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Will Sweat for Big Gay Ice Cream

The fun isn’t over and it has already been a pretty incredible NYC Saturday.

Bo spent the day scuba diving with his friend Scott which meant I was able to plan a fun day with girlfriends! Luckily, we were blessed with amazing weather!

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I ran four miles up Fifth Avenue and over to Pure Yoga East to meet Gia for a Level 2/3 Vinyasa class taught by Kay Kay Clivi. Gia raved about her ahead of our class saying that her classes were fun yet instructive and challenging. I can’t say enough wonderful things about her style. The class pushed me in ways I haven’t pushed lately in yoga and I loved every minute of it! I was able to get into an unassisted head stand and held crow for longer than usual. The class paired with Gia’s company was a perfect way to continue the day.

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After departing Pure I headed home for a quick refresh before heading out to meet Laura for an afternoon adventure. All week we talked about what we’d do with our afternoon, depending on weather. We were both in the mood for an active Saturday and the weather just inspired us further. After reading Michelle’s review of Big Gay Ice Cream earlier this week our day’s activity was decided. Spending the afternoon biking around Manhattan until we ended at Big Gay Ice Cream in the West Village for a bucket list treat. While Bo and I don’t’ have many things on our list before we leave, using Citibikes and finally trying BGIC was definitely on mine!

I am not an expert on Citi Bikes but absolutely LOVED my experience today. Instead of giving you all the details, I’ll have you go to the Citi Bike website for more detail. However, I will share with you a few takeaways from our adventure.

  • Definitely download the app in advance to help you find the most convenient stations for your adventure.
  • The machines don’t accept American Express.
  • Yes, you do have to “check the bike back in” every 30 minutes even with a 24 hour pass. The program is intended primarily for commuters but is great for tourists and weekend jaunts as well. Just make plans to stay near a station. The app shows you where the over 200 stations are and it was pretty easy for us to find them today.
  • The bikes DO have gears though only 3. They are a bit hidden on the left hand side and operate from below not the top.
  • The busiest station (aka longest line for rental code) in the city on a daily basis is Central Park and 6th Avenue. Avoid this one at all costs as the other dudes trying to rent bikes will harass you while you wait in line – for 20 minutes.
  • Please rent or buy a helmet. While I felt very safe 95% of the time today, even riding down busy avenues, why be risky and stupid? Most bike shops in the city rent them for $5-$15 per day if you don’t want to pay the $25-$50 to buy one ahead of time.
  • In order to have the green light go on saying that your bike has been properly returned you will have to slam it into the slot.(TWSS) No you will not break the bike or the slot.
  • If you’re going to leave your bike somewhere while you’re enjoying ice cream or running an errand, bring a bike lock.

So now back to the fun and picture sharing from our 17.5 mile adventure around Central Park and the West Side Highway.

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I really enjoyed biking with Laura as we were able to catch up while riding in the quieter, less traffic filled areas of Central Park and the West Side Highway and were both on the adventure for leisure not fitness. The whole time we kept saying how fun it was and how great the bikes will be this summer. I guess since I don’t get to enjoy them all summer I can just look forward to renting one in Paris this summer.

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After about 2 hours of biking and chatting we ended our excursion at Big Gay Ice Cream in the West Village at Seventh and Grove Street. What began as a summer ice cream truck experiment back in the Summer of 2009 has now turned into a popular spot in the city for decadent ice cream treats featuring witty names and unique combinations. Their toppings include wasabi dust, sea salt, olive oil, dark chocolate, pretzels, Nilla Wafers, and more! The soft serve comes in 2 flavors (chocolate and vanilla) daily but the also have 2 weekly specials.

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While everything sounded delicious including the ever popular Bea Arthur (vanilla soft serve, dulce de leche, crushed Nilla Wafers) I went with the American Globs. How could I resist vanilla soft serve, pretzels, sea salt, and chocolate dip? This is like the Dairy Queen of my childhood on steroids after a year of culinary school!

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Laura went all the way with the Monday Sundae which was incredible! Hers included a Nutella lined waffle cone, whipped cream, dulce de leche, sea salt, and soft serve ice cream! Holy goodness! Needless to say this was an incredible end to an active morning and afternoon. (source)

What’s your favorite ice cream topping?

