people.

Since I had burned so many calories, it was necessary to refuel in the most healthy way possible. Charlie and I went to get ice cream (snickers flavor from Baskin Robbins!). Monday morning we decided to be the best Americans we could by going shopping to stimulate the economy. I didn't buy anything really, but I did get a Captain America iced coffee from Dunkin Donuts that made me feel pretty patriotic. As it turns out, I had spent so much time punking around over the weekend, that I still had work to get done. My 4^th of July was spent writing a press release over a glass of white wine…maybe I'll be cooler next year.

Summer Fridays

2011-07-01T10:10:00.000-07:00

I am one of those lucky folks that gets "Summer Fridays." For those of you who aren't privy to this time honored tradition, Summer Fridays are generous gifts of half days on all the Fridays from Memorial Day to Labor Day. This means that my workday ends at 2pm today. Woot. However, this shortened day makes one feel like there is just not enough time to embark on a new project (read: there were tequila shots at my friend's birthday dinner last night and I am not motivated). Given my limited time (attention span) today, I am going to take you on a tour of my desk.


Exhibit A

As you can tell from the sweeping views of midtown Manhattan, I am a very important person around here. In Exhibit A you will find my collection of fine art. From left to right: Charlie and I at LA CAVERNA (NYC's most exclusive and fancy nightlife spot for sure), my lovely parentals and little (big) brother, and the future rulers of the universe (my grad school classmates). Next you'll find various vessels used for imbibing caffeine. When archaeologists find this someday they will believe humans vital source of life was coffee, not water. On the computer is a gorgeous image of beautiful Bucks County (shout out hometown), that I stole from the internet....oops.

Exhibit B

Since I spent a number of my childhood years in the South, I have an affinity for mason jars. When archaeologists dig up North Carolina, they're going to think mason jars were the primary currency in the state. Fact. I also keep a bulletin board with uber important memos on my desk. (Sometimes I take things on and off of it to look like I'm super busy.) You can't really see it, but there's also a cute little pair of magnetic initials next to the phone. These were a gift from my adorbs cousin Carly, and another nod to my (few and far between) Southern tendencies (read: they monogram/intitial EVERYTHING) The phone is cool. I call Miss Cleo on the reg (not really, why would I pay for psychic services when I can get a full astrological analysis of my life for FREE on the internet?). Also of crucial importance to looking busy and VIP is the big black binder. There's nothing but a Table of Contents in there right now, but I find its very presence gives my workspace weight.

Alright folks, now that you've toured my crib (MTV reference anyone?), and I've ingested enough caffeine to sincerely get some work done, I'm going to sign off for the weekend. Have a great 4th of July and spectacular 3 day weekend!

Because you can't make this sh*t up

2011-06-30T11:02:00.000-07:00

I try to eat lunch outside everyday. I think its because, while my parents failed at turning me into a country girl (they tried hard folks, so hard they marooned me in middle of nowhere PA from the ages of 10-18), they did succeed in teaching me to enjoy the outdoors and the natural world. Hence, since Bryant Park and the "chairs on Broadway" are my version of the natural world, I like to spend some time reveling there on the daily. Today friends, as I munched away on my PB&J, I had a very special neighbor:


You know, just workin' on my beer gut tan.

After I choked on the snort of laughter that this scene provoked, I very covertly snapped this photo to share with all of you. What I didn't photograph was the couple at the table in front of me digging for each others tonsils, the woman who's outfit matched that of her dog's (there were pink ruffles involved folks), and the handful of giraffe like women who passed me in what I can only assume were outfits stolen from the Alexander McQueen exhibit at the Met.

The moral of the story is that New York City is not a normal place. It is a beast unto itself and you have to be a little crazy to live here. If you're not vaguely nuts, you just can't handle all the weird that is completely normal in the Big Apple. Sure, lots of normal people come here for a year or two to sow their oats or land the dream job, but if you're not loopy, I guarantee you move out to the suburbs, or the country, or a more civilized city after you've made your mark. And don't try to tell me "I was born here, this is where I'm from, I'm not crazy" because you sure are, you just don't know it because you were raised crazy. (This is the part where everyone who doesn't live in New York should just give themselves a big old pat on the back... Congratulations, you are less certifiable than approximately 8 million people.) There's also something pretty magical in all this crazy; something that feeds creativity and entrepreneurship and ambition, so I guess we should be proud that we let our freak flag fly.

How about you folks? Do you live in the crazy capital of the East with me? What's the craziest thing you've seen all day? Live somewhere else? Do you think your land of residence can rival NYC?

