One Year
This week is a special edition of “Friday Favorites” It’s technically tomorrow BUT I want to take the opportunity to say Happy One Year Anniversary to my absolute (not just on Friday) favorite, Mike. Technically we went on our first date on July 28, 2011 (shut up I’m just good with dates!) but we only had two dates before we were both traveling for three weeks so we decided we would start counting after that three week hiatus (we got stranded on the runway for almost 4 hours flying back from Nashville in the spring and so we ended up having an in depth discussion about this because there was really nothing else to do… my Kindle died!).
My feelings about this date are sort of contradictory. One one hand, this past year has absolutely flown by. I can’t believe it has been a whole year. But on the other hand, I feel like I can’t even remember what my life was like before Mike. He feels like such a natural part of my life and we are so close, I feel like we have known each other forever.
I wouldn’t consider myself someone who has been extremely “lucky in love” up until this point, and I spent the majority of my adult life single, which most days was really fine. I developed wonderful friendships and never ever lacked for wonderful life experiences. I always prided myself on the ability to get through the tough stuff in life on my own. I depended on me. But for the first time in my entire life, I feel like I have a partner and it is better than I could have ever imagined.
This year has come with it’s challenges and having Mike by my side eased the burden so much. He was there when a knee injury sidelined me from running for almost two months, when things at work got really rough, and when my mom had a pretty significant health scare. However, this year has also seen unthinkable highs, including having him there as I crossed the finish line of my first marathon, a goal I would’ve never dreamed of setting if he hadn’t encouraged me.
But besides all the mushy gushy stuff… Mike and I HAVE FUN when we’re together. We are always running around (pun intended) racing, traveling, laughing, and exploring together. So below are some of my favorite pictures of us from the last year.
Happy Anniversary Mike… in the words of Ben Folds, I love you more than I have ever found a way to say to you
Watching the Marine Corps Marathon in October 2011. This was our first picture together (and the first to go on Facebook… so official)… I refer to it as our “coming out photo”
Before going to Richmond together for Mike’s second marathon in November 2011, he fulfilled a lifelong goal of mine and took me for a ride on his motorcycle 🙂 He even bought an extra helmet so I could ride!
Freezing our patooties off at the Army / Navy Football game with a big group of my friends in December 2011
Ugly sweater party before Christmas 2011 in DC. We went to a vintage shop to buy these the day of the party and the pickings were pretty slim. Mike’s shirt is actually a plus sized women’s denim blouse with reindeer heads on it… WINNER.
Mike came down to visit my family the day after Christmas and after a couple days we went back to Charlottesville to stay with his family. My mom and dad took this right before we left and my friend Sarah told me it looked like our Christmas card (especially with Bernie in the background. He wasn’t posing he’s just old and slightly senile so he didn’t know what was happening).
Our very first race together – The St. Patty’s Day 8K in March 2012. We were both registered to run the Hot Chocolate 15K in December but my physical therapist said I couldn’t run yet 😦 After a long winter (where Mike grew an awesome lumberjack beard), I was finally back in the game!
And we didn’t stop there. Mike and I both ran 12 races this past spring season. This picture was taken after the Cherry Blossom 10 Miler in April 2012 (we also ran the Charlottesville 10 Miler the day before!) I knew he was a keeper!
At the finish of the George Washington Parkway 10 Miler in April 2012.
During the Country Music Marathon in April 2012, Mike ran four miles of the race with me. I am not exaggerating when I say that I would not have finished this marathon if he hadn’t been there. He was my rock, and is pretty much all the time 🙂
BONNAROOOOOOOOOO. Something we both said we never would’ve thought of doing on our own!
We traveled to Pittsburgh in May 2012 for a weekend with my friends and to cheer on my friend Haley as she ran the Pittsburgh Marathon (her first!)
And finally in July 2012, we hiked up Bull Run Mountain on a beautiful summer afternoon. That’s one of the things I love most about Mike… he is up for any activity any time!
Friday Favorites
It will come as no surprise that this week’s Friday Favorites will feature all pictures from my couple days spent in Copenhagen. These are just a collection of my favorite “fun shots”. Hope you guys are enjoying the posts while I am away! I was able to sneak in one post about the trip yesterday but I’m on the cruise ship no so we’ll see how that changes! Love and hugs!!
“MySpace” style self-portrait at the top of the spire of the Church of our Savior (I was all by myself and I wanted photo evidence that I climbed all the way to the top!!)