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ashleyd /

A Little Extra Nutrient Support

It’s FRIDAY!!! Can you tell I’m a bit excited? It’s been quite the action packed week filled with my first Organic Avenue juice cleanse, a great yoga class and dinner date with my girl Liz, Spirit of the Marathon 2 movie with local running friends, lots of work, and an Uplift Friday class that is always a great way to kick off the weekend! The best part is that there is blue sky and sunshine in Manhattan right now which is such a treat after all this rain!

Week of 6.14

Since I have so much to share with you guys, there will be more than a few posts going up this weekend. I’m going to be super cool tonight and spend the evening blogging while Bo is running errands for his scuba adventure tomorrow.

While I was on the Organic Avenue 3 day juice cleanse, I thought a lot about the way I eat each day on a regular basis. I’m not perfect by any means but I definitely have done well sticking to the 80/20 rule over the past year which is one of the things I attribute to the way I feel right now. But, as my sister-in-law, who also did the juice cleanse, and I talked further about the things that make us feel good on a daily basis we both couldn’t go without mentioning vitamins. It sounds so silly. Really how much can a few little pills do for someone?

While I know the debate is still out and everyone has differing opinions, I see a big difference when I take vitamins on a regular basis. The top drawer of my office desk is a bit of a health and wellness cabinet filled with teas, snacks, medicine, lotions, and vitamins. What can I say? When you spend at least 10-12 hours a day at the office, it’s nice to be prepared! Yes I believe that it’s best to get nutrients and vitamins from whole food but vitamins just feel like a little extra nutrient support.

For the past year I have taken the following vitamins on a regular basis:

  • Multi-vitamin
  • Calcium
  • Hair & Nail

Therefore, when my friends at Fitfluential offered me a chance to sample VitaFusion Multivites the answer was easy! Heck yes! When it comes to vitamins, I’m 29 going on 6. I can’t handle horse pills or anything that leaves a bad aftertaste.

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Since receiving these last week I’ve started to not only look forward to taking my vitamins but even thinking of them as a fun after lunch treat. I am often tempted to take two servings since they taste like candy!

If you find yourself forgetting to take your vitamins or dread the huge pills, give gummies a try. They are like Flintstone vitamins of 2013!

Do you take vitamins & supplements or do you get all your nutrients from whole food?

This post is sponsored by VitaFusion through FitFluential.  All opinions expressed are my own.

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NYRR Oakley Mini 10K

On Saturday I raced the NYRR Mini 10K for the 3rd time in so many years (2012 and 2011 recaps). It’s not easy to find 6.2 mile races around this area, especially through New York Road Runners, so it seems to always be a good goal race. It’s right before marathon training truly starts and the distance allows me to push “my speed” some while also not being in full sprint mode like I am for repeats or a 5k race. I love that for a month or so I can focus and I end up having a strong base to begin marathon training.

However, I wasn’t really confident in my abilities this year after a less than stellar few weeks of training. Yes, Bo and I did a great job of staying active during our Turkey and Switzerland adventures and I logged a few workouts during the work travel to San Francisco and Seattle but at the end of the day flying over 25,000 in a month time period can leave you exhausted regardless of how much water you drink, number of workouts, or healthy meals. However, Saturday morning I woke up after a few glasses of wine and a delicious home cooked dinner with my in-laws and decided to give the race every ounce of effort and enjoy myself. If nothing else at least it’s hard not to smile when one is wearing this much neon.

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I have an amazing running coach who continues to motivate me daily both by her accidental PRs and her attitude. On Friday, while we emailed and texted back and forth about the race plan, she reminded me that I’m stronger than I think and that I have sub 9 inside of me for at least a few miles. While I think in a perfect world those sub 9 miles would come later in the race, like oh maybe mile 5, I’m not complaining with my new shiny PR which now tops my Mini 10K race history!

