I Do More Than Just Run!

While I have come to love running and have run many races over the last year, I have also committed myself to exploring other sports and fitness activities. Recently I found a spinning class that I have greatly enjoyed being a regular at. And with the help of a personal trainer for a few sessions, E and I have developed a series of circuits to benefit our running. We primarily use free weights and have learned how to incorporate the Bosu ball into our workouts.



More recently E and I have taken on the challenge of tackling hill repeats...namely the infamous Heartbreak Hill. We have only run hills a couple times thus far, but have a weekly hills date set up. Wednesdays at 8 am. We found a stretch of H.H. that we run 6x. Definitely a challenge to get myself out of bed for the 8 am hills...but man does it feel good when it's all done. I enter my day high on endorphins, knowing that I have already accomplished a lot while most of my peers are probably still sleeping.

Personal goal: Be able to do a pull-up!!

Harpoon 5 Miler

Ran another fun race in Boston on June 5th. This one was sponsored by Harpoon Brewery...which meant "free" beer at the end of the race :) Would definitely do this race again.

(Race shirt)

Veggie Monster

As part of my living healthier challenge for this year I decided to challenge myself to eat more veggies. To help meet this challenge I signed up to split a CSA box with E. Every Thursday, June-November, we pick up a box full of veggies from Siena Farms (so I also get to support my brother-in-law in meeting this challenge). Thus far our boxes have included a plethora of veggies many of which I have no idea how to fix: bok choi, rainbow chard, kale, beets, carrots, radishes, turnips, arugula, fennel, and more. The CSA box has not only challenged me to eat more veggies, it has also challenged me to cook more whole foods and to try new recipes. E and I have made a series of quinoa dishes, salads, stir fry, and this past week we even attempted a frittata. Can't wait to see what else we get and what other fun recipes we find!

2010 Half Marathon #2

On May 30th I took on the challenge of running half marathon #2 of the year. Forecasts had been predicting a very warm day and I had just worked three 12 hour shifts in the last four days...so energy and enthusiasm were a bit low. However when I woke up on race day to a sunny, but cooler than expected morning I was pumped. I was determined to finish the race and just have FUN!

(Starting line)

The course was beautiful and for the most part was pretty flat. It started in South Boston, ran along the Charles River to just beyond Harvard, and eventually took us around the Boston Commons and back into South Boston. C and I decided to stick together the entire race. We made the commitment to go at the pace of the slowest person. There were moments where I was dragging that C pulled me along, and vice versa. Running next to someone definitely helps. At the end of the race C and I joined up with a couple of her coworkers to celebrate with some food and beer at the Atlantic Beer Garden. One would have thought I had learned my lesson about sunscreen on my beach day...but alas I came home looking very much like a lobster.

(Tired feet)
2 down......

May 25th: First Beach Day :)

Having a day off of class and beautiful weather, a couple friends and I went to Gloucester, MA for our first beach day of the season. The water was a bit chilly, but it was a nice relief from the sun. And of course as luck would have it I came home with a painful sunburn. Lesson learned...I need to reapply sunscreen earlier.


(The town of Gloucester)