I think I know you

Today is a special day over here. Today, April 29, is Prince William and Kate’s 1 year anniversary!

More importantly though, today is Chris and my 1 year anniversary! Those jerks just decided to steal our thunder.

This is probably more for my sake than anyone else’s, but I’m going to tell Our Story. So cheesy, I know. I want to be able to look back on it as the years go by, and today seems as good a day as any to get it all down.  I’ll try and be brief, but know that is not my strong suit. If you can’t stand me gushing, then just skip the parts labeled CHEESE. I’ll do a running post again soon. I swear it.

The short story is the Chris and I met on Match.com in April 2011. That’s not the whole story though because we actually met for the first time in September 2006.

COMMENCE CHEESE

After graduating college and realizing that never going to bars meant I probably wouldn’t meet the love of my life in one, I decided to join Match. I had friends and family on Match and even knew a few married couples who’d met there, so I wasn’t really too nervous about it. Unfortunately, after a couple of months of searching, I started to get discouraged. To be fair, everyone I met was nice and normal, and I never had a bad date, but I also never clicked with anyone. I just never got that swoon feeling. I decided I was going to cancel my account and just take a break. The day I was ready to cancel, I saw an email that caught my eye.

The email was from Chris. It was short, sweet and clever, but what got my attention was the name. I knew his name. I just didn’t know how. So, I took to Facebook. We weren’t friends, but we did have a mutual friend. It just happened to be a guy I dated briefly in college. That clue helped me put the puzzle together. Not only did I know the name, I knew Chris.

We both went to Rutgers, and it turns out we’d met once, through that former boyfriend, when I was a sophomore and he was a senior. He’d had a house party and Chris and I were both there. The ex (then current) boyfriend had introduced me to Chris. The exact phrasing was, “You have to meet my big brother (fraternity, not real life– that’d be a very small world) Chris. He’s so cool. He plays guitar.” So, I did, and he was cool. Like dreamy, cool.

still is

We met. We spoke, and I remembered it 5 years later.

After confirming my recollection, I told my roommate, “I know this guy.” I explained it to her and asked her what I should do. She told me not to bring up anything related to our connection unless we made it to date 3 (the date when all the skeletons come out). She said it would just freak him out, and it didn’t really matter because he didn’t remember. That was her advice, but she was always full of bad advice anyway, and I can’t keep my mouth shut ever, so I ignored it.

From our first emails, I could not stop thinking about this guy. He was funny (it’s tough to be that funny in an email), smart and kind. He just seemed like a really good guy, and in my experience, those were hard to come by. Eventually, we started texting, and he was shaping up to be really wonderful. He never left me hanging, waiting for hours for a text and always responded with something sweet and thoughtful. He seemed like he cared about what I had to say (it’s tough to be that caring in a text). Mostly, he just seemed genuine, another hard quality to come by. I was hooked, so we set a date.

I had watched the royal wedding on the morning of our first date, so I guess I was already feeling a little romantic, but when date time rolled around, I almost didn’t go. In addition to feeling a little romantic, I was feeling a lot sick. I hadn’t slept well the night before, had taken a bunch of new allergy medicine (hot, I know) and really felt like I was going to pass out. I went back and forth in my head, but I couldn’t shake the image of super cool, super cute 2006 Chris from my head, plus, I was beginning to really fall for 2011 Chris from our texts and emails, and didn’t want him to get the wrong message by rescheduling the date last minute, so I went. On the walk there, I was so woozy that I had to stop and sit down for a minute, but I made it.

When I saw him outside the restaurant, I froze. I knew that I was feeling a bit funky, but this was different. My heart literally fluttered. I felt it skip two beats, and it took my breath away. Impossibly, he was even cuter than I remembered. He was just the most handsome guy I had ever seen in my life, and VELVEETA CHEESE ALERT, I am convinced it was love at *second* sight. I composed myself said hello.

We got a table, and I couldn’t stop staring into those big beautiful eyes. He was so kind and just as genuine as he’d seemed from the moment I met him that he immediately made me feel at ease.  It was almost too perfect. Don’t worry, I ruined it quickly by squirting myself in the eye with a lemon the minute my iced tea was delivered to the table. I tried to play it off because I’m super cool like that, but Chris totally called me out for it. It was awesome; he did it in a sweet way, but it was only date I’ve ever been on where even totally awkward moments didn’t seem awkward. I felt like I’d known this guy forever, and for the rest of the night, we talked and acted like friends, not strangers who’d just met.

I tried to absorb every detail of that night. I was so swept off my feet that I actually thought to myself, this might be my last first date ever, so I’d better enjoy it, and I did.

We talked a lot that night, and the way he spoke made me think that surely my friends and family had hired him and provided him with a script to keep me from giving up on dating forever. Everything I learned about him made me like him more. After dinner, we decided to walk. Maybe it was the unusually high comfort level, maybe I already knew he was the one, maybe it was the lemon juice making it’s way from my eye to my brain, but something caused me to tell him about our mutual friend. He was pretty shocked, and he told me he thought my name sounded very familiar too. I told him a few dates later about our meeting in college, and he was floored. It turns out he doesn’t remember that part, but I know it happened! We’ve since scoured old pictures for photographic evidence, but there is none.

We walked and talked a bit more, and then he took me home.

The second I got home I called my mom and told her I was head over heels (the exact phrase I used was, “I am so f*cked!”- I got in trouble for saying that. She’s still my mom, after all). I told her that I have never in my life felt as strongly for someone I just met as I did in that moment. I knew that if he wasn’t interested in me, I would have been genuinely crushed. This was so out of character for me (I’m a shrew, really) that my mom asked me how many drinks I’d had. I told her I was sober as death. I just knew. They say it, and it sounds made up, but when you know, you just know. Chris is my one.

I’d stand precariously on a ledge overlooking Chicago for him

The rest is history. He asked me to be his girlfriend several dates later. The night before he told me he loved me, I had a dream he said it to me. We moved in together last November, and we’ve lived happily ever after since.

Check out that sweet Rutgers ‘R’ ice sculpture 

It’s crazy to think that we went to school together for two years then went on to live in the same city for two more years before meeting. I imagine we sat next to each other on Rutgers’ buses and PATH trains. I think he’s probably held the door for me at an academic building or passed me on his bike as I ran through Liberty State Park. I know we met once, but we weren’t ready. There was a time when I wished we had figured it out back then and gotten together sooner. I thought of all the heartache we could have both avoided. Then I remember the person I was then and how I became the person I am now, and I’m reminded that everything happens for a reason. You will  find your one when you are meant to find that person. Any earlier is too soon.

Fred and Wilma got nothing on us

Still, I’m glad I didn’t have to wait too long. I can’t imagine what my life would be like without Chris. He is my best friend and the love of my life. He means more to me than he will probably ever know, and I love him more each day than I did the last.

END CHEESE

Thanks for bearing with me on that one. I know it was a bit over the top. I just can’t control myself when it comes to that boy. I promise it will be the last time I get all mushy on you. Don’t worry, I’m already back to being a shrew.

How I made my budget

As you’re reading this, I’m currently on my way down to South Carolina. I figured if I’m bored on my 12 hour car trip, you should be bored too, so I’m making you read about budgets! Just kidding of course. I’ve said before how I think budgeting and finance are quite interesting but I know it’s not for everyone, so if budgets do nothing for you, then move along, and I’ll be back tomorrow with a more interesting post.

Still with me? Awesome. I think budgets are a huge part of striking out on your own, and since I am trying to write honestly about the trials of building a life for myself as a young lady (sounds like I’m in trouble, right?) I wanted to let you inside the finances of my day to day life.

