It's New Years Eve and other large pictures of my face.

 

I am having trouble realizing that this year is actually coming to a close! Ohmmgeee where did this year go!?? It seems like just yesterday I was in Washington, DC celebrating the beginning of 2012 with some of my very best friends. And in the blink of an eye, it's that time of year again - time to sip some champagne, make some resolutions and reminisce about everything that has happened this year.

I have some unique celebration plans for this year (involving running; might as well right?), but I'll share more about that tomorrow. 

For now, here are some extra large photos of the recent snowstorm (and me). Enjoy!

I hope everyone has a fun and safe NYE 2013!

FHR Night In

Last night, the Forest Hills Runners threw a holiday party - potluck style!

Everyone contributed wonderful food and we all looked so nice not in our sweaty running clothes for once!

As the snow fell down outside we celebrated another great year of running, new friendships and delicious food. It was a great evening and reminded me how lucky I am to have these people in my life. Here's to another year of running!

Thanks again Brian and Maura for hosting, you guys are the best!!

SNOW

There is just something so peaceful and beautiful about snow. I love how mother nature has the ability to quiet us all down and remind us that it is okay to just be every once in awhile. 

Let's hope the white stuff sticks around for a bit - or at least long enough to make a snow angel!

Joseph!

A couple weeks ago while perusing the internet I discovered that Joseph and the amazing, technicolor dreamcoat was playing at a local theater not too far away from our house. Joseph just so happens to be one of my very favorite musicals, so after a quick calendar check and conference with Drew, I bought two tickets for last night's 7:30 performance!

I didn't do much research on the theater, or group (Turtle Lane Players), so we were going into this pretty blind. Honestly though, as long as there was going to be some singing, dancing and Elvis impersonating, I'd be happy! 

 After a short drive in some snow and sleet, we turned onto a neighborhood street in Auburndale, MA. By the looks of our surroundings we assumed we were very, very lost. Turns out, we were not! The Turtle Lane Playhouse looks just like a big house! Shocking, I know. Inside there was a small bar/restaurant area inside where we were able to enjoy a coffee while we waited for showtime.  

Being a paperless theater, all our names were listed with the host and after we checked in with her our very own usher showed us to our seats! So cool.

The show was wonderful - everything Joseph should be and much, much morrrrrre!

Newyearsresolution#1: see more musicals! 

A very rainy run

 There's nothing like good friends who will ask you to run 7 miles with them on a day when you'd like nothing more than to stay inside and cuddle with a warm blanket and hot chocolate.

Happy girls after 6.63 miles in very cold, very wet conditions. 

In defense of our sanity: it wasn't raining very hard when we set out on this run.  However, there were points when it was raining so hard that I was really wishing someone had given me a face mask for Christmas this year.  Maybe next year.

A black and white Christmas

  

After a wonderful weekend in Vermont I got to celebrate back-to-work-Wednesday today (you know, the most anticipated holiday of the year)? Luckily it was very quiet around my office so I was able to be moderately productive. I am also giving myself 10 extra points for making it to the gym this morning at 5:45 AM. Anddddd guess who else was there? Yup. That's right, only two other people. 10 points for all three of us!

The good news is that Santa was able to make it to Vermont despite the chilly temps and lack of chimney or fireplace in my parents house. And he even ate all of the burnt cookies I left out for him. Props to him!

I hope everyone enjoyed their Christmas as well and don't have to rush back to work too soon!

Twas the night before Christmas...

 

I tried my very best to convince my dad that a sunset swim seemed like a really good idea. He didn't buy it. I wonder why? 

I hope everyone is having the very merriest of Christmas Eves! 

I'm about to go bake some cookies for good ole' S.C. 

However, I am almost certain there will not be any nog left for him. I'm not worried though, I heard Mrs. C put him on a diet.

Merry xmas loves!

See ya!

 

This is my "I'm really, really excited for Christmas and Vermont" face!!

Maybe Santa will bring me a haircut this year, those bangs are getting a little out of control.

And here is a very unrelated latte photo to oogle.

 

Save travels and happy holidays all!

 

What brought us together

Just a little video I came across tonight. 

Last post before the end of the world? Maybe. 

If that's the case, I wish you all the best!

I'll be wearing pajamas to work. Hey, I just want to be as comfortable as possible.

2012 Running in Review

Best race experience? Maybe somewhat predictable, but the Philadelphia Marathon was definitely the highlight of the year. It was the perfect running weekend and I couldn't have asked for anything else for my first marathon. Honestly, I still cannot believe I actually RAN A MARATHON! 

Best run? It's almost too hard to pick just one for this. If we're going by technicalities, then I'd have to say the B.A.A. Half Marathon. It might also have been the most difficult race I did this year. I really pushed myself in this one and was able to PR by 3 minutes.

Worst run? I've decided that I am changing this the most memorable run.  One of my longest training runs ever, and one I won't soon forget. Maura, Drew and I spent 3 and 1/2 hours trudging through the pouring, cold rain all over the greater Boston area. Never in my right mind could I have imagine myself doing that unless I were being chased by a pack of angry wolves. And yet, I did it! And proceeded to spend the rest of the day inside on the couch. 

Best new piece of gear? It's a tie. Either my Garmin (which I need to stop forgetting every time I head out for a run) or the Saucony Kinvara discovery I made back in May. During this race, when I had not yet discovered the wonderfulness of Kinvara, I had pretty intense knee pain for the last couple of miles. Enter: Kinvaras! Exit: Knee pain! What more can you ask for in a piece of gear? 

Best piece of running advice you received? "Start any race at a pace that feels almost uncomfortably slow." I know everyone has different pacing strategies and what works for some doesn't work for others, but I am happy to say that this year I figured out what type of pacing (at least mentally) works best for me. I try to run the first couple of miles of any race at a very, very easy pace. After that I gradually increase until I am running a little faster than comfortable (ideally at the half way point). After this I run based on my breathing. If I'm breathing way too heavily, and still have more than 3 miles left, then I back off a bit. If I can hear my breathing but it's not very labored then I know I'm running a good pace. I usually try and finish the race faster than I ran at any point during the race. During this race, that was particularly difficult (since the last 4 miles were crowded hills through Franklin Park, and the rest of the race had been either downhill, mostly flat and not so crowded). However, in most races this strategy has worked really well for me. It has helped me to negative split on more than one occasion! I guess I'm adding on a little of my own advice to this question.

Most inspirational runner? Since entering the blogosphere last April I've come across a lot of running bloggers that inspire me at different times in my runs/training/life. A few of note are Dorothy, Laura and Kristin.

If you could sum up your year in a couple of words, what would they be? This year running became a much larger part of my everyday life than it has ever been in the past. As a result, I have gotten faster, fitter and more confident in many aspects of my life. I am so grateful for all the support, friendships and experiences that have come along with such a great year of running. Here a few favorite photos from a truly unforgettable year of running! 

Jamaica Pond

Some photos from a recent walk through Jamaica Plain and around the pond.

The world's most confusing bench. 

And the world's friendliest cat. Seriously. He wouldn't stop circling my legs with love. I was afraid (hoping) that he would follow me home.