The past few days, I have been surrounded by amazing people. Pure and simple. The day after FitBlogNYC, I boarded an airplane headed to Park City, Utah for Blend and to spend the weekend with a group of beautiful, strong and inspiring women and bloggers.

Before I started blogging, I had heard all these “rumors” about how incredible and supportive the blogging community is. I didn’t believe them. I didn’t quite understand how it was possible to form bonds and relationships through reading blogs and interacting on social media. Then, I started blogging and I started to immerse myself in Twitter and Facebook, followed by Instagram, and I got it.

I’ve made connections with blogging friends that are different from my other friendships because I share a part of me that I often don’t share with family and in-real-life friends. Except that these have now become real-life friendships too. This weekend was an opportunity to spend quality time with incredible people like Laura, Lindsay, Lindsay and Lisa and to make new friends.

The whole thing is centered around the idea of spending time together working out, enjoying great food, and exploring a new place – which, face it, is really what we all want when we go to conferences and events – time to network and get to know people. Yes, you learn a few things in the process but you come away with something way more important – connections.

The Lindsays – beautiful women!

It was a weekend that I needed – to unwind, relax and just be. I don’t have enough words to capture what a wonderful weekend it was. Thank you Lindsay, Janetha and Katie for coming up with this beautiful idea and event.

Here are some more snapshots from the weekend.

We stayed at the Hyatt Escala Lodge. It was gorgeous. Most everyone stayed in big suites with a number of other people. It kind of felt like summer camp. I didn’t know any of my roommates personally before I arrived and they were super sweet and fun to hang out with – Laura, Julie, Sonia, Mollie, Alex, Lauren, Lauren, Ali and Maddie.

Our butts were kicked by GPP Fitness on Saturday and Sunday morning. The trainers were some of the nicest people, even though they yelled at me to make my chest hit the floor in burpees and push-ups and to not slack on my squats. They put together killer workouts that also combined fun elements like cartwheels. I haven’t done a cartwheel in a good 20-30 years. I will be sore for days. I definitely intend to check out some of their other workouts. We ended our last bootcamp with a group handstand. Totally normal.

GPP Fitness fun including cartwheels, lunges, side planks and burpees. Lots of burpees.

Handstands post-bootcamp – totally normal

Much needed girl time. Lisa cute and styled our hair. I had a luxurious spa day with Meg, Amy and Vanessa at the Golden Door Spa. Definitely one of the best massages that I’ve had.

Haircuts from Lisa!

Food. OMG so much good food. From this ginormous turkey club sandwich at lunch at Slopes at the Waldorf Astoria prior to spa-ing to dinner and breakfast sponsored by Chobani, Laughing Cow and Muesli Fusion as well as snack breaks sponsored by Attune Foods and Onnit.

The highlight was when Janetha’s mom – Mama B – made us scones on Saturday night aka pillows of heaven. They were like beignets and were delicious with honey butter. It turned into an impromptu gathering on the last night of Blend.

Thank you so much to all the sponsors who made this event possible and spoiled us with overflowing gift bags.

Chobani, Attune Foods, GPP Fitness, Silk, Blue Diamond Almonds, Core Power, Healthy Bites, Green Mountain Coffee, Laughing Cow, Muesli Fusion, Soy Joy, Onnit, Blue Print, Bob’s Red Mill, Living Proof Fit Gear, Zevia, Swanson’s Vitamins, Fitmixer, ProBar, Build-a-Sign, Larabar, and Simply Choices.

It was so great meeting everyone! I can’t wait for next year!

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I’ve been looking forward to this all week – Fitness Magazine’s Blogger Meet & Tweet aka #FitBlogNYC. It was the second year that Fitness Magazine has hosted this event. Last year’s FitBlogNYC was epic. Incredible sessions with tons of information, amazing brands to check out and delicious food. However, the best part of meeting so many bloggers in real life.

This year’s event? If you follow me on Instagram, you will have seen that it did not disappoint.

This year, the event was held at the Mercedes Club. When I saw the address on 54th Street between 10th and 11th Avenues, I thought it was a nightclub. It’s anything but. It’s this gorgeous fitness club with an incredible roof deck.

