Life of Late ~ 5.29.15

Yes, I’m back in the states after a lovely trip to Scandinavia.  No, I was not prepared for the massive wave of humidity that greeted me at Newark Liberty Airport on Tuesday.  However, I can’t really complain because 1) it’s not even peak humidity season (or so I hear) and 2) it’s much better than the bitter cold we had during the winter months.

The last few weeks have truly been consumed with birthday shenanigans, November Project, getting ready to travel, and ultimately traveling. There will be more on those travels shortly but I have to say – it’s fascinating what “unplugging” does to the mind and how active I am when I do travel versus sitting at my desk during the work week.  I would like to think that I came back to work refreshed and ready to conquer anything that comes my way.  I’m 99% sure that’s true.  The 1% (or more just wishes that summer vacation was still a thing…)  I’m also trying to figure out how to move more throughout the day since we had been walking 5-8 miles daily in Scandinavia and now I’m limited to my morning workouts and a bit of to/from water coolers.  Good times.

But anyways, with the last Friday of the month upon us (how did May fly by so fast???), here’s a little bit of random and fun.

>> don’t mind me.  just getting in some cardio in Tivoli’s hamster wheel 🙂 sort of like this hamster magnet I posted about a few weeks ago.  always on the move  <<

~ Links that I Love ~

Sometimes, Always, Never Blog ~ “Why Don’t We Believe We Are Beautiful?“

Fast Company ~ “7 Habits of Highly Influential People” ~

On Being ~ “The Disease of Being Busy” ~ (lives being blurred between activities, work, etc…we become our devices)

A Cup of Jo ~ “The Secret to Female Friendship” ~

Almost Getting It Together ~ “Healthy Homemade Frozen Yogurt Recipes” ~ (if only I had packed my froyo machine with me)

The Sunday Chapter ~ “9 Benefits of Warm Water & Lemon in the Morning” ~

>> the lunch view when I decide to eat outside.  it can be very easy to just sit around at my computer, waiting for 5:30 pounding out projects, but I have realized that getting a least a 30 minute break provides just the right motivation to finish the afternoon strong <<

>> bareburger.  a new favorite.  especially when they have such scrumptious vegetarian options (when I need a break from meat) and fresh lemonade.  not to mention their sweet potato fries = heavenly <<

>> one of the best.gifts.ever.  a whale hat (love me some vineyard vines) and in the BEST color? why, I’m in love.  <<

>> friday morning runs away from manhattan and into the piers of brooklyn.  magical, right? <<

Recaps of my adventures with my partner in crime to come soon!

“If you spend your whole life waiting for the storm, you’ll never enjoy the sunshine” – Morris West

Linking up for the first time with Life in Leggings!

Sights By The Sea ~ A Trip to Cape Cod

One of my many lofty goals is to explore the entirety of the east coast.  On a grander level, I would love to explore each and every state, as many countries as possible, and maybe even a road trip or two with pit-stops at random eateries and national parks.  But for the time being, I’ll stick to east coast based locations that are a hop, skip, and a jump away.  As a matter of fact, a month or so back, I waslucky enough to spend the weekend with my grandparents up in Cape Cod.  Yes I have been hoarding this recap in my drafts folder and so now it’s time to share the love.  

While I don’t actually have any family that lives on the east coast, I do have lots of loving relatives who are willing to make the trip out from sunny Southern California.  Also, this might be a complete east-coast-ignorant statement but when I first proposed visiting the Cape, I had no.darn.clue how many places that potentially included.  Here I was thinking it was all one beach town.  Noooope.

To be exact (wikipedia exact), there are 15 different towns {Bourne, Sandwich, Falmouth, Mashpee, Barnstable, Yarmouth, Harwich, Dennis, Brewster, Chatham, Orleans, Eastham, Wellfleet, Truro, and Provincetown}, each with a number of different villages.  Well thank you to my good friend Sarah, who has extensive knowledge of the area, I narrowed it down to Chatham and that is where we traveled.

Once we selected the town, it was time to figure out where to stay.  Thanks to my dad’s excellent travel research skills, we stumbled upon possibly the most adorable B&B I have ever visited or seen before. The cute couple has been running this B&B for almost 20 years and they certainly have it all down to a science.

The Old Harbor Inn
22 Old Harbor Rd, Chatham, MA 02633
(508)945-4434

^^ perfectly decorated bedrooms filled with little snack baskets, the most luxurious mattresses, chocolates on the pillows, and an endless stream of snacks, cookies, coffees and teas one could ask for.

