Happy Monday! I’m checking in with my usual weekly workouts post, along with a Scotland Run 10K race recap since that took place on Saturday. It wasn’t the “highlight” of my running, considering the light rain that fell throughout the race, but then again, it seemed appropriate for a Scotland-themed event. I was just happy we had a few days with sunny skies and warm breezes this week before the crazy weather kicked in again.
They say that March roars in like a lion and goes out like a lamb where the weather is concerned. Well, the opposite is true if we’re talking about my life. The first two weeks of the month were relatively quiet, coming off the whirlwind of my Florida trip. Then things sped up, quite literally, with my PR in the New York City Half Marathon, continued on to a weekend escape to Connecticut, and now it’s full steam ahead into April and everything planned for the spring. Read on for my March monthly recap and a peek at what’s ahead!
Rabbit, rabbit. Starting February off right! January flew by pretty fast, but not before I squeezed in some good runs during the last week of the month. So let’s take a look at my weekly workouts and updates and see what’s next for me with running.
After all the snow brought on by Winter Storm Jonas this weekend, there’s no better time to talk about running in the snow. I shared a few tips about running safely in the snow last January but I thought I’d update those with what I’ve learned since, especially when it comes to running not just in snow, but after a major weather event.
This week’s workouts were all about getting ready for the Fred Lebow Half Marathon, my second half marathon in as many weeks that I was using to test my endurance as I look forward to formulating a marathon training plan. Except the Fred Lebow was cancelled on Friday because of the impending blizzard, affectionately known up and down the east coast as Winter Storm Jonas. In the end, I was disappointed that I didn’t get to race, but just because the official race was cancelled didn’t mean I couldn’t still get outside and enjoy the winter wonderland that is Central Park in snow. I took the most gorgeous stroll last January during the so-called Snowpocalypse, and was determined to do the same this time around.
Happy New Year to one and all! It’s the first Monday of 2016, and I’m kicking off the year on the blog with my usual weekly workouts and updates. I’m making these posts a priority because I’m running the New York City Marathon in November and plan to document my training journey here. I won’t start officially training until late March or early April, but I’ve got three half marathons on the calendar between now and then. Starting with the Walt Disney World Half Marathon on January 9th (and the 10K the prior day), just a few days away.
Instead of the usual blahs that accompany a Monday morning, it seems like everyone is truly in the Christmas spirit, eager to get through the next few days before heading home for the holidays! At least, that’s what it seemed like on my walk to work this morning. Even though my family doesn’t celebrate Christmas (it’s Hanukkah for the family and Chrismukkah with friends) I am definitely looking forward to enjoying their company come late Thursday afternoon. Until then, here are my weekly workouts and updates.
I love to cook at home, but as a young soon-to-be professional in New York City dining out is one of the main ways I socialize outside of the Junior League and November Project. So I was intrigued by the arrival of Table8 in my city. Table8 is a restaurant reservation platform that allows you to book tables up to a few hours before you’re set to arrive, at restaurants that would probably laugh if you called them up to try and get a table that late! All users need to do is sign up with Table8 and scroll through a hand-picked list of restaurants, choose a time, and book a reservation, which is free if reservations are still available to the public. The key is that you’ll still be able to reserve a table if all the reservations available to the public are already spoken for, for a small fee of $20-$25 per table.
The restaurants available via Table8 are definitely on the trendier side. Diners in my age category are most likely to choose them in two situations. First, they may be dining out for work with clients or colleagues, and Table8 will allow them to throw together last-minute power lunches. As a summer associate at a law firm last year, I saw firsthand how quickly plans change and meals need to be adaptable.
And second, Table8 will aid in planning for special occasions. Many of the available restaurants would be wonderful dining experiences to give as a birthday gift. I know plenty of my friends would prefer a good meal with their nearest and dearest to a new handbag! But for young professionals with unpredictable work schedules and other demands on their time like volunteering or family obligations, it can be tough to pin people down far enough in advance to make such a meal happen. Table8 will allow for getting a celebration together even when the clock is ticking, and if the fee is split between 6-8 friends throwing a birthday dinner or celebrating another special occasion, it will end up being just a couple of dollars each.
New York is one of the newest cities added to the Table8 family, and you can check out the list of available restaurants here. Table8 is also up and running in Atlanta, Chicago, Los Angeles, Miami, San Francisco, and Washington, D.C. So if you live in any of these cities and just can’t wait to try out a new dining hotspot, check out Table8 online or download the iPhone or Android app and give it a whirl.
Note: This is a sponsored post. As Renaissance Runner Girl grows, I will be exploring different opportunities for both personal and business growth that may come from blogging, and I very much appreciate and value your support as readers when I do so. All opinions expressed are solely my own, and I promise to provide my honest feedback!
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I’ve been thinking a lot lately about life in a small town versus the big city. I live in New York City most of the time now, having done so for the past three years of law school, and I will continue to for the foreseeable future. But more and more I feel that I’m a country mouse at heart.
Yesterday morning, I went for a sunny, shorter weekday run in the park to shake it out after my long run on Tuesday and stay loose for the Oakley Mini 10K tomorrow. It was the perfect June morning…except for the heat. I was meeting my friend Maggie at our usual spot to do 4 miles together before she headed to work and I went to study. The one mile jog up Park Avenue to left me sweating while I waited for her at the corner! We ended up mixing up the run due to the need for shade, and also because the Central Park Conservancy keeps shutting off parts of the reservoir loop for construction at odd intervals. It was the usual trails, but a zig-zag route.
Cleopatra’s Needle
renaissancerunnergirl 