I got there, grabbed some breakfast and proceeded outside to the deck to listen to the speakers. Fitness Magazine Editor-in-Chief Betty Wong welcomes us and we settled in for mini seminars on topics ranging from the latest beauty trends to women’s health to My blog as my business to fitness trends and cooking tips.

Here are some highlights from the talks:

• Make sure that all the make-up and products that you wear has a purpose. Don’t slap on random make-up. – Sarah Lucero, Celebrity Make-up Artist and Executive Director of Global Artistry, Stila Cosmetics
• Fun buns, headbands, dry shampoo and blush –> the keys to getting ready quick. – Sarah Lucero
• A great doctor will treat your whole body as well as your spirit. You should be working as partners. – Dr. Jennifer Ashton

Fitness Magazine Editor Betty Wong welcomes everyone.

Rocco DiSpirito speaking with Fitness Magazine Executive Editor Pam O’Brien

•  Olive oil, garlic, basil and crushed red pepper is the Italian equivalent of sofrito. Add the basil to the oil first before cooking to get the most flavor. And use a microplane grater to grate your Parmesan cheese. You’ll get a less dense portion of cheese. – Rocco DiSpirito
• One of the best ways to prepare spaghetti squash – with butter and parmesan. - Rocco DiSpirito
• If you go into any hardcore fitness class, people are running from something or running to something. – Brett Hoebel

My Blog as Business Panel with (from left to right) Christie Griffin, Fitness Magazine Digital Director; Dana Weiss, Possessionista, Deb Perelman, Smitten Kitchen; Jill Hanner, JillHanner.com and Ford Fiesta Agent; and Erin Whitehead, Fit Bottomed Girls 

My Blog is My Business was probably my favorite panel, not just because of the topic but because of the panelists. I was so excited to hear that Deb Perelman from Smitten Kitchen would be at FitblogNYC. Smitten Kitchen might have been one of the first blogs that I started reading.

• Don’t start your blog to make money.
• Don’t waste your time worrying about what other people are doing. - Deb Perelman
• Biggest lesson – you don’t always have to say yes. - Dana Weiss
• Make sure you know about the company you want to pitch to. - Jill Hanner
• Put in an automatic redirect when you change the links on your blog or your RSS feed. Don’t force your readers to do it themselves. Do it for them. – Deb Perelman

After the seminars, we had some time to check out the great sponsors and mingle some more. We ended the day with a choice of three workouts – a run sponsored by Saucony and led by Dorothy from Mile Posts, yoga with Tara Stiles sponsored by Reebok, or Mad Cool Fitness dance class sponsored by Athleta. I (obviously) choose to practice yoga with Tara.

We had the class outside which was a nice change from being in a studio all the time. The only problem was the sun was blazing and the grass and our yoga mats quickly became super hot. But we all smiled through it and a great time. I even did this.

Handstanding with Tara Stiles

It was fun and not entirely scary to do a handstand away from the wall. Kind of.

However, the best part of the day was seeing some of my favorite bloggers and friends and spending time with them – Michele, Erica, Sylvia, Amber and meeting new friends like Nellie, Gia http://www.rungiarun.com/, Carly and Sparkly Soul.

Nellie and I had fun in this awesome photo booth from The Bosco.

It was such a fun day and thank you to all the sponsors – Athleta, Saucony, Reebok, Camelbak, Marmot, Crystal Light, Ford / Fiesta Movement, Smart Balance, Tonalin, Vichy and so many others for leaving us with ginormous gift bags at the end of the day.

Want more? Read my recap of last year’s FitBlogNYC!

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My son learned to ride a bike a couple of weekends ago. OK, he didn’t learn entirely in one weekend but pretty close to it. He got a bike for his birthday and rode his new bike a little at his grandparent’s house. But this was the first weekend he biked at home. This was the first weekend he biked by himself.

First thing, it’s tricky to try to find a place to learn to ride a bike in New York City. There are no driveways and cul-de-sacs. There are cars everywhere. There are parked cars everywhere.

