WCS Run for the Wild

This past Saturday was the Run for the Wild at the Bronx Zoo, a fundraising event for the Wildlife Conservation Society.  I love races like this for so many reasons! For one, it's held at a cool location.  Who doesn't want to say they got to run around a zoo?  Also, it's for a good cause.  I'm not great at math but if there were ~5,000 runners/walkers, who each raised a minimum of $30...that means the event raised at least $150,000 for the endangered lions and other wildlife! Awesome.

The run started at 8am, so I met up with Dad and my sister-in-law bright up and early.  It was 40degrees (feels like 33!), which pretty much made this the coldest race I've done since January! Crazy! 

Me, Dad & the SIL

The race itself wasn't much of a "race".  It wasn't timed and was really meant to be a "fun" run.  Even if we wanted to really run it, we couldn't have.  The course followed the walking paths of the zoo, so it was only about 6 feet wide at any given point.  Combine that with lots of people lacking any running etiquette, and there was no way we could get through the crowds to race.  But that's okay, sometimes.  It was still a nice run on a beautiful day! It was really cool to be run 3.1 miles surrounded by giraffes and zebras.

Oh, and my two cousins ran too! This was their first 5K run and they killed it.  I'm so proud! 

Congrats, ladies! What are we running next?! :)

I do have to say, this race wins the award for best post-run fuel! (I don't know who gives that award out, but the Run for the Wild deserves to win it.) Seriously, they had mini bagels (sesame, poppy, plain, cinnamon raisin), muffins, Greek Yogurt, Odwalla bars, bananas, apples, water AND Powerade! No joke! 

The best perk of this race (besides the finish-line snacks) was the entrance to the zoo for the rest of the day. I had a blast spending the day with my family and lots of furry friends.

Hi, friend.

We saw gorillas, bears, elephants and lions (oh my!).  And it's a good thing we ran for those lions, because they look too tired to do it themselves... 

So if you're looking for a stress-free 5K that guarantees fun with furry friends...the Run for the Wild is for you! 

Thumbs up for saving lions!

Thankful Thursday: Ritas & Rocky!

It's a SUPER DUPER Thankful Thursday today! (Let's all ignore that gross rain outside!)

I'm feeling thankful for...

...MARGARITAS! No one can argue with this one. Margaritas are even better when you drink them in good company. Just sayin...

...my herb garden that has started to sprout!

See those little green sprouts? No...? Well, they're there! I can't wait to have some fresh parsley, cilantro and basil growing in my windowsill.

...finding a case study patient! This is a big weight lifted off my shoulders for this internship.  And I'm actually going to make an impact on someone through nutrition education. Crazy. 

...THIS GUY coming back to us! I'm going to pick up my boy this weekend! Woohoo!

He looks excited to come back to Astoria, right?

...Indian and Thai food. 

As usual, I'm always thankful for food.

...for each and every one of you reading this! <3

Tell me what you're thankful for! :)

Thankful Thursday: Better Things Ahead!

Happy Thankful Thursday! What are we feeling good about today?

I'm feeling thankful...

...that I went to my first Yankee game of the season last night! Yeah, it was rainy and cool. Yeah, they lost. But I spent the night with my Dad, Aunt, brother & sister-in law at one of my favorite places in the world! :)

Can't beat the bleachers!

...for yoga class on Tuesday.  I haven't been able to make it to yoga lately, but I made it on Tuesday and it felt so good.


...for my Judgement-Free Zone.  AKA my friends.  I'm always doing something stupid or embarrassing, and they don't judge.  Ok, they probably judge a little bit...but they're still standing by me. Love you guys! (I'm using this L word quite a lot, ladies...It's kind of like snuggling.)


...that Kristin Wiig exists. She lights up my life with her hilarity.  


...for my nice clean bed.  It has been drool and dog-hair free and I love it.  Now if only I can get myself to spend more time in it. Like tonight. 


...for motivational quotes/images. I saw this one on a blog the other day and it really made me think.  I can't wait for all that lies ahead for me! :)

What are you all thankful for this week?

Thankful Thursday...Back on track!

Hey y'all! I got a lot of crap for skipping Thankful Thursday last week, so I'll try to make this one extra special! I'm in a fantastic mood today and here's why:


I'm thankful...


...for my fabulous friend who gifted me his registration for the Rugged Maniac race! Woohoo!

Such a nice surprise e-mail!

