Hi folks I’ll catch you up on my weekend and then tell you about a cool local event.

Saturday Mr. SOTSS and I, and the pups drove to Virginia and back (same day!) to deliver a sailboat that he had sold.

I like Virginia!

I like Virginia!

Bye bye boat

Bye bye boat

We figured it’d be just under 5 hours but there was some insane traffic that tacked on an extra hour+. Eventually we made it and passed off the boat and then headed back up into Maryland where we stopped in Annapolis for lunch and some play time for the pups.

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I did some research and found this place that had been featured on Diners, Drive Ins, and Dives. It was great!

crab dip on pretzel bread with melted cheddar

crab dip on pretzel bread with melted cheddar

crab dip on a burger

crab dip on a burger

I had done a little research to see what, if any restaurants that had been featured on Diners Drive Ins and Dives might be nearby. Sure enough there was a place by the water that had outdoor seating and allowed dogs. It was called Davis’ Pub and there were so many choices on the menu I had a hard time deciding. We started of with the Crab Pretzel Bread which was pretzel bread with amazing creamy crab dip on top covered in melted cheddar.

Then I had a burger with more crab dip and fries. And a spiked lemonade. Yeah baby! We also headed over to a park that had a dog park and was adjacent to the Chesapeake Bay. It was HOT and the dogs weren’t to happy about that but they were still excited to be out of the car and able to stretch their legs and get a little exercise.

One of my favorite photos i've ever taken of Chester

One of my favorite photos i’ve ever taken of Chester

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nothing better than being by the water

nothing better than being by the water

My boys

My boys

Then it was about 3 1/2 hours until we got back home. And we were armed for the ride with Slurpees!

The couple who slurpees together...

The couple who slurpees together…

Wearing Mr. SOTSS coveted hat

Wearing Mr. SOTSS coveted hat

And he's out...

And he’s out…

Chester isn't always the calmest in the car but after being out in the heat for a bit he was content to chill

Chester isn’t always the calmest in the car but after being out in the heat for a bit he was content to chill

It was a successful trip.

=)

=)

I had plans on Sunday as well so I didn’t have time for a full length long run but honestly it was so hot and humid I barely made it 3 1/2 miles and wouldn’t have made it for 7+ miles anyway.

shortest long run ever

shortest long run ever

OK, now on to business:

If you’re local (NYC/New Jersey) but especially if you’re on Staten Island, NYRR (New York Road Runners) is spearheading FREE local runs in the park and they teamed NYCrunningmama for the Staten Island Location.

Every Saturday at 9am there will be a 5k open run at Conference House Park starting July 25th (and continuing every Saturday after).

Details from NYCrunningmama’s blog:

“Here are the details:

  • The 5k is completely FREE
  • 3 loop course (no requirement, however, to run all three)
  • Registration opens at 8:30am; run begins at 9am
  • ALL are encouraged to participate
    • Walkers
    • Strollers
    • Dogs
    • No minimum ages
    • No time cutoff
    • Run/Walk 1, 2 or 3 loops (3 loops = 5k)
  • NYRR will help set the program up but it will continue because of volunteers in the community – so please come out and volunteer if you are able!”

So if you’re local come out for one of these open runs! And stay tuned for a giveaway coming in my next post!

Have a great week!

What did you do this weekend?
Do you like road trips?
Most hours you’ve ever driven in one day?

 

Happy Hump Day!

Boy oh boy is it HOT here. Summer is in full swing so I went out for a short 3-mile run last night when the sun wasn’t as strong.

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It cooled off to 81 degrees! Yippee!

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I was excited to wear a running skirt. I hardly seem to wear them for longer distances because my SPIbelt tends to hike it up and it gets annoying but no belt needed for a quick 3 miles! The skirt is a Target clearance item I got for like $12 last year. I cut out the attached shorts that weren’t long enough. I just use my own longer compression shorts for a custom fit =).

So now let’s talk about sun smarts…

Most of you know that my husband succumbed to the most deadly form skin cancer–Melanoma. I take sun safety seriously as I think we all should. As a runner I spend a lot of time outdoors. I usually wear a visor or baseball cap when I run but next month I’m going to Jamaica and I was thinking of other style hats that i could wear while I’m on the beach or by the pool.

And then the planets aligned and I got a package in the mail from Lipton Publicity (the PR company for Scala™ a product line by Dorfman Pacific). They sent me the Scala Lahaina Sun Hat in Lime to review.

Does this make me a buckethead?

Does this make me a buckethead? I feel a little like Gilligan meets Holly Hobbie.

So at first I wasn’t sure if the style would work but I figured I’d give it a try. Well guess what? I LOVE IT! I found that the most flattering for me was to fold some of the brim up but to leave the front unfolded.