  • 2013: 57:57 9:20 pace per mile
  • 2012: 1:00:15 9:43 pace per mile
  • 2011 1:01:36 9:56 pace per mile

So now that I’ve let you all in on the news that I set a new PR, let me give you a glimpse into how it happen. Keep in mind, do as I say not as I do. Therefore, one should always strive to negative split. However, when you’re tired and unsure of what your body can do running as fast as possible is a whole lot easier.

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I met Katie, my awesome running buddy who is looking to mingle with new running friends after my July 11th move, in the Times Warner Center around 7:30 before we headed into the corrals. We had time to chat and stretch in the corrals while enjoying some epic people watching. Everyone was so pumped for the race. There were teenagers running in neon and cool shades while the elite were walking right by us ready to take their place in the front. The energy was contagious and with temperatures in the mid 60s it was the coolest Mini 10K on record! Combine that with some great jams (LOVING Daft Punk, Bastille, Icona Pop,  and will.i.am right now) on the iPod and a running bud who promises to push you makes for a great race.

I went light for this race, running without water, phone, or fuel so I don’t have pictures to share with you or even conscious thoughts since I definitely zoned out for parts of the race. Though Jen caught this picture of us running around mile 3 which pretty much summarizes the way I felt in the early miles. Also, note to self, wear more supportive running bras.

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Mile 1: Running is amazing! Look at all these powerful women. I’m so glad I wore my compression socks. My legs feel great. This cool weather needs to last for the entire race. Quick glance at watch to ensure we’re keeping a pace we can maintain reveals 8:20. Oh, hello. Rack my mind to decide which approach I want to take. Decide to give it all I have and can always recover in the middle.

Mile 2: I tell Katie to prepare for some hills as we are approaching the start of Harlem Hills. She smiles and says she’s loving the race so far so I smile back and tell her that we’ll keep up the pace. Icona Pop comes on just as I glance down at my watch finishing mile 2 and see that we kept a 8:28. Right at this moment I start to wish this was a 5k race.

Mile 3: Okay we crushed that hill so just one more big one. I tell myself that I can start grabbing water in this mile so focus on the water station’s arrival instead of the hills. Catch myself rapping Ludacris out loud. Oh well. Grab water and see that we’re at a 8:53 pace. I’m fine with this.

Mile 4: Coming into this mile my body starts to feel the pain. I just sprinted the first half and am left pretty empty. I tell Katie that I’m going to slow it down big time to ensure I can finish strong and that she can leave if she wants. I still don’t know whether she laughed or yelled bullshit but regardless she stayed at my side. I remember what Gia told me and lean into the down hills letting gravity do its job. Feel like we’re keeping a good pace but notice that we’re at a 9:30. Ugh. Really?

Mile 5: Start to get negative in my head because 9:30 is a number I didn’t want to see. To make matters worse Katie misread the sign and tried to tell me we only had a mile left. Ha. But then I realize that was only in the initial race plan which included negative splits. I get out of my head and focus on people watching. I see people I recognize from other races, the gym, a blogger, and then oh hello co-worker. Watch beeps with 9:43.

Mile 6: This race really needs to be done. My legs are screaming and my left quad is straight angry. I grab more water and pour it on my wrists and in my mouth. The humidity is definitely present and I know we have some rolling hills in this mile before the final uphill. I barter with myself. I know I have a PR in the bag and know that reaching the stretch goal is pretty impossible. I want to walk. It’s hot. But then I tell myself that this is when I prove my strength to myself. A year ago I would have walked. This year I trudge through saying that anything is better than walking or stopping. I look down and see 9:39.

Mile 6-6.2:  Why does this race always end on an evil uphill. Let’s see if I see anyone on the sidelines. Oh wait there is Leanne – it’s sprint time. Uhoh, that’s a dry heave. Hold it down Ashley, that will make for an ugly race picture. Look at watch to see the time and give Katie a huge, sweaty hug! We did it! None of the pain matters now because I pushed through and achieved my goal of setting a new PR while leaving myself hungry for the stretch goal Gia set for me of a 57:00 10k.

So there you go. Do as I say (negative split, train hard) and not as I do (push it for as long as you can). But more than anything, reach deep and believe you can do it. There is someone out there who knows you can do it!

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