11/30/2010

I'm so excited, and I just can't hide it!

Today I registered for this (registration opened today - that's how big of a nerd I am. Plus the registration fees are sort of cheap when you register early):


Swiss Alpine Marathon 2011 - July 30th 2011


To do a bit of this:

78K on mountain trails, baby! :)

The only thing between me and this race is 8 months of training. And a road trip to Switzerland.
Now, how do I train for a 78K ultramarathon with a 2230 meter / 7317 ft elevation? Uhm...I guess I have some figuring out to do. ;) Let's start with adding some miles to the long long runs. :)
And guess what, I couldn't be more excited. I actually got a bit teary eyed when I clicked on the 'Register' button. :) 'Cause this race is actually 'more than a race'! :) And now stop laughing at me! ;)
Do you want to join me? :) You can do so, or just check out the race on http://www.swissalpine.ch/.
If you'll excuse me now: I have some screaming and dancing to do. :)

11/29/2010

Mushy Monday - Cold weather and Trail Running

This photo was taken in March of this year, while on winter vacation in the Swiss Alps. Oh boy, do I love to go out for a run on those trails!


Oh boy, I just started running then - bad bad running form!
Looking at this pic makes me actually want to book a plane ticket and head over to Switzerland to spend the weekend in those beautiful surroundings! On the other hand, it might be better to wait to do so till I can actually run again (!%!~^!^!^!@^ calf)! ;) :)
Cold weather running rocks!
I absolutely love running in cold temps. As long as I have my The North Face Windstopper tights and my Mammut softshell on, I'm fine and good to go. :) I would honestly pick snowy cold weather running over hot summer running.Just looking at snow makes me smile! :)
Last winter was pretty freezing in Holland, so I'm prepping myself for the colder temps. I already have the Inov-8 Terroc 308 trail running shoes for running on snowy and slippery trails. Since those have a mesh upper, and might result in me having frozen toes, I'm looking into the Salomon GoreTex trail running shoes. I still have to do some research on those, and check out where I could try them on, but they sure do look promising!
Ahhh, I can't wait till my PT tells me that's it's okay to head out for (at least) a slow jog! :)
Do you love cold weather running? If so, how do you layer up and what's your pick in shoes?

11/27/2010

Reggae, Man!

Cycle: 60 min on Saturday
Cycle: 60 min on Sunday
Today is one of those days. It's snowing outside, and when I woke up this morning I felt like putting on my vintage Reebok high tops, wearing a hoodie and boyfriend jeans, chilling out in front of the TV, and listening to Reggae. Jewish Reggae to be precise. Not that I don't like Bob Marley, but this guy, Matisyahu, knows how to hold a beat. ;)

11/26/2010

SGR says: this is just a serious case of Vagina Envy

Yep, that's right. Vagina Envy. More specific: Running Skirt envy. Big time!
You won't believe what those silly guys have come up with this time. Seriously, you won't!
Running Kilts!
Again, I'm not kidding! Don't believe me? Check out www.runningkilts.com and the photo below:


Actually I, for one, think this is hilarious. I was laughing out loud while I was browsing their website. They even have a 'Free pattern and sewing instructions' section on their website. Too freakin' funny! The same goes for the 'Testimonials' section!

Well, I guess with all the years of us girls wearing running shorts (and 'stealing' those from the guys), we sort of had this coming. ;) And now I just can't wait till I spot a guy in a running kilt. :)

Do you think that the Running Kilt will ever be the running gear of the moment? And, if you're a guy, would you try one?

11/25/2010

Counting my blessings - The 'Giving Thanks' post

Bicycle: kicked it into gear for 60 min - 20 min strength training
We don't do Thanksgiving in the Netherlands. Why? It might have to do with the fact that we didn't have the whole Indians / Pelgrims thingie. ;)

But I do think that it's important to count your blessings. And by picking Thanksgiving to do so, I'll be reminded of my blessings at least once a year. And that's just what this girl needs to keep herself from becoming a Negative Nancy or Debbie Downer.

