Things to look forward to.

This is my last semester of school and then I graduate and I'm done! I want it to go as fast as possible so I try and keep my schedule full of fun things that I can look forward to. It helps break it in to smaller more manageable chunks, just like running a big race.

Next weekend is Team in Training Summer season kick off on Saturday! This is where the whole team meets, and gets pumped for the season! The next day is SUPERBOWL SUNDAY! My partner in crime Siobhan and I are going to do the Long Beach Polar Bear plunge. It's a fundraiser for the Make-A-Wish foundation. You can donate to our team here.

Valentines day weekend Matt and I are going to Philadelphia for the weekend. I'm looking forward to eating a cheesesteak, checking out Tria, and shopping at the Sailor Jerry Store for some cute new outfits.

The weekend before St, Patrick's Day is the parade! This is one of my favorite times of the year! That day I'll be hosting our Team Run in the morning, napping, the parade! Followed by a great St. Pat's day feast at my in-laws.

This year for the parade feast and St. Patrick's day I'm going to pickle my own corned beef, using this Alton Brown recipe. And of course I will be baking Guinness cupcakes.

April, I have no plans yet. But that's probably a good thing, since I'm sure I will have a lot of work on my plate with my research.

May is going to be busssssy! Long Island half marathon, presenting my research to my department (omg, very scary to type that!!) Then graduation!

Cannot wait!

Life your Sole Giveaway

Marlene at Mission to a(nother) marathon is hosting a give away for a $24 gift certificate to the Life your sole store!

I think I'm going to order myself this beauty:

I'm just still glowing with excitement about finishing my first half! I earned it!

Go visit Marlene and check out her blog, which happens to be one of my favorite running blogs, and enter to win!

Tattoos

These are all my tattoos. I love each of them and have no regrets about them. There are so many other things that I want.

This is little wing, my first tattoo. She was done at Lark Tattoo in Westbury by the lovely Miss D' Jo. It's a little hard to tell but it's on the side of my ribs. Yupp my first tattoo was on my ribs. It wasn't as bad as people said it was going to be. I also tend to tolerate pain pretty well.

I got my sakura done by Miss D'Jo after our wedding. This was an uncomfortable spot. I have no black outlines either. She went over the stencil outlines with no ink in to gun, just water, to make a blood outline for the rest. Both legs took about two hours, and the next day I felt like I did some horrible leg work out. Anytime I was being tattooed the other leg was so tense and pressing into the table I was laying on. So worth it though. These are to commemorate my trip to Japan.

This is my newest addition. Done at Hand of Glory in Brooklyn. It was done for Friday the 13th this past October. Many shops do specials on Friday the 13th, to help make new contacts and introduce themselves to new clientele.

I cannot wait to get more. I'd really like to get a piece of Sailor Jerry flash. Not sure what exactly.

Disney Swag

Just a quick post to show off some Disney swag! My mom and I went to the expo on Friday and she spoiled me with some good stuff. She's so proud of me!

An absolutely snugly hoodie. They also had this nice Donald Duck half marathon tech shirt the day before, but it was already sold on on Friday :(

This is a really nice hoodie, which does not come up too high and choke my neck.

Half marathon visor

This was the race shirt we got for free at packet pick up. Nice because it's long sleeve, and tech fabric. I wore it today on a short run and it was perfect, breathable and kept me warm.

A Mickey Mouse Bondi Band for my hair. I wanted the half one but it was white, and since I dye my hair it would be red in a short amount of time. This band is great! Vicky had one on at the Friday morning run. Since it's so wide it efficiently keeps all my little bird feathers (the short little fly-aways around my face) from sticking to my sweaty face when I'm running. This will be essential in the humid weather.

Post race withdrawal

It's just like after my wedding. I was so bored, all the time I spent training has created a void. I've been just bumming around, and working a lot and reliving race day in my head. It was so amazing. I cannot wait to do another half. Emily and I are going to do a nice easy short run tomorrow, not early though.