I actually began budgeting in college. My education was financed through scholarships, student loans and a million part time jobs. I had money coming in from a few sources and money going out to many, many sources including tuition, rent and food. Once I bought my first car (the car I’m currently driving down to SC- well, not as I type, but you get the idea) after my junker bit the dust, I had a my very first loan payment that I was responsible for, so I figured it was time I got a better idea of where all my pennies monies were going. It took A LOT of trial and error to get a budget nailed down, but I’m glad I started when I did because after college there were only more bills to worry about, so it was nice to have a bit of a head start in learning to manage it all.

If you don’t have a budget, I strongly suggest you make one. It’s one of the most empowering things you can do. Seriously. Understanding your finances helps you feel in control and allows you to make big goals for the future. Believe me, I know it sounds really scary at first, but the numbers are always much less intimidating when you see them laid out in black and white. This is true even if you’re totally poor; trust me, with student loans, my net worth is currently -$23,130.33. That’s a negative symbol there. Not only am I worthless (financially speaking of course) I’m in the hole. My goal is to be worth $0 in 5 years, and trust me, being a 0 will feel amazing.

*** DISCLAIMER: I am not a certified financial adviser. I am not a financial professional, and nothing I say should be taken as professional advice (I post 8,000 pictures of my cat, so nothing you read here should be considered professional anything, ever). Everything I say should be regarded as ideas and tips that have worked for me. You are responsible for making decisions that are best for you. That may include seeking the advice of a true professional, which, again, I am not.***

Anyway, back to you. So, have I convinced you to start a budget? Great! Let’s begin. I’ll tell you what I did. First, I got organized. I…

• wrote down the balances of all my monies- my checking and savings accounts
• made a list of all my debts- credit cards, car loans, student loans
• subtracted the first from the second to find out my (negative) net worth to have a better idea of the broad standing of my finances.

Next, I needed to know what I made and what I spent on a monthly basis. Here’s what I used:

• A pay stub
• 3 months of checking account and credit card statements

Here’s what I did to figure out what I made:

• figured out what I made after tax using my pay stub to find my net salary (salary after taxes and health care contributions)
• multiplied my net salary by two (because I get paid twice a month) to find my monthly take home pay. <— this was my starting point because you cannot spend more than you earn, so this gave me an idea of how much I had to work with.

Here’s what I did to figure out what I spent:

• went through those bank/credit card statements line item by line item, and sorted every dollar spent into a category. This was by far the most tedious and time consuming part.
• the key to reviewing my spending was to be honest and not judge myself. I was building a budget, so I was already on the right track. If I found out I spent way too much on coffee every month, I made a note of it and moved on without beating myself up.
• in building my categories I tried to be broad enough that I didn’t end up with a separate budget line for every single thing (lunch out, dinner out, makeup, hair stuff), but also specific enough (see food out, personal care) that I could identify areas where I might be spending too much. This is a personal preference. I’ve seen budgets with 27 different line items as well as budgets broken down into: savings, bills, and other. In the beginning I suggest using categories so you know where you’re spending your money, but it’s really up to you

It took some trial and error but I ended up with the following expenditure categories (in alphabetical order because I’m Type A):

• car payments
• cell phone payments
• clothes
• coffee
• donations
• food out (restaurants, takeout, bars)
• gifts
• groceries
• insurance (car, renters)
• miscellaneous spending (Miles’ food and vet visits, cash withdrawals, movies, music)
• personal spending (makeup, shampoo, prescriptions)
• rent (incl. utilities, cable, internet)
• running (races, sneakers, Gus, sports bras)
• savings
• student loan payments
• transportation (gas, tolls, parking tickets, public transportation, plane tickets

Once I had my categories, I divided each number by 3 (remember, I looked at three months because I wanted to know what I spent on average) to get a rough idea of my expenses.

Now I had to build a budget. I researched on the interwebs and found an approach that worked for me. I currently use the 50-30-20 style of budgeting. What that means is, I aim to keep my monthly bills (needs) at 50% of my take home pay, so I can devote 20% of my take home pay to savings and debt repayment and the other 30% to variable expenses (wants). I found this style of budgeting to be a really simple way of tackling a complex problem.

This is a chart of my actual budget breakdown. Needs are a bit high, but I live in a high cost area, so my rent is a bit skewed.

Let’s break this down into what each section includes.

First I took a look at my monthly bills because they were mostly fixed, and had to be paid, so that’s where my money was going first. I had to make sure that I wasn’t spending more than half my income on bills. Luckily, I came pretty darn close, but whereas I always thought I could afford a nicer car when they time came, I learned that unless I lost some other bills, I could not. I was living right within my means, and knowing that helped me resist the urge to “upgrade my lifestyle” in any significant way.

Some options for cutting down on these fixed expenses include small things like, cutting down on your cable/internet options or  finding a cheaper cell phone plan (this actually prompted me to look for discounts, and it turns out my company gets a discount with AT&T, so I jumped on that) as well as bigger things like looking to move to a less expensive area or finding a more affordable car.

After making sure I had enough to pay my bills, I was able to determine what portion of my income I could devote to saving and debt repayment. I took my monthly take home pay and multiplied it by 10% to determine what I could allocate to savings and student loan debt. Next, I set up automatic monthly transfers so that on the first of  each month, money is pulled directly from my paycheck or out of my checking account and deposited into a retirement fund, a long term savings fund and an emergency savings fund. I also set up automatic bill pay (I even got some discounts for doing this) for my car, cell phone, insurance and student loans. This insures that I’m saving (paying myself first) and paying all my bills without even thinking about it.

What was left in my budget (and my checking account) was what I had to live off of. This helped me to adjust all those variable budgets and still live within my means.

Included in my wants were:

• clothes
• coffee
• donations (mostly because I didn’t know where else to put it)
• food out
• gifts
• miscellaneous
• personal
• running

These budgets are pretty flexible month to month. If I’ve got a ton of birthdays coming up, my gift budget usually grows at the expense of my clothing budget. If I’m paying for a half marathon, my coffee and personal budgets usually shrink. I’m ok with them being flexible, I just make sure that every dollar I add to one budget comes out of some other budget.

The thing about budgets is, you can’t just build them and forget them, you’ve got to track them too. I used to drive myself crazy with tracking; I’d account for every single dime that came or went, but that was far too frustrating to be realistic, so now I give myself a little leeway. In an excel spreadsheet, I keep track of anything I spend on my debit/credit card. This is usually everything but miscellaneous. I take half my miscellaneous budget (I save the other half for unforeseen expenses) out as cash. I still record the expense to that budget line, but I don’t track every dollar I spend. Once the money is in my hands, I consider it spent, and when it’s gone, it’s gone, so I try to make it last the entire month. This way, I’m living within my means without constantly jotting down every bottle of water I buy on a whim. I also find that spending only cash on miscellaneous things makes me a lot less likely to indulge in little impulse buys. Seeing exactly how much I have left for the month really keeps me in check.

Every few months, I review my detailed spending to make sure that my budget still works for my life. If my rent goes up, I can’t spend as much on things I want. If I find a way to hammer down my grocery budget, I can throw more money towards paying off those student loans.

Sometimes it’s frustrating. I wish I were debt free. I wish I had a bigger savings cushion in the event of an emergency. I worry how I’ll ever be able to pay for a wedding or save for a down payment, but ultimately I sleep better at night knowing I’m living within my means, and that is worth every minute spent budgeting.

Runners are sick in the heads

Well, it is true, but that’s not really what I meant there.  I’ve  been feeling a little under the weather lately. This is unusual for me. I was sick A LOT as a kid. Nothing terrible, luckily, but colds and stomach bugs and allergies seemingly all the time. I even got shingles when I was in high school. My grandpa got it around the same time as me, so you can imagine that it was a little odd for someone of my age to come down with that. I got mono (the kissing disease- although this freshman was doing no kissing, so I’m not sure how I lucked into that one)  in college, and was always sick every finals period. The point of all that is, as an adult, I’ve been pretty lucky. I guess my immune system has gotten a pretty good workout, and has finally become fit enough to keep me well. I’m rarely sick. I had perfect attendance (no sick days!) at work last year, and you better believe I picked up my certificate.

