NYfrog: La Suite

Right on Target - 2h47min

2010-04-27T07:57:00.002-04:00

There is so much to tell but I'll wait until the race pictures are published to go into details. I hit my goal of finishing in 3 hours, albeit my swim distance was shortened by about 1/3 the distance due to rough waters.

All around fantastic race, I felt alternatively ecstatic, desperate, but happy most of the time. Check back in a few days for details and photos.

As the announcer stated "A novice you are no more once you cross the Tampa Bay water." Call me triathlete from now on : )

Game On!!

2010-04-18T18:42:00.002-04:00

The last two weeks of my training were interesting as I ramped up my running, lowered my cycling and attempted to lose weight.

After almost 4 month of physical therapy and minimal improvements, my doctor said "give up running" which I translated as "no overweight misogynistic man will tell me what I can and cannot do" (a page from Lost's John Locke's book). See the photo below of my longest run ever (10 miles), happy but too exhausted to keep my eyes open.
Cycling without cycling shoes, in the April rain, last of the pack and with the occasional Friday night hangover casualty is no fun so I simply stood out the sessions.
The weight loss shakes should be banned. They taste like granulated sand paper. The rest (pills, cleansing juice and 1500 calorie diet) tested my nervous system... I was very irritated and starved, and after 3 days I quit to have steak and a few glasses of wine with Grace. I never felt happier to have a 1000 calorie meal again vs. Lean Cuisine/Energy Kitchen/Eating Well tiny meals.
I resumed the second half of the diet plan. So far... I'm still starved and sleep like a log. 1 day left but I did succeed in fitting in my friend Sara's size 2 dress, which is my target outfit for a wedding this summer (you know I'm an obsessed long term planner).

1 WEEK LEFT UNTIL RACE DAY! I'd like to pre-emptively reward myself for making it this far with a juicy steak, but I'm only allowed 740 calories for the rest of the day so I suppose it will wait another week. Sigh.

Training Log

2010-04-18T18:39:00.000-04:00

Week 13

1 h swim
1h30 bike
2:30 run

Week 14

1h swim
2h05 bike
2:05 run

Spring Awakening

2010-04-04T17:16:00.004-04:00

My mind/body collapsed week 11 as a result of high pollen count/ drastic temperature change and a new job. Good excuse to stay out of the pool, but I did put the extra energy towards super charged workouts with coach Rob who is back from a month long training/ vacation. Despite nearly barfing in spin class, I stayed for the treadmill class where coach Rob - like he does for all the sports - told me to change my entire running style for another more efficient method which is easier on my hips and faster.

On Saturday I attended my first long bike ride with the triathlon team. Despite blue skies and sunshine, we all froze our athlete butts riding upstate and back about 30 miles. During the run, it felt as if I had a rod under my left foot. I think the cold had numbed my foot.

Week 12, I miraculously recovered and went back to swim class which was a downer as coach rob demoted me back to the catch up drill vs. swimming free style like the other students. This was a definite low of my week. In the land of the triathletes, I am a little worse than s***. As father would say, I can only go up from here.

Which I did on Saturday's long ride, passing many cyclists on the road, and Sunday's jog, passing every single Sunday joggers.

For the anecdote, my matching blue cycling shoes disappeared at the gym on Thursday, so I switched back to the "cage" pedals making me look like a complete amateur on the roads. I can only win some.

Training Log Weeks 11 & 12

2010-04-04T17:14:00.000-04:00

Week 11:

5:15 hours bike
1:25 run

Week 12:

45 min swim
4:50 hours bike
55 min run

Training Update Week 10

2010-03-21T10:25:00.003-04:00

1:30 swim
3:00 bike
40 minutes run (in two bricks of 45 min bike + 10 min run & 90 min bike + 30 min run)

Several highlights this week:

promoted to the medium speed swimming lane and swom free style the entire hour, never more than 30 seconds rest between drills/ speed trials. My mind game: trying to catch up to the swimmer ahead of me. Besides swallowing gallons of pool water and being constantly out of breath, I managed and felt terrific. Next is to learn to rotate my body when i swim vs. swimming "flat."
first outdoor brick of the year. Effortless bike ride and run to get used to the distance and the bike.
practice with my new toys: clip ons on the bike (i did NOT fall yet), sunglasses with the yellow lenses (awesome, could not feel them), Zoot shirt and the "pampers" cycling shorts for the run.

My goal for St Anthony is to finish under 3 hours, with very conservative estimates:

30 minutes for the 0.9 mile swim
90 minutes for 25 mile ride
1 hour for the 6.2 mile run

If I'm lucky, i'll do 2:45.

