March 22, 2011 - My Healthy, Happier Life

A bright and cheery good morning to each of you! I hope your week is going well so far. Mine week is going wonderfully as it’s only a four day work week and I have a great weekend coming up!

Believe it or not, the National Half Marathon is this weekend which means my training has entered taper mode. Come Friday, Theodora, Ali, and I will all head down to Washington, DC via Bolt Bus, ready to rock this half marathon! I’m definitely excited for a taper week as I have trained hard these past few weeks, incorporating cross training and speed training into my training for the first time! Luckily, the results are starting to show as I’ve lost a few pounds and set a new PR in my last NYRR race, last month.

I thought I would share some of my taper week tips and preparation check list with you all.

Rest: Even though I had a pretty epic weekend, I’m making sure that Sunday through race day I enjoy at least 7 hours of sleep per night. It is important to give your muscles time to heal and recover this week.
Hydrate: Water is a miracle drug in my book, giving me energy when I’m dragging and keeping me going through even the hardest of workouts. It’s essential that you’re hydrated on race day and this can’t happen from chugging water that day alone. Focus on increasing your water intake all week and possibly throw in a little extra sodium or salt pills the night before the race to help retain some of that water. Also, if you’ve hydrated with a Camel-Bak or water bottle during your training, make sure to bring that same item for race day. You don’t want to try anything new on race day.
Stretch/Yoga: I find that stretching and yoga help me relax, work out toxins and buildup in my muscles, and prepare my legs for the big day. Make sure to include foam rolling and or the stick in your practice to work out any knots in your legs or tightness in your itband. Make sure not to take any tough yoga classes which may strain your muscles the week of the race. As always, listen to your body. Yesterday, I enjoyed an amazing hot vinyasa class with Lauren at Yoga to the People. Since it’s race week, I didn’t push myself as far into the stretches as I normally would have and found child’s pose more than once during the practice.
Laundry: This may seem silly but make sure all your favorite running gear, right down to your socks, are clean for race day. More than once, I’ve gone searching for clothes the night before only to realize they are deep in the dirty clothes pile.
Go shopping early in the week: Head to your favorite running store early in the week to buy your necessary supplies such as Camel Bak cleaner, Shot Blocks, or Gu. You don’t want to wait until Thursday or Friday only to find that they are out of your favorite flavor. I don’t recommend waiting until the Expo either because you never know which vendors or brands will be on site that day.
Organize your gear early: No later than Thursday night, put all your race day gear in a pile near an outlet. This allows you to charge your electronics (Garmin, iPod, etc) in the same area as your clothes pile so you don’t forget them in the wall when you leave for the race or trip. I have definitely done this at least once and want you all to learn from my mistakes! Make sure to also pack these chargers for the weekend. Yes, they take up extra space, but if you or any running buddies need them during the weekend they are well worth it! Also, make sure to make a packing list for not only race gear, but also the rest of the items you’ll need for the weekend or race day.

7. Make a playlist: If you run with music, you know how important having fun music is for a great run. The upbeat music keeps your running going, even when the going gets tough. Be sure to include a few inspirational favorites, a few surprises, and one song that can get your pace going even when your legs feel like lead. If you’re looking for a few new song suggestions I suggest checking out iTunes list of most popular downloads, or Jes’ playlists here and my latest playlist here.

8. Set a goal: Establish ahead of time what your intention is for the race. Do you want to PR? Do you want to take at least 20 pictures along the course with all your friends? Do you want to finish your first half? Regardless of the goal, having an intention will help keep you strong throughout the race. Some people find it helps to write this intention on their wrist or hand, so they can remember it during the race. My goal for the National Half Marathon is to finish under 2:15.

9. HAVE FUN so you can smile afterwards!

What are your race week suggestions? Is there anything I missed? Are you running the National Half Marathon? If so, what is your bib color?

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Happy Monday friends!

As promised, I want to share the rest of our celebratory weekend with you. After a relaxing and productive Saturday, the rest of the weekend was filled with two delicious meals, lots of dancing, and an unhealthy amount of alcohol. :) I mean, living in New York City is all about moderation, right?

Our cab ride quickly took us to the night’s dinner location, Valbella. We chose Val Bella on a whim, Saturday afternoon, after Lavo refused to expand our reservation from 4 people to 5 to accommodate our friend Michael. Luckily, Zagat and Open Table came to our rescue and suggested this when we searched for restaurants in the Meat Packing district so we’d be close to the evening’s next stop.

Upon arriving, the service was the first thing which stood out. They quickly escorted us over to meet our friend Michael who was already at the bar, waiting for the birthday girl with a rose and chocolate. Proof, that chivalry still lives strong!

The restaurant’s spiral staircase in the middle of the curved bar really adds to the atmosphere. The restaurant had a great deal of style ranging from the hardwood and white walls to the simple arches.

Luckily, we received a wonderful table on the side wall of the restaurant, positioned perfectly in the center which allowed for wonderful people watching.

Throughout our experience, the service is what stood out more than anything. They happily charged Meg’s phone in the coat check when she noticed it was dead, they made her feel like a princess the entire dinner, and they even provided a used Pellegrino bottle to serve as a vase during our meal for Meg’s yellow rose.

The restaurant was the place for birthday celebrations Saturday night as there were four people who celebrated while we were there. This is our table neighbor, smiling with his birthday soufle and the birthday girl!

How do I begin to describe the wonderful food we enjoyed. Each dish was better than the last and luckily we were a friendly group, everyone open to sharing bites of our dishes.

Our stand out dishes of the evening included a mix of specials and regular menu items.

An appetizer special that night, a rare mozzarella, flown in from Italy 2 times per week, served with arugula, roasted artichoke, and prosciutto.

Medaglioni Di Aragosta Con Brie baked brie cheese crusted with spanish almonds, topped with lobster medallions and served in a grand marnier sauce

The best dish of the night, hands down, was a scallop dish with a delicious pistachio reduction.

The boys enjoyed their special filet, a rare bone in filet grilled to perfection!

Last but not least, what birthday celebration would be complete without a candle and a wish.

Luckily, the rest of our evening included dancing the delicious calories away at Marquee! We saw a special on Gilt last week, and new it was a perfect way to celebrate the birthday.

$210 special for VIP Bottle Service at Marquee including table for four people, 1 bottle of vodka with mixers, and hours of dancing.

Even better, they let our fifth person, the birthday girl, in free! We spent four hours dancing the night away in the packed club, enjoying more than one vodka cocktail, and catching up on all the newest club fashions, dance moves, and music. I had so much fun, that I actually frowned and said I wish we didn’t have to leave when they turned the lights on at 4am.