ashleyd /

Rock’n’Roll Brooklyn Half Marathon Race Recap 2016

rnr-brooklyn-medal

 

Yesterday I had the opportunity to run the Rock’n’Roll Brooklyn Half Marathon for the second year in a row and it was once again a great half marathon right in my own borough.  This years race was even better than last years which says a lot as it was my favorite half marathon that I ran. Admittedly, last year’s inaugural RNR Brooklyn Half Marathon did not go off with a hitch as organizers faced multiple problems including a late start due to issues with ensuring clear roads.  This year it was clear that Rock’n’Roll took all the feedback to heart and did their best to improve.

I headed to the expo on Friday afternoon and while I didn’t love the Manhattan location at Penn Plaza, I will be the first to admit that it was far more convenient than last year’s expo in Greenpoint. The expo was smaller than last year with far fewer vendors, but I also found it to be very easy to navigate. Including the shopping we did in the official race shop, where I picked up a Brooklyn branded Brooks shirt, we were in and out in just 15 minutes.

Saturday morning I woke up at 5:30, got dressed, sipped coffee and made peanut butter and banana sandwiches which I ate while heading to the starting area at Grand Army Plaza. I took an Uber since I was running a few minutes behind schedule, and found myself at the VIP security entrance at the Brooklyn Library just 10 minutes later! I met Zoe minutes later and we quickly checked our bags and then head over to our corral, just in time to find Nicole and stretch before the race began. While we chatted, I made sure to do my pre-race stretching routine which I’ve done during each of my long runs over the past five weeks.

rnr-brooklyn-sunrise

Check out the gorgeous sunrise the 17,500 runners were treated to as we waited for the 7 AM start? I know the race directors couldn’t plan this but man was it a perfect way to start the race. The weather at the start was 65 degrees, overcast and slightly humid. My only goal for the race was to enjoy the 13.1 miles with Nicole and Zoe for as long as possible. They are both training for the New York City Marathon and therefore our pace would be around their long run pace. As I had a far shorter training cycle than normal for this half marathon, I told them that I would drop back if my glute started giving me any pain or I found it tough to maintain their pace.

rnr-brooklyn-pre-race

At 7:01 the three of us crossed the starting line together, each with one ear bud in our ear and smiles on our faces ready for a great race. As Zoe lives on the Upper West Side, we pointed out local landmarks and navigate the course as we ran through this year’s course. I prefer this course over the May NYRR Brooklyn Half as it includes a shorter stint on the very boring, monotonous Ocean Parkway.

rnr-brooklyn-2016-course

The first eight miles flew by as we talked about marathon training, favorite races and injuries. We kept a 9:55 pace, exactly on target with their long run training plans.  There were multiple water stops along the way as well as small bands and local cheerleading groups motivating the runners.  At mile 8.5 as we headed back towards Prospect Park following the turnaround point on Ocean Avenue,  Zoe and I urged Nicole to run ahead as she was having an especially strong race. The next five miles weren’t easy but as we turned back towards the park I just kept focusing on the massage waiting for us in the VIP area.

rnr-brooklyn

When we entered Prospect Park at Mile 10 we were greeted by amazing cheerleaders, family members and supporters as well as the first signs of Fall. During those final miles I walked a 1/4 mile and ran 3/4 a mile to ensure that I was smart considering I only did 3 long runs in preparation for this half marathon.

I finished my 22nd half marathon in 2:14:14 and couldn’t have been more thankful. After fighting through injuries these past few months any day that my legs and body can carry me 13.1 miles is a great day, no to mention the wonderful conversations and laughter that Nicole, Zoe and I shared on the course.

After crossing the finish line we spent the next hour relaxing with fellow runners in the Westin Rock’n’Blog VIP experience which was the perfect way to end the morning. Zoe and I each enjoyed 10-minute massages, freshened up and dove into fruit and food before heading back towards the subway.

rnr-brooklyn-post-race-pic-with-zoe
rnr-brooklyn-with-dani

Thank you to Brooklyn and Rock’n’Roll for such a wonderful race and great half marathon!

Your turn – If you raced this weekend, how did it go? 

I was provided a bib and VIP entry as part of my partnership with Run Rock’n’Roll but as always the opinions in this post are my own. 

Share Button
Follow:
ashleyd /

Dare to Bare NYC

daring-it-on-the-soul-bike

Over the past seven years, I have been invited to a number of events and workouts but none have left me as inspired and energized as Sunday’s Dare to Bare NYC event.

