Japan Day 4 Miler

This past week was a rough one for my training… pretty much none happened between last Saturday and this one. I ran an easy 2 loops on the bridal path Saturday with Team in Training.

Sunday morning brought an early wakeup for bib pickup pre-race. It was a beautiful morning. So excited to be able to dress in a Sparkle Skirt and tshirt.

Ready To Go

The center 4 mile loop in Central Park is a nice race distance that I enjoy running. I did not pay a lot of attention to my watch and I finished not quite my fastest, but pretty close… 0:49:51

I am hoping to work on my strength to help my speed and so do not feel ready for my half marathon next weekend, but off I will go to Fredericksburg, VA to run the MCM Historic Half with my good friend Rosie.

Reflecting on Boston

Over the last week, I have been reading articles about all different people’s experiences with last year’s Boston Marathon. They have been sad and uplifting all at the same time and have made me glad I am part of the larger running community. Today, many people I knew ran and spectated at the 2014 Boston Marathon. I loved seeing all the photos and runners updates on Facebook. It made me feel a part of the day even from afar.

My year in running

I started my journey really last November, but it was my joining Team in Training for the spring season in January that really changed my life. I was introduced to running using intervals and life took off from there including my first triathlon experience. I know the roads & hills of Central Park as well as the Hudson Greenway. I have run across bridges including GW, Brooklyn & Randalls' Island and run on islands... Manhattan, Randalls Island, Roosevelt Island, in Walt Disney World and lots of other fun places while traveling... San Diego, Denver, Sacramento and more. I have run in a tutu and wings, all bundled up for winter and super early and in a lot less for summer. I ran 5 half marathons, 2-10ks, 1-5k, 1-4 milers and completed one sprint triathlon. Some races were faster and some were slower. Some were in the heat and humidity and some were nice and chilly. All had amazing moments and tough ones.

• Fastest half marathon: Boston BAA 2:50:17
• Most challenging (TIE): Chanukkah Half - "running" into the wind for half a race is killer & Iron Girl - I finished but just barely
• Coolest route: Wine & Dine Half at Disney World - ran through Animal Kingdom, Hollywood Studios with the Christmas lights and Epcot
• Most Historical: New York Mini 10K - all women for more than 40 years

Here is a recap of my major events for the year:

I also want to thank everyone who has helped me on my journey: from my first pace leader Jessica to my amazing coaches Barb, Ellen and Christine plus so many more coaches & training partners: Wendy, Laura, Kit, Sara, Maria, Terri, Rachel, Sarah (sorry to those I did not list) from Team in Training; from all who have cheered me on both in person, Jonathan (who flew to MCO from SAN just to cheer on his sister at her first half marathon), Corie (the best sign maker ever who also got up at long before the crack of dawn to drive me to my first triathlon & came to Disney for fun and cheering) & Mark (who drove up to see me in my first triathlon) to all those who have cheered me on virtually not just for races but also for training runs; also to my amazing online running groups (PP and MRTT) - many ladies whom I have now met in person and who are wonderful people and new friends and who I got to run with in different locals: Andrea, Dorie, Rosie, Amanda, Judi, Nancy, Sarah, Beth and more I am forgetting right now.

Next up... my goals for 2014! What are your goals?

BAA Half... one week later

Last Sunday, I ran the Boston Athletic Association's half marathon. [Yes the same people who put on the Boston marathon.] It was an amazing experience all the way around.

Saturday after my bus ride up, I got to have dinner with 2 wonderful women from my online running group. It was my first time meeting them in person which was great. I did not sleep well that night, not actually falling asleep till 3:30 am, but thankfully my good night before and the adrenaline helped.

I had a great race. Waking not too early since I was only 1 mile away from the start and having my breakfast. I headed over to the race start and found ran into my friends as I checked my bag and picked up my race t-shirt.

The race was an amazing experience. Weather cool but good. I got into a groove and really was able to hold my effort level pretty steady through the race in the end. First half was a bit faster due to the downhills. Was a bit worried after mile 8 if I could keep it up, but was running near a couple of women and wound up finish the last couple of miles with one of them. We kept each other going especially through those back uphills in the out & back course through the end. We did get a quick run through the Franklin Park Zoo before the race ended on the track at the stadium. Nice and cushy ending.

