Pure Central Park Therapy

My run last night with RUNNYC was a bit painful, but I'm glad I did it. It was fantastic seeing a few of my homies and also the post run trip to POP BURGER was worth any amount of hamsting pain. I'd run miles and miles for some "Luscious mouth watering warm buns"! My fav is always the "Gobble gobble!" Turkey burgs. Wow! it's 9am and I already want another. ha!


Anyways, a good friend of mine recently sent me this article on Central Park. For any of you who share my love for this gorgeous oasis, this NYC runner paradise, give this interative map a gander. Maybe you'll learn a few new trails.

Also, you can click the map below for a larger view of the park. The one below is not interactive, but does have so you can listen to stories and view pictures from around the park. Have fun!

Oh and Happy Gorgeous Hump Day!

Do you Run Your City?

Ryan, the creator of Run Your City has just rolled out two new and exciting projects. First, he's added a book club which is underway on runyourcity.com. Anyone who has read or is interested in reading “Ultramarathon Man” by Dean Karnazes can now jump on RYC and discuss it with other runners.

I'll be honest, I'm probably not going to read this book. And I'm not your typical book club dork. No offense, Ryan, you're awesome and I still think this is a great idea. But at the moment, I just have too many other things going on (not to break out the excuses). But why should that stop any of you runner/book nerds out there from reading away? :)

Besides, why read it when I can just check back and see what everyone else has to say about it. I'm just saying.... :) I'll jump on the next book. Promise! :)

The other exciting addition from the creator of RYC is WikiRun, an encyclopedia for runners. You can reach wikirun through RYC or just at wikirun.com . Wikirun is a collaborative project aimed to bring together running resources into one central location on-line - a living encyclopedia of running. In order to maintain a high level of credibility, all the members are running professionals (pro or college runners, coaches, race coordinators, sports writers, etc.).

Wikirun has just over a hundred articles at the moment, but is in need of more editors.

If you are a running professional and wish to help, email ryan@wikirun.com and he'll hook you up with a username and password.

whoops! I lied, there's one more thing. So, say you're not really interested in reading about ultramarathoner dudes, well, maybe you might just want to talk about the other things that are posted on the RYC discussion boards. Well.... talk talk talk away! :) Let's get some interesting conversations rollin' or some new topics. Really sharing is caring... so, let's see what you have to offer our running community!

HAPPY TRAINING! :)

No Bake - Energy Bar

My Fiancé and I decided to have a little sweet and gooey fun in the kitchen the other day. (oh seriously, get your mind out of the gutter). He recently found a recipe in Liberty Sports Magazine for a no-bake energy bar and wanted to give it a try. I have limited "skills" in the kitch, so a "no-bake" recipe sounded pretty good to me.

We followed this recipe and could hardly wait the two hours while the bars "set" in the fridge. Seriously, you try mixing peanut butter, honey, cocoa, raisins, sunflower seeds, etc.. together with out starting to salavate. Not to mention we're not really the most patient people on the planet. Well, at least I'm not. But in two hours we had tasty - gooey perfection in the form of a home made energy bar.

So, the recipe was quick and painless and if you can control yourself enough not to eat the whole tray at once, the bars pack quite a nice energy boost! We added a few scoops of soy protein powder for some extra kick. You can do all sorts of things with it to make it your own.. so, thanks Phill Etheridge from Liberty Mag for sharing a recipe that he already ripped off from racedaynutrition.com . :) Sharing is caring!

Happy NO baking, ya'll! :)

Who Wants To Be a Champion?

Champions are so much better than millionaires!
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Besides, what's ONE million dollars really worth anymore? Seriously!

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Champions accomplish great feats, get cool medals and get to take inspiring pictures with their fans; while millionaires just go crazy and spend their new found money on drugs, loose women, and gas for their ridiculously expensive cars. Trust me, I saw it on 60minutes!

Champions are so much cooler!

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So what are you waiting for? Be a CHAMPION!!!

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Oh, I forgot to tell you how..

