Life of Late ~ June Favorites

Quick.  Think fast.  How would you summarize the last 6 months?  How about the last month?  Exciting, adventurous, optimistic?  Maybe I should just pick up a dictionary and thesaurus at a bookstore to help improve my vocabulary.  Now if I could explain everything via songs or GIF files, that would be truly amazing.  Alas, I can’t (always) and so I turn to my other method of expression – pictures.  It’s crazy to think that just yesterday I was running over the Randall’s Island footbridge in 3-5 layers of clothes, just to celebrate the start of the new year with my November Project friends.  (Not that I’m really reminiscing over the cold…)

But still, come Tuesday, we are finished with the first half of 2015!  That means that I have lived out on the east coast for just short of two years, I will be in the midst of my second humid summer (still not sure what’s worse – humidity or bitter cold), have made so many wonderful friends, and even more amazing memories.  The ups, the downs, the moments of pure boredom.  That’s life folks and I’m just another twenty-something learning how to function in this world.

^^ flowers from one of my account executives for helping out with a million dollar idea 🙂 isn’t she sweet?  fingers, toes, and limbs crossed we can sell it through!  (PSA: the flowers are still on my desk…the daisies may have passed on, but those green objects are holding strong, a solid 3 weeks in! don’t worry mom, I’ll throw them out when they smell)

^^ may not have bought into their juice cleanse (yet) but am loving all sorts of green juices and smoothies – especially in this humid weather!

^^ work event at Escape the Room (“Agency” Midtown…much harder apparently than the downtown location) – We did not escape 😦

^^ when you are invited to dinner at a fancy schmancy restaurant like the STANDARD GRILL, you definitely experiment with the cocktail list.  this here was the SIMPLY(RED), which definitely falls on the sweeter side.  my advice is to go for the THE PROFESSOR & MARY ANN {Gin, Strawberry-Champagne Shrub, Lime, Prosecco} … extra points if you know where the name comes from (I grew up with it…the reruns that is)

^^ when NYRR uses your fastest time for your bib and it’s an all female race.  I don’t always snapchat, but when I do, it’s memorable.  sometimes.  ok, maybe I just think it’s funny.

^^ was able to meet this gal – a fellow blogger and NP_SF member – all the way out from the west (best) coast!

^^ yes, we race hard but our cheer squad cheers even harder

^^ some of my favorite november project buddies and accountabilibuddies (in retrospect, I should have merged all of these photographs but I didn’t.  so there is that much more love and photographic evidence circulating on the internet) #nplove

^^ when your friends work for food companies or are just full-on foodies, you make homemade nutter butters and banana ice cream. oh, and this was in brooklyn.  how hipster can we get?

^^ (I realized that I may post too many pictures of myself. then again, it’s my blog sooooo sorrynotsorry? for the record, we have epic NP photo albums after EVERY workout.  it helps that we have some amazing photographers – professional and recreational) – fair warning, not all of them are attractive but hey, you win some, you lose some.

^^ a new tag for this weekend’s PRIDE run (stewarded by the amazing Burke)

^^ the tribe is strong.  the tribe has pride.  here we are on Wednesday’s bridge day in FULL RAINBOW gear because dressing in all the colors definitely helps you work out harder. (the guys definitely won the prize here!) not that I coordinate my workout clothes on any other day…

^^ my hometown has a mini-version (obviously mini since nothing compares to NYC), which I do love, but music in THE Central Park was a whole different ballgame.

my instinct is that every event is classical, which isn’t exactly my favorite, but going once made for a check on the bucket list

^^ my kind of happy hour. I met up with a bunch of Thetas who are living in the city and since some of them are not 21, we settled on something sweet.  SNOWDAYS shaved cream is one of those blossoming trends and if you ever find yourself in the east village (10th & 1st), test it out.

also, apparently if you add a few half dozen hashtags to your instagram, you acquire a lot more (random) likes.  though, I still haven’t come close to hitting the numbers that my college-aged cousins hit.  how in the world do they do that?  kids these days.

^^ that time I traveled to Hoboken for a workout.  yep, the lengths that we go to for our november project workouts.  I have to say, I do love that city, even with the fog and humidity settling down on it.

^^ I can’t thank NP enough for the places that I have been able to visit and the people that I have been able to meet.  my world is that much larger and I consider myself more positive and that much better of an athlete because of it.  again, the tribe is inclusive and the tribe is strong.