^^ Even a daily breakfast selection by the hostess.  The night before, you will find a perfect little menu printed on your bed with all the potential options and boy is it delicious.  I certainly had way too much fun playing with the Nespresso machine.  Who wouldn’t?

~ united states coast guard ~

^^ on the first day that we were in town it happened to be 1) raining and 2) we were sans electricity as some fuse had blown out.  So instead of sitting around, we decided to drive out and around the various cape towns.  Lucky for us the sun decided to shine by the time we reached the tip of the “arm” (how some like to describe the shape of the cape)

^^ traveling out and around the coast to Provincetown is a must

On Saturday morning, the sun was shining bright and early, so once we were finished with our lovely B&B breakfast, we set out for a walk about town.

^^ salt water taffy, another must when you find yourself on any coast

^^ a Massachusetts and northeast classic

^^ with so many different mom and pop stores to wander, I was in seventh heaven.  While the weather might have edged on the chillier side, it was lovely to travel and walk around town without all the tourists.  You know the overwhelmingly obnoxious tourists, not us of course 😉

More to come on some of our delicious eats!

many many thanks for making the trip!

“Life is like a camera focus on what’s important and capture the good times” – unknown

Life of Late ~ 5.15.15

Spring, spring, spring.  One of the loveliest and often shortest seasons around the city.  I honestly am in love with the fact that when I wake up and walk out the door to work out, the sun is already starting to wake up the east coast.  Sure, it was great to see those picturesque sunrises at November Project but longer days are fine by me.

Warm spring weekends call for walks through the city and stopping by one of my favorite locations – Union Square.  I probably meander through this area at least 4-5 times a week, mostly because it’s near my apartment and a very central subway station.  The farmer’s markets are clutch – at least for people watching, free samples here and there, and unique seasonal items.

^^ getting ready for Advertising Sales “Upfront” week.  For those of you who aren’t familiar with “Upfronts”, it’s where advertising agencies and clients are briefed on publisher properties and why they should commit to a certain amount of money at the beginning of the year (different calendar time period).

Most meetings start with a big presentation – ours was at Madison Square Garden.  Definitely the best part of the show was listening to the “Inside the NBA” cast {host Ernie Johnson and analysts Charles Barkley, Kenny Smith and Shaquille O’Neal}.  That or the [adultswim] sizzle reel.  Their bumps (end cards that act as transitions) and humor were on point.

While big wigs usually show up to the meetings (I was just about star-struck after seeing Anderson Cooper, Wolf Blitzer, Conan O’Brien and Billy from Billy on the Street), it’s all about the after party.

^^ Yes, Miley Cyrus was our form of entertainment at the [adultswim] party.  She even decided to light up so needless to say it was an intriguing event and comparison to her former Disney Hannah Montana persona.  Huuuuuuuge change, but you already knew that.

~ Random Reads ~

• “13.1 Reasons I’m Excited to Run the Brooklyn Half Marathon” – Ali on the Run – Bummed to miss Brooklyn but know everyone will have a blast out there!!

• Interesting self-love tip from a trainer.  Think positive about your body.

• “Split Story” – Too often we get caught up in how everyone’s lives appear 10x better than our own via social media.  But remember the old saying “the grass isn’t always greener on the other side”.  We make too many snap judgement about people, but rarely dive into deep relationships to understand why people act in certain ways or what makes them tick.  Take a moment to appreciate your life, your body, and the people around you.

• “The One Spice You Should Be Using as a Runner” – Duly noted.  I still have yet to pick some up…

• “I Trained for a Marathon and Got Fat” – Hmmmmm. Pondering this one deeply and certainly going to revamp my eating habits.

• “Early Bird Gets the Worm: 9 reasons Why Morning People are More Successful” – Energy, clear mind, and best part – free afternoon/evening!

But, on that last bullet, you know that whole concept of sleep as it relates to weight loss/maintenance, workouts, attitude, concentration, and well life?  True stuff.  I can noticeably see how getting such little sleep affects my day and pretty much all that was listed above.  On average I get about 7 hours (if I’m lucky) simply by going to bed between 10 and 10:30 and waking up between 5:30 and 6.  On the nights where I can’t make the 7 hours, next-day Kaitlin is not impressed.