Through the Zoo

Almost Finished

My finish time 2:50:17 beat my previous PR by over 20 minutes. And my pretty medal!

I credit my wonderful coaches and training partners with helping me to up my fitness level through the season. Now a few down weeks and then off to Disney for Wine & Dine which I am running for Team in Training. Please consider supporting my efforts: http://pages.teamintraining.org/nyc/advent14/dvorageller

My Running/Triathlon Inspiration

My brother Jonathan and I did our first race ever together back in 1999 the San Diego Rock n Roll Marathon in memory of our mom with Team in Training. For me it was a one time deal back then... for him the start on a running journey. He (and a few friends of his) inspired me to start walking while we all stuck together post Marine Corps Marathon 2012 in the aftermath of Hurricane Sandy. This led to me rejoining TNT and starting to run/walk, finishing 2 half marathons and a 10k and now signed up for a sprint triathlon and 2 more half marathons.

I am really writing this post to share what he wrote about the last 2 years of his journey culminating in the Lake Placid Ironman this coming Sunday. I can't wait to be there to cheer him on!


"I just got back from an easy 4 mile run. It was surprisingly (to me) emotional. It was my last run in San Diego before I leave for NY for my first Ironman Triathlon.

That triathlon, incidentally, is the culmination of a two year plan i set in place in the summer of 2011. Many of you know parts of my plan, some may even know most or all of it. However, I feel I want to take a moment and catalog it in a journal-style post.

After years of mild weight gain and sub-par performances at several endurance races I decided that I needed to change the way i was doing things. This was not a quick fix but an eventual change over the next two years. I suppose I should mention that the subsequent years would bring me to 40. My plan was simply this: There were to goal races that I wanted to not just accomplish but do so in a fashion that was befitting the capabilities i knew I was capable of achieving. The first race was the Trans Rockies Run last year. The second race was an Ironman Triathlon as a 40th birthday celebration.

Well, starting after Thanksgiving 2011, I went on a bit of a fad diet, but for me it was more of an inflection point. A point in time i could refer to and say, "This is when it all started." I lost almost 20 pounds. My running improved almost instantly. I was able to run farther and faster than i'd been able to in years.

Then I went on to run over 200 consecutive days leading up to the aforementioned Trans Rockies Run. If you missed that it was a 6 day multi-stage running race through the Rocky Mountains. I ran this with my good friend Tom. It was one of the most amazing experiences of my life!

After that I decided to throw in a Marathon in October of 2012. I was able to PR (personal record) the marathon by nearly 5 minutes. I backed off my training for the rest of the year so I could have a fresh start in January 2013. I started working with a coach who gave me a weekly schedule to train for the Ironman.

Over the course of 2013 I have run nearly 500 miles, Biked over 1700 miles, and swum over 75 miles, all in preparation for my next race, the 2013 Ironman Lake Placid. For those who don't know, this is a one day event entailing a 2.4 miles swim, followed by a 112 mile bike ride, followed by a 26.2 mile run, all within a 17 hour time limit.

It's coming to it. I leave for NY tomorrow evening. It's been a long road, but well worth it. I get to share my day on Sunday with my sis Dvora and our friends Corie and the Lapcevich family. For those of you who couldn't make the journey to Lake Placid, I hope you'll still follow me on race day (I'll send more info on that later).

Thanks for 'listening'."

Jonathan Geller

The Perfect Commute - take 2

So apparently, technology failed me earlier this week and this post did not happen as it should have. Since I am still thinking about it, I will post again.

Monday morning, I experienced the perfect commute to work. The train car was full but not too full, the AC was going, but not too much and the noise was only the hum of the AC and the sounds of the train riding on its rails. It was a beautiful Monday morning to crochet and meditate. No one had music that was playing too loud or conversations that were either. This beautiful atmosphere lasted all the way from 207th street to 42nd street... only 2 stops from where I was getting off.

Ahhhhh the bliss.


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Some New Sporty Goals

Well I have definitely been bit by the bug...

besides running, I will now be adding biking and swimming to my training regime. I have signed up for the Iron Girl Sprint Triathlon in Sandy Hook, NJ. This event will take place on Sep 8th and training starts NOW!