What’s odd, is that when I do get sick it follows a very specific pattern. I always get sick in the last leg of race training or immediately following the race. Every year. You can set your clock by it. I didn’t notice the correlation the first two years because both of my races (and race training periods) were in the fall, so I just figured it was seasonal allergies. Now, that I also ran a half in the spring, it’s baaaaack, which was enough to make me wonder, why?

So, I went to my source for all things running, Runner’s World and found this article on runners and their immune systems. It sounds counter-intuitive (running makes you healthy!) but due to the release of cortisol during instense long runs, running can actually wear down your immune system. It’s a great resource, so I definitely recommend checking it out. Here are some highlights I found particularly interesting.

• How you run matters. Since long runs take the biggest toll, RW suggests replacing a medium distance run (not your weekly long) with some HIIT intervals. This is not a bad way to break up the monotony either.
• Keep your stress in check. I know a lot of people (myself included) use running as a stress reliever, but sometimes your run can stress you out too. Maybe you’re nervous about the ever increasing distance. Maybe you had a bad run. Maybe running brings all the nasty stuff you don’t want to deal with to the forefront of your mind. No matter, everyone can benefit by some de-stressing. They suggest meditation. Meditation always stresses me out more, so I suggest anything that lowers your blood pressure. Mine happen to be reading, chopping vegetables, and petting Miles (when he’s not biting me). Do what works for you.
• Sleep! It’s obvious, but your body needs more rest when you’re working it to the brink. With early morning runs or long runs that steal an hour or two from your day, it’s easy for sleep to get the shaft. Don’t let this happen. Give your body the rest it deserves, and make sure it’s quality sleep too. I just bought some earplugs to keep from being woken up every 2 hours (MILES), and I’m thinking of getting a mask too as more and more studies show that even tiny amounts of light effect your quality of sleep. Make sleep a priority. Be your own parent, give yourself a bedtime, and stick with it.
• Eat right. This is another gimme. We all know this, but do we all do it? It’s easy to justify eating junk when you’re working your butt off, and sometimes you’re just too tired to make a good, quality meal, but don’t shortchange yourself. Eating clean, healthy, balanced meals (and of course that means occasional junk) will do your immune system a world of good.
• Be extra careful in the three days following a race. They recommend bringing hand sanitizer to a race, which isn’t a bad idea when you consider the state of those porta potties.

So, there you have it. There’s no magic bullet for health. Running alone will not keep you totally healthy. As always, it’s a balanced holistic approach that involves healthy eating, good quality sleep, stress management and conscious effort that keeps you feeling your best.

So what should this person feeling under the weather do? Go out on a school night, of course! I was actually feeling a little better yesterday than I have been all week, so I figured it was safe to go to happy hour and be around other humans.

Chris and I met up with friends in the Financial District at The Bailey where we had a few drinks and marveled at this semi-inappropriate statue

Oh Wall Street.

Next, we headed uptown to the Lower East Side (that feels weird to say) to Jebon. It’s a regular restaraunt upstairs, but once we headed downstairs and paid our cover, we got stamped.

I don’t even mind that it’s still on my hand this morning despite the scrubbing because that little penguin is super cute.

They had this teeny intimate stage set up for performances, and we got to see some really good ones.

First this guy, a comedian of sorts, performed It’s Gonna Be Me, which of course made my night (you’ll recall my love of NSYNC)

Next, two girls and one guy performed before Jay took the stage.

Blurry, but this girl was really very good. Her name was Lonna Marie, and I don’t know if she has an album available for sale, but she has a single on iTunes called Don’t Forget, which she performed last night, and it was great. You guys know I stopped trying to find new music I liked about 3 years ago, but seeing these totally talented artists made me want to start searching again.

I can’t remember the names of these artists, but they were also really good. The card the gave us at the door says they’re part of Underground Artists Live, so maybe check that out.The talent in the room was just sort of overflowing last night. It was amazing to see these guys get up in front of people and just play. That’s something I could never imagine doing, but it was really cool.

Next up was Jay who, I’m embarrassed to say, I had actually never seen play before. He’s the son of my co-worker, and performs around the city pretty frequently, but I’d never been able to attend a show until last night. I’m glad I went because he was really good! He’s got a great sound, and I could totally imagine hearing every one of his songs on the radio someday. He was also an amazing performer. He got the crowd involved in the songs, and everyone was really loving it.

He also has music on iTunes, so check him out!

Chris lusted after the guitars and drum sets, and I predict they’ll be a lot of song sessions in our house in the coming days, but that’s fine by me because truly, he’s my favorite artist always.

There’s just something about the man I love playing guitar that makes me swoon.

Miles agrees.

After Jay’s performance, we hit the road. I think there were a few more performers, and I totally would have stayed were it not for that whole it was a Thursday and I’m a grownup and grownups are expected to get up and go to work on Fridays thing. We managed to get to the PATH station only 4 minutes before the train came, which is some sort of miracle, so we actually made it home within the hour. It was amazing. Miles was furious with us for being out so long, so it was sort of a sleepless night. I’m dragging a little bit this morning, but I’ve got a fun day ahead of me, so that’s keeping me going.

Tonight will be our first run since the half, and my legs are ready to get moving! After that, Chris and I are heading to the scene of the crime, the place where we had our first date, to celebrate our one year anniversary. We’ll be in the South on Sunday, so we figured we’d celebrate early. Then we’ve got to pack and hit the sack early, as we’ll be on the road by 5am tomorrow morning! I’m trying not to focus on the 12 hour drive ahead of us but rather that I get to see my family tomorrow night!! I’m so excited. I haven’t seen them since Christmas, so my heart is aching to get down there. Happy Friday everyone!

***

Have you ever come down with the (half) marathon sniffles?

What’s the last great live music you saw?

Any suggestions for fun car games to help pass our 12 hour drive??

 

 

Thursday Things

Hi. Everything is crazy these days. Seriously, I feel like I have so much to share, but nowhere to start, so I figured I’d make a list and share some things that are going on and going through my mind.

But first… race pictures from the half marathon are in!! I don’t love them because you can barely see us crossing the finish line, and I wish there were close ups, but there were some good ones especially considering how gross out it was that day.

I tried to smile, but it kind of just looks like I have to pee. Womp.

There’s Chris apparently dragging me over the finish line.

Seriously, how cute is this kid?

It would make me mad that he looks so good when I look like this

thumbs up is such a good look for me. derp.

Except it doesn’t make me mad because he’s mine, and that makes me happy.

Moving swiftly on. Welcome to my headspace.

• The weather is driving me crazy. It was so lovely last week, and now it’s so cold and flip floppy. I want it to be warm so I can take a book and my lunch outside and read in the middle of the day rather than sit at my desk for 8 entire hours.

Monday- no sun. The sun will never be back. There should be buildings where that white space is.

Wednesday- brilliant sunshine to burn your eyeballs off. Don’t worry, it rained later.

• A good, dear friend of mine just told me that she’s pregnant. It’s a secret, but I trust you. I’m so happy I could burst!
• Tonight I’m going to happy hour with Chris and some friends in the city! This is both exciting and exhausting. These things run long, and it’s a school night people! We’re going to Jebon Sushi on the LES to listen to a live performance by the son of one of my co-workers. His name is Jay Loftus, and his stuff is good. He’s legit, so I’m excited to hear him play live. If you happen to be on the Lower East Side, doors open at 7. There’s a $10 cover but then I think drinks are 2 for 1. Maybe it’s not a school night for you, and you can come drink your face off while I laugh/cry about being up way past my bedtime.
• I can’t stop drinking Chai tea. With vanilla almond milk and agave please.

mug gifted to me by Chris from theoatmeal– love those bobcats.

