My flight was canceled and a lot of wine.

Well friends, 

I am supposed to be skiing in Utah and enjoying Salt Lake City right now- but  I am sitting at work in Old Lyme, Connecticut.   The 13th snow storm of the season hit New England Thursday.   The snow piled up quick and then came the rain and ice.  Early Thursday American Airlines canceled my Friday morning flight and the next available was not until Tuesday (tomorrow... 4 days later).  Nuts. I had a serious pity party, shed a few tears, and rescheduled the trip.  I will have to spend my birthday up at 3am and on 10 hours of planes and layovers, but atleast I will get there for my birthday and have the weekend to ski.  The other downfall is Thatcher will have to work the entire week I am there, but I will just have to find fun things to do in the city for one!

So a quick change in plans, valentines day with the dogs, and basically no running.  (I did a 3 mile run Friday afternoon-  hill repeats- but hated every second of it)   I did however work out and enjoy my weekend with friends and family.   Take a look. 

                          

I was having a serious pity party about the flight cancellation and the weather.  Thankfully Jill arranged for a mani pedi, prepaid by Thatcher.  She gave him the hint and he called in and prepaid for a lovely pampering session.   Isn't that what friends are for?  I went for a coral with the gold accented ringer finger.  Love. 

I am dog sitting for my boss, meet Ivan the Chesapeake Bay Retriever (on the right).  Olive is my rescue dog on the left.  She loves having a buddy around.  Hates posing for pictures.  

Instead of spending my valentines day on a plane, I spent it at home with a lot of bread and cheese.  (Not a bad substitute...)  I made two loafs of homemade bread and went out to the Centerbrook Cheese Shop for a selection of delciousness.

Cheese plate with a hard cheddar/parmesan,  a delicous crucola, and in the middle a soft ashy goat cheese-  all fantastic.  I also added my homemade bread, garlic crackers, strawberries, blackberries, sausage, figs, and almonds.  And obviously wine.  

Saturday morning I woke up with the intentions of going to 9am Body Pump but I was feeling quite lethargic after all of the wine and cheese.  I slept in and met Jill and Rica for a 3+ mile walk around Old Saybrook. 

Later on I met my sister, brother in law and a friend at the local watering hole for a few beers.   This was awesome because it finally forced me to get out of my running tights and into real clothes and shoes.  It is really sad when you consider jeans dressing up. 

 We sat at the Pattaconk, had a few beers, chatted, and then guess what happened.  It snowed again.   A few more inches of snow and some pretty slippery roads.  We were going to do a family dinner to celebrate my birthday but the snow ruined the fun yet again. 

I was really looking forward to going out to dinner, and did not feel like cooking so I did what any lonely buzzed girl in downtown Chester did on a Saturday night.  Treated myself to a relaxing dinner at the french restaurant L&E.  Mussels and Frites and .... more wine.   

Sunday I woke up to more arctic temperatures, feeling pretty guilty about the skipped body pump and mass consumption of red wine.  

I decided to make it to my 8am Body Pump and 10 am Hot Power Yoga with Jill.  I was not feeling the yoga after such a great body pump but glad I got to sweat and stretch out the muscles.   I LOVED body pump Sunday and it felt awesome after skipping almost a week.  (read that as it felt awesome then and I am really sore today).

After yoga I went home, showered and decided these poor pups really needed to get outside and get some exercise.  I was going to take them for a walk around my house but I live on a few really busy streets.  I decided instead to walk them around downtown where Chester, Connecticut (cutest small town ever)  was celebrating winter carnivale.  

I walked up and down all the side streets with the dogs all while enjoying a nice cold beer.   Because clearly I needed a break from the wine.  

There were a lot of entertainers, food vendors, ice carving, shops, and even a Tractor parade.   I enjoyed my beer, walked around and after getting really frustrated in the crowds with a dead phone and a lost friend I decided to head back.  