Since I am not quite a bike owner again in NYC, I will start my bike training by checking out spin classes around the city. First up will be Soul Cycle (hopefully tomorrow). Swimming will be done at Riverbank State Park (around the 130s on the west side). They have open lane hours early in the morning so this will be a pre-work thing twice a week.

To help me in this venture, I had the opportunity to check out some great tri shops in San Diego while visiting my brother. I am also now the proud owner of 2 pairs of tri shorts and one tri top. Plus a pair of goggles.

On the running front, I have committed to another season with Team in Training doing a "Choose Your Own Adventure" which for me will be the Wine & Dine Half Marathon in Disney World on November 9th. This race is run at night (10 pm start)... starting at the ESPN Sports Zone and running to and through Animal Kingdom and onto Hollywood Studios ending just outside Epcot! The race is then followed by a Finish Line Party in Epcot (Food & Wine Festival) till 4 am. I am so excited for this.

I will be hosting a couple of raffles as well as selling some fun hair ties so keep a look out here for more information. If you would like to support me by donating, check out my page.

Running in my Tutu

The saying goes nothing new on race day and with my first half marathon... the Disney Princess just 11 days away, it was time to try out the tutu.

This was my project on the snowy cold evening of Saturday past. My pretty purple and sparkly glitter pink tulle... there is pink glitter everywhere!! I want to give a shout out to Rookie for the easy no-sew tutu directions... found here

I am ready to race, but although have tried the outfit leggings and t-shirt at the gym... not in the tutu. 

My brother Jonathan said go for it... wear it on the subway too. You live in NYC and no one will say a thing. Well of course I still needed to sew on the snap so I did not wear it out, I did wear it home... leaving a trail of pink glitter behind! Who knew how much fun it would be to wear to TNT group training. It was :) and I fit right in with the Mardi Gras costume wearing folks too!

Here I am post run... thankfully I will not be wearing polar fleece at the race in Orlando... static cling.

Please consider supporting my efforts to fundraise for continued cancer research and support through the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society as I continue my training post Disney for the Nike Women's Half Marathon on their behalf. It is the thought not the amount that I will treasure. 

http://pages.teamintraining.org/nyc/nikewhlf13/dvorageller

Halfmarathonitis

I seem to have developed a new sickness (thanks to Jonathan and Claudia L and my cousin Ilene)!! It is called halfmarathonitis. Its symptoms cause me to consume mass amounts of Gatorade, dress in spandex and polar fleece, and give up sleep on the weekends and early mornings. I have been on a strict regimen of run/walking and yoga as well as healthy eating to overcome my sickness. I have 2 half marathons ahead and I feel the need to join more every day so clearly I am still ill.

While haldmarathonitis is not fatal, I have decided that I want to use it to help thousands who are fighting a deadly disease. I am training again (remember San Diego Rock N Roll Marathon in 1999) with the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society's Team in Training to help raise money for research and patient services for people with leukemia, Hodgkins and non-Hodgkins lymphoma, and myeloma.

I am racing in memory of my mom as well as for the many honored patients, survivors and loved ones who inspire us each group training sessions.

I have been training for the last couple of months on my own and joining TNT has helped bring it to a new level. I am out in the cold NYC weather working to get stronger and faster, but I need your help to reach my other goal of raising $2700 by April 1, 2013. All donations are 100% tax deductible and every dollar will be appreciated. You can make donations online or by check.

Donate online at: http://pages.teamintraining.org/nyc/nikewhlf13/dvorageller

If you would like to make a donation in someone's honor who is fighting or lost their fight to cancer, I would be honored to add their name to my jersey.

Thank you for your support!

Love,

Dvora Geller

If you would like to know how I am doing with my training, please watch my blog, email or watch my runs on Facebook.

Training in the cold

I love the training I have been doing to prepare for a couple of half marathons. I especially now love Tuesdays and Saturdays when I do group trainings with Team in Training... except today. Today I had to choose between the pleasure of running with buddies and not freezing in 18 degree temps. Well actually I was more worried about not breathing so well. I missed my buddies, but managed a decent workout in the gym... on the treadmill which I don't mind for a workout but really detest for a training run (yes they are very different).

