Sweet Blog O'Mine

Category: Life

  • Relaxation Therapy

    Beach

    I haven't been getting nearly enough down time lately, so when I received a last minute invitation to head out to West Hampton this weekend, I jumped on it.  I took a stupidly early train on Saturday which afforded me a full beach day — and the weather couldn't have been more gorgeous.  Just what the doctor ordered — sand, surf, friends, laughter, and dinner on the grill (which was ever-so-tasty).  Looking forward to my full week of relaxation — up to the cabin in Maine for a long weekend followed by several days on Fire Island — at the end of the month, but have quite a bit to do before then . . .

     

  • Dear Laren,

    I was just writing to remind you that sometimes I like a quiet night at home.  Maybe just one or two a week. Don't get me wrong — I love getting you through triathlons, cocktail conferences, and your ridiculous work/social schedule, but I do need a certain amount of sleep.  And downtime.  That couch you have is quite comfy, and I know you enjoy cooking meals in your kitchen.

    I don't mean to be demanding or anything.  I tried to send you a warning sign earlier this week, with all the sniffling and sneezing, and you let me rest a bit, but then you started right back up again with the workouts and the going out and the not enough sleep thing.

    I truly hope that we can work something out on this front or I may just crap out on you altogether. 

    Love,

    Your Body

    PS — Your Soul says hi, and is putting in a request for weekly yoga in addition to more downtime

    xoxo

  • Swim, Bike, Run, Nap, Celebrate!

    I'm happy to report that I successfully finished another NYC Triathlon in my goal of under 3 1/2 hours at 3:29:41!  I was thrilled (but not at all surprised) that I cut down the time on my swim — I actually got into a really good groove — but apparently I was futzing around during my transitions and didn't push quite hard enough on the bike!  I'm pretty pleased with the run as well, especially given the heat.  All in all, though, it was a great race.  Here are my times for comparison.

    2010: Swim 20:54 T1 11:39 Bike 1:42:43 T2 6:26 Run 1:08:01

    2009:
    Swim 24:30 T1 10:17 Bike 1:40:57 T2 4:01 Run 1:07:22

    2008: Swim 24:30 T1 10:55 Bike 1:36:47 T2 4:00 Run 1:08:40

    My highlights from the race:

    Seeing Tiffany, with whom I crossed the finish line last year, at the swim start; noticing, for the first time, the distance markers along the way on the swim course; seeing my Mom and Stephen along the course; biking through the tollbooth and enjoying the view over the Hudson River Bridge; playing cat & mouse on the bike course with a fellow Team in Training team member, who, at age 24, was mostly trying to catch me; dancing around to "Can't Touch This," which was playing over the loudspeaker during my second transition (this might account for the long transition time); having April run with me for a portion of the run; hearing people shout out your name (or some variation of it) along the way (I highly recommend putting your name on your shirt); hearing/seeing Rachel from Bespoke Chocolates cheer me on as I was rounding one of the final curves towards the finish; and digging deep and sprinting those last few yards to the sound of a cheering crowd.

    Least favorite?  Having to ride my bike home afterward with a backpack full of tri gear.

    Thanks to you all, I raised over $3,800 for the Leukemia Lymphoma Society!!!  It is a privilege to be a part of raising money for such a good cause, and I can't thank you enough.  I also want to thank everyone for their words of support and congratulations along the way and after the race, and it was a pleasure celebrating with so many of you last night (especially @jasonwomack & @jodiwomack from Ojai).

    I also wanted to send an extra special congrats to Meg, who also trained with TNT and completed her first NYC Tri, Noelle, who did a tri out on the West Coast yesterday, and Chris B., who completed his first tri yesterday in California.  It was fun to have a little training network going on.

    I hope I can count on your support for the tri again next year!

  • The Final Countdown

    In case you're keeping track, the NYC Triathlon is less than 48 hours away!!  First, the #drop10beforetri update — didn't quite make it to 10lbs down, but I dropped 7.8, and feel pretty good about that. Here's hoping not to undo it all in NOLA next week.  I plan to lose the rest (and undo whatever damage I do) when I return.  And now, the TRIATHLON:

    1) If you find yourself available to watch the tri, I'll be on the run course around 9-10 on Sunday (give or take a bit). I'll be wearing a purple Team in Training tank, black tri shorts, a yellow number (TBD) and a Jackrabbit white visor. Good places to watch are along 72nd Street from Henry Hudson Parkway to Central Park West, Cherry Hill before we head to the finish on Dead Road in Central Park, and Dead Road in Central Park near the bandshell off the 72nd Street Transverse. Afterward, I'll be hanging out at the bandshell for a bit, so look for me there. Map and more info here.

    2) Assuming you're not up that early, come join me at the 8th St. Winecellar anytime after 5pm to celebrate what I hope to be a successful completion of the tri.

    3) Regardless, please consider donating to the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society in support of my race – it's a great cause and I'm proud to be part of their Team in Training. Every bit helps. (Thanks for your support if you've already donated).

    Hope to see you on Sunday and thank you all for your support along the way — I couldn't do this without you all!

  • A Touch of Beauty

    P1000278

    for this otherwise gloomy and humid day.  More to be found here and at the 9th Street Community Garden on 9th St and Avenue C.

  • Finding Happiness

    I stumbled across a quote recently from Bob Dylan's memoir.  Speaking about his wife, he said, The one thing about her that I always loved was that she was never one of those people who thinks that someone else is the answer to their happiness. Me or anybody else." This truly resonates with me.  I firmly believe that we often spend too much time looking to (or for) others to make us happy.  I am doing my best to focus on all the happiness I have within myself — and there is a great deal — the rest will follow.  The only person who can make YOU happy is YOU. 

  • Weekend Wrapup

    Flowers

    Quiet night on the couch, early morning brick workout, errands, punch party, Mayahuel, block party, a late afternoon cold beer outside, rooftop BBQ & fireworks, oysters, mussels and a lobster roll at Pearl Oyster Bar, Toy Story, two visits to Rye House, Momofuku pork bun, chili crab goodness and leftovers from Fatty Crab. Plus friends, laughter, sweat, and air conditioning. Many thanks to Karen, Hal, Dan, Kathryn, Jenn, Emilia, Lauren, Tara, Dave, Lindsey, Lincoln, Carmen, Rob, Caroline, and everyone else I saw along the way, particularly at Rye House last night.  An excellent long weekend all around.

  • It’s 4 a.m. . . .

    And I'm awake. Ugh. When I wake up in the middle of the night, it's always at 4 a.m.  Always.  Not sure why — some cruel joke on the part of my body clock, I suppose.  I have learned that it does no good to toss and turn in bed; for me, the best thing to get back to sleep is a change of venue — the couch.  So, I'm off to the couch and will put on some quiet music or a sleep meditation CD (a.k.a. the big guns), which will hopefully send me back to sleep for another few hours.  If not, guess I'll head out for an early morning run.

  • Love is All We Have

    LoveIsAll.1
    more words of wisdom, courtesy of Hugh at Gaping Void.

  • Working for the Weekend

    Sooo looking forward to the weekend!  Dinner w/Jenn D., Carrie, and the Lovely Miss Katie, then early to bed for tomorrow's BRICK workout at 7:30 (eek!).  But — my reward is a trip to Blue Hill at Stone Barns with @daisy17 and @cocktailspirit. And finally, a quiet Sunday with a light run or yoga, cleaning up and reading the paper before a lobster bake at Ditch Plains with the First Saturday ladies.

    PS — did my first full mile swim this season; a few more over the next five weeks to be sure I survive the mighty Hudson on 7/18.  Please donate!!