The weight loss is going the OPPOSITE direction. I make too many exceptions...

Trip Down Memory Lane

2010-03-14T18:46:00.007-04:00

My parents passed all their frugality genes onto my brother, leaving me constantly scrambling to meet my endless materialistic needs. So despite dreaming of traveling around the US and the world, most of the time I'm "stuck" in New York getting my nails done or cooking up something delicious and expensive.

Hugo took pity on me and offered me his United voucher, earned after finding a snail in his salad on a flight (he promised he did not bring the snail with him on the flight). Only to a Frenchman! So I booked my flight to Chicago, my first adopted US city and home of loving friends and fine, college memories.

First destination, the Original Pancake House for my favorite breakfast: a fluffy spinach and cheese omelette with a side of delicious pancakes. Trust me, the best eggs/pancakes are eaten in the Midwest. Period.

Even triathlon coach Kimberly cannot resist this diet busting dish.

Second destination, the Gold Coast/ Magnificent Mile, the "Champs-Elysees" or "Fifth Avenue" of Chicago.

Trump's new tower was in construction when I was last in the city, and I was pleasantly surprised by how it turned out.

The Art Institute's new contemporary art wing channels NY's MET museum with views over the Millenium Park and classic masterpieces by Pollocks, Rothko, Klein and Magritte. Admittedly, I liked the Art Institute's collection better than the MET's but probably because I'm so tired of the MET's tiny collection.

The Bean with the cityscape and my own reflections always tickles my narcissism and aesthetism. I like ovals and mirrors, always loved Brancusi. Find me in the second picture.

The highlight of the trip was the pig marrow at The Purple Pig. Short Ribs and Pig's Ears were not bad either.

Kimberly & hubby Nandan

Ian and wife/rock star Lauren

Training Update

2010-03-14T18:36:00.003-04:00

Week 8
1:10 Swim
1:30 Bike
1:30 Yoga

Week 9
1:30 Swim
3:10 Bike
0:25 Run (brick 45 min bike + 10 min run & 45 min bike + 15 min run)

Swimming improved, I'm one of the fastest swimmers of the slow lane now. Started mini runs after spinning, with stretching afterwards. Let's see on Tuesday what my PT says.

Jazzed by my improved skills, I signed up for another triathlon in Connecticut. This one looks a little hilly. I'll have 5 weeks after St Anthony to prep hill training.

Rather than shop for little black dresses and heels, I completed my tri wardrobe with a pump and tri sunglasses. Now do you think I should ask my drop dead gorgeous cyclist neighbor to help pump my bike back to health? I'm not sure I'm doing it right....

Water Brute

2010-03-01T09:47:00.004-04:00

At last, today the water made that "clash" sound during my solo swim practice. The swim coach had advised women tend to not want to "hurt the water," causing a weak arm reach into the water. No sound. Today, I imagined myself as my swim coach, Robert, whose arms brutally hit the water. No grace, just sheer, brute force. Well at least that's what it looks like to me.

I swam 1,000 yards with 10 seconds rest every 100 yards. That's 2/3 the distance I have to swim on race day. With the Open Water factor, I have to train to swim 2,000 yards comfortably.

On another note, today's spring time. I didn't have to walk into the night to the gym this morning and I wish I hadn't left my sunglasses at home because the sun's mighty bright.

Perfect day to get back to a, cleaner/leaner lifestyle. I've decided to "stop" caffeine until Friday - I've over-indulged and it's time to let it go for a while in order to enjoy it when it's back in my life.

Workout Recap

2010-02-28T16:21:00.003-04:00

Week 6

Strength 45 minutes
Bike 2 hours 25 minutes
Hiking 7 hours
Ice climbing = 45 minutes (?)

Week 7

Swim 45 minutes
Bike 2 hours 45 minutes

Back to Boring

2010-02-28T16:06:00.004-04:00

After the hike, I felt like I had literally been driven over by a truck so it took me a few days to make it back to the gym. In addition, I haven't monitored my weight well over the last few weeks. With the triathlon in two months however, I have to get rid of the chub again to avoid lugging all that "junk" during the race.

So what's my action plan? Back to Hugo's rules of thumb:

No more than 2 servings of dessert per week
Veggies and fruit snacks, not chips or other junk
No cheese and bread at home
No alcohol all of April through race day
Low/ good carbs

Ironically, after my post about swimming, I have not practiced much and still suck. I might have to attend two swim classes per week vs. 1, thereby forfeiting my yoga class Wednesday night in favor of Brad Cole's swim class in the West Village. Anyone out there to go with me?

The Bad Trend....