Saturday, you can bet I will be outside, even if its cold to train with the group. I am working to get stronger and faster and even hoping to volunteer with Team in Training for a 10K in June. I would love it if you can support my efforts to use my running to help thousands who are fighting leukemia, lymphoma and myeloma. I am working hard to raise $2700 by April 1. All donations are 100% tax deductible. You can make a donation here: http://pages.teamintraining.org/nyc/nikewhlf13/dvorageller

Thanks for your support! Follow my progress here and on Facebook.

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Self inflicted subway trauma

Twice this weekend I have had the longest subway rides home ever. I wish I could blame the MTA and their crazy weekend schedules but this time that would be unfair. No instead in very atypical fashion, I have gotten on the wrong train... not once (ok I could say I was not paying careful attention) but TWICE in 2 days. Last night I heard express train and hopped on and was well in the Bronx before I realized oops wrong express train. That time did not require a total return to my starting point but today... I was a good way to JFK before I realized my mistake so now finally an extra hour later, I am almost home (I will be by the time this gets posted). At least today I got in some prime knitting time. :/

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Back in New York City

So I know I have fallen off the wagon and was not so good about posting my Mexican adventures here. Needless to say they were many and so much fun! The middle of July, I moved back to New York City... where I am now living and working.

I am still of two minds with this move. I love my job and it is nice to be near my close long time friends and my family, but I miss living in another culture. I miss the food in Mexico City. I miss being the cool one who lives in another country.

I am adjusting to living back in my home country. It is nice to be able to search for an apartment in my native language, but really the rental market here is not a fun place. The renters can really get taken for a ride. It is my next challenge starting in October to look for a place.

I am enjoying living in a new neighborhood and going out in the evenings with friends old and new. I forgot how expensive life can be here in the city.

I will start to post about my experiences in this very international city as I experience life back in the USA.

Keeping up is hard to do

Sorry I have been so quiet on here. Since the end of January, I attended my Apple Distinguished Educator training in Guanajuato, Mexico and met so many amazing educators.

University of Guanajuato - our local host

I have also been busy at work trying new things in my classroom and in general working hard to keep up with grading... a never ending cycle.

Another fabulous new thing has been joining the gym. I love my new super nice gym with the lastest machines and a great array of classes plus towels and amazing showers. I forgot how much I enjoy spin class and how hard reformer pilates is. But it feels great to go and sweat. Still haven't tried out all the different options and looking forward to checking out a yoga class soon.

Back to work for now. Will try to check in sooner.

21 Day Yoga Challenge - Complete

So Yoga Journal decided to bring back their 21 day challenge for a second year. I participated a bit last year, but this year, they decided to join forces with Social Workout to keep us honest. They also added in a 15 minute meditation per day as well as trying to eat at least one vegetarian meal a day.

Well I did it!!! 21 days of yoga practice at home on my mat as well as 21 days of meditation. The vegetarian eating part is not too much of a challenge for me, but it did make me plan my dinners better. I even did Isagenix cleanse days along side and I am feeling great. I completed 160% of the challenge since many days I ate 3 vege meals and some days did 20 minutes of meditation.

I hope to keep up yoga at least 4 - 5 days a week and check out a new-to-me local yoga studio next week when I am back in D.F. and keep up the meditation practice too. Thanks for the push and the great yoga videos @Yoga_Journal and @socialworkout.  Let's see what new challenges they have to offer... anyone want to join me in the Dawn Patrol Challenge for February?

Chunky Circle Scarf

So I bought some great Filati yarn a couple of weeks ago on sale for 15 pesos a skein. It is a beautiful grey color and I had no idea what I was going to do with it until I was searching with my roommate Claudia for a cowl pattern... and then I saw this... Chunky Circle Scarf at People Webs by Lindsi. She thoughtfully shared her wonderful creation and so it began Thursday eve at my Worldwide Craftsy Meetup as you can see below.

My I look alert. :P

Friday, we had a professional development seminar on classroom management. To keep my mind alert, I decided to continue to crochet. By the end of the day, here is what I had.

