Time is flying…

Talk about how the time is absolutely flying by! I cannot believe it is Wednesday all ready! All I have to say is the weekend and this work week have kept me insanely busy!

Quick Running Recap since Friday (oh my the last time I posted! sorry family 😉

Friday ~ Nice and easy 55 minutes outside

Saturday ~ Nice and easy 50 minutes outside (45 minutes + 6×30 second striders)

Sunday ~ Awesome 13 miles group run (and to be honest it was a slower run and to be even more honest it has been much needed)

“Come for the Picture…Stay for the Run” Group

Monday ~ One hour regular run (52 minutes + 8 minutes with my pup – he loves to run so I ran back to get him for the remaining time)

Tuesday ~ Speed Workout on the treadmill (5 minutes at 7.2, 5 minutes at 7.5, 10X1 minute hard (6:00 – 5:53 minute/mile with 7:53 minute jog), regular pace until I hit 5 miles (7:47), then from mile 5 – 6 I ran 6:55 minute mile, and finished with my cool down at 7.9 to total 7.05 miles in 51 minutes. To be honest stopping the treadmill at 51 minutes was extremely tough, I was tempted to go until 55, but I wanted to get home to see my puppy.

Yoga yoga yoga

Last week I got to yoga twice (I know a lot less than the week before), but I still made it there and it is till helpful. So far this week I haven’t made it at all. My plan was to go today but something came up I need to help with and I even had to get someone to cover my first desk shift.

I am going to try and go to a new class tomorrow night. It starts at 7:35 which is late for me considering I like to be in bed by 8:30 (ha I know pathetic lol). I am definitely going to the Friday and Saturday class so I know I will get in two sessions this week.

Other Fun Stuff

Saturday was the ugly sweater party and it was a ton of fun! I made funfetti “healthy” dip with animal crackers on the side. The hosts love this dip and so I figured it would be the perfect thing to make especially since they have Christmas FunFetti mix and Stop and Shop carries Christmas sprinkles. SCORE!

I think Brutus wanted some!

I normally don’t do selfie pictures because well for some reason I just feel strange taking them; however, I had to show my family my lovely Ugly Sweater Outfit and of course I had to have a picture of it to tease the bf with later (I also made sure to find the worst picture I could…I know I’m so sweet)!

ha ha ha

DIY ugly sweater… less than $10!

This week has been hectic at work and I don’t think I have even had a lot of opportunities to read my favorite blogs. I am looking forward to Winter Vacation so I can catch up on blogs, relax, run, see friends I haven’t seen in forever, and just enjoy my time away from the “real” world!

…Oh and I will also be starting my four weeks of different gyms for free. I think my first week will be the hot yoga studio!

this face…how can you not love it?!?!?!

Have you been to any holiday parties yet?

What are you most looking forward to this “winter” break?

When the Cold Hits…

I thought I would do the recap of good ole’ Thanksgiving and all that good stuff but truth be told I took zero pictures. All I have to say is it was a wonderful day filled with new people (I started out at my bf’s cousin’s house) and my family (then went to my family) and it cannot get any better than that. I also didn’t eat as much as I thought I would. I pretty much took the marshmallows off the sweet potato casserole (my mom gets them nice and crispy) and a few small pieces of turkey. For dessert I had some of my chunky chocolate chip banana bread – wait no I lied, I took the chunks out of the banana bread, chocolate moose – again I lied, I took the chips out and ate those, and the icing off of cupcakes from Magnolia’s Bakery in NYC (my uncle works there and brings them every year). We always have a TON more dessert than dinner; whenever it comes to a holiday that’s how it always pans out.

Friday we finally celebrated Chanukah as a family. My older sister and brother-in-law hosted Chanukah. Again, another food-filled holiday. We had bagels, potato latkes, crock pot french toast, spinach soufflé, and all the left over desserts from the night before. After we finished eating my niece and nephew wanted to open presents. So that’s what happened! I think the gift my bf got the kids ended up being the hit of the night. He got them Nerf guns and I ended up taking over and shooting everyone. It was a ton of fun!

Sunday after my group run I headed up to a long time family friends for another brunch. As always it was amazing and another great time with family and friends. I wish I took pictures of all the food from the holiday weekend. It really was all amazing. Oh well!

When the cold hits it can be hard to get out there and run. I keep reading everywhere to invest in a winter running jacket but I just haven’t done it. I have been running since HS and to be honest I have never bought winter running gear. In college I ran in North Jersey where it snows more and the temps are colder than were I grew up but still no winter weather gear. I would throw on running tights, a cotton t-shirt, a long sleeve cotton t-shirt, and a cotton sweatshirt…ummm…what was I thinking?! Gear was something that was just never focused on, we just RAN. I think this year I may actually buy some warmer winter running gear (no probably not, I say that every year)!

Anyway, here is an article I read on competitor running about staying warm in the winter. Two of the tips I liked:

1. Stay Warm In The Wind

Run with the wind in your face on the way out and wind at your back the second half of the route. If you run with the wind at your back the first half of a run, you’ll get hot and sweaty, and when you turn around, the wind will get very cold.

Use a substance such as Vaseline on exposed parts of your skin, such as your face, to help protect from the cold and wind. Vaseline is naturally waterproof and quite windproof. It will help keep your face from “falling off” in bitter winds.

Lastly, invest in a jacket with wind-breaking features. This easy investment can go a long way in keeping your arms and upper body warm on a cold day. <– I know I need to do this!

2. Wear A Mask

Galen Rupp took a lot of heat from running enthusiasts when he showed up at the 2011 NYC Half Marathon wearing a mask. While many onlookers thought he might be a ninja, or worse yet a bank robber, Rupp was actually protecting himself from allergies and the cold air. The cold, dry winter air can cause bronchial spasms, which restricts air from filling the lungs. Running in a light mask can help warm-up the air before it hits your lungs. You don’t want or need a beefy scarf, but a light mask can help filter the air just enough if you tend to have breathing issues, especially when you try to run hard.

How do you stay warm in the winter?