After a quick nap and doggy snuggles, I ended up meeting my family for dinner (my brother's choice)  at the local Japaneese restaurant.  His birthday was on Sunday- mine Tuesday- so I let him pick the restaurant.  Everyone did hibachi while I ordered a large amount of sushi.  I decided to give my liver a break and go for some lemon water (good call).  

I was showered with pretty jewelry, lobster pillows, clothes, 

and a dunkin donuts gift card.
What more could a girl ask for?

Weekend Recap:  My flight was canceled and trip delayed, I ate a lot, made it to Body Pump and Yoga, spent time with friends and family, decided I hate running this weekend, drank a lot of wine, watched a tractor parade, and hated on New England winter.   

Looking forward to going to Salt Lake City tomorrow and doing my long run there.  Nothing like a new location to jump start your running schedule. We are getting more snow tonight so everyone keep your fingers crossed that I can get out of this frozen hell for a week! 

How to survive this winter - runner edition

It has been a really rough winter for a lot of us.  Especially for New Englanders.  It seems that there is a different snow storm every week.  I have lost track of how many storms have hit Connecticut.   And if it's not a blizzard outside, its about 20 degrees or in the single digits with a lot of wind.   

It has been brutal.  







                     (this was the weather during Wednesday's 5 miler-  feels like 17 was generous)

Well, I keep telling all of you how I like to run and train in the winter.  Winter is my running "prime".  So I am trying to "suck it up buttercup"  and just adapt to the cold.  Well not really but adapt to running in the cold.

I know a lot of people just head to the treadmill when the temperature drop, and I can't blame you-  temperature control is great and a lot safer.  But I have my lovely little lab/hound mix that needs the exercise.  (and I really hate the treadmill)  So regardless of the snow,  of the temperature, of the wind  (to a certain degree), we run. 

Sometimes we aren't always thrilled about it, but for the most part....we run.  

There are a few articles of clothing/accessories that can turn a bad run into a better one.  I am sad to admit it has taken me a little while to figure out what works and doesn't work, but I think I have got the whole arctic blast running thing down.  And I am sharing my secrets with you. 

1.  The right base layers.  When the temperature drops to the 20s, I use almost the same outfit.  

My Under Armour thermal pants and a thick long sleve tech shirt 

2.  The right socks.  I used to thingkthose really expensive runner socks that swick moisture away were over rated.  I am a changed woman.  Nothing is worse than having sweaty feet (ew)  that turn into frozen feet (miserable).  Invest in some runner socks that swick the moisture away and keep your feet dry and warm. 

3.  A good windbreaker/coat.  Looking at my lululemon coat, you would think it is not warm AT ALL and is useless  (it is really light).  I am always amazed how warm this light running coat is.  It keeps me toasty on the coldest of run, and gets me sweating no matter what the temperature is.  It blocks the wind, keeps me warm, and has nice little vents.  I also love the offset zipper and the warm fuzzyness that covers my chin.face when I zip it up.  And I can't forget the thin hood that I almost always start my run with. 

4.  An ear warmer.  I always start my run with my hood on when its reallllly cold.  However, I dont tend to keep it on after the first mile.  I get really hot wearing it for too long.  So instead, I have a little ear warmer/headband that keeps my ears warm when my hood is off.  It is the pefect balance between toasty ears without getting super sweaty.  

5.   A neck gator.  This one took me a while to figure out I am sad to admit.  The first mile or so of my run was always really painful in the really cold temperatures.  The cold dry air hurt my lungs and made for a really uncomfortable first mile.  Pulling up the neck gator and breathing through that is perfect for breathing warm moist air instead of the cold dry winter air.  

6.  Big ol sunnies.  No I am not trying to make a fashion statement.  But yes I love oversized sunglasses.  Believe it or not they actually serve a purpose.  When I run in the cold without sunglasses I feel like my eyeballs may freeze.   Big sunnies like these keep the wind out of my eyes and a lot of my face.  They also help with the glare off of all that white snow.  

