Worked my first expo and my bargain outfit

22. November 2014 · 2 comments · Categories: Uncategorized · Tags: , , , ,

First I need to give a shout out to my favorite bridge who just had a 50th birthday!!!!

Verrazano Bridge

Happy Birthday Verrazano Bridge

I drove down to Philly to work at the Philadelphia Marathon Expo. I was supposed to be there at noon but there was some traffic so I got there about 10 minutes late. The race director for the New Jersey Marathon, Joe,  and a couple of other people were already at the exhibit booth and had set up so I just jumped right in and started working.

Representing the NJ Marathon at the Philadelphia Marathon Expo!!

Representing the NJ Marathon at the Philadelphia Marathon Expo!!

So many people came to enter into our raffle. We’re giving away 3 free entries each day. We even had a few people register on the spot for the full and for the half! They got 15% off. We’ve also been giving away lots of salt water taffy and even last year’s shirt. People love free stuff (including me!).

I had such a great time yesterday spending so many hours shooting the breeze with Joe (the race director). He’s quite a guy. I always knew he was quite caring just from the few times I’ve met him at some of the training runs but he can tell you so many details about so many of the past participants. He keeps in contact with many of the top 3 winners too. He described all that goes in to putting on a race including how much it costs for the shirts and medals. Cha Ching! Police for the day of the event costs a pretty penny too. I could go on and on but I’ve got to get back on the road in a few minutes for my trip down for day 2! I’ll report back more tomorrow on that.

I also got to speak with so many amazing runners. One guy signed up for NJ Marathon as a training run for Lake Placid Ironman!!!!

After rushing out about 5pm I got home and changed and then it was off to my second event of the day. The Blue Gala.

is 41 too old to wear a skirt above the knee? I hope not because I love it!

is 41 too old to wear a skirt above the knee? I hope not because I love it!

Did I tell you about my ridiculous score on this outfit? I got the top for $18 and the skirt was $18 too. Considering it would have cost $140 full price I consider this a successful sale purchase =)

photo 2

The Blue Gala was a fun filled event all in efforts to raise funds for a large animal rescue organization called Louie’s Legacy.

photo 2

She’s wearing flats and I’m wearing heels which means i’m taller for the first time in my life!

photo 3-1

Aside from getting dressed up and hanging with my dear friend Nicole, I was pretty stoked about the cheesecake and fruit tart that they served for dessert. #sugaraddict!

Well I’ve gotta run! I’ve got to be at the expo shortly. Have a great weekend.

Are you doing anything fun today?

No related posts.

Weekend Recap

07. July 2014 · 3 comments · Categories: cross training, labradoodle, recreational fun, running, Uncategorized · Tags: , , , , , , , ,

Howdy people,

Hope you’ve had a great weekend. I’ve had a 4-day weekend and it STILL flew by. Friday was July 4th and I was looking forward to just laying low but soon low turned to lonely…then I got a text from my friend Z that she was having a BBQ and Duncan and I should come by. Perfect timing.

Duncan had prepared all morning:

preparingforday

Good thing the doodle rested up because his pal Chance was waiting patiently for his arrival. These dogs are buddies that go way back…They met in 2010.

duncan-chance

They kept an eye on the grill. I kept an eye indulged on the canolis.

bbq cannoli

It rained for a bit so we stayed indoors but as soon as the rain passed we sprawled out on the deck.

bbq lounge

just chillin on auntie Z’s lap

chance-face

you gonna share that burger?

IMG_0004

no worries! i’ve got the grill under control!

IMG_0006

i can’t believe nobody dropped a single crumb!

Duncan and I headed home before sunset because he isn’t a fan of the fireworks. I’m grateful he isn’t a total disaster but the noise keeps him alert and unsure. His tail goes down and his ears go up and he can’t relax.  So we blasted the television and shut the lights and by 10:30pm he finally fell asleep.

Yesterday morning was perfection! The temps dropped after the rain and I woke up to 63 degrees and really low humidity. And it was nice a breezy too. It almost felt like October. I headed out to the beach with a smile on my face and set out for my first post-injury long run. After being silly for the camera phone I eventually cranked out 8 miles!

so happy I could fly

so happy I could fly

foot is strong and balance is coming back

foot is strong and balance is coming back

beachpath

there’s something so awesome about this view.

feet in the sand

loving my Asics Cumulus 16s!

gateway

8miles

still slow but i’m totally ok with that!

I managed to be a couch potato for most of the afternoon and then in the evening Duncan and I met a friend and his dog Chester for a walk on the beach. I have no pictures and trust me I’m saving you! Let’s just say dead fish and ticks were involved as were dog baths later on. EEEWWWW!

