Busy Summer...

This week has been a busy one and it is not over yet!  This afternoon we have to drive the 2-3 hours (depending on traffic) to CT for a friends wedding.  Because we have stuff to do on Sunday we have to drive back tonight!  Whoa! But anyways, I probably going to wear THIS.

 Sometimes I feel like summer can be misleading, it is supposed to be slow and relaxing and I feel like this summer has been nothing short of hectic.  So I have had to go into the city more often to get stuff from the garment district.  I met Scott for lunch one day while I was there, I am pretty sure it rained later that day.  How's the weather where you are?  It has been raining like crazy here.

Then I desperately needed some shelves for my work studio so I ran out to ikea (drove really, not ran :))  While I was there I always look at stuff I want but not really going to buy.  Like these new dressers.  I don't really love white furniture but I am really liking these.  What do you think?

Voila! Can you see the shelves behind my dress forms?  I finally put all the boxes together last night so I will be all set for the weeks to come.

Last night I had to go into the city once again and so I just met Scott in Union Square so we could eat dinner(whole foods salad) and have our usual 16 handles for dessert.  This time I decided enough with the fruit and tart stuff, I went straight for the unhealthy toppings.  I mean you really need to change it up once in a while, right?!

 

Confession, with Summer being so crazy I haven't been able to blog around that much.  But I am excited for fall.  With a new season comes a new routine.

I am about to head out this morning for my 18 miles at 8:45 pace.  I slept in a little but I think I needed the sleep so I am ok with that.   Getting so excited for the Giveaway on Monday!  I know you guys will love it!!
PS Don't forget to enter the Giveaway with Gourmet Runner! With training season in full swing you will not want to miss what she is giving away.

Hope you guys have a wonderful weekend!  Any fun plans besides the usual long run?

XX
Sarah

Bake Sale

First off let's start with my workout.  15 miles @8:45 pace.  I was supposed to do a 9:08 pace, that is for the 3:40 marathon training plan but for the 3:30 training plan it says 8:45 so I decided to push myself just a little harder today :)  Warmed up 2 miles that averaged a 8:15 pace.  I will be honest. I was tired.  BUT you will all be happy to know that I went out prepared!  Water bottle, check! shot bloks in my spi belt, check! Sunglasses, check!  It was a success!

Moving on...  Today was are having a Bake Sale on our stoop!  The girls from my church are trying to raise money to go to girls camp.  I made fudge nut bars, yum. So if your in the hood come on by! We will be outside from 11-1.

My Spring 12 collection it moving right along.  I finished this shirt yesterday and I totally love it!

I have also moved on for my love of mixed greens and now just like my spinach straight up.  And I am totally loving blueberries right now.  Who's with me?

This is a picture of the other day but I am really hoping to eat some more 16 Handles later today :)

Anyone have any fun plans for this weekend?  Jen good luck today at your tri!! I know you will do totally great and I can't wait to hear about it!!

Anyone else have a long run today?  Was it hot?  It was too hot here that is for sure.

XX
Sarah

10k recap and no more hair.

 I was feeling pretty good about the race, my legs were a little tight from doing a P90X legs work out 2 days before but nothing that I couldn't manage.  The weather was nice but getting more hot and humid  by the minute.  As I was waiting in my corral I had made up my mind that this race was for fitness.  To see where I really truly am at and what I need to achieve during my next training season.  Yes in the back of my mind I was thinking 47:25 from the book Run Less Run Faster but I kind of new that it might be a little out of my reach but a good goal to strive for.

According to my garmin
6.32 miles @ 49:44
Splits
1-7:57
2-7:20
3-7:57
4-8:27
5-7:52
6-7:48
.32-7:25

Ok so I was far off from my 47:25 but I still felt good.  After not running a serious all out race for an entire year I was happy with what I did do.  During mile 4 I slowed for water, it was so hot and humid that I desperately wanted a drink.  I was not the only person thinking that, so was everyone else!  The race was crowded and I could not run through the water station, there were just too many people doing the same thing so that slowed me down. 

