A Neurotic Glamour Girl's Weight Watchers Experience and Fitness Adventures

Upcoming Weight Watchers Events in Manhattan

2012-02-12T15:04:00.000-05:00

Attention all NYC area Weight Watchers peeps! First, I want to alert you to a handy new page on Facebook that lists upcoming events in Manhattan. Some of those events include the following -

3 more events left this month

Descriptions of the upcoming events.

Yes, you missed the "Decadent Desserts" class but I hear that one is very popular, so I'm sure they will have it again!

Remember, these events are *free* and open to the public. They are held in a nice new WW center and are led by Weight Watchers leaders. My own leader, Melanie, is hosting the 2/23 event "Spring into Activity" and yes, I will be in attendance!

So that's what's left for this month, but be sure to "like" the Facebook page so that you'll get advance notice on upcoming events.

How I Went Vegan (and a few other FAQs)

2012-02-09T18:30:00.000-05:00

Originally uploaded by Vanessa52

You may have noticed that I don't mention my veganism very often on this blog. It's not that I don't feel strongly about it, it's because I feel that what I write about and share is bigger than my choice to be vegan. I also don't ever want to come across as preachy. Nor would I want to alienate any meat or dairy eaters who read the blog. The thing I love about my blog is sharing my adventures, victories and even the setbacks and what I learn from them - but those things have nothing to do with the fact that I'm vegan.

The simple fact is I think many of us who are overweight and/or have dysfunctional relationships with food all have very similar challenges - regardless of what foods we choose to include in or eliminate from our diets. And I like to focus on those challenges as opposed to the food itself. If you think about it, the particular foods we eat are only a small part of the whole picture. That's why I prefer to write about the mental aspects of the journey - the things I learn and observe - because those principles are so important and so universal. I think the "how" and "why" we eat is often more revealing than the "what" we eat. And they can determine what we eat. But everything we go through starts in the head, not the mouth.

All of that being said, I do want to answer a handful of vegan related questions I get on a fairly regular basis. Feel free to read on or skip this entry, but there's nothing graphic or judgmental here...

1) What made you decide to go vegan?

I became vegetarian at 12 years old (in 1983 or 84). I actually remember the night I decided it, too: I was in this restaurant in Yonkers with my Mom, Dad & brother, and I had ordered a hamburger. I asked what the hamburger was made of (I don't know how I made it to 12 without knowing what it was) and I don't recall who answered, but when I learned it was a cow, that fact bothered me. I was, what I would consider, an especially sensitive child and always had a great love for animals. Thinking about a cow being killed for me to eat this burger rattled me greatly and I decided I did not want to eat animals anymore. I became a vegetarian then and there, that night.

I remained vegetarian for about 25 years. But for the most part, I was what I would consider a "junk food vegetarian". My main food group was candy & junk food, followed by pizza and processed food. I didn't get enough fruits or vegetables or consider my protein or other requirements. I was also overweight and obese for most of those 25 years. (So that just goes to prove being vegetarian or even vegan doesn't mean you will be healthy and/or thin.)

On May 1, 2009, I completed my first bike tour/first ever registered athletic event: The Five Boro Bike Tour. I tell people all the time that it changed my life. And I'm not exaggerating. While riding in the cold and rain that day, I had a lot of time to think. I remember thinking how amazing my body was to be doing what it was doing, despite years of abuse and neglect I put it through. And it was on that tour that I decided to eliminate artificial ingredients from my diet because my body was far too special to put non-food ingredients into it. Ingredients that could, years later, impact my health. It was one of my biggest epiphanies while on plan. I began questioning why I was eating things that weren't even food and realized it was because of taste. That no longer was an acceptable answer. And I gave up non-food ingredients on the spot. It was one of my biggest changes, and of the simplest to initiate because of how I had reframed what qualified as food. This is what I refer to as my "thinking beyond taste" epiphany.

Then, just 3 weeks later, I was walking to my YMCA. I saw this young punk kid wearing a "Stop Consuming Animals" jacket. I loved it so much, I asked him if I could photograph it. He told me no one ever complimented it before and allowed me to take the photo. Then we talked and I told him I was vegetarian. He told me he went vegetarian and then a few days later went vegan because something to the effect of "Why do it half way?".

I began my vegan transition days after meeting this young man.

Prior to that conversation with him, I had considered veganism a handful of times. But I always dismissed it, thinking it was too drastic. Looking back, I have no idea why I thought that. But running into this young man and that brief conversation we had also changed my life. I think it was because of the new way I was thinking about my body and what I put in it, that what he said to me just clicked. It was the perfect time to hear his message. And I knew what I wanted to do - I was going to spend the rest of 2009 transitioning to vegan.

2) Don't you miss cheese?!

It's funny, I can't believe how many people site cheese as the reason they can never be vegan (*note: see #6 below). For one thing, no, I don't miss cheese. I was really never a cheese person anyway. I have more of a sweet tooth. It was the cake, cookies & donuts I feared leaving behind. (not that I needed them!) Fortunately though, I don't have to live without them because there are so many packaged vegan baked goods and even better vegan bakeries in NYC (Babycakes, Champs, Dun-Well Doughnuts, to name a few).

Though, truth be told, I do miss the occasional real NY slice of pizza. It's just not the same with vegan cheese. And if you're looking for vegan cheese recommendations, Teese is my favorite. Diaya is a distant second. All other vegan cheeses I tried have not been impressive, but I don't 'need' cheese so I don't mind giving it up entirely.

3) Did you drop a lot of weight after going vegan?

No, not at all. If you think going vegan or vegetarian is going to help you "drop weight fast", I'm here to tell you that there is nothing magical about non-meat or non-dairy foods that will cause you to lose weight. Go vegan (or vegetarian) because of your beliefs. Not because you think it might speed up your weight loss.

4) Was it "hard" to go vegan?

For one thing, I try to avoid using words like "hard" or "easy". Besides, I don't make decisions based on what is "hard" or "easy". I base my choices on things I believe in and things I want to do. That being said, no, it wasn't difficult. It was a change, and just like any change, it was simply a learning process. But there was no deadline and no punishment if I did anything wrong. So I just took my time to figure it out.

The way I did it was to finish off whatever non-vegan items I had in my fridge. Then I simply didn't buy them any more (milk, cheese, eggs, sour cream, cream cheese). I looked for direct vegan substitutes for some of those items, but I also looked for new and different foods altogether. The trickiest part is probably reading labels to figure out if something has any animal products in it because sometimes it's not obvious. I still look up ingredients if I am not sure what they are.

5) What resources do you recommend for someone who wants to go vegan?

I didn't use any resources when I switched, but obviously there is a wealth of information online if you want some assistance. I subscribe to VegNews magazine, and they have a free website too. You may know that superstar Ellen DeGeneres is vegan and is very passionate about it. So much so that she created a great site devoted to anyone who wants to know more about going vegan.

I think those are great starts, but of course there are tons of books and other resources available if you do a little research or talk to other vegans. (if other vegans have recommendations, feel free to leave them in the comments. I intend to share this post as I hear from new readers inquiring about veganism)

6) Other advice?

I tell people who are considering veganism all the time: don't overwhelm yourself. You don't have to be 100% militant vegan starting right now! Take it easy. Learn. Phase things out as you're ready to remove them from your diet. And if there is something you absolutely positively do not want to live without (cheese/eggs/whatever) then don't remove that thing from your diet. This is how I think about it: If it's a matter of being 95% vegan and happy, or 100% vegan and miserable, go 95%. And if you aren't sure just how vegan you want to go, ease into it with the mindset of making changes that are in line with veganism.

Before I go, allow me to share a few pictures - I'm not sure who is responsible for this graffiti, but here are a few "Stop Consuming Animals" pieces I've stumbled upon in Greenpoint & Williamsburg, Brooklyn while biking over the last couple of years:

on Ash St in Greenpoint (no longer there)

same as above (night time view)

in Williamsburg

tough to read, but it's up there (Willliamsburg)

Williamsburg, on Driggs

also in Williamsburg

That's all! I hope that answers any general vegan questions you may have had.

Go Vegan!

Running: My first full loop in Central Park (with Lainy)!

2012-02-07T21:14:00.003-05:00

In my January update post, I mentioned that I was supposed to run a half marathon in January but didn't, because that was the day in snowed. The entire 13.1 mile course was in Central Park, including 2 full loops (just over 6 miles) plus a portion of the loop again. To date I've run in Central Park many times, but I've never run the full loop. And since I didn't get to run it for that event, I've been wanting to do it...

So when my good friend Lainy and I made plans to hang out on Sunday and needed something to do, I came up with a brilliant plan: Let's run the full loop in Central Park!

This was historic for me because it was my first full loop, and it was historic for her because to date, her longest run ever was 4 miles. How exciting for us both! And who better to make running history with, considering Lainy was my partner for my first ever 5K just 2.5 years ago!

First, to get you familiar with the park (since some of you asked), here's a copy of the map from CentralPark.com (it's also available for $4.95):

layout of Central Park

I woke up excited on Sunday morning - ready to make history!

Ready to run! Pink & black - my favorite running colors!

It was sunny but about 35 degrees out. In my opinion, that is perfect running weather, but chilly for biking. However, I didn't let that stop me from riding the cruiser to Central Park!

On the 59th St Bridge, which wasn't even a struggle. I barely realized I was even biking up that long hill till I was just about at the center.

Hang on Lainy, I'm on my way!

I met Lainy at her place and we walked over to Central Park. We were totally ready to make history!

Inside the park at East 72nd Street, posing for our "before" photo, which an older gentleman was nice enough to snap for us

After explaining to her why I wear a Heart Rate Monitor, GPS and two ID bands - then laughing at how ridiculous I am, it was time to begin. (If you're dying to know: The Garmin has a chest strap/HRM capability but it doesn't give me the detailed stats my Polar does. So I use my Polar to track my HR stats and the Garmin to track my miles. Then I wear a RoadID because it lists my name/blood type/veganism right on the front -- with access to other vitals online -- and I wear a VitaBand because it also links to my medical history but doesn't have my blood type or veganism prominently displayed. However, it has a feature my RoadID doesn't - it's linked to a credit card so I can buy little things with it if I need a water or something. So now you know why I have to wear 4 things on my wrists when I run. Hey, you asked!)

It was cold, so we had to start moving to get warm!

Ready.
Set.
Gooooooo!

We started running at a nice pace that was comfortable for the both of us. (If you want to follow our route using the map above, we began on the East side of the park at 72nd Street and ran counterclockwise.) I'm really never in a rush anyway. I start every run by assessing how my body feels and then I adjust accordingly, going faster if I can or slower if I need to. Besides, my primary goal with every run is to finish. In order to do that, I pace myself to be able to finish. If I am having a super awesome running day and happen to be able to run faster and happen to hit a time or pace record, then that's great. But that's never my goal.

Shortly into our run I hit her with "Oh, by the way, I'm blogging this. Sorry I should have warned you in case you wanted to wear makeup or something..." But I think by now she knows any time we hang out, pics are likely to end up in a blog post. Good thing she's a good sport!

Running up the first little hill, Cat Hill (you can just about make out the cat statue on the rock in the center of the photo. I've photographed it before, during other races.)

Occasionally we took walking breaks (but not very many) and I reminded her that it's all good. And I told her my running mantra: "Run when you can. Walk if you must. But never stop!" I think she liked that one!

We were talking so much while we were running that I actually forgot to take photos! It wasn't until I realized we were approaching the dreaded hill at 110th Street that I had to stop and grab a photo. I'm not quite sure you get the full idea of the steepness and length of this hill, but it's significant (and this isn't the whole thing - the hill turns to the right beyond what is shown here)

at the base of the great hill in Central Park

Elaine told me to go ahead without her on the hill, if I wanted. Like I said above, I had no desire to finish fast but I did want to challenge myself on the hill and see how far I could get without stopping, so I told her that I'd wait for her at the top.

As I was running up that hill one thing struck me immediately: It really wasn't bad at all. Sure I wasn't breaking any speed records, but I was running only slightly slower than I'd run normally. I didn't feel like I was going to die and I didn't feel the need to stop -- so I didn't stop. Another thing struck me: Running up this hill is MUCH less challenging than biking up this hill. I was actually surprised how relatively easy it was, especially compared to pedaling that cruiser up it.

I ran all the way to the top and waited for Lainy. To her credit, she wasn't far behind me!

Yeah! We did it! We conquered the hill at 110th Street! Who's awesome and has their thumbs up? These 2 chicks!

As we kept running, shortly after that I glanced at my Garmin and realized we were just past the halfway point, around the 5K mark! So of course I told Elaine the same thing I tell myself all the time - once you make it to the halfway point, you know you got it. If you did it once, you can do it again! Let's do it!!

Running in Central Park, and not because I'm being chased by a mugger or rabid dog. I don't think teenage me ever saw this day coming...

The next time I glanced at my Garmin I saw we were at 4.14 miles! While still running, I told Lainy "You did it! You beat your distance record! Congrats!!" We high-fived as we continued running. It was a special moment.

As we ran, we chatted. We talked about how long we've known each other (8 years now!) and I pointed out all the great ways our lives have changed in that time. We are completely different people now than we were in 2004. I was 33, separated from my husband and living in Yonkers in a house by myself. I was heavy and depressed and very lazy and sad. Lainy was like a little sister. At just 24, she was in a very transitional period in her life. She lived at home, was going to school and working part time. We've both changed and grown so much since then, and in great ways. She's still like a little sister but in a lot of ways I got to see her become an adult - personally and professionally. I'm so proud of that girl!! *sniff*

Oh yay, there's that building I like on Central Park West!

