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JP Morgan Corporate Challenge Race Recap

jp morgan corporate challenge 2

On Wednesday night, I ran the JP Morgan Corporate Challenge with 14,999 other runners and walkers. While I’ve heard about the event for years, this was my first time participating. While I had a blast running with Meaghan and Ashley, this event unfortunately lived up to the rumors I’ve heard for years.

  • Too crowded
  • Takes forever to cross the starting line
  • Chaos in Central Park with people EVERYWHERE 

The race started at 7pm but we didn’t cross the starting line until 7:17, even though we were in one of the closer corrals. I have no idea how corrals were decided though it seemed that they were based on company versus pace so people could spend time with their co-workers while they waited for the race to begin.

jp morgan corporate challenge 1

The 3.2 mile course was the bottom loop, starting right at the Loeb Boathouse and finishing on the west side of the park, avoiding the park’s largest hills. Regardless of the wonderful course, this is not a PR course due to the huge crowds and the fact that many of the participants are first time racers. I loved seeing the people of all shapes and sizes out their with their co-workers but when people were walking in the first few minutes of the course – five people across – it made things pretty crowded and cramped.

jp morgan corporate challenge race route

Luckily, our plan for the race was to chat and enjoy ourselves. I knew that my legs would be tired from running the Brooks 5k just 12 hours earlier after a month long running hiatus. Due to the crowds in our corrals and on the course, we were only able to keep around a 10-minute pace. As we dodged people we passed the time by laughing at team t-shirts, taking in the sights and enjoying a warm, Summer evening in Central Park.

We finished in 31:05 (9:42 mins/mile) – a far cry from a PR or even typical pace for me pre-injury. But, as you can see from the picture below, the crazy course crowds didn’t stop us from having fun together!

jp morgan corporate challenge 3

If you’re trying to decide whether to run this race with your company, I would suggest that you do so but know what to expect. Focus on the time with colleagues more than the workout or race pace and you should have a great time! Some companies rented out area bars or restaurants for after parties which sounds like the ingredients for a perfect evening – a run in Central Park followed by beers!

Thank you to JPMorgan for the complimentary bib and VIP wrist band. All experiences and thoughts are my own.

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Friday Favorites – June 3, 2016

wine slushySource

Am I the only one who feels this short week was actually the longest week ever? My inbox and to do list is out of control but luckily, there are just a few more hours until I can relax and unplug. Tonight I’m stopping by Hey Day for a 30 minute facial before a wine and dinner date with Theodora. The rest of our weekend is going to be pretty busy as we are having sod delivered tomorrow and hoping to finish the backyard before a housewarming party on the Upper West Side. What are your weekend plans? 

Now, let’s dive into this week’s edition of Friday Favorites, including recipes, articles, posts and other things that caught my eye this week.

  • This post proves it’s possible to pack 10 days worth of cute outfits in one carry-on bag. Pin it so you can reference it when you pack for your next trip!
  • We whipped up this healthy coleslaw recipe on Monday and were so in love with the first taste that we doubled the recipe and enjoyed leftovers all week long. If you’re an Old Bay seasoning fan I highly recommend kicking the slaw up a notch by adding a few dashes of Old Bay.
  • I had meetings and events on the Upper East Side three times this week which translates into four hours of subway time. I was able to read over 100 pages in the new Curtis Sittenfeld book, Eligible, which Theodora recommended to me last week.
  • As I mentioned previously, I’m slowly but surely cleaning up my skin care routine, swapping out products for cleaner, less harsh ones. When I finished my night cream last week I ordered the Acure night cream, hoping I would like this one as much as I like their day cream. The night cream is heavy but moisturizes my skin without clogging pores and leaves me looking fresher each morning. The tube looks small but a little bit of this rich cream goes a long way.
  • After seeing this video I think I know what I’m bringing to tomorrow night’s housewarming party. I mean come on, does it get any better than rose wine slushies?
  • Now that short and dress season has arrived, I find myself shaving on an almost daily basis thanks to my dark, brunette underarm and leg hair that seems to grow ten times faster in the Summer. I swapped my regular Venus razor for the Venus + Olay razor and am in love with the silky, smooth results.  The Olay moisture bar on the razor leaves my legs looking as if I just applied moisturizer, saving me a step each day. (As a reminder, I am a P&G employee, but my opinion is honest and my own.)
  • The new emojis have been announced and I’m looking forward to filling my texts with palm to face, fingers crossed, avocado, shrimp and tacos! Which new emoji is your favorite?
  • One of my friends from college, Michael Lage, worked on the team that just answered Chick-fil-A customer’s number one complaint – the lines. I’m so thrilled to see that the app, Chick-Fil-A One, is currently the top downloaded app in the app store! The brilliant app allows customers to order and pay for their food in advance then quickly pick it up in a separate, shorter line when they arrive. Anyone who downloads the app gets a free chicken sandwich between June 1st and June 11th! Yum!
  • Eleven of these thirteen books everyone will be talking about this Summer were just added to my Goodreads account in hopes of reading them this Summer! What books are on your Summer reading list?