Copenhagen is considered one of the most “bike-friendly” cities in the world… and people seem to know it! Apparently 1 in 3 people in Copenhagen travel by bike. This is a bike rack outside a metro station… ridiculous. They don’t even always lock them up either!! Obviously this is not DC.
My mom and I enjoying a delicious locally brewed Danish beer at dinner.
My dad and I tried the traditional “Shooting Star” at lunch. This dish includes boiled / breaded herring on a slice of bread with shrimp, asparagus, and caviar. It was… AWESOME.
Walking along the river one afternoon we found this weird trampolines! Obviously my mom and I wasted no time getting on them and taking many silly pictures. That Danish boy doesn’t look that pleased but we had a BLAST.
Week in Workouts: Thankfully I have been able to stay really on track and I feel great about it. My weekend got really crazy before we left on Sunday evening so by the time we landed on Monday morning I was DYING for a workout. Only complication has been all the treadmills measure km/hour and all the weights are in kilograms. I really struggle with the metric system so it’s been kind of trial and error 🙂
Friday 8/3:
- 60 Minute Spinning Class
Saturday 8/4:
- Rest Day
Sunday 8/5:
- Rest Day
Monday 8/6:
- 8K Treadmill Workout (that is approximately 4.98 miles)
Tuesday 8/7:
- 20 Minutes Inclined Walking on Treadmill
- 30 Minutes Total Body Strength Training w/ Weight Machines / Free Weights
- 10 Minutes Elliptical
Wednesday 8/8:
- Speed Workout (referenced in a post earlier this week)
Thursday 8/9:
- 20 Minutes Inclined Walking on Treadmill
- 30 Minutes Total Body Circuit Workout w/ high intensity cardio intervals
- 10 Minutes Stair Master
Friday Favorites
This was a really, really good week! I got to have dinner with a great girlfriend who I love spending time with, run with my favorite running buddy (and life buddy too), eat Sweet Frog frozen yogurt (which is THE BEST), and spend a whole night eating pizza and drinking beer with my softball team. As you know, I embark on my vacation this weekend, but before I go I have plans to see a great friend who is going back to Boston while I am away (I got her for a whole summer and I feel like it went by SO FAST. I’m going to miss her), attend Mike’s family reunion brunch in New Jersey, and PACK. Sometimes I don’t have enough appreciation for how great my life is, and that’s a shame because I am so blessed. On the phone this morning my mom gave me an excellent piece of advice. She said, “Stop majoring on the minors. Major on the majors.” Such a simple concept, but so much truth for me. I get bogged down in silly little stuff a lot, and I lose sight of the big stuff that actually matters. I can’t wait to take some time on this vacation to regain some perspective 🙂 Have an excellent weekend and I will see you soon!!
Fig photo bombed some blog photography earlier this week. There are a lot of cat pictures this week… just deal with it.
This is literally one of my favorite sights to wake up to in the morning.
Fig once again demonstrates his complete lack of utility in the kitchen… just hangin.
The Battitudes “awards banquet” at Armand’s Pizza in Silver Spring. Bryan won “Best Midwesterner / Beard”… it was a landslide victory.
Evan won “Most Improved” and Dump won “Most Valuable Tape Measure”… it’s a hipster thing, just go with it!
Aaaannnddd in my crowning achievement for the season, I won “Best Dance Moves”… most notably for my “towel dance”, which I did on base anytime I got a hit.
Week in Workouts:
Friday 7/27:
- 60 Minute Spinning Class
Saturday 7/28:
- 90 Minute Level 2 Hot Yoga Class
Sunday 7/29:
- Rest Day!
Monday 7/30:
- 5 Mile Treadmill Workout
- 75 Minute Level 1.5 Hot Yoga Class
Tuesday 7/31:
- 60 Minute Cardio / Strength Intervals Class
- 4.5 Mile Trail Run
Wednesday 8/1:
- Speed Workout (400 Meter Interval @ 10K Pace, 100 Meter Recovery. Repeat x16)
Thursday 8/2:
- 60 Minute Cardio / Strength Intervals Class
Friday Favorites
This has been a really interesting week. Early in the week I wasn’t feeling very well so I skipped my normal Tuesday yoga class in favor of going to bed at 9 pm (it was glorious). The week certainly picked up with some really great mid-week activities with great friends. This weekend promises to be no less amazing… opening ceremony of the Olympics tonight with friends, a concert with my brother and Mike on Saturday, and hopefully some time relaxing in bed with Fig.