When the race began I decided that I was only going to look at my watch at every mile.  I don't like looking all the time, it just messes with my head.  Also during the race I kept thinking about the Great Migration in Africa and the running of the bulls. As I could see the sea of people all running around me and in front of me I kept thinking..... Man we look like a bunch of animals running from something lol!

Anyways, yes I could factor in it was hot, humid, my legs were sore the course was hilly, too many people, yada yada yada but the fact is that is what racing is all about.  Taking the elements in to see what kind of outcome you can achieve.  Every race day is different.   Yes I may not be the fastest but after my 2 weeks of speed work I feel pretty good!!  Woohoo!!

Now I get my one week rest in Myrtle Beach with my sister Heather before my NYC training begins.

Because the race was in Central park Scott and I ate at Good Enough to Eat on the Upper Westside after.  It was one of our favorite places when we lived up there.

The breakfast of champions!

After we were done stuffing our faces we headed to the East River Park just a block from where we live in Brooklyn to get some sun.  It was only 10:30 and already a scorcher!

AND THEN...... at 2:15 I cut ALL my hair off!  So we went into town to celebrate with a little frozen yogurt from my favorite place 16 handles! I had the pink grapefruit and pina-colada flavors with mochi, shredded coconut, banana and yogurt chips.  It was just so so good!

Hope you guys have a great Sunday!

XX
Sarah

Runner's World and getting ready for the 10k

Hope you guys had a great long weekend.  I really enjoyed it.  It was nice and hot and somewhat relaxing.  Tuesday on the other hand was slow moving.  I was feeling sluggish and tired.  I like to have the free day (Monday) but then when it's time to get back to work it almost seems harder than having a regular weekend.  Something came in the mail to brighten my evening!  Runner's World!!  I know what I will be doing tonight...

Over the weekend I think I ate 16 Handles 3 times.  It is just so good and the best treat that whenever I am in the city with Scott we can't seem to pass it up.

 

On the 4th we spent the morning with Scott's family at the park.  It was so much fun.  They are moving to Texas soon and we are so sad to see them go.  I keep trying to get my sisters to move out here but have had no luck yet.

On to the daily grind...

My 10k race is this Saturday so I have been skipping through the Run Less Run Faster 10k training plan.  I had 2 weeks to prep where as the training plan is 16 weeks.  I am really doing this run to see where my fitness level is before my marathon training begins.  Last week  I did the week 16 training and today I skipped all the way to week 2.  So this was Monday's workout.

10-20 min warm up with 3 x 1600 mile repeats with 1:00 RI then 10 min cool down.

This is how it went down.  No I did not do all 3 miles.  I was debating on if I was going to do another workout which was only 2 x1600s with 1 x 800 so because I never really made up my mind I just ended up stopping early in my last mile.  Has that ever happened to you?  I was supposed to run the mile repeats at 6:59, I didn't quite get there.  Split 4 and Split 7.  I also changed it and walked 200 instead of 1 min rest.  I wanted to rest longer.  My last mile repeat was Split 10 and you can see that I just pooped out at .80.  So I was almost there but feeling super sluggish.

I was tired from the get go, it was super hot and humid and I was dripping before I even got to the track.  I am really hoping Saturday will not be as humid.

I am doing a tempo run Wednesday(today) then yoga and tracy Thursday and rest Friday before the race.

I guess what I am most curious about is in the Run Less book it gives a chart that will help you determine whether or not your PR time can be achieved, if you are using the book to get faster how do you judge in the beginning what you can and cannot do.  I know confusing right, so IF I can run a 1:45 half then I should be able to run my PR goal but that is why I am training.  I shouldn't be able to run that now I would think.  I am supposed to work up to running that so then I get confused on where to really start.  Does any of this make sense??

Anyways we will see how the race goes.  I will race Saturday and then one week off before the real training begins!

