The Perfect Recipes for Your Mexican Dinner Party

The weekend has definitely improved since yesterday’s long run.

I spent yesterday cleaning the apartment, relaxing some on the couch, putting my muscles through a much needed deep tissue massage, finally taking allergy medicine, and hosting a dinner party for our friends with Bo and Meg!

Oh yes, in case I forgot to mention it on the blog, Bo’s sister Meg is living with us for the next month. While it took some adjusting during the first 24 hours to figure out where things go and such, I’m sure it will be a lot of fun! She was the chopping guru yesterday, helping in the kitchen, and this afternoon she was a yoga sidekick!

The dinner party was a huge success and while I failed royally at taking pictures, I want to share the items we chose for the party. It was a perfect mix of flavor without a lot of work. Though the chopping and prep work took quite a while, the rest of the process was easier than normal.

Mexican Dinner Party recipes

I pinned the recipes on my Pintrest board yesterday which made it really easy to reference them when we were grocery shopping and cooking.

It was such a fun night complete with some dancing and funfetti birthday cupcakes! I think the bottom picture was during their rap off of Welcome to Atlanta. So fun!

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This morning we slept in and spent the morning organizing, enjoying delicious omelets made from last night’s leftover shrimp and peppers, and watching Friends season 4.

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Around 2, the three of us decided to head out for an easy 3 mile run along the East River. It was definitely hot out and super sunny but it was just wonderful being out there enjoying the views, company, some good music, and running pain free. Yesterday’s massage definitely helped as my lower back and hamstring muscles were way too tight. He thinks that running primarily outside this year versus indoor last year could be one of the contributing factors. In addition, he recommended more yoga which seems to be a common theme I’ve heard from everyone and anyone these days.

Inspired by his suggestion, Meg and I enjoyed an evening vinyasa yoga class at the Meatpacking Equinox (17th and 10th) tonight with Kristin McGee who was substituting for the regular instructor. As normal, she was wonderful. The class was a perfect mix of inspiring, challenging, featured a wonderful playlist including Dave Matthews and Simon & Garfunkel. and the views of the Highline didn’t hurt. I wish she taught more classes at Equinox!! In case you’re not able to enjoy your own dose of Kristin, here is a great yoga for runner video she posted on her blog a few weeks ago.

Question: What is your favorite Mexican recipe?

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Not Every Run Goes As Planned

Last night after reading and napping most of the afternoon, Bo and I spent the evening watching one of our favorite yet often forgotten movies and enjoying thin crust pizza.

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I went to bed still sniffling, coughing and fighting off tears from itchy eyes. Seven hours later I felt the same, frustrated that the medicine and a good night’s rest didn’t leave me feeling better. I texted Leticia letting her know that I was still game for a run and figured that I’d give it everything I had.

I put on a lightweight wicking outfit which I knew wouldn’t chafe or get so heavy that it drooped, like some of my summer running tanks. I packed my breakfast so I could eat it on the way to the subway station and even remembered to put a wrist band under my Garmin to protect it from sweat.

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At 7am I met Leticia at 77th Street where we planned to start our run so we could enjoy the full Summer Streets route. This was actually our first time running together since she’s been sidelined due to injury the past few months. The great thing is that on a good day, we’re about the same pace. There is no awkwardness, wondering who is holding who back, and the conversation always flows easily between us. While I don’t think it’s necessarily a good thing to do every long run with someone, I am sure that we’ll make great training partners as the weeks progress.

It was already sticky and quite humid when we started but we focused on the conversation and pop-up events along Park Avenue instead of wining about the heat and humidity, which will only make us stronger and faster come Fall.

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As soon as we hit about the one mile point I knew this wasn’t going to be a great run. My cold/allergies were making it hard to breathe regularly and my nose was running constantly. While my legs felt okay, the rest of my body wasn’t happy. I just felt drained; which is a clear sign that my body is using the rest of its energy to fight off illness or repair. Instead of being stupid and pushing myself too hard or holding Leticia back too much, I parted ways with her around mile 5, just short of the Brooklyn Bridge. I took a few minutes to take some water, talk with a very nice police officer who was amazed at the number of runners, and enjoy some deep breaths. I popped my headphones in and focused on Bossypants, Tina Fey’s hilarious autobiography, and zoned out for the next 32 minutes. I jogged down to the turnaround point and then back home, rounding out the run for just about 7 miles of actual running time.

When I finished, I was on the verge of tears. During the run I had the pleasure of seeing a number of my friends including Jess, Abby, Rebecca, and Meghan. They each looked happy and at ease. Seeing them and thinking about all I have going on in the next few months, made me seriously question the marathon. Is this the right year to be running my 3rd marathon? Am I going to put too much pressure on myself along with the other stressors I can’t control right now?

I went into this week, really hoping for a strong long run. In the back of my mind I have a fear about this year as I start the travel season again. This week’s cold is definitely a setback both physically and emotionally. I know there are still exactly 12 weeks until the marathon which makes me feel better and worse at the same time. Instead of making any rash decisions or letting my emotions overtake me, I’m going to listen to my motivating and ever optimistic Twitter followers and give myself until the end of the month. There are 3 more long runs between now and Labor Day, plenty of time to figure things out.

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So at the end of the day, it’s true. Not every run goes as planned and the tough runs make those great ones all that much better. I’m going to invest in a new pair of shoes since it’s clearly time, work out the knots in my legs and lower back with a deep tissue massage, and focus on next week versus letting the negative thoughts get me down.

You know what’s great after a bad run? A fun afternoon in the kitchen, prepping for our Mexican Fiesta dinner party tonight! IMG_3916IMG_3914IMG_3920IMG_3922IMG_3924

Don’t forget to enter my Almond Breeze+Lululemon giveaway and check out my JCrew blog sale if you missed it yesterday!

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JCrew Sale

While losing weight and getting toned is definitely a wonderful feeling, it can be very hard on the wallet. Just last year I spent more than I’d like to admit on new clothes from some of my favorite stores because none of my current clothes fit. Now, less than a year later, those new clothes are baggy and unbecoming while all my old clothes are suddenly new again.

I’ve decided to donate most of my business clothes to Dress for Success, a wonderful woman’s philanthropy organization which helps provide work clothes for women who can’t afford them otherwise.

Dress for Success

But, when it comes to the rest of my closet, I thought it’d be fun to offer some of the pieces to you all at a discount. Think of it as a blog sale of sorts.

Below you’ll find the pictures, along with the link to the item if it’s still available on the retailer’s website. I’m only posting a few as of now just to see if there is even interest. If you are interested in an item, please leave a comment below. I will do a flat rate shipping of $5 unless you’re located in NYC.

jcrew sequin tank

JCrew Sequin Tank in Olive size M $45 sold

Tall JCrew bootcut jeans 31

JCrew White Bootcut Jeans size 31 Tall: $50

Jcrew city fit crop pants 8

JCrew Redish/Pinkish CityFit crop pants size 8: $25

jcrew sequin stripted top

JCrew Stripe Sequin Boatneck Tee in Apricot and Off White size M $35 sold

Jcrew Jackie Cardigan

 

Let the selling begin and may the odds be ever in your favor! If you like these items, I have about 30 more! Also, please feel free to share this post with friends or RT as I’d love to sell everything!

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