13 Days 'Til 30... Kicking Up My Heels

 **Now that my countdown to 30 has officially begun, I've decided to do something extra special every day until I turn 30.**

My special something was an activity I haven't participated in for almost six years. Any guesses? Okay, I'll give you some hints.

Hint#1:

Okay, I'll give you another:

I'm sure it's now obvious that I took dance classes today. I took a tap class followed by a ballet class. 

I used to be a dancer... I danced for 13+ years, through college and part of medical school, but I haven't danced since I became pregnant with my son. I miss that part of me, the creative side, moving to music, getting a good workout.

My ideal fitness regimen would actually include dancing a few times a week, and weight lifting. Unfortunately there are no adult dance classes in New Haven, so I finally expanded my search to Hartford (40 minutes away) and I'm glad I did.

Running is good, but I don't think I'm a run-3-times-a-week kind of person. Maybe once a week, or every other week. It was initially a challenge and helped me drop nearly 20 pounds. But, I am losing interest. I want to run when I feel like it, not forcing myself to run to stay on a training schedule. And in all honestly, I'd prefer to dance than most other things.

The beginner/intermediate tap class was good. The moves came back to me after a while and I felt coordinated. Ballet on the other hand was ROUGH. I held my own, but the moves didn't come as naturally. It's actually be more than 10 years since I took a true ballet class, though. My legs were stronger than I expected, thanks to running. But, both classes were a workout. By the time I reached home, my ankle and hips/quads were stiff.

14 Days 'Til 30... Mother-Daughter Time at the River

**Now that my countdown to 30 has officially begun, I've decided to do something extra special every day until I turn 30.**

Today, mom and I went down to Liberty State Park in Jersey City for her to draw and me to read overlooking the Hudson River.

Mom with her sketch book:

It was a beautiful day and we enjoyed the great views.

It was quite relaxing and allowed my mind to wander. In my quest to be "better," I have been more introspective than usual, trying to figure out where I've gone wrong and improve those deficits. One day at a time...

15 Days 'Til 30... Good Convo & A (Kids) Movie

**Now that my countdown to 30 has officially begun, I've decided to do something extra special every day until I turn 30.**

I had great grown-up conversation today while the kids swam in the pool with my good friend Chakia who I've known since I was 7, but haven't seen in a few years.

My kiddo also surprised me by being able to swim. He just finished his second week in swim camp and let me tell you -- despite what he believed, he could NOT swim before he started camp. He did a lot of splashing, but no swimming. Now look at him!

We started to get rained on, but the kids decided to keep swimming, so we threw towels on our heads and kept the conversation going. That is, until we heard thunder and everyone scattered.

Next, I met up with Kenye to take the kids to see "Despicable Me." It was really funny. I actually laughed at least 10 times. Not the "oh, that's cute," laugh, but true laughter. I didn't expect it to be that good.

As an aside -- spending so much time at home has been great. It's nice to spend time with lifelong friends who remember me back when I was happy, who have known me through all the of my phases of life - flaws and all - and still love me anyway. They are also amazing people who teach me a lot and inspire me to be a better person, which is one of my main goals this year anyway. I haven't spent this much free time back in NJ in over 3 years.

16 Days 'Til 30... Traversing Freely around NYC

**Now that my countdown to 30 has officially begun, I've decided to do something extra special every day until I turn 30.**

We started our day at the Battery Park Conservancy for a free adult painting and drawing course as part of the River to River festival. There wasn't much instruction. But, that could be due to our initial introduction with the teacher which involved him telling us that it was a bad idea to have the kids there because the last time a parent tried the class the kids were running amuck and throwing things into the water. I calmly informed him that those kids probably behave that way on a normal day and ours don't. And after he conceded, we proceeded to gather our supplies.

Us hard at work:

The finished products. No critiques please!

After pretending to be artists for an hour, we had lunch at Chipotle (my first time going to this common fave). I managed to consume 1100 calories in one sitting... between the chicken burrito, one chicken taco and a margarita. Thanks NYC for putting calorie counts front and center on the menu.

Next, we saw a free performance by the Rochester City Ballet at Pace University. It was amazing. The kiddos loved it, evidenced by them sitting on the edge of their seats and not letting out a peep during the 70-minute performance.

from http://www.rochestercityballet.com/

The adventure ended at Starbucks with full-on smiles...

...and my grande green tea latte.

I managed to tire out the kiddo. Him on the Light Rail train.

I also replaced my broken camera today. No more camera phone pics after today!