7.  Gloves.  I used to just wear cheapy little knit gloves on my run.  These were great becaese I could buy 5 pairs and leave them in my purse, car, house, etc.  Well on really cold days, these gloves aren't enough.  Buy a pair of thick running gloves that you can wear when it gets really cold.  My hands tend to get hot half way through, but it is really easy to rip them off and throw them in a pocket when you get too warm.  There isn't much worse than having frozen fingers during your run.  

8.  Tissues.  When it gets cold my nose runs like a faucet.  No I don't have a cold or allergies but being out there running just gets me so stuffy.  I always keep a little travel pack of tissues in my pocket of my running jacket.  If you haven't perfected the snot rocket (we all do it)  then tissues are a great option.  

9.  Safety :  Reflective gear and a good route.  I have run on slushy snowy roads and always make sure to have something reflective and bright on.  My lululemon coat is 360 reflective so I know when I am wearing that I am easily seen.  I also choose backroads with little to no traffic to make sure I will be safe(er) from any cars.

So you are probably thinking, that's kind of a lot of stuff to keep organized and at hand when you are ready for your run.  And I agree. I cannot tell you how much time I have spent searching for a pair of head phones, my garmin, a headband, or my sunglasses.  I got sick of wasting so much time so I developed my little running station right by the door.  Right  in my hallway I have my bin where I keep everything:  sunglasses, headbands, headphones, gloves, anything I could need.   I keep my sneakers right under the table and my jacket and camelbak on a hook right above it.  When I am ready for my run, everything I need is right there.  

So now you have no more excuses.  I gave you a few hints on running even when the temperature drops, and a way to find everything when you need it.  

If you need to warm up after, a hot shower/bath and a glass of wine always does the trick.  Don't let the cold keep you inside all winter.   Good luck all of you winter runners!

Meet the Brothers - Adopt don't shop!

Happy Tuesday friends.

How was your Monday?

Mine was pretty fantastic-  Work flew by and right after work I did a quick 3 mile run with Olive before an hour of Body Pump.  I love body pump almost as much as I love that sore feeling the next day.   It is so nice to incorporate strength training into my cardio routine.  

Now that we got the fitness talk out of the way, it is time to talk about the little surprise that was thrown into my weekend.   As you may now, I volunteer for a dog rescue group called the Red Dog Project   You can read more about the Red Dog Project Here.  I do a lot of behind the scenes work, petfinder listing, fundraising etc.  I do not actually work with the dogs we are saving.  Well I didn't until this weekend.  

Meet the Brothers.  (Reggie left Bear right).  I got a message Saturday around 4 o'clock asking if I knew anyone who could be a one night foster to two dogs getting off the transport truck from Georgia at 5.  These two dogs were on this transport truck for two days and had no where to go in one hour (I am not sure what the mishap was and why there wasn't a home lined up).  Basically they were Red Dogs going into our program at the York Womans Prison but needed a place to crash before they could get to the prison Sunday mid day.  

Of course I said yes and welcomed these two corgi mixes into my home for the night.   They are between the ages of 3 and 5 and were found roaming the streets together as strays.    They then went to a Georgia high kill shelter that only allows Georgia licensed rescues to visit.  A rescue grabbed them (terrified, skin and bones) and they went to the rescue and were vetted.  Next they were put on the transport bus to head north where their chances of getting adopted are x10908.   They made the two day journey in their crates and met me in Chester at 6 on Saturday night  They were sweet as pie, terrified, peed for about 20 minutes, and inhaled 5 bowls of water. 

I got them into my house and spent the next 20 minutes cleaning up some pee, throw up , and poop.  I was getting really frustrated and overwhelmed but I kept repeating this one mantra.  IT IS NOT THESE POOR DOGS FAULT.  Here I am complaining when these poor furry creatures had no idea what was happening and what the future held.  Once we got the disasters cleaned, I gave them each a bath and they settled in quite nicely.  