Don't mock me, I'll mock myself...

In case you didn't already notice. I'm the girl that doesn't take herself too seriously. I have this non-lady like, black, sarcastic sense of humor. Add a welcome dose of self-mockery and a looong ponytail, and there you have it: crazy old Me! However, being the sarcastic muppet that I am, does make me sometimes forget that I have a lot to be grateful for. And believe me, there's a lot I'm grateful for!

1. For starters, my Mom. If it wasn't for her, I wouldn't be able to spend as much time running as I do. Not only does she cheer me on like I'm Haile himself, but she puts up with me whining endlessly about injuries. Plus all the pre marathon talk... Yeah, she's pretty much SuperMom to me.

2. My dog and two cats. I love them to pieces. Apart from the office, my dog comes with me where ever I go. I can't even put down in words how much he means to me, and how much I love that crazy poodle.
3. The pile of bricks I call my home. It's old, it's got character, and it's mine. Plus, it has beams, a Tord Boontje lamp and a chandelier. That doesn't suck either.
4. The gift of running. You knew this one was coming. 11 months into running, and it has given me things I couldn't have imagined to be possible.
5. Curry, and more specific: shrimp and crab curry.
6. Public transportation not being overcrowded and being on-time.
7. Hot Chocolate - with mini marshmallows.
8. Compression tights.
9. Waking up on a Sunday morning, opening the curtains, and the first thing I see is fresh snow and a bright blue sky.
10. Winter running weather.
11. Having my annual check-up and my MD telling me that I'm healthy and fit.
12. Good friends, that will even put up with my marathon training cycle OCDs.
13. Fitting into my skinny jeans. During the holiday season.
14. Telemark skiing.
15. A Christmas Dinner without a dress code. Hello, sweat pants!
16. A running buddy that sticks with me, even when I'm recovering from an injury.
17. Service dogs and the volunteers training them. Without her service dog, my Mom wouldn't be able to be as active as she is.
18. Books, and being able to read. Shouldn't take that for granted.
19. The Swiss Alps and mountains in general.
20. Frasier re-runs on Comedy Central. Yeah, I'm a nerd, I know. Get over it.
21. My current relationship status: single. Doesn't suck. Doesn't suck at all. :) I kind of love having the entire bed for me, myself and I (okay...my dog has taken over 75% of it, but you get the point). :)
What are you grateful for?

11/24/2010

2XU Elite Compression Tights review

Bicycle: 45 min - kicked it into gear Slow jog: 5 min (yeah, didn't work out as I hoped it would)

Can you say 'love at first sight'? Actually it's more like 'love at first work-out', but you get the point.


When I was in New York for the New York City Marathon, I did some (okay, a lot) of shopping. Mainly running gear. At Paragon Sports I bought the 2XU Elite Compression Tights, because I had my hopes set on these tights helping me recover from The Calf injury. Also, they might help prevent other injuries.
This is a running blog, and the few followers (apparently not only my Mom reads it...Yay!) that I have, are also runners. So, I guess I don't have to ramble along about the benefits of compression tights/socks/etcetera, do I? ;)
Love them!
Since I'm still sidelined from running, I've been wearing these babies on my visits to the gym bicycle. And they did not disappoint me! Compression on all the right places, and the fabric is so soft! Compared to other compression tights, these 2XU tights have higher denier on the tights, and that results in more support. My calf loves these tights!
2XU promises improved performance with these tights.That I don't know about. I haven't run in them yet, but on the bicycle I didn't feel like I could go further, faster. The main benefit of these tights, at least in my humble opinion, is in the reduced recovery time. And in my book reduced recovery time = A-OK! But for 'A-OK' you'll have to pay $140... Yep...Ouch.
Check out their website for additional info: www.2xu.com.
And, yes, 2XU should send me a free pair, and a giveaway pair, for doing this review. In case a 2XU rep is reading this, I already love your tights, and I'm more than willing to write an awesome review on them. ;)

This is how they look on me. I wear the Small, since I'm 5'9, and the X-small would be too short for my Dutch legs.