Part of me was prepared for a struggle and a lot of drama from Jasper. I was ready for the whining. I was ready for the excuses. I was ready for the hemming and hawing, the hanging back, the hesitant walk towards his bike. I mean, just look at our experience with swimming and skiing and these are sports he enjoys!

Jasper doesn’t always like trying new things. He doesn’t like being “bad” at something.

But that weekend, he surprised me. There was no drama and no fight. He put on his helmet and got on his bike. With my husband’s steady hand on the back of the bike, Jasper started pedaling and then he took off by himself, with Ed running beside him.

In looking back, I think that there are a couple of reasons why this was a drama-free experience.

Peer pressure.

More of Jasper’s friends have learned to ride a bike and have shared stories about their bike adventures around NYC with him. He wanted in on it. He was motivated to learn. Maybe deep down inside he also knew that learning to ride a bike was an important rite of passage?

Mantra.

One thing that my husband and I have been doing for a while is using a mantra with our kids. No, I’m not trying to turn my kids into mini-yogis (although they ARE super cute mini yogis). However, mantras and affirmations can be important tools in creating powerful beliefs about ourselves as well as values.

Like I said, Jasper doesn’t like to be “bad” at something and therefore, often he is unwilling to try. On the flip side, when he is good at something, he believes that he has mastered the skill and doesn’t need to continue to learn, practice or improve.

So, we repeatedly talk about the value of practice. “Why do I have to keep going to swim class? I already know how to swim.” You have to keep practicing. Mommy and daddy continue to practice every day. “Reading workshop is boring. Why do we have it all the time at school?” Because we have to continue to practice our reading so that you can read more books and maybe write your own.

“Mommy – I want to go practice riding my bike because I have to keep learning and getting better.” Eureka!

No big deal.

As a parent, one of the most terrifying things is watching you child learn to ride a bike. I imagined epic falls from the bike, scraped knees, and head wounds. But I realized that those were my fears and not his. To him, learning to ride a bike was no big deal.He wasn’t worried so why should I be?

Learning something new.

When was the last time that you learned something new? As an adult, it’s a rare occasion for me and because of that, I often approach new situations with a general sense of dread and trepidation. I forget that a big part of being a kid is that you learn something new every single day. It’s a part of their every day existence. While kids may get nervous or worked up about trying something new, they are more apt to step outside of their comfort zone because that’s what they have to do so often.

My son surprised me not only by how he approached the task of learning to ride a bike but also his attitude.

Maybe if we learned to approach new situations with the same sense of wonder and no-big-dealness as our kids, we would feel the same exhilaration – like when you lift your feet up and pedal for the first time on you own, and find that sweet spot of balance.

When was the last time that you learned something new?

{Linking up with Mama Kat’s Writer’s Workshop.}

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I hope that everyone had a great weekend and wonderful Mother’s Day. We took a trip with friends and their kids to New Jersey to see dinosaurs. Yup. Life-size dinosaurs that move and roar. That was followed by a trip to the grocery store and to Lowe’s to buy plants and potting soil. Isn’t that how you spent your Mother’s Day? But I did have a really good day with my family.

Alas, it’s Monday again and back to work. I have quite a bit of work to do this week before I can leave for BLEND but thankfully, so many gracious friends have stepped in to help me out these past couple of weeks with amazing guest posts. 

Today, I’m so happy to have Erika here from MCM Mama. There are a couple of things that I love about Erika. First, she’s a mom and she’s on a mission to run a race in each of the 50 states. Second, she loves beer and she’s not giving it up.

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I run… A lot.

I eat healthy…Most of the time.

I cross train…Sometimes.

I drink craft beer…Every weekend.

What???

That’s right. Every Friday night and most Saturday nights, I drink a beer. If I’m feeling wild and crazy, I might just have a second one (I don’t feel wild and crazy often). But I’m very particular about my beer: it has to be craft brewed, it must be dark and sweet, and I have to like it. (I’d rather drink water than drink a beer I don’t like. And you will never catch me with one of those light colored beers brewed by one of the big guys. Ever.)