While running, I provided my usual Sheryl-isms and positive insights about Weight Watchers, life, running and being awesome in general. I think I helped a few things click for her because Lainy declared me her running coach or fitness coach or something like that. It was very sweet to know my words got through to her and she appreciated them :)

Lainy had to tie her shoelace. On her way up, this happened.

Around this time on the course, I noticed a pedicab ahead of us that was pedaling unusually slowly. I had the feeling he was waiting for us to pass him so he could talk to us. Sure enough...

Him: "So, you girls are hardcore runners, huh?"

Me: "Helllll yeah, we are! You know, we're the type to wake up, go for a run in Central Park, train for half marathons and marathons. It's just what we do. It's who we are. Hard. Core. Runners!"

(Much giggling ensued)

Then we picked up our pace and left him in our hardcore running dust! (not really, but it's a good visual. In truth, I'm sure he passed us...)

Running shadows

And soon we were at mile 5! Less than a mile to go! At this point, I checked on my Garmin often to give Lainy the countdown while I reminded her how awesome we are and that we can do it!

We can!
We will!
We are!
(And soon we will say:)
We did!

Sure enough, the sign for East 72nd Street was just a few dozen yards away - I told Elaine we were running all the way to the light at 5th Ave. Then I kicked it into high gear for that final little sprint, turned around, threw up my victory arms and high-fived Elaine. I stopped my Garmin & GPS, then made her pose for an after photo-

After running the full loop in Central Park, our first time and Lainy's first time running over 4 miles!

After that it was time for coffee & a bagel! I needed the coffee to warm me up and I love a bagel after a run! (NYRR no doubt planted that routine in my head)

On our quest for post-run food, we passed a church with a sign that said "Astounded by Grace". I hadn't even noticed it, but Lainy did. I asked her to get in front of it and "look astounded". This is the result -

Lainy - astounded by grace... or something

Finally we made it to a bagel shop! I got a "White Russian" - it was pumpernickel with sesame seeds. And they had tofu lox. How could I pass that up? I've never even seen it before!

Post run meal - bagel, tofu cream cheese & coffee with soy.

After we ate, I had to say good bye and was on my way.

Here are my heart rate monitor stats for the day:

Bike to Lainy's:

Total Time: 30 minutes
Minutes in Cardio Zone: 30 minutes
Percentage of Time in Cardio Zone: 100%
Average Heart Rate: 142
High Heart Rate: 157
Total Calories Burned: 238
Total Miles: 4.25
Activity Points Plus Earned: 2

Run in Central Park:

Total Time: 74 minutes, 36 seconds
Minutes in Cardio Zone: 68 minutes, 50 seconds
Percentage of Time in Cardio Zone: 92%
Average Heart Rate: 152
High Heart Rate: 182
Total Calories Burned: 662
Total Miles: 6
Pace: 12'26"
Activity Points Plus Earned: 13

Ride home (I ran a few errands, so it was a different & longer route)

Total Time: 70 minutes
Minutes in Cardio Zone: 43 minutes
Percentage of Time in Cardio Zone: 61%
Average Heart Rate: 137
High Heart Rate: 166
Total Calories Burned: 466
Total Miles: 8.5
Activity Points Plus Earned: 5

And then I made myself a nice healthy dinner for 8 PointsPlus -

Coconut oil (1), peas (1), onions, peppers, mushrooms, eggplant, spinach, Gardein "chicken" strips (3), Tofu Shirataki Macaroni shaped noodles and simmer sauce (3)

How is that for an awesome day? It was SO GREAT to make history and spend time with Lainy. And I'm pretty sure this is only the first of many runs in Central Park together! I <3 you, Lainy!! We did it! And I can hardly wait to do it again!

For more information about running in Central Park, check out this article by Bob Glover on the New York Road Runners website.

(and this is random, but since so many people like my photos, here are a few from the ride home after I left Lainy...)

Whole Foods bounty

I caught part of a bike messenger cricket? polo? game on Broome St in Manhattan

Fun!

I want a slick looking bike like these!

My favorite graffiti on the Willy B - you have no idea how lucky this shot is! (taken while riding uphill, aimed blind - without looking - having to guess where to point the camera and when to shoot while balancing with one hand on the handlebars with about 40 extra pounds of groceries. And I only get 1 take because I'm moving!)

Heck yeah! Back on the Willy B! I missed my bridge!

The light was just beautiful

Top of the beautiful Willy B

This graffiti changes often so I like to get this shot a lot

Kissing Georgia

Occupy Everything

That's all, folks!

Announcements: The NYC Five Boro Bike Tour!

2012-02-04T14:31:00.002-05:00

The Five Boro Bike Tour is a 42 mile bike tour that (as the name implies) bikes into each of NYC's five boroughs. I first rode in 2009 and have rode in the two years since. This year I'll be riding again, but a little differently - I'll be riding with the Five Boro Bike Tour Team which means I'm going to help Bike New York raise money for their bike education programs.

You may not realize that Bike New York provides tons of free education including teaching adult New Yorkers to ride bikes for the first time (their "Learn to Ride - Adults" classes fill up quickly!) as well as teaching existing cyclists how to bike safer, maintain their bikes, and deal with weather conditions (check out their class calendar). If you can donate to this terrific organization, please do so on my fundraising page.

If you want to ride this tour yourself, make sure you get entered into the lottery now! You only have until February 7th, which is a few days away! Or you can volunteer this year, guaranteeing your free entry next year:

Volunteer Opportunities

Those who do not get into the 2012 TD Five Boro Bike Tour can guarantee an entry spot into the 2013 Tour by volunteering this year during Tour weekend or Bike Expo New York. Bike New York volunteer applications will be online the second week of February.

Are you wondering why you should register and ride in the Five Boro Bike Tour? Well, let me tell you what this tour means to me personally...

Every bike tour is special to me and I look forward to them all year! I love the experience itself - the riding and the little stories that happen along the way. I also enjoy covering the events in my blog and sharing my photos with all of you. But The Five Boro Bike Tour in particular is extra special to me for a few reasons:

It was my first ever bike tour (it was actually the first registered event I participated in during my weight loss journey, and in my life)
I love this amazing city and it provides the chance to bike on roads and bridges that are normally not accessible to cyclists (FDR, car span of the 59th St Bridge, the Verrazano Narrows Bridge, to name a few)
And just because I finished it. It was the first time I had set a goal and completed it.

Completing that first tour really did change my life. It showed me that I was able to do so much more than I ever thought I could do, and that I was stronger and in better shape than I realized. I know that first tour had a part in making me the cyclist I am today.

In 2010, I rode again. But 2011 was even better! In addition to riding, I was asked to write a little piece about what the tour means to me, and lucky enough to be asked to represent the borough of Brooklyn in the official program guide! What a thrill and an honor!

I'm a big fan of Bike New York and I love and look forward to the Five Boro Bike Tour every year. And this year is no different. If you want to be there too, don't forget to enter the lottery and maybe we will cross paths on the roads of NYC that first Sunday in May. If you don't want to ride, or don't live in the area, but want to help support Bike New York's education programs, that would be fantastic of you! Send them some love on my donation page.

Thank you for reading and I'll see you on May 6th! Rain or shine :)

Monthly Update: January 2012

2012-02-02T21:41:00.003-05:00

Hello faithful blog readers!

I'm officially back from my mini hiatus, which I desperately needed. Why? Well, sometime around/after my birthday last year (did you see my birthday week blog?) I started slipping into some pretty unhealthy old habits and it finally got to the point where I just had to take some time out to get back to taking care of myself, that way I could get back to being awesome and be here for the rest of you!

So what did I do in my time off? A lot. First, here are a few non-WW/blog related things I tackled:

I went on a job interview (nope, not a match)
Signed myself up with an online dating service (yes, seriously. and no, no dates so far)
Did some apartment maintenance (cleaning, organizing) which I had been neglecting for far too long. (You may not know this about me, but I enjoy cleaning and *love* to organize. In order to feel at peace and get anything else done in my apartment, I need a certain level of order around me, or else I just have trouble focusing on anything else. So it was both fun and rewarding to get that stuff taken care of.)
Journaling (as in actually hand writing in a journal) I tend to have a lot going on in my head all the time and I need to get it out or I drive myself crazy. I began keeping a paper journal, something I haven't done in a while. It's a great place to record my thoughts and I like to include highlights of that day. Especially the little things that I'd likely forget about a year from now. It's become a fun part of my days.

Then, there were some big WW related things I had to focus on. Things like:

Back to basics!

1) Eating well & Tracking: I made a promise to myself to track my food in eTools. And I've been doing that for 4 weeks now. What I'm most proud of is that I did something that I've always had trouble doing: I tracked even when I knew I was over. That may not sound like a big deal but I've never owned up to writing those things down in my tracker. It was somehow liberating to finally do that. It kind of takes the 'fear' out of tracking.
2) Weighing & Measuring: I actually broke out my old WW scale and began using it. I also got in the habit of measuring food (like macaroni and beans) and am proud to say I'm excellent at eyeballing 1/2 cup and 1 cup portions.

Recommitted to my workout schedule: Since the summer I have really slacked on my activity and it did not feel good at all! Since I really wanted to get back to my old routine, I focused heavily on that this month. I scheduled activity in my calendar so that I had reminders. I made sure to make all my appointments and am pretty impressed with my totals for the month -

If you can't read the data, click on the image to go to Flickr and see a larger version of the photo

Modified my activity spreadsheet a little: I am including monthly totals now (the green text), which I think will be really fun to keep track of. In January, I burned over 9300 calories, ran over 41 miles, biked 52 miles and earned 142 Activity PointsPlus. Very cool!
Marathon Training: I've been talking to super-marathoner and my Weight Watchers leader, Melanie, about how to train for this year's marathon (warning: prepare to read a LOT about the marathon in my blog this year!) and she gave me some guidelines, loaned me a book and I came up with a general guide for my training which I put into Excel. It helps to see it in front of me like that. It scares me a little, but it helps a lot. :)

Other things I thought about and changes I'm making:

Monthly Updates! I used to post a weekly update in this blog and quite honestly I have no idea how I did it. I decided I'm going to do a monthly update going forward. This is my first one, and of course it's late but I have a lot to report!
Less Beer! In addition to eating too much, I was drinking WAY too much beer. I put some limitations on how often and how much I drink. For one thing, I stopped buying beer for home. This was actually not at all difficult for me to enforce and I only drank 3 nights in the whole month of January.
Protein shakes! I love them! They're a great after-workout mini meal filled with protein, healthy fat and fruits & veggies. I bought lots of frozen fruit so I can mix and match on any given day. It's 4 PointsPlus of awesomeness every time (3 PP for the protein mix, 1 PP for the oil, ~~0 for the fruits and or veggies~~). *edited: Per your many comments regarding this statement I checked with my WW leader and she confirmed what you are all stating. When fruit is used in a recipe or smoothie in this case, enter it into eTools via the recipe builder. There will likely be some PointsPlus values associated. Thanks to all who pointed this out!

Soy Yogurt! Despite my many statements to how much I dislike soy yogurt, I decided that I like the plain one. (I just don't like the flavored ones.) I either add canned pumpkin & cinnamon or fresh fruit or cocoa powder or PB2 (peanut butter powder). It's nice to have another healthy snack (one that I don't want to abuse) in my arsenal.

Awesome stuff this month:

"You've earned your guaranteed entry"! - One morning I opened my email to this sight:

I actually teared up when I got that email. It was suddenly so official, so real! And I quickly filled out that application - I am now officially registered for this year's NYC Marathon! (Like I said above, I will be talking and writing about the marathon a lot this year. It's kind of a pretty huge deal to me.)

NYC Half! I also found out that I was accepted into the NYC Half Marathon! This is a lottery event, which means it's not a guaranteed entry, but I applied. I told myself that if I get in, it's meant to be. If not, that's OK too. I took a chance and sure enough I was chosen! That means I'll be running a half marathon in Manhattan on March 18th.

GPS! I joined the cool kids club and got a Garmin so I can track the miles that I run. (this one)
Measurements! I finally took my body measurements, something I haven't done in about half a year. I'm going to keep track of that monthly going forward.
Fit Bloggers! prepare to get VERY excited because I'm attending this year's FitBloggin in Maryland! It's true! I haven't left the state of NY since Spring 2008, but this year that will all change. If you're going and want to meet me, let's make that happen. (Note: I'm not speaking, just attending) See you in September!
Krystie! I met beautiful Krystie, a blog reader who came to NYC to meet Jennifer Hudson and was able to meet me and attend my weekly meeting too! She's lost nearly 100 pounds already and was such a doll. I'm so glad I got to meet her and her gorgeous sister-in-law. My pics are below, but check out her blog about that day, too.