• Chris told me Monday that he already misses running. I’m in heaven. I could never manage to find a running buddy as maniacal as myself, so I created one! Mwah ha ha.
• I miss running too. I think we’ll run tomorrow. I can’t wait.
• The 5 Boro Bike Tour is May 6, and I really wish I had more time to get my bike skills up to snuff. We’re doing it with our dear friend TRAVIS. Travis is driving up from Illadelphia to stay with us, then joining us for the biking adventure. Travis and Chris did this together last year, so I’m awfully scurred I won’t be able to keep up. The last time I biked 42 miles was never, so I’m a little out of shape. Anyway, surely Travis, Chris and I will have a blast. (Travis Travis Travis informed me that a search of the  blog reveals he’s not yet been mentioned by name, so I’m looking to right my wrong. Is that good?)
• Friday is the 1 year anniversary of Chris and my first date. Time really flies, huh? This time last year did not include spending 70% of my time with Chris and 30% of my time (work, bleh) missing him. It was just 100% missing him, and that’s too sad for me to even think about, so I won’t.
• I made the easiest, yummiest, healthiest recipe I’ve made in a long time on Monday. Cooked Quinoa with garlic and olive oil sauteed kale and chicken sausage. It was divine. I wish I hadn’t eaten it all so I could have some more right now.

don’t worry. it tastes far less blurry than it looks.

• Last night I came home to the delicious smells of BBQ as I had put some frozen chicken breasts and BBQ sauce in the slow cooker and left it all day. Reason number 47 I love the slow cooker.

check out that rouge green bean.

• I have been ravenous since our half marathon. I cannot stop eating all the things.
• This weekend Chris and I are driving to South Carolina (like way south, like 12 hours). We’re giving my mom my car and downsizing to just one for our small family up here. We’re flying back early next week. I am mucho excited. We drove down there once last summer, and we had an absolute blast. We listened to XM radio (Lithium station, anyone?) the whole time, and it really flew by. Chris is a great road trip driver and I am a great road trip snack opener/feeder, iPhone navigator and Wikipedia looker upper. When you have these long car discussions, great debates arise, and you often have to head to the cloud to find out the answers. Enter the Wikipedia black hole.
• I get to see my mama and both my sisters this weekend, which is just awesome. Miles has to stay home with the cat sitter. Don’t worry. He thinks that’s pretty awesome too.

I shall refrain from judging the sitter, but I shall resume judging you the minute you come home.

• I’ll take road trip pictures but none will include my face because 12 hours in the car is a terrifying look on anyone.
• It’s going to be 80 90 degrees there. I’m never coming back. See number 1.
• I feel a little like a meatball lost in the sauce now that half marathon training is over. I’m going to try and bring back actual weekly workout schedules that I will stick to rather than just laughing at. I want to pick things up and put them down. I also want to get stretchy again. I have a Living Social deal for 2 months of unlimited Yoga that I think I’ll cash in for May. Definitely.

I think that’s all. It doesn’t really seem crazy when I put it all down. That’s why I love you guys. You make me feel just a little less crazy. Enjoy the rest of the best day of the week!

Book Club Review: Room

I feel a little aimless after my half marathon. Yesterday I went to the gym for the first time in what felt like forever and just sort of stood there. I didn’t really want to be there. I wanted to be outside running, but, alas, that was not in the cards. I got injured after my last half marathon for jumping back into things to quickly, so I’m trying to play it smart this time around. I decided to just warm up a bit, work my upper body, and cool down, so I did this:

I was happy with the upper body part (I could barely lift my hairbrush today), but I think I overdid it on the elliptical. My knees were getting sore by the end of the workout, and my quads hurt today. It was not smart. I think for the rest of the week, I’ll probably do no more than 20 minutes total on the elliptical seeing as I already walk a lot throughout the day. Chris and I are planning on doing a shakeout run on Friday, and I’m so excited for that, so I’ll take it easy until then. I guess.

After the gym I made a very springy meal.

That’s garlic butter baked fish and spring pea risotto. Truthfully, I only made half this meal. The fish is Gorton’s frozen filets. They’re great because you can’t just pop them in the oven frozen for 20 minutes, and they’re done! They come marinated and everything. The only sketchiness… no where on the package does it say what kind of fish it is. It’s white fish, and it tasted pretty good. That’s all I know. I’m not thinking too much about it.

I did make that risotto! I love risotto. In a cheese-free house, it’s a delight because it tastes super creamy with no actual dairy at all. People shy away from risotto because it seems like a lot of work, but it’s really not. It’s a lot of time in the kitchen but all you do is stir every few minutes. In the mix there was butter, shallots, white wine, arborio rice, chicken stock and defrosted frozen spring peas. I added some nutritional yeast after the picture (because it makes everything that scary neon yellow), and it was creamy and delicious.

We spent the rest of the night watching ridiculous TV. Has anyone ever seen Extreme Cheapskates on TLC? It was very odd. TLC is the place to go for odd TV for sure.

Anyway, on to more intellectual pursuits.

Don’t let the cover image fool you. This is not a cute kid’s book.

From Amazon:

To five-year-old Jack, Room is the entire world. It is where he was born and grew up; it’s where he lives with his Ma as they learn and read and eat and sleep and play. At night, his Ma shuts him safely in the wardrobe, where he is meant to be asleep when Old Nick visits.

Room is home to Jack, but to Ma, it is the prison where Old Nick has held her captive for seven years. Through determination, ingenuity, and fierce motherly love, Ma has created a life for Jack. But she knows it’s not enough…not for her or for him. She devises a bold escape plan, one that relies on her young son’s bravery and a lot of luck. What she does not realize is just how unprepared she is for the plan to actually work.

Told entirely in the language of the energetic, pragmatic five-year-old Jack, Room is a celebration of resilience and the limitless bond between parent and child, a brilliantly executed novel about what it means to journey from one world to another.

The story of Room is told by Jack, and Donoghue does a wonderful job of channeling the mind of a 5 year old. Throughout the book, you really feel as though you are seeing the world through Jack’s eyes. It’s delightful at times and very frustrating at others. As you read, understanding what Jack is thinking, it’s frustrating to see him repeatedly misunderstood and unable to get his point across.

The story is definitely chilling, but it’s not as frightening as I thought it would be. While about abduction and captivity, it’s really more about the relationship between Jack and Ma. You learn some details of Ma’s kidnapping, and there are a few graphic scenes describing what life under Old Nick is like, but just as Ma shields Jack from the worst parts of the situation, the reader is not exposed to many gruesome details.

It’s a very quick read, but it’s one of those books that will stick with you for a long time. The story itself is very compelling, but the perspective from which it’s told is what makes it worth the read. That’s my general opinion on the book if you haven’t read it. If you have read Room (or aren’t planning to) here’s some more of my thoughts…

*SPOILER ALERT*

At first, I really liked it. I felt deeply sad for Ma as it was evident that she was trying her absolute hardest to put on a brave face for little Jack while in the midst of a truly horrific experience. She was kidnapped at only 19, raped and held captive by an old creep named Nick. He gets her pregnant once, but she delivers a still born. He gets her pregnant again, and she delivers Jack. This part confused me. They briefly hint at the fact that she’s now on birth control,  but why wasn’t she always? Old Nick has no relationship with Jack, so it doesn’t really seem like he wanted to get her pregnant, so why not give her the birth control right away? I wish they had explained that a bit.

The author mentions that Ma tried to escape once before Jack was born, but she failed and Old Nick retaliated by starving her for a few days. I don’t really understand why she doesn’t try again. She seems to have things like knives at her disposal, so it just seems weird that she didn’t put up more of a fight. It also didn’t make a lot of sense to me that Old Nick, who was crazy and evil enough to kidnap Ma, never even looks at Jack. It just seemed a little unbelievable.