I believe that most foods and drinks are good in moderation. And if you drink craft beer, you are pretty much guaranteed high quality ingredients. Not to mention, it’s good for you. Studies have shown that a beer or two a day can help with everything from osteoporosis to stroke reduction to providing extra vitamin B (from the hops, so hoppy beers are extra good for you LOL).

So here’s how to make beer a part of a fit life:

• Run races (or do other active events) that end with a beer. I ran a super fun race at the Harpoon Brewery that ended with a beer festival. I also run the annual local St. Patrick’s Day race that ends at an Irish pub (and a Guinness). And, of course, there’s the infamous 1K Beer Walk.

• Make it a treat. Some people like a dessert on the weekends or maybe a decadent meal. I choose beer.

• Make it social. We go to a fair number of beer events, most of our friends like craft beer, and our favorite restaurant is a brew pub. (And I’ll let you in on a secret: most brew pubs have really good food. After all, not everyone is there for the beer.) This allows me to have a beer I’ll enjoy without it being the focus.

• Make it an adventure. Try a sampler tray. With the incredible growth of the craft beer industry, there is always something new to try. With the exception of those who have an allergy to an ingredient, I’d be willing to bet there’s a beer out there for everyone. Don’t like beer? You just haven’t met *the one.*

• Make it fun. I’ve gotten to brew beer at a local brewpub. I’ve shared a beer with the owners/headbrewers of Dogfish Head, Sierra Nevada, and New Belgium. I’ve visited more than 200 breweries/brew pubs around the US. And everywhere I’ve gone, I’ve encountered amazing people.

And as a bonus: Drinking craft beer is good for the local economy. Most small breweries and brewpubs get their ingredients from local sources. They turn around and give their spent grain to local farmers for their animals. They hire local staff. They promote tourism. (You think runners like to travel? You should see how far craft beer drinkers will go.)

Should everyone join me in drinking craft beer? Yes No. If wine is your thing, great! Looking for the best chocolate around, go for it! Just remember that being healthy and fit does not mean you have to give up all of life’s pleasures.

I choose to drink craft beer. And I’m totally ok with that choice. Beer makes me happy and I believe in being happy. All things in moderation.

Erika is a mom of two boys who lives in the Metropolitan Washington, DC area. She is also a runner, an RRCA certified running coach, and an ambassador for a local running store and race management company. She is on a mission to run a race in every state, which works well with her husband’s goal to visit as many craft breweries and brewpubs as possible.

This week. This week! Oy. Can someone fast forward to June for me? Pretty please? I didn’t do the best job planning out my schedule and, as a result, I am barely keeping my head above water. Timelines for two big client projects have managed to merge and overlap with each other as well as with a number of other commitments in my life and a trip to BLEND!

For one of the Instagram yoga challenges that I’m following this month, yesterday’s challenge was to stop and breathe while taking the pose Reverse Warrior. The pose was actually a great way to express how I want to try to approach the stress in my life right now. I am trying not to fight the stress but to accept and bend with it rather than against it.

Unfortunately, my workouts have fallen to the side this week which is OK. I had planned on taking it easy this week after the Broad Street Run. My legs were pretty sore on Monday and I went for an easy shake-out run on Tuesday and yoga on Thursday. I did also spend sometime this week looking for a possible half marathon to run in June. I have decided yet but I’m tempted to run the Fairfield Half Marathon on June 23. Has anyone run it before?

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This week’s Friday Round-Up are though-provoking and really show the strength of the human spirit. One of the posts is just hilarious and a perfect description of my life.

What’s Beautiful: Strength
Last year, Under Armour launched its What’s Beautiful campaign and I joined in a competition with many other women to redefine the female athlete. It was an incredible experience and so empowering to see this community of women come together. This week, Under Armour launched Round 3 of the competition. So many friends are taking part in, each setting a goal that they are going to crush over the next 9 weeks. I absolutely loved Lindsay’s post about how strength is what’s beautiful to her.