11/22/2010

The ghost of races yet to come: Vol. 2 - New York, Chicago or Toronto

Lesson learned: 6 hours of cycling a week + no cycling specific shorts = blisters where you don't want them. Add 2 hours of swimming, and the chloride that comes with that...Ouchie ouch ouch! Enough said.
This injury won't make me love running any less. So, I'm planning next year's races. Fun stuff! And I'm having a hard time deciding what my international fall marathon for 2011 will be. And registration opens soon, and I'm aiming for the 'cheapest' registration fees! So, I need to make up my mind. To help me do that, I'm starting a poll here!
What I've come up with:
1. New York City Marathon (I have some things to settle with this beast...)
2. Chicago Marathon
3. Scotiabank Waterfront Toronto Marathon
Please tell me which one you'd pick! And if you have any other great options, please do share!

11/19/2010

It ain't gonna look pretty...



Due to the calf injury I'm stuck with cycling and swimming for the time being. And yep, the PT said I can't pick the one I prefer (cycling - obviously), I'll have to stick to both. So, I'm spending the hours I used to spend on the road (on 'in between training cycle weeks' or 'slow weeks'), on a bicycle or in the water now. 6 fun hours of cross training a week...and 2 hours of strength training to get those muscles going.
I'm okay with the bicycle. I'm Dutch. I was practically born on a bicycle. Cycling on one of those bikes at the gym, working it out at 100 rpm, and reading a book / watching TV while I'm doing that, is perfectly fine with me. No biggie there.

But this girl does not like to swim! Never has. Don't get me wrong. I can swim. But in my opinion, swimming is something you do to keep yourself from drowning, not something you do for fun. Honestly, I don't even like going down one of those slides at the pool. Getting water into my ears...Yeugh (okay...in my defense, I did have serious medical ear problems when I was little, and to this very day getting water into my ears still hurts).
Well, to make a long story short and not to bore the heck out of you, I decided to put on my big girls pants and just get into that pool - last Wednesday. And although I suck at the cool crawling thing you see at triathlons (I'm taking swimming lessons to learn to get the speed in for the next couple of weeks - apparently my crawling would suit an 8 year-old...thanks swim instructor...), it wasn't that bad. At all! Only down point...I was wearing a two-piece (I don't own a bathing suit), and let's just say that that wasn't the best of ideas.
So, since I'm dedicated to come out of this torn calf injury thing stronger than I could have imagined before, I will hit the shops for this beauty:

Yep, it's a Speedo...gross! And I will look like a hippo in it...gross!
And one of those (the water/ear thing will continue to be an issue):
I know...old-fashioned. This girl likes her gear 'retro' - get over it.

Plus one of these (chloride and contacts - not the best combo...):
Yep, that's how dedicated I am: I'd even wear a Speedo! ;) Anyone up for pictures? ;)
Did you ever have to stick to swimming/cycling due to an injury? If so, did you bounce back stronger than you could've imagined?

11/18/2010

The ghost of races yet to come - The 'Swiss Alpine Marathon 2011' post

What does this girl do when she's sidelined from running for a while due to a calf injury? Plan future races! Is there anything else that I could do? ;) (And yes, I know I'm cheating on Three Things Thursday... ;))
And I hope to have this precious gem in my future: the Swiss Alpine Marathon 2011 (July 30th 2011) in Davos, Switzerland. I ran the K42 marathon distance last summer and instantly fell in love with this race. When I read that registration for 2011 opens by the end of November, I started counting the days!
Fingers crossed that my body is up to it, but I plan on running the 78K ultramarathon distance on July 30th 2011. The course and crowds are amazing, and it's really something that I look forward to! Excited yet? Watch this inspirational video, and I'm pretty sure you'll be counting down the days till registration opens with me! Also, check out their website: http://www.swissalpine.ch/.


