by ninaeliseh | Sep 9, 2016 | Blog, Deep Thoughts, fitness, Health & Fitness, life, Personal Development
Have you ever experienced days, weeks, or even MONTHS where you just.aren’t.motivated?? Yep, we’ve all been there. Procrastination sets in, the internet/social media/netflix distractions become the norm, and we seem to lose sight of where we want to be in life.
So WHY do we let this happen?? Because it’s comfortable. Because it’s safe, and change can be scary. The biggest issue of not moving forward in our lives is FEAR. Fear of failure, fear of success, fear of change… These fears control our lives, whether it is conscious or not. So if you find yourself saying things like “I can’t find the motivation”, or “I’m not motivated”, this is the perfect time to figure out WHY. Why are you not motivated? Why does it seem like others are go-getters & more successful than you?? Guess what.
Motivation isn’t something that some people are just blessed with – it’s a mindset. It’s a state of being.
And at any time, we have a choice to change our mental state. Some days and moments might seem more difficult to get out of our heads & pump ourselves up, but once we begin to practice being aware of our moods/state of being, it gets easier. By working our mental muscles & pushing ourselves to a new mindset, eventually there is less resistance. Whenever you tell yourself you are tired, or you don’t want to do something – take a step back. Evaluate the thoughts that have been running through your mind, and find a different perspective. Just get out of your head.
It can seem like a never-ending cycle of feeling great, then feeling low… However, if you find something that works for you and stick with it, you will notice an immediate change in your life. I’ve been through this never-ending cycle, and I get it. However, once I began to implement daily changes, my life began to take a turn for the better. Motivation was not something I waited for – it was a state of being that I could talk myself into, no matter how I was feeling.
Below are a few tips that I’ve put together from my own experience to help YOU or anyone else struggling to get motivated. It’s something I’ve struggled with off & on for most of my adult life, and I know I am not the only one. It might seem a little overwhelming at first, so just read through & take a little time to let it digest. Then… take action 🙂
Repetition
The number one thing that has changed my life is repetition. You know that great feeling of reading a good book, or being inspired by something, then nothing coming from it? It’s because you aren’t constantly focused on it. What I mean is this: we all have a certain mindset or base thoughts that we revert back to at any time. For most people, it’s not consciously known because it is the norm. So, when you have moments of motivation, it tends to be short-lived, because it is not your base mindset. Lucky for you, and for anyone, this can be changed.
By constantly barraging your mind with positive, motivating content, you are essentially replacing your own thoughts or your base mindset with NEW thoughts – all different than what is normally going through your mind on a daily basis.
You can change your base mindset by finding every moment you have free time, and then filling it with new content. Over time, your base mind set will eventually change to a new state – or whatever you have been filling your mind with. Below are a few ways you can accomplish this:
- Podcasts
- Books (on audio, kindle, or a regular old paperback)
- Internet/Social Media
- Sometimes I like to read success stories on MDA (who doesn’t like a good story where people end up happier/healthier in the end??) or articles on Elephant Journal. If you are on social media, make sure you are following people/accounts that bring you up/are in line with your goals. Meaning, when you read something, do you feel good or bad? Make your decisions based on what makes YOU feel good – you know what’s best.
- CD’s
- Every time I enter my car, I either pop in a Tony Robbins CD or my spanish practice CDs. I RARELY listen to music anymore, unless I am in a really great mood or I feel like my mind needs a quick break (or someone else is in the car!).
- Be Social
- Hang out with mentors/people that you look up to/inspire you to be a better person. By communicating & interacting with others that have a mindset you strive to achieve, it automatically lifts you up & puts you in a different mindset.
Find your free time
So you might be telling me, NINA. I HAVE NO FREE TIME. And you know what, I used to say the exact. same. thing. Because honestly, I didn’t think I did either. I had to take a big step back and be honest with myself. Our minds like to trick us – it wants to stay comfortable, so it will come up with any excuse to prevent change.