Do you take pictures of your food? New research says you might be messed up.
Do you take pictures of your food? Do you do it for accountability reasons? To show off an incredible meal you made? To project a certain image? For the pure love and joy of food? I kind of have mixed feelings about it. I admit, I do photograph my food from time to time. We have such a complex relationship with food and Charlotte makes some really great points about how photographing our food can make that relationship even more complex.

What happened to real blogging
Sometimes, as bloggers, we can get caught up in the comparison trap and in a game of trying to woo brands to work with us. In the process, it can be easy to lose our authentic voice. I touched on this topic a little about how bloggers should stop promoting other bloggers. Heidi shares some her struggles and great insights on this topic.

The Wrong Rock
This post had me in tears because I was laughing so much. I’m not kidding. Maybe you have to be a parent of a three- year old, particularly a three-year old boy, to understand the absolute and sheer drama involved with losing a rock. You see, my son Everett is a collector. A collector of little things as he likes to refer to himself. He can tell the difference between all of his gazillion treasures. It’s pretty much a national emergency when he loses or drops something. Let’s just say that I can completely relate to this post – all of it.

I wanted to leave you with this story from Sarah who blogs at Run Far Girl.

Time to be a hero
Over the past couple of months, I’ve gotten to know Sarah and have followed the journey that her family has been on. You see, last year, Sarah and her husband welcomed a beautiful baby boy into their family – Jack. Jack was born with a skin abnormality on his back called a giant melanocytic nevus, kind of like a large congenital mole. It’s a potentially dangerous condition with increased risk of melanoma and of neurological problems in the spinal chord or brain. Jack has been receiving treatment at CHaD (Children’s Hospital at Dartmouth). He had his first surgery in February and his second surgery on Wednesday which went well. Sarah and her family has receive incredible support and care from the hospital and she wants to give back. Read more about Jack and his story.

Sarah is planning on running the CHaD Half-Marathon on October 20th. The race raises funds for several aspects of family support provided by the hospital, some of which they have directly benefited from. She has two goals for the race: 1) raise $5,000 and 2) place in the top five women.

Let’s help Sarah reach both of her goals. Please consider supporting Sarah if you can.

How do you handle stress in your life?

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After posting my outfit for the Broad Street Run on Instagram, I received a number of compliments on my red tank top and a couple of questions about it. The top is from YMX by Yellowman.  As part of my affiliation with Fitfluential, I often have the opportunity to work with different brands and to review their products. Recently, I was sent two tops from YMX to try, including the red top I wore during the Broad Street Run. As soon as I received it, I knew that I wanted to wear it during the race.

You see, I’ve been in a bit of a love-hate relationship with my running tops lately. As the weather has started to turn warm, I’ve been struggling to feel comfortable during my runs. I need something that doesn’t itch or pinch. I also need a top that doesn’t tug at me or creep up when I move. I hate that.

And these YMX tops? They are like buttah. I was smitten by the fabric as soon as I pulled the shirts out of the package. I don’t even know how to describe it. The tops are featherweight and feel like silk. I couldn’t help keeps my hands off of them!

I received the Elemental Mountain Mesh Neck Tank (LOVED the neckline on this one) and the Elemental Air Raglan Tee (such gorgeous colors and print on this one).

So what is this miracle fabric? It’s called MadKool and is designed to regulate your natural body temperature so you stay warm in cool weather activities and stay cool in warmer weather. Plus, most MadKool tops offer UV 30+ protection.

I wore the tops for yoga and running, and they performed great. I didn’t have to adjust them a million times. I wasn’t distracted by my clothing and I could focus on my run or yoga session. The tops are so lightweight that it almost feels like you don’t have anything on. They also hold their shape and doesn’t wrinkle. Since the fabric is so silky, I was afraid that it was going to pill or that it would be easy to rough up the fabric but I haven’t experienced any signs of wear or tear.

The MadKool fabric did live up to its claims. I tend to heat up pretty quickly when I workout and can be a sweaty mess by the end. However, when I wore the YMX tops, I was consistently comfortable. For example, when I finished the Broad Street Run, I was SHOCKED that I felt as comfortable and dry as I did at the end of a 10 mile race. That must have been what was responsible for my strong run, yes?