Crossing Broad Street in Philadelphia… on the way to brunch!
A perfect Thursday evening with one of my favorite girls. Painting pottery at All Fired Up with wine and snacks! Summer To Do List item… complete! Also look at my SWEET dinosaur cup!
Something in this closet doesn’t belong… I love this little hooligan.
Screen On The Green‘s showing of “It Happened One Night“. Checking off another item on my Summer To Do List with a Clark Gable movie… perfect.
Washington Monument Day and Night… sometimes I really don’t appreciate how amazing this city is 🙂
My Week in Workouts:
Friday 7/20:
- 60 Minute Spinning Class
Saturday 7/21:
- 30 Minutes Hill Workout on Elliptical
- 15 Minutes Total Body Strength Training (Clean and Press, Burpees, Push Ups, Bent Over Rows, Bicep Curl / Shoulder Press, Chest Press on Stability Ball, Crunches / Oblique Twists on Stability Ball, Dead Lifts, Squat Jumps, Overhead Tricep Extensions) I was kind of all over the place with this one but it was fun.
- 20 Minutes Inclined Walking Workout on Treadmill (3.8 mph, Incline from 8.0 – 12.0)
Sunday 7/22:
- Rest Day
Monday 7/23:
- 5 Mile Run
Tuesday 7/24:
- 60 Minute Cardio Strength Intervals Class
Wednesday 7/25:
- Speed Workout (10X 400 M at 5k Pace, 200 M recovery)
- 75 Minute Level 1.5 Vinyasa Yoga Class
Thursday 7/26:
- 60 Minute Cardio Strength Intervals Class
Friday Favorites
Finally gave up on Jazz in the Sculpture Garden to find a place where drinks can be purchased without 30 minute lines. Elephant and Castle is it… and a Flying Dog In-Heat Wheat Hefeweizen
Final softball game of the summer… Evan, Bryan, Sarah, Sarah, and Me! Post coming soon about this amazing group of people I have the honor of calling my teammates 🙂
Wilco at Wolf Trap (Post coming next week about our July date night!)
Lazy morning spent in bed snuggling with Fig. The towel is in the bed with us because Fig decided to be a real jerk and knock a full glass of water into my bed. I couldn’t stay mad for long 🙂
Here I am settling in for a late night at work and I get this notification on my phone from Facebook. RUDE.
My Week in Workouts:
Friday 7/13:
- Rest Day
Saturday 7/14:
- 10 Mile Long Run
Sunday 7/15:
- Rest Day
Monday 7/16:
- 3 mile Run
- 75 Minute Level 2 Hot Power Yoga Class
Tuesday 7/17:
- 60 Minute Cardio / Strength Intervals Class
Wednesday 7/18:
- Speed Workout [Ladder: Â 800M (10K pace, 400M recovery); 400M (5K pace, 200M recovery); 200M (>5K pace, 30-second recovery); 1000M (10K pace). Â Rest 3-4 minutes. Â Repeat set.]
Thursday 7/19:Â
- 60 Minute Cardio / Strength Intervals Class
Friday Favorites
Fig and Bernie sharing an afternoon snooze
Fried pickles with Buttermilk Ranch at Island Way on the Fourth of July. The one fried food I can’t give up 🙂
A little late but my favorite shot from the Japandroids show at Rock and Roll Hotel
Enjoying a complementary glass of Watermelon Sangria on the patio at Helix with some girlfriends.
Mike and I enjoying Fourth of July dinner at Island Way with my parents. Photo complements of my wonderful Mom (I guess Mike didn’t get the “wear red, white and blue on the Fourth” memo)
My Week in Workouts:
Friday:
- 3 mile Run
- 2 hours of Tennis
Saturday:
- Rest Day / Played Golf
Sunday:
- Rest Day
Monday:
- 5 mile Run
Tuesday:
- 75 Minute Level 2 Hot Power Yoga Class
Wednesday:
- Speed Workout (1/2 Mile Warm Up, 4 x 1000 M Repeats with 400 M rest, 1/2 Mile Cool Down)
- 75 Minute Level 2 Hot Power Yoga Class
Thursday:Â
- 60 Minute Cardio Strength Intervals Class
Friday Favorites
Well it has been a week! I picked up a little bit of a sore throat in Disney (airplanes are the worst) so I’ve been feeling kind of beat since I got back. I am so excited for a weekend at home complete with Saturday run with the running club, a concert at the Rock’n’Roll Hotel and a special day with Mike. Also, Ted is coming out this weekend. Anyone else really want to see it???