Example from Wednesday night when I went to the [adultswim] upfront party and truTV after party and stayed out until 2 (waaaaay past my bedtime), Thursday was rough.  Sure, since I didn’t drink, I was fairing a LOT better than my colleagues.  I still managed to wake up, swim a little at the gym AND make it in a full hour before everyone (that last part was by accident), but my eating choices were way sub par.  The 5 hours of sleep led me to believe that chocolate-drizzled kettle corn + salted nut variety pack + green juice was an adequate snack/early lunch.  At least I had the green juice in there right?  I may have had to dump the rest of the kettle corn in the trash to avoid mindless munching.

^^ Back on track for running along the east river.  I can’t believe it’s been almost four months since I last ran along this path.  I’ve been caught up in spinning, NP, and the lovely Central Park but forgot how clutch of a run this is, especially since it’s just a hop, skip, and a jump from my apartment.

^^ The course for Memorial Day weekend!!  People keep asking if I am running the Brooklyn Half Marathon (which is tomorrow) and while I’m bummed that I cannot partake in the NYRR fun and Coney Island festivities, I’m super excited to experience Sweden and its race course!

With all that being said, off to Denmark I go to explore with Megnan!  I’ll be back for a full photo dump and recap in a couple weeks and in the meantime, enjoy this glorious spring weather 🙂

How has your spring been?  Anything fun planned for the weekend?  What’s the farthest you have traveled for a race?

Philly Part 2 & Broad Street

So I promised a recap from last last week’s Philly Broad Street and day two.  If you missed out on part one and don’t want to scroll down (no judgement), here it is.

The main reason I traveled to Philly was for the Sunday Broad Street 10-miler.  I had signed up for the lottery on a whim and it worked out that my half-marathon training plan called for 10-11 miles that particular weekend.  Funny enough, I have actually spent the last 3 of the 4 years racing on my birthday or birthday weekend.  While in college, I raced in the popular Wildflower Triathlon in central California.  I even spent my 21st birthday swimming, biking, and running, making for a perfect day in my mind.  No 12:01 rager.  Instead I was in my tent and somewhat asleep by 8pm.

Anyways, Broad Street.  This is a mega-popular race that requires entry through a lottery system.  When my friend Alex brought it up a few months back to us NP_NYC folks, I thought it sounded like a good idea.  We then realized that it was the same weekend as the North Face Endurance Challenge in New York, so there was some FOMO going around.

The ever so necessary pre-race photo with the gear and gu properly laid out.

Lucky for me, we had been staying with a family friend in her apartment at UPenn and super close to a SEPTA station.  Once my alarm went off at 5:30, is was time to change, eat 1/2 a banana and 1/2 of a Honey Stinger Waffle, chased by some cold brew and almond milk, and then out the door.

Funny thing about the SEPTA is that they require cash only and exact cash at that.  In typical Kaitlin fashion, I heard my friend Mia tell me this but didn’t truly listen.  When I arrived, I had a $5, $20, and $1.25.  I needed $2.25.  I was ready to just hand over the $5 but the lady at the booth was nice and let me in for $1.25.

To get a better understanding of where we ran, this is the Broad Street line.  We ran the very top all the way to the bottom and beyond to the Navy Yards.

Transport ended up taking a lot less time than I had anticipated, so that meant more time to stretch and utilize the lovely porta-potties by the race start. I also ran into a fellow November Project member and obligatory photo ensued.  ^^

Now, there were a few different thoughts going through my mind before the starting gun went off on Sunday.  Honestly, some of them were curse words, wondering what I had gotten myself into.  I’ll attribute those to the nerves because even though I have been “racing” for the last few months, every big race event has a different vibe and of course pressure to do well not tank.

What was really nice about this race was that each different corral had its own starting gun.  This helped to even out some of the runners on the course and gave everyone some breathing room.  I decided to run sans headphones purely in preparation for my next race with my sister and because I didn’t want to miss the vibe of the city.  We ran through all different parts of Philly – saw thousands of people cheering, listened to the Temple band (the drums always being my favorite part), and a few other musical acts.

My friend had told me that the race was a pretty straight shot and that you would see the entire course in front of you.  Hmmmm, that’s not usually good for me.  Example 1, when we had to run fartleks for high school cross country on a flat straight road in Mammoth.  Then example 2 in last year’s Brooklyn Half where miles 10-13 pretty much drag on foreeeever.  Yes, that is where I tanked.

Alas, the course wasn’t as bad as I had predicted and even though I did struggle through the last couple miles, taking baby sips at 4 aid stations (2x gatorde and 2x water) + a Honey Stinger Gel, I pushed through and was proud of the race.