My Broad Street Run outfit

Pros:

• Super comfortable fabric that does an incredible job regulating body temperature.
• UV protection
• Beautiful prints and colors

Cons

• Pricey: The tank top I received retails for $59 and the short-sleeved top retails for $69. That’s more than I would normally spend for a top – athletic or not.
• Sizing: I’ve heard that YMX tops can run small. I had to size up on the tank top but the short-sleeve top fit true to size.

All in all, I’m really happy with the tops and I have a feeling that they will be a staple for summer running. The only sticking point for me is the price and I would consider it an investment piece. However, they are versatile and multi-use tops that can be worn for fitness activities as well as casually which would make it worthwhile for me.

What is important to you in workout wear? Have you tried YMX clothing before?

{Disclosure: YMX by Yellowman provided me with two tops to review. I received no other compensation. All thoughts and opinions expressed are my own.}

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I’m so happy to have Coco here today! She always has insightful thoughts about life and running that are often sprinkled with humor. Plus, as an empty nester, she helps me maintain my perspective on parenting and that life will return to normal one day! I had the honor of meeting Coco last year at Fitbloggin‘ and she’s a fellow Fitfluential Ambassador. Please welcome her warmly!

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Hello, everyone! I’m Coco and I blog at Running With Perseverance. I am really honored to be writing this guest post for Christine. I hope you all enjoy my musings today.

We’ve all heard the cliché: The first step is the hardest. It sure can feel that way when we are getting ready to chase after a big goal. We may ponder, plan, and procrastinate, wanting everything to fall into place, and waiting for that perfect moment to start. Yes, sometimes it can be hard to take that first step, but I don’t think it’s the hardest.

When we first set out after a goal, we are full of enthusiasm and optimism. The steps we are taking are new and exciting–even fun. The road ahead may be long, but we can see the progress we are making and that propels us forward.

But then the road gets bumpy. We take a detour. We lose sight of the path that leads to our goal. We slip. We fall.

I think the hardest step isn’t the first step. I think the hardest step is the step we need to take when we know the road won’t be smooth. I think the hardest step is the step we need to take when we know how hard it will be to take that step, and the next step, and the next step–just to get back to where we were when we lost our way. I think the hardest step is the step we need to take after we have gone so far off course that we don’t think we can get back on track.

But if we dig deep and take that step, and the next step, and the next step–if we keep trying to put one foot in front of another, even when each step forward seems to be followed by two steps back–we will eventually reach our goal.

Have you set a goal that took determination and perseverance to achieve?

How do you stay motivated when things don’t go smoothly?

Coco is a wife, mother (empty-nester), attorney, and runner. She has been running since 2001, through the trials of injuries, raising teenagers, and managing a successful but stressful career. She authors the blog Running with Perseverance where she catalogs my thoughts, experiences, struggles, and triumphs as she tries to balance everything life throws my way with fitness and faith

Follow her on Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram.

It was a great day for a run. And it was awesome.

Yesterday morning, I lined up with 40,000 of my closest running friends at the start of the Broad Street Run. It’s hard to believe that race day has come and gone. I feel like I’ve been anticipating it for so long.

The Expo

I wasn’t really nervous about the race, until we arrived at the Expo. We drove down to Philly from Brooklyn on Saturday afternoon after the boys’ swim lessons. We dropped them off at my in-laws’ house and then headed straight to the Expo at Lincoln Financial Field.

We picked up my Broad Street Run race packet and T-shirt, wandered around a little but left soon after arriving. I started getting huge headache and I felt nauseous. My eyes were so itchy and irritated from allergies and I was having a hard time breathing. Not exactly a winning combination for the day before a race. Once we got back to my in-laws, I took a nap and felt a bit better.

Race morning

There’s nothing like sleeping through your alarm to get you going on race morning. I’m not sure what happened but my alarm never went off. Thank God I asked my husband to set his as a back-up.

I was nervous about getting to the start on time. I was nervous about my husband getting back to his parents’ house to pick up the kids and making it back to Philadelphia in time to find a spot near City Hall to watch me run. We finally left the house around 7am.

