Archive for September, 2013
Running a 5k
I did my first 5k as a pregnant lady this weekend!
I haven’t been running at all, it just hasn’t felt comfortable for me, but I signed up for this race because I did it last year and at the end you get to do a lap inside Nationals Stadium! I signed up with my fave teacher from the gym again and Justin came along for the run this year too!
I didn’t have high expectations to run a lot of this race, but I did bring along my Garmin after several months of it sitting around collecting dust. I ran the first mile with my friend and felt good – not great, but good enough, I think we logged somewhere around a 11:00 minute pace. We walked the second mile and just chatted and enjoyed the scenery at the Navy Yard and then started running again at mile 3. I think we finished in a little over 40 minutes – nothing amazing, but felt good to complete my first (and probably only) race pregnant! I was never winded, I mostly just felt very “crampy” in my belly and wanted to take it easy the whole time. I had a lot of fun and it was a really beautiful morning to be up and running a race!
Justin really enjoyed the walk around the inside of the park too! It’s too bad that we won’t be enjoying any October baseball with the Nationals this year, but I’m already looking forward to the baby’s first baseball game next season!
Next up on the running schedule will be the Turkey Trot!
In other news, we got some productive baby stuff done this weekend, including deciding on a car seat, finally and Justin putting together the dresser/changing table!
I loved the dresser before, we bought if for a reason! But I absolutely love it all together in the room now!
Happy Trails!
Addy
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A Visit to Pittsburgh
Justin and I went to Pittsburgh this weekend to visit our friends Kim, Brandon and their 2 year old son Everett. They just moved in to their new house just a few months ago so I was excited to visit to see where they finally landed after short stints in corporate housing and a short term rental! This was also only my third time in Pittsburgh, which I still find really surprising. Kim went to college there, but I never visited her and they just moved back there about 1 year ago. We were on the road Saturday morning and got to Pittsburgh right around lunchtime. Kim prepared a really tasty white bean kale soup and tasty grilled cheese sandwiches for us for lunch!
Once Everett was up from his nap, we played around a lot, grabbed dinner and then just hung out. I have known Kim and her husband Brandon for a long time – elementary school for me and Kim and high school for me and Brandon and it’s just so nice sitting around and chatting with them about anything and everything! Plus, Everett is such a treat to be around, he makes it even easier!
On Sunday am, we got up and went to Pamela’s Diner for pancakes – and chorizo hash for me. Neither Justin nor I got the famous pancakes, but Kim let us try them and they really are tasty! The best part is they are more like crepes than pancakes, so they don’t have that sort of thick consistency that I don’t prefer in a pancake!
We did some walking around the Strip District – hoping to find a toddler Pirates shirt, but found nothing, sadly. And then walked along the waterfront on to the Andy Warhol Museum.
The museum was really interesting and got to see some of the iconic Andy Warhold art. There was also a room of space pillows where the pillows float around with a fan – perfect for a 2 year old.
The only picture we could take was at the entrance:
It was a short visit, but we really had such a nice time! Thank you Kim, Brandon and Everett for having us!!
Addy
Read Full Post | Make a Comment ( None so far )Hey hey hey hey
Hello blog world! Or the 5 friends/family members who some time check into District Delights 🙂 How’s everyone doing? It’s been a busy few weeks over here. So, let’s list it up!
1. I’m typing up this post on my iPad with my new Logitech Ultrathin keyboard cover. I have a super old (I bought it when I started grad school in 2007) laptop that has been acting crazy lately and I noticed a lot of co-workers using iPads with keyboards to take notes during meetings and thought – hey, I want to do that too! So I did some research and ended up purchasing the Logitech and I really like it so far. Yay, technology. (P.S. I bought mine on Amazon super cheap.)
2. Speaking of technology, I’m a big fan of iOS7. My favorite feature is how much easier it is to multi-task. THANK YOU, APPLE!
3. The item of the week at Duane Reade was Starburst CANDY CORN. I mean, what? They were insanely delicious. Candy corn, I love you.
4. I went to the shore last weekend and it was so nice to spend a quiet day on the beach post-Labor Day. The weather was beautiful and it was so laid-back and nice.
5. I went to the Yankees game this weekend and not only did they win but it was the perfect baseball weather. Man, I love fall.
6. My friend and I went out to fancy lunch the other week to Nobu. Holy crap did it live up to the hype. We shared yellowtail jalapeno sashimi, the crispy rice with spicy tuna, and the miso black cod. Everyone was insanely delicious. Amazing flavors, melt-in-your mouth fish, and just so much good food.