The Parkinson's Disease Foundation has marathon spots open for Chicago or Berlin. You would have to raise $2,500 (yes, CHAMPIONS must sometimes solicit money from others to achieve true greatness!), but you get online training (from active.com), a personalized webpage, an awesome singlet, long sleeved tee, visor, some other cool freebies & fundraising tips from the staff. Plus you would get the satisfaction of raising funds for PDF, an organization which is trying effortlessly to unlock the mysteries of a Parkinson's Disease, a chronic and progressive movement disorder which effects more than 6million people worldwide!

Here's where to go for more information or to sign up!!

Got Sole?

As you know by now, I like talking about shoes! Running shoes especially. There's an over abundance of discount shoe websites out there, but here are a few that I wasn't previously aware of offered by runtheplanet.com .

And for all my fellow ASICS fans, REI is having a sale for 30% off on ASICS until May 11th.

So, if you know what your feet like and you plan to stick to it, then save yourself a few dollars and stock up!

Also, if you have any new shoes that you've recently trialed and LOVE, let me know! I like to hear what other people are "treading it up" in out there!

Oh, the Places You'll Go...

Fellow Blogger Ryan has unleashed yet another fantastic online networking idea to help strengthen our runner/blogger community called, RunYourCity.com. Ryan's site offers great information and blog rolls which are broken down by city. This site seems to have great potential for being a powerful centralized area to share resources, information and advice within your city (and can be a valuable resource for traveling runners as well!).

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Great Job, Ryan! This is a fantastic idea and I'm excited to see where your site will go...

now, just put me on that blog roll! :)

Good Luck!!

Plastic Not So Fantastic!

As I reached up to open the microwave this morning, one of my coworkers frantically approached me and said, "please don't tell me you're putting a plastic container in the microwave". I actually wasn't but this sparked a 10min conversation (or preach session) about plastics and how horrible they are for you. Now, this subject has been getting much necessary attention over the past few months, but it wasn't until today that I decided (as a frequent water bottle user) that I should seriously read up on it.

The New York Times ran this article on April 16th, Canada Likely to Label Plastic Ingredient ‘Toxic’ which directly focuses on Bisphenol-A (or BPA), the potentially toxic culprit found in such popular water bottles as Nalgene, as producing potentially serious health effects to the hormonal system. Two days later a follow up story ran, Bottle Maker to Stop Using Plastic Linked to Health Concerns which focused on the Nalgene Outdoor Products (manufacture of the popular "Nalgene" bottle), a Rochester based company and their decision to stop using BPA due to rising concerns over potential associated health risks. The article also adds that results of animal testing showed limited evidence of BPA producing urinary tract problems and resulting in the development of precancerous tumors (although the evidence was labled as "limited").

Time Magazine also ran the article, Freshen Up You Drink on this subject last month which highlighted the potential problems associated with re-using your plastic water bottles. It offers a chart which evaluates the make up of the most popular brands of plastic water bottles, shoes the "potential problems" and then give a suggestion on whether or not reuse of each specific water bottle is recommended.

Well, we all know how the media loves to jump on issues such as this,which in turn, sends the consumer market into a state of frenzied panic! Not to dismiss the serious nature of the fact that we may be all putting ourselves at risk by continuing to use products which put us in direct contact with BPH and PolyCarbonate, but I think we need to do our best to get all the facts and make the best (and sound) decision for our own health. I am partial to my purple Nalgene bottle, but I'm also quite fond of normal hormonal levels (anyone else with me?). I'll surely be paying close attention to this topic as it continues to develop.. and in the mean time I'll be in the market for a Stainless Steel water bottle, that is until they come back and tell us something negative about steel... for now, it's the best option.

In the meantime, read up my former plastic water bottle toting friends! And remember,

BPA Plastic is Whack-tastic!

Crazy Laces - Take 2

Back in February I posted "Crazy Laces" and blogged about how I tie my shoes. I also embedded a video which showed how I do this and why. Well, I'm not sure if any of you have also stumbled across this great resource, but check this resourceful article from Runnersworld.com which shows not one, not two, but FIVE videos of various ways to tie your laces to solve common discomfort problems. A little lace change goes a long way... simply amazing!

Here's just one of the five video's which poses a solution to the problem:
"MY SHOE RUBS ONE SPOT ON THE TOP OF MY FOOT."

The Solution offered:
Eliminate pressure on a "hot spot" by lacing around it, not directly over it.



