PPTC #3 and the BX

Two things happened today:

1. I started my first day in the Bronx. I walked through this scary tunnel thing from the subway to my building. I also learned that our new "offices" won't actually be offices. Boy, was I spoiled in Bk.

2. My 3rd PPTC track workout was this evening. We did pyramid intervals, sort of. We went up but didn't come down bc we didn't have that much time. The workout goes like this:

20 min warm up
400m at 5k pace
800m at 5k pace
1000m at 5k pace
1200m at 10k
1600m at mile pace
5 min cool down
2-3 min rests in between

You are supposed to do them again in the reverse direction (1600, 1200, etc) but we only have so much time reserved on the track so we didn't get to do them. I was pretty ok with that though...

Yesterday I used this digital scale that measures your body fat at the gym. ANOTHER great thing about Eq! I don't know how accurate it is but in addition to my body fat, I also learned that I gained 2.8 lbs. Not cool. Also, my friend B told me that at some of the gyms, they actually give you clothes and socks if you forget to bring your own (don't worry, they're clean). I am so impressed. I may have to go to one of these locations just to check out the clothing. B and I took a 30/60/90 class and again, I was dying. In a good way.

P is coming to town tomorrow to cook me some healthy food so I won't be working out after work. I will be pigging out instead. I will share pics of the meals that he makes me :D

Weekend cured by running, Shake Shack, and TLC

I found a way to cure my weekend: I ran, ate, and listened to old school tunes.  I hadn't run in two days because I was stuck at work dealing with this fiasco. But yesterday I did the PPTC track workout that I missed at the gym: 10x400s with 10:00 "rests" and 7:20 sprints. I also took a Barre Burn class that kicked my ass and hips. Then today I ran a very nice 12 miler. I literally ended my run at Shake Shack and I am so excited to share my first bite (of the day) with you guys:

It's some good stuff. I got the single burger with lettuce, tomatoes, and pickles. I also got a diet coke because that is surprisingly my go-to drink after every longish run. I otherwise never drink soda (unless there is alcohol involved). I also downloaded the Pandora app on my iPhone and listened to TLC radio during my entire run. Now, let's talk about TLC. 

Last summer my girlfriends and I were at brunch at this spot in the West Village. It was a boozy one and we were singing, dancing, and eating all at the same time. Literally every single song that came on was an old school goodie and we asked the waitress for their playlist. She told us it was just Pandora, TLC Radio plus Beyonce. This was the best discovery of my life. Here are some of the artists I listened to during my run:

Mariah Carey (before she became wack)

Montell Jordan

3LW (remember them?!)

TLC (my fave)

SWV

Usher

Destiny's Child

Rihanna

Ashanti
Aaliyah (RIP girl)

And the awesome list goes on. I am truly a child of the 90s....

Now, I'm at work. I didn't even bother to shower. I bought some cleansing wipes and wiped my face then changed into an old workout top I found on my chair. I'm gross, I know. This is me being gross and procrastinating by taking pictures of myself at work. 

Goodbye, weekend. 

Weekend ruined

I just need to blow off some steam right now. As some of you may know, I'm switching jobs. I'm going to a different division, same agency...but it's a completely different position, diff law, etc. My start date was supposed to be in April. I found out at 3:30 pm TODAY via a mass email to the office that tomorrow will be my last day. So now I have one day to wrap up 5.5 years of work. I was supposed to go to DC this weekend to visit P but I won't be able to do that either because I have to work. And I think I'm breaking out. And I couldn't even go to the gym today. What a mess.

Aches and Pains

It's happened. My knees are starting to hurt. I have this ache behind my kneecap and it hurts when I bend it. It's my misaligned kneecaps. I am freaking out because this hasn't happened in over two years!!! I think I am ODing on the Eq classes that require a lot of jumping, which is rough on my granny knees. Today I'm taking a VIPR class and I think it should be ok. I'll see how I feel tomorrow and if my poor knees still hurt I'll take tomorrow and Saturday off so I can do my 12 miler on Sunday.

Ahhh I hate nagging injuries!!! I suppose the good thing is that now I am such a pro at being injured I recognize the first sign of these things and know when to stop. Thank goodness for this little piece of heaven:

Art

Check out my new Groupon Goods order- it's a dry-erase wall decal!!!! I got it today and I am so excited. I was a little disappointed bc I thought it was an actual board but I'm over it. I'm going to use it to record my workouts. I already have the rest of the month filled in and will prob edit as the week goes on. Check out the bling on the corners. Ha! Now I just need more marker colors...