7. Bridesmaids has been on TV recently. I own it on DVD and it’s definitely one of my favorite movies ever. Kristin Wiig, will you marry me?
8. I went to Aria to celebrate a friend’s birthday and we had a delicious meal with great atmosphere. The entire meal was family style Italian and there was so much great food. We started with cheese, charcuterie and salad and then moved on to artichokes, meatballs, eggplant rotini, shrimp, crabcakes, mushroom brushetta pizza and bacon wrapped dates stuffed with blue cheese. And then we had three types of pasta, including macaroni and cheese! And don’t forget dessert, which was a sampling of tiramisu, cheesecake, creme brulee and panna cotta. I didn’t take one picture, I was too busy stuffing my face and drinking copious amounts of wine.
9. I finally joined a gym and so far have gotten in one workout since the triathlon. I went to a yoga class that totally kicked my butt and was amazing at the same time. It felt so good to stretch things out and work and I think this coming week will be a good one for getting back in the gym.
10. I am going to take pictures every day this week and get back on the blog train.
Stephanie
Read Full Post | Make a Comment ( None so far )Fashion Friday: Kate Middleton
New-mother, Duchess, Princess and all-around perfect person, Kate Middleton stepped out in this gorgeous Jenny Packham dress. I hope that if/when I get married I can afford a Jenny Packham wedding dress because they are just SO beautiful. Kate looks amazing per usual. Love it!
Stephanie
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Really Random Wednesday
First, big congrats to Stephanie for her triathlon finish on Sunday! Way to rock it.
Second, big congrats to Justin for his first Half Ironman this weekend. When he finished he may have said he’ll never do it again, but just today he was already contemplating doing another! I love the atmosphere of races and was in awe of everybody as they came back from their 58 mile bike ride! (yes, the bike ride was 2 miles longer than a normal half ironman!) I would love for him to do another just so I can be there to cheer him on again (likely with a baby in tow)!
Hard to resist a lovely morning open water swim to kick off the half ironman!
I haven’t had too many pregnancy cravings in terms of food – I arm myself with a ton of snacks throughout the day and pretty much eat the same thing. The one snack I’m enjoying the most is a honey crisp apple with almonds. Thank goodness fall is on the horizon because that means my beloved honey crisps are back – can’t get enough of these things. Sure everybody else is all excited for pumpkin, but honey crisp is the way to my heart!
I met a friend last night for dinner at Woodward Table. I haven’t been out to dinner on a week night in a while. And it was nice to enjoy some time with a girl friend! I ordered the fried chicken – mainly because it came with whipped potatoes. But when I got it, the amount of potatoes was very thin – not ideal! But the chicken was very tasty!
And because I think this photo is cute.
Happy Hump Day!
Addy
Read Full Post | Make a Comment ( None so far )Race Recap: Iron Girl Athleta Sandy Hook Triathlon
On Sunday I completed the Iron Girl Athleta Sandy Hook Triathlon! It wasn’t a perfect race but it was a lot of fun and I’m so glad I went out there even though I wasn’t feeling 100% prepared.
My Mom and I hit the road at 4:45am and arrived at the race venue around 5:45am. We parked and I grabbed all of my gear and literally ran to the start line, which was quite far from the athlete parking lots. I had to get my race packet before 6:00am and then get everything into transition before 6:30am. It was a tight squeeze! The whole scene was extremely chaotic as I stood in line to get my name checked off, then to another line to get my packet and then to another line for body marking – which was actually not even a line but a clump of people trying to find someone to mark them up before heading into transition.
Super smiles pre-race and post-transition chaos.
After finally making it into transition, I originally set up my stuff around where my number should have been but it was insanely packed and I could barely fit. My brother-in-law’s sister was also doing the race and she got into the transition area even later than I did and ended up just putting her stuff against one of the side fences. She had plenty of room so I decided to join her last minute and got out of the chaos that was the middle of the transition area. This is the biggest triathlon I’ve done – almost 1300 participates – and without clear markings for each participant in the transition area, it was pretty freakin’ crazy. I was actually worried I might not be able to find my stuff so I’m so glad I moved it out of the way (and I ended up being really close to the bike in/out which was awesome).
The scene on the beach as the race began.