Mike sent me this picture while I was in Florida and it made me so happy!! Glad Fig had a great “boys trip” with Little Mac and Mike 🙂
Parade at Magic Kingdom… Cinderelly Cinderelly…
Used my one day off to hit the parks with my friend Bryan (his very first time ever at Disney!!). It was an epic day complete with all the major rides at the Magic Kingdom and Epcot!
MISSION SPACE!!! Really fun ride at Epcot
You know you’re in Disney when… all your snack options are shaped like Mickey Mouse heads
Finally home just me and Fig! We were both pretty exhausted so there has been a ton of snuggling.Â
My Week in Workouts: My workouts this week were kind of scattered since I was traveling for work. The hotel gym was incredibly small and crowded so I just hopped from machine to machine, whatever was free! The gym hours also weren’t ideal for my work schedule on this trip (didn’t open until 6 am and on Friday I had to be showered, dressed, and at work at 6:45 am, hence the hotel room workout!)
Friday:
- 30 minute hotel room high intensity cardio circuit (perform each move for 60 seconds, repeat three times: jump rope, jumping jacks, burpees, speed skaters, tuck jumps, mountain climbers, power squats, scissor lunges, high knees, butt kicks)
- 10 minutes Abs
Saturday:
- 9 Mile Run
Sunday:
- 20 minutes Treadmill
- 30 minutes Elliptical
- 20 minute hotel room high intensity cardio circuit (the above but only repeated 2x)
Monday:
- 40 minutes Treadmill (First 20 minutes running at 6.0 speed 1.0 incline, Second 20 minutes alternating 5 minutes running at 6.0 speed 1.0 incline, 5 minutes walking at 4.0 speed 7.0 incline)
- 15 minutes Bike (hill workout setting)
- 10 minutes Abs
Tuesday:
- Rest Day
Wednesday:
- 75 Minute Level 2 Hot Power Yoga Class
Thursday:Â
- 60 Minute Cardio / Strength Intervals Class
- 60 Minute Level 2 Hot Power Yoga Class
Friday Favorites
In a slightly difference version of Friday Favorites I’m going to include some products and items I’m curently enjoying, as opposed to my favorite pictures from the week. Expect next week’s Friday Favorites to include some Disney pics 🙂
Peanut Butter GU Gels: I got this as a free sample at the Nashville Marathon expo, but never actually ate it. OMG so good. My favorite flavors of gels before were Orange, Lemon Lime, and Chocolate, but the Peanut Butter flavor is more savory and not as sweet. Perfect for later in a long run when sugarly GUs start tasting terrible.
Herbal Essences Curl Mousse: My hair is finally getting long enough to wear curly again and this SUPER budget friend mousse has been great in the humidity of DC.
Bullfrog Gel Sunscreen: Runners (or those who exercise outdoors) are at a higher risk for skin cancer than those who workout indoors all year. The truth is that most of us don’t think to always put on sunscreen before we go out for a run (I certainly am guilty of this!). I HATE sweating with a sunscreen lotion on, it makes my skin feel so greasy. However, Bullfrog’s Gel sunscreens absorb quickly into skin (even when wet) and don’t leave me feeling as greasy.
Snuggbuds Headphones: Mike bought these at a race expo and didn’t like them. I inherited them and I am LOVING them. I am horrible to headphones, so I’ve never bought anything besides the super super cheap earbuds. The sound is so amazing in these and doesn’t leak out like regular earbuds. They’ve been with me every day at work, during my commmute, and during all my workouts.
My Week in Workouts
Friday:
- Four Mile Run
Saturday:
- Rest Day!
Sunday:
- Rest Day!