The first thing you can do is track your time. I spent an entire week tracking my days in 15 minute increments to figure out exactly what I was doing with my time. There are different apps that you can plug your information into, but I created my own spreadsheet and customized it based on my lifestyle. You can access the spreadsheet here if you want to customize/edit to your own schedule. Also – different things are important to different people – personal time to create my yoga classes, study, or read is very important to me – same with meditating 2x a day. So, customize to what is important to you & relevant in your life right now. (Please note that you WILL need to be a little savvy in excel to edit the formulas if you change categories. If you need help, shoot me a note/leave a comment and I can help you out 🙂
The spreadsheet is filled in with exactly how I spent an entire week this summer – and as you can see above, there were several areas where I could have spent less time on my phone & been more productive during my drive time. By doing a self evaluation of your own time, you will find that there are times throughout your day that you really DO have time – While driving, getting ready, doing housework, etc. Yes, you can pop your headphones in while sweeping the floor or putting on your makeup every morning and listen to a motivating podcast. It’s really that simple.
One last side note – not every week will be the same – however, by tracking your time, you become more aware of where you spend your time, and it helps you become a little more creative with how you can spend your time.
What are your Goals
Unless you have a WHY in your life, there will be no growth or change. And if there are no goals to work towards, then what is the point of even being motivated? Insert your WHY. Below are the areas in your life that you MUST take the time to sit down & create goals for. Whether it be as simple as saving for a weekend trip, or as big as getting yourself out of debt, you need to write down a vision to have something to work towards. It’s a LOT easier to get motivated if there is something you REALLY want – so take a look at the areas below, and take a few moments to get clear on your WHY. Once you have a goal, you have something to work towards!
- Career – what is your ideal career/what is important to you in a job?
- Mentally – what is your ideal mood/attitude/mindset?
- Physical/Health – what is your ideal feeling of overall health/physique?
- Relationship(s) – what is your ideal partner/marriage/friendships?
- Finances – what is your ideal financial situation?
- Personal – something specific you are working towards (college, a race, etc)
- Overall – ideally, how do you want to feel every day of your life?
Not Optional
Anytime you aren’t feeling motivated to do something, get it in your mind that the task is NOT optional. Sometimes, when I don’t want to work out, or I reallllly don’t want to meditate, I buckle down and don’t take no for an answer. There are literally no other options except to do this one task. To me, I view these things as something that will benefit me. I know I will feel great or accomplished afterwards, so I look at these tasks like brushing my teeth or taking a shower. It’s something I just have to do.
Music
Although I mainly only listen to music while in the shower/creating playlists for my yoga classes now, there are times that I will put on some music to get me going. For example: waking up at 4:30 am every Wednesday to teach yoga = loud music is needed to wake my ass up & puts me in a good mood for class! So for some, music is a way to inspire, get your day started, and get you in a better mood. Find what works for you!
Make a list
The next time you are feeling really motivated, take a look at what you have been doing in your life for the past few days or week. You will begin to correlate certain habits or routines with how you feel. And when you begin to identify the specifics, make a list. For example: When I feel my best, I am working out everyday, giving others compliments, meditating daily, and taking cold showers (seriously, science!). Find the things you do when you feel your best – and if you NEVER feel your best – observe other people and find out what they are doing. It can be something as small as meditating or setting aside 20 minutes of “Me” time a day to decompress. Don’t be afraid to try new things, toss what doesn’t work, and keep what does. Literally no one else knows you as well as you – so have fun & take the time to figure out what gets you going 🙂
Move your body
This is probably the quickest way to get motivated, and there are a few ways to do this:
- Can’t get out of bed? Literally jump out of bed like someone threw a bucket of ice cold water on you. Jump around a little bit, do a few stretches… You’ll be awake and motivated to keep moving
- Go workout – if you are having trouble getting motivated to workout, the best thing you can do is get moving. As soon as your body begins to warm up, endorphins will be released, blood flow will increase, and you’ll begin to feel better within the first 5-10 minutes of your workout.
- If you are feeling sluggish at any point in your day, get up and move. Jump up and down a few times, do a few push ups, or maybe a few jumping jacks. Physical movement releases endorphins, and it reduces stress hormones in your body. It literally changes your brain! If you don’t want people seeing you do push ups at your desk, go in a conference room – no one will ever know 🙂
- Moving Meditation – this is actually one of my favorite things to do! While out on a run, I’ll create a mantra or a saying and repeat it non-stop:
- “I have unlimited energy”
- “Every breath & every step, I have more & more energy”
- “My body is in perfect alignment”
- “My body is a fucking machine!”
