Roof Deck Fundraiser!

My fundraiser on Friday was such a hit!  I always get mild social anxiety about hosting parties, like, what if no one comes, or if they come but don't have fun, etc. Throw in the fact that I'm trying to raise money, and that just makes it all the more stressful.  This party, however, was so surprisingly easy and I ended up making more money than any of my previous fundraisers.  It was a beautiful night and a great crowd - I hope everyone had as much fun as I did.

The real secret to my success was the fact that all the alcohol (except for a Heineken mini-keg) were donated by my local wine store.  The manager of the store was so helpful in coordinating with one of her wine distributors, and I had the choice of several varieties of wine.  My favorite summertime wine is rosé, so I made sure there was plenty, and I had lots of white and red wine, too.  And although I hadn't thought of it, Steph, the eternal party-planning guru, thought that my guests would want snacks, and she brought over a variety of dips that she'd made.  She also made bread and brought pita chips and regular chips.  I cut up some crudité, and by the end of the party there was not a scrap of food remaining.

Steph, Christine and Jenna came early to help me set up.  Thanks guys! :)

The spread

Steph and Emily played their iPods on my little speaker system, and everyone chatted and mingled and enjoyed the beautiful view.

The view - for some reason it never looks as pretty when I take a picture of it as it does in real life!

New friends were made, and bicycle sales were negotiated.

Amal (she's kind of a big deal) and Jonathan, her biggest fan

Joe, Carrie, Nicole, Sarah, Amal and me

Lots of us wore white in honor of the last weekend before Labor Day weekend.

White and turquoise snugs

Amal, Carrie and me

I can't believe I don't have a single picture of Anne Marie, who wins the award for most dedicated supporter.  She traveled all the way from Philly for the fundraiser!  Lizz also wins for bringing the most friends to my party.

Thank you so much to everyone who came!  I'm so close to my goal!

Farmers Tans & Weekly Training Plans

I am planning to write a separate post about my fundraiser on Friday, but I wanted to say thank you to everyone who came!  It was so much fun and we made $500 for the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society.  Only $161 to go before my goal!

Saturday morning I woke up early and headed out for my longest run to date - 15 miles.  I was dreading this run so very much after last week's painful 14-miler, but I forced myself out the door nonetheless.  I decided to run along the West Side Highway for this run, since my dad was coming around lunchtime and I didn't want to have to take the subway home from Central Park.  From the start, the run felt heaps better than last week.  I ran along the Hudson River, around the bottom of the island, and then up along the East River to the Williamsburg Bridge and back.  At this point, I'd gone about 9 miles, and still felt good.  I continued up the Hudson River Park to 42nd Street and then back down to where I started.  By the last mile, my legs were really feeling it, but I was able to finish and then walk shakily back to my apartment for some Gatorade and stretching.

I think I had a better run for a few reasons.  I'm getting used to running with the dreaded, dorky-looking water belt (I had to get one - the hand-held water bottle drives me nuts!), I switched from Chomps to Powerbar Gel Blasts, which I think taste so much better and are less dense, and the course had fewer hills than last week.  The belt/chews reasons are good, but I need to practice long-running on hills, since the NYC Marathon is a hilly course.  Next weekend I'll be back in Central Park to take on those Harlem Hills.  And I'll also be applying more sunscreen since I now have a horrible farmers tan!

This week is my third step-back, and I'm so glad.  My legs are still a little sore from Saturday!

Monday: 4 miles
Tuesday: 5 miles
Wednesday: 4 miles
Thursday: Spin
Friday: 7 mile pace
Saturday: 11 miles
Sunday: REST!

Midweek Report

After that 14-miler last weekend, I was feeling a little down on the whole marathon training thing.  I'm 8 weeks into an 18-week program, and it seems like I've been training forever.  But then yesterday I had a great 7-mile run and it reminded me how much I love to run.  The weather was crisp and cool, almost autumn-like, and I felt the stress of the past week melting away.  I can't wait for fall; it's my favorite season! 

Today I am home in Bethlehem, PA for my dad's 82nd birthday, so I did my Wednesday 4-miler by the Lehigh Canal.  I used to struggle to find places to run at home.  My mom lives in a housing development, but running around the neighborhood gets boring really quickly.  My dad lives in the woods, but there aren't sidewalks and the country roads are super narrow and dangerous for pedestrians.  When I was home earlier in the summer I asked the employees at the local running store about running paths.  They gave me a ton of information on where to run, and I have really enjoyed exploring their recommendations.  It does make sense that the town where Runner's World Magazine is produced would have a plethora of good trails out there, but I just never knew about any of them until recently. 