Krystie, Me, Tamara

Krystie, Me, Melanie

New veggies! I tried a brand new veggie and loved it - they're called Sunchokes (aka Jerusalem artichokes) and I just roast them at 400 for 40 minutes. I also started eating some veggies I used to not like (I'm always willing to give produce another try!), namely cabbage (both green & purple - I slice it and put it in my salads and my burritos) and baby bella mushrooms (I add these to my salads and to any veggies I'm sauteeing with dinner).
Half Marathon! Well, not really... I was registered for a half marathon in Central Park on January 21st but that was the one snowstorm we've had so far this winter. The event was not cancelled, and I was all set to go (I figured I'd walk it)...

All ready to head out to the 1/2 marathon... and then end up on the treadmill at the gym

...but it was SO cold outside that I decided my time would be better spent at the gym and *not* risking an injury on the wet and icy surface. One good thing? I bought a really nice thin waterproof jacket for the event. I didn't get to use it, but I'm sure it will come in handy.

I can't wait to wear that waterproof jacket!

Restaurant Challenge! I went out to dinner with my Dad and a few other family members. You may know that I don't enjoy dining out and have avoided restaurant dining since I rejoined WW in 2006. Of course you *can* dine out, there is no WW rule against that. But for me, personally, I find these experiences far more stressful than enjoyable so I choose to not dine out. However, I had no choice and knew I'd be there for at least 2 hours. I had to use every WW trick in the book to make sure I had the outcome I wanted. I'll save the details for their own blog post but I will tell you that I successfully navigated this event and was very proud of myself.

I had to ask them to give me just lettuce (I didn't like their salads) I topped it with salsa & lemon. And I counted out 8 perfect chips and eye-balled 1/4 cup guacamole. Success!

Upcoming Events:

An announcement about the Five Boro Bike Tour. Stay tuned!
My next New York Road Runners event is February 25th in Prospect Park, a 4-mile run.
I'm returning to Rockefeller Center to climb their stairs again on March 4th and I want to beat last year's record of 15 minutes, 18 seconds. (Thank you to all of you who donated to the National MS Society!)
This Sunday I'm doing something I've never done before - running a full loop in Central Park with my friend Elaine. Yes, I've run in Central Park but only 4 miles. The full loop is 6. I'm really looking forward to it!

I know this is long and don't expect future updates to be this long. So if you made it this far, thanks for reading! And I hope you missed me as much as I missed you!
XO
*Bitch Cakes*

Update

2012-01-14T09:21:00.004-05:00

Just a quick update in case there is any doubt or confusion - I will be blogging here again. In fact, I have a post planned for February 1st where I will recap January.

The reason I asked for my space and mentioned taking time off from here is because even though posting here has been light, I need to just distance myself from this blog and a lot of social media for a little while. That includes not reading updates or responding to anyone on Twitter or Facebook. You may have been surprised to see a few updates from me over there but here's the thing - I either link to a Four Square check in (to post my daily GCT photo) or I log in briefly - just to post a link to a Weight Watchers blog. That's all. The difference is that right now I get on and off, as opposed to checking into those apps dozens of times a day and replying to everyone's questions and comments. I do post photos to Flickr everyday but only upload them once a week to FB (instead of daily) and will only check on new friend requests on FB weekly (and I'm not replying to email over there).

I also need the break because I simply have to focus on myself a little right now. I want to go back to being the best me possible and a huge part of that is getting back into a healthy routine. If there's one principle I've never had an issue with, it's being selfish with my own time and knowing when to eliminate outside distractions. When I know I need a break, I take it. Because when I'm in better physical and mental shape, I'm a better person, friend, blogger etc. I'm better all around. I think most of you understand this but in case any of you don't, I hope it makes sense now.

For what it's worth, I love this blog and have no plans to give it up. In fact, I miss blogging as frequently as I used to and one thing I'm doing during my time off is thinking about how I can post with a little more regularity. So if you enjoy this blog, just know that I'm not going anywhere and please do not unsubscribe (I was shocked to get 13 unsub notices the day after that blog post).

Thank you again for your support and understanding. I'll see you soon. :) But in the meantime, don't forget I'm blogging over at weightwatchers.com!

Something's not right

2012-01-09T18:07:00.001-05:00

Some of you will be disappointed to hear this but I won't be updating this blog for a little while. I haven't been myself in months. Something isn't right. In fact, I think many things are not right. And I need to figure out what they are and deal with them.
I'm also staying off Twitter & FB except to post an occasional update but I will not be reading or replying to comments or messages there.

And please do not call text or email me unless it's urgent. I'm fine. I just need my space. Thank you for understanding.

Lastly, this is not a cry for help or attention. I truly do not want to be contacted and just need some time to myself. I hope you will respect that.

Thank you.

Running: NYRR New Year's Eve Midnight Run

2012-01-06T20:34:00.001-05:00

Happy New Year! I hope this new year is off to a great start for everyone. I want to recap the run I did on New Year's Eve...

I wrote on the weightwatchers.com blog about how I would be finishing out 2011/starting out 2012 with a fun run in Central Park. The run actually started at midnight on New Year's Eve, so I spent the day doing what I would normally do on a Saturday - weights class at the Y, some shopping & cleaning and a bike ride. But I tried to take it easy so I'd have energy for the run. After all, I'm normally in bed by midnight and I've never run that late before.

So what to do to unwind before hand? Oh, I know - why don't I meet up with William (aka #SourBalls) in Manhattan for a post Happy Birthday/pre Happy New Year's hello? Around 9pm I got into my running clothes -

can't forget my Happy New Year light up headband!

I hopped on the B62 bus...

...to catch the J Train in Williamsburg (side note: when you take this train from Brooklyn to Manhattan, you get to see one of the most magnificent views of Manhattan on both sides of the car as you go over the Williamsburg Bridge - worth a ride when you are in NYC, especially at sunset).

One stop later, I was at Essex and walking to East 4th St to meet William. On my way, I realized I'd be passing by Cake Shop, where DJ/Comedian/all around rad chick and Weight Watchers superstar, Rachel (aka @Popjew) was working. I haven't seen her much lately so I wanted to stop in and say hello. Look at her now - she's now down over 50 pounds and looks incredible!

I'm so happy for you Rachel, I love seeing that smile on your face!

From there I walked to the bar where William was hanging out with his friends & cousins. He'd been there for hours and was already drunk...

William being William (note: his hands were not actually on me - they were inches from me. this is his favorite shot, naturally)

While there I saw the Weight Watchers commercial on TV and stopped everything to tell William we had to watch - because Suzi Storm was in it!

J Hud looks amazing! I forgot what she used to look like.

It turned out to be the J-Hud only commercial. No Suzi Storm :(

So William and I went back to drinking our beer...

holy drunk eyes, batman!

I checked in on Untappd and got a NYE badge. I don't know why William thought this was an appropriate response, but he told me to photograph it, so there you go.

Self portrait with noise maker and beer

William's beautiful cousin and friends, all with Happy New Year tiaras.

I told William and his friends & family that I had to leave so I'd make it to Central Park in time for my run. But first, a little stretching while I finish my beer...

drinking and stretching

I took the 6 Train up to 68th Street and made my way west to Central Park. Immediately I noticed this run was not like other NYRR events I've attended - Central Park was jam packed! I never saw so many people at one of the New York Road Runners events! I could barely get through the crowd to find baggage. Unfortunately, I didn't have much time before the start of the race (it was about a quarter to midnight) so I didn't even get the enjoy the pre-event festivities or get many pictures. I just grabbed a couple -

There were costumes everywhere you looked

I have no idea what these costumes are. (I've been informed they are "Angry Birds" - thanks!)

I was a little jealous - I tried earlier in the day to buy a pink tutu but arrived at Capezio just as they closed (early close for New Year's Eve)

Since this was a fun run, we had bibs but no timing chips. In fact, there weren't even corrals! We all just lined up on a first come first served basis. Did I mention it was super crowded?!

This is the crowd ahead of me waiting to run. You can't even see the starting line from here!

I wasn't doing much while lined up - just looking at the runners around me - when I heard someone yell "3... 2... 1... HAPPY NEW YEAR!" I just kind of looked around but from where I was still only saw the same runners I was waiting with, and had no one to talk to or wish a Happy New Year. I didn't even hear Auld Lang Syne, which was weird to not hear. It was strangely anti-climactic. But then the fireworks started. Yay!!!

(Note: Because it was so dark, many of the photos you are about to see below are blurry.)

Here's a little video of the fireworks:

and another:

I had turned on the lights on my headband and tried to capture some of the fireworks behind me. You get the idea...

We were treated to an impressive array of professional fireworks for at least ten minutes. To be honest, I didn't expect it to be as grand as it was.

I snapped this photo of runners/celebrators as they posed for someone else -

Runners & Revelers

So many spectators watched and cheered us on!

Great signs, guys! Thank you!!

I honestly don't ever think I've seen so many spectators at a run in Central Park - this is just a handful I captured

The race had begun while the fireworks were going, but I was so far back in line I hadn't even moved yet. Finally, around 12:15, I crossed the starting line. Almost immediately, I saw two runners ahead of me, with a dog. I noticed the back of their shirts said Vegan. Naturally, I was very happy to see this and had to photograph them -

the woman was running with a dog on her left but it's obscured by her body. The man's shirt says Go Vegan in 2012.

After I snapped the photo and passed them, the man called out to me by name. It turned out to be Anthony, who works at my favorite Vegan ice cream shop in New York City, Lula's Sweet Apothecary on East 6th St! (mmmmmm Lula's...I love you so!)

My curl looks great here!

I wish I had been able to get a clear shot of this group. The back of their t-shirts spelled "2012!"

There was a costume contest before the run so there were plenty of people running in unconventional outfits

Another shot I wish was more clear - the NYC skyline from within Central Park. Simply gorgeous!

I love that this guy was just standing there, facing the runners and clapping for us. I high-fived him as I passed.

After the halfway mark, I saw something very exciting, something that everyone who had run this race previously had told me about... the CHAMPAGNE station! OMG how great is this?!

NYRR should have a champagne table at every event!

I stopped for a moment to drink my champagne toast for the New Year!

Finish Line

As runs go, this one wasn't so great for me - I had a few issues actually. For one thing, I had to go to the bathroom for half of it (in retrospect I should have stopped and used one of the facilities along the route) but what was far worse were the brand new sneakers I was wearing for the first time. They actually hurt my feet, which is something I've never experienced with new shoes. I ended up returning them and have a new pair I'm going to try out today (Thank you, Jack Rabbit for the amazing customer service!)

After finally going to the bathroom, I made my way to the baggage area and saw that familiar "Black Girls Run!" logo on a few ladies T-shirts. I know one member of that group, Florence, so I asked the other members for her, but she was not there. However, her friends were more than nice to me - telling me they knew who I was and love my blog. And they even posed for a photo with me! Thank you ladies and happy new year!

Can I be an honorary black girl? :)

Teletubbie action!

Despite the time it took me to complete this event (about 50 minutes), I had a great time. We got really lucky with the weather (it was about 48 degrees/no precip), I loved the fireworks, enjoyed the costumes and it was great being surrounded by so many people that were so full of happiness and good cheer. It was a lot of fun and I'm glad I choose to end my year and begin this one with that run. I'd definitely recommend it. And if I get the opportunity to do it again, I'll make sure to get there a little earlier to enjoy the costumes and everything else.

But now I'm on my way out to try my other new running shoes. Let's see how these treat my feet...

Happy New Year, everyone!

Vegan Food Finds and Resources & The Vegan Black Metal Chef!

2011-12-23T21:24:00.000-05:00

I get emails and comments all the time asking me various Vegan related questions - from how to go Vegan or asking for resources or products. Unfortunately, I rarely have a chance to respond so I will say this: If you're thinking about going Vegan -- and keep in mind that doesn't mean you must be 100% hardcore militant Vegan, because when you think about it, we all have a partially vegan diet. No one eats meat & dairy only (at least I hope not!).

If you are looking for more information about being a little more Vegan than you currently are, I highly suggest the website and magazine Veg News. They're a great source of info and their magazine is beautiful (you can subscribe for $20 a year here). And if you were not aware, mega superstar, Ellen Degeneres is Vegan (as is her beautiful wife Portia) and she put together a great site about Veganism. So if you're looking for info about how to "Go Vegan", check out Ellen's site.

Now back in March, I received this comment:

Lana has left a new comment on your post "Milestones: My first Outdoor Run in NYC!":

Congrats Sheryl, I'm so pleased for you! I'm still working up the courage to go jogging again.

I also want to ask if you have a top 5 vegan foods? I'm really considering going vegan, I was vegan for 2 years a while back but I still ate really badly. I think people assume if you're vegan you can eat healthily, not the case! Do you have a top 5 vegan staples for the cupboard?

Well, Lana, I first have to acknowledge that it's easy to be a "junk food Vegan" or "junk food Vegetarian". I think the best foods (in a Vegan or non-Vegan diet) are real, whole foods. But I'm not going to list my top 5 fruits, veggies, beans and grains here because that would be silly. So I am going to list Vegan processed foods, which should be enjoyed in moderation. I'll share my favorites (and not-so-favorites) here:

The Awesome:

Field Roast Grains Vegan Sausages

Field Roast Grain Vegan Sausages

$5.99 each 4-pack

I've written about these a few times in some of my recipe blogs. These sausages are A-MA-ZING! Even non-Vegans love them! I'm not into "fake meat that tastes like real meat" so much, but sausage tends to be close in taste because of seasonings & spices. I start every meal with coconut oil, peas, onions and peppers. Then I use the Chorizo ones in burritos adding other veggies and cilantro, avocado sometimes tofu sour cream. I use the Italian ones with whole wheat macaroni, veggies & tomato sauce. And I use the Apple Sage ones as a protein source when I sautee veggies like brussels sprouts, kale and collard greens. I love them all!

