ashleyd /

My Brooks #RunHappy Inspiration

Last month, Brooks gave me the opportunity to outfit one of my running inspirations from head-to-toe in new Brooks gear.  What a fun surprise and opportunity to share the gift of new gear with someone! There are so many people who inspire me to work towards becoming a stronger runner on a daily basis. How could I choose just one person?

Image result for brooks run happy

I took some time to jot down a list of people who help me find the energy to run, even after a long day, or push through a tough run. I thought of the people who make time for running while balancing far more than I balance. Then I thought about the people who inspire me with their speed and strength, often making sub-8 minute miles or long runs look easy. I thought about all the people who have been logging an increased number of miles each week, leading up to their next marathon.

But, at the end of the day, I chose someone who inspires me not from afar or via social media. I chose my friend Melissa, with whom I’ve been running once a week for the past few months. During the week, Melissa’s work schedule forces her to run before 4:30 AM.  Since her return to running after giving birth to her son Calvin, she has trained smart and has recently started running her fastest paces ever due to consistent cross training and efficient running workouts.  During our runs together, she has the ability to make me forget about the heat, humidity or weekly stress. Instead, her candor and dry humor leaves me laughing as we she everything with each other during those 60-80 minutes.  She has quickly become what the women on Another Mother Runner call a “best running friend.”

Melissa and Ashley Running

When I asked her why she runs, Melissa said that it is helps her find balance. While that may sound ironic to some, since it’s just another thing to fit into her busy mom schedule, it’s one of the only times during a chaotic week that allow her with moments to clear her mind and feel stronger and healthier.

Since Melissa is ready for cooler weather, she opted to choose items from the new Brooks fall line. The pieces will be perfect as she transitions to running and working out in cooler weather and, as she pointed out, many of the pieces can be enjoyed beyond running. The outfit, as styled here, can easily be worn for running errands, going to the park with her husband and son, or relaxing at home.

  • Top: Array Long Sleeve (Melissa said that she loves the top because it’s lightweight and the open back detail makes her feel more stylish than normal.) 
  • Bottoms: Formation Crop (She picked these crops because they are a great transition item for cooler weather. Plus, she was looking for a fun pattern to add to her almost all black pant rotation.)
  • Bra: Just Right Racer
  • Shoes: Pure Cadence

Brooks Run Happy Inspiration

Thank you so much Brooks for letting me gift Melissa with a new running outfit as a way to recognize and thank her for the running and mom inspiration she brings to my life daily!

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ashleyd /

Brooklyn Adventures: Prospect Park Zoo

Over the past few months, I’ve started to receive more and more Brooklyn requests. Locals and tourists alike want to know our favorite spots to workout, run, sip, shop, eat and explore with Katie. While I have a few ideas in the works, today’s post highlights the most wonderful Brooklyn adventure we had with Katie this weekend – Prospect Park Zoo. \

One of New York City’s four zoos, the Prospect Park Zoo is located on the eastern side of Prospect Park. It’s a small, 12-acre zoo perfect for a short visit. We spent 1.5 hours exploring the grounds with Katie on Saturday and really enjoyed our experience. Even on a hot, Summer Saturday the zoo was busy but not packed, allowing us to easily navigate with the stroller and even allow Katie to practice walking. There is a mix of indoor and outdoor exhibits, providing a nice respite from extremely hot or cold weather.

The zoo’s main attraction is the sea lions, which are located at the center of the zoo. There are feeding sessions three times a day – 11:30am, 2pm and 4pm. While I’m sure the sea lions are especially playful at this time, they were engaging with the crowds and chasing each other even when we were there; without the trainers or food. Katie loved squealing and pointing at the sea lions. Beyond the sea lions, the zoo is organized into four different areas: Hall of Animals, Discovery Trail, Animal Lifestyles and the Barn. Throughout these exhibits, there are 25 animals ranging from the alpaca to tamarins. While it was hard for Katie to appreciate or see some of the animals who were further away or hiding in the shade, she was able to appreciate every section except the dark bat section.  If an animal was out of site, we focused and pointed out other things in the area such as birds, flowers, trees or even playful children.  As you would expect, the zoo staff said that the best time to visit is early in the day when the animals are more active. During the summer months, many of the animals will hide in the shade during the hot afternoons. 

The highlight for us was the barn area as Katie was able to safely pet pigs, sheep and alpaca. Next time, we will make sure that we bring spare change or a few dollars so we can buy feed for Katie to give to the animals.

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Hours: The zoo is open 10-5 PM during the Summer and Fall hours but closes at 4:30 during the winter.

Admission: Earlier this year, we purchased the Family Zoo Plus Membership which gives us access to all of the zoos throughout the city as our nanny enjoys taking Katie and the two boys in our nanny share to the different zoos and aquarium on a regular basis. If you don’t have the membership, admission to the zoo is $9.95 for adults, $6.95 for kids and children under 2 are free!