The Lehigh Canal towpath is by far my favorite trail.  The canal was constructed in the 1820s to carry anthracite coal from the Lehigh Valley to urban markets of the Northeast, especially Philadelphia.  The path is 46 miles long, so its perfect for long runs.  Often when I do my long runs in NYC, I wish I could be at home on the Lehigh Canal towpath instead.  I love running along a path that's rich with history, surrounded by trees, plants, and fresh air.  Now I feel refreshed and ready for my 15-miler on Saturday. 

Weekly Training Plan

"Now if you are going to win any battle you have to do one thing. You have to make the mind run the body. Never let the body tell the mind what to do. The body will always give up. It is always tired morning, noon, and night. But the body is never tired if the mind is not tired. When you were younger the mind could make you dance all night, and the body was never tired...You've always got to make the mind take over and keep going."  - George S. Patton, U.S. Army General and 1912 Olympian

On Saturday I ran 14 miles, which was my longest run ever.   It felt FAR and was way more difficult than I expected.  I thought that if I just went nice and slow it'd be fine, but by mile 9 I was *so* ready to be done.  I had a caffeine headache, was climbing the Harlem hills in Central Park, and could not believe I still had 5 miles left.  I actually had to stop and take a little walking break, which I don't usually have to do when I run.  I filled up my water bottles and collected myself, then continued on my way.  The promise of a soy misto at Starbucks after the run kept me going, and I made it to the end.  I cannot believe that on November 7th I'm going to be able to run 14 miles plus 12 more.  Heck, I can't believe that this Saturday I'm going to be able to run 15!  I feel a little bit overwhelmed at the moment. 

Here's this week's training plan:

Monday: 4 miles
Tuesday: 7 miles
Wednesday: 4 miles
Thursday: spin
Friday: 7 miles
Saturday 15 miles

Total: 37 miles (ahhh!)

With a Wink and a Nod

This weekend my training fell apart.  I missed my weekend long run, but in my defense, I had a really good reason.  I was planning on running on Sunday, but on Saturday my left eye was really hurting me.  It was red and watery, and stung terribly.  I was on a bus to Philly to visit my best friend Neha, and when I arrived, I took out my contact and it started to feel a little better.  By Sunday morning though, it was worse.  The pain was so awful that Neha suggested we get it checked out at Wills Eye Hospital.  After being examined by two residents and an attending physician, it was determined that I scratched my cornea.  The doctors think that some foreign object became lodged under my contact, and when I rubbed my eye I scratched my cornea.  Today I am finally starting to feel a little better, but it's hard to look at a computer screen or my cell phone for too long.  I can't wear a contact in my left eye for awhile - at least a week. 

My first thought when I found out that I couldn't put my contact in was how the heck am I going to run this week?  I am blind as a bat without my contacts, but my glasses aren't exactly cut out for running.  My brother Jonathan suggested that I wear one contact - in my good eye, obviously - so that I can at least see where I'm going.  I tried it today and it was a little fuzzy and headache-inducing, but not as bad as I thought it was going to be.  Unfortunately, this week is an increase in mileage, so it's going to be a lot of one-eyed running.  I really felt like I was winking at everyone on the running path this morning!  I guess that'll just be my style this week.

This week's training plan -
Monday: 4 miles
Tuesday: 7 miles
Wednesday: 4 miles
Thursday: Spin
Friday: 7 miles
Saturday: 14 miles
Sunday: Much deserved rest!

Little Bit of Venting

You know what really irks me?  When people who are not running the marathon give their commentary on how insane/crazy/stupid it is to run so many miles.  This has happened to me a lot lately, especially at work.  I don't really need commentary on what I choose to do with my free time.  I don't judge my boss for spending her free time watching the Sci-Fi network whilst measuring the daily growth of her houseplants.  Well, to be fair, I DO judge her for that, I just keep my opinions to myself.   Also, I really dislike the "how can you run in this HEAT???" that I get a lot.  It is hot outside, hotter than I'd like it to be, but I don't really have a choice.  I signed up for this marathon, and I am on a training schedule that requires me to get out there and run.  Sometimes I myself wonder whether I'm crazy for doing all this, but with 12 weeks to go before the marathon, I have to just keep pushing and know that I'm doing it for an amazing cause and that I'll feel so great when I've done it.  So keep your nay-saying opinions to yourself, please!