Suddenly, it was time for the race to start and we all headed down to the water. I felt like I had JUST arrived at the race and had barely set everything up and it was almost time to start. While setting up my transition items I realized I had forgotten my Garmin and my body glide. I was clearly a little rusty for race day! I had drank some black coffee and water with a Kind bar that morning and was feeling good. We headed down to the water for the start of the race and noticed that the swim was no longer a horseshoe but was instead a point-to-point swim The water was also CRAZY choppy. It turns out they ended up shortening the swim from 1/2 mile to 1/3 mile and made it point-to-point because of the choppy water. Luckily, I feel like the swim is my strongest leg so while I was nervous, I knew I would be fine. However, I was thinking about how many people are concerned about the swim portion and if they had any trepidation I’m sure it took a lot to get out there and complete the swim. We started in waves and each wave went down in age with the first group being the 65+ and the last group being 30 and under. It was very cold on the beach and we were shivering watching each group go into the water.
My mom claims I’m swimming in this photo but man, who knows.
After waiting almost an hour it was finally my turn to get into the water. I had watched all the waves in front of me go and knew I wanted to start way out wide as to not get into the bottleneck heading into the first buoy. I felt like if I could get past the first buoy I’d be good to go. We were all chatting in the water about our nerves and then the countdown began and we were off! I got right at it and boy was it a bit crazy at first! The waves were out of control and every time I took a breath to my right a huge wave would come over me and into my mouth. I also had to look up a lot more with breast stroke breaks then I would have liked but I was exerting so much energy and was being sloshed around a lot. I worked hard and stayed calm and made my way past each buoy and the swim went by really quickly. I swam hard into the end and then ran up the beach where I saw my Mom, my sister and some other friends.
I’m reaching up for a high five to my sister and telling her that the swim was super choppy. I’d also like to point out that the the women in the green caps were in the wave in front of me. Boom!
I ran into transition and got ready for the bike and was out of there as quickly as possible. The bike was nice and flat the entire ride, which was an out and back, but the only challenge was the crazy wind on the way back in. The entire ride back I was working hard against the wind but it still went by very quickly. The website said the bike was 10 miles and the participate packet said it was 12 miles and there was a sign the day of the race that said it was 8.25 miles. So…yea. I think it was 8.25 but who knows!
Following the quick bike ride, I was back in transition and headed out to the 3 mile run. My legs were feeling like jelly but I really wanted to move through this run to the finish. The run was flat and an out and back loop. The sun was out at that point and I was definitely tired but it wasn’t bad at all. I wanted to be moving quicker than I was but I just couldn’t get my legs to move any faster! I didn’t know what my pace was without my Garmin which might have been a good thing or a bad thing…I’m still not sure.
Once I hit the turn around I knew that I was almost done and tried to pick up the pace. A woman was on the sidelines yelling encouragement and said, “If you can hear my voice then you have about 300 yards left. KEEP IT UP!” So I picked it up and then rounded the bend and another woman on the sideline yelled, “less than 150 yards!” and I really kicked it into gear. I saw my sister and friends and then turned to the woman running next to me and said, “let’s do this,” and we sprinted across the finish line. We gave each other a huge high five at the end and it was awesome. My mom snapped a photo at the end just as I was raising my arms in triumph (which is how I try to end every race).
Woo! Finished!
The post-race expo was filled with samples and food. We grabbed some waters and snacks and headed back to the transition area to grab our gear. As we were walking back to the car we crossed over the last mile of the run and there was one last woman still competing. As she ran by we all stopped to clap for her and cheer her on. She shouted that it was her first triathlon and that she was going to finish. I shouted, “the first of many!” and everyone cheered. That pretty much sums up the atmosphere at the race. There was definitely something awesome about a race that was just women. Even though I didn’t feel adequately prepared for the race, it was short, fun and I am so glad I participated. I of course had the typical post-race glow and started researching if there were anymore upcoming races in the area…why does that always happen?
My official results are below and aren’t too impressive but it’s all good.
Finish: 1:22:45 minSwim: 16:27 min (slower than I wanted)
T1: 2:44 min (long)
Bike: 30:14 min (nice!)
T2: 1:58 min (better)
Run: 31:22 min (10:28 average)
Age Group: 17/82
Overall: 226/1141
Fingers crossed for some good official race photos. I won’t hold my breath…
Stephanie
Read Full Post | Make a Comment ( 2 so far )Day of Eats again
I don’t remember what edition of Day of Eats this is and I am feeling extra lazy tonight and didn’t take the time to look it up. Aren’t you so impressed? Anyway, here’s what I ate today…
Breakfast: Three egg whites, one slice American cheese, nectarine and black coffee
Snack #1: Green Japanese tea with one Splenda, one plain rice cake and one reduced fat string cheese.