In which I happily resign myself to being average

2011-06-29T11:21:00.000-07:00

I love magazines. I don't know why, I recognize that the majority of their content is fluffy and useless (and let's face it, after 15 years of reading I've read the same fluffy uselessness multiple times), but I cannot get enough. It all started around the age of 10 when the Hanson brothers and Jonathon Taylor Thomas were gracing the covers of fine literary publications like Tiger Beat and J14 (which I believe is short for Just 14...no idea). Bored in the grocery store, I'd mill around the magazine aisle until it was time to go, beg my mom to buy me one or the other, and then hole myself up in my room tearing out pages and putting them into clear plastic sleeves in my trapper keeper.

Once when I was 11 or 12, I begged and pleaded with my mom to let me get TEEN magazine, I'd even pay for it with my allowance!! She said no. She said that I was not yet a teenager and didn't need to be reading about how to be "hot" (which in retrospect is completely valid). I was livid, as is often the case with mothers and daughters, we know how to push each others buttons, and definitely ended up in a screaming fight in the car on the way home (not in the store of course, it would be undignified to fight in public). Anyhow, I eventually was allowed to buy TEEN magazine, then Seventeen and Teen Vogue. Somewhere in the middle of high school I graduated to reading the height of journalistic integrity and good advice, Cosmopolitan, and the magazine of "engagement chicken" fame, Glamour.

As you can imagine, I learned a lot of great things from these magazines. I finally learned how to be "hot", what guys want, what products would solve all of my adolescent woes, the best workout for flat abs, and what celebrities were wearing that I could find at my local TJ Maxx. The most profound, and quite frankly sick, thing I learned however was how I should look. There weren't any articles that outlined the specifics, nor lists, nor quizzes to find out where I stood on the "spectrum," but it was the clearest message that shone through in every single publication. I was supposed to be thin. As a white girl, I shouldn't really be curvy, that was the sole right of more exotic looking women. I should have flawless skin and long flowing hair. My freckles and curly hair could be ok, but they weren't ideal. I should be pretty (which I think means big eyes, small nose and full lips...cue belief that my nose is too big). On a conscious level, I have always been completely dismissive of all this. I am confident in the woman I am, and for the most part always have been, and I KNOW that what I see on TV and magazines isn't reality, but rather a heightened version of an already unrealistic world called Hollywood, but it's hard to prove that to your subconscious.

So I set out on a lifelong subsconscious competition against the pretty people in magazines. I compared myself to them, feeling victorious whenever I grew my hair out or lost 5 lbs, seeking something magazine worthy in myself. I never made myself crazy, or did anything dangerous or seriously messed with my self esteem, because my rational brain knew (and knows) that I am a healthy person who takes good care of herself and that is enough, but as I've gotten older, the reality that this sincerely affected my life has become blatantly clear. But you know what folks, none of it is real and now we have the internet to prove it:

Left: Actual Kim + amazing lighting, styling and professional hair and makeup/ Right: Super Kim + photoshop

Is this woman absolutely gorgeous? YES! Is she perfect? NO! I'm so glad that the American Medical Association is taking a stand about photo retouching. Even though the effect it had on me growing up was fairly minimal, I knew many many girls who developed eating disorders and serious body image issues, and I am confident that the perfected reality we were presented with had something to do with it. Do I still love magazines? Of course, but nowadays I know not to take them so seriously (and remind myself to google the perfect looking women to see un-photoshopped pics of them doing normal things..like being human).

Just another glorious weekend at the Hamptons

2011-06-27T13:28:00.000-07:00

So, now that I've spent a weekend at the infamous "Hamptons" I've hired a tennis pro and have taken to calling everyone "dahhhling." Just kidding, for all the fancy cars we passed along the way (people actually drive Bentleys?), my experience of the Hamptons (Westhampton Beach to be specific) was remarkably chill and down to earth. Aside from the impeccable view of the bay,

Oh you know, just another sunset over the bay

And the private beachfront access, it was totally normal. Just like Coney Island...except less people.


To be fair, we really only had like an acre of oceanfront to ourselves

Also, if you don't know anything about Coney Island, or the Hamptons, please know that I am completely kidding and that the two things are well...COMPLETELY different. We did have a totally relaxing and laid back weekend though, and I did my best to bring Westhampton down to my middle class squalor with tortilla chips, dips (avocado + salsa + lime = award winning guacamole, no?), and good old bud light.


Not pictured: tombstone pizza, hamburgers (non-grass fed beef) & watermelon

All in all, it really was a glorious weekend, full of beautiful weather, delicious "vacation food", and wonderful people.