BK, Massages, and Purgatory

Saturday I ran 11 miles and decided to venture into new territory. I wanted to do 12 but I had left G at home and was excited to get to dim sum. Part of the joy of running is discovering new places, even in your own neighborhood. Instead of my usual route across the bridge, I ran into Brooklyn Bridge Park. WHY I just discovered this place is beyond me. It is so freakin pretty:

After dim sum, G and I were able to convince J to get a Chinese massage so I took them to this spot I discovered last year- $30 for an hour!!! I love Chinese massages bc these ladies/men are intense and your massage actually hurts...bc if it doesn't hurt then it's not working. When I'm training, I try to go every other week. It's really good for your muscles bc it loosens them up and prevents injury. Runners have really tight muscles and massage is basically foam rolling on crack. Really though, it's not just good for runners but anyone who is always on their feet or working out a lot. You have to be careful not to get one too close to a big race though bc you will and should be sore after a good massage.

More on my obsession with Eq: I took this class yesterday called Purgatory Bootcamp. I am not kidding when I say I was sweating puddles. I literally had to wipe my sweat off the floor with the towels we used for the gliding push-ups that I couldn't complete bc of my lack of upper body strength. The instructor was legit. His bio says he is a Pentathlon record holder and you could tell from the high knees, hurdles, sprints, fast feet, etc. that he made us do. The class was so packed that I had to push myself in between two sweaty people when I walked in late. But you don't care bc you are just so focused on getting the workout done. The instructor also walks around to make sure everyone's form is correct. I just loved this class so much!!!! Oh and it's 45 minutes straight with no breaks. He doesn't even let you keep your water bottle near you. I can't wait to go back and bring friends with me!

Valentine's and Jambalaya

P came down and cooked me vegan jambalaya and bought me some purty roses. We were on the hunt for tofurkey sausage and P was stressed out bc we couldn't find any. We substituted with tofu and he was not happy...but the jambalaya he made was really good and I am a huge tofu fan so was super excited. I'm really digging his fast.

I skipped the track workout and did my own during lunch. I did my favorite speed work, the 1-2-3s, going between 10:00 rests and 7:30 sprints with a ten minute warm up and cool down. I also took the Ripped Arms and Abs class. I gave myself a rest day yesterday bc I felt like crap so today I'm making up for it with 11-12 miles in the snow shower we're having.

Here is the delicious meal that P made! We also had ants on a log for dessert.

Today's also G's last day in NYC :( We're going to Chinatown for dim sum and this is G practicing being a Chinese fob:

Valentine's Day!

Happy Valentine's Day to all four of my lovely friends/boyfriend who read this blog!!! P came down to NYC to share the day with me and he also came bearing gifts: Pearl Izumi spin shorts and spin shoes!!!!! I think I am the only girl in the world who prefers workout gear to jewelry. I will take photos of my presents later. For his vday gift, I will skip my second PPTC workout so I can watch him cook me dinner later. I emailed my coach this morning and asked for today's workout so I could do it on my own during lunch (bc today I can actually take lunch!!!!)

Yesterday was also the first day of lent. P decided to do the Daniel Fast for lent and is already dying. In preparation, I stocked up on fruits and veggies and made a brown rice stir fry with sweet potato fries for dinner. I thought it was pretty good but I think P was missing his usual meal of pasta and Italian sausage. Here's the recipe:

Ingredients for the Daniel-friendly stir fry:

• Trader Joe's fully cooked brown rice
• 1 cup black beans
• 1 1/2 cups mixed frozen vegetables
• 1 block extra firm tofu
• 1 package of baby button mushrooms
• 1 medium red pepper
• 1 tbsp sesame oil
• 1 tbsp olive oil

Instructions: Sautee everything in a pan!

On Easter we are, of course, going to a churrascaria.

Cookies and Snow

This weekend Juls had her baby shower and in my hunt for something blue to serve for dessert, I found these almond joy pieces at the supermarket:

So of course I made ALMOND JOY COOKIES. I used this recipe I found online with just a few alterations:

Ingredients:

• 1 cup flour
• 1 tsp baking soda 
• 1/4 tsp sale
• 1 1/4 sticks butter
• 1/2 cup sugar
• 1/2 cup brown sugar
• 1 egg
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• 1/2 tsp almond extract
• 1 cup oats
• 1 1/2 choc chips
• 1 cup almond joy pieces
• 3/4 cup coconut flakes
• 2 tbsp milk

Instructions:

1. Preheat oven to 350 deg.
2. Beat butter and sugars until creamy
3. Mix in egg, milk, vanilla and almond extract
4. Mix in salt, baking soda, and flour
5. Stir in coconut, oats, choc chips, and almond joy pieces
6. Roll dough into one tbsp balls and place on baking sheet, 2 inches apart
7. Bake for 12-14 minutes then remove to cool.