Nifty medal + Philly pretzel = solid post-race

^^ a little look into the post-race area down at the Philly Navy Yards.  Mia and Lindsay had set up a cheer spot around the City Hall (big thank you!!) and so I went to meet them for a post-race bite to eat.

 ^^ wandering through Philly

^^ into the Italian district

This was the next step on our Philly eating adventure and while a typical brunch fare of eggs and pancakes usually sound good, we went for an Italian hoagie of sorts.

~ Paesano’s – Philly style sandwiches with Italian inspiration ~

Mia recommended the Paesano [Beef Brisket, Horseradish Mayo, Roasted Tomatoes, Pepperoncino, Sharp Provolone & Fried Egg] but of course I had to go rogue and order the Diavlo [Spicy Chicken with salami, roasted tomatoes, broccoli rabe, herb cheddar spread & sharp provolone].  Folks, the brisket and fried egg are a game changer and that is certainly the sandwich you should order if you get a chance.

Because we arrived right around 11, we had no trouble ordering or snagging a table.  But, an hour or so later and there would have been a line out the door!

What’s hilarious about this place is that it seems like such a hole in the wall location and yet is such a well known establishment.  So well known that if you see their hours below, they do their own thing.  It’s lunch and early dinner or nothing.

Paesano’s Italian Market
1017 S9th St.
Sun-Th: 11am – 3pm
Fri-Sat: 11am-5pm

 As we walked the three or so miles back to Mia’s apartment, we passed oodles of shops and plenty of open air markets.  I swear, the produce that was being sold was SO DARN CHEAP!!  All types of berries (good berries too!) for $1.  I was just about to stock up when I realized that trekking back to the city with bags of goods did not seem like the smartest or most enjoyable plan. Ah well, another day.

I did have to stop into a Rita’s Italian Ice for the first Italian ice of the season.  For those who aren’t familiar with this whole concept of seasonality – it’s a thing. We Californians are totally fine with selling peaches and berries and ice cream year round.  Out on the east coast, they like to close shop for the winter and only sell produce that’s in season.  Well, lucky for us, we are entering into the best seasons!!

So, with a shower, the remainder of my sandwich (or really Lindsay’s), an iced coffee and nice afternoon in the Penn campus park, it was a trip well done.  Another city in the books and a wonderful spring weekend celebrated.

Have you been to Philly or run Broad Street? What are some of your favorite spots?

Life of Late ~ 5.8.15

It’s a May miracle and I have published four posts in one week. SHOCKER!  There was supposed to be another one on Philly yesterday buuuuut I’m saving finishing it for next week.

What’s new in this corner of the world wide web?  Well, there were some birthday celebrations, some awesome workouts, and some hard core work action.  Glad to say, presentation finished (and I may have sweated through my shirt…thank goodness for the bright JCrew sweater to hide everything) and it’s the home stretch to Scandinavia.

There will be a blogging hiatus but don’t fear, I will come back to bombard you with fantastic photos.   That and my Instagram feed should stay pretty up to date.  #hashtagsforlife  I’m not sure if Meghan realizes what she is in for 😉  So, while I may not be posting much abroad, my friend Alexis is dedicated enough to document her wonderful adventures to London and more here.  I’m going more for the digital detox and hopefully (super fingers crossed) more sleep on the trip.

^^ waking up at 5am for double november project workouts for my birthday?  yep.  that happened.

Honestly this year has been a blur and too damn amazing.  I would be lying if I didn’t say I was obsessed with NP, the culture, the people. (but you probably already knew that)  I’m blessed to be able to call these gals my friends and role models.  For the first time, I have a whole bunch of older brothers and sisters to look up to 🙂

^^ for those who don’t know, on wednesdays we wear pink.  of course it made it 100x better that there were 4 of us celebrating the SAME birthday.  Taurus love all around.

^^ hanging (bridging) with my buddies at Van Cordtlant Park.  we may have taken at least 10 pictures in order to perfect the bridge 🙂

Thanks to our friend Dan, we’ve been able to travel north of Manhattan (comfortably in a car) for a long-run change of scenery.  The track/forest loop up there is about 3 miles, so a simple 3×3 on the weekend makes for a nice Saturday morning.

^^ because this is what you need after crushing a long run.  breakfast oat bar + cold brew coffee

One of the real reasons I run  or continue to run (besides the feeling of accomplishment and other health benefits) is to eat.   And eat I do (everything in moderation…including moderation).

