Showing posts with label Westchester. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Westchester. Show all posts

May 26, 2017

LAST WEEK IN RUNNING // WEEKS 10 & 11

So a little bit behind here with the running stuff, but here we go for weeks 10 and 11... 

WEEK 10 

I treated Week 10 as a bit of an off week after building up for so many weeks. Two runs, 4.6 miles overall... no complaints really. 


SUNDAY // 3.1 MILES @ 9:02 MIN/MILE

BEFORE DONUTS WITH JOE!
For this run, I convinced Joe to run with me. Yay!
We ran around the perimeter of Navy Pier and Joe kept making joking about my pace... basically anything slower than a 9:30 min/mile pace is speed walking for him since he's six feet tall. Ha.

We ended up speeding up a bit for the second half of our run and finished at Stan's. After downing a few cups of water, the donuts tasted as good as ever!

THURSDAY // 1.5 MILES (.5 MILE WARMUP / 1 MILE @ 7:27 MIN/MILE)

TIMED MILE
I decided it was time for a timed mile. It was hard and I felt pretty drained from start to finish, but I did it. I was hoping for closer to 7:10 min/mile, but I guess there's always next time. 

WEEK 11

This week was supposed to be back to business as usual, but after two amazing weekend runs and a late flight in on Sunday night, I came down with a bad cold and took off from running for a few days. As for the weekend runs... I recapped them a bit here, but here's miles/paces/places/pics/etc. below.



SATURDAY // 6 MILES @ 9:40 MIN/MILE 

WITH MY MOM & JOE AT ROCKEFELLER STATE PARK 
It was rainy as anything but great. 

SUNDAY // 8 MILES @ 9:20 MIN/MILE

A LOOP RUN FROM MY HIGH SCHOOL 
I forgot how hilly the town where I grew up could be!

May 24, 2017

MOTHER'S DAY WEEKEND IN NEW YORK

It's been awhile, huh? The last two weeks have completely flown by. Literally. I was on a plane four times in eight days! In addition to all the travels, there have also been some some busy work days and other big life happenings. Here's the first little bit of them - a trip to New York two weekends ago to celebrate Mother's Day with my mom! 


Joe and I got in late on Friday night after a pretty uneventful flight from Chicago to LaGuardia. I was also super excited to see that some of the advertising work I did a few years ago was still up.




On Saturday morning, Joe, my mom, and I went to Rockefeller State Park to go on a run. It was so rainy and the paths were really wet, but I loved being back and running at one of my favorite places. We also checked out the peonies which were in bloom. I didn't exactly realize they grew on bushes. Joe, my mom, and I all ran three miles. After three miles, Joe and my mom turned around to walk while I ran another two, plus the three from where I left them. I caught them just before we got back to the car which was perfect.

After running (and drying off), the rest of the day was spent at home eating and watching Law and Order SVU. My mom had never seen Law and Order SVU and while the graphic content/stories freaked her out she got addicted right alongside us. 


As for dinner, we stayed in. It was perfect for a rainy night. After dinner, lots of bourbon and scotch followed. My dad always tries to educate Joe (and me) on these matters, which is always a funny event. There was also lots of talk about The Beatles. Joe maybe brought up that I've been making it my goal to listen to each album enough times so I know it all the way through (because I am), and my dad got so so so excited... It's the little things you guys ;)


On Sunday morning, Joe and I ventured all over Westchester. We started off in Millwood and checked out the new grocery store in an attempt to buy some ingredients to make my mom a vegan cheesecake for Mother's Day. However, no one told me the new grocery store that replaced the A&P I grew up with was a ritzy specialty foods store. $1 for non-organic lemons. $17 for cashews. I literally couldn't even. 

After, I dropped Joe (who had come down with a cold) to hang out at Starbuck's while I went running from my high school! I couldn't remember the last time I was there and ran one of my favorite routes that I used to run during XC and track. It was much nicer out than Saturday, and brought back so much nostalgia. The gorgeous huge houses, the smell of springtime, I felt like I should be thinking about calculus tests and that guy I liked way too much in high school like I used to when I ran those routes, but no, I thought about vegan cheesecake and friends and how hilly Westchester is compared to Chicago. 

That's how hilly it is in case you're wondering. I don't usually even run that much elevation in a month in Chicago.




Also, not that we're talking about rude awakenings, but talk about rude awakenings! The track I'd run and walked so many miles on during high school (and in college) got ripped up. I guess they're putting in a turf field. Whoa. I hate it.

After running, I picked up Joe and we finally made it over to see my lovely twin friends. 
And eat some sugar cubes, per tradition. 
There were delicious scones too. 

We also saw their lovely twin dogs (who aren't actually twins)! 

Joe and I had plans to be home soon so I could make the cheesecake and so we could go to the Peekskill Riverwalk, but ugh, it was so good to catch up! Joe and I only stayed for half an hour, but it's so true that you always pick up where you left off with good friends. The time together also always blows by too fast even if it's hours.


After arriving home and making the cheesecake, we all went out to go to the Peekskill Riverwalk. Dan took the train in from the city and met us there. We found some fun art. 




And enjoyed the blue skies while they lasted before another rainstorm later in the afternoon. 

January 31, 2016

Time To Move On


The first of many coming transitions in the next half year of my life:



Yesterday, I moved out of my New York City apartment and back to Westchester. This transition feels a little more bitter than sweet, but with leaving for the Appalachian Trail in less than fifty days (and my yearlong lease up) it only makes sense.

That being said, I'm really really going to miss that place and all the memories made there. From nights watching The Bachelor and KUWTK and drinking cosmos with Amie DB, to fairly regular Pasta Fridays with friends who were able to drop by, to walking to work through Central Park, to hanging out on the fire escape during hot summer days, to all the cool restaurant and bars in the area. My year living in New York City was awesome, and maybe it'll happen again in my life, but if it doesn't, I'm glad I can say that I ate, I saw, and I conquered. If I'm being honest though, eating was one of the major highlights. ;)

December 3, 2015

Five Year Reunion + The Rest Of Thanksgiving Weekend


So Thanksgiving came and went, and the next day, I had my five year high school reunion!


Before the reunion, five out of six of the best amies and I met up. These ladies have been my super solid friend group since seventh grade (some since second grade), and now we get together to catchup and drink wine and it feels completely normal.





Still blows my mind though.

Instead of driving to the reunion, we had some generous brothers chauffeur us to the reunion!


And the reunion? I don't have too much to say. Bad Chinese food. Bad but strong drinks. Interesting company. But fun night all around.



After the reunion, the rest of the night was spent devouring pie and playing with puppies (maybe laying in their bed too because it was that kind of night ;p).

And the rest of the weekend was spent hanging with friends. We tried our best to make a 1000 piece puzzle and played Sorry on repeat (#sorrynotsorry).

November 21, 2015

The Great Jack O'Lantern Blaze

 The other week Amie AB, Amie DB, and I went to the Great Jack O'Lantern Blaze. I almost didn't end up going with them since it was out in Westchester on a work night, but I did go and it was such an amazing spectacle. 

There were dinosaurs, giraffes, dragons, circus animals, and more - all made from pumpkins!

There was even a starry night. 

And a multi-tiered wedding cake!

A big thanks to these cute ladies for the ticket hookup and playing tour guide!