Olive was not a huge fan of sharing her couch but I reminded her she once came off that transport van too.  How easily she forgot she once lived the life of a shelter dog!  These two dogs were the sweetest canines I have ever met.  All they wanted to do was be in my lap, lick me, and be on top of me.  If there was a mean bone in their body I would have seen it after the stress they had just been put through.  They were the gentlest happiest little creatures.    We played for a bit,  had some dinner, drank a gigantic glass of wine (me), watched some tv, and everyone settled in for the night.    They were perfect little angels sleeping through the night in their crate together without a peep.

Olive finally warmed up to the little guys, especially when they were contained behind bars.   She really isn't used to little dogs with that high of an energy level, especially not in her home.  

The next day we went for a quick little walk, everyone did their business outside, and we spent the morning hanging out.  Again all they wanted to do was lick me, be pet, and be on top of me at all times.  At noon they were picked up and brought to the prison to spend four weeks being socialized and trained by the inmates along with 10 other dogs while we find their forever homes.  It is a wonderful program that is healing for both sides.  Who has more time to spend with these furry souls than inmates?  And we all now how therapeutic is is to have a dog by our side.  

The less than 24 hour process was a whirlwind.  Chaotic at first having these two dogs I have never met in my home after the stress of transport.  But I am so happy I was there to help and meet these two.  There are so many loving kind homeless dogs like these two brothers who just need a little help along the way.  I am glad I was there to help.  Brothers --I hope you find a fantastic home and enjoy all the love and snuggles life has ahead of you from here on out <3 


If you fell in love with these brothers like I did, check out their petfinder page and consider filling out an application.  


Click here for Bear's petfinder page           Click here for Reggie's petfinder page

12 mile Wonderful Weekend

As I get older I learn more and more about my biggest battles, and what really holds me back from achieving what I want.  And do you know what I found ? 
 It is almost always me.
I hold myself back, and these ideas in my head really hold me down.





Brain:  12 mile run - you are crazy it's going to suck - it is going to be awful-- stay inside watch tv, make some cupcakes fatty. Why are you doing this -  Just thinking about it makes me tired.

Heart/Legs:  You have been training, you can run it, hell you have run 18 before.....you just need to stop thinking about doing it and go out and do it.  It is the idea of it that scares you-  Stop worrying about it so much and get out the door -

After the body parts had a nice little meeting and discussion, I decided to listen to the legs and gear up.  The weather was cold, in the high 20s and windy so I wore my usual  tights, long sleeve tech shirt, lulu jacket, headband/ear cover, and brought my camel back full of NUUN.  Kristen saw us running, stopped for some encouragement, and snapped this super cute picture.  

I got out there, and after the first stiffish mile I felt great.   I did 8 miles outside while I still had day light with Olive.  Despite the cold, and the hills, I kept all of my miles under 9:00 for the entire 8 miles.  I have been getting faster at the 5k-10k but was really shocked I was able to maintain this pace for the entire  8 miles. It was such a good feeling.  Hard work pays off.

By the time I clocked 8 miles it was almost pitch dark out and no longer safe to run without my lights.  I took a 2 minute break, took off my jacket and camel bak, and finished my last four on the treadmill. 

This four mile run felt a lot harder than outside for a few reasons.  I was really bored, I had just run 8 miles, and my legs/body just went from 20 degrees to 70 after a 3 minute break.  Big Change.  I pushed through and finished my last four miles for a total of 12 miles.  

After my 12 miles I rushed home to meet the girls for book club.   Will be doing a separate page on that but the important thing was the book club/ post run feast.

Great minds think alike and great minds like crescent rolls.  Vanessa and I made cresent rolls with different fillings, Stacie brought peanut butter cookies, Ashley brought pretzels and hummus, and I also served carrots and dip. 

Oh and obviously Vino.  

Because it was Friday night and I needed to rehydrate from my run.   