What I have bookmarked on every computer is this list of “44 Frozen Treats You Need to Try in NYC this Summer“.  Done and done.   Will you be joining me?

 ^^ yes, this is exactly what the USDA meant by eat the “colors of the rainbow”

Many people like to run for fun and others for weight loss.  So what if I told you you could have your cake and eat it too?  As in chocolate cake for breakfast could help you lose weight?  Of course you can’t really take my full advice and probably should 1) read the entire article and 2) look further into the matter and 3) consult any type of dietician, etc.  But really, I’m game (even though I don’t like cake).

 That’s right, another November Project team pre-race photo.  This one was from the Run As One 4-Miler in Central Park.  Good ‘ol Jason (the only boy) was a trooper and posed with all the lovely ladies of NP.

Sooooo, my buddies are going to Calle Ocho for unlimited sangria brunch.  This has been a place that I have wanted to go for a very long time because I absolutely love sangria.  That and prosecco and I’m a happy camper.  But, seeing as I have very little self control around sangria, am not drinking for a month (prepping for the next half), and actually have to pack for my trip to Scandinavia (hello laundry that hasn’t been done in weeks), I’ll have to pass.  But with flavors like this – “TROPICAL” (Mango, Pineapple, Lemon Grass, Passion Fruit, Rum), “PUNTA CANA” (Mamajuana Hispanola, Peaches, Oranges, Pineapple, Rum) and “HAVANA BANANA” (Coconut, Bananas, Lychees, Coconut Rum), I will certainly have to make a trip back.

^^ another birthday picture because it was so much fun.  I love these people.

Want a good reason to laugh out loud?  Read this entire Buzzfeed article about a dad that tried social media for a week.  I read it for the first time in my little office cubicle (during a work break! I swear!) and was dying.  Maybe it’s my type of humor but I couldn’t stop laughing.  It was so bad that I had to hold a sweatshirt over my face so I wouldn’t disturb anyone or  bring (too much) attention to myself.

 ^^ photo props to TFred.  The said Road ID with the incorrect phone numbers.  Good job Kaitlin.

Another reason to laugh (at me)?  I purchased a Road ID last week because there was a mega-sale going on.  Well the good news is that I purchased a super cute turquoise band simply because it’s the best color ever.  The bad news is that I decided to put my cell phone number instead of my mom’s cell phone number on the chip.  Blonde moment.

^^ what I have been jamming out to on Pandora during my long runs.  Usually I try to run music-less, especially since that’s the plan for my half marathon.  But, sometimes I cave and then grace the island of Manhattan with my lovely voice and amazing dance moves.  Seriously – the bottom middle song gets me going like no other.  Good stuff.

Speaking of half marathons…mine is in two weeks. Yikes!  But after cruising down Broad Street and running one of the fastest long distance races in my life, I think everything should work out a-okay.  Let me just note that Megnan and I decided to sign up for one of the largest half marathons in the world.  This should be interesting.

“You can’t do it unless you can imagine it.” – George Lucas

welcome to 24

another day and another year older.  it’s safe to say this could be the best birthday to date or at least that i remember.  i will have spent my morning at two november project workouts — doing what i love with people who make me smile.  i will be celebrating with friends all week and am off to explore scandinavia in just under two weeks.  i have learned to live in the moment and deal with stress and disappointment.  i have been fortunate to have such a close and supportive family and am finally learning what it means to have confidence in myself.  my favorite phrase of late — “you do you”.

with that, here’s my list of things to do and focus on in the year to come

1. start the day with something that i’m grateful for
2. invest in the relationships that matter
3. take a solo trip
4. ride a segway
5. get involved with a charity
6. travel somewhere that i have never been
7. learn to ask for help
8.  wear sunscreen and moisturizer every day
9. enjoy being single
10. meditate (mindfulness) for 10 min/day for 1 month
11. spend more time living in the moment and less time worrying
12. learn to poach an egg
13. run a speedy half marathon…push for sub 1:40
14. send one piece of snail mail a month
15. try a month of the whole 30 eating plan
16. go an entire weekend without technology (at least phone/computer)
17. sign up for my first marathon
18. be genuine and happy for others
19. take a vacation with my best friends (or two)
20. complete 20 acts of kindness
21. learn to make a souffle
22. run 2 more half marathons (continue my goal of 1 in every state…CA and NY check!)
23. make my blog self hosted
24. do what i love and love what i do

“Today you are you! That is truer than true! There is no one alive who is you-er than you!” – Dr. Seuss