Lunch: Two plain rice cakes with hummus, three slices of turkey and a bounty of sweet and sour pickles plus lemon-lime seltzer.
Snack #2: 100 calorie pack of Blue Diamond Wasabi & Soy Almonds (I also had another cup of green tea later).
Dinner: Taco salad – ground beef, shredded Mexican cheese, crumbled tortilla chips and salsa all over romaine lettuce. I took this picture in the dark of my bedroom where my phone was. Your welcome.
The end of the bag of chips and the last of the salsa was also consumed post-salad. I’m thinking about some ice cream but might save that for a weekend treat instead. I also drank about a million ounces of water today as I continue to hydrate it up for the race on Sunday.
Remember when I used to post workouts and eats? HA.
Stephanie
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iPhone Dump
Oh, hello. There has been a lot going on over here…thought I’d do a SkinnyRunner style phone dump to catch up.
Went to Richmond for a weekend getaway with my three favorite ladies from my study abroad program.
We had a fig party in Richmond – figs wrapped in bacon and figs with goat cheese and lavender truffle honey crostini’s.
We also had some ridiculous fries with bourbon mustard dipping sauce (ranch wasabi dipping sauce not pictured but also ridiculous and amazing).
I returned from Richmond and went to the US Open for the first time ever and loved every minute of it (even from the nosebleeds!).
Then drafted for Fantasy Football – booyah!
Also, dog sat – Hey, Lulu!
Over Labor Day, I found a 40 year old baby doll at the shore that we affectionately call “ugly baby.”
Was silly with some of my cousins!
And then totally took a million pictures of my goddaughter, please indulge me…
If we’re being honest, I should tell you that this was only a smattering of the photos I took of her 🙂
And we also celebrated the 4th birthday of another cousin. His mouth is full of ice cream cake!
Stephanie
Read Full Post | Make a Comment ( None so far )Triathlon Training: Week 8 aka that pesky little triathlon
So I’m doing a sprint triathlon in 6 days and I haven’t trained for the past 10 days. Winning? Week 8 was filled with no training. Zero. Zip. Zilch. And to make matters worse, my trial membership at the gym ended on Friday so as of right now I have no place to workout except the great outdoors. Oops. Poor planning on my part. I have to say, I am beyond impressed with athletes that train for an Ironman or other long-distance race that requires them to train for an extremely long period of time. And most of them do this while maintaining full time jobs and taking care of families. So insane! The only slack I will give myself is that I did just make a big move, start a new job and not give up any fun as the summer was winding down. So, yea. This is my situation and I will do my best to get in some last minute workouts this week before giving myself two full days of rest and then just doing the best that I can during this race.
I know that when Sunday comes, I’ll be excited to get out there and race. I always am and even if I don’t perform my best, I know I will finish the race the strongest way possible and will have fun doing so. And hey, it’s a short race – THANK GOODNESS. Just to refresh, I’m doing the Athleta Iron Girl Sandy Hook Triathlon on Sunday, September 8th. You can check out all of the details of the race here. It’s a 1/2 mile open water swim, a 12 mile bike ride and a 3 mile run. My sister has done the race twice and keeps telling me that it’s a flat, easy course and I have the benefit of having my brother-in-law’s sister doing the race as well (and she had done it twice before too). I think it will be helpful to have someone I know out on the course for an extra pep in my step. She is starting in the heat after mine (we are by age and I’m in the second to last heat to take off) but I’m sure she’ll catch up to me at some point 🙂
With the race on Sunday I will also try to eat really well this week and get my hydration on even more than I normally do. I am also going to try and get some good stretching in so I’m feeling nice and loose on Sunday. I had a good run over the weekend in the muggy heat at the shore but afterwards my ankle was really killing me (yes, the tendinitis ankle), so I’ve been icing it and keeping and eye on it. I also really need to get the tires on my bike filled as race day will be my first time riding it in months. I really did do all of my bike training indoors. I am clearly not the model triathlete right now. Could I make that any more clear? Ha!
I’ve read a lot of posts about not racing or not finishing because you don’t feel prepared and last August I wasn’t feeling my best for my first (and only) Olympic-distance triathlon, but I went for it and accomplished a big goal of mine. As I said earlier, this race will be fun and I will focus on enjoying myself and not my time when I cross the finish line.
Ok, enough babble about how unprepared I am. I’m going to go dig through some boxes to make sure I can find all of my gear…
Stephanie
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district delights 