Hi folks I’ll catch you up on my weekend and then tell you about a cool local event.

Saturday Mr. SOTSS and I, and the pups drove to Virginia and back (same day!) to deliver a sailboat that he had sold.

I like Virginia!

I like Virginia!

Bye bye boat

Bye bye boat

We figured it’d be just under 5 hours but there was some insane traffic that tacked on an extra hour+. Eventually we made it and passed off the boat and then headed back up into Maryland where we stopped in Annapolis for lunch and some play time for the pups.

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I did some research and found this place that had been featured on Diners, Drive Ins, and Dives. It was great!

crab dip on pretzel bread with melted cheddar

crab dip on pretzel bread with melted cheddar

crab dip on a burger

crab dip on a burger

I had done a little research to see what, if any restaurants that had been featured on Diners Drive Ins and Dives might be nearby. Sure enough there was a place by the water that had outdoor seating and allowed dogs. It was called Davis’ Pub and there were so many choices on the menu I had a hard time deciding. We started of with the Crab Pretzel Bread which was pretzel bread with amazing creamy crab dip on top covered in melted cheddar.

Then I had a burger with more crab dip and fries. And a spiked lemonade. Yeah baby! We also headed over to a park that had a dog park and was adjacent to the Chesapeake Bay. It was HOT and the dogs weren’t to happy about that but they were still excited to be out of the car and able to stretch their legs and get a little exercise.

One of my favorite photos i've ever taken of Chester

One of my favorite photos i’ve ever taken of Chester

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nothing better than being by the water

nothing better than being by the water

My boys

My boys

Then it was about 3 1/2 hours until we got back home. And we were armed for the ride with Slurpees!

The couple who slurpees together...

The couple who slurpees together…

Wearing Mr. SOTSS coveted hat

Wearing Mr. SOTSS coveted hat

And he's out...

And he’s out…

Chester isn't always the calmest in the car but after being out in the heat for a bit he was content to chill

Chester isn’t always the calmest in the car but after being out in the heat for a bit he was content to chill

It was a successful trip.

=)

=)

I had plans on Sunday as well so I didn’t have time for a full length long run but honestly it was so hot and humid I barely made it 3 1/2 miles and wouldn’t have made it for 7+ miles anyway.

shortest long run ever

shortest long run ever

OK, now on to business:

If you’re local (NYC/New Jersey) but especially if you’re on Staten Island, NYRR (New York Road Runners) is spearheading FREE local runs in the park and they teamed NYCrunningmama for the Staten Island Location.

Every Saturday at 9am there will be a 5k open run at Conference House Park starting July 25th (and continuing every Saturday after).

Details from NYCrunningmama’s blog:

“Here are the details:

  • The 5k is completely FREE
  • 3 loop course (no requirement, however, to run all three)
  • Registration opens at 8:30am; run begins at 9am
  • ALL are encouraged to participate
    • Walkers
    • Strollers
    • Dogs
    • No minimum ages
    • No time cutoff
    • Run/Walk 1, 2 or 3 loops (3 loops = 5k)
  • NYRR will help set the program up but it will continue because of volunteers in the community – so please come out and volunteer if you are able!”

So if you’re local come out for one of these open runs! And stay tuned for a giveaway coming in my next post!

Have a great week!

What did you do this weekend?
Do you like road trips?
Most hours you’ve ever driven in one day?

 

Hi there.

Hope you are having a good week. Mine is going well. It’s been super busy but lots of good things. I’ve secured this freelance gig for the next 6 weeks so I can keep kibble on the table for Duncan. I struggled to get out the door for my run this morning thanks to the Dunkster. He’s just got the guilt trip face that says “stay with me”.

I posted this confession about my skipped run on Instagram.

 

But all day I promised myself that I’d redeem myself and run tonight when I got home from work. So I took Duncan to the park for a quick walk and then to the pet store for a new bone and got home just before sunset where I left him to gnaw contently and finally got my miles in!

enjoy your bone buddy....see ya in 33 minutes.

enjoy your bone buddy….see ya in 33 minutes.

I love a good pink hue in the sky

I love a good pink hue in the sky

running in the dark. mission accomplished

running in the dark. mission accomplished.

It was a beautiful night tonight. The humid rainy weather moved out and a nice cool summer breeze moved in. I felt like I was running my tempo pace which used to be 9:45-10:00/miles but these days it’s about a minute slower. Good benchmark though.

I’ve got so much to do so I’m signing off. But I’ll be back later in the week with an exciting giveaway!

Enjoy the rest of your week.

How do you get your workouts in?

Do you skip out on them frequently.

Have you ever redeemed yourself by just postponing your workout until later in the day?

 

Hi and happy Sunday!