17 Days 'Til 30... Dinner with College Roomie

**Now that my countdown to 30 has officially begun, I've decided to do something extra special every day until I turn 30.**

My special something today was an extra special treat. I had dinner with my college roommate Melissa who I haven't seen in 6 years. We had a great time sharing life stories, great memories, and girl talk. I've missed her so much. It was her first time meeting my son, and they hit it off amazingly well:

18 Days 'Til 30... Me Time

**Now that my countdown to 30 has officially begun, I've decided to do something extra special every day until I turn 30.**

I decided that today's special something would be low-key. I finished my shift at 7:30 am. I waited for the cable guy who gave me the gift of television and internet in my new place. With my new found internet, I crossed some items off my to-do list.

Then, I decided to have "me time." I ordered delivery from one of my favorite pizza places (The baked Eggplant Florentina was fabulous!), watched the episodes of Are We There Yet? I missed last week, and put my feet up on the couch and enjoyed the couple of hours I had before returning to work. I was so relaxed, I actually fell asleep for an hour. It was nice.

I really needed to slow things down and just have some time to sit still. It's really interesting how life comes full circle. Three years ago, I released a pocket guide for busy women about taking time for yourself and how to have it all despite our busy schedules. The idea stemmed from a group my friends and I started as a vow to "get a life."

Since then, life and residency has definitely gotten in the way of me having a life, and just now, in the wake of turning 30, and focusing on my on health and fitness this year, I find myself back to where I was three years ago, vowing again to "get a life." Funny how that happens.

19 Days 'Til 30... Reading on the Sound

**Now that my countdown to 30 has officially begun, I've decided to do something extra special every day until I turn 30.**

Today was a hot, busy day. It's been sweltering the past few days.

I returned to CT from New Jersey this morning. I immediately went to the anatomy lab to meet the other residents in my program who were performing procedures on cadavers. Afterwards, I ran errands. All of this was before having to be at work at 5:30pm.

However, I was able to squeeze in an hour for a special something. I sat at Long Wharf on a bench enjoying a view of the Long Island Sound while I read the first few chapters of Emily Giffin's "Heart of the Matter." It was nice to tune out the world for an hour and relax.

My view of the Sound:

The book (great so far... but I'm not surprised, her books never let you down)

20 Days 'Til 30... Time with my Bestie

**Now that my countdown to 30 has officially begun, I've decided to do something extra special every day until I turn 30.**

The special something of the day was having dinner with my male bestie, Nate. We were inseparable for decades but lost touch over the years and just recently started hanging out again. I've missed my bud, so tonight was extra special. Here's us at Chili's:

21 Days 'Til 30... Time With Mom

**Now that my countdown to 30 has officially begun, I've decided to do something extra special every day until I turn 30.**

Today's special something involved me and my mom spending the day together. First we walked 3 miles, then ran 2 miles (well, I lost her between miles 4 and 5, don't tell her I told you that). Then, we did 25 pushups and 200 situps.

This is her after our workout:

I also introduced her to Muscle Milk, so we could get the protein in within an hour after our workouts.

We finished up the day with manicures (she got a pedicure, too).

22 Days 'Til 30... Happy Independence Day!

**Now that my countdown to 30 has officially begun, I've decided to do something extra special every day until I turn 30.**


Today's special something was spending the day with my kiddo -- a day that ended with us taking the train and walking (a lot!) to Chelsea Piers to watch the Macy's Fireworks display. All of my years living across the River in Jersey City and I've never gone to NYC to watch the fireworks. So, this was a treat for both of us.

Us before we left.

Kiddo waiting for the fireworks to start.

The action.

23 Days 'Til 30... a pre-4th BBQ & club outing

**Now that my countdown to 30 has officially begun, I've decided to do something extra special every day until I turn 30.**

Today's special something was going to a BBQ with a group of friends I've known for anywhere from 10 to 25 years. We had a good time telling old stories and making jokes about each other -- not to mention great food, drink and dessert.

Afterwards, me and 3 of the girls went out to a very empty nightclub in NJ. But, we still enjoyed each other's company and ended the night with some good music.

24 Days 'Til 30... A Good Run & Cutting a Rug

**Now that my countdown to 30 has officially begun, I've decided to do something extra special every day until I turn 30.**

I started today with an amazing feat... I ran for the first time since my 5K on May 23th. I ran for 42 minutes around a park here in Jersey City. Nafeesa of Shoes N Booze ran with me on the first two laps, then I finished up with 2 additional laps.

Next, I went to the hair salon and got a new cut/style.

I finished up the night at a nightclub in Union, NJ with Nafeesa and Zia Bartley of Best Event Planners.

25 Days 'Til 30... and the Yankees Win!

Now that my countdown to 30 has officially begun, I've decided to do something extra special every day until I turn 30.

Today's special something was watching the Yankees game from box seats auctioned off by Shoe Revolt, a great charity whose mission is to stop human trafficking.

Me and Nafeesa of Shoes N Booze posed for a photo with Ateba Crocker, the main philanthropist of Shoe Revolt.

The Yankees won 4-2 today, winning the series against the Mariners 2-1.

