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.

IMG_6955

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?

 

Let’s see…

Last I posted it was Monday and I ran a couple of miles in the rain just to smell the sweet honeysuckles…well life got a little less sweet and a bit more honey sucky over the next few days.

I found out a few things at work that made me go “hmm” and not in a good way.

Then yesterday morning after going to the dentist I felt super sick. Aches and chills and a fever. So I stayed home and laid in bed all day taking tylenol and wrapped up in a bunch of blankets.

my home sick buddy

my home sick buddy

By 5pm I started to feel better. I wanted so bad to join my local Staten Island runners at the park for National Running Day so I rallied and drove there and made it just in time for the start of their fun run.

The runners

The runners

Let's Celebrate National Running Day

Let’s Celebrate National Running Day

HA!

HA!

I ran about a mile to the start. The fun run ended up being 2.2 miles which, for me turned into a speed run! Their conversational pace is about 8:50-9:30 pace per mile. LOL!

NRD-splitsMaybe I was still delirious from the fever but I managed to keep up (well I was dead last I think). They were all staying after for pizza but I just jogged the mile back to my car and took a few timer camera selfies although my phone can’t seem to focus for sh-t these days and got back under the covers and was asleep by 10pm.

and we're off

and we’re off

selfie

selfie

some feathery little ones

some feathery little ones

My favorite spot in the park

My favorite spot in the park

sports bra muffing top! Now you know I keep it real =)

sports bra muffing top! Now you know I keep it real =)

the phone fell twice trying to capture this gem. thank god it didn't crack

the phone fell twice trying to capture this gem. thank god it didn’t crack

I knew i'd find some honeysuckles!

I knew i’d find some honeysuckles!

truth!

truth!

I’m so glad that I got to participate even if I was a little under the weather. Last year I only ran 100 yards because of my tendonitis.

This morning right after Duncan and I went out for his morning walk I noticed he was limping. It got progressively worse and by noon he wouldn’t go down the stairs and he kept picking up his front paw. The pit in my stomach started to get bigger as I watched him struggling to get comfortable. He kept picking his leg up even when he was laying down and it would tremble. He was licking his lips a lot too which is a sign he’s uncomfortable. So I finally called the vet and they said bring him right in. Thank god I work from home on Thursdays!

keeping the weight off of his leg waiting to see Dr. Caban

keeping the weight off of his leg waiting to see Dr. Caban

The good news is that it’s nothing serious. Vet prescribed some doggie Advil and some R&R for a few days. We still don’t know what he did to cause this but it’s probably a muscular strain. No dislocations or broken bones. I could totally commiserate with him because I know he must be thinking he won’t be able to go for long walks today. It’s like me not being able to run.

And so I’ll cuddle with him just a little more these next few days (if that’s even possible!). He’s relaxing comfortably now since the first dose of meds. I’m hoping tomorrow morning he’ll be feeling even better.

finally able to sleep soundly

finally able to sleep soundly

I’m going to take today as a rest day as well and shoot for another short run tomorrow.

So what’s new with you? Did you do anything special for National Running Day? Did you know tomorrow is National Donut Day?!!!

Happy Sunday! It’s officially summer and it’s hot and humid here in New York City! (89 degrees 83% humidity as i’m typing this) 3 of the 5 boros representing today (Staten Island, the Bronx and Brooklyn). We met up in Brooklyn’s Prospect Park for 10 miles. Summer running means you have to have a “beat the heat” strategy. We started out EARLY (6:15am) while it was ONLY 70 degrees, which meant my alarm went off at 4:30am! I got dressed and had a quick bite, took the pooch out quick and then headed out to meet the peeps. Not gonna lie, it felt really hard today. It’s been becoming the norm for me to fall back and be the “caboose” of our running group. I don’t know if it’s the pollen, the heat and humidity or what but i just can’t seem to catch my breath lately. At one point I just blurted out that I felt like crap. Lisa chimed in “well at least you look cute”. I have to admit, I’ve been buying more girly type running attire lately. I’m totally on the running skirt bandwagon and this new trend of ruching up the sides…..LOVE IT! So flattering.

girly runner!

girly runner!

Both the top and the skirt i got at Marshalls. $14.99 each!!!! They are both AVIA. The shirt has a hood, ruching up the sizes that you can adjust to your liking with drawstrings. It also has some gathering at the base of the v-neck which helps the “girls” look nice and separated. So yes, Lisa was right, I did look cute!

Speaking of trying out new running gear, Lisa’s sported her new hydration pack today. It’s her second time wearing it and she’s figuring out how she likes it. So far so good.

Lisa, Mike and Elvia

Lisa, Mike and Elvia

And Elvia’s wearing the Kaleidochic skirt from Hot Chic Sports. You can see her modeling right here too. She’s a sponsored runner for them. Mike is just modeling his awesome runner calves =)

We did 3 loops of the park and then parted ways. I love seeing these guys each week.

Well, hope you’ve enjoyed your weekend. Question: Anyone get any new running gear lately? Do you purchase full price at sporting goods stores or try and find deals at stores like Marshalls or TJ Maxx?