So technically my marathon training should begin tomorrow and my first long run wouldn’t be until next Sunday I started a week early because I know I’m going to have some vacations and wanted to have some cushion in my schedule.

I went out for 7 miles and while I didn’t get an early start (I think it was about 10am when I finally got my butt in gear) the heat didn’t bother me like it has during some of my recent runs.

awkward foot twist happening !

Getting ready to start…killing time taking self-timer shots while waiting on Garmin to find the darn satellite. Awkward foot twist happening!

I made a pitstop at my parents’ house twice. They’re on vacation and I needed to get the soaker hose set up to irrigate their garden. I left it going for an hour or so (basically miles 1.5 to 6.5) and then on my way back I shut the water and picked some veggies (zucchini, peppers, lettuce, basil and mint)! Oh and I saw they had some Coca Cola in the fridge. I was SO thirsty and it really hit the spot.

Refreshing swig of Coca Cola!

Refreshing swig of Coca Cola! I’m not good at the mirror camera phone shots. I never know where i should be looking =)

Zucchini and pepper

Zucchini and pepper

Lettuce and basil!

Lettuce and basil!

7 miles slow and easy

7 miles slow and easy

I already sauteéd the zucchini and pepper with the fresh basil and some olive oil and ate it for my post-run meal. I added some left over boiled potato and a grilled chicken cutlet along with some italian seasoned breadcrumbs and boy was it yummy!

IMG_6865Yesterday I worked. I took photos at a Bat Mitzvah for a friend’s daughter. It was a lovely event and the restaurant was right on the water.

Taking a little break and enjoying the view while the guests are eating.

Taking a little break and enjoying the view while the guests are eating.

This is New Jersey

This is New Jersey

After I was done working I headed over to Mr. SOTSS’ house to dogsit for his boy Chester like I did last weekend. He was out with his girls for the day down at the Jersey Shore and Chester was very happy to see me because I arrived right at his dinner time! He’s so funny. He thinks he’s a lap dog. Well maybe even a parrot. He actually sat on my shoulder!

I think he is thanking me for feeding him dinner and letting him run in the yard for a few hours.

I think he is thanking me for feeding him dinner and letting him run in the yard for a few hours.

His view from my shoulder

His view from my shoulder

This is not normal =)

This is not normal =)

While I was there I made myself a frozen adult beverage.

This is my tip!

This is my tip!

And then I headed home. I’m glad I was able to help out with Chester (and actually Duncan spent the day with him too which made me feel better too) so that Mr. SOTSS could focus on his girls and their fun-filled day. And we’ll have our own fun-filled days soon..wait till you hear about our adventures planned for next weekend?!

OK well now I’m off to enjoy the rest of my day stretch and foam roll!

Are you training for any fall races? Which one(s)?

 

 

Happy Hump Day!

Boy oh boy is it HOT here. Summer is in full swing so I went out for a short 3-mile run last night when the sun wasn’t as strong.

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It cooled off to 81 degrees! Yippee!

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I was excited to wear a running skirt. I hardly seem to wear them for longer distances because my SPIbelt tends to hike it up and it gets annoying but no belt needed for a quick 3 miles! The skirt is a Target clearance item I got for like $12 last year. I cut out the attached shorts that weren’t long enough. I just use my own longer compression shorts for a custom fit =).

So now let’s talk about sun smarts…

Most of you know that my husband succumbed to the most deadly form skin cancer–Melanoma. I take sun safety seriously as I think we all should. As a runner I spend a lot of time outdoors. I usually wear a visor or baseball cap when I run but next month I’m going to Jamaica and I was thinking of other style hats that i could wear while I’m on the beach or by the pool.

And then the planets aligned and I got a package in the mail from Lipton Publicity (the PR company for Scala™ a product line by Dorfman Pacific). They sent me the Scala Lahaina Sun Hat in Lime to review.

Does this make me a buckethead?

Does this make me a buckethead? I feel a little like Gilligan meets Holly Hobbie.

So at first I wasn’t sure if the style would work but I figured I’d give it a try. Well guess what? I LOVE IT! I found that the most flattering for me was to fold some of the brim up but to leave the front unfolded.

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This is how it looked best on me. rolled up a bit on the sides but not in the front

It’s totally versatile. And pretty inexpensive at under $30. It can be flattened so I can definitely squeeze it in my suitcase. But the biggest benefit is that it has a UPF 50+ rating for sun protection.  It comes in black, white, natural, taupe, olive, periwinkle, rose, coral, lime, aqua and banana.

Walking the dog in style

Walking the dog in style

You can buy one for $29.95 here!

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All ready for Jamaica!

Of course I might just have to go out and buy a new swimsuit to match. 😉

Are you a hat wearer?

Do you worry about sun protection?