The second type of cookie I made was an OATMEAL RAISIN COOKIE, a recipe I also tweaked:

Ingredients:

• 3/4 cup butter
• 3/4 cup white sugar
• 3/4 cup brown sugar
• 2 eggs
• 1 tsp almond extract
• 1 1/4 cups all purpose flour
• 1 tsp baking soda
• 3/4 tsp ground cinnamon 
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 2 3/4 cups rolled oats
• 1 cup raisins

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees
2. Cream together butter and sugars until smooth
3. Beat in eggs and almond extract
4. Stir in flour, baking soda, cinnamon, and salt
5. Stir in oats and raisins
6. Roll tsp balls and drop onto baking sheet
7. Bake about 10 minutes and cool.

Writing this recipe just made me really hungry.

In running news, the aftermath of the blizzard left the sidewalks covered in snow and ice. However, by Sunday, a lot of it was already shoveled to the side, which left me room to run 10 miles. I was a little slow because I had to jump over puddles and try to not fall on my ass but it was actually a really nice run. I didn't hit my 12 mile goal because I left G (who is visiting this whole week!) at Equinox with a guest pass. I could really use a cookie right now.

Track Workout #1

Yesterday was my first track sesh with the PPTC. There was a group of about 25 runners, from fast runners to really slow runners...but that's okay. We were all there to improve our own pace. The first workout was very basic and a lot of it was just explaining what the next 9 weeks will look like. So here's what we did:

20 min warm up around the track (boring)
Stretch, core exercises
4 x 800ms at 3:53 (7:48/mile pace)
5 min cool down

That's it. Pretty easy first time. I am really hoping my 800s will improve bc that is just not acceptable. I won't be able to make next week's workout because it's v-day and P tells me he is going to plan something (after I suggested to him he should plan something hehe)!! The coaches email workouts for the week depending on what you are training for. This weekend I'm supposed to run 14 miles...probably not going to happen in this blizzard. Maybe.

This morning I woke up at 5:30 a.m. to go to a spin class at Eq only to find out that IT WAS FULL!! WHO gets up that early?! Ugh. So I just did an easy recovery run on the treadmill while watching news about this big blizzard that's going to hit us tonight. The hourly forecast even says "blizzard." That can't be good.

I can't believe I'm saying this but...

I LOVE MY GYM. So far, I've taken Barre Burn, Ripped Arms, Diezel Bootcamp, and 30/60/90. I am still sore from 30/60/90. The class consists of a lot of plyometric workouts, which I really need to do for running, and it is non-stop. You don't get any breaks. Before EQ, I used to hate the gym. Like, really hate it. I couldn't stand the classes and the smell. I was paying $70/month so that I could use the gym as a locker room when I went running outside. But now, I am actually excited to go to classes because the instructors are all so good and everyone is actually fit (models everywhere). I feel fat working out next to these people so it makes me want to work harder. The eucalyptus towels and Kiehl's products help too. Plus, there are enough locations so that I could still use it as a locker room when I run outside! Join and use me as a referral!!! You will not regret it!

Ok, enough of that. I recently joined the Prospect Park Track Club. They are some intense runners who constantly break 6:00/mile race paces. So, what better group to work out with? I signed up for a 10-week track session so that I can get stronger and hopefully faster. I feel like I lack the motivation to do speed workouts on my own plus I get access to an indoor track, which is key in the winter for speed.

This weekend I am going to make cookies and I will post more photos and recipes. Hopefully my stupid roommate won't eat them all!!!!!

P's birthday weekend

To celebrate P's birthday, I asked him to buy (I mean order) me some new gear. I celebrated by going on an 11 mile run while he was working to test it out. I really like the Craft baselayer although it rode up a bit during my run. If I have one piece of winter running advice it would be to invest in a good running shell. Makes a huge difference. The Craft shell did a good job blocking out the wind and I definitely needed it yesterday running into Rock Creek Park.


This is my stuff.

Post-run coffee in Georgetown

I felt pretty good after my run. I had a negative split so was pretty happy about that. I wish we had more trails in NYC. For now I suppose I'll have to settle with doing loops around the park. Ugh.

Anyway, more fun things...we went CLUBBING after dinner. This is us plus a ghost in the photo:

Not much of a running update except that I love my Craft gear and I have to go out for a short run now. Oh and I had homemade pop tarts from Teds Bulletin for brunch! Once I find a recipe for these I will share. This one is peanut butter and bacon. It's for P.