For more lace tying techniques click HERE !!!

Modified Fasting & NutritonData.com

Did anyone see the article on the Runner's World Daily blog about how to lose weight by "pigging out"? Does this idea sound ridiculous to anyone else?





If you chose to read more of the RW blog post it re-directs you to the site, NutritionData.com. It's there that you can read on to discover that this idea of intermittent fasting DOES seem to work for some people (best results were from obese individuals). But even after reading the rest of the article and information on the small studies conducted to test this idea, I still don't think it's necessary for the average active and (generally) healthy eating individual. As athletes we need well balanced nutrition to become "well oiled and properly fueled machines". I'm not an expert in this field, but I'm also not sure that the "stop and go" signals of modified fasting will send the best message to your body. I have always received the best results (mentally and physically) when I have been able to get myself on a regular structured and well regulated nutritional schedule. Not that sticking to the one day "20% few calorie-fast" & one day "pig out" isn't establishing a routine that your body will eventually become accustomed to, but it just doesn't seem like the most optimal way to lose weight while maintaining the proper energy and fuel stores your body needs to train, perform and recover. Distance runner, "steve" posted an interesting comment on this topic. If you have a second, give it a look and let me know what you think.

So, while I was on NutritionData.com, I decided to take a look around. This site was actually recommended to me by a coworker a little over a year ago. I had checked it out at the time, but I knew I didn't posses the patience it would take to register and update my pantry to use the more in depth nutrition analysis tools it offers. No way, Jose! But the site does contain some fantastic resources and a few tools I can see myself using more regularly such as the needs calculator.

So, despite the fact that I'm not diving into the world of calorie counting and I'm also not planning to start a modified fasting regimine anytime soon, I must climb up on my soap box to say how important it is that we all give our due diligence to the topic of proper nutrition. When it comes to learning about how we can better fuel ourselves, our resources are seemly endless. It's more about finding what works best for you and sticking to it. Good luck!

Training Schedule Week#2 -(Feb 25-March 2):
Monday: Rest... fighting off a cold!
Tuesday: AM: YOGA PM: RUNNYC - 6miles - 4 X 20 sec striders
Wednesday: AM: 5miles
Thursday: PM: I heart NYC run 6-7miles
Friday: AM: YOGA, PM: Women's self defense/cardio kickbox class-55mins
followed by 2mile run
Saturday: 5 miles, 4 X 20 sec striders
Sunday: 8miles
Total: 32 miles + YOGA + 55min kickboxing

WANDERLUST!!!

As fellow Blogger, Bob commented a few weeks back on my February 4th post, "ahhh so much info online, so little time".... Well, Bob I honestly couldn't agree with you more. But if anything, pointing each other in the direction of a few valuable resources does save some time (at least I think... or hope!).

I was stumbling around the web yesterday when I happened upon this site, http://www.runtheplanet.com/It's pretty flippin' cool! Especially for someone like me who loves to travel and also stay fairly active on my trips.

A few things that really caught my interest on this site was the World Wide Running Club - finder (awesome!) and the World Wide Race Calendar (because you KNOW i love race calendars.. ha!). The site is definetly a temporary fix for my sometimes overwhelming wanderlust. As destination racing is becoming "all the rage", I'm sure we'll be seeing an increase in sites such as this one which will include international races and running groups.

Anyone want to do a training run with the Berowra Bushrunners in Sydney, Austrailia or run the a marathon at night in Cavaliino, Italy (the heal of the boot!)?

Oh well, at least this RuNNeR ChIcK can dream!

"Favorite Thing" Fridays - Clif Bars

Call it a favorite thing, call it an addiction..... Really!!

If this these where a controlled substance, would I try to get my hands on them anyway? Questionable!

What are they? ........Clif bars!

Here is another company with a fantastic philosophy and history.

Here are just a few of my favorites:

1. The Luna Bar! My favorite flavors being the Chai Late, the Iced Oatmeal Raisin and the newest flavor of the bunch, Berry Almond (YUM!)

2. The Z bar!!! I completely understand that I'm way closer to 30 than I am to 13, but I can't help it, these snacks are so tasty! They're a great way to satisfy that sweet fix you have after dinner or during the day. LOVE 'em! Especially the Chocolate Chip & the Peanut Butter flavors.