I arrived at the start area about 7:30am, an hour before the elites were scheduled to start. It was a chilly morning and the sun was hiding behind the clouds. I warmed up a little and occupied my mind by trying to figure out just exactly how I was going to carry all the crap I managed to bring with me – iPhone, iPod shuffle, inhaler, emergency cash, Sport Beans. What was I thinking??

Once the race started, it took a little while before our corral finally made it to the start line. I think that we heard Sweet Caroline play four times before we actually moved forward.

Miles 1-3

It was crowded for the first two miles which was actually a good thing. I forced me to focus on getting comfortable in my stride and to remind myself to stay in control and not run too fast.

There were several times during these first couple of miles where I actually teared up. I don’t normally do that. I’m not a sentimental person but there were so many emotions swirling around. I think that it was the combination of feeling extremely grateful to be healthy and to be running, to have made it this far, to be among such an incredible community of runners, and to see so many Broad Street runners decked out in their finest red socks and Boston gear in honor of the Boston Marathon.

Miles 4-6

Around mile 4, City Hall started to came into focus ahead. I could feel the race starting to settle a little in my legs, especially in my right knee. I knew that my kids would be waiting and cheering for me somewhere between miles 5 and 6 which was something to focus on and kept me moving forward.

The plan was that Ed and the boys would be waiting for me at the corner of Broad St and Walnut on the left side of the street. I sent a quick text to my husband (which I set up before the race started) to tell him I was nearby. As I rounded City Hall, I made my way towards the left side. I was so excited to see them and knew that they made signs and everything.

As I approached Walnut, I searched the faces of those lining the street and…didn’t see them. I looked at my phone and realized that Ed had sent me a text saying that they were on the right side of the street just past the mile 6 marker. I was already too far away to go back so I told him to go to our next meeting point near mile 9. He texted me back that they were on their way but that Jasper was crying because he didn’t get to see me.

(How I managed not to faceplant through all of this, I have no idea.)

I was sad that I didn’t see them but I kept running and focused on the next meeting point.

Miles 7-9

I don’t really remember these miles very much and it felt like the miles flew by. I just know that my legs felt good – almost too good. My legs have never felt this good during my long runs. I decided that I would keep my pace until about mile 8 and then pick it up if I continued to feel good.

But I also knew that I had to see my family at mile 9 otherwise Jasper would be devastated. I wanted to keep my pace up and see how fast I could run the race. But I also knew that if I didn’t see my family that I would stop and wait for them.

I passed mile 8 and texted my husband. I texted again as I approached mile 9. I came up to our meeting point and I searched the crowd. I didn’t see them at first but spotted them at the last minute. I yelled, screamed and waved my hands but they didn’t hear me. People must have thought that I lost my mind. I made my way over to the side of the road. I doubled back to them and gave the boys a big hug. It was worth it to see their smiles.

Last mile

The last mile of the course takes you into the Navy Yard and towards the finish. The road narrows a bit so the course became really crowded again. I was still feeling good so I tried to pick up my pace as much as possible and finish strong. I crossed the finish line at 1:32:24, averaging a 9:14 pace.

Happy

I was really happy – happy that I completed the race and happy that I finished strong. I’m happy that I kept a even pace throughout the race. My splits at mile 3, 5 and 7 were 9:11, 9:11 and 9:12 respectively. It’s such a difference to feel like you still have something left in the tank and that you could have pushed yourself a little more. Before all my injuries, my goal was to run the race in 1:30 and I wasn’t too far off of that time even with scaling back my training the last few weeks. Gives me something to shoot for, right?

Most importantly, I’m happy that I wasn’t in pain. My knee, hip, glute and ankle/heel all behaved and gave me a beautiful run. I’m so thankful for that.

This left me itching to run more. One of my first thoughts after finishing was, “I want to run a half marathon now.” This experience reminded me that I like running races and I like testing myself.

