#sexycore is HARD!

Did I mention that I really love Oiselle? Their NorCal sales reps came to the SFRC run last night and debuted the upcoming line. It looks fab. Last night was ladies night at SFRC which meant 20% of sports bras. I'm a real sucker for a deal, so check out my latest purchase below! 

Oiselle shorts and matching sports bra

So, I now totally remember why I usually quit #sexycore programs after 2-3 days. They are hard and I am very, very sore. Not that pleasant-sore feeling where you feel good because you're happy that you've worked your muscles. Nope. This type of sore is painful and uncomfortable. The thought of doing more sit-ups right now makes me feel physically sick. And I'm only on day 3. 

Travis thinks I should do 3 days on and 1 day off of #sexycore. So that's what I'm going with. And I have much to be proud of for completing day 3 this morning before work because I knew I wouldn't want to do it tonight after getting home late from an event in the city.

Initially, Travis laughed at the whole #sexycore idea and said he couldn't wait to see how long this lasted. Can't hate him for laughing...I've started one too many of these little programs. #motivation 

And lastly, I'm trying to eat as healthy as possible. I made this dank salad for lunch the other day and ate it on our patio in the sunshine. Could life be any better right now?

Dank salad

#Sexycore

#sexycore is my new mantra.  It has to be hashtagged because I literally think in hashtags! My motivation for a #sexycore is driven by two different things: my upcoming wedding and my upcoming marathon.  I'm hoping that having two equally powerful motivators will keep me on track. You better believe I have started #sexycore programs before. And they have been abandoned after 2-3 days. But not this time. 

Lydia's #sexycore program

In all honesty, this program is not that hard. In fact, for someone that does sit ups on a regular basis, this program probably looks pretty damn easy. But I happen to have the weakest abs ever for someone so "fit." 

Starting tonight, I did everything on this list, except #9, pike on swiss ball. I'll need to work up to this one as I slammed into the closet door, falling out of position on my first attempt. I probably spent a total of 10 minutes or less doing #1-8. (Oh, yes, I skipped #10 tonight too because I already did 20 pushups this morning.  For real, I did!)

I stole this #sexycore program from the lovely crew over at Oiselle. I follow them on insta and they rock! Saw their #sexycore program and decided it was time to create my own. (See below for my latest Oiselle purchase, which is super comfy!)

Oiselle Feather Trials Hoodie (size S is perfect!)

So, now I have two questions:
1) How often should I do my #sexycore program? Every day? Every other day? 2-3 days a week?
2) Is it better to do the #sexycore program all in one sitting? Or will I reap the same benefits if I break it up throughout the day, i.e., half in the morning, half in the evening?

Tour de Central Park

Arrived in NYC this afternoon. I'm here for an Investor Relations conference and it is awesome to be back! I lived in Brooklyn my first year out of college (um 7 years ago now?) and quickly learned that big city life was not for me. That being said, NYC is one of the most fun places to visit and I always look forward to a solid Big Apple work trip.

My morning started extra early (I woke up at 5:15am) to catch a 6:05 Marin Airporter. Anytime I fly these days, I like to wear my compression socks. Sitting in a confined area for long periods of time is REALLY bad for you. Wearing the compression socks is supposed to help with your blood circulation and prevent blood clots, deep vein thrombosis, etc. As someone with naturally weak leg veins, I don't fly without these socks. But it is hard to form cute outfits with them on. Luckily I have a pair of loose skinny jeans and the socks fit perfectly underneath them. I wore my running shoes, which is kind of dorky, but...one less thing to pack.

My flight was super easy (though I had a window seat and I really only like aisle seats now so that I can pee whenever I want). But at least at the window, I was treated to views like this:

Pretty sure that's Lake Tahoe

I arrived at my hotel in NYC (Andaz) at 6:00pm sharp. It's actually a pretty nice hotel! I say "actually" because I have never heard of this place, but it's the conference hotel. Anyway, I unpacked a few dresses and then immediately put on my running clothes and headed out for a run. Destination = Central Park.

Running outfit = present from Travy's mama for my b-day (Title Nine)

The run to Central Park sucked...stop and go, dodging people, crazy smells. But once in the park, it was so wonderful and green and happening. I forgot how big the park is. And beautiful. Once I got myself on the main road through the park, I totally remembered the route. And it just so happened that the JP Morgan Chase Corporate Challenge was taking place, so I watched the lead runners come through.

Not the lead runners, but huge kudos to ALL participants

I did the whole Central Park road loop, but by the end, I really needed a bathroom. I walked the last 1/2 mile or so, which was OK because it's hard to run on 5th Ave. Safely back in the hotel, I then had a hankering for a little treat that I passed while entering and exiting.

I couldn't resist the ice cream truck!

And now I sign off in an attempt to go to bed "early." I'm planning to wake up at 6am for a 3-4 mile jog before my conference. I've gotta do it at 6 so that I have time to shower and blow dry my hair. IR professionals always look their best, so I've gotta bring it tomorrow :)

"Running for Jim"

I love to run and yet sometimes running feels like a chore that takes up an annoying amount of time (especially if you include stretching, showering, etc). And I hate to say it, but during the work week, running feels like a chore more often than not. Luckily, I'm still in my recovery phase so am not too freaked out about off days right now, nor am I willing to rise extra early to squeeze in a run. For example, I knew I had plans last night and thus wouldn't be able to run after work. It felt so wonderful to wake up and relax. What did I do instead of running? Well, I made coffee, cuddled into a blanket, and read a book on my kindle for 40 minutes. No regrets on that decision!