Saturday was active recovery day.  It started off with a 30 minute play date on the track to let Olive get some energy out.  Then I met Jill and Rica for a 3 mile walk around Old Saybrook and a coffee date.  

A nice three mile walk with good company was the perfect way to stretch out my 12 mile sore legs from Friday night.   Also a nice therapy session with some girl talk.  After our walk I spent Saturday night at home with Olive and our two surprise foster fur kids (that deserves its own post :)  

Confirmed. 

Sunday morning was a lazy start with the foster kids, breakfast, olympics, lunch at my parents,  playing with the pony, Fro-Yo with Stacie, and R&R.

Amazing friends,  a great run,  food, wine, Olympics, family,  and lots of dogs. 

Weekends... I love you so much. 

"Whatever you decide to do, Make sure it makes you happy"

*warning* this post has absolutely nothing to do with running-  Read on if you are up for the change o' pace 

If you read this blog and aren't one of my close friends, you probably think I am asexual or still in the closet.  Nope, I just decided a long time ago to keep this blog about fitness, running, friends, and weekends--and try to leave my super personal life out of it. 

Life in your 20's is an amazing yet uncertain time.  You make friends, you lose friends.  You get new jobs, you move about the country.  You fall in love, you break up, you move back home, you move away.   I see other blogs publicly sharing their divorce  in detail and breakups online and from day one decided I did NOT want that for Running A Ragnar.   This was going to be my place to share my fitness goals, recipes, and my lifestyle, not a place to have to explain myself.           But today will be a slight exception.

2013 was a really off year for me.  Losing my horse put a huge strain on me, work was bad, and my relationship was slipping away.  I am really bad at trying to tell people how I feel, and communicate what is going on in my crazy life.  So I thought I would try to do it here.  If you are one of my friends some of you may roll your eyes as you know a little more to this story, BUT I know you will all love me  no matter what ;)  And maybe I can make you all understand my crazy brain a little better in writing.  So friends, new and old, uninformed and aware, sit back and grab a cup of coffee  while I share a little story with you.

 
Thatcher always seemed a little offended I didn't talk about him on the blog, but refer back to paragraph one -  this is what I always told him.    So as a pre valentines gift, this post is for you.  

In exactly two weeks, I will be on a plane and on my way to Salt Lake City to visit Thatcher (the mysterious male that sometimes gets a name drop or two on the blog)  for a long weekend and birthday celebrations .

I have always wanted to move somewhere far away, some where preferably west.  Old Lyme Connecticut is a great place, but I keep telling myself this world is such a big place, what a crazy naive idea to spend it all in one place.   In 2012 for Thatcher's birthday I planned an amazing trip to Seattle, WA and Portland, OR to visit  friends and try to sell him on my plan to move.  The trip was a success and we loved the west and Seattle.  He ended up loving the west and hopped on board with the not -so-planned plan.  Things were great, we were so happy, and I remember honestly and whole heartedly telling him I didn't know what I would do without him.  

Well if there is one thing I have learned, it is that things never go as you planned them.  You deal with your overbearing families, you plug away at your jobs, you try to save a few bucks.  You deal with a tragedy or two, you adjust to change, you get a new hobby, you try to lose a few pounds.    Life Happens.  

Needless to say, things did not go as planned.  When our lease ran up after almost two years of living together and almost 3 years of dating, things were stressful and our relationship was suffering.  After much debate I suggested not re signing a lease.  We had spent the last two years of our relationship living together with a room mate.  While we had a great room mate, the house wasn't working out any more and we needed a change.  I moved into a small studio ish apartment (where I live now) while he moved to his mom's house until we figured out the next step.

We lived apart from April to December.  We still had dinner, watched movies, went to events, and shared the holidays.  Nearly a year of awkward limbo where no one really put the effort required in and I tried to figure out if this was repairable.    In the middle of this limbo, Thatcher made the decision to change a big stressor in his life.  His job.   He started applying to jobs out west. 