Overall, the Broad Street Run was a great experience. It IS a big race and a crowded race but it’s really well run and tons of spectators out to cheer you on. The course is also great. It’s a straight shot down Broad Street and is mostly downhill. I was worried that it would be a boring course but the miles seemed to pass pretty quickly. I’d definitely consider running it again next year.

How was your weekend? 

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Well, it’s finally here! It’s race weekend. GAH!

On Sunday, I’ll be running the Broad Street Run with 40,000 of my closest friends in Philadelphia. It’s been a really long time since I’ve actually trained for and run a race. Like, a really long time. I’m excited about soaking up the race day atmosphere. I’m excited to run and to test myself.

At the same time, I’m nervous. Will I finish? I’m nervous about my knee/hip/ankle. Everything has felt good during the last few weeks of training. My 9 miler last weekend went well. Loved running longer. Loved running along the Hudson River waterfront and revisiting familiar running paths. But you never know, right? I’m trying not to think about the what-ifs and just focus on positive thoughts. Positive thoughts. Positive thoughts.

ANYhow…

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Are you ready for this week’s Friday Round-Up?

How to Write and Promote a Blog Post
Gigi at Kludgy Mom offers some tried and true advice. Believe me, I done pretty much everything she describes in this post and it’s brilliant

Lean In Harder, Ladies: We’re still misperceived
OK Gigi had a few great posts this week (There’s also another one about the break-up of online friendships). There’s been a lot of talk and chatter around Sheryl Sandberg’s book Lean In and how far women have come (or not) in the business world. And then there was the article in the Wall Street Journal last week about The Mommy Business Trip.Gigi wrote one of the best responses and the need for women to lean in harder.

We are storytellers
Lately, I’ve been thinking a lot about blogging – the purpose of blogging, why I blog, and where I fit in as a blogger. The thing that I’m continually drawn to are stories – those that I read and those I share. Is that the role of bloggers? To be storytellers?

The Comparison Trap
While bloggers are storytellers, sometimes we get stuck comparing our stories and comparing, well, everything. Many have written about the comparison trap but Gabby makes a really great point about one of the other dangers of the comparison trap –> the idea that more is more.

Introvert
Are you an introvert? An extrovert? I loved Alison’s post and her description of being an introvert. There’s so much I can relate to in that post. Plus, she writes so beautifully about it.

Are you racing this weekend? Have you run Broad Street Run before? Any words of advice??

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My friend Lindsay had an idea for a Pin It Party for us each to highlight some of our favorite blog posts that we’d like to see on Pinterest. This way, we get to see some great pinnable content and spread the love! Great idea, right?

Here are the five posts that I’d love to see on Pinterest.

12 Ways to Quinoa

It’s no secret that I love quinoa. I probably make a batch of quinoa every weekend to carry me through the week. In this post, I share 12 of my favorite quinoa recipes. If you’re looking for more quinoa recipes, I shared five more recipes here.

3 Ways to Use Coconut Flour 

I’ve been on a bit of a coconut kick lately but one thing I wasn’t quite sure of how to use was coconut flour. Luckily for me, Kammie from Sensual Appeal wrote this great guest post and shared 3 super easy ways to incorporate coconut flour into your diet.

5 Exercises to Strengthen Your Knee 

As most of you know, I had knee surgery last year. In this post, I share five key exercises to help strengthen your knee. These are also great exercises for runners and for anyone who has knee pain. And I even included a video tutorial too!

Swim Interval Workout 

Aside from running and yoga (and surfing), the one thing that I love is swimming. This is one of my favorite swim workouts. It’s full of some fun intervals that keep things interesting when you’re doing laps in the pool!

Hotel Room Workout

No, it’s not what you think. This is a super quick, super challenging 20-minute tabata workout that you can do while you’re traveling or at home. These are all bodyweight exercises and require no equipment.

Are you on Pinterest? What are your favorite things to pin on Pinterest? Leave a comment with a link to your profile!

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More Ways to Follow Love, Life, Surf

Twitter -> @cyu888 
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Pinterest -> LoveLifeSurf
Email or in Reader -> http://feeds.feedburner.com/lovelifesurfblog
Bloglovin’ -> Love, Life, Surf