Transportation: Subway (B/Q/S), Bus (B41/B47) or Car (street parking on Flatbush Avenue)

Best For: Young children or people who are exploring Prospect Park and want to squeeze in some animal time

Food: While there were food options, they were a bit underwhelming. I was happy that we chose to bring Katie’s lunch in a stay-cool bag and give it to her while sitting under the shade.

 

You can easily experience the entire zoo in a few hours or even visit for a shorter, more focused trip if you’re short on time or trying to squeeze a visit in between naps. You can access the zoo via car, bus or subway. We found plenty of free parking on Flatbush Avenue, just a few steps from the zoo entrance.

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Workout Recap and Running Gear I’m Loving

Happy Wednesday!

Another week of half marathon training is in the bank! Last week was a week of highs and lows, as is often the case during a training cycle. Thunderstorms wreaked havoc on my outdoor runs and the heat and humidity definitely had an impact on my body during the workouts. But, a tough week only makes us stronger, right? I also made a few changes to this week’s workout schedule based on what I learned from last week.  This week I’ve realized that depending on the safety of the YMCA treadmill is smarter than trying to find time to run between storms. I also realized that getting a deep tissue massage the day before a tough workout is not a good idea. Instead, moving forward, I’ll try to plan a rest or pilates day after massages. 

So, with that said, here’s what last week’s workouts looked like.

  • Sunday– Long Run (8.5 miles at 9:56 pace) felt absolutely amazing the entire time including lots of heat, humidity and hills! I couldn’t stop smiling after this run as everything just CLICKED!
  • Monday- Tower Pilates class at A-Line Pilates
  • Tuesday- Early morning (4:45 AM) tempo run including a 15 minute warm-up, 6×2:00 fast followed by 2 minute recovery, cool-down (4.6 miles at 9:30 average pace)
  • Wednesday- Rest Day
  • Thursday- Four Mile evening run through Brooklyn (4 miles @ 9:29 pace)
  • Friday- Tower Pilates class at A-Line Pilates
  • Saturday- Long Run (6.7 miles at 9:55 pace) felt horrible the entire time. It was one big struggle fest and completely opposite from the previous long run. The heat and humidity was brutal but the reason I stopped short of the 9 mile goal was because my glute was killing me and there was thunder and lightening. I realized afterwards that my glute soreness was due to Friday afternoon’s deep tissue sports massage as well as some of the Pilates moves during Friday’s class. Moving forward, I’m going to avoid massages and Pilates the day before a long run.
  • Sunday- 30 minute Flywheel at home ride to shake out my legs

As I’ve been running and working out more regularly, I wanted to share a few items that I’ve been loving and using or wearing on repeat.

Brooks Bedlam

  • Apple Airpods – I’ve been using these non-stop for the past few months and am still surprised that they work so well during even the sweatiest of tempo runs. Yes, they stay in place. No, they don’t fall out. My only annoyance is that if I touch them during a run they signal Siri to start helping me and pause my music. But, I bet there is a way to correct this if I take the time to research it. If you haven’t tried Airpods yet, I highly recommend them!
  • Brooks Bedlam Running Shoes – So these new Brooks shoes do not officially launch until September 1st but as part of my Brooks Ambassador partnership, I was able to get a sneak peak. I’ve used these shoes for my tempo runs the past three weeks and love how responsive they are! It doesn’t hurt that they are the best looking Brooks I’ve seen to date – bright and colorful knit that keeps my foot feeling snug and secure. Since I prefer a more cushioned ride for my longer runs I will be using these for my shorter runs and tempo workouts each week.
  • Ali On the Run Show Podcast – Running is fun but sometimes it can get lonely. I’ve been spending my miles with Ali and her guests over the past few weeks, finding inspiration from Allie Kieffer, Michele Gonzalez, Kara Goucher, and Kayla Itsines to name a few! It has been such a joy to watch Ali bring this dream to life over the past year and I’m proud to say “I knew her way back” before the podcast when she was blogging daily about her training and balancing running and working at a large dance publication.
  • Brooks Greenlight Short Tight – I can’t remember the last time I ran in something other than these shorts after discovering them three months ago. Actually, I do remember. It was yesterday and I regretted every minute of the decision as the shorts moved around, hung lower due to sweat and left me with an unfortunate chafe mark. I am the proud owner of three pair of Greenlight short tights and have been telling everyone I know about them. They stay in place, support me, have pockets, are breathable and, believe it or not, are flattering too
  • Spotify – Once upon a time I dedicated time to putting together playlists for half marathon and marathon training. These days, I take advantage of others playlists that I discover on Spotify by typing in the type workout I’m doing in the search bar. For example, for yesterday’s tempo run I listened to a special tempo playlist that I discovered and a few weeks ago, my long run was powered by a “marathon playlist” that I found using the search function.  If that’s too much, then feel free to follow my playlists or check out the Speedy Workout, Tempo Run – 175 bps, or Elder Millenial Tour Official Playlist (thanks Theodora!).
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