ashleyd /

#Bostonstrongnyc

Tonight I took a break from my endless work to-do list and stepped away from my desk for some quality time in Central Park. While the running community in New York City seems so small since one often starts seeing the same faces, it never ceases to amaze me. Just a few days ago Abby Bales teamed up with the amazing movement Pavement Runner started to organize a #BostonStrongNYC. This Central Park based run for Boston a week after the 117th Boston Marathon tragedy was just one of the many runs taking place across the country tonight. (picture source)

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I ran from my office to Tavern on the Green in Central Park before meeting up with more running friends than I could imagine seeing in one place. For 15 minutes I literally felt as if I was hugging and saying hello to many of my favorite running friends!

We were blessed tonight with perfect running weather even if it seems a bit cool for late April. I was able to wear my favorite Lululemon crop pants (get your own see-through pair here) and long sleeve t-shirt which was perfect since it’s the only blue running gear I own. While it isn’t Boston blue it was close enough tonight! As you can see above, I was even able to reconnect with my awesome Philadelphia Marathon support crew (Kristin, Beth, and Nadia) who I haven’t seen, all in once place, in ages!

Around 6:30 Abby led the group in a moment of silence after a brief introduction thanking everyone for showing up and supporting those affected by last week’s events. There were people watching bags for runners between 6:30 and 7:30 which was a nice touch for the many people coming directly from work. In addition, they quickly sold through many of the I run for Boston t-shirts they were selling for $20 to support The One Fund charity.  (image source)

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The group took off running South from Tavern on the Green and people were encouraged to run their own pace and own distance though there were two primary groups completing either 6.2 miles or 3.2 mile loops in the park. Ashley and Gia runstrongforboston

It’s been ages since I’ve hung out with Gia due to our busy schedules so I was thrilled when she offered to run with me and Melissa Z. Our small group spent the entire run talking about Miami, sunshine, careers, and upcoming travel which was a great way to keep my mind off of our pace. I saw a group in front of familiar runners in front of us around the mile point and decided I wanted to make it my goal to speed up enough to catch them. When we did we added Meggie Smith to our group and talked about her awesome blog posts about becoming an OB/GYN doctor.

When I finally turned off from the group I asked Gia if she’d finally share our pace with me since she’d kept it from me while we ran so my mental blocks wouldn’t keep me from achieving a pace she knew possible.

“Sure, you just beat your 5k PR by running a sub 8:45 for 3.2 miles. Good job!”

I think I almost started jumping up and down when I heard that considering that Bo and I are running a 5k in Cincinnati on Saturday with our friends Amy and Ryan. It is amazing when both the soul and body feel strong and content.

Thank you to everyone who made tonight an amazing way to kick off the week while also honoring Boston and supporting the #runforboston movement.

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ashleyd /

Central Park Turkey Trot

Happy Thanksgiving! Bo and I have so much to be thankful for this year including our wonderful friends and family, careers that challenge us each day, our health, our apartment which has truly become our home over the past year, and each of you!

Before spending the day together in the kitchen preparing for our Thanksgiving dinner which we’re hosting for five people, we headed to Central Park this morning for a 5k hosted by Beth. Appropriately named, RxBethOnTheRun’s Inaugural Central Park 5K Turkey Trot, the idea was to enjoy a relaxed 3.1 miles with friends as we enjoyed the sights and sounds of Central Park. Beth and Jen did a great job planning the run together in such short timing!

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While our group was small this morning it was a great chance to catch up with familiar faces and get to know a few ladies who I’ve been friends with on Twitter for ages.

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From left to right: Beth, Jen, Nicole , Liz, and me!

Beth mapped a course which took us from 72nd street up to the 90th street reservoir entrance, around the reservoir, back down the west side until reaching the transverse again! It was a perfect loop as the only hill was Cat Hill and the scenery around the reservoir and on the west side was right out of a New York City post card!

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Our group naturally broke into two groups at time, Bo and Shannon leading the pack while the rest of us hung behind. I was surprised how great my legs felt overall and was pleased by the fact that I was able to start out around a 10 minute pace during the first mile which was the perfect warm up. By the end our pace was a fast 8 something which lead to a 9:30 overall pace!

Heading down the west side of the park we were able to see the Macy’s Day Parade floats lining up which was a special, unexpected treat!

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As we crossed the finish line Beth graced each of us with homemade medals, an adorable touch!

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Overall, this was such a fun event as it was free, a new tradition, relaxed, and the perfect way to start Thanksgiving. The gorgeous weather and sites only added to the event.

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Now it’s time for us to get into the kitchen and finish cooking. And yes, I will be in the kitchen too today! I’m excited to spend the day learning and practicing some of my cooking and prep skills!

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ashleyd /

Back on Track

Curious what a back on track day looks like in pictures and words? Enjoy and welcome to a day in my world!

Morning Run (5:45-6:15am)

Good morning New York. While I don’t always love your slow tourists or the traffic, running up Lexington and seeing the lights on the Empire State Building illuminated over the city. There is nothing like friendly bodega men sweeping their sidewalks and giving cat calls at 6am.

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Breakfast (8:15am)

Oats, protein powder and an apple heated in a microwave makes for quite the Fall breakfast, especially on a cooler than expected morning. Pair it with a side of chai tea and it’s like fall in a cubicle.

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Lunch (1pm)

Oh hello lovely greens. I forgot how much this fiber and protein could fill me up and keep me energized all afternoon. I’ve upgraded my salads from romaine to spinach permanently. That in itself makes me feel better about my lunch time choices. This salad was so large that I didn’t even crave bread! I enjoyed an afternoon tangelo and a handful of almonds later in the afternoon since I knew I had an evening workout.

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Workout (6-7pm)

Thanks to the lovely ladies at Uplift Studios, I spent an hour sweating and stretching with Dori, Missy, Marielle, and other local fitness bloggers. I returned to my first love, Fit & Flow, a class that combines 30 minutes of heart pounding and muscle quiver inducing exercises with 30 minutes of relaxing yoga flow. I’m a huge fan of Michelle, who led the “fit” portion of the class. She uses the timer method so you know exactly how much longer you have and how hard you should push your body. Some of the moves left me dripping and panting. All of us agreed that the first 30 minutes almost had us in tears at points!

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Another fun aspect of Uplift Studios is the community aspect. Everything about the studio invites conversation and mingling: open bar, open layout, mirrors, open locker rooms, and friendly space. We enjoyed some healthy sips and bites while catching up and talking all things social media and workout related.

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Oh yeah, they even offer phone chargers so you can recharge your phone while you recharge your body!

Dinner (8:30pm)

Dinner at 8:30pm means that it needs to be quick and easy in addition to being healthy. While this may not be beautiful, a Thomas Bagel Thin with some Laughing Cow Cinnamon Cream Cheese served alongside egg white and veggie scramble is the perfect option!

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Okay your turn! I need some salad inspiration once again. What’s your favorite topping these days and why? Ten points if it is something I can find on a salad bar or at one of my local “chopped salad” places.

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