- “I can do anything!”
- Sometimes I will repeat a mantra for 20 minutes or more, doing nothing but staring straight in front of me as I run until I start to FEEL whatever statement I am saying is true. When you combine a clear intention with an elevated emotion, it becomes a new belief/memory much quicker. Moving your body elicits an emotional & physical response, so movement works wayyy better than just standing in front of you mirror and saying affirmations over & over again. As silly or crazy or corny as it sounds, just try it. I swear, it is crazy how well this works – I noticed a HUGE increase in energy every day once I started doing this. You can also say statements about other areas about your life, like feeling confident, finances, whatever… It’s all about focusing & repeating until you feel that elevated emotion
Personal Development
I am a firm believer that depression & unhappiness in your life is caused by becoming comfortable. Stagnation happens when we work 9-5, come home, watch tv, and repeat, 5 days a week. Life is easy, but it isn’t challenging. Yet, we aren’t happy, even though we have everything we THINK we want. Insert: Personal development. By continuously learning new things, we are challenging ourselves, stimulating different parts of our brain, and creating new neuro-pathways. By finding ways to push ourselves & get out of our comfort zones, motivation is something that comes very easily – especially when it’s something that is cool or different than what is currently happening in your life. There are a few ways that I pursue personal development:
- Travel solo around the world (Yes, it’s scary. Yes, it opens your mind to new people, ideas, places, etc. Yes, you should do it)
- Take various Yoga workshops to become a better yoga teacher
- Randomly bought a guitar & have been teaching myself to play (literally spend hours banging away on this thing… it is no easy task to learn an instrument!)
- Go to personal development workshops – I’ve been to a Kyle Cease weekend workshop, and am attending a Tony Robbins event in November
- Meditation Workshops
- Cooking classes (Yes, I go alone. No, it’s not awkward)
- Read. Apply what you’ve read to your life. Repeat.
Personal development can mean different things to different people – it can be changing how you think, going to seminars, going back to school, learning a new skill, etc. If you don’t know what you want to work on, try anything. Seriously – you could take a class on how to cook with different cheeses, or even learning how to juggle! As long as you are getting out of your everyday mindset, you are stimulating your brain in new ways.
So that’s it! (for right now!) There are so many more ways to get motivated, but these are the ways that are most influential in my life at the moment. I’ve spent my entire 20’s reading, learning, searching for ways to change my life, get motivated, and better myself. However, it’s been a struggle being able to translate & communicate everything I have learned in a way that makes sense to me and to others. Teaching yoga for the past 1.5 years has helped boost my confidence, and has challenged me to learn how to express myself more openly so others can understand me.
I want to be able share my journey with others, in the hopes that it helps anyone who comes across my blog.
Just like anyone else, I’ve been through a lot of struggles in my life, and I know what that feels like.
So if I can make life a little bit easier for just one person, or my writings can get someone to think a little differently about themselves/their life, then my goal is complete 🙂
As always, thanks for making it all the way to the bottom… If there are any other really great tips for getting motivated that I missed, leave a comment below!
-Nina Elise
by ninaeliseh | May 11, 2016 | Blog, Deep Thoughts, fitness, Health & Fitness, life, Running, Workouts
Wait, what?
Yes, that’s correct. Don’t get me wrong – I love how I feel during & after a good, slow, short run – but a long, tough run? All. Mental. Running is not something that I am a natural at – which, if you know me, makes me really, really mad. Being super competitive by nature, if I’m not good at something, I am going to practice it and do it over, and over and over again… pushing myself until I’ve gotten to a place where I think I am good at it, or have mastered it to the level that satisfies me.
Unfortunately, running is something that I never feel satisfied with. Whether I’m running a 10 minute easy training pace, or a 7:30 minute race pace, it never feels “easy.” There are people who rarely workout and can just get up and run an easy 7 minute pace (especially men.. do you guys have hidden springs in your legs or something??), and there are people like me, and maybe you, who try and try and can’t get past a certain point unless an immense amount of time is dedicated to getting better.
So why do I run? I run because it’s a challenge. I run because I want to improve myself. And because mentally, it’s a battle I have won once I have completed a race. I also run because others can’t – and as I’ve been physically limited & unable to walk, I am grateful that I have the ability to do so now.