Chorizo - Fat: 12, Carbs: 12, Fiber: 4, Protein:23
PointsPlus Values: 6
Italian - Fat: 10, Carbs: 11, Fiber: 4, Protein:25
PointsPlus Values: 6
Apple Sage - Fat: 10, Carbs: 11, Fiber: 3, Protein:26
PointsPlus Values: 6

Cluckphrey Vegan "Chicken" Patties

$3.99 per 4-pack

Just like fake sausage, fake chicken tends to also be pretty close in taste & texture to the real thing. I love these breaded patties! I use them for a quick meal on whole wheat sandwich thins from Trader Joes. Of course I add Tabasco.

Fat: 4, Carbs: 11, Fiber: 3, Protein: 12

PointsPlus Values: 3

Soyboy Okara Courage Burgers

$3.49-$4.49 per 4-pack

These are the best veggie burgers I've ever had - EVER. I love these! I get them at Whole Foods (in the case with the sausage, they are not frozen). I don't think they taste like chicken as stated on the box, they are just a great tasting 130 calorie Vegan burger.

Fat: 5, Carbs: 8, Fiber: 2, Protein: 13
Points Plus Values: 3

Nutritional Yeast

$4.99 ish

When I first went vegan, I remember reading that I should buy Nutritional Yeast but I kept forgetting to pick it up. I finally found it at Whole Foods one day and can't remember what I first used it on, but as soon as I tried it, I was hooked! This stuff is a powdery seasoning, comprised mostly of yeast, and you can use on pretty much anything - hot foods, salads, popcorn. Seriously just about anything. And it's so full of flavor and deliciousness. On top of that it's providing nutrients. This should be a staple in anyone's pantry - not just Vegans. Trust me and buy it. You'll thank me later.

I'm including both nutrition infos since they vary -

Braggs Nutrtional Info: (1 Tbsp)
Fat: 0, Carbs, 1, Fiber: 1, Protein: 2
PointsPlus Values: 0

Red Star Info: (1.5 Tbsp)
Fat: 1, Carbs: 6, Fiber: 4, Protein: 8
PointsPlus Values: 1

Diana's Banana Babies

Diana's Banana Babies

$3.99-$4.99 for a box of 6

Amanda turned me on to these. We get them at Whole Foods. I never had a frozen banana or a chocolate covered one so I can't tell you if they are the "World's Best" but I can tell you they are FANTASTIC! A perfect little treat that's really pretty healthy! Just the right size, too.

Fat: 6, Carbs: 18, Fiber: 1, Protein: 2
PointsPlus values: 4

The Awesome, but Evil

Peanut Butter & Co

Peanut Butter & Co

about $4.99 per jar

It's no secret I have a very dysfunctional relationship with this particular peanut butter. It's literally TOO delicious. I can't keep it around because I abuse it. But if you don't have a PB addiction, please check out this wonderful product.
There are many flavors - my personal favorite are the two prominently displayed here - and they average 4-5 PointsPlus values for 2 Tbsp, which is typical for any full-fat peanut butter on Weight Watchers. Enjoy... carefully.

Sweet & Sara treats

Sweet & Sara

This NYC based company makes delicious vegan marshmallow treats. My favorites are the ones pictured below - the chocolate bark, the marshmallow variety pack and the rice crispy treat. Now, I never cared for marshmallows when I was a non-vegan, I just didn't like the taste of them. But these are so good it's ridiculous. And none of that pesky animal or fish gelatin! All vegan, all delicious, all sweet, all dangerous! (for me, at least). Whole Foods in the NY area sells them and you can also buy them online. The only unfortunate thing is they don't list nutrition info so I have no idea what the PointsPlus values are but I'm sure they are high. Indulge responsibly :)

The Not-so-Awesome:

Field Roast Grains Franks

Field Roast Frankfurters

Yes, the same Field Roast Grain Co that makes the sausages I love. I expected to love these but didn't. At all. They're too big, for one thing, but they're ALL sodium. Don't get me wrong, I love salt. But it was all I tasted. Don't bother with these fake franks.

Fat: 9, Carbs: 7, Fiber: 3, Protein: 21
PointsPlus values:5

Rella "Cheese"

Vegan Rella

I wrote about these once before on my blog I can't describe the taste because I had it so long ago, I just remember that my taste buds were so offended I couldn't even consume the bite I took. And I returned the remainder of it to Whole Foods. I was never very into real cheese so I can live without vegan cheese. But if I do need fake cheese for something, I like Diaya but I think the "Best Vegan Cheese" award goes to the brand Teese. It's just not easy to find.

Coconut Milk Greek Style Yogurt

So Delicious Coconut Milk Yogurt, Greek Style

I often say that as a Vegan, the only thing I miss on occasion is Greek style yogurt. You can imagine how excited I was when I found this in Whole Foods this week. I didn't have great expectations since I haven't liked any soy or coconut Vegan yogurts to date, but I bought this for $1.99 to check it out. It was still way too oddly-sweet, not sour enough, not thick like Greek Yogurt. Honestly, it tasted just like the regular non-dairy chocolate yogurt I've had and didn't like. I will not be buying this product again.

(btw, that card is a photo of me & my dear friend Trixie, 40ish years from now. One of the best birthday cards I received this year. Love you, Trixie!)

Fat: 6, Carbs: 25, Fiber: 8, Protein: 2
PointsPlus Values: 4

And here's the moment you've all been waiting for! So many of you have commented to me about the Vegan Black Metal Chef. I didn't know who he was at the time but apparently he's a YouTube sensation.

Well, as a well known fan of men and facial hair, I attended the very fun NYC Beard & Moustache Competition in my beloved Greenpoint earlier this month and who should be one of the guest judges? None other than the Vegan Black Metal Chef! I had to get a photo with him to share with you all. Enjoy!

Have a wonderful peaceful holiday, everyone!

A Love Letter from My Body to Me

2011-12-21T20:53:00.002-05:00

Dear Sheryl,

It's your body, remember me? I'm the awesome vessel you get the privilege of dressing up and living in everyday. I'm the fully functioning physical form you are so lucky to call your own, the thing you rely on everyday to get you everywhere. I'm the incredible machine you use for some of your favorite activities like biking and running and lifting weights.

You will never have another body. I'm it, I'm special. You need me and depend on me and I do so many things for you. So why have you been abusing and neglecting me lately?

What happened? You used to be so good to me -- feeding me healthy, delicious, whole foods most of the time and drinking lots of water. But lately you've been drinking too much beer and eating way too much greasy take out and processed junk food. Sure, they might be vegan and natural. But let's be honest, it's still junk food and a pretty unhealthy diet.

Don't you miss how great you used to feel? Because I know I do. I remember feeling so light and fit and powerful, having tons of energy and being in a great mood all the time. But lately, the things you have been doing to me have been making me a little tired and sad.

It’s like you tell your blog readers, what you eat in private you wear in public. Remember that even if your tracker doesn’t know what you ate, I still do. You can lie to your tracker but you can’t lie to me. I know what you’re doing and you know what you’re doing and the scale knows what you’re doing, so who are you kidding? That's right, no one.

But it doesn’t have to be this way. The thing is (and I know you know this) we can turn things around. We can get back the beautiful relationship we used to have. We can feel great again. We can look and feel amazing again.

I'm already on board, but the ball is in your court now. It’s up to you: You have the power to change things at any moment with every choice you make every day starting right now.

You know what to do. You just have to start doing it again.

So let's do this, because I know you miss having a happy body. When you take care of me, I take care of you. And when I feel great YOU feel great. And because you know that life is too short to be unhealthy and not look and feel as awesome as possible.

xoxo
Sincerely,
Your truly amazing body.

Transportation Alternatives Holiday Party & Fundraising Campaign

2011-12-13T23:21:00.002-05:00

You've probably heard me talk about Transportation Alternatives a few times on this blog. If you're not familiar with them, in their own words, this is who they are -

New York City's leading transportation advocacy organization, with a citywide network of tens of thousands of supporters committed to better bicycling, walking and public transit in the five boroughs. Our mission is to reclaim New York City's streets from the automobile, and to advocate for bicycling, walking and public transit as the best transportation alternatives. Every day, all over the city, we're working to revitalize New York City’s neighborhoods and restore a vibrant culture of street life.

TA has directly impacted me in a few ways -

By their tireless efforts to help get more and safer bike lanes in New York City, lanes that I rely on and use every time I'm out on my bike.
They organize many of the bike tours I ride in and blog about (including the NYC Century, The Tour de Bronx, Tour de Queens and Tour de Brooklyn).
I attended part of a walking tour they led past some of the city's ghost bikes (including the one on Delancey in Manhattan where my friend Rasha was killed in 2008).
And this was an honor and a thrill - they featured me as the Commuter Profile in their Reclaim magazine, Spring 2010.

On top of that, to show their love back to their members, they had a terrific holiday party last week at one of my favorite places in the neighborhood, Brooklyn Brewery. Of course I was there...

Ann & I arrive in style

Inside Brooklyn Brewery where the TA logo appears on flags. Very cute.

BEEEEEEEER! (I had the elevated wheat, which I highly recommend!)

Me? Oh nothing, just schmoozing with TA's Executive Director, Paul Steely White (who blinked, but I forgive him)

Oh look at that! They had a copy of the magazine I was in last year. I wonder who left it open to that page? Hmmmmm... *whistling*

Excellent jazz band!

Julie (who I met at Tour de Bronx), Ann (who you likely recognize by now) and me

Me with Squid, NYC Bike Messenger and one of Cyclehawk's finest! @NYCFUNRIDE

Speaking of bike messengers, my Felipe even stopped by (and seriously - is there anything on earth sexier than a bike messenger? I think not)

After the party, with Felipe.

(check out Dmitry's whole set of official Holiday Party bike portraits)

And just recently, I received a piece of mail from Transportation Alternatives including 3 fellow cyclists and friends!

I'm sure you remember Marcus! He's been on my blog a few times, including the Brooklyn Half marathon we both ran

The beautiful Susie of Velojoy

And cuter than a kitten - Jules, of TheJulieBlog

The mailing was for TA's year-end fundraising campaign (and here's a message from Executive Director Paul Steely White, regarding the campaign). If you'd like to help support more positive changes for safer streets for all New Yorkers, I ask you to consider donating to this hard-working non-profit group now -- because your donation will go twice as far through December 31st, since all donations will be matched by an anonymous donor. That means whatever you can give will count twice. So even if you can only spare a few dollars, this is the time to do it because it will go twice as far.

Thank you, Transportation Alternatives, for the awesome party and really for everything you do. I'm proud to be a member and think you guys (and gals) always do a great job. And Noah, if you're reading this - nice bumping into you yesterday. I apologize for not recognizing you. :)

Happy Holidays, TA! I hope you reach your fundraising goal!

(Note: You can also donate on Facebook)

Qualified.

2011-12-10T16:00:00.001-05:00

If you've been reading my blog at least for a few months, you probably know that this year one of my big (biggest?) goals was to qualify for the 2012 NYC Marathon. To do so, I had to run 9 races with New York Road Runners (NYRR) and volunteer for 1. To date I had completed 8 of those runs, and my volunteer event. Today was my 9th run.

I try to get as prepared as possible the night before a run or bike tour because no matter how early I get up, I'm always pacing around like a lunatic in the morning, trying to leave on time. I had all my clothes ready to go -

Most of my clothing for the run

Since I am often asked what I eat before an event, my breakfast consisted of 2 vegan waffles (Nature's Path brand) with maple syrup, coffee with almond milk and something new I've been experimenting with - a protein shake (that's the green thing). So far, my 'base' is 16 oz water, 1 scoop pea powder protein mix, 1 small banana, a handful of fresh spinach and 1 tsp flax seed oil. Today I added fresh ginger. (I usually add frozen berries) Then I top it with cinnamon. It's pretty, isn't it?

In case you are wondering, you don't taste the spinach or oil at all. I really only taste the banana, a little bit of the protein powder & cinnamon. I like the idea of the protein shake and want to continue experimenting with other fruits & veggies.

I got dressed and ready to leave the apartment:

The run was in Prospect Park, which is 6 miles from my apartment. Although it was only 41 degrees (below my previous riding threshold of 45 degrees), I rode there.

on my bike in Williamsburg or Greenpoint

from the bike lane on Kent Ave at Metropolitan in Williamsburg. I love how colorful that building is. Especially that heart!

A Hasidic man walks with his sons

Just outside of Prospect Park, I ran into one of the #BikeNYC peeps. This is Doug and he has a great NYC Bike-centric blog that you should check out, Brooklyn Spoke!

Great seeing you, Doug!

I was late (as usual) so I was frantically looking for the baggage area so I could lock up my bike & drop off my bag. On my way I saw this adorable outfit on one of the North Brooklyn Runners. In fact, this is probably my favorite of the NYRR events because I love the holiday inspired colors and outfits.

Love it!

I locked up my bike and secured my things just as the race was about to begin. But thanks to the coffee, water and protein drink I had consumed, of course I had to use the port-o-johns. I did so as quickly as possible, and making my way nearly to the start line when I realized...

I left my camera in the stall!