...for my sore, sore body.  I took a Body Sculpt class at the gym yesterday and I'm definitely feeling it today.  In a good way! I'll be ready for that Rugged Maniac in no time! (Also very thankful for a certain lady forcing me to go to the Body Sculpt class!)


...that it's baseball season!!!! Although it was a little bit of a rough start for my Yankees, we're back on track and ready for Opening Day at the stadium tomorrow.  Which I'll be watching at Stan's with my brother (and father..?).  Unless we finagle our way in...And yes, I just had to google if "finagle" is a real word!


...that I've been temporarily relieved of my dog-mothering duties.  He's visiting his Daddy for a few weeks.  Which means no waking up early for a walk, no drool all over my sheets and no getting attacked every time I blow dry my hair or change the garbage.  Although I miss his snoring and mush face.

Who wouldn't miss this guy?

...for a fabulous random night out with my friends last night.  We got together for a Happy Hour fundraiser for Kevin, who is doing a 100 mile bike ride to Montauk with Team in Training.  For those who don't know, TNT raises money for the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society through all sorts of these endurance events.  It's a fun way to get moving for a really great cause, and I commend Kevin for doing it! You can check out his story and donate money to the fantastic cause here.  Go Kev!

...for all you people who gave me crap for skipping this last week.  No matter what, when I write these Thursday posts, I feel happy.  Because I really do have so much to be thankful for and it's therapeutic to make yourself stop to think about it! And it just makes me happy that you all care enough to read my nonsense.

Now you tell me...what are you thankful for this week?

Life After the Half Marathon

So I haven't written a post in a really long time.  I even skipped my Thankful Thursday post last week (oops!).  I've been caught up in my internship and haven't had much to say as I'm not really running a lot either (oops again!).  I think I've run a total of 13 miles since running my 13 miles on half marathon day! That's terrible, I know.  But I kind of gave into the fact that I don't HAVE to run a certain amount of miles each week.  And even though I wanted to run, I found myself focusing more on doing work or enjoying time with friends than worrying about getting miles in.  So this has been my life after training...

NOT good.  I need to get back into the swing of things.  I'm doing the Run for the Wild 5k run at the end of the month, followed by the UAE Healthy Kidney 10K in May...

But most recently, a dear friend "gifted" me his registration to the Rugged Maniac in June.  I am STOKED for that.  I was planning on signing up anyway, but now I'm already in and can't wait! I think it's the perfect "race" to focus myself now.  I really want to work more on my overall fitness and this should be a fun way to do so.  Last year, Dad and I did the Run Amuck race and we LOVED it.  It was such a blast and definitely a physical challenge!

Run Amuckers!

Since my goals this month include hitting the gym more often, I should definitely be on target for training for this kick ass event! Mud pits, rope climbing, etc...Interested in joining us yet?

I've read a lot lately about runners getting burned out during training.  And what's worse is that they sometimes start to lose sight of why they run in the first place.  For me, it's because it's fun.  It's a release.  And of course, because it's a great way to stay healthy!  Running "fun" races is a great way to take a step back from the rigorous training and repetition to really enjoy yourself! 

So this is my plan for my "life after half-marathon".   Ya know, at least until I sign up for my next half! ;)

April Goals

Aaaaaand it's April! 

So I did pretty terrible with my February goals, so I aimed a little lower for March. And carried a few of those fails over! Let's see how I did:

My roll-over goals? 

1. Cook more and better meals during the week. CHECK.  I'm no Top Chef, but I made a mean Lentil Loaf, some sweet potato/white bean burgers, etc.  And my go-to meal of course, sweet potatoes and spinach. :)

2. Take a kickboxing class. Still, no.  In my defense, I was kind of busy training for a half-marathon.  

And how did I do with those March goals...?

1.  Complete my first half-marathon. DONE and DONE! Woohoo!

I crossed the finish line, just after this photo!

2. Focus on my upper body strength.  Alright, so I didn't do too much in terms of upper body workouts.  I'm pushing this one into April when I won't be so focused on mileage.

3. Take my dog on longer walks. Eh. This one is less my fault than Rocky's, but we didn't do too well.  He's more interested in sleep than walking/playing.

More sleep, less walking.

Alright then...let's set some new goals for April:

1. Do some speed work & hill training.  
2. Make it to the gym at least 3x a week! I know I'll be tempted to skip the gym and just run outside since it's getting nicer, but I want to do weight training too.
3. Incorporate veggies into every dinner! I've been slacking on my nighttime vegetables, so maybe writing this down will help! 

What are your goals for April? How do you stick with them?!