I applied to be a fundraising mentor for the Team in Training summer season, and I found out today I was accepted! My team will be doing the Long Island Half or the Rock N Roll Half/Full in San Diego. I decided I am definitely going to do the LI half, and I'm on the fence about signing up for RNR too and doing the fundraising again so soon. I know I could do it though. So two definite races so far for the year are the LI Half and the Smuttynose Half in October.

I also got my finisher pictures the other day and before receiving them I was sure they

would be horrid. However they turned out nice:

My Finisher Picture

Somewhere near the end in Epcot.

Emily and I right before crossing the finish line. We decided to hold hands as we crossed.

WE DID IT! Would you believe it took us 40 minutes just to cross the starting line? There was that many people.

Disney Half Marathon 2010 Race/ Weekend Report

I'm back with a medal! The race was great, albeit quite chilly. I finished in 3:01:12 which is pretty good for my first half.

Before:

We left on Thursday from JFK on a 9:30 am flight. We flew Jet Blue out of terminal 5, which was recently redone and is gorgeous with lots of nice places to eat and healthy food is easy to find. I woke up with a nervous stomach. So I had a banana, a Fage yogurt with honey and sea salt rice chips which helped to settle my belly pre-flight. Our flight went smoothly both ways. Once we arrived in Orlando we took Disney's magical express to the hotel and got settled in our room. Later on we went to the race expo to pick up our numbers and buy some goodies.

I picked up The Stick, to massage out my horrid IT bands, and a cute Will Run for Beer hooded

tee from One more Mile. After we got back I got everything laid out for the race then we to the team dinner.

The Time:

5k split 41:17

10k split 1:24:55

15k split 2:09:42

Finish time: 3:01:12

Pace: 13:49

The race:

We had to meet the team at 2:30. It was too early we hadn't gotten back until after 9 pm from the dinner. I was so anxious, on edge, overwhelmed and just plain exhausted that I called Matt crying. When I got back to the room after getting off the phone I saw Mentor Rob had decorated our door! It was so exciting!! We took pictures then went to bed.

We got about 4 hours of sleep then tried our best to get ready and not forget anything.

When we met the team in the food court at 2:30. We hung out there for about an hour before taking pictures and getting excited the we got on the bus to leave for the race.

When we arrived at the race the bus dropped us off in the Epcot parking lot and we had to walk pretty far (half mile?) to the gate. It was *so* cold. We are all bundled up and shivering. Coach Dave declared a base camp area. We got out ourblack garbage bags, tore holes in them and huddled under them for warmth. And then, it started snowing.

Myself, Emily, Vicky, Tina and Jess were running together. So we made our way to drop off our bags, then to the potties. I have made it 26 years with out ever using a porta potty. I broke the streak on race day. It was not as bad as I thought it would be, and it was better than running 13.1 with a full bladder. I still will in the future avoid them like the plague.

After we starting making our way to the corrals

which were about a 25 minute walk still. When we arrived we could not even get in the corral it was so crowded! We waited outside the corral for a while. We were all running in the last corral to stay together, and it was not until the corral before us started that we were able to get in.

We all held hands like a row of ducklings so we didn't lose anyone and we got in and made our way up, the fireworks went off and we started! Then Vicky looks back and sees we are the last few people there. She says "There is no way they are basing the cutoff pace on us!" We held hands again and she pulled us up through the pack, and we started to settle into our run.

Miles 1-3: So cold and dangerous! Everyone was peeling their garbage bags and layers off so they were all over the course. I was so scared of slipping on something so I was looking down the whole time. Just as we started running it started sleeting. My face was getting pelted with the little ice pellets and they kept ending up in my shoes. And it was still dark out. Boo.

Miles 4-7: I finally warmed up and was rolling although my legs were still chilly. Through the whole race we were watching out for each other and constantly yelling out each others names to make sure we were still all together. Around mile 6 we got into the Magic Kingdom and it was so nice. There were lots of people cheering us on even in the lousy weather. And I got to see my mom there!

Mile 8: Tired kicked in. I wanted an extra walk break, but Emily said no way. Thank you Em for that. I know if I took it that would have been the end of me, and I would have gotten lazy through the end. We stopped for the potties real quick and while I was waiting for the others we met another girl who was hurting and was also going to run the full the next day. Yikes!