^^ a pizza place in Brooklyn (conveniently right off the L!)  I use the hashtag runtoeat for a reason…

Houdini
1563 Decatur St
Ridgewood NY, 11385

^^ happy (belated) father’s day to this trail blazer 🙂 Looking forward to some solid hiking when I’m home!

^^ 1) how cool is that globe?  it’s located out in Queens from the World Expo area and the location of last week’s race aka the MOST HUMID RACE EVER.  but really, it was gross.   my legs were so not feeling it and yet I was still somewhat happy with my time.  needless to say I’m a bit raced-out for the time being and will be taking some time off of “racing-everything”

^^ my high school friend came down from Boston to run in the NYRR Queens 10K with me.  we managed to avoid the massive rain storm, but had quite a time dashing through Queens in the humidity.

^^ nothing beats working out and replenishing with a fresh-blended acai bowl.  I’ve always been a huge fan of juice generation, probably because it’s the first juice shop I stumbled upon in the city.  the bowls average about $10 but are totally worth it.  those of you shaking your head at the prices let me explain – 1) I am attracted to all the health foods or “health” trends (acai…supposedly is great for you) 2) once you live in the city long enough, you lose track of what’s normal to pay for food.  it’s all absurd so might as well swipe the credit card and pray that you don’t bounce (just kidding dad – I’m very good about managing my money) #worktospend

now, if anyone is seeking food testers, I’m your gal! 🙂

^^ less than 1 week and I get to see the Bodie man!

Travels Tips ~ Avoiding Those Blonde Moments

First and foremost I have to give a mega shout-out to my sister Meghan who not only booked and organized a majority of the trip we took to Scandinavia, but dealt with some of my blonde moments and almost mental breakdowns.  Secondly, I would like to list out some of my tips and tricks for traveling in and around the country/world, with emphasis on Scandinavia.  I could call it “Traveling by the Seat of your Pants” but I think the published title tells it all.

So, most of these bullets are taken for my own use, to bookmark for future trips (in hopes that I review them prior to traveling) but maybe I can provide some wisdom and help you learn from my mistakes experiences.

• It’s probably smart to review the trip prior to departing.  This means taking into account the following:
  • Do you have the necessary documents to enter? Tickets, ID, etc.
  • Do you know how to get there? Maps either provided by AAA, tourist booths or printed maps (thank you Google)
  • Do you have a guide book that tells you about the locations that you are visiting?  Our family is a huge fan of Rick Steve’s travel books and I think we got our money’s worth out of the Scandinavia book for sure.  Meghan was the smart one and read up on each place, whether we should purchase city passes, etc.  I just went along for the ride and acted as the photographer.  
  • Do you know where your passport is?

• Worried about how you look in pictures?  They “blue steel” face from Zoolander is quite nice and makes anyone look good (even fit and trim)

• Look for snacks in some of the local grocery stores rather than relying on takeout/coffee shops.  This is especially helpful if you are staying in one place for a longer period of time and save oodles of money vs. going to restaurants for every single meal.

• Always report to your bank that you will be traveling in a foreign country.  One used to have to go into the bank or even call and wait for an operator in order to do this.  Now they even have a link online to fill out the proper forms and information.

• Photocopy all of your important documents (passport, credit/debit cards, ID) leaving a copy at home and another on hand with you for traveling.

• Send your travel info/flight schedule/itinerary to a friend or family member just so they know where you are if anything happens.  Or so they can track you on their atlas.

• If you are a student (or maybe just graduated) ask for a discount.  Most places in Europe offer a discount and hey, it doesn’t hurt to ask, right?

• Keep an eye out for free walking tours.  Again, these are pretty prevalent across Europe and are a great way to explore the city on a low-budget.  Just don’t be a butt and actually leave a tip.  They have them in most cities, but Sandeman’s New Europe is a good place to start if you are traveling to big name countries.  They even have walking and biking tours!

• Not all restrooms (WC = wash closets) are free…rarely actually.  Either make sure to cary coins on hand or find your way into a local fast food joint.  Even then they may charge you so be thankful that the US of A has not jumped on that bandwagon.  Also don’t chug your water before getting onto a tour bus…things will not end well for you.