There were about 20 johns lined up and I had an approximate idea which section I had used but had to keep waiting for them to become unoccupied to go in and look for my camera. After about 2 tense minutes and searching 6 stalls, I finally found it. That was not fun!

I made my way to the corrals but the race had begun, the line was moving, and runners were already crossing the starting line, going in the opposite direction we usually run. In fact, we weren't following the usual 4 mile route in Prospect Park - the course had been shortened to 3.7 miles due to construction. This forced us to run in the opposite direction we usually do. I was just really hoping that didn't mean we'd be running up that awful Nellie's Hill.

As I entered the corrals, I ran into a women I met once before, Laurie. I love her adorable reindeer headband!

With beautiful red-head, Lauri Spitz!

I asked one of the NYRR volunteers to snap my pic before I crossed the starting line-

Ready to run. Or so I thought.

Getting my iPod & HRM ready to begin as I cross the start -

(And check out this great photo the professional photographers snapped right after I crossed that starting line.)

Running my qualifying run

I could feel pretty immediately that I was not going to have a good run. My body just wasn't cooperating. It was strange. It didn't feel sore or tired (even though I had run 7.77 miles on Thursday - I felt GREAT on that run), it just felt like I was exerting way to much effort. As my heart rate was around a low and steady 155ish, I felt like I normally do at 175. This has happened to me before and I don't understand why it happens or how to prevent it. It's incredibly frustrating. I did everything "right" that I could - I ate well the days leading up to this run, I slept at least 7 hours the night before, I didn't drink the night before, I rested the day between my big run and this run and I had a healthy breakfast. I just couldn't understand why my body didn't want to cooperate. On top of that, I had a weird tickle in my lungs when I tried to inhale deeply. I think it was a combination of the cold weather *and* recovering from that respiratory infection a few weeks ago because I had been feeling that same thing in my chest since my run 2 days earlier.

Whatever it was, it kinda sucked but I just pushed through it and did what I could. I followed my running mantra "Run when you can, walk if you must, but never stop!". And I did just that, I ran as often as my body allowed but walked when I needed to. Of course I didn't want to walk. I wanted this last run to be non-stop awesomeness but sometimes my body just has other plans for me.

I remember thinking when on EARTH am I going to get to mile 1? I finally got there, 11 minutes after I started. I wasn't surprised by my pace.

about to cross Mile 1

Santas keeping in shape for the holiday season

I was hoping after that first mile I would feel better (sometimes my energy kicks in a little bit into the run) but it never did. I continued running, jogging, walking and spitting up a lot of gross stuff.

I felt like we were running forever and I never saw Mile Marker 2. I don't know if they didn't set it up or if I missed it somehow.

And just as I had feared, the re-routing of the course sent us up that awful Nellie's hill. I was in no mood for it on this particular day.

some members of Black Girls Run cheer us on from Nellie's Hill. Thanks, ladies! I needed that!

I loved seeing that. I was certainly running for a reason on this day!

I remember taking this photo to capture my "WTF is wrong with my body today?!" sentiment (as noted by the eyebrows)

Eventually I saw Mile Marker 3 (finally!) but the time wasn't displayed. It didn't matter. I knew my pace was in the 11+ minute mile range.

Run Girls Run

Finally, I knew it was almost over - I remember coming down a hill about to turn left back into the center of the park, where the finish line was, and thinking I was so glad this run was almost over. I then immediately had the thought of "Oh my god. This is it. When I cross that finish line, it's official, I'm in the marathon next year!" And of course I got choked up because I'm super emotional about that stuff.

I was already crying when I approached that finish line. I was thinking about how much my life had to turn around in the last few years to get me to this moment and how amazed I was that I was experiencing it at all. I was so preoccupied with my thoughts I didn't even look for the finish line photo guy (I like to give a wave or a thumbs up for that final photo), I just crossed to the other side.

approaching the finish line

I crossed that blue & orange line and cried some more. I really couldn't believe this meant I was going to run the NYC Marathon next year! I qualified! Me! Despite my lackluster run, I was so proud of myself for getting to this point.

I didn't see anyone I knew at the finish line so I made my way towards baggage, forgoing the festive red & green bagels.

Before unlocking my bike, I met this attractive and very healthy looking young woman (look at that glow!) who knows me from my blog. We had a brief conversation but I was distracted by everything I was thinking and feeling. (Sorry about that Lacey, but it was very nice meeting you!)

Then I met up with my friend Jill (who you may remember from other blogs) because we had plans to go eat after the run.

Jill and I left on bike, headed for Ditmas Park where we had coffee and lunch. I've shown Jill here a few times before but never mentioned her story - she's a former non-athlete (like me!) who, with the help of Weight Watchers, lost 65 pounds 11 years ago. She started running seriously about 4 years ago and believes that exercise is a big part of how she's been able to keep the weight off. We do a lot of the same NYRR runs and she's familiar with my own running and weight history. So as we ate, we talked about what else? The marathon of course! Jill just ran it this year - her first time - and I had plenty of questions for her since I'll be running it next year. She also documented her experience beautifully in this post. I'm so proud of her and so excited to follow in her footsteps next year. Congratulations, Jill!!

Here are a few photos from Ditmas Park -

I'm a fan of the white Christmas tree.

How adorable is the top of that blue, white & red house?

I'm sort of in love with this graffiti piece. Especially that woman's ass.

Happy Holidays!

I made my way back towards Prospect Park to get home, passing these three young equestrians-

And then I cut through the park -

It's funny to see the many ways people transport their Christmas trees home in NY (look on the far left)

Exiting Prospect Park, I can never resist snapping a photo of the beautiful Grand Army Plaza arch-


Grand Army Plaza

I took more photos on my ride home through a few neighborhoods -

another Hasidic Dad and his sons walking in Brooklyn

on the corner of Kent and South 5th Street in Williamsburg

I absolutely love this photo. Somewhere in Williamsburg.

On Wythe, by Metropolitan

Here's that building again - they were doing a modeling shoot on the Metropolitan Ave side

There's the model & photographers

I made it home, where I took my event t-shirt picture before showering.

those are compression pants marks on my skin

Shortly after that, I actually went on NYRR.org and registered for more running events. I figured I may as well have some scheduled organized runs to add to my upcoming training schedule, right? In fact, I signed up for the New Year's Eve run in Central Park which I'm pretty excited about because I'm often underwhelmed with whatever I do for New Year's. This year will be totally memorable - running at midnight in Central Park with a view of the fireworks. What a way to end the year and start the new one!

Later that evening, I met up with my man to celebrate at home and in the neighborhood.

Hennepin at home with the Sarge

Me & Felipe at Manhattan Inn

So that's was how I spent my day - the day I qualified for the NYC Marathon. I still love saying it.

NYC 2012! I'm in! Let the training begin!!!

(Also, thanks to the hundreds of you - literally - that left me comments on facebook & twitter. Sorry I can't reply to everyone but I do read them all and it means so much to have your belief & support. Thanks!!)

Thanksgiving 2011

2011-12-01T18:28:00.001-05:00

You probably know I'm not into celebrating holidays. Not in the "traditional" ways, at least. This year, on Thanksgiving I was thankful to be alive and healthy especially since I had a terrible respiratory infection which prevented me from working out for 2 weeks! I missed two events that I was registered for - something I've never done. But I could barely move. I had no energy and couldn't even talk for a week. The not moving was enough to drive me crazy. I had the mental desire to do it but no energy and I knew that it was best for me to wait it out. So I did.

Finally, on Thanksgiving, I knew I could ride my bike. And I can't begin to tell you how happy that made me. Not only did I have the energy to do it (finally) but we were given a beautiful warm-ish and sunny day. Here's what I did...

First, the outfit (this is all stuff you've seen before):

Blouse from Ann Taylor (2 years ago on super sale for about $11)
Skirt from American Apparrel ($74)
Tights from Target (around $10)
Belt from Payless (around $8)
4" Peep-toe sling backs from Payless ($20)

Not shown here, but shown below, cape from Target ($50)

Thanksgiving day bike outfit

I left Greenpoint, headed to Manhattan via the Pulaski Bridge (to Queens first)

on the Pulaski

I cut through Long Island City to make my way to the 59th St Bridge -

In Queens on my way to the 59th St Bridge

I was pleasantly surprised to see so many fit, active people out on Thanksgiving!

I'm sure this is a Jim Joe. I love him.

finally descending on the 59th St Bridge (it's a long slow climb to the middle)

on the beautiful 59th Street Bridge aka Queensboro, Manhattan bound

I emerge in Manhattan, making my way west on 61st St and turning south on 5th Ave at Central Park -

5th Ave, bordering Central Park at East 61st St

riding in Central Park

I cut through the park to get to the west side, where the parade took place. My favorite part of the parade is after the parade - when I get to ride on the car free streets. Look at how glorious it was!!!

Central Park West, totally car free!

confetti left over from the parade

on Broadway in Times Square car free and happy!

the only vehicles on the streets are NYPD or sanitation, to clean up after the parade. and the trucks that put up the street signs, which you will see below.

Me in Times Square - my shadow & confetti

I love this - seeing the street signs about to be re-erected. They take them down for the parade route, I assume so that the balloon strings don't get caught.

some tourist from Italy snapped this for me. I want to love it but he deserves a smack for this unflattering angle. I'm sure he's long gone though.

Times Square was bustling with people

More signs being put back up in Times Square

Posing in the middle of Times Square - Everyone loves car free streets!!!!

Just me, alone, on Broadway. Awesome!!!

I'm a fan of the overflowing trash can

Gothamist used this photo!

riding north on 6th Ave, still car free!

It should be like this all the time

Another exploding trash can

6th Ave at 42nd Street. I seriously wanted to steal the Broadway sign!!!

"Making it work" outside of Bryant Park, on 42nd St (a Project Runway reference)

Riding literally down the center of 42nd Street

At some point I ended up back on Broadway. A man asked to photograph me, which I always say yes if someone asks. But he even emailed me the photos (no one ever does that!) They came out great. I only wish he had told me I was missing a button but I don't know what he did to make my face look so good (he had a nice camera though)-

on Broadway - car free!

looking north on Broadway (to clarify: you're looking north, behind me. I'm facing south)

I made my way to my kingdom - Grand Central Terminal. I love this angle, with the eagle and the Chrysler Building in the background (on the right, cut off & a little washed out in this photo). On 42nd Street at Vanderbilt.

Posing in my daily mirror.

While in GCT, I heard from Amanda & Robbie! They finally made it to meet me! I cut through a super packed GCT to meet them on Lexington Ave...

That guy in the background is fishing for something in the subway grates. I don't know what he was trying to get (a wallet?) but I hope he was successful.

*sigh* my favorite building of all time - the super beautiful Chrysler Building

and here she is, in close up (zoom)

A kind stranger snapped Amanda, Robbie & me on Lexington Ave, outside of GCT. I love this shot!

We headed to Curly's in the East Village for our Thanksgiving meal...

Amanda actually got the "vegan Thanksgiving meal" and she was super excited about her cranberry sauce

Robbie was feeling more 'down south' with his fake ribs and fries with (gagggggg) gravy

Me? I opted for their vegan burger and curly fries. Anything I can put hot sauce on!

I kind of love that

A sweet nod to #OWS

Farewell, Curly's. Thanks for the awesome meal!

I split up from my friends and was biking alone again. Making my way back to the Williamsburg Bridge...

kids on Chrystie at Broome

super old buildings on Broome

a familiar sight - on my way up the Williamsburg Bridge, back to Brooklyn

Graffiti on the Willy B. I like to capture this while riding my bike. I enjoy the irony.

I call this "Love on Thanksgiving"

I photograph the top of the span often because that graffiti changes pretty constantly.

back to Brooklyn at dusk

I look so serious here

and back in Greenpoint, I saw this graffiti on the Lokal gates. I never see these gates down so I was pleased to see that pink graffiti -

Mean, Hot, Smart Bitch - I love that!

By the time I made it home, I had biked 20 miles over 3 hours and burned about 1000 calories. It felt so great to be on my bike again!!

So that was how I spent my Thanksgiving this year and I was truly thankful to be able to bike again and to see my friends Amanda & Robbie, who I hadn't seen in a while.

I hope that whatever you did, I hope you had a fantastic day and remembered to take time to be grateful for everything you have and everyone in your life.

And if you missed it, I actually wrote a "Tools for the Holidays" post on the weightwatchers.com blog. If you haven't read it yet, I urge you to do so because it's not just for Thanksgiving - I think it will help for the upcoming holidays or any other big events as well. Please check it out. :)

Video Blog & Reader Question: About wearing heels, overweight and not

2011-11-15T12:11:00.000-05:00

HRH Teri asked...: I have a question! Have you always worn 4-inch heels? I'm currently 90 pounds overweight, and I find wearing high heels crazy painful now! Don't get me wrong, I've always found heels painful after a while, but, 70 pounds ago, I used to be able to wear them for an extended period of time. I'm working on exercising regularly to lose weight, and one of my incentives is being able to wear heels again. But there's a niggling thought in the back of my head that makes me think, regardless of weight, heel-wearing is for stouter hearts than mine. School me in this, Bitchcakes, is high-heel wearing an acquired skill or is it a weight-restricted event?

Here is a little video where I attempt to answer your question...

