9.5 Miles

Today's 9.5 mile run felt a lot more difficult than it should have.  We kept a pretty quick pace, but I've done longer runs at that clip before.  However, today, I was dragging the whole time.  Oh well.  Sometimes there are days when running just doesn't jive.

We finished our run in the midst of a parade!  How cute!

Enjoy your Saturday!

The Weeks Fly By

Sorry for being M.I.A. lately.  The weeks have just been flying by.  I have about one month left of my junior year of college.  Only one month?!  Crazy.  Time to live it up and work hard!  <- Are those two things even possible to do simultaneously?

Today also marks the one month anniversary of the 2013 Boston Marathon.  After the marathon, I spent about a week parked on the couch catching up on schoolwork and then another week doing some yoga.  But then, it was time for The Relay!  My friends and I had an awesome time on this insane 200 mile event.  I also used it as a way to jump-start my exercise regime.

With no real races on the horizon, I have been focusing on becoming a stronger runner.  For me, this means diversifying my workouts and including more strength training and yoga.  I have also been "retaking my mornings."  In order to make the most of my time, I really need a set schedule.  Sophomore year, I would be up at 6:15 everyday and out the door for my run by 7:15.  This year, partially because of general exhaustion and partially - though I hate to say it - because of my light-sleeping roommate, I fell off this routine.  With such an erratic student schedule already, I need all the constants in my life I can get.

This is the workout routine I am currently pursuing:
Sunday: Yoga
Monday: Run
Tuesday: AM Spin Class + little ab workout, PM gentle yoga
Wednesday: Run
Thursday: AM Spin Class + little ab workout
Friday: Run
Saturday: Longer Run with the Running Club

It's nearly 7:15!  Gotta run!

Sorry for my Silence

I apologize for being M.I.A. this past week.  Schoolwork has been out of control lately.  I don't think I've done anything but work, eat, and sometimes sleep all week.  Thursday night, I was on campus until 3:00 AM working on a problem set.  That is unheard of for me!  The worst part is, I had started the problem set the weekend before.  Crunching numbers for econ just takes me a looooong time.

I have also been sick with a nasty cold, which has kept me on a daily dose of Mucinex and out of my running shoes.  I'm starting to feel better and will hopefully get a few workouts in this upcoming week before The Relay.

In the meantime, I've been winning the "Efficiency Game."  It's amazing how much more time and energy I have when I'm not working out or fretting about when I'm going to work out next.

I will leave you all with a few photographs from this week:

I don't know what I would do without Starbucks.

One Week Later

One week has passed since the Boston Marathon.  I still tear up every now and then when I think of all the people who have been affected by this tragedy.  And, as much as I want to, I will never forget the sound of the bombs exploding.  But, keeping these memories at the forefront of my mind isn't doing anyone any good.  Authorities have captured the man behind the attack.  We will find some sense of justice.  Now, it's important that we apply what we've learned from this attack to prepare a safer future for our running community.

I will probably write a race recap of the Boston Marathon sometime soon, but, for now, enjoy some pictures of this past week's eats and happenings:

Ezekiel cereal, blueberries, banana, strawberry, and mango; with coffee, of course

Reading outside of a stunning day

Iced Green Tea.  Obsessed.

More Starbucks and an awesome salad of spinach, chickpeas, avocado, mushrooms, bell pepper and tomato

Mani-Pedi!

The Boston Marathon

Yesterday, at 2:20 PM, I crossed the finish line of the Boston Marathon.  As a volunteer placed the finisher's medal around my neck, I started crying tears of complete joy.  The race was brutal.  There were many times I felt like walking or completely giving up.  But, I didn't.  I kept running and finished the Boston Marathon in 3:59:54.  Crossing that finish line meant so much to me, just like it meant so much to the thousands of runners and spectators who kept spirits high for those 26.2 miles from Hopkinton to Boston.

Thirty minutes after crossing the finish line, my family and I were standing on the corner of Stuart St. and Dartmouth St.  We had just met up and were walking back to our car.  BOOM.  What was that?  BOOM.  Something wasn't right.  We looked to the sky.  No smoke.  Car bomb?  But there were no cars.  Electrical failure?  But, we all knew that that was not the case.  Sirens wailed and emergency vehicles rushed down Dartmouth Street.  We didn't know what to do.  Nobody knew exactly what had happened.  The tall buildings shielded us from seeing the explosions.

I am fortunate to have crossed the finish line and to have met my family before this tragedy took place.  But, I am constantly plagued by the what-ifs.  What if I had stopped and walked?  What if I had started in Wave 3?  When I finished the race, I ran right past the site of the bomb.  My family was right there, in the stands.  What if it had been us.  I don't like thinking about it. 

My heart goes out to all those injured.  My prayers are with the people of Boston, my fellow runners, and with the spectators, all of whom made the Boston Marathon one of the most amazing experiences of my life.

Today, I’m wearing my marathon jacket.  Every time I wear this jacket, I will remember the events of April 15, 2013.  I wear it to commemorate the lives ruined and lost.  I wear it as a testament to human strength.  Let us never forget the 117^th Boston Marathon and let us move forward together, resilient, and vigilant.    

My Goal for the Boston Marathon

I only have one goal for the Boston Marathon, and that is ...

To enjoy the race!

I'm terrified, to say the least.  My poor family put up with a complete nervous breakdown the other day.  Somehow, I need to overcome my "I don't know how I'm going to do this" attitude and just have a good time!  I worked hard to get here and I want to enjoy the moment.

See you all at the finish line!

AAAAAAAHHHHHHHH!!!!!

Lucky Girl

New York City was my first stop on my journey up to Boston for the Marathon!

I took the train up to visit my sister who is a freshman at Columbia University.  We had tickets to see a new show, Lucky Guy.

Before the show, we had dinner at Franchia, a vegan Asian-Fusion cafe.  Highlights of the dinner included:

Persimmon Tea!

Papaya Kimchi Salad

Vegetarian Bimbimbap

...and a delicious unpictured Blueberry Coconut Cake.

We were running late for the show, so we took a cab.  Once inside the cab, my sister realized she forgot the tickets!  Don't take this as me being mean, but sometimes I wonder how she functions.  She has no sense of direction and forgets things with an alarming frequency.

I called the theatre and they were able to print the tickets for us.  Phew!  Even though we missed the first fifteen minutes, Lucky Guy was an amazing show!  I absolutely loved it!

Afterwards, I crashed.  But, I didn't sleep well.  New York is a very loud (and grey!  Just look at the pictures!) city.