My knee has been killing me lately so I’ve been limiting my running and sticking to the bike or elliptical. On the latter I always worry that I’m not getting a good enough workout so I’ve been doing lots of great intervals. My favorite this week has been alternating between a crossramp of 4 and resistance of 3 at 190 strides per minute (almost a sprint) and a crossramp of 16 and resistance of 5 at 160 strides per minute (still an uphill battle!). I end the workout sweaty and with every part of my legs tired. Though it can’t replace running, I’m glad I can still get in some similar movements and keep my legs in shape. 

My new year’s goal to cook more has been going great. Sunday, when Brian got home from his basketball game we were both excited to try one of the two recipes we had chosen for the week. Unfortunately we were both starving and the two recipes took over 1.5 hours. This is where having staples comes in handy! We were able to put together a pizza using leftover dough and pizza sauce from our pizzas a few weeks ago, cooked and chopped artichoke hearts I had frozen and threw on some cheese we had for an upcoming recipe. The result was tasty, quick and much healthier and cheaper than purchasing a pizza!

Saturday was the Manhattan Half marathon we had been training for for a little while. We awoke to find the city covered in snow and the race turned into a fun run. Though the boys questioned going up to Central Park, I couldn’t give up before trying. When we got to the park and saw how bad the conditions were (in fairness, NYRR couldn’t keep up with the falling snow) they wanted to turn around but I urged them to do one slow loop with me (a little over 6 miles). B, M, J, C + I braved the crazy conditions despite snow building up on our lashes, eyebrows and any exposed areas. Though only 6 miles, it felt like so much more

Whoops! I forgot to post about the Joe Kleinerman 10k that a bunch of us ran on January 7. I had been waiting for my friend K to post a picture she took of a bunch of us but I guess I’ll post it later! Anyway, race day was beautiful! Despite being early January, temperatures were in the early 50s and it was a lovely sunny day. I actually didn’t push myself too hard b/c I wanted to get in additional miles at the end so I could keep training for the half marathon in late January. I really enjoyed the race, just one loop around Central Park kept it interesting and everyone seemed to be in a great mood because of the weather. After crossing the finish line, I said hi and congrats to M + J and then ran back to the 4/5 train at 59th and Lex. I spent most of that trip running behind another runner which helped me keep pace and motivation. In the end it was about 9 miles, right on track! I did the 10k in 56:50, about a 9:10 pace. Not my best, but I’m glad I saved energy to get in the extra mileage. Once we were all showered, it was off to Sunburnt Cow for Bloody Marys to celebrate M’s birthday!

Sunday B and I decided to try a new running route. We didn’t want to go too far since we had done long workouts the last two days. While we had been running south previously, we headed north and did a nice 3.25 mile loop by the Venetian Bay. Before knowing the name, I already commented that the area, filled with homes on the water and little boats on docks, reminded me of Venice. It was funny to see a place that reminded me of Europe all the way in southern Florida! My legs felt like lead during this run, but I was glad we got it in because the rest of the day was spent lazy on the beach and watching football. Go Pats!

B’s parents have 2 beach cruisers at their place and I knew I’d have to get out on them at least once during the weekend. Saturday was the coolest day of the weekend so we slept in and rather than going to the beach we jumped on the bikes to explore more. B’s sister C and her husband R had ridden bikes to the Naples Pier when we were running and I asked B if we could do the same. The route was very similar to our run the day before and it felt cool to recognize where we were going. When we got to the Pier we parked our bikes and walked out to the end. It was pretty chilly on the water with the wind but it was filled with tourists, fisherman and people getting in a little fitness like us. In the end, we got in over 8 miles of cycling and our quads were tired! 

B and I spent a long weekend in Naples, FL over MLK. We got in late Thursday night and slept in on Friday. With a half marathon next week, I was planning to do my long run the next day, but B suggested that we do it Friday because of all the eating and drinking we would probably be doing that night. It ended up being a smart plan. We went out for 9.5 miles and he showed me the area. B was kind enough to slow it down to my pace (he runs over 2 min/mile faster!) and we chatted the whole way. It was the perfect way to check out the town and beach. The weather was significantly warmer than home but a slight breeze kept us surprisingly cool and comfortable. We were so happy we got the run in and then relaxed on the beach the rest of the afternoon. Lovely start to our mini vacation!

I’m not a big one for resolutions. Something about the word rubs me the wrong way and makes it feel like it can be tossed aside, since so many people do that come February 1. On that note, I usually make goals so that I can stick to them and watch my progress. Here are a few I’ve made for 2012. I’ve already started on most of these and I’m looking forward to seeing how they go as the year progresses. 

Touch my toes - I have never been able to do this. I am a shameful foot away from actually touching my toes. A trainer last year showed me some moves to help but I fell off on doing them. I’m thinking now I could try doing them in the morning at work while my tea steeps. We’ll see how this goes.

Record my workouts - I started doing this last year but fell off. Fortunately dailymile now has an unofficial app so I’m using it to help. This is a great way to stay accountable as well as a way to see if I’ve ignored certain workouts.

Make workout dates with friends - all of my friends workout. Though they may not all love it, they all do it. We usually get together for food or drinks but I think we could kill two birds with one stone (and save money) by getting together for workouts. 

Order from seamless less - This has become a crutch for B and me. Whenever we are hungry we fire up the computer and order dinner from seamless. It’s an expensive habit and even if we order healthy foods, we can’t be sure of the amount of salt or butter they are putting on the food. For financial and health reasons, we’ll be cooking food more and ordering from seamless less. (allowing ourselves once a week)

Try a new class every season - There are a few classes at Equinox I’ve been hoping to try but can’t get up the courage. This is the year! To keep this goal more attainable so I don’t get frustrated, I’ve challenged myself to do one class in winter, spring, summer and fall. This way, if I try more than 4 classes,  I’ll be ahead of the game!

Try new seasonal fruits and vegetables - I have my staples of fruits and vegetables I love, but why not try new ones? To try them at their tastiest and save the environment, I’m only going to try new fruits and vegetables when they are in season.

Do yoga and spinning at least once each week - Keeping these classes on my schedule will force me to cross-train while also keeping me in top condition for them.