sugar pushers

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j and i just came off 6 weeks of no added sugar. it actually wasn't as hard as i thought it would be. before i committed to the challenge i would have thought 1 week without treats was not possible, but we made it and it felt really good! i had a few interesting observations about the whole experience but the funniest one was how social sugar is. people really don't like to enjoy treats without other people. i'm know i've been guilty of sugar pushing too, but i couldn't believe the responses i got when i would talk about the challenge. it got to the point where i wouldn't even want to bring it up. made me think about my responses to others making goals. cheerleader > debbie downer 

whatever you're doing to make good stuff happen in your life, GO YOU! (even if it sounds crazy to me)

no limits

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all this running nonsense seems like FOREVER ago. somehow even without erica cheering me on i've committed myself to another half. i'm behind in training already... whoops.

i also convinced jordan to run with me, so now i have to be sure its super fun haha. 

even though the odds are against me i'm determined to conquer this beast :) 

MY ONLY LIMIT IS ME!

that's my jam

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ok i had to share my fav tunes for a quick work-out jump start. i like to bust a few moves before a run in the park :) these ones seriously get me pumped. been listening to this loop on repeat haha.

treasure // bruno mars

come & get it // selena gomez

that way // ariana grande and mac miller

#beautiful // mariah carey and miguel

#thatpower // will.i.am and justin bieber

 & one for the cool down: 

highway don't care // tim mcgraw and taylor swift 

a dancer's dilemma

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last night I was flipping through glossy vogue pages (i love the way the pages smell) when I came across an article written by a dancer about body image. I wish I could link up to it, but I can't find it online. It's page 280 in the october issue. anyways--- I sincerely related to her words. I spend WAY too much time thinking about my body, my health, and the way I feel about who I am. sometimes I think if I put as much energy into fitness as I wasted thinking about it I'd be in olympic shape. I feel guilt and I've been afraid to try and I really can't avoid training for this anymore, but after reading some of what meg howrey had to say I started to feel something else.

"a compliment had once been paid her that, being repeated to her, gave her greater pleasure that anything she had ever heard. 'A pretty woman?' someone had said. 'Why, her features are very bad.' 'I don't know about her features,' a very discerning observer had answered, 'but she carries her head like a pretty woman.' " The Europeans 

" If I know anything, I know that to do something well means you have to do it a lot. You have to train. You have to absorb technique in order to be able to transcend it. And -  this is important  - you have to forgive yourself for failing to achieve it constantly. You have to take the long view and trust that you will get better, that your understanding will grow, that there is a process to all the things that matter most in life, and that the best things are difficult. Difficult is good. And so I'm practicing. I'm working on it. I am training to remember to carry my head like a pretty woman. And I'm hoping that eventually, this will feel... normal." 

and blogging girl's resolution:

we all know how I love challenges. when I saw this simple one, I was instantly on board. these are the things I am doing to train myself. to encourage my mind and body to reflect the "pretty woman" with her head held high, that I want to be. inside and out!

I knew I could, I knew I could

in case you were missing my relentless commentary on the 10K, here's more! a recap of saturday's events.

(a shoot of central park west jam packed, my bumpin 10K playlist, andrea & I pre-race in columbus circle,  me & my flailing arms crossing the finish line, and some action shots. after the race I downed a huge breakfast, took a sparkly bubble bath, got a mani/pedi and filled the afternoon with bread)

this is the first shot of the day. I got up bright and early, grabbed a gatorade and met andrea at the subway. I was really nervous having never run 6 miles in my life. I know it doesn't seem that far and it really isn't, but it seemed like a nearly insurmountable feat for me. andrea, ever the voice of confidence, assured me I could do it. we rode down to columbus cirlce, made some swedish friends, and then got ready for the race to start.

after 6 something long miles I bounced across that finish line singing defying gravity with a few tears running down my cheeks. my emotional/super red from exhaustion face is extra special.

the first 3 miles I kept up with andrea & marilee and their smooth, swift strides, but after hill number two I had to acknowledge those blue romney shirts were moving forward at a pace I could not sustain. so I ran along on my own trying to think of anything besides, HOW MUCH FURTHER?! when I got to the "800M to go" sign I was about at my limit. I remember my sister telling me how much she loved listening to defying gravity during her half marathon so I clicked to that song. hearing the crowd and seeing the finish line gave me an extra push and I ran hard across the line. I'd be lying if I said this race wasn't incredibly hard for me, but I'm so glad I pushed through. it was wonderful to know I had followed through and that I could do it. I surprised myself so much that I decided to run a half marathon. one step closer to figuring out what I am made of.

girl power!!!!

could not have done it without this cute running mate. she's much faster than me so we didn't get to run together on race day, but she encouraged me through every step of the journey. she even texted me at the end of the race that she was waiting for me at the finish line. I knew on mile one that I would be too disappointed to tell her I had walked... there was nothing to do but keep running.

and so I did. I ran the whole thing! slowly as you can see, but without walking none the less.