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This is how it looked best on me. rolled up a bit on the sides but not in the front

It’s totally versatile. And pretty inexpensive at under $30. It can be flattened so I can definitely squeeze it in my suitcase. But the biggest benefit is that it has a UPF 50+ rating for sun protection.  It comes in black, white, natural, taupe, olive, periwinkle, rose, coral, lime, aqua and banana.

Walking the dog in style

Walking the dog in style

You can buy one for $29.95 here!

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All ready for Jamaica!

Of course I might just have to go out and buy a new swimsuit to match. 😉

Are you a hat wearer?

Do you worry about sun protection?

Hard to believe my last post was a whole week ago! I’m so sorry I feel like I’ve neglected y’all. My work life has become a bit crazy. I’m freelancing full time now and am juggling lots of projects. I took my laptop up to bed the other night and somewhere between 1am and 2am I fell asleep ON the laptop. Luckily there were a few snoring dogs (and maybe a snoring man too 😉 that woke me up. I finished up my work and met my deadline. But that’s the freelance life. Feast or famine. So I’m trying to take all assignments I can right now.

Let’s see….I’ll fill you in on some of the highlights of the last week:

July 1: I spent the beginning of the week freelancing on-site in Manhattan at Scholastic and enjoyed ferry ride commuting with my friend Lisa and decadent snacks from Dean & Deluca.

Honestly if you ever come visit NYC in the summer take a ride on the Staten Island Ferry before sunset. You won't regret it! And it's FREE!

Honestly if you ever come visit NYC in the summer take a ride on the Staten Island Ferry before sunset. You won’t regret it! And it’s FREE!

Coffee and a dark chocolate sea salt candy bar was the first of many treats. By the end of the week I moved up to gourmet donuts. (Not pictured because I inhaled the donut before I took a pic).

Coffee and a dark chocolate sea salt candy bar was the first of many treats. By the end of the week I moved up to gourmet donuts. (Not pictured because I inhaled the donut before I took a pic).

July 2: I realized that with working so much I hadn’t been for a run in a week! So I went out in the evening for a very much needed stress relieving run.

Evening run

Evening run

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July 3: I went with Mr. SOTSS and his girls to their cousin’s 4th birthday party. It was a fun outdoor Frozen themed BBQ. The cake was homemade by the birthday girl’s grandma and boy oh boy was it good! Alternating lemon and strawberry cake layers with the perfect vanilla frosting in between. It was like eating a big cupcake.

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The birthday girl's reaction to one of her gifts....she's not only super cute but she has the most adorable 4 year old voice.

I took a bunch of photos but this one of the birthday girl’s reaction to one of her gifts was my favorite of the day….she’s not only super cute but she has the most adorable 4 year old voice too.

July 4th: I ran a local 5 miler in the morning on Staten Island.

11221852_10206980954744023_5787009635830465407_oThere’s nothing like a local race…getting up an hour before, forking over a little cash and just running. I really didn’t even think about running until a few days before. I had run this race in 2011 and 2012 but forgot that there are some hills. There’s a super steep one between mile 1.5 and 1.75.

7-4-15-5milerI finished in 50:22 which is my slowest time on this course but not by much (and I wasn’t really trying to run fast so I’m ok with that.) In 2011 I finished in 49:10 and in 2012 50:09.

After the race I showered and changed and then headed to Mr. SOTSS’s house to dogsit for his boy Chester for a few hours. I had lots of freelance work to do so I took to the deck with a glass of wine and the pooches and enjoyed some fresh air while I got my work done.

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I brought a yoga mat too so I could do some stretching and Chester took to it immediately…

Yoga mat = Dog bed

Yoga mat = Dog bed

Downward Dog

Downward Dog

After Chester-sitting, Duncan and I headed over to my sister-in-law’s for a bit. She was dog-sitting for Rylee who just so happens to be another labradoodle from the same breeder that my Duncan and her Casey are from. So we tried to get all 3 of them on the couch for an “Alumni” shot. Well, tried is the keyword.

doodle pallooza!

doodle pallooza! Duncan, Rylee and Casey (who is obviously so excited for this photo)

July 5th: Sunday Funday with Mr. SOTSS! We hiked for a couple of hours, enjoyed some more outdoor time relaxing on his deck, ran a few errands and then went for dinner and sat outside with our dogs at our feet.

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We’re all kinds of happy these days

paw prints!

paw prints!

Duncan looks adorable in Mr. SOTSS treasured Rutgers hat

Duncan looks adorable in Mr. SOTSS treasured Rutgers hat

who let the dogs out?!!

who let the dogs out?!!