This morning I did some more couch potato channel surfing (ooh sorta sounds like cross training!) and then cleaned out my garage. Caught up on the ole telephone with a few friends and then I made a last minute decision to squeeze in a bike ride before heading to the grocery store.

the Norwegian Breakaway cruiseship settin' sail

the Norwegian Breakaway cruiseship settin’ sail under the Verrazano Bridge

Ride Sally Ride!

Ride Sally Ride!

sun shining thru the boardwalk

sun shining thru the boardwalk

why not take a selfie under the boardwalk

why not take a selfie under the boardwalk

under the boardwalk

notice the plastic tie straps holding the water bottle holder in place? That’s what we call “MacGuyvering”

sundaybikeI also took the doodle for a last quick walk in the woods to close out the weekend.

photo 4And appropriately we saw this:

Happy Birthday America

Happy Birthday America

So now it’s time to prepare for the week ahead. I leave you with this video of the doodle just chillin’ shot gun…

How was your weekend? 

 

 

 

Related posts:

  1. Thursday Thrills
  2. Worked my first expo and my bargain outfit
  3. Let the weekend begin

A new perspective on injuries and bridges

28. June 2014 · 5 comments · Categories: cross training, injury · Tags: , , , ,

Something happened during the process of healing this injury…a whole new perspective.

I think I’ve embraced the journey a bit more this time around. Last time I hurt myself I didn’t seek medical care right away. For 6 months I tried to run through the pain and when I couldn’t I’d skip a week of training. This time I sought treatment right away (and if it wasn’t for the whole medical insurance referral mishap i’d have probably been treated even sooner). I listened to the docs advice initially and refrained from running for 3 solid weeks which is an eternity for me. And then I almost listened to her when she told me to wait another 3+ weeks (only ran 2 times: the Oakley Mini 10k and the Queens 10K and ran them very slow) I’ve made a solid cross-training plan after buying my first adult bike ever, even took this opportunity to be a spectator too. I’m enjoying the physical therapy experience (although this isn’t technically a new perspective because when I went last time I enjoyed it as well) I know that they’ll work on the spots that still cause pain using massage, heat, laser, electro and ultrasound therapy. I know that for the hour or two that I am there, I am actively working on healing and getting stronger.

getting ready for my stability exercises

getting ready for my stability exercises

I’ve grown to enjoy my bike rides and yesterday I even got a new perspective of the Verrazano Bridge.

Verrazano Bridge

Verrazano Bridge from the left side instead of the right

There are 2 HUGE hills that you have to climb in order to go under the bridge and see it from the other side. I’ve been chicken to even try going up that hill with the bike and even on foot. But yesterday I felt adventurous and went for it. I put the bike in the lowest gear and tried with all my might to ride up the hill. I admit I had to walk it up a short distance but for the most part I mastered the hills. There were 3 large inclines in total.

Runkeeper even told me it was my highest elevation so far.

photo 4-1

 

The first half of my ride i stopped to take pictures but I finally got in my groove for the last 5. I also pedaled for 20 minutes (3.3 miles) at physical therapy just before I went on this ride.

photo 2

NYC Skyline in the distance

photo 5-1

keep those non-running smiles coming Sally!

photo 5

It’s hard to tell how long and steep this hill was to climb in the picture but trust me it was long and steep!

photo 1-1

I’m also using this time to see a new perspective when it comes to my weight. I admit there were times that I would run 20 miles and then eat with reckless abandon. And I also admit that the anxiety and fear of weight gain since the running hiatus began was fairly high at first. But I’ve settled into a reality of acceptance that I’ve put on a couple of pounds (even with the biking) and that’s ok. I know in a few weeks as I get back into running, I’ll drop a few of these extra lbs. And I’m excited to keep biking (and strength training which I’ve slowly been working on but not sharing with the class because I’m waiting for enough weeks to go by that I can say I’m being consistent) in the program to help prevent future injuries.

With this now, more grounded and centered response to my injury I’m laughing at myself for crying hysterically when I had to bail on those couple of races in May. I mentioned before that I have a friend who’s mom was just diagnosed with ALS. I was being a jerk for pouting, well past the first day anyway. (Always give yourself a solid pity party day).

I ended my day yesterday (I was off from work) with an evening stroll through some trails and along the beach with my shadow…

my shadow

my shadow

And until I get a new perspective on breakfast I’m off to go have my usual….waffle and coffee.

Have a great weekend everyone!