The Race
The Swiss Alpine Marathon race weekend has different distances to offer. Therefore, literally every runner and non-runner can join in the fun!
The 'big races' are held on Sunday, but there are several kids specific races on Saturday. I cheered the kids on this year and had a great time!
Summarized the Swiss Alpine Marathon offers the following distances on 'Race Sunday':
- 11.3K (elevation of 150 meters)
- 21.1K Nordic walking / Walk (elevation of 680 meters)
- 21.1K (elevation of 680 meters) - this one is specifically for runners
- 30.7K (elevation of 320 meters)
- C42.2K (elevation of 450 meters)
- K42.2K (elevation of 1890 meters) - this is the one that I ran last summer
- 78.5K (elevation of 2260 meters)
The K42 and 78K take you mainly through mountain terrain, which means that you will be running/walking (at some points the elevation is just a bit too much to handle) on mountain trails. You might need trail running shoes for this one!
The town of Davos
The days before the Swiss Alpine Marathon weekend the town of Davos (Switzerland) fills up with runners. The atmosphere is amazing, and you can truly feel this 'running buzz' buzzing around town.
It's a lovely town in the Swiss Alps. Wonderful fresh and clean air. Lots and lots of hiking opportunities. A lake to swim/sail/surf at. Too many restaurants to mention. Great swiss, high quality food. It's a modern and quite big town, so, you'll find tons of shops and all the big brands. You can definitely tell that Davos is one of the famous Swiss ski resorts.
I love Davos, and love visiting the town. The Swiss Alpine Marathon is a great excuse to visit the town in summer!
Who is joining me in the 2011 Swiss Alpine Marathon?

11/17/2010

The New York City Marathon - the story

Okay, here we go. Most of you might already know that I ended up with a torn calf muscle at mile 8 of the New York City Marathon. Here's the story, and all of it! Yeah, it's a long one!

Waking up
Early, very early! 4:30 AM alarm to get ready. I needed to be at the busstop by 5:30 AM. It was a bit of a struggle to get ready in time, but I did. Barely, but I did get on that bus on time!

And off we go!

For the long drive to Staten Island. Due to traffic. All these marathon busses seemed to be on the Verrazano Bridge at the same time, so it took a while before we actually we're allowed to get out of the bus. Amazing views of the ocean, though, while we were in the bus - waiting. Plus, it was pretty cold outside, and the bus was nicely heated. :) The weather was great by the way. Sunny and 48 degrees Fahrenheit/10 degrees Celsius by the time I was half way in the marathon. Just how I like it! :)

The start villages

I was in the Green Wave (lower deck on the bridge) and as soon as I got out of the bus I followed the green arrows. Almost immediately I ran into Dana from 52beginnings (http://www.52beginnings.com/), and told her how amazing I think it is what she is doing. Go check out her website! This girl is running 52 marathons this year for a good cause! Amazing!

When I passed the first line of portapotties I figured this must be the green start village, sat down in the grass and snuggled up with my blanket and extra layers of throw away clothes (that you could donate to charity; great initiative!). And texted Tracy (http://www.gotracygo.com/) that I was waiting for her at the Timex booth. Tracy and I miraculously were given the same corralnumber, so planned on waiting for the start together.

The search for Tracy

I figured I was waiting in the green village. After texting and phoning Tracy about a zillion times, I found out that I wasn't. Nope. Apparently a masters degree doesn't give you any guarantee that you can actually read signs. I was in the orange village. Ofcourse it took me almost an hour to figure this out, and finally get to where Tracy was waiting; in the green village. Yeah, so much for my level of intelligence. Fail!

Let's get this thing going

Tracy and I waited together for this thing to finally get going. Although the start village and the check bag drop-off were pretty well organized, the corrals weren't. You really had to be at your corral at least an hour before the start, otherwise you just wouldn't get in. Leading to lots of runners being refused to enter their corral. At one point Tracy and I looked at each other and both said 'Is this actually the start of the New York Marathon?'. The whole corral had this amateuristic feel about it. A bit disappointing, but at that point I was already so excited that I just wanted to get to the start line!