You are probably asking… where the heck is she going with this? While the title of this post is “I hate Running,” I wanted to use this as a gateway to speak to a few deeper thoughts about pushing ourselves, and the motives behind our decisions & actions.
___________________________________________________
I stumbled upon a video about a man named David Goggins – maybe his name rings a bell? He is a Navy SEAL, former USAF Tactical Air Control Party member (served in Iraq and Afghanistan), an ultramarathon runner, ultra-distance cyclist, and triathlete. I watched a video of him on Runners World (also see below), explaining his mindset and the motivation behind his active life. [Read his story here – you will seriously be left wondering WTF HAVE I BEEN DOING WITH MY LIFE?? And also want to try to run a 100 mile race. Almost.]
While he hates running, he does it to raise money for the Special Operations Warrior Foundation, which gives full college grants to children of Special Ops personnel killed in the line of fire. He runs for others. And not only that, he runs because it’s hard. He doesn’t race because he wants to finish – he does it because there is no end. He is constantly looking for ways to push himself past the edge, and his only limitation is himself.
He speaks of the 40% rule – something the Navy Seals live by – meaning, when you think you are done, you are only 40% done. So after you think you’ve reached your limit, you have another 60% of reserves to keep going. Shit – right?! But not unheard of.
99% of people who start a marathon, finish. Seems crazy, but it’s true! So for anyone that has ever run a full, or a half, or is even just beginning to run – understands the mental limits they have to push past in order to keep going. When your muscles are burning, your legs feel like lead, and your lungs are on fire, you don’t stop. Why? Because you know, deep down, you are capable of so. much. more. There is something inside of us, that when taken out of our comfort zone, we can tear down our limitations and do things that seem impossible – mentally, emotionally, and physically.
If you aren’t inspired after reading/watching David Goggins story, I don’t know what else will. There are people that come into this world to break down barriers & help others realize their greatness when so much of us seem to forget it, and he is definitely one of them. So next time, when you are out on a run, or doing something that seems uncomfortable or hard, remember to ask yourself – “Am I really at my limit, or can I push myself – even just a little bit – more?” Before you know it, you’ll be running faster, doing things you have only ever dreamed of, evolving into a more bad-ass version of your current self, AND inspiring others along the way.
Feel that fire inside of you, and light the way.
XoXo Neens
by ninaeliseh | Apr 19, 2016 | Adventures, Belize, Blog, Central America, Europe, France, Germany, life, Lifestyle, Personal Development, Switzerland, Travel Tips, US Travels
Back in the fall, I attended a local speed networking event for Entrepreneurs. While there, I met Nate, founder of Oyster World Radio & Travel Education. Oyster world Radio is an awesome podcast that interviews travelers about their experiences – whether it be an amazing adventure or someone who quit their job to travel, Oyster has found a fun way to teach culture around the globe.
While chatting, Nate asked me to be on his show to talk about my solo travels around the world. We recorded a podcast over the phone last year, and it finally launched this week! It turned out amazing – I talked about my trips, fears, and how traveling has changed me.
If you are at all on the fence about traveling, just getting into it, or already an avid traveler, this podcast is perfect to put on while driving to work or hanging out around the house (I listen to it while getting ready in the morning or driving to work!). It gives you a look into the minds & decision-making of people who travel – it’s really, really awesome… You will want to drop everything and plan a trip now!
You can find it on iTunes or Stitcher! If you listen, let me know what you think!
by ninaeliseh | Apr 5, 2016 | Blog, life, Lifestyle, Yoga
This past weekend was such a blast! My cousin is getting married in a few weeks, and we celebrated her bachelorette party by getting our hair done, eating cake, and dancing!
To start off, we went to The Blowout Bar – a salon that solely does hair styling! I personally would have never gone there – I mean, I can curl my hair at home, why pay someone $40 to do it?? However, I am SO glad we went.. I will definitely be going back – that’s how much I was in love with my hair!
There is absolutely no way I could have done my hair like this at home! I am not sure what product they put in my hair, but it is AMAZING. Apparently, your hair will look like this for a few days without washing. A girls dream come true haha
The back was just as amazing… If only my hair could look like this everyday!