I am already working on another one for a friend in a lovely shade of red. :)

Broomstick Lace swatch

So this is my 1st swatch of broomstick lace. I will be making the Broomstick Lace Neck Warmer from Crochet Today! September/October 2011 issue as a gift with beautiful buttons from Panama. My gauge is pretty on... just need to work a bit looser on the broomstick loops. Look soon for a finished product post.




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Get Organized - My Desk

Taking a challenge set by CrazySocks Crochet to Get Organized! #1 Desk who was inspired by A Bowl Full of Lemons I decided to move my lazy butt yesterday and organize my desk. It was really not too bad to start...

Before

but definitely room for improvement. I totally needed to reorganize my trays and get rid of old receipts and such.

After - even hung the decorations

I started with the printer area and put stuff away and hung decorations as I found them on the desk. I then moved onto the actual desk and started with the trays and emptied all the trays and went through all the papers. It took a bit of time, but I am happy with the results.

New Orleans food indulgence

The rest of my time in Panama was really fabulous. A day spent at Isla Taboga on the beach followed by lots of holiday meals.

New Orleans was all about the food and walking around the city's French Quarter and Garden Districts. Each day began with beignets from Cafe Du Monde. We then walked around exploring galleries and shops of all kinds.

We ate dinners at NOLA (one of Emeril's restaurants) where we had an amazing duck entree, Red Fish Grill where we met a couple of really nice other women who we shared a fun meal and conversation with, Mr. B's Bistro where Corie had their signature Grilled Shrimp dish... lots of mess very tasty and on our last night, Acme Oyster House which was worth the wait outside on line... being a table of 2 got us seated much more quickly than expected.

The best lunch experience was our late morning/afternoon at the New Orleans School of Cooking where we learned about New Orleans' history through food and of course, got to eat it as well as get the recipes for it. :)

Overall the trip was filled with food and walking fun including a fun evening walking tour with a very cool guide.

We even found a great local yarn & needlepoint shop, The Quarter Stitch, which I will review in another post.

We of course also saw some fabulous architecture and decorated homes and nature.

We even took the Cable Car back from our brief visit to the Tulane campus (all closed up for the holidays) and the park above.

And of course since it was my first trip to NOLA, it would not be complete without at least one walk down Bourbon Street.

Intro to Panama

I arrived in Panama on Monday early evening after a pretty uneventful flight. I want to once again thank my wonderful brother for my 1st class treatment on the way here.  It was a great start to my trip. As I got off the plane, I was hit by the wave of humidity... yes there was rain too. I also decided in that moment that I would be embracing my curls for the next week.

Today was a great day of seeing the whole area of Panama City and surroundings. I saw downtown, Avenue Balboa, the Causeway, Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute, the CANAL and more. Jutty and Bill were great guides and we had lunch at the Miraflores Locks... no ships coming through there, but we did see some going through Pedro Miguel locks as we went up to see their house out of the city. The whole area that used to be occupied by US troops still looks like barracks building, but they are being used for all sorts of interesting things.

Photos to come tomorrow which will be a day to do some shopping. :) It will be so hard to choose a couple of Molas. Tomorrow night I will be staying in Gamboa (rainforest) and then on Thursday taking a tour of the flora and fauna by boat and by aerial tram of the canopy. Friday the plan is for me to take a boat to nearby Isla Taboga (Island of Flowers) for a relaxing day exploring on on the beach.

Halloween

As of yesterday afternoon, I was going to school for today's Halloween celebration dressed as a yoga instructor with my mat and all. But then everything changed. My roommate Claudia and I went to a local costume shop which turned out to be a bit different from what we expected. Everything was folded in plastic bags behind the counter and having no real idea what to ask for we stood around for a bit peering at names on the bags. After a bit, we asked the sales lady what else they might have for adult women besides superheroes which were not school appropriate costumes. After she went to look, we came home with a smurf (los pitufos) for Claudia and a bunny rabbit for me. My other roommate Adam went as a lumberjack with his "axe" and all.

There was a costume parade at school today as well. Some very interesting costumes were there. A group of girls dressed as the 7 dwarfs, but the winners were 3 students dressed as the Yip yips from Sesame Street.

Everyone have a Happy Halloween weekend. Get ready for Dia del Muerte photos next week.

Late addition from last nights party... my roommates (Adam and Claudia) Paul Bunyan and his blue Babe