Part of the Movemeant Foundation, Dare to Bare is a national movement that asks women a simple but important question:

“What if we DARE to overcome the insecurities we have about our bodies? What if we instead chose to BARE our vulnerabilities in an effort to conquer them? Could we reveal the most powerful version of ourselves? ” 

What started years ago as a charity fitness event in NYC is now a year-round movement to help women of all ages find self confidence. However, the Dare to Bare NYC is just as powerful and inspiring as it was when it started. Imagine taking a Soul Cycle or other group fitness class, surrounded by women of all shapes and sizes, in one of NYC’s busiest spaces.  The message was all about self-love, finding your inner strength and having the confidence to bare your body as you worked out versus linking self-love to the number on a label or scale.

dare-to-bare

ashley-and-jenny

Notice the sea of neon in these pictures? Each participant was gifted a complimentary Sweaty Betty Infinity Workout Bra to wear during the event.  This neon bra not only has a fun, detailed back but is also comfortable, supportive and has molded cups to provide shape.

sweaty-betty-bras

As we explored the event area we saw many familiar faces –Dani, Nicole & Michelle.  There were multiple group fitness classes including dance, yoga and HIIT as well as refreshments from Bluestone Lane and an adorable Sweaty Betty pop-up shop. At 11 AM Ashley and I stripped down to our sports bras and found bikes 23 and 24 for the Soul Cycle ride. Talk about an inspiring ride!

Dare to Bare 2016 NYC

We had the opportunity to ride with three Soul Cycle rock stars ( Amanda Max, Jenny Gaither (SF), Melanie Griffith) who I have now marked as favorites in my Soul Cycle app.

dare-to-bare-soul-class

Their music, mantras and energy pushed and inspired each of us in ways we didn’t imagine. By the end we were cheering, giving strangers high fives and celebrating each other. The energy was contagious!

cheering-during-soul-class

If you haven’t experienced Dare to Bare in New York or San Francisico, I highly recommend you add it to your calendar for next year. Get a group of friends together, raise money for a great cause and then spend the day sweating and smiling together with hundreds of other women!

 

Share Button
Follow:
ashleyd /

Paleo Pumpkin Pancakes

Pumpkin Paleo Pancakes

Happy Monday! Here’s a delicious, healthy Fall recipe you can make this weekend, courtesy of my sister-in-law Meg and her husband Russell! Originally posted in 2014, the post and recipe have been updated a bit.  Come back tomorrow for a recap from yesterday’s Dare to Bare event in NYC! 

Hello again! Over the past two years my husband Russell and I have both had great success following Paleo-like diets off and on, especially when I originally lost 10 pounds in one month.  Since then, we have evolved our eating style, maintaining a healthy balance which often includes Paleo friendly recipes.  We’ve made a lot of omelets and frittatas in the past, but now that the leaves are falling and the air is crisp, we wanted to cook something that reflected the fall season. What better than a warm stack of fall themed pumpkin pancakes?

meg-and-russell

We struggled to find a recipe that was fluffy and tasty enough to stand up to a regular pancake. Some of our first batches, while tasty, left us with results that we could only describe as “scrambled pancakes”. We thought we were cooking them wrong because they were so crumbly and dense. To remedy this, we tried cooking them at a lower heat for a longer time, we tried different types of flour, and different wet and dry ingredients but couldn’t replicate the consistency of the traditional pancakes we grew up with. After scouring the web and trying parts from numerous recipes, we finally figured it out. Baking soda. Not all Paleo recipes call for baking soda, which is one of the things that makes these pancakes so fluffy and DELICIOUS!

pumpkin paleo pancakes

Paleo Pumpkin Pancake Recipe

Ingredients:

  • 2 large eggs
  • ½ cup pumpkin puree
  • 2 tablespoons of sugar free syrup
  • ½ teaspoon allspice
  • ½ teaspoon cinnamon
  • ⅔ cup almond flour
  • a dash of kosher or sea salt
  • ½ teaspoon vanilla extract
  • ¼ teaspoon baking soda
  • ½ cup pecans

Instructions:

  • Heat a small skillet over medium heat with a touch of coconut oil. Add pecans. Toast for about 3 minutes or until pecans are fragrant. Be careful not to burn the pecans – shake the skillet frequently. (Note – these are for the topping. Feel free to leave them raw if desired or not use them at all).
  • In a large mixing bowl, whisk together eggs, pumpkin, syrup, cinnamon, allspice, and vanilla until well blended.
  • In a separate bowl, mix together the almond flour, salt and baking soda.
  • Stir the dry ingredients into the wet ingredients, making sure there are no lumps.
  • Lightly grease a griddle with your fat of choice (we used coconut oil) and turn on medium heat until a drop of water sizzles on the griddle.
  • Pour the batter onto the griddle in whatever size pancakes you like. Cook until bubbles form on the top of the batter. Carefully flip and cook the other side.
  • Stack and top with pecans and sugar free syrup (or whatever fun fall toppings you choose!). We also dusted ours with a bit of cinnamon.

*Note – you will see in the picture we served these with bacon (which makes every meal better). During our Paleo challenge, we learned that most bacon you can find at the grocery store is cured in sugar. We recommend Organic Sunday Bacon by Applegate which has less sugar than most and is cured in Paleo friendly, organic cane sugar.

If you love this recipe as much as we do, please share it on Pinterest, Twitter or Facebook!

Share Button
Follow: