When I was in the height of using running as my main fitness outlet I really loved running relay races. It’s great to pass a weekend with friends, cramped in a van, pushing you body to the limit, and laughing and enjoying together. I made some really great lifelong friends and learn a lot about what my body can really do.
Continue reading The Ultimate Guide to Running Your First Relay Race
It has now been 10 years since my first marathon. 3 more marathons, 4 half marathons, 2 200-mile relay races and dozens of smaller races later, you can say I picked up a lot of tips along the way. There are so many things to remember to have a good race. Here’s all the detail you need to feel comfortable and prepared going into your marathon.
If you’re a first timer, I recommend that you read the full article and take not of everything. It’s a lot, but it will help you be as prepared as possible for your first race.
Continue reading Ultimate Guide of Tips & Tricks for Marathon Runners
At one point running a good 10K was my biggest challenge. I was doing race after race without improving my timing under 58 minutes. I was starting to get disappointed when I found this training plan from Alberto Salazar and it really made the different. I was just browsing on the Nike Race Coach Facebook page (back in 2012) and saw a 10K training plan from the controversially amazing coach Alberto Salazar, who himself was a winner of the New York City and Boston Marathon before injury took him out of the game.
It has been quite a whirlwind week in Barcelona, I can’t believe that I did so much since last Monday. It started with a special event at Le 18 for Sant Jordi. Complete with performance art, gourmet dessert and cava tasting, and a lovely rose from a French dude who runs the company. I think the Spanish have a much more interesting way of celebrating love.
That very same day my two amazing girl friends LTS and JoM came back into town for a few days and are staying with me. They gave me this awesome scratch off map to show the place I have been. Funnily enough I had given one to CTh for Christmas. I can’t wait to have a permanent place to live to be able to showcase it and start scratching off the places I have/will travel to. Unexpected presents are the best!
The girls and I celebrated our first day back together at Cafe Godot, just around the corner from me, in their lovely back patio. I never realize that I could see down into it from my back terrace. The food was amazing per usual. Confit de Pato, calamari, three types of dessert. Yum! I’m going to miss having menu del días for the few months I will be away from this city.
After a another goodbye party it was off to Madrid for the Rock ‘n’ Roll Marathon Expo. I have never worked a marathon expo booth before, so it was exciting at first, feeling the energy of the crowd coming in and out, trying to explain this race in English and Spanish, and informing people that I’m not from Ethiopia, just brown. But, after the first few hours and the second day, boredom sure does set in. At night AMG tried to relieve his former life in Madrid taking us to some bars that have definitely changed for the worse over time. But it was still fun.
After the second day, AMG wanted us to show me an “authentic” experience in Madrid, after being shocked by how much has changed. I must say he succeeded. I didn’t care too much about the sightseeing and the questionable history lessons, but the food and flamenco show were amazing.
This was an Egyptian temple given to Spain after some sort of peaceful agreement (see I definitely wasn’t listening to the history lesson, oops!). But, it was beautiful and had an amazing precipice of the city.
Our next stop was to try some food consumé, something with kidney that I forget what it is called, and some really old sherry at Lhardy. All were extremely amazing.
Restaurant hoping apparently is the way in Madrid, so next we tried some gamba al ajillo at Casa del Abuelo. An interesting, very local place with a trough on the floor by the bar to throw the fish heads while you are eating.
We got a bit more touristy by visiting Mercado de San Miguel (somewhere that I remember clearly from my last trip to Madrid to see my cousin) and having some merluza and gambas con setas (that were definitely reheated). Bleh! That’s what you get for going touristy. I did, however, have an amazing chocolate tart for dessert to cap off the great night of eating.
To further our “authentic experience” we went to a flamenco show at Casapatas. It was pretty good, but I think the cheaper, shorter show in Plaça Reial was much better. I was glad to get to see a live performance, nonetheless.
The ride back to BCN was fun. Counting the number of bull signs that we saw on the side of the road. You know you’re back in Catalunya when those stop.
I finished the week with a delicious Italian dinner, back in BCN, at La Tagliatelli. Chain restaurants, but still great quality food. So a nice end of a kind of crazy week!
On to the next week of craziness!!!