The year of limbo, I started to think maybe I could live without this person, I am now right?  Wrong.  I thought I was living without this person, yet while we weren't under the same roof, we spent time together and he was always a short drive away.  

Thatcher got a job offer and started to pack his bags and follow my dream of moving west.  First week of January I would be dropping him off at the airport to start a new life in Salt Lake City, Utah.  I was okay with the idea of him going, really excited for the opportunity for him and spent a lot of time encouraging him.  This was an amazing opportunity and I figured hey, it will really force us to get our shit together.   But at the same time I was crushed.   I kept saying to myself this is what I wanted, someone I care so much about and off he went, without me. 

I was really surprised how hard I took that week before he left.  I was extremely dramatic and told him it was really hard to enjoy our time together knowing that he was leaving.  It was like trying to enjoy your last meal (I warned you I was being dramatic).  That last night we met packed up his things at his mothers, said a teary good bye, and met his father out in Chester for some Otto.  Dinner was good but like I said, trying to enjoy your last meal before a good bye is slightly impossible.




 Before dinner, I was milling around, getting ready, and jumped in the shower before we headed off to Otto.  Before I begin this next part of the story- let me give you some background- rewind to 2007.  

There are a few memories in my brain that will stick around forever.  One of those is being a freshmen in college, crying in the shower- the only place you can REALLY get some privacy living in a dorm with four girls.  I remember it like it was yesterday, sobbing in the shower after I gave my then sort of boyfriend (who would turn into a 2+ year relationship and break my heart even after this)  the ultimatum of shit or get off the pot.  Yes, you are correct, he chose to get off the pot which left me as a sobbing 19 year old in a dorm shower. 

Fast forward back to January 2014 seven years and a few different boyfriends since the shower sobbing-  and not a tear shed in between.   Guess what I was doing?  Crying in the shower - this time in my grown up big girl shower -  you are correct. 

 And then it hit me.  I jumped out of the shower like a lunatic and told him this was the second time I had cried over someone in the shower, something reserved for the crazy men I thought I may want to spend a really long time with.     He looked at me like I was nuts (fair enough)-  he clearly did not understand the importance of this.  But I did.  I always faulted myself for not loving Thatcher the way I loved Mr. College Boyfriend in this deep needy obnoxious sort of un functional kind of way.  And then I realized I had all along.  



It is selfish, and it is cliche, it is mixed up it is backwards. But isn't that what life in your 20's is any way?  I would have rather spent a year questioning doubting and confirming my feelings than pushing forward pretending things are okay.  It takes a lot more courage to admit things aren't working than to pretend they are.  I haven't made the best decisions, but live and learn.   Sometimes you figure it out from the start.  Sometimes it takes a few tears in the shower. 

There are so many amazing qualities about this person that were so easy to overlook when he was here.  It is a lot easier to focus on the bad and remind yourself of these qualities over and over.   Basically what I did.  I reminded myself of all the reasons why things weren't working.  It took two planes, a two hour time difference, and about 2,300 miles to put all the negative things in the closet and remind myself how wonderful this person is and how good he is to you. 

  It is really hard to imagine life without someone when they are right there.  And it is even harder to appreciate and accept someone when they are always right there.   This last month was really hard for me and I realized a really important thing. 

I wanted things to end because they weren't like the movies.  I wasn't coming home to a dozen roses,  a hundred love letters, and we weren't kissing in the rain after rowing around a lake feeding the ducks (you better know this reference).    Well I have to say,  things are slowly feeling like those movies again.  I get excited to talk to him on the phone, I look forward to every text, and I have already planned this 'drop your luggage run and jump" scene at the airport.   Maybe in Utah I can go find a rowboat and a few ducks for good measure.  

No idea what the future holds,  and really have no experience trying to make a long distance relationship work but I do know one thing.   I know the plane ride home will be a mix of emotions,  happy and sad, but I think I will try to take things one day at a time.  I am so excited to get on this plane and see this person.  And I am so thankful he puts up with me through and through.