• Some essentials: gum, hand sanitizer, tissues/napkins, plastic baggies, water bottle to fill up

• No matter where you are going, always bring a workout outfit and bathing suit.  Just trust me on this.  Years of experience.

The Blondes Abroad ~ Sweden Travels

We have almost reached the end of our journey.  As you read from Monday’s post, we had a brief stop in Goteborgs for their 21km or 1/2 marathon race.  Friends, let me just say running with 64,000 people was INSANE!

^^ Rocking the November Project #grassrootsgear 🙂 Represent internationally!

But we made it out alive – we may have been a bit more sore but a bit happier as well (PR earned and no more stressing about the race).  We spent the night in a hotel by the airport (oo la la, an actual hotel rather than hostel) that had a sick spread for breakfast.  I may have loaded up on all the calories that I burnt through the day before, but I have awhile until my next half to get down to #raceweight.  Plus, it was vacation, so it didn’t count. 😉

~ DAY 9 ~ 5/24/15 ~ STOCKHOLM ~

After arriving to Stockholm Sunday morning, we bused into the city, dropped off our bags, and set off for a hop on-hop off boat tour.   We rode through the small harbor for a couple stops and then got off to explore Skansen, which is an open-air museum/zoo/playground.

^^ Seriously, the Scandinavians REALLY love their licorice.

^^ One of the working shops where actual work continues to occur.  This man was molding something with metal.  Although, being in a museum, you’ll have people staring at you and taking pictures all day long.  Not sure I would enjoy being on that end, but now we know what the zoo animals feel like.

^^ I’m serious.  They LOVE their candy.  Who wouldn’t be obsessed with little sweets in these jars?

Once we had our fill of the animals, we headed back out to the boat to finish the tour and find a bit of FIKA or espresso and coffee break.  Coffee always pairs well with chocolate, that was the treat of choice for the afternoon.

^^ chocobolle {Swedish chocolate coconut ball} for Kaitlin & Meghan and espresso for Kaitlin

 I think at this point of the trip, we had explored all that we could, or all that we desired to.  We rested in a nearby park, reading our Kindles and soaking up the spring sunshine until it reached a decent time to eat (none of this “4:30pm special”)

Meghan’s friend had traveled to Sweden earlier in the year and stumbled upon this amazing vegan and vegetarian buffet.  For about 15 dollars, you could get up and select whatever you wanted from this buffet.  I tried to keep it relatively clean since vegetables were seriously lacking on this trip.  So, while the picture below might be horrendous, it’s a solid depiction of the spread (grilled vegetables, eggplant lasagna, coleslaw, hummus, and a few other Mediterranean dishes)

Hertmitage Vegan & Vegetarian Restaurant 
(such a clutch find and recommendation by one of Meghan’s friends)

Once we were sufficiently stuffed, we strolled back through the old town and headed to our hostel for some reading, television, and good ‘ol bedtime.

~ DAY 10 ~ 5/25/15 ~ STOCKHOLM ~

The final day consisted of a scavenger hunt for breakfast (ending in an “eh” sandwich – aka roll with one slice of cheese and ham each) and free walking tour of the Stockholm city center.

We scoured our options for one last Swedish meal and found a grocery market (think upscale La Boqueria) and settled on a platter of Mediterranean-ish food for lunch. I went ahead and ordered a Flat White coffee simply so we could sit in the coffee booth.  In retrospect, coffee doesn’t really pair well with Mediterranean, but oh well.

Then it was back to the hostel, onto the 45-minute bus to the airport, and back to Copenhagen before flying home the next day.

^^ this was meant to be more of a sad face but now I realize that she looks like she is in shock or just ticked off.  The sentiment is the same – she was about to finish her last ice cream cone of the trip and finish her 4.5 month abroad experience.  I would be in shock too. 

So with that, our brave blonde adventures has concluded.  The final score is as follows:

7 flights
3 countries
too many kroner conversions (and instead swipes of the credit card)
5 hostels
8 cities
endless miles walked (if only we were wearing a Fitbit!)
0 fights (but 2ish moments of hanger each)
1 hell of a trip 

Until our next adventure…

A Race for the Ages ~ Göteborgsvarvet 21k

Part of the reason we decided to travel to Sweden was to race in a half marathon.  Yes, we are two crazy running sisters that tend to prefer running and exploring to raging the night away.  Sure I love to have a good time but instead of hitting up the Scandinavian club scene, we stuck to what we know best – ice cream + running.