Summer Streets & Weekly Training Plan

 This weekend was the first weekend of Summer Streets, an event sponsored by NYC Dot where Park Avenue/4th Ave/Lafayette Street is closed from Central Park to the Brooklyn Bridge and runners, walkers and bikers can take to the streets.  It was awesome - there were swimming pools set up near Grand Central, bands playing along Park Ave, and all sorts of activities along the way.  My long run was 12 miles, which meant that I ran from the Brooklyn Bridge to 72nd Street and then over to Central Park up to 91st St. and back.  There was so many new sights to see that the run flew by, and before I knew it I was done.  By far the coolest part was running up Park Ave to Grand Central, then through the tunnel to the other side.

In other news, last week was the first week in awhile that I actually did all my scheduled runs.  The new workout schedule is a success!  This week is another step-back week (thank goodness), so here's the schedule, my 6th official week of marathon training (of 18 weeks total...yikes!):

Monday: 3 miles
Tuesday: 5 miles
Wednesday: 3 miles
Thursday: Spin
Friday: 6 miles
Saturday: 9 miles
Sunday: Rest

Total: 26 miles

Expert Advice

I am so glad I ran into my friend Katie on the Esplanade yesterday, because she gave me some mind blowing advice about my running schedule.  She suggested that I do my weekend runs on Friday/Saturday instead of Saturday/Sunday.  That way I can stay out late on Saturday night and take off all day Sunday worry-free.  It's amazing that I never thought of this solution myself, but there it is. 

Katie is a Sig Tau - a member of my group of friends from college.  Sig Tau is a special group to mention in my running blog because the majority of the members of the group are runners.  Three of the members - Katie, Anne Marie and Sarah - are marathon runners who have completed more than one marathon.  Katie and Anne Marie ran so fast that they qualified for, and ran this past spring, the Boston Marathon.  They are now training for yet another marathon in Berlin, which will be Anne Marie's fourth and Katie's third.  Of the rest of the girls, I think 4 of us have run at least one 10-miler or half-marathon before.  That's pretty impressive!  Actually, sometimes I have to remind myself that running a marathon is a big deal and a huge accomplishment, because it just seems like so many of my friends have done it and are doing it. 

So here's to my amazing marathon running friends.  Hopefully I get through the next 3 months and am able to join the club!

Katie running the Boston Marathon

Sarah at the Philly Marathon

Anne Marie running the NYC Marathon

Weekly Training Plan

Monday: Spin (and now you know more about it!)
Tuesday: 3 miles
Wednesday: 6 miles
Thursday: 3 miles
Friday: Rest
Saturday: 6 miles
Sunday: 12 miles

Total: 30 miles (or 24 if I skip the 6 miler)

Push push push

I love my spin instructor Gregg and his spin class - Terracycle - at Equinox.  Before I started training for the marathon I would go every Friday morning at 7:30am.  Now that I'm on a different workout schedule because of training, I go to Gregg on Monday evenings.  I must say that it really gets me to look forward to Mondays.

Gregg Cook, my spin instructor (taken from his website www.greggcook.com)

Gregg is an extremely motivational instructor, and his advice during class always enters my head as I run.  He tells us to pick a mantra like "push push push" or "go go go" and repeat it as you work out.  He is fond of telling us that there's a level of discomfort that we're comfortable with reaching, and that to see positive changes in our body we have to train ourselves to push past that level.  I think that's true for running as well.  There are times that I'll be running up a hill and thinking that I'm uncomfortable and want to stop or walk.  But then Gregg's voice enters my head and I think "push push push - just relax your shoulders and go go go, yes yes yes!"  Getting past the mental block of "I can't" is difficult, but being cognizant of the block makes it easier to put it aside and keep pushing on.

Speaking of discomfort while running, this past weekend I headed out on Saturday for my 11-miler, but was totally unprepared and forgot to bring water and Chomps (and I hadn't eaten).  Then I missed a turn on my second loop around Central Park, so I ended up running 12 miles instead of 11.  At least I learned that the water fountains in the park are too few and far between to rely upon, which is good to know for future, longer runs.

I also came to the realization that two runs on the weekends probably will just never happen.  This past weekend my dad came on Sunday, meaning that I didn't have the chance to run the 6-miler I was supposed to do.  Next weekend my mom is coming for the weekend, the weekend after that I am going to Philly, the following weekend I have a friend in town...it's never ending!  I think doing what I've said before - the Beginner-II schedule and just adding the second weekend run if I can fit it in - is the best it's going to get.  And at least that way I won't start resenting running because it's something I "have to" do all the time, rather than something I want to do.  It's too early in training to be losing motivation!