I liked that they had days where Ma was “Gone” as Jack would call her. These were days when she was just totally checked out and couldn’t even get out of bed. It was starting to seem odd that she could manage to pretend like nothing was going on for so long without falling apart, so I was glad the author included these mini breakdowns.

The part of the book where Jack and Ma escape was pretty good, although I had a hard time believing it would work that easily, but overall, I think it was interesting.

I found the parts after the escape to be a more interesting read. I was getting a little bored of Room, but the book did pick up once they got to the outside. I liked the parts that centered around what her family did in the aftermath of Ma’s disappearance, and I wish they had focused a bit more on how they were able to rebuild their bonds once Ma returned, but I understand with the book being from Jack’s perspective, it’s difficult to delve deep into the other characters psyches.

I loved Jack’s commentary on how different his experience growing up in Room was from how it appears kids are raised on the outside- no parental involvement, viewed as more of a party gag or downright annoyance. I wish there had been more of that rather than Jack just describing various kitchen appliances that were new to him.

I didn’t like how the character Ma changed once on the Outside. I thought it was weird that she was able to step up to the plate and be such a strong, loving mom (even though she was young) in captivity, but once they were freed she turned into this selfish, distant person. I could relate to her desire to get her old life back and her frustration at having missed so much, but it seemed like having Jack really changed her life for the better, and I wish the author had made her seem less desperate to brush him off. I definitely did not like the grandma. At first you were supposed to believe she was thrilled about having her daughter back, but the way she treated Jack definitely did not fit that mold. It seemed unbelievable to me that so many people would be allowed unsupervised access to Jack with nothing major going wrong. I don’t think it works like that.

There were too many inconsistencies in Jack’s assimilation into the outside world for me. Like, he’s terrified of rain, but he has no problem in elevators? That just didn’t work for me. I wished they had touched a bit more on the psychological fallout of the experience for Jack as well as Ma.

I didn’t dislike the book,  I guess I just wish there were more, and that the author wasn’t so eager to tie everything up in a neat little bow. Emma Donoghue touched on such an interesting subject, but I feel like she fell short of really exploring it. I guess that’s the downside of telling a really serious story from a toddler’s perspective.  It was a quick read, but I wouldn’t have minding reading for longer in order to get into the real issues here. Ultimately, I think the good outweighed the bad on this one, and I’m glad I read Room.

Rutgers Unite Half Marathon Race Recap

13.1 miles in 2:27 minutes.

This was the race that almost wasn’t. The Rutgers Unite Half Marathon was on deck to be my third and Chris’ first half marathon. We started training in January and put in between 10 and 20 miles a week for 16 weeks. Our longest run was an 11 miler, and our estimated finish time was 2:30. Our only goal was to finish the race though. Chris began really running last summer, so he moved pretty quickly up to a half marathon, and I just wanted to be sure he had a good training experience and a great race.

Unfortunately, the week of the race we heard dire predictions for race day weather. We were supposed to get rain. A lot of rain. And the race is in an area that is very flood prone. Last year, they shortened the race to 10 miles due to flooding, so it was looking very much like we might not be running a half marathon. We panicked in the beginning of the week and stopped checking the weather by Wednesday. Our nerves were just too frayed. Luckily, the running gods were on our sides, and we woke up race morning to cloudy but dry skies.

5am– wake up. Chris showers. I don’t. I’m gross like that. We both nervously eat cereal and drink some coffee. We change (shorts,  short sleeve tech tee, socks, sneakers and a fleece)  and pack a bag with rain jackets, long sleeve tech tees, extra socks, our numbers and gels. After hitting the bathroom 48 times and kissing Miles good bye, we hit the road.

6am– on the road to Rutgers in New Brunswick, NJ. I drive. We stop on the way down to pee again. Nervous.

6:45am– arrive at Rutgers. Chris and I use our super alumni knowledge to avoid the suggested parking deck and find sweet on street parking (free on the weekends!) We debate what to wear. It’s about 50 degrees out and very overcast but not yet raining. We decide we’ll probably be too hot in our jackets, so we opt for long sleeve tech tees, shorts, no jackets. If it rains, it rains and we’ll be wet. We pin on our numbers and head to the shuttle. I bring only my key, my Garmin and one pack of Gu Chomps.

7:30am– we catch a shuttle to the start line in Piscataway. We only waited for about 10 minutes, which was nice, and the shuttle’s not too crowded.

7:45am– arrive at start. We hit the porta potties. Again. There were plenty and barely any lines. So far, this race has been extremely well run.

7:55am– line up at start. This is a mass start. There are pacers, but no defined corrals. We line up between the 11 min/mile and 12 min/mile pacers. The Scarlet Knight (Rutgers’ mascot) is out taking pictures with the runners, but neither of us has a camera for fear of it getting soaked. He looks like this

He’s the man. None of the following pictures are mine. No camera, remember? They play Bruce Springsteen and Bon Jovi. Everyone around us is talking really loudly. Yep, we’re in New Jersey. We love it.

8am– elite runners start.

8:01am– we start! The gun goes, and it takes us about 2 minutes to make it up to the starting line. There’s about 4,000 runners out today. The race is chipped, but I’ve also got my Garmin which I start when we cross the line.

Mile 1– the first mile takes us around Busch campus through graduate housing and various academic buildings. There’s DJ music, live music and a few spectators and already a water stop. The roads are closed. The course is very open and scenic. There’s not much to look at at this point, but the frat boys handing out water and gatorade look absolutely miserable, which makes us laugh a bit imagining what force of nature or academia got them out of bed and volunteering so early on a Sunday. We guess double secret probation.

Busch Campus

Miles 2– the second mile sends us to Livingston campus. It’s hilly. There are no hills in Jersey City, so we struggle a bit, but keep our pace under 11:30. We pass more live music, which is awesome. We pee. Again.

Miles 3-5– these miles take us around the most un-scenic part of Rutgers. We’re behind warehouses and dorms. It’s not too pretty, but there are 2 more water/gatorade stops and more miserable but good humored frat boys. We see the race leaders pass us in the other direction after hitting the first turnaround. People cheer for the first male. People go bananas for the first female. Get ’em girl!

Mile 6– this takes us past the RAC where the Rutgers’ basketball teams play. This is kind of fun, and we’re finally starting to see the good parts, but the hills are killing us. The rain starts. At first, we think it’s just the remnants of someone’s tossed water cup, but no it’s definitely drizzling. I check in with Chris. He’s been very upbeat and talkative, so I assume he’s doing well, but neither of us was really excited for rain, so I want to know how he’s feeling. He says great and gives me a huge smile. I feel super proud. I smile like a dope and trip on my shoe. I catch myself. Crisis averted. We both remark on how quickly the first half went by and how lucky we are the rain waited until now. We take our first gels. We packed Gu Chomps, and we each take 4. I feel instantly more alive.

the RAC.

Mile 7– by Mile 7, we’re back on Busch. We hit the halfway point and we can hear the DJ playing Jimmy Eat World, The Middle. I tell a hilarious joke about how we’re listening to the middle… in the middle of the race! Chris fake laughs. I smile because I’m so lucky to have someone who fake laughs at all my unfunny jokes even while in the midst of the most physically grueling thing he’s ever endured. We pass the Rutgers golf course and see the 10 minute milers passing us in the other direction following a turnaround point. My friend Judy spots us and cheers. She looks AWESOME! Go Judes! There’s more live music. We hit the turnaround feeling really strong.

Rutgers Golf Course

Mile 8– a frat boy handing out Gatorade tells us we should stop to drink it since we’re not going to win anyway. I scowl at him.  We pass more live music heading out of Busch Campus

Miles 9-11– we head into and around Johnson Park for our last miles in Piscataway. We can hear people cheering from across the Raritan River over in New Brunswick. That’s where we’ll finish. It pumps us up big time. At mile nine, I take two more Gu Chomps. It’s really raining at this point. It’s in our eyes and getting sort of annoying. I check in with Chris. He’s still awesome. He says his legs are tired, but he feels really good. I love him. The frat boys are still handing out water and Gatorade. They’re still pretty miserable, but there’s two more bands in the park, and all the volunteers are cheering. We see Judy pass us again. She still looks awesome! The hills are finally done for a bit.