This race in particular may have thrown us a curveball.  When picking out the race, we looked for something over Memorial Day weekend (as that was the time of travel) and stumbled upon the Goteborgsvarvet in Goteborg, Sweden.  Well, turns out this was/is the largest half marathon in the world with over 64,000 people.  It.was.insane. and totally worth the experience.  Funny enough, one of my college friends who is an inspiration to me (she was our triathlon president and super brilliant) lives in Sweden and happened to be at the race!  We managed to find her starting corral (lucky duck ran around 1:20pm) and said hi!

Because we arrived on Friday, we were able to wander around the city and pick up our race packets ahead of time.  The actual race started around 1pm on Saturday, with subsequent waves going off every 20 minutes.  We could have easily arrived on Saturday and just picked up our packets right before the race, but this scenario allowed us to relax and enjoy the pre-race experience.

The delicious schwarma chicken salad we consumed for lunch before going to find Pitch Perfect 2 in theaters.  I mean, we had already had at least 6-7 days of conversation with each other, so a few hours of mindless entertainment sounded great.

~ obligatory pre-race photo ~

I would be happy to break down the race and go through each mile like some bloggers do but to be honest, I sort of blacked out during parts.  Between the nerves of the race – wanting to do well and feeling a bit insecure at times amongst some of the faster and maybe svelter runners – and the late start time, it all was a bit of a blur.  I recall weaving through so many people, trying to push past the kids (adorable at times, utterly annoying at others) who were chanting Hej yah (imagine the opening song of Frozen), and maneuvering across two bridges, all while trying to keep up with Meghan.

Let me just list out some of the thoughts that went through my head that day.  I will be leaving out all the curses that were floating around at times.  Like why the hell did we sign up for this? Does anyone else ask that before every race? Because I certainly do 😉

• This will be such a cool race – new country, different people, different culture
• Oh gosh, we only slept until 6:30am.  What are we going to do until a race at 3:53? We can watch a few episodes of whatever is on. {Gilmore Girls and Brothers & Sisters…not bad, now I know why some people like to binge watch TV on the weekend, it can be fun}
• Food – breakfast came with the hostel but man there are so many options.  I don’t know where to begin or where to end? (probably not the best idea to have me in a buffet on race day…stress usually leads to mindless munching)
• Post breakfast we try to hang out in the lobby…make it 10 minutes and I’m already antsy
• Deciding to walk back towards the mall, we wander an athletic store, pick up an American flag bathing suit (because that’s of course necessary) and the nerves only get worse.  Fine, let’s go to the race.
• Why are there so many people here?  Seriously, where do all these people come from?

• Ugh the nerves of race-day are setting in.  I shouldn’t have eaten so much for breakfast.  {stressing…} Hm, do I need to eat something for lunch? I mean, calories wise probably not, but I don’t want to die on the course of exhaustion.  {subsequently stress eat my kid’s cliff bar and passionfruit juice}
• Wait, that whole rule about not doing anything new on race day? oops. I think I have done everything new today.  I’ve never even raced in this shirt. Ah well.

• Eyeing the candy licorice ropes that are as omnipresent as a New York hot dog and pretzel stand. So basically everywhere. Boy I could have totally purchased one and eaten the entire thing prior to my race but knew that would be such a poor decision.  I also don’t really like candy candy that much, so it was more for the satisfaction of having something to do besides think about the race.
• Do we really have to start so late?  Let’s try to run early.  Screw it, we are jumping into another group (*I normally follow the rules but when we were in line for the bathrooms at 2:30 and the woman in front of me was supposed to start ~2:25, I knew it wouldn’t matter that much)

This is where it gets hazy.  We jumped into the 3pm corral, realized that there was NO method to the race madness and people of all paces were starting throughout the afternoon.  You would think that the faster runners would be in the beginning corrals and this was probably true for 1pm-2pm.  They just wanted to stick us Americans in the last bunch.  Thanks.

^^ not bad form and not my worst race picture (anyone else have odd/interesting race photos…working out isn’t always the most attractive)

Anyways, Meghan and I had to slowly weave our way through people, running around 8:30 pace for a solid 10 minutes.  I stuck with Meghan (who runs for her college) for about half of the race until she started to edge ahead.  Lucky for us, we finished about 20 seconds apart and both hit a personal best time with 1:39, which was our goal!