Last night I went to see a movie at the Roxie theatre in SF with some of my teammates, "Running for Jim." I'm not into giving plot summaries, so I'll skip that part, but man-oh-man was that an inspirational movie. Bottom line, I need to count my lucky stars that I am able to run. You just never know what crazy-ass, incurable disease is heading your way in the future (ALS?). Thankfully the movie didn't end with dramatic text stating that Jim had died...instead, Jim made a live appearance for some Q&A. Someone asked how he gets through "bad days." Jim said he always reminds himself that plenty of other people are much worse off. He just keeps fighting and looking towards the future. He plans to coach XC next fall. 

Jim is a truly incredible man. I plan to conjure up my best image of Jim every time I'm feeling like a lazy butt and don't want to run. I also plan to keep Jim in the back of my mind during races and embrace that unrelenting pain that Jim would probably do anything to feel again. I highly recommend this movie to everyone - runners and non-runners.

Today, I ran 5 miles after work (8:06 avg pace per Strava) and it was lovely. I still feel slightly out of whack, but my legs felt much lighter today. That's a nice feeling. Tomorrow morning, bright and early, I head to NYC and am looking forward to stretching my legs out tomorrow evening in Central Park. I didn't take any pictures from my run today, but I did take the below picture of myself before work to send to my man!

Other perks of not running in the morning - I can take my time to get ready and do my hair. My standard work hair is a wet/dry bun, so today I was really rockin' it. And people noticed! "Wow, you've got a Hawaii beach vibe going today!" Not exactly what I was going for, but OK! :)

How long does it take to recover from a marathon?

Well, I certainly don't know the answer, and it would appear the internet isn't sure either. One article says: "A standard rule of thumb is one day per mile." Hmm, so I can expect that it will take almost a month to fully recover? And what does it even mean to recover?

I like the advice from this NY times blog which recommends a "reverse taper" for 2-3 weeks after a marathon. I was a little weary about even reading an article that starts with "I ran my first marathon this month," but it was a good 'lil blurb that basically says there is no right/proven answer. Which I take to mean that I can do whatever the eff I want for the next month or so. And by then, most people agree, I should be officially recovered.

My fiance (an aspiring ultra-runner) is convinced I should have been doing small runs of 1-3 miles starting the day after my m-thon...it would help with my recovery. I did not take his advice because it didn't feel right to me and my body. Instead, after Newport I took exactly 6 days off from running (and all other forms of exercise).

Run #1, yesterday, was a minor "disaster." I felt horrible the entire.freaking.time. I thought all of my soreness was gone, but when I started running, these weird areas that don't normally hurt started aching. Like my left knee, for example. I've never once had knee trouble and didn't even have knee trouble during the actual marathon. But all the sudden my left knee is throbbing like crazy. What a struggle it was to run 5 miles under 9:30 pace.

Luckily, run #2 today was muuuuuuuuch better.  I still don't feel "back to normal," but I felt a whole heck of a lot better than yesterday. My knee was still mildly throbbing. Still, I ran a very cruisy ~8:26 avg pace over 4 miles and felt relatively good. Phew! 

I motivated myself out the door today by putting on my favorite Mountain Hardwear and Montrail running gear and then posing (for myself) in a bed of luscious, green clover, located approximately 7 steps outside of my apartment door.

Ghost Whisperer Hooded Jacket, Mighty Power Capri, Montrail FluidFlex

Tonight, post-run, I'm happy as a clam. My ridiculously delicious and healthy dinner is below and it was followed by 1.5 squares of dark chocolate because I crave the contrasting flavor.

Ridiculous salad

And, like so many times after a run, I feel 1,000 times more clear in the head and ready to tackle the upcoming work week. This week I'm also biding my time until my fiance returns from his whirlwind tour de Asia!

What's a blog? Giving this writing thang a try...

I am a long-time runner/racer/current member of the best all-women's club racing team in the world...the Impalas! Below picture is me proudly racing in my Impala uniform.  I cannot imagine my life without running.

Club Nationals 6k in Seattle, WA (2011)

I've been thinking about running a lot lately...probably because I'm not running right now. I recently completed my 4th marathon in Newport, OR and am giving myself a little time to heal. Previous marathons in the books include: Nike Women's in SF, Boston, and Mid Mountain in Park City, UT, but I count this most recent effort as my first legit attempt at the marathon. This is the first time I actually trained the way one should train for a marathon, ie., I followed a marathon training schedule and stuck to it pretty darn closely. #proudofmyself

And now that my first legit marathon is complete, it feels like the end of an era. I've got the post-marathon blues (mmm ok maybe not). But, the good news is that I intend to run another marathon during calendar year 2013. And, the bad news is that I intend to run another marathon during calendar year 2013.  Haha seriously - I'm not sure if I should be totally pumped or scared shitless, but, ready or not (preferably ready), here I come, Sactown/CIM. You see, I told myself I would sit out the marathon distance for awhile (indefinitely?) after Newport IF I broke the 3-hour barrier. And what do I end up running??? 3:02:46. Of course I can't be too upset with this effort as it's a 21+ minute PR and it breaks the previous family record held by my Dad of 3:06 in what he will remind me was his very first marathon and a "very, very hilly course." But, my quest to run a sub-3 marathon lives on. I know I can do it (if I can hang on mentally) and I will continue running the damn marathon until I do!!