And we're off!

The outfit - some called it a bit too excentric... I say 'There's no such thing!'

All the stories about it taking half an hour to get to the actual start line are not true. At least, in my experience! It literally took me three minutes and I was in the 4th out of 6 corrals. Great! :) I didn't hear the promised 'New York. New York' by Ol' Blue Eyes, though. Maybe because we were on the lower deck of the bridge, I don't know.

I actually liked being on the lower deck of the bridge, by the way. It was somewhat quiet and 'peaceful' there. Something I really needed with my nerves. After leaving the bridge, we entered Brooklyn. Amazing crowds! I still can't believe that all these people actually take this entire day to be there and cheer for the runners. Never seen something like it!

I'm a slow starter. I'm one of those nutsos that usually ends up with a negative split. So, I was easing into the marathon for these first couple of miles. I had my sub-4 bracelet on to check my splits and I was right on track. Loved the crowds, although the course was pretty crowded, which sometimes made it difficult to hold my pace.

Just a quick shout-out to the volunteers; the aid stations were extremely well equipped and organized!

Bad luck mama

The first 8 miles went by in a blur. I felt good, nervous, but into it. I remember spotting the 8 mile mark and feeling a sharp sudden pain in my left calf. I figured it would go away, but it didn't and hit me to a point were I lost control of my leg and had to stop and stumble to the side. Immediately two police officers wanted to escort me to an ambulance. I refused and told them I wanted that medal. I didn't come to New York to drop out with an injury! So, they took me to the medical tent instead. The nurse examined my calf and told me that she could feel that the muscle was torn/ripped. Fan-FFFing-tastic! She asked me if I wanted to limp it out. It was ripped anyway, so I figured 'let's kick this marathon's ass!'. The nurse put some ice on it and let me go do my thing. Limping that is. I promised her to check in every other medical tent.
I honestly don't have the slightest clue how this could happen. I was in shape and trained hard! However...the course was very crowded, there were drink cups all over the place and I was focussing on everything en everyone around me. I guess the logical explanation would be that I must have stepped on something or in a hole or something. And that's what made the muscle rip.

Tylenol junkie
And limping is what I did for the next 18 (!!!) miles / 29K. I couldn't run. Heck, it was impossible to run, because the muscle in my calf wasn't functioning like it should. Plus I was in excruciating pain. At mile 18 I hit the meditent and they immediately gave me a double shot of Extra Strong Tylenol and some salt. Never took Tylenol before, but at that point I didn't really care what they gave me. It didn't help lower the pain, though. However, it did make my fingers tingle, and make me giggle. Continuously. Yep, I was high on the Tylenol.
My poor mom was waiting for me at mile 18 to cheer me on, but after me texting her that I got injured, she walked miles and miles (with her service dog!) along the course just to see me and give me some much needed support. Priceless! Thanks so much, Mom!

At about mile 19 (First Avenue: amazing crowds!) I ran - yeah, yeah, alright - LIMPED - into an older man. A runner, but also limping. 'Quad or calf?' he asked me. 'Calf' I answered. 'Ripped?'. 'Yep...'. 'Same here'. He was in the Wave before my wave, so he already had been on that course for an extra half hour. When I started complaining about me being right on track for a sub-4 until mile 8, he told me that he was aiming for a 3:17 finish, and that he'd been into running for 50 years now. That honestly did put this marathon in perspective for me. Still high on the Tylenol, I limped along.

Partner in crime for the last couple of miles

The crowds in Harlem and the Bronx were even more amazing than I'd expected. At one point a guy jumped in front of me and told me 'Christel, you're amazing! When you cross that finish line, you earned that medal, girl!'. I immediately teared up - obviously! :)

At about mile 21 I overheard a Dutch runner talking on his phone. He obviously hit the wall and was ready to finish this thing. I limped up to him and asked him whether or not he wanted to feel miserable together, and explained that I had ripped my old calf muscle and could really need some mental support. He liked the idea, so we stumbled along together. Chatting and hitting every aid station en route. Trying an easy jog once every couple of minutes, but with the calf I just couldn't. Plus, he was too tired at that point. Yep, the odd Dutch couple on its way to the finish line!