Monday:
- Five Mile Tempo Run (Warm up / Cool Down Miles @ 10:30 min / mile, Speed miles between 9:00 and 9:20 min / mile)
Tuesday:
- 60 Minute Cardio / Strength Intervals Class
Wednesday
- Four Mile Run
Thursday:
- Two Mile Run
- 40 Minute Circut Workout (Exercises done for 3 sets of 15 reps, 45 seconds of jumping jacks or high knees between each set / exercise. Leg Press Machine, Chest Press Machine, Bent Over Rows, Single Leg Deadlifts, Bicep Curls, Overhead Tricep Extensions, Shoulder Press Machine)
- 10 Minutes Inclined Walking (Incline 7.0, Speed 4.0)
- 5 Minutes Cooldown on the Treadmill
Friday Favorites
Happy Happy Friday to you all!
I’m rocking out at Bonnaroo currently so hope you enjoy Friday Favorites 😀
Sarah and I got stuck in a sudden DC monsoon. Luckily, she had the world’s largest umbrella in the trunk of her car, so under it we huddled together. It was a touching moment.
Sunday afternoon spent on Kyle’s boat out on the Potomac. Sun, friends, and a cold beer is the perfect Summer day for me.
tUnE yArDs at the 9:30 Club on Sunday evening. Such a great show!! They are playing this weekend at Bonnaroo too, but since we just saw them we might skip it.Â
Slightly messy at-home manicure before the concert. Black polish with chunky silver glitter… literally looked like my nails from when I was 15. Sometimes it’s fun to digress into my teenage years just a little.
Two handsome boys manning the boat. Woodrow Wilson Bridge in the background… heading down towards Mount Vernon. I think Kyle was looking for a gas station… not texting while boating.
My Week in Workouts: This week was a really light workout week. I was really busy with work and getting ready to go away for the long weekend. Some weeks are just better than others. I got some exercise in on the majority of days. At baseline, that is what I am going for. I walk to and from work every day (which is approximately 2.5 miles total) so if nothing else I get my body moving a little bit!
Friday 6/1:
- Rest Day
Saturday 6/2:
- Gym Session with Sarah! We did a 60 Minute Spinning Class and 30 Minutes of a Zumba Class
Sunday 6/3:
- Rest Day
Monday 6/4:
Tuesday 6/5:
- Lunch: 60 Minute Cardio / Strength Intervals Class
Wednesday 6/6:
- Lunch: 60 Minute Zumba Class
Thursday 6/7:
- Lunch: 60 Minute Cardio / Strength Intervals Class
Friday Favorites
Exciting news!! I purchased my domain name so now it’s just Penniesontherun.com! Woohoo!! Now onto Friday Favorites…
Sweetfrog frozen yogurt on Memorial Day Weekend. I love love love frozen yogurt in case I haven’t made that ABUNDANTLY clear.
This is a picture of Mike’s nightstand. A copy of Runner’s World, a copy of Running Times (which he says has “more technical shoe reviews”), Advanced Marathoning, and Road Racing for Serious Runners. So.Hardcore.
We went up to Philadelphia on Sunday so Mike could buy a new motorcycle from this guy (yeah it happened). We stopped in the city to have lunch with Sarah, and walked by the Magic Gardens on our way to Supper on South Street.
Took Fig over to Mike’s house for a little playdate with Little Mac, and tried riding in the car out of the carrier. He was so much happier! He just cries and cries and cries in the carrier (not to mention he drew blood the last time I tried to put him in the carrier).
Mini bagels! Just enough carbs to make me feel totally satisfied by a salad lunch. Â This is also perhaps the most perfectly toasted bread item in history (in my humble opinion)
My Week in Workouts
Friday 5/25:
- Early AM: 60 Minute Spinning Class
Saturday 5/26:
- Cascades 10K (Run 6.2 miles)
Sunday 5/27:
- Rest Day
Monday 5/28:
- Run 5 Miles
Tuesday 5/29:
- Lunch: 60 minute Cardio / Strength Intervals Class
- After work: 75 minute Level 2 Hot Power Yoga Class
Wednesday 5/30:
- Lunch: Cardio Session (20 minutes Hill Workout on Elliptical and 20 minutes Hill Workout on Stair Master)
- After work: Track Workout (Woohoo I actually did it! We did a half mile warm up, then 500 M at 5K pace followed by 300M recovery jog. Do this 8 times. My 5K pace was between 7:44 min / mile and 8:16 min/mile – between 2:25 and 2:35 for each 500M interval.)
Thursday 5/31:
- Lunch: 60 minute Cardio Strength Intervals Class (I wanted to go to early AM yoga but I was really wiped out from Tuesday / Wednesday’s workouts so I gave my body a small rest)
christinazimm
Pennies on the Run 