Chester was off hunting down a chipmunk. Thankfully the chipmunk escaped

Chester was off hunting down a chipmunk. Thankfully the chipmunk escaped

It's too hot. We'd like to go back in

It’s too hot. We’d like to go back in

I happen to love grilled chicken wraps and french fries. Maybe you could, you know....accidentally drop a piece or two of chicken or a fry?

I happen to love grilled chicken wraps and french fries. Maybe you could, you know….accidentally drop a piece or two of chicken or a fry?

It’s really beginning to feel like summer! Well, I’m off to start mapping out what my NYC Marathon training schedule will look like. I’m going away twice in August so I’ll have to get creative with my long runs on those weekends.

Hope you all had a great weekend.

What’s your favorite part of your home? 

I love my bedroom at my house and I love Mr. SOTSS’ outdoor space (yard/patio) best at his house

Random question: What is your favorite salad dressing

I love the greek dressing from Panera but last night at the restaurant we were at I had their house dressing which was a creamy balsamic vinaigrette and it was so good!

Happy Monday…well it’s sorta late so I’ll also say Happy Tuesday too..

I spent the entire weekend with Mr SOTSS and it was such a treat!

Happiness is...

Happiness is…

It’s rare we have 2 solid days that are completely just for us to do whatever, whenever.I actually arrived at Mr. SOTSS’s house on Friday night after work and was in the middle of what I can now diagnose (per Google of course) as a spasm of the Piriformis =)  Weak pelvis/hips ladies and gents! The Piriformis is a pelvis stablizer and it makes sense since my hips/core are weak and my lower back has been bothering me that my Piriformis has been working hard at stablizing the pelvis. The whole kinetic chain thing! I used heat, ice and wine to alleviate the pain as best I could. Saturday morning I wasn’t anywhere near able to run but at least Mr. SOTSS got to run. He ran 8 miles with his loyal pooch Chester. It was cool and drizzly which allowed Chester the opportunity for the full 8. Since I couldn’t run, I walked Duncan into town to drop a card in the mailbox and then I tried to bike ride.
bikeSuccess! I hadn’t been on my bike since last fall. I kept it in the easier gear and just pedaled around Mr SOTSS’ neighborhood for about 30 minutes.
Then I came back and found this video on YouTube showing how to use a tennis ball to work out the spasm.
(The piriformis is right in the meaty part of your glute and sits on the sciatic nerve which is why it can be so painful) I have to say that within a few hours of doing the tennis ball trigger point massage and the pidgeon stretch I felt so much better!
Saturday night we cooked dinner together and then went to see Ted2. Cooking together was so lovely.
Fajitaless chicken

Fajitaless chicken

The movie Ted2 was really funny. I am 12 and get a kick out of teddy bears that curse. =)
Movie essentials

Movie essentials

Sunday morning we went on a hike with our dog hiking meetup group. And then we all had lunch together. It was raining but the trees protected us from most of the drops. So we got to enjoy the sounds of a downpour but only felt a drizzle.
It's like I'm wearing a raincoat dress. Not my best look!

It’s like I’m wearing a raincoat dress. Not my best look!

Always.on.the.go!

Always.on.the.go!

dirty doodle

dirty doodle

I looked up and took this picture. Only got one raindrop on my face

I looked up and took this picture. Only got one raindrop on my face

Sporting my Pro Compression leggings. I really love them

Sporting my Pro Compression leggings. I really love them

It was awesome! In the evening we made dinner together again. He did the outside grilling and I did the indoor sautéing.

We split the work. He did the outside grilling and I did the indoor sautéing

Grilled asparagus, chicken, salmon and sauteed eggplant and squash

After dinner we all just did a whole lotta lounging…
pile of paws

pile of paws

His tag matches the patio furniture so nicely

His tag matches the patio furniture so nicely

Chester was my heating pad on Friday night. Thanks buddy.

Chester was my heating pad on Friday night. Thanks buddy.

And then I had to go home. BOO! Well, I hope to run a little bit toward the end of the week and over the holiday weekend.

Oh and guess what? I won a Pro Compression sweepstakes/contest thingy held by Ali On The Run. I scored myself these awesome compression sleeves.

What's better than Pro Compression Calf Sleeves? Free Pro Compression Calf Sleeves!

What’s better than Pro Compression Calf Sleeves? Free Pro Compression Calf Sleeves!

Yup! It was a truly wonderful weekend. And now I’ve gotta get back to my work. I’m back to freelancing full time and boy oh boy am I busy right now. Have a great week!

Do you wear compression gear?

Did it rain at all for you this weekend?

Do you like to grill?