Fifth avenue had amazing crowds again and Central Park was just overwhelming. My mom was cheering for me at mile 24, and at that point I realized that I would finish this thing - with a torn calf!
Finally, the finish line!
Sooner than I'd expected I spotted the finish line, and started a pathetic attempt to limp/run to the finish. Fail! It looked funny on camera, though. ;) Finished in 5:18:46. I'm still surprised that I only lost 1 1/2 hours with the torn muscle and the not running, but limping for 18 miles. Although I'm disappointed that I didn't get the much wanted sub-4, I realize that this was just a bit of bad luck. You can't expect to keep running at a 8:50 pace with a torn calf. It just wasn't possible! But finishing, apparently was, and I'm pretty glad that I did pull through and limped it out.
Strangest thing about it: I wasn't tired - at all. I didn't feel like I had just finished a marathon. I was just in a lot of pain. I didn't even have any soreness in my 'good leg' afterwards and in the following days. Weirdest feeling ever!
By the way, it sure helped that there were marines waiting for us after the finish line to congratulate us. The marine wanted to give me a high five, I told him I needed a hug. And I got one! :) Yeah...that's me...limping along and still charming the guys. ;)
Death March
After the finish line we got our medals, a photo was taken, and we were handed a blanket. And then the Death March began. It took us half an hour to get out of the park. They forced us to follow the 'exit route'. With the injury, I didn't like it. It was just a bit too much. I saw several runners fall down and faint. Not a pretty sight. They were immediately handled by the medical staff, but still - not a pretty sight.
When I finally got out of the park, I couldn't find my Mom and waited on the steps of the Museum of Natural History, where I was handed Salonpas patches. Being in so much pain and the package saying 'pain relief', I immediately put one on my tortured calf. And was photographed for the Salonpas Facebook page because of that! ;)
My mom was waiting for me in an extremely overpriced bicycle cab (since it was impossible to get a normal cab, and I was injured) to take me to the hotel. I was so glad when I finally found her. People actually applauded for me when I got out of the cab at the hotel. Amazing! :)
As soon as I arrived at the hotel the PT on deck taped the calf and told me to rest it. Stay off of it. So, I did. We ordered room service and I watched some TV.
The next day, it really hit me that I was seriously injured. I couldn't even stand on my left leg. So, I was forced to walk around on crutches for at least a week. That's a whole different way to do sight seeing in New York City! ;)
The New York City Marathon - again?
Despite of the injury, I loved this marathon. Every single minute of it!
I guess you could say that the New York City Marathon had given up on me at mile 8, but that I refused to give up on the New York City Marathon!

11/15/2010

We have a winner! - Pre Marathon Giveaway

Well....I guess none of you could have guessed that I would get injured at mile 8 (mile 8!!! 18 (What the @%!%^?) to go!) and limp the thing out in 5:18:46. Ouch... Especially when you were right on track for a sub 4. Yeah, the injury (ripped calf) got me an extra 1 1/2 hours on my splits. I guess that's what you get when you're limping and aren't able to run for these last 18 miles.

The one that guessed closest to my actual finish time is Heather from runningwithsass.com! She predicted 4:22 hours. Please email me at ctj@live.nl with your shipping details, so I can send you your giveaway package! :)
For those of you that feel bummed for not winning the giveaway: here's a photo of me resembling Big Bird around mile 20 of the New York City Marathon. Yeah...I even limp funny...

11/14/2010

New York City Marathon photos - Yeah...I was in that much pain...

Still working on the race report, but I just found out that the photos from the New York City Marathon are online. Okay...since I was in A LOT of pain (that's apparently what a ripped calf muscle does to you...that and not being able to run or walk without limping for that matter...)...this is not going to be pretty.