3. The Original. An oldie but goodie! If I do have one of these, I pretty much stick to my favorite, Cranberry, Apple, Cherry. It's lower in fat and I just love how it tastes.

4. My boyfriends Favorite, Clif Builder. He will only eat the Cholate Mint (which he raves about every time) and Peanut Butter. I have tried both and they are quite good. I'm personally not into the HIGH protein bars, but I had to mentioned them since they were so highly recommended.

Some of my fellow marathoners are also big fans of the clif shots. I've tried them but they're just not for me. I think it's a consistancy thing. I prefer my gels during the race.

If you have any favorite bars or comments about clif bars, please share! Sharing is caring! :)

Feel the LOVE!

Some people get so bent out of shape over this little holiday we call Valentine's Day. A day that's supposed to be filled with cards, flowers, candy, hugs, kisses, chocolate and well, LOVE people!

Anyway, I realize this holiday is not as welcomed (and pretty much seen as "obnoxious") by people that may not currently have a significant other (been there). But really, there's no reason to get all bitter today. There's so many things out there to LOVE...


ok, so..... if you're still not convinced, let me give you my top five recommendations on how to "Feel the LOVE" today (with NO significant other required):


1. LOVE yourself!
Yes, be selfish, send a valentine to yourself and for one day stop being so hard on yourself for all your "shortcomings". Send yourself some flowers, treat yourself to a I LOVE ME massage, or allow yourself to indulge in one of your vices and let loose for the day. Just have fun and enjoy& appreciate just being YOU.


2. LOVE your running/training buddy
Do something nice for that person (or pet) who gets you through your tough workouts, who gets you off the couch, or who motivates you to work harder. Let them know how much you care and apprecaite them. Share the LOVE!


3. LOVE your workout today
Run somewhere different, throw in a twist, take in the scenery, just really be present in what you are doing and don't go through the motions. No matter what level you are on, just appreciate and love the fact that you are able to run, swim, bike or simply just go at your training hard and DREAM BIG. There are millions of people in this world that can't even get that far. Just LOVE it out today!


4. LOVE racing season
For us Northeasterners, the fun stuff starts in the Spring. But even if you live in 365 days of sunshine take today to look at the months ahead and give love to your upcoming race calendar. Sign up for a few new races and just commit! We're all in a relationship, a committed relationship with racing and staying fit!


5. LOVE your feet
Seriously, show your feet you care! At the end of the day.... ladies, go get a pedi and throw in that extra $$ for a massage. Guys, well, you might want to purchase one of these. They're totally worth it! Your little buddies take such a beating everyday, so treat 'em nice!


Tonight, I will be "Feeling the LOVE" with RUNNYC and lovin' on my running buddies and central park. ....All in time to rush home for my date with the other love of my life, LOST!!!!

Wishing you all a fantabulous Valentine's Day! :)

Pretzel City Sports & Philly Love

As some of you know, I'm a Philadelphia native. I frequently return to the Philly area and therefore do quite a bit of running in Philly and the surrounding areas. The last road race I completed in Philly was Fighting Irish 5k in one of my old stomping grounds, Chestnut Hill, PA. The race, originally held the weekend prior to St. Patrick's Day (fittingly), was postponed last year to the end of September, which is when it will now be held each year indefintely. Smart choice by race directors since now they do not have to compete with the other 50+ local road races held around that time. Great race if you're in Philly late September. VERY hilly, but fun!


So, the point of mentioning the this race is actually because it was at The Fighting Irish 5k where I discovered Pretzel City Sports, "Events with a Twist" (how cute!). Pretzel City Sports is a great local database for Philadephia (and Southeastern PA) road races. They have some excellent road and trail races posted for the coming year. It looks as though they recently updated their site so there's still a few things missing.


I recommend using this site as a great resource for Philly local races, however be sure to heed my warning and DO NOT sign up for the newsletter. The "newsletter" which arrives in your inbox and is a ridiculously lengthy and somewhat spastic plain text e-mail riddled with poor and sometimes distasteful jokes, is way too confusing. You're best off just visiting the site and viewing the race calendar. It seems that Pretzel City Sports President, Ron Horn means well, but he has an off the wall sense of humor and I don't get the relevance of half his jokes. Who knows, maybe it's just me. But hopefully they'll set up a blog soon!