NYRR Race Results Member Race History ING New York City Marathon New York City Marathon Archive (1970-2011)		NYRR New York Mini 10K List by Name: Kaitlyn Ray Distance:  6.2 miles, 10 kilometers Date/Time:  June 9, 2012, 8:00 AM Location:  Central Park, NYC Weather:  69 degrees, 55% humidity, wind 5 MPH.

Overall Place	Gender Place	Age Place	Net Time	5K Split	Pace/ Mile	AG Time	AG Gender Place	AG %
4825	4825	1185	1:10:11	0:31:52	11:19	1:10:11	5141	43.23 %

it was never between you and them

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"People are often unreasonable, irrational, and self-centered.  Forgive them anyway.

If you are kind, people may accuse you of selfish, ulterior motives.  Be kind anyway.

If you are successful, you will win some unfaithful friends and some genuine enemies. Succeed anyway.

If you are honest and sincere people may deceive you.  Be honest and sincere anyway.

What you spend years creating, others could destroy overnight.  Create anyway.

If you find serenity and happiness, some may be jealous.  Be happy anyway.

The good you do today, will often be forgotten.  Do good anyway.

Give the best you have, and it will never be enough.  Give your best anyway.

In the final analysis, it is between you and God.  It was never between you and them anyway."

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{practicing setting myself free from the bonds of "others"}

run run run

racer back tank // capri pants // sports bra // socks // headband // sneaks // backpack

tomorrow I run like I've never run before! while training for this thing I've found that while so far I do in fact still hate running, there is something satisfying about it. I hope that little seedling grows into a love of running and a rockin runners body to match. I'm nurturing that seed with the best attempts at consistency and good gear of course. this is what I'll be racing not walking, but not running fast enough to be a competitor, in this weekend.

one: lulu racer back tank. light, soft, breathable fabric is key for me.
two: have yet to find a sports bra that really offers the support I need, but I love the look and feel of this one so I just double up.
three: I won't actually run in this for the 10K, but I do use it when I run home from work and love it.
four: looks super nerdy... ok is super nerdy, but is such an improvement from an arm band. can stash my phone, keys, and a chapstick in here and it doesn't feel like a thing.
five: I prefer capris for running. loose running shorts are cute, but are just more uncomfortable for me.
six: a good headband is crucial in the summer.
seven: I like NB and nikes. I like light weight with decent support.
eight: the right sock. not to tall, not too low!

#makeitcount

amazing & inspiring

an everlasting meal

by some great stroke of luck our book club host was able to persuade the author of last month's book (who happens to live in the city) to join us for our discussion. so the lovely tamar adler came to eat and chat with us a few weeks ago. our sweet host also made a fabulous spread using recipes from the book.

everyone enjoyed the food!

this was certainly the most enlightening book club I have ever attended. tamar was so gracious and answered question after question so thoughtfully. I left totally renewed in my efforts to eat and cook smarter/healthier and with the tools to do it. I HIGHLY I repeat highly recommend picking up a copy of her book.

how bad do you want it?

I feel like I need to give my health quest a name… a name and an end date. well, not so much an end date since this is a long term pursuit, but rather a point for evaluation. so I’m calling it healthy 2012 (in honor of J who chants "healthy 2012" every time we go to the gym) and I’m reviewing my first set of goals 3/31/12, which is rapidly approaching. hitting some bumps in the road has caused me to spend a good portion of time asking myself 

HOW BAD DO I WANT IT?

 is it worth: 10 more painful crunches, one less thin mint, a slightly hungry feeling in my stomach?

 the answer has always resoundingly been YES. every time I feel tempted to be lazy I ask myself how badly do I want this and it pushes me. this concept is spilling over and now I find myself approaching everything this way. it's given me somewhat of a new lease on life. I am giving myself permission to control my own choices, to hold only myself responsible for the consequences of my actions. there is no one to blame but myself for failure so it's time to find out what I'm made of. these fitness goals have become a reflection of something much bigger. am I going to be the kind of person who accomplishes what she sets out to do to the best of her ability or am I going to continue skating along never reaching higher?

 this health quest is looking suspiciously like figuring out who I am. 

and I’m liking it.

promotion

what a novel idea! 

honestly, ( I wonder how many posts I begin with honestly) when I read this quote a 100 watt light bulb clicked right on in my brain.  all my efforts for healthy living lately have filled my head with no, no, no. this inevitably bogs me down with negativity/guilt. so I’m trying something new. YES, YES, YES (to the good things!) this isn’t just a good mantra for my diet, but for life. I want to spend my time surrounded by the things I love, not running from the things I hate. here’s to some things I’m loving this month:

J & his cooking 

newgirl

fresh flowers

photography

TJs

fruit (specially cara caras & strawberries when I can find them)

walking home with this american life

smash (only one episode in)

VS pink workout gear

b&b coconut shampoo (its seriously smells like heaven to me)

bright colors

a clean house and a made bed (thx J)