There were 7 of us total – we all got curls, but all of our hair styles looked different from each other – in a good way! Everyone looked absolutely stunning!
After, we went back to get ready, open gifts, and eat cake… It was so great hanging out with these girls – we have all known each other since birth! And my cousin was beyond the moon excited and so happy – I cannot wait for her wedding day!
We all wore black, and my cousin wore a white dress… I couldn’t find a picture of all of us together before we headed out, so here is a picture of me with my makeup done… not something that happens often!
We all headed out to Hofbrauhaus for dinner – their food is so good! Not as good as the real hofbrauhaus in Munich, but pretty close 🙂 Below is a picture of me and the bride-to-be – cousins and friends since the day we were born (only a month apart!).
Afterwards, we went dancing for a little bit before heading home. I was asleep by 12:30!!! Not that I’m complaining – I got up at 6:30 to teach 2 back-to-back hot yoga classes in the morning. Saturday nights are normally a stay-in-and-go-to-sleep-at-9-pm type of night 🙂
I ended up laying around and watching Sabrina the Teenage Witch on Amazon Prime all day Sunday – and I’m already on episode 16! Since I was ridiculously unproductive on Sunday, I woke up early and went for a 30 minute run on the treadmill +did a quick circuit workout at the gym – check out the full-body circuit on youtube here!
After work, I went shopping to find a cute pair of tan booties… and no such luck. I ended up going online & buying a pair of Toms Leila Booties on Amazon – a little cheaper than buying from the Toms site or Nordstroms. Have I ever mentioned that I love amazon?? I order something from there every week!
After shopping, I set up my Go Pro and recorded a 30 minute YouTube video – a yoga flow specifically for weak, tight hips. It’s one of my tougher video’s, but it’s actually perfect for beginners to advanced! A lot of balancing and a little cardio will burn a lot of calories in this flow. I was sweating and ready for a nap afterwards!
I’ve been so busy with training for my half marathon & I haven’t had the time or energy to create a new YouTube video in a while. I am going to try to put a new one up every week… so if you have any suggestions or want me to post something for you, let me know! You can watch my 30 minute hip-strengthening yoga flow here – don’t forget to subscribe!
So what was everyone up to this weekend? Have you ever been to a blowout bar? What is your craziest bachelor/bachelorette party story?
by ninaeliseh | Apr 4, 2016 | Blog, life, Lifestyle
Let’s talk fashion. Or in my case, my lack of knowledge of it. I have never really been that confident when shopping/dressing myself – it can be extremely intimidating & overwhelming. Also – I like to be as comfortable as possible at all times. I kid you not – not being able to wear leggings/jeans to work is a deal breaker for me when job searching. I’ve worked at companies that required dress clothes, and I couldn’t wait to tear off my clothes at the end of the day. Just give me a pair of leggings and a baggy sweater and I will be happy as a clam!
My Life in a Nutshell
Anyways – I actually do like to dress up, but pairing items together is not one of my strengths. Insert: Stitch Fix. Stitch Fix is an online company that curates outfits for you based on personal preference and your own style. (Please note – I am not getting paid or receiving any type of discount to write this post. A ton of my friends have been getting their stitch fix boxes, so I decided to give it a try! This post is 100% my opinion :)) When you sign up, you get your own stylist who works with you to basically help you put together outfits. Your stylist then sends you 5 things – shoes, clothing, jewelry, or handbags every month (or, depending on how often you choose to have your box sent – every few weeks, every month, every few months, or a few times a year) So how does it work?
- Sign up for Stitch Fix
- Set up your style profile, including any specific notes to your stylist. This includes size, style preferences, colors, cost of items (I chose cheapest for all of my items), etc. You can also include a link to a pinterest board with pins of your favorite things! (Follow me on Pinterest here :))
- Set frequency of box – every few weeks up to a few times a year
- Impatiently wait for your box to arrive in the mail
Once you receive your box, you have the option of keeping nothing or everything – if you end up not liking any of your items, you can return them and will be charged $20. If you decide to keep at least 1 item, the $20 fee is waived. If you decide to buy all 5 items – you get an extra 25% off your entire box!
So imagine my excitement when I finally get my first Stitch Fix box – how cute is this packaged??