For those who can't see/hear the video, basically I said that I've been wearing heels since I was 23 (17 years) but for most of those years of heel wearing, I was heavy/lazy and my "wearing" heels basically meant I walked from my house to car, or from my car to wherever and then sat while wearing heels. I wasn't really walking in them very much.

At the time, I did have some knee pain but worse - I had terrible bunion pain, especially in my left foot. It was a super sharp shooting pain all the time - whether I was walking, sitting, wearing heels or not. It was so bad it used to wake me up at night! I am guessing the bunions formed because of the shoes I wore (and it runs in my family) but I attribute the pain from the extra weight I was carrying - the extra weight that put extra pressure on my knees & feet when I was wearing heels.

Now I can't say that losing weight "cured" my bunions, because I would need corrective surgery for that, but the pain did go away. I haven't had bunion pain in years and that was one of the BEST parts of weight loss that I never expected. I'm so thankful to not have that pain anymore! (For the record, my knee pain went away also, after losing about 25 pounds. I haven't had knee pain in years and that's great too!)

Now I wear heels all day and they don't bother me at all. The only time I change into flats is if I have to get somewhere fast. (I know I can walk a mile or more in heels, but it will be a little slower than in flats.)

I guess my point is that if you are significantly overweight now, and heels hurt, don't rule them out forever. Maybe limit your wearing of them now for special events and after every 8 or 10 pound loss, try wearing them and seeing if they feel better. Another thing I would suggest is to make sure you are wearing the right size shoe. I happen to have wide feet (I used to think this was because I was overweight, but it was even the case at goal weight, it's just the way I'm built). When I found Payless & Zappos carry wide sizes and I realized how much better they fit/felt, I haven't gone back to attempting to squeeze my Flintstone feet into regular width shoes.

As a fellow high heel lover, I know that I would be LOST without my heels! So don't give up the faith, HRH Teri. I have confidence that one day you too, can wear heels on a regular basis! For now, go easy on yourself and make sure you are wearing the right size.

Another Weight Watchers Event & the #NoBeerTillFriday Challenge!

2011-11-08T23:33:00.003-05:00

Part 1: Weight Watchers Event
If you live in or around New York City, come to the Weight Watchers at 57th & Lex this Sunday at 1pm for another activity related event, led by Melanie. The topic is Ready, Set, GO! Information & inspiration to get started w/ an activity program. (139 East 57th Street, 4th floor, upstairs from Vitamin Shoppe on 57 & Lex)

To further entice you, there will also be a panel of experts, including myself! (I didn't know I was an expert on anything!) By the time I arrive, I'll have biked (6 miles to Prospect Park), ran (2 miles in Prospect Park), biked (10 miles in Prospect Park), ran (2 miles in Prospect Park), biked (6 miles home), and biked (5 miles to Manhattan), so I suppose I may be an expert in insanity, if nothing else. Oh and super bonus: my Dad, the Twizzler will be there too.

So come by if want to get motivated and inspired and especially if you are considering starting your own activity regimen. It's free and you don't have to be a WW member to attend. All are welcome!

Part 2: The #NoBeerTillFriday Challenge!
Yesterday my dear friend, Suzi Storm tweeted about beer (yes, on a Monday morning. Hey, we all know the girl loves beer! Even Weight Watchers knows! Check out her amazing Success Story if you haven't yet!) Anyway... I replied to her tweet and mentioned that I was abstaining from beer until Friday. She decided to jump on board with me and make the same pledge.

We then both tweeted to our followers to take the #NoBeerTillFriday challenge with us! (And a bunch of you already replied on Twitter & Facebook that you would join us! Awesome!!) So if you, like us, enjoy adult beverages and think you need a few days off for whatever reason, take the challenge with us. It's not about deprivation, it's about taking a few days off from overindulging and empty calories while building anticipation so we can enjoy that next cold refreshing brew even more.

(Note: "beer" can mean beer or any alcohol, or, if you don't drink, consider something else you've been enjoying more than necessary lately and give yourself a few days off.)

That's all for now. I have a video post coming in a few days where I answer a reader question.

Nighty-night!
xo
Sheryl

The 2011 NYC Marathon!

2011-11-06T21:41:00.002-05:00

These signs start showing up on Manhattan Ave a few days before the marathon

Manhattan Ave, Greenpoint Brooklyn: They didn't paint the blue stripe till the day before the marathon!

Manhattan Ave, Greenpoint Brooklyn: The night before the marathon! (While the runners were carb loading or sleeping, I was on my way home from the bar where I helped Jaci celebrate her birthday...)

Today was the 2011 NYC Marathon, which some of you thought I was running this year. That was not the case - I had to spend this year qualifying for next year. In order to qualify, you just have to join the New York Road Runners, run in 9 of their (qualifying) races and volunteer for 1 event in a calendar year. When you complete that 9 + 1, you are automatically qualified to run in the *next* year's marathon.

So far in 2011, I have run 8 NYRR qualifying races and completed my volunteer event. As of today, I *should have* been qualified... My 9th and final qualifying race was scheduled for last Sunday, October 30th. But because of a freak winter storm that hit NYC on October 29th, Central Park had to be shut down and the race was cancelled (there was significant tree damage to be cleaned up and the ones that didn't fall had too much snow on them, making it too dangerous for anyone to be in the park). Because the run was cancelled, even though I did not run, I get credit for that run. That means that technically, I am currently qualified to run the NYC marathon next year. But there is no way I'm getting in on a technicality like that. I will not consider myself truly qualified until I earn it myself. That will happen on November 20th, when I actually run my 9th race of the year. I know that crossing that finish line will be very emotional for me and I can hardly wait to do it!

Back to today's marathon...

Unfortunately I overslept which meant I wasn't outside in time to catch the elite runners as they came through my neighborhood. Instead I watched their astonishing record breaking finishes in Central Park on my TV as I got ready. Finally, I grabbed the HK Cruiser and headed out to see the marathon in my neighborhood of Greenpoint. Here's some photos (from about the 12.25 mile mark):

Running up Manhattan Ave in Greenpoint

Check out the guy in the white suit!

Running up Manhattan Ave in Greenpoint

Entertainment for the crowd

Beautiful!

I'm pretty sure I photographed this woman last year too!

These guys were great and had the crowd really energized.

After hanging out there for a little while, I rode over to Williamsburg:

Running up Bedford Ave

Marathoners on Bedford Ave

Then I rode south a little to watch them pass under the Williamsburg Bridge (around the 11 mile mark):

on Bedford Ave, under the Williamsburg Bridge

Lots of runners carry flags - from all countries

Look at all the onlookers on the Willy B above

My bike enjoys the marathon too

waves and waves of runners

There's my friend, Weight Watchers buddy, fellow WW blogger, newlywed and author of FitCityBlog.com, @RobLongert! (in the red shirt)

I adore this shot

This guy is a LEGEND. He lives in Greenpoint and runs the marathon every year. He's over 70 years old! (the back of his shirt said "Life begins at 70"!)

Who is that handsome soldier far across the street?

He was good enough to come over to my side of the street so I could get a proper photo of him. He was my favorite of the day!

I love the shadows and light streaming in under the Williamsburg Bridge

This guy was representing all the Spanish speaking countries. He had so many flags and was happy to hand out high-fives and encourage the runners in Spanish.

And then I headed back to Greenpoint, along McGuinness Blvd:

Corner of Greenpoint Ave and McGuinness Blvd

They would not allow me to ride my bike over the bridge to Long Island City, Queens, so I stayed on McGuinness Blvd for a while.

Just after the water station on McGuinness Blvd

Port o Potties, at the base of the Pulaski Bridge on the Brooklyn side.

I didn't have the heart to tell this guy he spelled "Brooklyn" wrong.

Go forth to Queens, runners!!!

I don't know what this cape was all about

I saw SO MANY bra tops with flags this year!

While I was standing at this point on McGuinness Blvd, I was near a man who was cheering. I heard him say under his breath "young and old, skinny and chubby". It was an observation I made myself the first year I watched. And it's one of the things that made me think "maybe one day I can do that too". It's amazing the cross section of people you see on a marathon route. It's not just low-body-fat-extreme-athlete types. It's *everyone*. Every type of person you can imagine. And they're all out there doing it. At their own speed, in their own outfit, in their own way. And that's what makes it so moving and inspirational to watch. That is why I love the marathon!!!

I loved this graffiti on McGuinness Blvd and waited to get a shot with minimal runners

Back up on Manhattan Ave at Greenpoint Ave

The "Sweep Bus" - guess that means it's pretty much over :(

The aftermath on Manhattan Ave

I've been watching the marathon for 4 years now. It's one of my favorite things about living in Greenpoint. And I knew that this would be the last time I was watching it without having the experience of running it. I thought about that fact as I watched the runners in awe, with a huge smile on my face, and teared up so many times. I was so happy for them and so excited for me.

All day I thought about what it would be like when I run the marathon next year - What would the weather be like? How would I feel by the point they are right now? How emotional would it be for me to run through my beloved neighborhood? What will I wear - Should I wear a tutu or little skirt like so many other women do? What will my shirt say? I want people to shout my name as I pass so I have to write "Sheryl" on it.

I tried to imagine experiencing the sight of the millions of spectators that come out to cheer in every neighborhood in every borough. I thought about my incredible friend Trixie and how it would be the first marathon for each of us. I hope we run at least some of it together. (Hear that, Trixie?!) I thought about what it would be like to make it over the Pulaski Bridge and know I passed the half way point. I thought about running over the 59th St Bridge, and north in Manhattan, up into the Bronx (via the same route I rode my bike for the Tour de Bronx), then turning around and coming back down into Manhattan, making my way into Central Park for that last 2 miles. That's the park where I did most of my qualifying runs and I know that after I'm there for the marathon, it will never look the same to me again. I wondered what it would be like to finally cross that finish line, arms up, victoriously and who will be there waiting for me? What it would be like to get that medal and what I would feel like - mentally and physically - after I was done? I thought about so much and it simultaneously excited and terrified me. And I loved it!

The 2012 Marathon is a mere 52 weeks away and I feel like I have so much to do to get ready! I have to get used to running longer distances and I need to run much more often than I've ever run before. I have to run in all kinds of weather, in different places. I want to get a trainer to help me, at least for a little while, because I'm sure there are things I could be doing differently/better. I want to be more efficient as far as my breathing and how I use my body. I also want to get a Garmin so I can track my distance. So much to do, and you bet you'll be hearing a lot about it...

This is one of the biggest and most exciting things I've ever prepared for in my life. And just a few years ago I would have NEVER believed I'd be doing this in my lifetime. I'm so proud for how far I've come, and so excited for what I'm going to do.

Congratulations to my friends who ran this year - especially Jill, Rob, Elly, Scott and Twitter followers who I unfortunately didn't get to meet today - Michelle from VA & Elizabeth from CA. Congrats to everyone who ever ran! I have so much admiration and respect for you and I can't wait to be able to say that I, too, ran a marathon. Not just any marathon, but The NYC Marathon! I can barely wait to be a part of it!

(my entire photo set can be seen here)

And 2 photos from the days following the marathon...

I found this sign on Manhattan Ave - I think they did a great job on it!

Biking over the Pulaski two days later, I photographed the halfway point marking

Body Image, Revisited

2011-11-04T19:52:00.000-04:00

I've written a few times about body image. It's one of the trickier parts of the whole journey since I don't think we ever see ourselves the way other people see us, or the way we truly are, and I feel like it's one of those issues we all have to be mindful of forever because we tend to distort things for good or bad.

I remember writing about how, when I reached goal weight, everyone had an opinion about my body that they were more than happy to share with me. They told me what they liked or didn't like about my new body, what was too big, what was too small, etc. It was a lot of conflicting and strong opinions to process suddenly, when the only thing I wanted to do was enjoy the feeling of pride I had for my new healthy body.

I don't think any of the comments were malicious, I consider them more of an observational statement from the person revealing them. But considering my history - a lifetime of being overweight and obese, years of being ridiculed for my weight, decades of negative and warped body image, and the very new body that I was still coming to terms with - some of those comments were just too much for me to handle.

At first, I allowed some of the comments get to me. They confused me or hurt me a little. But then eventually I came to the "Everyone has an opinion but the only opinion that matters is mine" attitude. And that's where I've been ever since. Let them say whatever I want. I can't control their words, I can only control my reaction or non-reaction to them. Right? Totally!

But recently something happened that unnerved me a little bit.

I started dating a new guy. When we met, he didn't know anything about me - not about my weight history or my blog or anything about me for that matter. All he knew about me was that I was the stylish, sexy chick on the pink bike with the big ass, who he'd often see while he was out on his bike. He knew I rode my bike a lot, and commented about how strong and healthy I am. But as we got to know each other better, I revealed my (not-so-secret) Bitch Cakes identity to him, and explained that I was not always the way I am today. I only started riding that bike a few years ago, running a year ago and spent most of my life not active and not healthy. I showed him my blog, and my before photos.

His reaction was not what I expected. First, he told me how beautiful I was at my heavier weights (190 +). That wasn't such a big deal. People often told me I was beautiful when I was heavy. (But I never FELT beautiful and feeling it matters much more than hearing it.) Then he asked me something I didn't think a man would ever ask me. Ever. In my lifetime.

He asked me to gain weight.

I am pretty sure I replied with something like "Are you @#$!%%! crazy?! No! I don't ever want to be that weight again! I don't ever want to feel like that again!"