We were beyond lucky to finish so close together because we actually hadn’t set a contingency plan if we got separated.  I thought about asking someone for help finding my sister who was blonde and wearing a black shirt.  Good idea Kaitlin when EVERYONE is blonde and about 50% are wearing black.

Anyways, I was proud of myself for running the race, running without headphones, sticking it out through the pain, and experiencing something amazing with my sister.  Boy, we have come a long way from when we both started running (remember that time I left you at the track because I was mad that you were fast?  I’m such a good sister) 😉

“The real purpose of running isn’t to win a race, it’s to test the limits of the human heart” – Bill Bowerman

Life of Late ~ 6.12.15

You know the drill.  Welcome to Friday! Here’s a little bit of random fun to start off the weekend.

First off, a few of my friends from college, who were a couple years younger, are graduating this weekend.  No way. I can’t believe it has already been two years.  I would share pictures but then I wasn’t such a fan of them.  So I’ll share a few lovely November Project pictures instead.

^^ Because November Project not only gives you an awesome workout (not to mention free…), but  you’ll often find pictures from the morning’s workout on the Facebook page.  No, you won’t always look your best (note above) but hey this isn’t a beauty pageant.

 ^^ that time that I tried my first juice cleanse.  I selected the Liquiteria Cleanse “Juice, Eat, Repeat” since I fall in the beginner category.  Who knows if juice cleanses are even worth the time or cost (pain?) but I have a few friends who are into them and thought it would be an intriguing experiment.  Yes, the coffee withdrawal is worse than the juices and yes I did eat a full dinner because I didn’t want to go to November Project on a meager four juices.

Next time, I’ll be going more for “49 Detox Recipes that Actually Contain Food“

^^ Post-work walks through Central Park.  I’m fascinated how many people are out and about and love strolling through the park, people running around or having picnics and reading.

^^ Eating out with a fellow blogger.  Spoiler alert – I did not eat mussels 🙂

One of my friends at work asked what I do outside of work.  This was because one of my stories started with “this one time at a race”.  Why yes, this does seem to take up a majority of my time.  Literally and figuratively running around.

~ Links I Love ~

Runner’s World ~ “Funny Running Signs” (some real winners out there…might have to put those to use!)

Women’s Running ~ “Reader Race Day Bibs Display” What else are you going to do with all those bibs??

Comedians in Cars Getting Coffee (A Jerry Seinfeld production) ~ This 1st episode with Julia Louis-Dreyfus makes me want to 1) start binge watching Seinfeld 2) work in comedy (maybe not) 3) have a job that keeps me on my toes (both figuratively and maybe a bit literally…my hips ache from sitting)

People.com ~ “Baby Koala Won’t Leave Mom’s Side” (Isn’t this TOO adorable???)

Jimmy Kimmel Talks LA vs. NY ~ Not sure where I fall on this scale anymore 😉 Although, everyone in NY thinks that we Californians all talk like surfers.  Dude, no.  (ok except the dude part…)

Lonny.com ~ “The Perfect Summer Beach House” (when can I move in?)

Thrillist ~ “The 33 Best Ice Cream Shops in America” (I spy a few New York locations that will be on my summer bucket list)

Well + Good ~ “Top 2015 Wellness Trends – Sugar is the New Trans-Fat” (how bad is it that I paired this with the top ice cream shops in America?)

Linking up with Life in Leggings!

^^ For some reason I have lucked out at NYRR races and just been at the right place at the right time to snag a professional photo and end up on the website.  Really though, I’m not usually this lucky.  Above was from last week’s “Retro 4 Miler” and my friend Tricia and I decided to pull out our high school singlets.  I actually begged my mom to dig through my closet in California to find it and yes, it was this short when I was a sophomore in high school.

Have a fabulous weekend!

Norway in a Nutshell (Part 2)

Picking up with our next adventures in Norway.  After a short stint in Bergen and trip down the Fjords, we arrived in Oslo and were ready to hit the ground running.

Day 5 (5/20/15) ~ Oslo

^^ I’m serious.  We started both mornings with solo jaunts along the water and around the castle.