Included in the box was a letter from my stylist, as well as a card with different ways to wear each piece of item (where has this been all my life?!):
Unfortunately, my stylist did not get the memo on what my style is. Ok, I liked 2 items, but the rest? Total miss.
Item 1: Orange Blazer
Cost: $88
Verdict: I actually have this exact blazer in my closet. Also – $88?? The one I bought was $30 from target, and it is much better quality. Pass!
Item 2: Black knit top
Cost: $54
Verdict: No. Just no. Not my style at all – 3/4 sleeve black top with a see-through back – it didn’t look good on, and obviously wrinkles very easily. Pass!
Item 3: Jeans
Cost: $98
Verdict: I actually really liked these jeans – super comfy, stretchy, perfect color… unfortunately, they were a size too big, and a bit too loose at the ankles. If these had fit a little better, I probably would have kept them. Pass!
Item 4: Dress
Cost: $68
Verdict: NO. This is not something I would EVER wear. The dress was super comfortable – but the print? Definitely not my style. Pass!
Item 5: Shoes
Cost: $60
Verdict: No. These shoes pinched my toes from the second I put them on – super stiff, and not comfortable. Also – not a fan of the print. A little too business-y for me. Pass!
Order Total if I bought everything: $256
That is a bit too expensive for me, so I went back and changed my price-point preference. My cousin chose the cheapest prices, and her order total was only $156.
Another thing to note – a lot of my items cam pretty wrinkled, which is 1) annoying that they show up looking like someone already wore them, and 2) If the items wrinkle this easily, they are definitely not something I would want to steam & wear all the time.
While my first box was a dud, I am giving my stylist another chance to get to know my style a little more. I did like a few of the items, so I’m hoping my next box will fit a little better & match my style.
Has anyone else tried stitch fix? If so, what do you think?
If you want to give Stitch Fix a try, check it out here and let me know what you think!
***UPDATE: I received my second stitch fix box, and I sent everything back. I chose the cheapest option, and my box total ended up being $300 (!). The items sent were also not my style… I just don’t think my stylist understood what I wanted. Either that, or I’m just too picky! For now, I’ll stick to TJ Maxx & styling myself 🙂
by ninaeliseh | Mar 25, 2016 | Adventures, Blog, fitness, Health & Fitness, life, Lifestyle, Running, US Travels, Yoga
A few things:
St Jude is awesome
Running through Times Square when it’s shutdown is amazing
I PR’ed my half marathon time by 1.5 minutes
I’m pretty sure I’ll be living in NYC in the next year or 2 because I love it so much
Vacations are never vacations for me
I need to learn to wear sun block & not fall asleep on the beach
I’m going to Thailand AND Ibiza in October
This past week has been an absolute whirlwind – so much, in fact, that I barely took any pictures. The race weekend was jam-packed full of running, meeting up with friends, celebrating, and spending time with family. By the time my (delayed) flight got in after midnight on Wednesday, the last thing I wanted to do was work a 12-hour day on Thursday… but, like all my travels, no regrets 🙂
How I felt by the time I got back home
I flew into NYC Friday morning, checked into my hotel, and picked up my packet. I got a good look at the race course – and I’m so glad I did! I had never run in Central Park, but apparently there are a decent amount of hills. I got the rundown on what to expect from others who have run this course before, and it was extremely helpful!
Brunch before the Expo: Grey Dog Cafe in Chelsea!
Afterwards, I took a nap before heading out to Sadelle’s – one of my new favorite places for drinks & awesome bread (with truffle honey & Icelandic sea salt – amazing!). I caught up with a friend from my Belize yoga teacher training over dinner and drinks… It never ceases to amaze me the people I stay in touch with from all of my travels!
Saturday consisted of sleeping in, then finally meeting the coordinators of the St Jude Charity & the other runners! Everyone was So nice, and I spent about 2 hours chatting with everyone. As a total group, all runners raised ~ $50,000 for St Jude!! That’s 50 Chemo treatments for children with cancer! Just absolutely amazing.
Afterwards, I went on a coffee date with a new friend, then headed over to Jivamukti Yoga to take a class with another friend I met at the Cuchira Yogance workshop I took back in December. She convinced me to go to Thailand in September with her… I mean, why not??