I was so confused. He met me at this weight, he thinks I'm beautiful at this weight. He knows I'm healthy NOW but he wants me to put weight back on?!

After my very visceral reaction, he retracted slightly, bargaining with me - "Just gain 20 pounds".

No! I told him! No way! I'm currently a little over goal and my plan is to get back to goal -- lose weight -- not GAIN weight!

The conversation was over but I couldn't stop thinking about it. It took me to some dark places in my brain that I haven't visited in quite a while - I remembered growing up how none of the boys in school liked me because I was too fat. I remembered being called 'fat' or 'tubby' every day by my junior high bully. I remembered how my own prom date told me "You're so pretty, it's too bad you're so fat." I remembered how even in my 20's, the guys that dated me acted like they were doing me a favor because I was the fat girl and they were taking pity on me, and they'd eventually ask me to lose weight while they were with me.

So what upside down world was I living in now? How did I get to this place, where someone was now asking me to GAIN weight?! After everything I've been through?!?!

It was the same thing all over again. Whether they were asking me to lose weight or gain weight, it didn't matter. It was the same thing. The same feeling of confusion and self doubt.

For a moment I felt the way I hadn't felt in a long time, but had felt so many times in my life before - that I was not good enough the way I was. Why was I not good enough? Why did I need to be changed? And who was this person to even consider asking me to change?

I reminded myself of that post I wrote when I hit goal - about how everyone had an opinion, but the only opinion that mattered is mine. And that helped alleviate the anxiety I was feeling after he asked me that. I didn't need to let his question get to me. In fact, I wouldn't allow it to get to me.

Instead, I explained to him that the woman he saw in those photos - even if he thought she was beautiful on the outside - she was dying on the inside. She was so sad and missing out on life. She cried every day. She wasn't having fun. She wasn't energetic. And she certainly wasn't riding a Hello Kitty Cruiser or entertaining the thought of running a marathon.

I thanked him for appreciating my beauty at other weights but told him that I would not be returning to those weights - not for him, not for anyone. And I reminded him that I had a few pounds to lose to get back to goal, so I would in fact be losing weight while we are together.

That whole thing happened a few days ago. And when I saw him last night, and I was scantily clad, he told me that I'm beautiful. And that I'm perfect the way I am right now.

Interview: Women You Should Know

2011-11-03T07:30:00.000-04:00

I was recently contacted by a website called Women You Should Know and they asked me to answer a few questions. After checking out their site, I was more than happy to oblige. And I'm thrilled with the results. Check out the article, and the interview here.

(special thanks to the Twitter follower who recommended me, to Matt for letting them use a photo he took and to Women You Should Know for contacting me!)

Oh and since this is a tiny post... someone left a comment asking what happened to my video posts. I actually forgot about those! If you have a suggestion for a video post, leave a comment below for what you want me to answer or show in a video and pick one of your suggestions and film one this weekend.

And if you forgot, I'm blogging over on WeightWatchers.com twice a week. If you miss me over here, check out my posts there!

Thanks and have a great week. Stay awesome! :)

Biking Adventures: Tour de Bronx 2011

2011-11-01T15:43:00.001-04:00

Last weekend was the final bike tour of the year, the Tour de Bronx. You may remember that I did this tour last year also. Every bike tour is special to me - this one because it's in the Bronx, which is where I was born and spent the first 8 years of my life. The tour goes through parts of my original borough that I'm familiar with (including the block where I grew up), but also a few sections that I hadn't seen before this bike tour. The Bronx is huge! Here are my pics of the day...

Bike tour outfit

I wore:

Shirt from Filene's Basement $17.00
Belt from Payless $12.99
Skirt from American Apparel $74.00
Tights from Target $9.00
Shoes from Payless $20

I left Brooklyn and rode over the Pulaski Bridge to Queens -

they are re-graffitying the building in 5 Points again (Long Island City, Queens)

These runners were SO FAST! I was doing 7mph going uphill on the 59th St Bridge and they kept the same pace with me. I didn't pass them until the downhill. I congratulated them as I (finally) passed them.

Weeeee! Riding down the 59th St Bridge to Manhattan.

When I got to Manhattan, I rode straight up 1st Ave to the Willis Ave Bridge at 125th St.

My bike poses for a photo on the Willis Ave Bridge

Look at that! One of my favorite graffiti artists, Jim Joe, was here!

I thought I'd be taking the pedestrian path to the Bronx but that "Stairs Ahead" was no joke. I decided to NOT do the stairs with her. I ended up picking up by bike (60 pounds!) and lifting her up & over that concrete barrier shown above - from the ped path to the car/truck portion of the Willis Ave Bridge. Note: I do not recommend riding on that bridge if you can avoid it. Cars do over 40 mph and it's quite terrifying but I had no choice.

Phew! I made it over the Willis Ave Bridge and into the Bronx.

I photographed this corner last year too. They painted over most of this wall since then.

I took Grand Concourse to the starting point. I loved these rounded fire escapes.

How cute is this car wash sign on the Grand Concourse!

I got to the starting point just in time!

Woo hoo! I made it with mere minutes to spare.

I ran into my friends Malaika & Marcus shortly after arriving.

Me & Diana - a woman I met in Weight Watchers last year.

At the line up, about to begin.

When the tour started, Amanda & Robbie had not made it to the start yet. I rode near Ann, Ross and Marcus. Unfortunately, after not long, Ann had a serious problem with her bike and had to abandon the tour. I felt awful her. I continued along alone, which I really don't mind.

Check out these two stylish folks!

My friend Malaika on a gorgeous bike she won through an auction during NY Fashion Week

RIP Tinks

Hey, there's Marcus behind me!

I remember this sign from last year too!

Elevated subway line in the Bronx

We're on a car exit of I-95. I love the subway rolling in.

There's fellow cyclist pals and bloggers: Mandy and Malaika!

Well hello boys! (I love shots like this, where every person is looking at me. Adorable.)

On our way into City Island

In front of my favorite neon sign in City Island. I love that crab with sunglasses and wine glass!

I love this enormous neon lobster too!

King Ave :)

City Island is such a cute little fishing town... in the Bronx!

I have no idea where I am but this proves how many trees are in the Bronx!

Looking down

I'm sure you remember Ross?

I love this shot. (Inside Maritime College)

Me with the Throgs Neck Bridge behind me

I love bridges!

Leaving Maritime College

Hello, boys! Thumbs up!

We had another rest stop at Orchard Beach. I had been here 3 weeks earlier, with William, for the Down & Dirty Mud Run!

Do you remember this? I was here a few weeks ago for the Down and Dirty Mud Run! Check out this photo!

These are some of the young men I photographed earlier - in the shot where they were all looking at me. How cute are they?!

Me & my bike at Orchard Beach. Yes, my heels are sinking into the sand.

Just like last year, we were on Matilda Ave, which is where I grew up. I broke off from the tour to get a photo of my bike in front of my childhood home. This is the sidewalk where I learned to ride a bike over 30 years ago.

I rode around the block to rejoin the tour and had to get a photo of the McLean Bowl O Drome sign which I've loved since I was a child.

From there, we rode through beautiful Woodlawn Cemetery, where many of my relatives are buried.

in Woodlawn Cemetery

Hangin out on the corner

Tour de Bronx, that a way!

I love the shadow of my high heel in this shot!

On Jerome Ave, under the 4 Train

At the last rest stop, in Riverdale.

At this stop, I had a quick bite and used the facilities. And much to my surprise and delight, I ran into Amanda & Robbie! They hauled their asses off to make it this far this quickly. I was so happy to see them!!!

Leaving this rest stop, we would be riding through Riverdale. This is the most challenging portion of the whole tour. This is where the big hills are. But it's also very beautiful. You feel like you're riding through the woods.

Amanda, and Robbie waits up ahead.

Mine & Amanda's shadows

Robbie & Amanda behind me.

I like that bee!

Yay, so good to have my favorite riding peeps with me :)

omg it's over! We're at the finish in the Botanical Gardens.

Amanda, Malaika, Me & Mandy

Marcus & Me showing off the post tour shirt

I met twitter follower, Amy! Congrats on your first bike tour!

Ashton & Me (you may remember him from the Naked Bike Ride and Century Tour)

Me & Cruiser Dolly aka Christina

History in the making, folks: ROBBIE SENT HIS FIRST EVER TWEET! (yellowbikebk)

Come on crew, lets get back to Manhattan and then home! (Robbie, Amanda & Malaika)

On the Grand Concourse

Beautiful old theater on the Grand Concourse

I love, love, love this shot!!!

Hell yeah! Bronx, represent!

Passing the new Yankee Stadium

On Macombs Dam Bridge, entering Manhattan. Look at that sunset!

me on the bridge

We cut through Central Park at 110th St and rode south to get to the 59th St Bridge

Finally! Back in Brooklyn for my post tour ritual of Beer & Waffle Fries at Habitat!

and back at home, in the tour event t-shirt

Here are my heart rate monitor stats:

Total Time: 6 hours, 59 minutes
Minutes in Cardio Zone: 5 hours, 27 minutes
Percentage of Time in Cardio Zone: 78.04%
Fat %: 29%
Average Heart Rate: 128
High Heart Rate: 171
Total Calories Burned: 2367
Total Miles: 70

I admit I'm kind of sad that it's the last bike tour of the year/season. I'm already looking forward to next year!

(the entire set of photos can be seen here)

Announcement for Upcoming Weight Watchers Events in NYC!

2011-10-26T19:20:00.001-04:00

Attention all Weight Watchers in the New York City area! I have some exciting news!

My amazing Weight Watchers leader Melanie, who is also a brand ambassador (and who most of you probably know/recognize by now), will be hosting a Weight Watchers event this Saturday - the first of its kind in Manhattan.

(Me & Mealnie running over the 59th Street Bridge earlier this year)

The topic is near and dear to my heart - balancing PointsPlus and a more active lifestyle. Considering how active she is (um... she just ran her 8th marathon in Chicago and PRed with an astonishing time of 4 hours and 6 minutes. I'm beyond impressed!), they got the right person for the job. The event is free and anyone can attend.

And in case you're wondering, yes, I will be there! :)

Here are the details:

There are a few other events scheduled for next month too (though I'm not sure who is hosting these):

Stop by if you can. They should be very informative and fun. Of course if you make it to the activity event this weekend, I will see you there!

Oh and I know you're all dying to know about my bike tour this past Sunday (at least I tell myself you're sitting on pins and needles eagerly anticipating my post). I'm working on it. It will be up this week.

Have a great night!

Recent Awesome Stuff and Upcoming Events

2011-10-09T09:55:00.003-04:00

(This is for the weeks of Wednesday, September 14th through Tuesday, October 4th)

Awesome stuff!:

In my last installment, I wasn't up to date in my activity spreadsheet, so this is all my activity from 08/31 through 10/03:

08/11 I forgot to mention that I met a blog reader who recently moved to Greenpoint! I was biking up Manhattan Ave one morning to get to Grand Central and she spotted me. Nice timing :)

Megan and me

08/26 I also forgot to mention in my last post that Ashley (a WW leader & vegan from Toronto) came to visit NYC and I had a chance to see her again. She wrote a nice little recap about her trip. Here we are on East 14th St in Manhattan:

Me & Ashley

09/18 I did the full NYC Century Tour! In total, I rode 120 miles on the cruiser. It was a GREAT experience from start to finish!

Add caption

With Robbie, Ann & Amanda. Somewhere in Queens, probably

09/18 This was a very special day for me not just because of the bike tour but because it was actually my 5th anniversary of joining Weight Watchers that last time. I wrote about it on the Weight Watchers blog.
09/25 I ran the Tunnel to Towers 5K

In the tunnel

After finishing, with Trixie & Elvis

09/26 I was in Manhattan and about to bike home from Trader Joe's in Union Square when I got a flat tire. The local bike shops were closed so I had two choices: 1) Walk the 5 miles home with my bike or 2) figure out how to get it on the L Train, which involved carrying it down lots of stairs in Manhattan and then up lots of stairs in Brooklyn. I had never tried to carry it more than my stoop, so I figured now was as good a time as any since walking home would have taken over an hour. As I began to descend the stairs at 3rd Ave, a man insisted he help me. Since I wasn't entirely sure I could do it on my own, I let him carry it down the stairs. I made it to the platform:

When I emerged in Brooklyn, I had dozens of stairs that I had to ascend. I did not look for help. I took the stuff out of the basket, picked up the bike and started walking. Much to my amazement I realized "Wow, I can DO this!" I knew I could make it up all those stairs myself. But as luck would have it, another chivalrous gentleman insisted he help me. And he carried it up to street level for me. But the greatest part was that I knew if I ever had to take it on the subway again, and no one was around, I was confident I could do it myself. And that was a HUGE win for me!
10/01 I had my shortest run ever - 1.7 miles in Central Park. This run was my 8th qualifiying run for next year's NYC Marathon (one more run and I'm in!!!)

in Central Park

10/02 The very memorable Down & Dirty Mud Run (10K) with my pal, William (aka Sour Balls)

With William in the Bronx after we crossed the finish line

I'm on page 18 of the latest issue of Urban Velo! You can download a copy, or pick one up for free at your local bike shop. Here's the little Q&A I did for their "I love Riding in the City" feature.

