thankful

A few years back, a coworker jokingly asked how I'm nearly always in a good mood. We laughed it off, but the answer is that I'm just...grateful. As cheesy as it sounds, not a week goes by when I don't thank my lucky stars for this life of mine. It's far from perfect, but it's perfect for me! With that said, here are a few things I'm feeling extra thankful about this year:

1. My family and friends. I read a line once that went something like, "the true test of friendship isn't how the react during a tragedy, but how they act during a time of celebration." They've been there for me in the roughest patches, and they were by my side at my wedding, one of the happiest days in my life. I love them.
2. My body. The older I become, the less I dwell on what my body looks like, and more on what it can do. It's carried me through triathlons, surf trips, and all 26.2 miles of a marathon. My body is healthy and strong and full of energy, and for that, I'm so grateful.
3. My upbringing. As much as I joke that my first-generation childhood was no-frills, it made me the person that I am today. It's because of my parents that I believe in hard work, loyalty, unconditional love, and the little pleasures in life -- all of the qualities that I'm most proud to have.

Thanksgiving week!

Can you even believe that it's Thanksgiving week? Cripes. We got a head start celebrating at Amanda and Anthony's annual Fake Thanksgiving party, which was warm, cozy, and delicious. (They are the ultimate hosts!) Turns out that their feast is the closest we're coming to a real Thanksgiving, since we're staying in Brooklyn this year with no major plans. We're going to sleep in, watch the Hunger Games, and eat soup dumplings. I'm pretty excited about it. And on Saturday I'm headed to Costa Rica for a surf trip with the ladies. Yeah!

wedding recap: pic love

My amazing friend and wedding photographer Sara sent us our wedding pics. I am in LOVE with them. I'm boggled by her talent. She did such an incredible job capturing all of the moments and emotions. I have no idea how she managed to be in 1,000 places at once, nor how she switched between multiple digital and film cameras and lenses. Come to think of it, I never once saw her break a sweat or look anything but calm throughout the entire evening. She may or may not be a photography wizard. It's been so fun reliving that incredible day -- I can't stop looking at them. (Seriously, somebody stop me. I have deadlines!)

6 things...

…that I've been up to this week:

1. Adjusted to the chilly temps and time change. Brr! I've been living in my flannel, sweatpants, and cozy socks.
2. Did a big long walk with Erik. We strolled over the bridge, shopped around, and went to a gallery opening for his friends. City rambles are my favorite; there's always something new to see, experience, or eat.
3. Got together with my favorite surf chicas. I miss the ocean. Fingers crossed that there's waves this weekend. It's been so long, I'm not sure I'll remember what to do.
4. Ordered a mattress pad. Our bed is (no joke) probably 12+ years old, and we keep holding out on buying a new one. As a temporary fix, we ordered a fluffy pillow top deal. Hello, awesome! Our bed is so cozy now that I never want to get up.
5. Enjoyed my first non-training week. Although I've been up to my eyeballs in deadlines, so my brain's still in marathon-endurance mode.
6. Did a life-and-gratitude check. Recently there have been a few sad and hard things that have reminded me of life's brevity. The other day I read a quote that struck me: "In the end, only three things matter: how much you loved, how gently you lived, and how gracefully you let go of things not meant for you." - Buddha. Isn't that lovely?

big season

Now that the marathon's over and done, I can hardly believe that I even did it. Actually, come to think of it, I can hardly believe my summer and early fall: an office gig, travel, wedding planning, pre-wedding week with family, actual wedding, honeymoon, more travel, and marathon. With marathon training, surfing, trips home, and whole lotta deadlines peppered in there! The funny thing is that it never really felt like too much...well, except for those days when I had to wake up at the crack of dawn to finish a story. I guess when you're having fun, it never feels like a ton of effort. Now that all these monumental things are done, I don't have any major planned over the next few months. I'm excited to chill, spend time with husband, and get back to (chilly winter!) surfing.