So any thoughts about where to start?


Also do you guys eat any Gu's before or during a 10k?  I usually don't but thought maybe I would give it a whirl this time.

XX
Sarah

Friday

Yesterday morning I pulled myself out of bed to get to my 7 AM yoga class. Yes, I know... 7 is not that early but for me it was tough.  I feel like I never get to bed before Midnight which makes it that much harder to get up in the morning.

Ok so this was my first time at Bikram Yoga. I normally go to a Vinyasa class at Hosh yoga which I love but I also wanted to try the hot stuff.  Let me just say I will need a few days before I head back.  That place was HOT, I mean 1 1/2 hours of pure heat and sweatyness I thought I was going to pass out! I made it through and felt glad about that.  I will probably head back on Monday or Tuesday.  I would like to make one comment if I may?  Why oh why is the studio carpeted??  I mean yuck oh, all I could think about for 90 minutes was germs, am I going to pick up any germs??  I have my mat, I have my towel so please lets get something else besides the carpet that absorbs sweat and germs and move on to something more advanced??  Ok I am done now and will be going back.  

For my day job I design woman's clothing.  I own my own company called Edelweiss by Sarah so the majority of my morning was working on that but I was excited because I was giving myself a field trip to the Met to see the Alexander McQueen exhibit.   I made it up to the upper east side and had to wait in line just to get in!  Once I was in my whole energy level changed, I couldn't help but feel sadden by the loss of such a great designer and artist.  It was a very intense feeling for me.  After I walked through I had to explore a little more.  I love the Met and don't go enough. 

 

So after a little while my stomach was screaming, I had to eat fast.  I don't know why I didn't bring a snack with me.  I was panicked, my blood sugar was dropping at a rapid pace.  I was going to walk back to the train and then saw that Sigmund Pretzelshop had a truck outside the museum.  Score! So I got a pretzel dog with mustard.  Delish!

I happened to walk down one of the most beautiful streets in NYC.  East 80th, all of the town homes looked like Alexander Hamilton could have lived in them.  Very American Colonial. I was lame and only took a pic of the flowers on the street.

Before I headed back to the studio I needed to run by the Farmer's market in Union Square to pick up some honey from a local guy to help cure my terrible allergies.  Anybody else suffering from the same problems this spring??  Mine are really buggin.

Got home and ate this.... whole wheat english muffin with almond butter, banana and honey.  It was good.

 

Got back and did some more work before I headed back into the city once again to meet my man for dinner.  Because I have my 22 miler today I thought I would eat a bowl full of carbs for dinner... We really like this place in the East Village called Supper.  It took forever to get our food but it was still good.

I had the Tagliatelle al Prosciutto di Parma, very salty and good but way too much and have left overs for today.  I think I actually like eating cold pasta rather than warm.  Is that weird?

And no trip could be complete without a stop to my favorite fro yogurt place, 16 Handles. YUM!

Here we are headed back to Brooklyn on the motorcycle.  It was a little chilly so I had to wear my scarf up around my face.  I thought I looked like a ninja, Scott just looks like he has a black alien head. Luckily on a motorcycle it does not take us long to get home.  We can weave through traffic, it is wonderful.

A little late night TV and then reading of my book before I hit the hay.  22 miler starts at 7-7:30 at the latest.  Taking 3 frozen Gu's with me and a pack of sports beans AND I am carrying water with me.  No more of me hoping to find it on the run.  Everytime I do that I wind up only thinking about when I am going to get more water.  Spring is here, sun is out I am sweating so I need my water!!

PS My sister Heather was totally right on about freezing the Gu's.  Way better cool than hot!

What do you eat the night before a long run?
-I actually don't usually eat pasta, I don't really like it but I thought why not.

Also, what do you eat in the morning before a long run?
-Me, I am always eating grahams with Dark Chocolate Wonderful pb but gonna try a bowl of grape nuts and almond milk this time.

Happy Weekend!!
XX
Sarah