The Raritan

Mile 12– we are out of Piscataway and into New Brunswick. We’ve now officially run farther than Chris has ever gone before. I smack his butt and yell, “How cool is that!” He smiles, but says he’s starting to feel run down. We take some more Gu Chomps. He says he knows he can finish now. Duh. I’ve known that since mile 1, silly. We head into Buccelech Park. Here are some spectators, in the rain, cheering their faces off. That makes us smile. We hit the second to last hill and the rain is really coming, but we’re smiling and keeping our eyes on the prize.

Mile 13– we’re out of the park. We go up one last hill. Chris is struggling, but he picks up the pace and looks really strong and determined, and I tell him, “One hill, one straightaway, and you’re done.” I tell him how proud I am and take in the fact that this is the first half marathon I’ve ever run with anyone let alone my best friend, and my heart swells like the Grinch on Christmas morning.

13.1– as we approach the finish line, Chris grabs my hand. We held hands over the finish line at our 10k last week, but I figured he only let me do that since it was my birthday. This makes me immensely happy. We speed up, cross the finish line in 2:27, and freak out.

Post race– I give Chris a huge hug and a big sweaty kiss and tell him how much I love him and how proud I am of him. He looks so happy. It makes me happy. We freak out some more. We collect our shiny new finisher’s medals and head through the chute. We grab water and oranges. They’re out of bananas, but they have bread and cookies and peanut butter and pizza.  I take all of the things and forget that I care about gluten.

10:50 ish– we head back to the car, put on some drier clothes and our awesome new rain jackets. We stash our medals, call our moms (they worry) and grab an umbrella. We head out to Sanctuary for some post race foods.

11:01- we get to Sanctuary. The sign on the door says they open at 11. No one is inside. Oh college. We head to Hansel and Griddle for chicken wraps and eat them in Student Center reliving the good old days.

11:45– we drag out butts back to the car and head home to Jersey City. I drive. Chris tells me how happy he is. I tell him how happy I am for him. We are both so happy our car takes out and we fly home on a cloud. Not really. We spend the rest of the ride discussing how maybe we could do a triathlon, how we definitely will do many more halfs together, how and why nipples chafe, what Body Glide is, which of us will sleep better than night and how very glad we are that the now torrential rains waited until we were done running our race. The race that almost wasn’t.

I got to run a race with my best friend at my alma mater. It just doesn’t get much better than that.

Summary: The Rutgers Unite Half Marathon was an awesome race. The pre race logistics and expo were really well organized. The race day parking and shuttles were easy to navigate. There were tons of porta potties. The race started on time. There were lots of water and Gatorade stops and many friendly and helpful volunteers. The course was hilly but scenic and uncrowded. The finish was efficient and incredibly well stocked with deliciousness. Overall I give this race an 8 out of 10. Even if you’re not a Rutgers alum, you’ll like this race.

13.1 and done!

Happy Monday! I’m on cloud 9 today because we actually got to run our half marathon yesterday!!

We’d been hearing everything forecast for Sunday from rain to thunderstorms to full on floods throughout the week, so we were really worried it might not happen at all, but it did, and it was awesome!

Let’s back it up a bit first.

Friday night, Chris and I headed to Montclair which is one of our favorite Jersey towns (after JC of course). Our original plan was to head to Cuban Pete’s. The food there is absolutely slamming, but the staff is always incredibly rude. The food is so good they just don’t care at all whether you like them or not. We got there a bit late (around 8), but when they rudely informed us it’d be no less than an hour until we sat, we decided we really weren’t craving Cuban food that  bad, so we looked for other options. Enter Samba!

It was a cute place with an interesting menu, but the food was just good, not great. We started with a chicken appetizer that actually was delicious, but my entree of tilapia and shrimp came in a much too creamy sauce. The fried bananas tasted like a weird cross between bananas and mozzarella sticks. No matter, the staff was super friendly, and the atmosphere was nice, so I’d probably give it another shot.

Saturday we woke up and hit the road early to head to New Brunswick to check in at the race expo, but not before hitting  the DMV to renew my license and officially get the title for my car! I’m a car owner for a week (more on that later)! The DMV MVC (did you know it’s called that now? is that only a NJ thing?) really is getting better, but it still took almost two hours.

When we finally left, we were starving, so we made a pit stop at our favorite college spot, Sanctuary, for some lunch.

It’s a comic book/video game store plus an eatery and an ice cream shop. They do it all, and it has such a nice college-y feel, that it made me miss the good old days… for about one minute until some real life hungover, puffy-faced college kids came in, and then I remembered that I’m actually quite enjoying my mid twenties. I don’t miss the terrible eating, lack of sleep, or studying much at all.

After feeding our faces, cobb salad for me and a wrap for Chris, we headed to the Rutgers Unite Half Marathon race expo to pick up our numbers and check out the gear.

We got there towards the end, so they’re weren’t too many people wandering around, and most of the gear was gone, but the whole thing was really well run, and the volunteers were so friendly. That really helped calm our nerves and get us excited for the race.

At this point, the weather was beautiful. It was over 70 degrees and brilliantly sunny, so we were having a hard time believing these doom and gloom weather predictions, but this is NJ, and things can change in the atmosphere very rapidly, so we figured we should probably prepare for the worst.

Neither of us had so much as a rain jacket, so on our way back home, we swung through Sports Authority to get some gear. At first I was deterred by the $90 rain jackets. What am I? A Rockefeller? No, but I do know how to shop, so I wandered into the kids section and found a large child’s Columbia rain jacket for $45! Bingo! It’s still steep for a jacket, but it’s super waterproof with a very breathable lining, and I’d wear it outside of running, so I’m considering it a score

Check out that cute purple stripe and polka dot lining. I dig. I also picked up another pair of Nike Tempos because they had a purple stripe, and I just can’t help myself around that color. Chris got a rain jacket too plus his first ever pair of running shorts. Yes, he trained for a half marathon in basketball shorts. Can you believe that? I’d suggested running shorts before, but you know that saying about leading a horse to water? Well, let’s just say, after finally running in the right shorts, Chris is a pretty devoted equine.

After scoring our loot, we headed home for our own little pasta dinner

Then, sure as sugar, the rain came down hard and fast Saturday night, and we went to bed prepared for the worst.

Sunday morning, the sky was overcast, but there was no rain! We kept our fingers crossed that New Brunswick (about 45 minutes south of us) was under the same dry skies, and we were right! It was chilly, but we started the race with no rain! Of course, we didn’t need our jackets. That’s just the way that works, isn’t it?

The race was amazing! I’ll do a full review this week, but for now let me say, the course was fun, the volunteers were amazing, and it was just an all around great time.

This was Chris’ first half marathon, and I am so proud of him. He was absolutely the best race buddy I could ever ask for. He woke up in a great mood and helped me get super excited on the drive down. We had great talks and lots of laughs throughout the whole race, and even when the rain started falling (yes, it eventually came around mile 6) he never once complained. He kept a great pace with very little guidance from me, and was just so upbeat and wonderful.

When Chris decided he wanted to train for a half marathon, I was a little nervous that he was just doing it for me and, as a result, he wouldn’t be as dedicated or get as much out of it as he should, but I quickly discovered that when he does something, he goes all in. He was always such a good sport through every run. He handled an injury and recovery with loads of patience and grace. When I found out he went running in Las Vegas during a bachelor party weekend, I knew he was hooked! He poured his whole heart into this training and race, and it really showed. I didn’t think it was possible to love this man anymore, but after today, I really think I do. He’s reading about international half marathons, stretching, and marathon sniffles as I write. How cute is that?