2013 new york city marathon recap: sidebar

What kind of self-respecting magazine writer would I be if I didn't include a service sidebar? Thus, my tips for the ING New York City marathon:

1. Take the ferry. It's super easy and leaves much later than the bus, so you don't have to sit in the cold for hours. Speaking of, it's chillier on Staten Island, so wear lots of warm layers -- and don't shed them all before you head to the coral. They keep you in there for about half an hour, so bring a hoodie, towel, or heat sheet to toss at the last minute. Also, head to your coral ASAP -- the lines were so long that a bunch of people got shut out and had to start later.
2. Eat two breakfasts. This advice comes from Glenna, who reminded me that the later start time meant I'd be running through lunch. I never, ever skip meals, so I knew I'd be hungry if I didn't fuel up. So I drank a big fruit-and-spinach smoothie and coffee when I woke up, and then ate most of a bagel with peanut butter and some Goldfish crackers before the start. During the race, I fueled with two packs of ShotBlock, a bag of Swedish fish, and part of a banana, plus water every two miles. Seemed to do the trick, and I wasn't famished or headache-y after the race.
3. Read the pre-race pamphlet. And take note of the starting village map and what time the baggage and corals close. The village is humongous, and, although it's really well marked, it's easy to get overwhelmed or lost. I assumed there was only one bag check, but there's one for each color. Also, it's a 5- to 10-minute walk from your wait zone to the corals, so keep that in mind.
4. Find out exactly where your friends are stationed. The crowds are insanely thick, so spotting someone is tough, even when you know what corner they'll be on. I missed a lot of my friends, except for the main cheering squad at Gibson!
5. Trim all the so-so songs from your playlist. I had mine set to shuffle, and of course it hit one of my medium-paced training songs right as I was dying at mile 26. At that point, I really needed something ridiculous to lift me up.
6. Wear items you can ditch. At first, I was reticent to rock arm warmers because, honestly, they're extremely run-nerdy. But I'm glad I wore them and my throw-away gloves, because I fluctuated between hot and cold at different portions of the course, and when the sun came out.
7. Meet your family somewhere besides the park. Because I didn't pay attention to the baggage options, I had to do bag-check, so I just checked my subway card and keys and headed home right after the race. I'm so glad that I didn't arrange to meet anyone, because there wasn't any cell reception and the last thing I wanted to do in my delirium was figure out where to go. It was nice just to pop on the subway and head home. Funny aside: At the top of the stairs at L transfer, I made eye contact with another runner and we just groaned helplessly and then cracked up. It was such an only-in-New-York moment.

2013 nyc marathon recap

Yesterday I ran my the NYC marathon, my first! It was an insane, incredible experience. My day started at 6:30 a.m. with a full eight hours' of sleep (yay time change). The morning sped by: After taking the 7:30 Staten Island Ferry, buses carted us to the starting village, which was enormous. Everywhere I turned, there was a runner doing something weird, like massaging their toes or rubbing themselves with Vaseline. By the time I dropped off my bag, stood in line for the bathroom, and ate my bagel breakfast, it was time to head to my corral. I have to had it to the NYRR people -- the whole experience was so well orchestrated; I felt like a sheep being herded from one place to the next.



In line, I chatted with the people around me, like the 65-year-old dude who's done 15 marathons and an Ironman -- all while dressed in a tuxedo. People are amazing. While I was waiting, my friend Hannah popped up in front of me. What are the odds with 50,000-plus runners?

After the song "New York, New York," excited screams, and a very loud starting boom...we were off! Those two miles on the bridge were amazing: It was just a sea of runners for as far as the eye could see, set across the backdrop of the Manhattan skyline. Seriously, a view I'll never, ever forget. To our left, a police chopper hovered, like something out of James Bond movie. I was so amped that I barely noticed the steep incline. It's such an incredible, giddy moment: I was running the NYC marathon!