A website used one of my friend Matt's photos of me -

Me & the HK Cruiser on the Rockaway Beach boardwalk during our last visit to the beach this summer (sadzies

What I'm Working On and Upcoming Events:

Today I'm running a 5K in my neighborhood. It's the Greenpoint "Get to the Point!" 5K. You may recall this was my first ever 5K just two years ago.
On October 23rd, I'll be riding in the Tour de Bronx - my birthplace! It's a 40 mile course (plus getting there and back). I hope we have unseasonably nice weather because I bought something pretty awesome I would love to wear.
On October 30th, I'll be running 5 miles in Central Park. This is a big event for two reasons. First, because this is the run I did last year where I almost gave up. I've come so far since then and it means a lot to me to have a much better experience this time. But secondly, because after finishing this run I will be qualified to run in the NYC Marathon next year! I have a feeling I will be thinking of little else as I run this one. I might even get emotional.
I will continue working on using my eTools tracker. I just downloaded the Droid app (much more stable than it was last time I attempted to use it). I am tracking about 50% of the time, I need to raise that number, eventually getting it to 100% again.

Before I go, I have to thank Honorable Rebel for including me in this post. They even used one of my favorite photos of me, biking on Lexington Ave on my way to Grand Central. Sweat IS sexy!

Finally, if you're in NYC I hope you're outside enjoying this amazing day - it's going to be summerlike today. I can hardly wait to do my 5K so I can get out on my bike and pretend it's summer again. Yay, summer!!!

xo Sheryl

Fitness Adventures: 10K Down & Dirty Mud Run in the Bronx

2011-10-03T19:43:00.002-04:00

I have to be honest. I wasn't entirely looking forward to this event...

You may remember that William (aka Sour Balls, my co-worker and one of my favorite people on earth) and I did the 5K Mud Run in the Bronx last year. It was probably the toughest event (besides my first bike tour) that I've ever done. There was running, obstacles, mud, people yelling at me, more mud. And oh yeah, it was freezing. I remember being glad when it was over.

So when he insisted we not only sign up again this year, but this time for the 10K!!!, I reluctantly complied. And I've been stressing about that decision ever since. I had flashbacks of needing help on one of the obstacles because my upper body wasn't strong enough to lift myself over it. I remembered shivering while waiting in line to start and then never getting warm the entire time I was there (Note: being cold makes me pretty cranky). I reminisced (and not fondly) about military men yelling at me to "get down deeper in the mud" and not worry about my makeup. I recalled completing the event, only to then have the pleasure of hosing off with cold water. And finally I thought back to trying to get into my clean, dry clothes while still wet and shaking.

So why was I doing this again at all, let alone twice the amount?! Why did I agree to do this?

Pretty much for the same reasons I did it last year 1) It's William and I adore him and 2) this is so out of my comfort zone that I felt like I had to do it 3) I knew that even if it was tough *during*, it would be awesome after. And the after is far greater than the during.

Here's how the day went...

I didn't spend much time getting myself ready (no hair, very little makeup), but spent a lot of time packing everything I needed: food, and a clean outfit, towel, shoes, something to read, etc.

I purposely wore pants, underwear & sneakers I didn't like.

I had to take the bus to Queens, and then the 7 Train to Grand Central...

Posing in my usual mirror in the upstairs Grand Central bathroom

From there I caught the 6 Train. That's why I needed reading materials. I had to take it to the last stop in the Bronx.

This is not a sight I ever see - these turnstiles are usually jam packed!

Uptown 6 Train pulls into Grand Central

Finally, the last stop - Pelham Bay Park

It wasn't long before I found my buddy and partner, William!

Team Sour Balls for the win!

We were SO lucky with the weather. It was warmer than expected and the sun was nice and strong. I didn't need half the clothes I brought! I was already happy.

And since we didn't have to line up for about an hour, I wandered around and took photos:

US Marines. "Pain is weakness leaving the body."

Casually posing by a tree. I look very casual, don't I?

One of the 5K waves being released from the starting line

It's Bruce! This is William's beloved little shiatsu. He loves this dog more than his girlfriend or mother, both of whom I had the pleasure of meeting!

Posing by the wall while still clean

That's the last mud pit. The one I'd be crawling through to reach the finish line.

Still clean, and now lined up ready to begin.

This guy was in line ahead of me and I LOVED his arm tattoos. They said "One Life" and "One Chance". I thought what an awesome reminder, and asked to photograph them. He kindly obliged.

William & Me waiting to begin. We're both nervous!!

Just crossed the starting line. Not running yet - too crowded...

Shortly after taking that photo, we actually began running. So far it was the same route we ran last year. First, running along side the beach.

These guys seemed to be enjoying watching the event

And soon we were at the first obstacle!

Obstacle #1: We had to climb over this wall. I did very well!

I got over the wall first. William offered to help me, but I did it myself! Here he is making his way over. Look at those manly arms!

As we ran through the trail, we came upon a mud puddle. Everyone was running around it. I told William "May as well get used to it now!" and ran right through it.

Ready to get dirty!

Running through the woods with William behind me

Obstacle #2: We had to crawl through these tubes

Action shot of me crawling through

William emerging on the other side. Nice job, buddy!

Yep, I'm still splashing through the puddles, in anticipation of the big mud pits later

Come on, dog!!!

Obstacle #3: I made it over this myself this year! I had trouble with this one last year and had to stand on William's knee to get over, but I was strong enough to do it myself this year. The military guy watching me was super supportive too. I was so proud!

Obstacle #4: Crawl in the mud under the net

Action shot

Obstacle #5: More of those tubes. This time I told William "I'll race you!" We actually both came out the other end at the exact same time. We tied!

Obstacle #6: The rope ladder. I love this one! This was my favorite last year and I enjoyed it again this year.

Coming down the other side

Obstacle #7: The first mud pit. It was in THIS pit that William started throwing mud at me as we crawled next to each other. I was screaming like a girl and he was giggling and shouting "This isn't a beauty competition" - a quote from one of the military guys last year when we did this same challenge. Oh, Sour Balls!

And that's why I had mud on my face. That's what William tossed at me!

Running on more muddy trails

Running on wooden planks

Still wandering around the woods

Obstacle #8: a wall to climb over. Look at how tall that wall is - I made it over this one last year too but it was much easier this year! My upper body strength had improved!

No little buddy, don't think about going the 5K route!

Come on William, you can do it!

Obstacle #9: Bales of Hay! This one was so much fun - I climbed up and over this one like it was nothing.

William coming down the other side.

Haha, yes, we are STILL running in the woods!

William runs across a wooden bridge

Obstacle #10: I'm sorry this is blurry. I LOVED this one! It was a rock wall. The military guy offered to help me, I told him No, I want to do it myself! And I did! Once again I was super proud.

Running onto the beach

Running in the sand

Obstacle #11: THE OCEAN!

They made us walk into the ocean again, chest high, with all our clothes on. This sounds awful but it was warm enough that it really wasn't so bad. And it's nice to get some of the mud off you. If only momentarily...

Walking in Orchard Beach

Woo hoo!

Obstacle #12: Rope Climb - I purposely challenged myself by picking a short rope, because those were tougher to grab. I didn't want the 'easy' long rope, I wanted that little challenge! And I did great at this one too!

And that was it, we were at the last obstacle - the BIG mud pit!!! I put away my camera (in a zip lock baggie, in my bra) gave William a fake high-5 and we got DOWN AND DIRTY!

Obstacle #13: The big mud pit!

William and I emerged victorious! And proceeded to race each other to the finish line while picking up mud and throwing it at each other. I love that guy. We collected our dog tags (that's what they had out to all the participants) and then found his family to get some photos of us.

Stand up, William! We did it!!

Heck yeah!

Best team ever!

After posing for those photos, it was time to rinse off. This year they set up a ton of hoses. I was afraid the water would be freezing but it was actually very pleasant! I think it was much better organized this year than last.

Other muddy participants hose off

Since I knew it would take a long time to get home, I said good bye to William, changed into my dry clothes, donated my sneakers, threw out my pants, and got out of there.

I actually rode home like this. Here I am in the 6 Train station.

I told Amanda that riding the train home covered in mud was awesome - no one sat next to me, no one hit on me and no one talked to me. That's a first! It was nice to be invisible for a little while.

After getting home, I actually couldn't wait to shower - it was one of the best showers ever!

At home, before getting in the shower, wearing only my dog tags.

Here are my heart rate monitor stats for the day:

Total Time: 89 minutes, 12 seconds
Minutes in Cardio Zone: 82 minutes, 7 seconds
Percentage of Time in Cardio Zone: 100%
Average Heart Rate: 151
High Heart Rate: 187
Total Calories Burned: 733
Calories Fat: 18%
Total Miles: 6.2

Not only did we finish sooner than I expected (I thought it would take us closer to 2 hours, but at least 90 minutes) but you know what? It turns out I had SUCH a great time! All that worrying for nothing - the weather cooperated, my body was stronger than last year and the military people seemed a lot nicer too. I didn't even mind the mud pits! The same mud pits I had been dreading - I really didn't mind them! I was ready for them this time. I can't believe I was so stressed out about this event. I had a blast and I *would* do it again, without hesitation. What an awesome day!

(Here's a link to my entire set of photos)

Running: NYC Tunnel to Towers 5K 2011

2011-10-01T19:10:00.004-04:00

Last Sunday I ran a 5K. It wasn't one of the New York Road Runner qualifiers that I need for next year's marathon entry. This one was the benefit for the Steven Siller Tunnel to Towers Foundation. You may recall I did this 5K last year - it's the one that retraces the steps of FDNY firefighter, Steven Siller, who ran through the tunnel from Brooklyn to Manhattan after he heard about the strike on the Twin Towers on September 11, 2001. Tragically, he died as a result. But this run celebrates his heroism as well as raises money for first responders and their families.

Here's a review of the event in photos and words:


Note "BadAss Barbie" T-shirt, a birthday gift from Melanie

I left my house at 7:30am and had to take 2 buses to get there. It's a mere 6ish miles and it took me an hour and a half. I could have walked there in that time. No joke. Oh, in case you're wondering why I did not bike there, it's only because the start of the event was in one place (Red Hook, Brooklyn) and the end of the event was in another (lower Manhattan).

I arrived... eventually... and wandered around to take a few pics. Fortunately we had really ideal weather. And it was crowded - there were over 30,000 runners this year!

Memorial t-shirt for the FDNY, NYPD & PAPD personnel who perished on September 11th

This firefighter was all tatted up - I didn't expect that.

My 'before' shot - Note the sunglasses. They didn't survive the tunnel.

Firefighters

Runner waiting in line to begin. (I love that building)

Look at Forearms McGee over there on my right. Oh my goodness he's all brown skinned and muscle-y. I was lightheaded...

I like this shot of the firefighter behind the police horse

checking my makeup. it better be ok, I didn't bring it with me.

Finally about to cross the starting line

And we're off! It was a super crowded start!

Oh hey, thank you, beefy firefighter. I'd clap for you too!

More firefighters watch and cheer the runners on

We make a sharp right here and head for the toll plaza, which leads to the tunnel-

Approaching the Brooklyn Battery toll plaza

Toll plaza, eat my dust

And about to enter the tunnel

Many firefighters run in full gear, in tribute to Steven Siller who did the same

Holy moly, you have NO idea how hot it was in that tunnel! It takes a lot to make me sweat and I was dripping!

The tunnel portion of this run is probably a mile and a half. It's tricky to run in there because it's only two car lanes wide. And did I mention there were 30,000 other runners? It was super crowded. That's one reason why, when my sunglasses fell, I didn't pick them up. I didn't want to be trampled for a pair of 5 dollar sunglasses. So if you're keeping track, that's 6 pairs of sunglasses I've killed since May...

Finally, the light at the end of the tunnel!

And we're in Manhattan!

When we emerged on the Manhattan side, there were service men & women lined up on both sides, holding flags, cheering and high-fiving. It was a really beautiful sight to be greeted by.

As I was running past the firefighters, I heard "Nice job, Sheryl!" I turned around and saw a tall, handsome firefighter who reminded me of Cody from Survivor. All American, good looking, athletic build, sparking teeth - you know the type. I looked back at him as I kept running, but I was totally baffled because I have no idea who he was. He put a smile on my face though!

Firefighters in full dress hold flags with photos of the 343 FDNY that were lost that day. Seeing those faces gets me every time.

There were quite a few high school cheering squads

I stopped for a moment, climbing a short wall to grab a few photos of the runners

Runners are far as the eye can see

It was so crowded we veered off the path and took off in the grass. There was something really exciting about this for me. I don't know if I've ever run across a lawn! It made me feel young and a little rebellious.

I removed my shirt long ago. Did I mention that tunnel was hot?!

Approaching the finish line

After crossing the finish line, I had to find my girl Trixie! After all, it was our anniversary! We met after this run last year. (Aw, memories!) She texted me to say she was near a fire truck and Elvis. Yes, Elvis. Sure enough I found the fire truck, Trixie and Elvis...

I am pretty sure we made the King's day!

Since I'm a sucker for men in uniform, I was excited when Trixie offered to get a photo of me with these fine young servicemen :) What a pal!!

These firefighers came all the way from England!

Yay! Me & Trixie pose at the finish line!!

And then it was time to go. I got on the subway and went back to Brooklyn...

This dog was sporting a FDNY shirt in the same subway car as me.