This picture was taken at mile 6...where everything was still absolutely okay and heading for a sub-4! I'm wearing a hat and the BRIGHT orange long sleeve. Little did I know that mile 8 would bring me a ripped calf muscle.
Mile 18...texting my mom and limping along...and just about to hit the medi-tent...again...And, yeah, that belt does add inches to my waist...
Mile 20-something...I obviously spotted the photographer and am trying to look like I'm in less pain than I am...FAIL!

My partner in crime for the last couple of miles. Overheard him talking on his phone about how tired he was. He was Dutch, so I asked him whether or not he wanted to feel miserable together. Seemed like a plan to him. He was exhausted, and at that point I was (a) in excruciating pain and limping to a point where it just looked awful and (b) high on the Tylenol. So we just chatted for the last couple of miles of the marathon.

Finally...the finish line! Halle-freakin-lujah! And no, that's not my finish time...luckily...
I look happy, and not tired at all...awful hat-hair, though! Note to self: Never Ever Take Hat Off For Pictures Again!

Ofcourse I forced partner in crime to take a finish line picture together. Me with the not so charming hat-hair, he with the less charming fleece Dunkin Donuts hat. The odd couple. Didn't catch your name partner in crime, but THANKS for making those last miles bareable.
I didn't manage to get the finisher clip online, but, believe me, it looks painful...Imagine a silly girl trying to limp run to the finish line...Embarrassing!
The best thing: I'm still on crutches and the muscle is still ripperderipped (okay, that's not so good, but wait for just a second), but I can't wait for the next marathon! If I wasn't in this much pain, I would do one again today! :)

I'm ba-ack!

I'm working on the full New York City Marathon recap as we speak. So, I plan on posting that later today.
For now...I got injured at mile 8 / the 13K mark. Calf...ripped...I can't even walk without crutches at the moment... But I did finish! You'll hear all about it later on! :)

11/05/2010

Let's hear it for New York!!!

Just a short message from the Big A to the Apple (Okay, that's lame...I blame it on the pre marathon jitters! ;)).

Arrived safely and can't wait for Sunday to come! Since my mom has her (very well behaving) service dog with her, we expected to do New York in a less shopping kind of way. But, who knew, NY is very service dog friendly! :)

Let the countdown till Sunday begin!

Oh...and I totally overspent on the expo.....

11/02/2010

Two for Tuesday - Did you enter my giveaway yet?

This is going to be a short one, since I'm still completely stressed out at work and really have no clue how I'll get all this work done before I leave.

1. There is still time to enter my pre marathon giveaway! Don't miss out on some free energy gels and New York Marathon goodies!

http://sillygirlrunning.blogspot.com/2010/10/did-you-say-pre-marathon-giveaway.html

2. 2 x 2 = 4! 4 days till the New York City Marathon.

Oh, and I really do need some luck...make that lots of it!

Any advice on how to kill pre marathon nerves?

11/01/2010

Manic Manic Manic Monday - I'm freaking out here!

Busy, crazy busy. Work, work, work (even on the weekend) and packing squeezed somewhere in between. And ofcourse the occasional taper runs. There are just too many things I need to get done before I can leave for New York City. So, I'm pretty much freaking out here. Let's just say that sleeping and eating are a luxury at the moment... I do need to get those carbs in my diet, though... AAAARGH!

The New York City Marathon is in 5 days. 5? Yep, 5! What the heck! At least I packed half of my bag. And I made a list of the things I should not forget. Oh, and I know that I will forget something trivial. Think tooth brush or Ipod. Packed my marathon outfit in my carry-on. The same goes for my running shoes.

And then there is this pile of work that I need to get done...in the next day and a half. Fingers crossed that everything works out.

To calm myself down, I'm just looking for things that will brighten up my day at the moment. Like this new MAC Venomous Villains line. Check it out below: so cute!