Solo just so we didn’t drive one another completely insane.  That and I didn’t want to drag Meghan down with my unpredictable paces.  Also, there is only so much conversation one can have with the same person 🙂

After getting cleaned up and an excellent Scandinavian breakfast spread (hardboiled/soft boiled eggs, cheese & meats, too many rolls and breads to choose from, juices, yogurts, and more), we headed out and up to see the Olympic Ski Jump.

We had picked up 48 hr Oslo Passes, which covered transportation and free entrance into the museums.  I highly recommend checking this out as many of the museum entrances (and transportation) can add up.  **Note: If you are a student or just so happen to have your student ID on hand, you get a 20% discount!

~ Holmenkollen Ski Jump and Museum ~

^^ imagine dropping off and soaring into the air. a bit nerve wracking, right? or exhilarating. take your pick!

^^ we have a habit of making friends with the wildlife…alive or well-preserved

Once we had exhausted our views of Norway and learned far too much about ski jumping, we headed back into central Oslo.  .

From there, we wandered into the Akershus Fortress to have lunch (thanks to the hostel buffet spread for supplying sandwich ingredients)

Next up – the Norwegian Resistance Museum, the Nobel Peace Center, and the National Gallery (where “The Scream” painting is).

^^ No “SCREAM” picture as cameras were not allowed, but this will do, don’t you agree? We think the seal looks like my dog Bodie (well we think most adorable animals look like him) and I was doing my best to mimic Bodie’s method of sitting – the one where he crosses his paws and looks very regal.

^^ Norwegian brands of candy

^^ Oslo Opera House

^^ City Hall (supposedly they have daily tours, mostly in the summer so make sure to check the schedule)

After a long day of walking, we stopped by the hostel to rest our feet and check back in on social media.  I definitely could have passed right out had it not been for my brain telling me it was dinner time.  Yes, sometimes the brain speaks louder than my stomach.  Still working on getting the two to speak to one another 😉

We walked down around the harbor, searching for the perfect dinner spot.  Of course it turned into a game of “Goldilocks and the Three Bears” as some were too fancy and others (cough…TGI Fridays…cough) were too casual and mainstream.  The harbor is a nicer and trendier area to visit and even if you don’t eat there, definitely take a stroll!

Dinner was obtained at a French-ish place called Albert’s, where I indulged in a burger and Meghan had a Croque Madame sandwich.  Tasty and satisfying, but nothing out of the ordinary.

Ice cream following dinner was an absolute must.  I’m sure she is thrilled with my insistence on candids.  I also tend to make plenty of friends while abroad (see below…my feathery friend was quite intrigued with this ice cream concept)

Day 6 (5/21/15)

It was museum day!  After another solo jaunt around Oslo (this time muuuuuch slower than expected but I’ll blame the hills), quick shower, and buffet breakfast, we took the ferry boat to Bygdøy, where most of the museums are located.

Viking ship

Kon (Con) Tiki boat (slightly updated viking ship)

Oh hey, look – it’s another viking ship!  Let’s just say I’ve had more than my fair share of viking ships.  For a lifetime 🙂

All in all, we went to the Norwegian Maritime Museum, the Fram Museum, the Kon-Tiki Museum, the Viking Ship Museum, and the Norwegian Folk Museum.  Since we had purchased the Oslo Pass, we didn’t feel bad about breezing through some of the not so fascinating parts of the museum.  As Meghan put it, we didn’t feel obligated to read every caption on every display just to get our money’s worth.

In the afternoon we took the public transport to Frogner Park, picked up a tiny snack and read for a while in the sun.

 

Of course I made some more duck friends in the park.  Aren’t they gorgeous?  They were practically posing for us tourists.

Dinner was somewhat of a debacle – Meghan had noshed on a Cliff Kid’s bar and was satisfied for some time, but I was edging towards hungry.  We tried to avoid the Hard Rock Cafes and TGI Fridays but may have been better off there than the bar we settled on.

We finished up around 6:30 (yep, raging twins here) and decided to walk around town since it was too early to go to bed.  Per Meghan’s suggestion, we headed down to the train station, confirmed the departure of our train the next morning, and grabbed a final treat from Norway.  No, nothing special – just a waffle from Ben & Jerry’s for Meghan and a dark chocolate bar for me.

Stay tuned for the last part of the trip ~ Sweden!