From there, the course took us through south Brooklyn, Park Slope, and Fort Greene. The energy was electric, and I couldn't stop grinning. I had to consciously watch my Garmin and slow down to my goal pace of 10-minute miles. Although everyone tells you to go out slow, it's really, really hard to reign it in because of all of the excitement and adrenaline. After the turn at my old Bed-Stuy apartment, we ran through the quieter stretch of South Williamsburg, where I reflected on how grateful I was to be able to run this race. Being injured for the past few weeks made me realize what an enormous gift it is to be able-bodied and healthy.



The next stretch through Williamsburg was my favorite, because that's where my friends were hanging. Erik was the first person I spotted, and I was so happy to see his handsome face! I gave him a kiss, said hi to Glenna, and then jogged up to high-five all my friends in front of the Gibson. I so wanted to join their party, but knew my legs would hate me -- so I forced myself to keep on keepin' on.

From there, the course took us over the Pulaski bridge, through Queens, which wasn't quite as exciting as Brooklyn but still pumping with crowds. Next came the Queensboro bridge, which isn't that bad of an incline, just long and quiet. It's at this point where you can feel a noticeable energy dip in the runners as people start to realize that they're tired. I was still feeling pretty good, so I listened to music, read people's shirts (so, so many inspirational stories), and took in the cool view of Manhattan.

The next stretch down First Avenue was one big party, full of cheers and funny signs. The water stops are matted with Gatorade cups and slippery banana peels (!), so I concentrated on not falling flat on my face. The avenue is a long, gradual incline, so by the time I got to the Bronx, my hips were tight and legs felt heavy. Still, I was pretty pumped during miles 20 and 21. I was going to finish this thing! To take my mind off of my legs, I popped in my earbuds again and let Katy Perry pace me through the next stretch.



Then came the Fifth Avenue incline. Ugh! This was the hardest mile of the race for me. Runners around me slowed down to a walk, and I really, really wanted to join them. But I knew I'd be disappointed in myself, so I gave my stern talking-to and concentrated on putting one foot in front of the other. My mantra: "If you believe, you can achieve." I also thought about my little dad, and everything he taught me about determination and hard work.

The next three miles were an emotional roller coaster: I fluctuated between angry (who designed this effing course?!); teary (a man ahead of me was wearing a shirt dedicating the race to the memory of his beloved son); grateful (so many wonderful people cheering me on); and ecstatic (thank heavens, a mile marker!). It's true what they say about running the last few miles with your heart. By this point, my legs were exhausted, so it was pure determination that kept me going! At mile 26, I didn't have anything left to sprint, so I tossed my hands up in victory and jogged through the finish line.

My final time was 4:33, a little short of Oprah's time but way ahead of Pamela Anderson! I went through a lot to get that finish line -- last year's training and cancellation; this year's wedding and travel; and three weeks of a hurt foot -- so I couldn't be more proud of myself. I DID IT!!!

Whee! I can't recommend this experience enough...the whole race was so well-run and absolutely magical. It was worth all of the effort and every cent. It reminded me of the power of the human spirit (have you seen this?), and made me fall in love with the city so much more: Oh, NYC, you've kicked my ass countless times, but you're always, always worth it. Final takeaway? Dear reader, if you ever have the chance to run the NYC marathon, DO IT. Getting entry is a pain for sure, but it's such a once-in-a-lifetime experience. You won't regret it!



PS: I had to include this proof. Don't you love all the emotions in it?!

doing it!

This weekend, I'm running my first marathon: New York City, baby! I've been pretty nonchalant about the whole affair...until yesterday, when I popped over to the expo to pick up my number. Holy shiz, dudes, I'm running a marathon! I'm a little nervous because of my foot injury, along with the fact that I missed more than a few weeks of training due to the wedding and travel. Also this week has been a blur because of deadlines and some very sad news, so I haven't had a chance to really prepare (yesterday I ordered supplies on Amazon per usual). Last night I had a freak-out dream, but this morning, I gave myself a little talking-to and I'm back on excited. I get to run on top of the Verrazano bridge...how cool is that!