We finished in 2:27 with huge smiles on our faces and just about as happy as we could be.

Oh and wet and gross. Very wet and gross, but with shiny new bling

Let’s go R-U!

We stuffed our faces with some of these

and lots of these

Pickles and fries. Think I was craving salt a bit?

After driving back up to Jersey City (aren’t post race drives eternal?), I showered for 6 hours, finished the first season of The Walking Dead, went grocery shopping (even I was impressed with myself on that one) and continued to eat my face off. We also had to deal with an ant infestation- not fun, but under control. Like I said, I’ll do a race review later, but for now, I’m gonna go read about running with my love.

In case you’re wondering, here’s this week’s menu:

• Monday- Quinoa with kale and chicken sausage
• Tueday- Spring Pea Risotto and salad
• Wednesday- BBQ chicken and sweet potatoes
• Thursday- chicken tenders and tomato soup
• Friday- out for anniversary dinner!
• Saturday & Sunday- in South Carolina! (more on that later too. it’s been an insane few weeks)

Workouts are up in the air, but I’m certain I’ll be resting today. Hope your week is wonderful!

GOAR: Getting Started

Hi there. I’ll fill you in on my weekend tomorrow. The race was wonderful, but I’m so sleepy, so for now, please enjoy this!

I just can’t get enough acronyms up in this piece, so I’m dropping another: GOAR or Get Out And Run! Ostensibly, this is a running blog, so I figured I should do some running posts now and then. This is all anecdotal. I’m not an expert. I’m not even a very experienced runner. I just like to run, and I want to help others like to run too. That’s my manifesto.

I’m starting at the beginning,  because I believe that’s the best place to start. Today I’ll talk about essential starting gear, goal setting and planning.

You want to run? That’s awesome! You don’t really want to run but you feel like you should/might like it/could use it in your life? That’s less awesome, but I’ve been there, and I have a feeling you’ll want to run soon. I started running because my mom made me, so trust me when I tell you there is no right or wrong reason to start.

The essentials:

1. shoes
2. socks

That’s really it. I promise. Well, maybe not in that order. You should probably get socks before you try on shoes, but still, that’s really it. There are endless amounts of gadgets out there to make you run harder/better/faster/stronger/more like kanye west, and reading running blogs can make you feel like if you don’t have a Garmin or Spi-belt, you should probably just stay home, but that’s not true. The best thing about running is it’s inclusive nature. Anyone, anywhere can do it. So, for now, let’s just stick to the basics.

You need good socks and shoes because, while running effects your whole body, it will initially take it’s biggest toll on your feet. You’re going to want sports socks. These are just non-cotton socks that fit your feet. I just got 12 at Target for $11. It’s not a big investment, but it’s worth it.

I like any kind where the ankle comes up high enough so that no part of your shoe is touching your skin (blister city) but also stops short of making you look like a goober. That, of course, is personal preference. Maybe you like looking like a goober.

After socks, you’re going to want running sneakers. These are not the same thing as athletic shoes. Just because you have a pair of sneakers, does not mean you should run in them. While I agree, that getting out there and just doing it is important, bad shoes will make you hate running and start you off on a bad foot (get it?). Unfortunately, running shoes are not cheap. They range anywhere from $85 (in my dreams) to $150. They are an investment for sure, but they’re worth it, and they’re the most money you’ll ever really need to spend on this sport.  Plus, as a newer runner, new shoes will probably last you a year.

If you are new to running, I strongly recommend going to a dedicated running store. In the NY/NJ area, that’d be Runner’s High or Fleet Feet, but Google running stores for your area. I advise this over say a Sports Authority because there’s a lot that goes into choosing a running shoe, and it helps to have an expert. Most people working at running stores are runners, and they usually know their stuff.

Generally, you walk into a running store and they do a variety of tests to analyze your gait (how your foot connects with the ground when you run). They might take a scan of your foot. It’s all very cool and sciencey. On the other hand, they might just watch you run. Either way is good. If you’ve been running in other shoes, bring those. Sometimes, the people at the store can look at the pattern of wear on old shoes to learn more about your gait. After the analysis, you’ll be recommended a shoe type. The three main types are stability, motion control and neutral shoes. If you’re interested in learning more about what these mean, check this out. They’ll probably bring you a few to try on. Put them on, lace them up and jog around in them just like you would if you were running because at the end of the day, it doesn’t really matter what anyone tells you, it matters how you feel in the shoe. If there’s any tightness, pinching, rubbing or general uncomfortableness, that probably isn’t your shoe. Don’t worry though. You’ll find great ones.

When you pick your shoes, ask the store about their return and exchange policy. Some places will let you return worn shoes for up to 90 days, which is good to know. This leads into a money saving strategy. Often, stores with good exchange policies like that will have shoes that have been worn once and returned. They usually mark these down quite a bit. If you’re looking to save some money, but still want quality shoes, be sure to ask about this, and check it out.

Once you’ve got your shoes and socks, you’ve got all the gear you really need. As for the other stuff, any comfortable shorts or pants will do just fine. I’m kind of a baby about shorts, so I prefer running specific ones over non-running specific shorts, but I got my first few pairs at Target. If you’re a girl, you’ll want a good (not expensive, just well fitting) sports bra. Guys will also benefit from tighter fitting undergarments. For t-shirts, I tend to prefer light cotton tees, but that’s a personal thing. Don’t go crazy buying running gear right away; it takes some trial and error to figure out what you like, so save your monies for down the road.

Goal Setting:

Once you’ve got the gear, it’s time to set some goals. Starting out can be really intimidating because you never really know what to do, but remember, there’s no wrong way to start. Try picking a goal that’s meaningful for you. Maybe you want to run an upcoming 5k (be sure to give yourself at least 2 months). Maybe you want to run 4 days a week every week for a month. Maybe you want to run 1 mile without stopping. All of those are great goals.  After you pick a goal, think about how you’ll achieve it, and set a plan. Let’s say you want to run a 5k in 3 months. I think you should register for a race. It’ll give you some motivation on those days when you’re just not feeling it. I use Runner’s World and Running in the USA to find races in my area. If you can convince a friend to sign up with you, even better! I think bribery with desserts works best.

Planning:

A goal without a plan is sort of meaningless, so let’s get planning! Using the example of a 5k, you’re going to want to make sure you can run a comfortable 3.1 miles come race day. Let’s say you’re starting from scratch. I haven’t personally used it, but I know a lot of people who’ve had success wit the Couch to 5k Program. They even have an iPhone app! If you like the structure of a plan, I think this one would be great. The basic idea is to ease into running by run/walking until you can run continuously for 30 minutes. If that sounds impossible today, I promise you it’s not. You can do this.

If you’re trying to hit another goal like running 4 days a week every week for a month, set some mini goals for yourself too. I like to look at my weeks ahead of time to determine when I’ll be able to complete each run. Scheduled runs are much harder to back out on. Maybe plan a little reward for successfully reaching your goal. A pedicure sounds awfully nice after your first month of running.

Don’t let little failures set you back. Maybe you didn’t hit four runs one week. It’s ok. Take a breath. Forgive yourself. Remind yourself why you’re doing this (you want to get healthy! you want to be a runner! you look so cute in your new running shoes!) and keep your eyes focused on your goal. Tomorrow is another day and another chance to get back on track.

So, there you have it. You’ve got the gear. You’ve set your goals. You’ve made a plan. You got this. And remember, the first day you lace up and GOAR, you’re a runner. That’s pretty awesome.

***

If you’re just starting, why do you run? What are your goals?

If you’ve been running for a while, did you have a goal or a plan to get there when you first started?

