The Retired Athlete

Do you know what really gets me pumped for my half marathon in two weeks? Watching other people run a half marathon. I just had an awesome weekend in New York City and came back feeling even more excited for the BAA Half Marathon on October 7th. Let’s start from the beginning!

Friday I hopped on a bus to NYC, arriving at about 9:30 and immediate scarfed down some chinese food and went to sleep. My body was hurting a bit from the 12 miler I did Friday morning, but nothing dramatic. It’s safe to say I slept very, very well. Saturday started sans alarm so I was in a good mood. I have started to appreciate non alarm days very much lately, considering I don’t get to experience them very often.

Matt and I headed to the grocery store to get some things for breakfast and he was kind enough to make me a yummy veggie omelet. From there we made a quick Starbucks run (hello Pumpkin Spice Latte) and we headed to SoHo. I have been wanted to go to the Chobani store since it opened and I wanted to make sure I got there this weekend! The store itself was way smaller than I had imagined and I was under the impression that it was more like a serve yourself fro-yo place, but with Chobani yogurt. I was so wrong!

photo credit: chobani.com

There is a set menu with tons of different types of mixtures. Matt ordered something that included olive oil, chia seeds, and blueberry but I can’t remember what exactly it was. I settled for the figs, walnut, and honey in plain yogurt bowl. I have never had plain figs before so I thought it was the perfect time to try something new. It was delicious from the very first bite!

I am officially a fan of figs. They will be making their way into my grocery store list as a regular. They seem so easy to incorporate and I have been eyeing a ton of recipes that include figs on blogs! The yogurt and toppings come in a cute little Chobani glass bowl, that you can either keep, or return for a $.25 off coupon the next time you come in. I opted for the coupon!

I also had the chance to head over to the Alex and Ani store in SoHo which is conveniently right across the street from Chobani. I absolutely love Alex and Ani bracelets, but haven’t had the chance to get some for myself. I have bought them as gifts for others and everyone seems to be head over heels for Alex and Ani. The store was super cute and had a ton of bracelets to choose from.I purchased the Tree of Life charm because I love the meaning behind it. It symbolizes hope, conservation, and growth. L-O-V-E it.

I also got the Leo charm because…you guessed it! I’m a Leo. According to the Alex and Ani paper it came with, Leos are dominant, extroverted, and loyal. I am pretty sure those three things are pretty spot on when it comes to my personality. However, I think being “extroverted” is the least prominent of the three characteristics listed. Although I do love spending time with people and friends, I do not particularly like being the center of attention and I love spending time by myself.

The bracelets look so cute together and I am already looking into buying more. The fact that these bracelets are expandable bangles are a huge plus for me because I have giant hands. I can’t wear bangles that do not open or expand. They always get stuck halfway down my hand. I can’t even tell you how many times I have received bangles as a gift and had to return it or give it to my mom. It’s very sad. Needless to say, Alex and Ani is big-handed freaks approved.

The rest of the day Saturday was spent watching some football, spending some quality down time with Matt, and watching movies. I represented Wisconsin all day long by wearing my bright red Lululemon Wunder Unders. Always have to show love for my Badgers no matter where I am.

We purposely did not plan anything crazy for Saturday so Matt could rest up for the Newport Liberty Half Marathon on Sunday morning. I had planned to get up early on Sunday before we had to leave for the race to get in a run, but when my alarm went off at 5:15am, my body screamed at me for more rest. So I listened and slept for an extra hour. I took another unplanned rest day, but it was well worth it. At 6:15am I jumped out of bed, showered and we were out the door at 6:35am. The race was right by Matt’s work building, but I had personally never been to Newport. It is right on the water (on the Jersey side of the Hudson) and the views are so pretty!

View of NYC from Jersey City.

It was very windy and chilly that morning, but perfect running weather temperature wise. I heard from runners that it was a little too windy for their liking, but a gorgeous day otherwise.

pre-race stretching

At 8:30am the runners were off and I saw Matt at the start and mile 2. Then I sought out a spot by the finish line to see the top runners come in and to see Matt finish. I am rarely a spectator at races and I loved the atmosphere. Watching all the runners cross the finish line with the look of accomplishment on their faces was a huge motivational boost for my upcoming half marathon. I did see a few people lose their breakfast as they crossed the finish line as well, so let’s hope that doesn’t happen to me. Ick.

Overall the weekend was awesome and exactly what I needed: a relaxing, low-key couple of days spent in yoga pants with my favorite person. Mission accomplished.

We’re cute.

As I said before there are less than two weeks until the BAA Half. These next 13 days are just as important as the past few months, if not more important. Here is what I have this week:

Monday: 5 miles (done this morning)

Tuesday: 5 miles/strength

Wednesday: sprints and hopefully a yoga class

Thursday: 3 miles/strength

Friday: 8-10 easy-ish miles

Saturday: 3 miles

Sunday: rest

This post is getting a bit lengthy, hopefully you’re still reading. Enjoy your Monday!

Did anyone else race this past weekend? Are you in the final weeks for training too? Did you go anywhere/try anything new this weekend?