Disclaimer: This post is not sponsored and instead is a list of the things of my favorite things this week. As normal, it includes lots of beauty and fashion items which means there are a few affiliate links via ShopStyle. It takes time and money to maintain a blog so I thank you for the support and few cents that come from clicking through the links!

 

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FOOD & WORKOUT JOURNAL – MAY WEEK 4

Hello, hello! I hope you guys are having a great day.

As promised, I want to share my food and workouts with you as part of my renewed focus on my health and well being. Just a reminder, I find that tracking my food and workouts as well as sharing them with you on the blog helps hold me accountable. I am not counting calories or points this time around, just focusing on eating primarily healthy, natural foods. When it comes to workouts, keep in mind that I am currently recovering from a strained hamstring and bruised cuboid which have limited my workouts.  Luckily, last week was the final week of low-impact workouts and now I have the all clear from my doctor and physical therapists to ease back into running and high intensity workouts!

Week two was another great week and I’m now down 5 pounds total so far (3 pound week 1 and 2 pounds week 2).  I am tracking my workouts daily, but only tracking my food Monday morning through Friday afternoon. While it may not work for everyone, I find that allowing myself the freedom and flexibility to enjoy on the weekends helps me. I am also limiting alcohol to Friday and Saturday, with a goal to have no more than five glasses during the course of the weekend.  You will also see that I am a creature of habit. This week my dinners were a bit more random due to our schedule but overall it was nice to go into the weekend looking forward to wine and delicious meals versus feeling bloated and off-track from the week. I wasn’t working from home most days last week so my lunches were primarily eaten on-the-go.

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  • Monday
    • Breakfast: Coffee w Unsweetened Almond Milk, Fage 2% yogurt, 1/4 cup Purely Elizabeth granola, strawberries, chia seeds and flax seeds
    • Lunch: Salad (spinach, grilled chicken, egg whites, celery, tomatoes, carrots, red peppers, salt, pepper, olive oil, lemon, and red wine vinegar)
    • Snack(s): Apple with almond butter drizzle (~ 1 tablespoon), 1 cups Puffins
    • Dinner: Grilled swordfish, grilled corn and tomato salad and grilled asparagus
    • Water: 10 glasses
  • Tuesday
    • Breakfast:Skim latte, Fage 2% yogurt, 1/4 cup Purely Elizabeth granola, 1/2 banana, 1/2 c strawberries, chia seeds and flax seeds
    • Lunch: Salad (spinach, 1 egg + 1 egg white, tomatoes, cucumbers, peppers, onions, balsamic)
    • Snack(s): Apple with almond butter drizzle (~ 1 tablespoon)
    • Dinner: Grilled garlic and lemon boneless, skinless chicken thighs, grilled asparagus, side salad
    • Snack: 1/2 c Puffins + 10 chocolate chips
    • Water: 10 glasses
  • Wednesday
    • Breakfast: Iced coffee, Fage 2% yogurt, 1/4 cup Purely Elizabeth granola, 1/2 banana, chia seeds and flax seeds
    • Lunch: Salad (romaine, 1/4 avocado, grilled chicken, tomatoes, red onion, peppers, hummus, lemon juice) and Health-Ade Kombucha
    • Snack: orange + 1 serving almonds, unsweetened iced green tea
    • Dinner: Homemade grilled chicken sandwich with letuce, tomato, pickles, barbecue sauce served with  grilled asparagus and 2 pickles on side
    • Water: 8 glasses
  • Thursday
    • Breakfast: Coffee w Unsweetened Almond Milk, Fage 2% yogurt, 1/4 cup Purely Elizabeth granola, 1/2 banana, chia seeds and flax seeds
    • Lunch: Salad from NYC deli (Spinach, grilled chicken, edamame, tomato, carrots, cucumber, celery, green peppers, salt, pepper, olive oil & balsamic)
    • Snack(s): orange + 1 serving almonds
    • Dinner: A few shared appetizers, Veggie burger + 2 pickles and a Brooklyn Summer Ale enjoyed outside with friends
    • Water: 11 glasses
  • Friday
    • Breakfast: Coffee w Unsweetened Almond Milk, Fage 2% yogurt, 1/4 cup Purely Elizabeth granola, 1/2 banana, chia seeds and flax seeds
    • Lunch: Salad from NYC deli (romaine, red onions, red peppers, green peppers, tomatoes, grilled chicken, feta, lemon juice, olive oil, red wine vinegar)
    • Snack: apple and almonds in car, unsweetened iced green tea
    • Water: 11 glasses

FullSizeRenderWorkouts

  • Monday – Row House Chelsea
  • Tuesday – Mixed Level Bar Method at Bar Method Brooklyn
  • Wednesday –  Row House Chelsea
  • Thursday – Mixed Level Bar Method at Bar Method Brooklyn followed by physical therapy
  • Friday – rest day
  • Saturday – 2 mile run followed by squats, push-ups and planks
  • Sunday – 2 hours kayaking on the Batten Kill River

So there you have it! After two week I’m down five pounds and hope to lose one pound per week, on average, until I am back at my healthy weight and my Summer clothes fit again.

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