Most trips I take aren’t personal – I always take yoga classes or workshops at other studios everywhere I go in order to learn more as a teacher and grow my own practice. I always take a ton of learnings back, and I think Jivamukti is my favorite yoga class I have taken to date! I am planning my next trip to NYC in the next month or so to check out a few other studios – next time I might not come back 😉
Afterwards, I made it back to my hotel and prepped for the race, laying everything out so I could sleep in a little longer in the morning. Fast forward a very sleepless night (who doesn’t get nervous the night before a race??), I hopped on a train and headed to Central Park. Since there were over 20K runners, it was a bit hectic… meaning, I was sprinting to my corral at 7:30 before they closed it…. I ended up being fine, but looked like a crazy person. My hands were full of water, gu, my gloves, an extra shirt… I think next time I am going to bring a friend to run this race with me!
The race has been my favorite to-date – central park was a bit hilly, but I ended up running a negative split & PR’ing by 1.5 minutes. It wasn’t my goal time, but considering I missed 2 months of training due to tendinitis & no speed work… I’ll take it!
The last half of the course is pretty much downhill/flat once you get out of Central Park, and running through Times Square was unreal! It’s the only other time it’s closed off besides New Years, so it’s a treat to run through the streets. I wanted to take pictures/run with my go pro, but also didn’t want to slow myself down any more… hence the lack of pictures.
Once I finished the race, I couldn’t believe how organized NYRR was… I immediately had a blanket & my medal handed to me, and was then directed to go pick up a bag full of post-race hydration & snacks. I was on the train back to my hotel within 20 minutes of crossing the finish line!
My body was hurting, so I took a shower and headed to a water spa for the day. I ended up spending the most time in the nap room after sitting in the saunas… much needed! Afterwards, I stopped to grab some food before my massage:
Avocado Toast + Lemon, Ginger & Honey Tea
Yep, I’ll probably move to the city just for the food.
After my massage, I showered & went out with a friend for dinner & drinks. I’ve been wanting to go to Black Tap – I follow their instagram, and the milkshakes look Unreal. The burger was really good, but my stomach was not ready for that milkshake (the amount of gu’s consumed during my race always makes me not want to eat for a week straight). It was sooo sweet & peanut-buttery! But look at it. It looks so.so.good.
Following dinner with more drinks, we ended up not crashing until 2 or 3…or maybe later… drinking celebratory drinks after finishing a half marathon is totally necessary, so no regrets.
4:30 am rolls around, and my airport shuttle was waiting to take me to JFK… family was waiting for me in Florida! 4 hours later, and I’m hanging out with my cousins… ok, I was napping off a hangover, but AFTER I hung out with my cousins!! It was actually too cold & windy to go to the beach, so we stayed in, and my cousin’s fiance cooked us smoked wings on the grill. So.So.Good.
On the 2nd & 3rd day, we were burnt to a crisp (blisters on my ear :(), but it was so relaxing and nice to not have to worry about work!
Pre-Sunburn
Alas, all good things must come to an end. Wednesday night, I boarded my (delayed) flight back to Ohio , arriving home around 12:30 am. Note: The entire right side of my body was completely red & sun burnt – I looked like 2-face from batman. Seriously, not a comfortable flight back.
So what’s next for running? Resting up the next few weeks, then training for another half… I am determined to get under 1:50! Any suggestions on great courses? I will definitely be running this half again next year – and seriously recommend anyone who likes to run to do it! It actually went by really quickly, but it was so well organized, and the actual course basically sets you up to PR/negative split.
Upcoming travels: NYC in a month. San Francisco in June (TBD-my bank account kind of hates me right now). Thailand & Ibiza in September/October.
Yep, Thailand AND Ibiza! Flights are booked to Thailand and from Ibiza… All I need to do is buy my connecting flight from Thailand to Ibiza! So Yoga retreat with a friend, taught by 2 famous yogi’s for 1 week in Thailand, then jetting off to Ibiza the week after with a few of my favorite people! More yoga, relaxing, and dancing. I’ll be gone for almost a month! More to come on this…. 🙂
So what’s everyone else up to? Travel plans? Has anyone ever been to Thailand or Ibiza? Tips on running a sub- 1:50 half marathon? Best half marathons to run?