Miles 9-10: We plugged on some more. It was cold, I was tired and hungry and getting really cranky. Mile 10 was a cloverleaf, so we were running on a sideslope, which my ankle did not enjoy. By the end of mile 10 I swore I will never do this again. I also got a bad cramp in my calf, which I could not get rid of and decided to run through it.

Miles 11-12: We were really loosing it here. I got another cramp in my other calf. Em got a bad side stitch and refused to stop. We slowed down and I pulled her arm over her head to stretch it out as we running. I'm sure it was a sight to see.

Mile 13: Is it over yet? I just wanted to be done. Em and I were cranky and on the verge of tears from lack of sleep. We got to the end of mile 13 and I yelled "Oh my god, we still have another tenth of a mile?!" I was pissed.

Mile .1: That was the longest tenth of a mile ever. The finish line was in sight. Em and I held hands and raised them up as we crossed. 3:01:12 was my time. As soon as we crossed we were crying and hugged. We were so happy we finished! Then we saw Tina and Vicky and had a big group hug. It was such an amazing feeling to have finished! We got our heat sheets and stopped on the side to catch our breath. I was wheezing so bad. We kept walking then got out medals and I hugged the guy that gave me mine. Then finisher pictures, which I'm sure look amazing after running in the rain, sleet and crying. Powerade, food, then the baggage line. It took so long to get my bag! I was so cold and my teeth where chattering, and my fingers were so numb I could barely peel my banana. It was sad.

After I got my bag I made my way to the TNT tent to check back in and let them know I was safe. I got my TNT finisher pin and changed in my dry sweats, hugged the rest of my team mates and then found my Mom. My friend Pam took some pictures of me after and I look like I should be on a Red Cross disaster relief commercial. So sad. We made our way to the bus line and I got

on my bus back to the hotel. I was so happy, it was soo warm and a place to sit.

After Em and I got back we took showers and then debated food or sleep. But since we had to walk a little bit far to get to the food court we decided to wait and sleep. It was the best sleep ever.

We woke up and got food. I had a double bacon cheeseburger with fries. It was so gross but so good. I deserved it!

That night we met up with my Mom and Pam and her family at Cape May Cafe in the Beach Club for a a seafood buffet dinner. A great end to a long day!

Emily and I in our comfy clothes with our medals.

Dinner at Cape May Cafe, one big happy family.

Sunday I got to sleep a bit late. I met my mom in Epcot for a bit then I met up with my favorite Rich, who I haven't seen since he moved to Florida! We spent the after noon catching up and drinking around Epcot.

Epcot is really rad. I love the world section where you can be transported around the world in a matter of a few steps. I want to go back there with Kuma, he'd love it. Rich was saying there is a food and wine festival in the fall that involves a half marathon. Sign me up!

Emily, Vicky and I in the Orlando airport.

Even though the weather was lousy it was still a great experience. And even though I swore during mile 10 that I would never run another half I will be signing up for another one.

I can't believe it's here!

Leaving for Disney tomorrow! And I hear it's chilly down there. It better not snow!

WE had our send off party last night and it was great to see everyone all together and be excited all together! As a team we raised over $130,000 bucks! Go TEAM!

My boss gave me Captain Squirrel today as a good luck gift and made little sweatbands for him! So cute!

I was ready and almost packed but then the weather seems to have become very chilly in Disney, so that threw a wrench in my plans. I'm packing extra running clothes so I can decide when I'm there.

I'm excited to lots of eating and seeing one of my old friends from high school who now lives down there!

Race report to come!

Huevos Rancheros

This summer Kuma and I went to D.C. and spent a few days with his cousin Derek. D.C. is great place for eating, and Derek is a great food tour guide. He knows all the best places around and I can never get enough of what D.C. has to feed me.

He took us for brunch at a bar called Asylum in Adam's Morgan. This place was quite interesting, a metal bar at night and serving brunch on the weekends duri

ng the day. There is also a vegan menu of all the brunch favorites.