Tell me one time you can remember getting a whole new perspective on something. And if that’s too deep then just tell me what you had for breakfast today =)

 

Related posts:

  1. good news + bad news = just news
  2. injuries are a great opportunity to build mental toughness

Pimp my ride and I’m only human

02. June 2014 · 4 comments · Categories: cross training, labradoodle, Uncategorized · Tags: , , ,

First let me just say I can’t believe the party that went down in San Diego this weekend at the Rock ‘N Roll San Diego Marathon & Half Marathon. Some of my favorite bloggers Pavement Runner and Run Eat Repeat along with new blogger on “da” block The Silent Assasin all ran today. And so did Meb! Again, I know i’ve said this before but running is only part of what makes race day so exciting.

Speaking of running….I went running biking again today #thelifeofaninjuredrunner!

photo 5

the bike and me are becoming besties =)

It was even more picture perfect than yesterday weather-wise. Yesterday was sunny and temperate but it was also super windy….I kept having to wipe off the sand that got blown into my lip-balm-slicked-lips. Gritty lips sink ships feel nasty. And my eyes kept tearing too. But today was calmer and just perfection.

becoming quite the biker beach bum

becoming quite the biker beach bum

Apparently there was a local 5k today and it finished on the boardwalk so I pulled over to watch for a bit. (After catching up on Instagram I learned that nycrunningmama ran it with her niece. It was her niece’s first race!)

one of the front runners

one of the front runners

Then I took the same route as yesterday and had a repeat performance photo shoot by the Verrazano Bridge.

OUTTAKE! I didn't give my timer camera app enough seconds for me to pose. LOL

OUTTAKE! I didn’t give my timer camera app enough seconds for me to pose. I guess that makes this awkward… LOL

photo 3-1

much better!

I biked 9 miles (in 58 minutes) and headed back to the car only to realized I LOCKED MY KEYS IN THE CAR!!!! They were still in the ignition! I calmly assessed……well, sunroof was open and i could see the keys…

took this pic thru the window

took this pic thru the window

But the sun had been beating down on the Jeep and i burned my hands when I tried to climb onto the hood to try and reach down through the sunroof. Ultimately, I knew i’d never reach down far enough anyway. My arms wouldn’t be long enough. So I sheepishly made the phone call to my friend Mike who happens to have keys to my home. He was out running errands but as soon as he could he went to my house and grabbed my spare car key and Duncan and brought them to me at the beach. All in all it was an hour that I had to kill until he got there. So of course what did I do? I kept riding the bike! Got 2 more miles in. Oh and I saw this woman riding with her dog in the basket. Unsafe…..but cute…..

photo 2-2

Once Duncan and my key were delivered to me (I owe ya Mike!) we went for a walk. A very short one because Duncan decided it was too warm out. (God help me come July and August if 74 degrees is too warm for him).

photo 3-2Once we got home I fixed myself a nice healthy lunch and Duncan pooped out on the sofa.

photo 3

Turkey, avocado, lettuce and tomato in a flour tortilla, some snap peas with hummus and pink lemonade in a wine glass just because

Turkey, avocado, lettuce and tomato in a flour tortilla, some snap peas with hummus and pink lemonade in a wine glass just because.

And now to get to why I titled this post the way i did:

1. I need to accessorize the bike (a.k.a. pimp my ride)

I need to find myself a water bottle holder and small bag of some sort that straps on (to hold my keys of course). And I think maybe when I start going farther I should have a tire repair kit. I can’t always rely on people to bail me out. Gosh I’m such a newbie!

2. I’m only human

As I start to get in the groove and feel more comfortable on the bike I am finding that I can get in the meditative zone as I pedal and just let all the crazy head movies play out. At the end of the day what gives me vitality and clarity is being outdoors and being active…breathing in fresh air, seeing nature and stepping away from my daily grind. I think the reason a human being can thrive well into their 80s and 90s is based on how active they stay. As long as I have been blessed with health and a body that can be active I will continue to do so in whatever way shape or form I can. Some of us aren’t as lucky. There are many people with illnesses and other challenges that are causing their bodies to slow down.

I can’t believe the weekend has come to a close already. And I can’t believe I got sunburned! I’m usually so diligent about sunscreen application. Today I flunked! Granted I didn’t expect to be outdoors that extra hour while waiting for the spare car key delivery but I’m still angry with myself.

10376174_10203900032762899_5680944688988737562_n

Well, I’ve got a pile of folded laundry that’s calling out to me to be put away so I leave you with this…

photo 5-2This what what I saw when I opened my eyes this morning….And yes that is a cardboard paper towel tube on the bed….Duncan took it to bed with him last night.

Please tell me about the time you locked your keys in the car or you locked yourself out of the house…I need to hear so I can feel better that these things happy to other people too. =)

 

Related posts:

  1. good news + bad news = just news
« Older articles
Newer articles »