Sea Dog 5K Run/Walk - Race Report

I decided to run the 5K this morning despite not having any running buddies or a cheering section, despite the gloom and despite the few sprinkles that fell on my head before the race started. Here's my report:


The horn sounds, it's the start of the race! I positioned myself in the middle of the pack, hoping to plant myself around the 9 or 10 minute per mile runners. And we're off!


Mile 1:
(Two minutes in...) Wow, I'm really out of breath. What is going on?? Maybe I need to slow down a bit. Wow, a lot of people are passing me now. This is what I get for not running for a month. I'm running so slowly, I'm probably going about 11 minutes per mile now. More people are passing me. This is great. I knew I should have stayed home. We're going downhill, and I still can't pick up more speed. Oh look -- that lady is walking now... and so is that man... maybe I should just call it a day and walk the rest. I'm still so out of breath. This doesn't feel comfortable at all. The last race, mile 1 was a breeze. I'm so upset with myself. There's the mile marker!! There's a guy with a stop watch shouting numbers... Did he just say 8??? Okay, he just shouted 8:40 at me! That's why I feel like crap, I've never run this fast before! Time to slow down...


Mile 2:
Okay, if I don't slow down, I probably won't be able to finish. Steady wins the race. Just try to stay with the folks in front of you, Ty. Okay, they're leaving you in the dust. That's fine. Just keep moving. Breathe. Breathe. Why haven't I caught my breath yet? Thank God my legs aren't tired though. Slowing down more... Where is that second mile marker?? More people are walking -- man, I'm so jealous. What I would give to just walk right now. Ok, there it is! Another guy in neon green shouting numbers... 17:47. So my second mile was 9:07, I can live with that. I've finally caught my breath. But, I don't think I can go faster than this. I'm gonna have to stay at this pace.


Mile 3 and 3.1:
Just take nice, long strides. Breathe. Stay with that guy in the grey shirt. Doh! The gap between us is widening. More people are passing me. Geez, how slowly am I running NOW? That old guy behind me is moaning with every breath, HUSH! He sounds like he's gonna pass out, but you know what? He's been on my tail the whole race, so maybe I should hush. His AHHHRGHHs must be working for him. It's 25 minutes according to my watch, time to kick it for the last 4 or 5 minutes. Oh no! Another uphill? Kicking it will have to wait until the top of this hill. People are cheering, "You're almost there!" Am I really? We're back on the main road now, the finish line has to be close. I think we're there, time to speed up. I'm starting to pass someone (for the first time today). Wait, where's the finish line? Did she just say, "Turn the corner, you're almost there!"? There's more? Ugh. Not again! I made this mistake last race. It's on a slight incline too? Push. Push. Finish line! The clock reads 28:24 as I run through. That means mile 3 and 3.1 was 10:37 (9:36/mile). Not as good as I started out with, but I still beat last race's time by 12 seconds.

Okay, why is there a line to get away from the finish line? I need to walk people, my heart is pounding out of my chest! Oh, we have to hand in the little strips on the bottom of our race bibs. Fine. I don't think I can walk anyway. Oh look -- a nice grassy hill. Looks like the perfect place to lay on my back... and just rest a while. :-)

Race Results

F 20-29, 17 out of 34

Overall: 217 out of 519 (some of those were walkers)

Yes, they listed me as a male (a common mistake with the first name, TYEESE). I placed better as a guy than in my own category. I should be #17 among the females 20-29, but apparently with my gender change, I placed 9.

I think I'm convinced...

I've spent most of today either crying over recent events, packing the house to move, or catching up on my blogger pals' posts.

I think I've decided to run tomorrow's 5K even though I will have to register on-site. I'll make a game time call tomorrow morning when I get up.

In the meantime, I'm gonna keep packing, and start hydrating. After how slow I ran yesterday, I'm not sure I can even beat my last 5K time (9:13/mile pace). But, I can try.

I also checked out the McMillan calculator, and based on that time, I should expect to run my 10K in 59:25. But it also says my 4-mile the other day should have been 37:25, almost 6 minutes faster than I actually ran.

I have work to do.

4-miler: the good, the bad, and the ugly

I broke away from the treadmill today, and ran outside.

After spending an unusual day at work in the operating room all day, I pulled off onto a side road in New Haven, changed into my running gear in the car (yes, in broad daylight -- I have skills!), and proceeded to run a 2-mile route out and back in 43:03. Slow, I know.

The GOOD
- I finished the 4 miles alive.
- I got a second wind during the last 2 miles that made the run feel easy.
- Funny comment from random guy: "I can do that!" Me: "Well, come on then!" Random guy stayed put and laughed.
- Smiling at fellow runners along the same street, especially when running on the treadmill gets so lonely.
- 4.07 miles is the farthest I've ever run. Today's run beat out my previous one-and-only 4-miler.

