Weekend in Pictures

This weekend is best told through pictures.

After my last long brick on Saturday, I finally was able to use a gift certificate for a massage I have been saving up. While it was heaven, and I plan to go back Wednesday before hopping on a plane down to Tampa, I'm not sure she believed me when I told her I had sensitive skin...


After laying around for a bit , I motivated to do me some baking. Cake Balls for the boy. Sounds easy, right?



Well, I would not say these were a TOTAL disaster, but they were close (as you can maybe tell from the finished product). I learned a few lessons:

1. If a recipe calls for 1 box of cake mix + 1 can of frosting, eating chunks of said cake will mess up the ratio.

2. Cake Balls should be bite size. I got about 30 balls, when I was supposed to make 50+. I guess my bite-size is larger than most?

3. Too large cake balls (see #2), result in longer than necessary cooling time prior to the chocolate dip.

So I ended up with about 12 'usable' Cake Balls after an utter disaster of a dipping process. And even the ones that were presentable weren't the tasty treats I was hoping. I think I will just need to play with the amount of frosting to perfect this recipe, and learn to be more patient (however, I've been working on that for 27 years).

Sunday called for one last run and then some major cheering, celebrating and overall loving of NYC on Marathon Sunday.

OCD, commence.

Yes, I know it's 8 days away. But can this pleeeeease hold true??

A little boot love on this rainy day.

Oh man, oh man. I want them all.

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shhh, these are on their way to me now!

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These babies are probably finding their way to my feet verrrry soon (as in, now, oops.)

OMG

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Genius. Cupcake + marshmallow + warm oven = perfection.

Daily (walking to work) Inspiration

Choices.

I have two weeks left to make the right choices between now and Clearwater.

[Well, I HAD two weeks, but then it was Halloween weekend and boy was here and it was my best friend's engagement party and then the Redskins played (well, tried to play but sucked it up royally) and the only way to make that better was beers+wings+candy...]

As I was saying, I have 10 days to make good choices. I loaded up on groceries last night, am only coaching for 1 hour next week and am committed to rest, recovery and shedding the last few pounds over these next 10 days.

And I just need to keep telling myself...."Carrots are as good as chips...carrots are as good as chips..."

..yea, right. Damn I want my Doritos...

Marathon Maddness

The electricity of marathon week is officially in town. From the finish line bleachers under construction at 6am this morning, to the groups of international runners taking group photos at the Reservoir yesterday morning - it's the best time of year in the park. There is an energy that you can feel and carries you through your runs.

Although I have missed the training over the past few months, I have no regrets to not be participating in this year - for the first time ever I actually get to be a spectator and am REALLY excited. My first two years living in NYC I was out of town for work marathon weekend, and I ran the past two years, so I am really looking forward to taking my camera and parking my butt somewhere on 5th or behind the Met and cheering on the masses.

My favorite sign I have seen so far :

On the training front, for the first time in a while, I actually feel like I'm training again with my head in the game. I'm in the water every day this week and my swim feels great, and I hit some 800s at a pace I didn't know was in me this morning, so things are looking up. Now I just need to get out of the freezing, dark mornings and to the Florida sun!!