And why we're on the subject of Philadelphia pretzels (ok, somewhat random), I want to take a second to school a few of you on what a REAL philly pretzel looks like (see below). Mmmmmm! The crispy, soft, doughy goodness! Nothing like one of these after a 5 or 10k! ;)

A Runner's Log!

You've heard it time and time again just how important it is to keep a training log. You know the deal. For the more obvious reasons, a runner's log is an important tracking tool needed to provide a visual evidence of your base, your build up, your progress. To show you were you might need to improve or where you should give yourself a mighty ol' pat on the back.

You're log is your best friend and your worst enemy. Either way, your log is with you through thick and thin. Your log doesn't lie (that is unless, you do!).

I'm not so great at using my log while I'm not specifically training for anything, but as I get ready to face what's sure to be an exciting Spring season, I know I'll be dusting off the cover and setting up my framework for the training to come.

My log is an old generic day/week planner that I found at CVS four years ago. A small spiral notebook with a bright blue plastic cover that I adoringly covered with RUNNYC and BridgeRunner's stickers. When I'm in training, wherever I go my log goes with me. I look forward to writing in my training each day, tallying in my weekly totals each Sunday night and adding those weekly totals to my overall training mileage and of course, training shoe mileage. Just as I love writing down the mileage I've rocked out for the day, I completely dread writing when I've fallen short of a daily plan or weekly goal (as I appropriately cover those spaces with frown faces or curse words ;) ).

My log is simple in that I don't go into tons of detail re: my daily routine, but I put enough down that it provides a great reference for later review. It also helps boost my confidence the nights leading up to a big race, when I can lay in bed and look at all the "money in the bank" and feel completely invested in what I'm about to take on.

So no matter how big or small your current goals are, log your progress. It's so gratifying to watch your dreams become a reality right before your eyes.

I prefer the old fashion way, but there are so many great resources online for logging your mileage/training. Here are just a few suggestions:

Map My Run
Running Ahead
Runner's World Online Training Log
..And this is a new one (for me), ProgressLog

If you have any other suggestions or would like to share how you map your training, please let me know! I'd love to hear it!

Crazy Laces

The other night one of my girlfriends asked me why my laces were tied funny. To be honest, I've been tying my laces the same way for so many years that I completely forgot I was doing anything apart from the norm. The reason I started lacing up this way was because my college coach had recommended it after I started having issues with my ankles. So, today I noticed that Runner's World had a video posted which give instructions on tying your laces in this particular way and I wanted to share. Why? Well, because sharing is caring. Happy Saturday!



And btw, I just want to say how happy I am to be home here in NY this weekend. It was so nice to get out and do one of my local weekend runs... and then just relax the rest of the day. I got to sleep in for once and just chill out! A bit on the lazy side, but I think I needed it. Tomorrow I'm heading over to talk to Coach Cane at City Coach about my potential life as a triathlete. :) stay tuned!

Today's Training: 5.6miles

"Favorite Thing" Fridays - Nike Track Shorts

I'm am so incredibly happy that it's Friday! How about you? Geesh, what a week. So, I'm revisiting favorite thing Friday's since thinking about all the things I LoVe is certainly helpful to get through these last few hours of work.

Now this particular post may appeal more to us runner chicas, but it's a good piece of advice nonetheless. I was thinking earlier this morning about some of my favorite pieces of running gear from running apparel to watches to all sort of winter weather layer pieces etc... but my mind kept going back to the basics. Back to those nice weather days where all you have to do is throw on a pair a shortsm a t-shirt and your shoes and skip out the door. Ahh.... those long awaited days of spring and summer can't come quick enough.

So, why wait until summer to discuss one of my favorite summer pieces of apparel, the Women's Tempo Track Short by Nike. My girlfriends and I all have multiple pairs and if you don't well the time is now. If you notice from the link above, NIKE is having a sale on these shorts (only $19!!). Not to mention that I was in NikeTown this past Tuesday night and they have their new colors out. They have this great new "dodger" blue color this season and the dodger blue track shorts (not online just yet) are pretty flippin' sweet.