The BAD
- I had to pee from the start of the run.
- I don't know where my ipod is, so I ran to the sounds of nature.
- I didn't warmup beforehand.
- I haven't trained on hills yet, and there were a few mini-hills along this road.
- My right knee started to ache during the last mile.

The UGLY
- When I finished, my elbow creases were pale from being moist and bent the whole run.
- I started out way too fast and by 1/10th of a mile, I was already winded.
- The first 2 miles I really didn't think I was going to make it between feeling winded and having to pee. Not to mention, my limbs felt like they were moving in slow-mo (at a 10:30/minute pace, they were!)

Now it's time for a nice long soak.

Taking time out from Grey's to talk about running

I'm on a commercial break from a nail-biting Grey's Anatomy season finale... so this will be quick.

I made it to the gym today in time for my Group Power class. I was also supposed to run 2 miles according to my 10K plan.

I ran the first mile at 6.4 mph (9:22/mile) but was pretty out of breath. So, I postponed the second mile until after the Group Power class. I did the first 2 minutes at 6.4 mph, but I didn't feel like I could last the whole mile, so I turned it down to 6.2 mph.

Tomorrow, a 4-mile run is on the agenda, but I have to admit, I'm a little nervous. I haven't run that long in many weeks. I'm unsure if I can run that long. I doubt I will be able to do it on the treadmill (out of boredom), but I haven't really found a good outside route yet. Not to mention, I work tomorrow from 7:30am until 5-ish mostly standing up in the operating room. I can easily see myself losing motivation. We'll see...

Baila con Zumba!

Another gloomy day, another day of feeling no-so-hot, but I dragged myself to the gym anyway.

I did an hour of only Zumba tonight - no running, no lifting, and it was nice. It reminded me how much I miss dancing (I danced from age 7 until I got pregnant with my son 6 years ago). It also allowed me to move my hips a lot, be feminine and almost flirty.

I spent the first half of the class moving to the music, but still mulling over life's problems in my head. By the end, I was just dancing and focusing on how I looked in the mirror - my form, the definition in my arms that I'm proud of, and really noticing the difference between how I look today and how I looked when I started this journey on January 4th.

Between my month-long hiatus from working out and eating terribly at the same time, I surprisingly only put on about 4 pounds (I'm sure I lost muscle though). From last week to this week, I lost 2 pounds. That puts back to 135, only 5-10 pounds away from my original goal and 17 pounds down from January.

Back on the Treadmill (again)

I ran today... Despite the gloomy rain.

According to my 10K training schedule, I was due to run 2.5 miles. Since I already know I can run the distance, I've been working on speed, so I upped it to 6.2mph (or 9:40/mile). It was okay until the last 5 minutes, where all of a sudden sweat started pouring down and I was huffing and counting down the seconds I had left... 32... (breathe) 31... (breathe) 30... (breathe)...

My next days to run are Thursday (2 miles and a Group Power class) and Friday (4 miles). The 5K that I may or may not run is on Sunday. I'm considering going to Zumba tomorrow night just to spice up this routine a bit. As much as I hate to say it, running is starting to feel more like a chore than fun these days.

However, I'm preparing to move in less than a month, which may help because the new neighborhood is a lot more conducive to running and is close to a park with nice trails. So there's hope for me yet.

No, I haven't been abducted by aliens...

Yes, I've been M.I.A.
Yes, I've been a bum.
But, I'm back now.
Be easy on me.

Running
I ran on April 14th, and didn't run again until this past Thursday, the 13th of May. Gosh, it hurts just to see that in writing. I ran/walked 2.5 miles just before my Group Power class.

My plan is to run again on Tuesday, Thursday and maybe Friday. There's a 5K on my schedule for Sunday, but I haven't decided if I'm ready to run it yet. I'd like to keep beating my 5K times, and I'm not sure I'm in any shape to beat 28:36.

Life
Life has been interesting. I've been in and out of a funk lately... forced to learn a lot about myself in a short period of time. It's amazing to look back at your life through the awakened eyes of a mature almost-30 woman, to learn from your mistakes and to truly consider what type of person you want to be.

Not just a person who reacts to her surroundings, her routine or what's expected of her, but a person who decides who she wants to be and is just that. I know what that looked like 7 years ago, but what does it mean now - after a degree, a child, a marriage come and gone, years of varying emotions, and many, many changes?

After all of that thinking, and terrible 12-hour days at the hospital, I haven't had energy for running or much else.

Turning 30
I've spent most of this blog talking about running and ignoring the other part of the blog: turning 30. It's coming. Today starts the 70-day countdown. I'm excited and nervous at the same time. I have such high hopes for my 30s... I hope I can do right by them.

I've decided to forego a big party and have an intimate dinner with some close friends in NYC on the big day. Until then, much work to do -- getting to know myself, bettering myself, and taking chances one day at a time.

What about you? Are you who you want to be?