This summer I have had the pleasure of working for the start-up of a former classmate of mine. Mammoth Hunter is an online personal trainer based on the paleo movement. I in no way follow the paleo movement (and I’m not planning to follow the diet), but the training they are offering is interesting and very well thought out. The founding team is composed of a scientist, physical therapist and project manager. They have the background in understanding physiology that makes these workout so effective.
When I first started interning here, I completed a class with Néstor and in just 12 minutes I felt like I had the most intense workout that I had since marathon training. I didn’t dive into the training routine complete because I’m training for a triathlon, half-marathon and tough mudder and I wanted to stay on my own schedule.
But, now after a really great 6-mile run on Sunday despite the heat, I’m looking for a boost in my training to get the speed that I want in my upcoming races. Let’s see how it goes!
18 day to half marathon
46 days to triathlon
59 days to tough mudder
I’m super excited about next month (September) because I have a series of wonderful travels planed, back-to-back. After two and a half months working hard in intensive classes and at my internship with Mammoth Hunters, I’m ready for a nice long break before getting back into the swing of things with the MBA. I’m taking full advantage of my time in Europe by going as many places I haven’t been, but I’ll also be revisiting a few locations to stay with local friends. Nothing better than traveling and having a free place to stay!
The travels will go like this:
Valencia (1 day) -> Lisbon (5 days) -> Barcelona (1 day) -> London (3 days) -> Barcelona (A few hours) -> Athens (1 day) -> Mykonos (2 days) -> Santorini (1 day) -> Athens (2 days) -> Croatia (TBD) -> Barcelona (Home Sweet Home)
I’ve been to London and Lisbon before but have friends in both and London will be a stop over for an endurance race. The Nike Run to the Beat Half Marathon! It’s going to be quite an intense month with lots of great adventures. I’m ready to get it started, but first the best time in year in Gràcia, the Festa Major de Gràcia. I’m excited for the festivities to begin tomorrow!
When I was invited to come down for the weekend to Torrevieja to stay with my friend SS’s apartment I expected lots of relaxation and beach time. I really should have know better, as I know her from the crazy 200 mile relay races and other running events that we have done together. And also she’s a Swede. If you don’t know, they are all super human athletes (or at least all of the ones I am acquainted with).
Through a series of unfortunately mishaps in travel plans (that worked out perfectly) we both arrived on Saturday afternoon ready to catch-up on the past year of life and feed off of each other’s athletic spirit. This was not going to be a tourists weekend. Saturday was spent walking around Alicante and then Torrevieja, followed by a long run around the Salinas or salt lakes. We didn’t jump in because of pending dinner plans, but I would have loved to! Next time! On the drive from Alicante we could see the salt turning the water a delicate ballet pink.
Sunday, my last day of this short weekend was jam packed. Morning at the very crowded La Mata beach, followed by an amazing french lunch at Restaurante La Ripaille, a great selection by SS’s mom. We didn’t let the heavy meal slow us down. So after a walk to settle our stomach we headed back to La Mata to try stand up paddle board. I don’t know if you’ve ever experienced it, but it’s a great deal of fun and really great workout. Unfortunately, the wind was strong and I didn’t have good form. So after several attempts and falls I resided to just paddling around on my knees until the hour was over. I can’t wait to try again!
We didn’t stop there, but instead gathered Sarah’s family and friends to play a rocky game of volleyball on the sand of the beach nearest her apartment. It’s only once we completely exhausted ourselves that we decided to get dinner. Unfortunately, we made a misstep in restaurant selection. Don’t let the beautiful architecture of this restaurant fool you. The food was awful and tasteless. I didn’t know you could ruin swordfish and a salad that badly! It was not a good final meal, but overall it was a great sporty weekend. So glad for the invitation and a chance to see another part of Spain.
I just bought this fabulous new bikini from Billabong + Bob Marley and I could not be happier with it. As a Jamaican-Trinidadian American (say that three times fast!) I was drawn to this suit because it highlighted my heritage. Not to mention that it’s super cute.
And with a new bikini comes new motivation to first, get rid of the one where the strings are starting to lose their elasticity, but also to get back into my fitness junkie groove. I’ve take a few weeks off because of moving and general life craziness but time to get back in gear. I have a ten-miler to prepare for at the end of September in Paris. I’m ready to run!
Repeat One, Repeat All 