If you're anything like me, you typically always miss the "out of season" sales, so jump on this deal while you can!

Merrells, Treats for your Feets!

I know everyone is jumping on the "specialty running market" bandwagon, but Merrell is one company I'm happy to hear is now manufacturing running shoes. As you probably know, they've been doing trail shoes for quite sometime, but I'm so excited about this latest development. They seem to be a great company with a philosophy I can buy into.

As you may know from earlier posts, I'm an "ASICS girl" who most recently was persuaded by her EKIN friend to trail a pair of NIKEs. Last update I received was that my new NIKE kicks are in the mail (stay tuned). But considering my recent purchase of a pair of Merrell zodiacs which I love Love LOVE for kickin' around and for the to/from work, I'm interested to see how Merrell does in this first attempt at a training shoe.

Kids!!, just watch the video below, this shoe has memory foam and is partially made of recyclable material. That's pretty flippin' cool!!

Here's a glimpse of the Merrell CT Converge (and the Brooks Defy ance):

RUNNYC - RUN CLUB

Since Tuesday nights are typically my RUNNYC - RUN CLUB night, I thought I'd send a reminder that for all of February Run Club is giving away a free gift too all new runners (and not just those in NYC).

I've made so many fabulous friends through RUNNYC and the fantastic part about it is that we are all at different levels of running. Some might (and do) call my group of friends "the clique" but it just because we've banched off into so many other areas of interest (ex: wet-n-wild wednesdays, game nights, happy hours in the city, dinner and dance parties, etc...).

I'm not even someone who typically likes "group running", but the benefits of the support of fellow runners and experienced coaches are immeasurable. I got hooked early on after moving to the city since RUNNYC hosts phenomenial runs/parties around the city. It was an excellent way for me to run parts of the city that I would have never even thought to visit.

Overall the group attracts such a wide range of runners but there is always someone at/around your level to run with... and you just can't beat the bag check and post run-free food!

Check out locations in your area or hit up a group run even if/when you're in town for a visit.
It's always free!

So, what are you waiting for? Come Run With Us!

Active Warm Up with Olympic Marathoner: Mark Coogan

Finally! Here is the "Active Warm Up" video with Olympic Marathoner Mark Coogan that I was trying to post over weekend.

I'm a big fan of active warm ups prior to a workout as opposed to static stretching which has been proven to stiffen muscles and actually increase the risk of injury. Like grams on the left, yeah, I don't recommend doing that!

An active warm up will help you "ready" the muscles you are going to use on your run and get you up and moving into a quality training run (or effort) sooner and more effectively.

And even though the Patriots experienced a ROYAL upset yesterday, I hope you will at least appreciate Mark Coogan's fantastic Boston accent (in the video) and the fact that there are still quite a few quality athletes in New England. :)

So, if you're interested in how I found this video (and even if your not), I'll tell you. I recently saw an advert for excercisetv.tv and decided to check it out. Now, I'm not a fan of actual "excercise tv" stations. I'm actually the type who will stop on the "excercise" station while flipping through stations, but instead of joining in on the routine I'll watch it for 15-20 minutes while laying on the couch, munching on snacks! :) But something about getting short workouts online and on-demand was interesting to me. So, I checked it out and was pleasently surprised.

There are all sorts of short clips for nutrition, wait training, ab workouts, you name it. And they are all brief enough to meet the demands of my short attention span (for this type of stuff at least!)

I think they have something here that is a bit more appealing to us control freaks that like to do things on our own schedule! :)

Complete Running Blog Network

Ok, quick post this Friday. I'm always on the search for other running blogs/sites. As and FYI, visiting Complete Running is a "must". I've had a link to this site under my "Leaders of the Pack" section but it's affectionately labeled as "The Running Blogfather" ...a nickname that was appropriately given to this site/it's owner.

You will find all sorts of great running related information here. The very best part is they have the Running Blog Family Directory, which I'm proudly a new member of (as of a few weeks ago).

Too bad "The Running Chick" is already taken, but I suppose it's a good thing I don't like to run in hats!