Friday Favorites- 4/20

Hi there and happy Friday! It’s been an absolutely crazy week for me. I think I’ve only eaten 2 meals at home this whole week. That’s crazy. Luckily, it’s been mostly good things.

Monday my coworkers took me out to a late birthday lunch at Cafe Sage, a Thai restaurant downtown.

Shrimp Pad Thai never disappoints. One of my coworkers even baked me gluten free brownies!

These were extra chewy and delicious, so I asked her if she did anything different and she said she used a mix but decided to add an extra egg. I will definitely be doing that the next time I make gfree brownies.

Tuesday night I went for a haircut. It was just me and the lady, Estelle, who usually cuts my hair. She’s like this totally fiery broad, and she tells the wackiest stories. The haircut lasted like 90 minutes, but it was worth it because she had me cracking up.

Pre cut

It’s a good look for me, and post cut:

Not smiling with teeth because I think there’s food in them and I can’t find my floss. Under the glowing fluorescent lights of my office (and no I can’t really wear a sleeveless top, but I’m going to until someone yells at me because it’s hot as bawls in here). It looked much cuter when she blew it out, but I’m a dummy who forgot to take a picture, so you get my post shower, post blow dry, post slept on, re-straightened version.

Wednesday night I met with my ladies & wine book club to discuss the Hunger Games (mostly we just debated what we thought Peeta should have looked like in the movie) and drink 1/2 priced malbecs. I was so shocked to find out that lots of the girls were really disappointed in the movie! I loved it. I thought it was very true to form, but maybe I’m just easy to please?

Yesterday was a whirlwind start to finish, but I got to meet my friend Steph for sushi after work and enjoyed the heck out of seaweed salad and a tempura sweet potato roll. Now, I am a puffy faced monster from all that salt, but it’s Friday, so I don’t care!

On the sched for this weekend is a trip to my favorite Cuban place (Cuban twice in one week? Yes please), a trip down to New Brunswick to check in for the half marathon and pick up our race kits. While there we’re going to the crummy DMV so I can get my license renewed (25 now baby!), address changed finally and get the title to my car officially transferred to my name (I have to remove the lien the lending company has on it). It’s going to be a busy (and probably boring) day, but Sunday is the half marathon! I hope!

The weather still stinks. There’s rumors they might shorten the race, which for me would be worse than if they cancelled it. I’m bummed because I hate wasting money, and I paid for a half marathon, not a 10 miler, but mostly I feel really bad for Chris. This is his first half marathon. He worked so hard and put in every training run. He was so looking forward to it, and now the whole thing kind of feels like a bust. If we run it, we have to run it in the rain, which sucks. If it gets cancelled, all our training culminates in nothing really, which sucks. If it gets shortened, then he can tell people he ran a 10 miler, but not a half marathon, which sucks. There’s no way around it. This just kind of sucks.

Sorry to be a downer, but I want to write a letter to Mother Nature, and tell her to get her ish together and fast. Nobody bums my baby out! Nobody!

I’ll get to work on my letter. Here’s some things that do not suck this Friday 4/20.

Favorite Neighborhood- Mine! These trees (I don’t think they’re cherry blossoms?) are in full bloom, and walking home through a shower of pink petals is pretty much heaven.

Favorite Summer Sweet Treat– Blueberry Cupcakes. These would make the most beautiful addition to any backyard BBQs this summer.

Favorite Savory Yum– Homemade Tomato Soup. Tomato Soup is Chris’ favorite, and I think he’d be floored if I managed to make this.

Favorite Thing I Will Someday Create– Book Cave. Book Cave>Bat Cave

Favorite Quote- By Albert Einstein. He should know about genius.

Favorite Place I Must Visit– It’s a bridge. Through a river. It blows my mid.

Favorite Funny– Please read this all the way to the end. I died.

Favorite Guilty as Charged– An interesting article on words food bloggers should stop using immediately. I’ve probably used half of them in this post alone.

Favorite Cute- I literally do almost this exact same thing to Chris as soon as he walks in the door from work. Don’t worry, he loves it. I think.

I hope some of these made you happy this Friday too! And if you’re in Colorado, maybe steer clear of UC Boulder today.

 

Happy Friday!!

It’s half marathon week!

Hi friends! Sunday is the Rutgers Unite Half Marathon!! Finally, right? I feel like I’ve been talking about this forever. Truthfully, we began training in January, so it’s been quite a while. This is my third half and Chris’ first! So, there’s a lot of excitement and a lot of nerves in our household t his week! Well, not Miles. He pretty much just sleeps all the time.

Ain’t it the life?

In our training plan, we’ve run over 200 miles! Physically, we’re prepared. This week, it’s all about mental preparedness and little tweaks.

Mentally, we’re a little frazzled over here. Our longest run was 11 miles, and even though I know that’s more than enough to prepare us for 13.1, it’s hard to convince someone who’s never run a half before that 11 miles in training equals 13 miles on raceday. It just seems like bad math, but it’s not! I think any more training  miles would be unnecessary and could lead to an injury. I think Chris believes me. Maybe.

Also, the weather forecast for this weekend isn’t looking too great at the moment. They’re predicting rain and possibly thunderstorms Saturday and Sunday. We didn’t really prepare for rain. It sounds silly, for a spring race, but rain just didn’t cross my mind. It won’t make running impossible (although thunderstorms will probably cancel the race), but it will make it less enjoyable. Running in the rain is a drag. Literally, it weighs you down and forces you to be more cautious about each step. There’s no two ways around it; it’s just not that fun. We are obviously bummed. We’ve worked so hard for so long, it’ll be frustrating to have a crappy race day. Also, we were able to run all of long runs outside this year in pretty great weather, so this just feels very ironic. Right now, it’s too soon to tell what the weather will actually do. We’re hoping the rain either arrives early, late or misses us entirely. We’ve got all 60 fingers, toes and claws crossed over here.

Physically, I’m slacking a bit. This week is crazy busy for me. I just have a lot going on, so running is sort of taking a backseat. We only have a 2 and a 3 on the schedule this week, so I’m not missing much, but I might do a super light run on Friday just to get the lead out.

As far as the tweaks, here’s what we’re doing differently this week to prepare for an awesome race:

• Keeping our feet safe! No crazy/new shoes that will cause blisters or feet pain.
• Icing and stretching achy muscles.
• Bike riding carefully to get our energy out without causing any soreness.
• Eating lots of carbs. So hard, I know, we’re troupers for sure 😉 I don’t follow any sort of carbo loading rules; I just try and fill my plate with extra carby goodness at every meal. I don’t eat past the point of being full, but I’m also not going to bed hungry any nights this week.
• Avoiding tons of fat and fiber. These are tough on your digestive tract, so this week we’re steering clear of brown grains (the horror!), broccoli, and lots of butter or oil.
• Getting lots of sleep. Again, so hard. I’m working really hard to meet my 10:30 bed time every night, and I’ve been trying to “wind down” starting around 9:30, so I can get my body ready for an earlier than normal bed time pre-race day.
• Picking out race clothes. This depends on the weather, so I’m holding off just a bit, but I’ll follow my usual rule of never wearing anything new on race day, and writing out a check list the night before so I don’t forget anything important.
• Printing registration confirmations, driving directions and parking and shuttle instructions. It makes race day a lot easier when you’ve got all your important documents on hand.
• Reflecting. It sounds silly, but races are always over before you know it. You train forever and ever, then you’re done! It’s important for me to look back to where I started, remember every long run, good, bad or ugly, and appreciate how far I’ve come. That’s probably the most meaningful part of the whole experience for me.

We’ll pick up our race packets on Saturday and probably take the opportunity to stroll through our alma mater. Pre-race dinner is already planned at Cuban Pete’s (a favorite) with extra rice please!!

We’ve put in the work and done the time. Now, we just have to calm our frayed nerves, get our heads right and do our best on Sunday. Rain or shine, I can’t wait to get out and run!