intensity

It's no secret that Erik and I are pretty different: He's visual; I'm verbal. He's an inside guy; I adore the outdoors. When it comes to hobbies, the saying "opposites attract" definitely applies. But, at the core, we're actually super similar. We have the same outlook on life, relationships, family and success. And we're both super intense. Case in point: Last week, I rode 20 miles, surfed for two hours, swam 1.5 miles—and then did a 13.1 race. Meanwhile, my better half stayed up until 5 in the morning designing multiple nights, after spending all day wheeling and dealing. Yup, we're crazy.

brooklyn half II

Yesterday I ran my second Brooklyn half-marathon. It was hot and a little painful, but overall a good time. It's funny, for each race that I don't train for properly, I always say, "I'm just out there to have fun. Who cares about my time!" But then, when the starting horn blares, I immediately switch into competitive mode like a greyhound. (Maybe it's a Pavlonian response from all those years of swimming?) The course was lovely, if a bit crowded, and I even saw friends cheering on the sidelines. After exiting the park, the next stretch was flat, sunny and hot. I even dumped water over my head like a real runner! Around mile 10, fatigue and cramps began to kick in. But my good friends Beyonce and Britney were right there with me until the Coney Island boardwalk, where I kicked it up a notch. The finish? 1:52 on the nose. I missed my best time by about a minute, but I'll take it, considering I didn't really train so much and was a little sore surfing and swimming. Now, I just have to do that race times two come November. Gah!

the good life

Don't hate me, but I've just come home from a press trip in Southampton, where I was wined and dined. We tasted new products, slept in a posh house, ate gourmet meals, toured vineyards and rode on a duck boat. In short, it was awesome! After it was through, Amanda and I met up with our friend Sara. She and her handsome husband are big surfers, and have a sweet beach home minutes away from where we were staying. Swoon. Before we had to catch the train home, we headed to the beach to toss back a few beers. It's official: I'm in love with summer.

summer list 2012

Monkey and I say: Hi, friends! Doesn't she look like a Muppet here?

In other news, can you believe it's MAY already? Yowza! Between trips home, wedding plans, races and a part-time in-office gig, my summer calendar is rapidly filling up. Since I'm a list freak, I figured I'd make note of all the things I want to do before the season ends and I'm back in jeans and tall boots:

1. Keep learning how to surf. I purchased a pack of lessons, so it's going to happen! Hooray! [CHECK! AND BOUGHT A BOARD TO BOOT.]
2. See a movie in the park. [CHECK! KIND OF. SAW PART OF ONE.]
3. Go hiking upstate. The train runs up to Cold Spring, and it's so pretty there. [NOPE. MOVING THIS TO THE FALL LIST.]
4. Have a mini-staycation. [NOT A FULL ONE -- JUST A DAY OR HERE THERE.]
5. Go swimming in the Bed Stuy pool. (My favorite!) [McCarren pool opened -- so CHECK!]
6. Ride down to Coney/Jacob Riis. [CHECK!]
7. Rock out at an outdoor concert. [CHECK!]
8. Take the ferry to Sandy Hook. [NOPE. ALWAYS WANTED TO SURF INSTEAD! MADE IT TO LONG BEACH, PLUS ROCKAWAYS ONCE OR TWICE A WEEK.]
9. Run Summer Streets. [CHECK!]
10. Eat at Dressler. [FEASTED AT ST. ANSLEM INSTEAD.]
11. Attend a NBR freelancer's run. (Kim tells me they're not as scary-fast as I think.) [DID THE NYRR RUN WITH APHRODITE.]
12. Take my mom to the science museum. [SHE DIDN'T WANT TO GO; WENT SWIMMING INSTEAD. HER FIRST TIME IN 30 YEARS!]
13. Plant my roof garden and spend more time on the patio. [CHECK!]
14. Visit DC friends. [NOPE. MOVING THIS TO FALL LIST.]
15. Call, email, write or visit friends, near and far, close and long-lost. [CHECK!]

Already/about to be checked off: Rockaway Beach, Southhampton, Smorgasburg, Brooklyn Flea

6 things...

...I did this week:

1. Ran 11 miles and swam a mile at swim practice. Getting ready for the half-marathon and triathlon. INTENSE.
2. Celebrated the beautiful and talented Ali's bachelorette party. She is going to be the most gorgeous bride!
3. Accepted a part-time summer gig. Time to go find office-appropriate outfits...
4. Surfed the Rockaways with Kim. It was so fun, and only took us about an hour to get down there! I'm planning on spending the summer down there. Sooooo fun. :)
5. Avoided the grocery store, kitchen, mop and broom. Needless to say, our house is in shambles.
6. Worked, worked, worked. Deadlines, deadlines, deadlines.

quote of the day

"The more you know, the less you need."

Isn't it so true? The older I become, the less I care about, well, stuff.