Asylum was where I was able to cross huevos rancheros off my Omnivore's 100 list. A nice crisp corn tortilla topped with eggs, salsa and black beans served with fruit on the side. Such a great breakfast! I haven't had it since then and have been craving them the past few days.

Huevos Rancheros

4 corn tortillas

4 eggs

1 cup shredded cheese (cheddar, munster, monterey jack, whatever blend you like)

1 15.5 oz can of black beans

1/3 cup salsa

1/4 cup chopped cilantro

1 clove of garlic, pressed

2 tbsp olive oil, plus additional for frying tortillas

1 small onion, diced

1 lime, cut into wedges

Optional: 4 oz can of green chilies

Beans:

In a small sauce pan heat 2 tbsp of olive oil, saute onion and garlic until onions are translucent. Add beans and liquid from can, 2 tbsp of salsa, 1 tbsp of chopped cilantro and green chilli

es if using. Stir and simmer over medium heat for 15 minutes or until most of the liquid has evaporated. Stir frequently to prevent beans from sticking to pan and burning.

Tortillas:

In a frying pan, preferably cast iron, heat about 2 tbsp olive oil and fry one tortilla for about 5 seconds, the flip and fry other side for about 5 seconds. Using a spatula lift fried tortilla and place a second tortilla underneath the first. Fry for about 5 seconds and repeat by placing another tortilla under the stack until all are fried. Remove from pan and place on paper towels to drain excess oil.

Scramble eggs in frying pan, top with shredded cheese. Turn heat to low and cover with a lid, allowing cheese to melt. Divide eggs into four portions.

Assemble:

Place tortilla on a plate, top with a portion of eggs, then beans, add 1 tbsp of salsa, then garnish with chopped cilantro. Serve with lime wedges for squeezing and a margarita. Avocado wedges also make a nice addition.

German Meatballs

My mother in law made these once for Sunday dinner. Kuma, my brother in law and his girlfriend were all a little freaked out by them at first. But sometimes it's better to just say "Shut up and try it." to quote a lady I used to work with.

This is such a keeper recipe. Easy to make. You can even freeze the meatballs before baking them in the sauce for a quicker dinner. You can make this with your choice of ground meat and since it's baked for an hour you don't need to worry about cooking the meatballs the whole way through when you fry them. This also works nicely for dinner parties and potlucks.

German Meatballs

Meatballs:

1 pound ground turkey, pork, beef or a blend It's up to you.

1 cup cracker meal or crushed crackers

2 eggs

1/2 tsp caraway seeds

1/2 tsp freshly ground nutmeg

1/4 tsp chili powder

1 small onion minced

oil for frying

Sauce:

1 16 oz. can whole cranberry sauce

1 16.oz can sauerkraut

1/4 cup brown sugar

1/4 tsp. chili powder

Preheat oven to 350°F. In a medium bowl mix together all the ingrdients for the meatballs except the oil. To test the seasoning of the meat heat a small amount of oil in a frying pan and fry a small patty. Adjust seasoning is necessary.

In a large frying pan heat oil and cook meatballs until they are just browned on the outside. Don't worry about cooking them all the way through, since they will bake after.

In a medium saucepan over medium high heat, add all the sauce ingredients and combine until throughly combined and the brown sugar is dissolved.

Place meat balls in a single layer in a 9x13 glass baking dish. Top with sauce and bake for one hour at 350°F uncovered. Serve over egg noodles, spaetzle or potato pancakes.

Serves 4

Good bye 2009, Hello 2010

It's been a great year! I'm happy 2010 is here, so the greatness can continue on.

Recap of 2009:

• Started running regularly

• Ran a 5K and a 10K

• Signed up for Team in Training and a Half marathon

• Discovered I can run 14 miles and not die

• My senior year of college

• Raising over $4,000 for LLS

Things to look forward to in 2010:

• Running the Disney half marathon (in 8 days!!)

• Graduating college (5 months!!)

• Moving to the city

• The Smuttynose Rock Fest Half marathon in NH with Kuma.

• A new tattoo

• A trip to California

• Getting out of debt

Cheers to a new year!