An Austrian Where She Belongs

2010-02-28T14:41:00.015-04:00

The weekend in Lake Placid, NY, with Dymanic Outdoors was the perfect opportunity to forget about triathlon training for a little bit.

Chapter 1: Ice Climbing
Igor, Fearless Leader, Stephan, and everyone else hiked up the wall of ice and bare rocks like graceful chamois.

Experienced ice climbers making it look too easy...

On my the fourth attempt, I cursed and kicked my crampons at the ice, which seemed to work.

The person circled in red is me. Soon after, the girl on my left generated an ice shower, forcing me down... and my legs and arms started shaking so I figured better to quit by my own will than falling.

Chapter 2: Dinner at the House

Igor had rented a swanky house in Lake Placid with a kitchen large enough to cook lavish meals for the group of 20 hungry hikers. Our guides kindly cooked pasta meatballs from scratch while we enjoyed libations. Eventually someone brought out a bottle of Jagermeister. Big mistake....

Still Merry... Igor had not announced the 5:30am wake up time yet

Chapter 3: Mount Marcy's 7 Hour Hike

Mount Marcy, the highest peak in New York at 5,343 feet, requires a 14.8 mile hike through the forest, in the snow, with snowshoes. All firsts for me.

I started last in the "slow group", but being me, I was first to summit, bouncing and yapping my way up. It took 4 hours to hike up to the summit and 3 hours back, ending with the LONGEST mile ever. Even my trained muscles were hurting by hour 3.5, so you imagine the pain of the journey back.

With Natalia, the fastest hiker of the group. She helped a few laggards get to the summit otherwise we would have made it up together.

We're still below tree line, protected from the wind chill. My heart melts at the sight of the pine trees weighted down by the fresh snow.

Resting "below tree line" before rising to the stormy summit

Trying not to get blown away by the wind on my way up

With Eric, the guide who motivated me to keep going and going and going. And yes, I'm wearing a Pucci scarf.

Epilogue
I rewarded myself with a cheeseburger and fries from Roy Rogers on the road back to New York. I know, gross.

So now I'm planning my next summit, probably a spring/ summer hike. Mom: you never know, I might meet a nice mountain guy, complete with the plaid shirt and icicled beard on these trips.

Shopping List

2010-02-15T19:31:00.004-04:00

Triathlon is an activity that keeps on getting you to spend money. That's ok, I used to spend all my money on cocktails and fancy dinners in the city, I feel I'm getting more "entertainment" for my buck here at the end of the day.

Since I started tracking my monthly expenses, I realize I need to "spread" my "shopping" expenses across several months so I don't go bankrupt. Plus I enjoy my gifts to self more if I don't get them all at once. It's like a new toy, I want alone time with it for a few weeks before focusing on the next one.

February: wet suit (done), tire changing kit (done), water bottle cage (done, got two), night light (done), pump
March: sunglasses, bike shipping fees, airfare to Tampa
April: tri top and shorts, second set of goggles, camera, hotel in Tampa + other race expenses

I'm not last...

2010-02-15T18:59:00.003-04:00

... but second to last in swim class and in Central Park today where I passed 1 cyclist only, everybody else passed me.

Lots of work ahead of me because I am not enjoying being on the far left of the bell curve. I'd like to get near the "country club" = middle of the pack.

So here is my new training approach:

Focus on reaching the number of hours trained by sport per week and follow the beginner plan schedule - running will be replaced by strength training or other activity until my TFL muscle recovers
Improve my lap time in Central Park - immediate target = 20 minutes
Improve my endurance in the water - 10 weeks to swim 17 times 100 yards "easy"
Use visualization exercises to keep me motivated: watching the super buff actors in the TV show Lost (started Season 1 this week), reading Triathlete magazine which is awesome.
Relax with yoga and social activities

Recap of the past week:

2 hours of swim
2 hours 15 minutes ride
60 minutes strength training + 180 minutes power vinyasa yoga

Positives: not completely breathless after 100 yards swim, switched over from the cage to clippers on the bike which will make me a bit faster, got my wheels pumped, night lights, water cages and tire changing kit. Cleaned my bike. Got up on my head for a while in yoga. Cooked a three course valentine's day dinner for my girlfriends. Pain free TFL.

Negatives: Second to last swimmer to finnish the sets, got passed by EVERY cyclist on a race bike in the park but one, still need to buy a pump for my bike because my tires were WAY under pressurized when I brought the bike to the shop and that's just in 4 weeks use, over-eating, recipes turned out ok but not great.

Note for my brother Hugo: I used the clippers with cycling shoes in the park and DID NOT FALL.

For Mom

2010-02-07T17:22:00.001-04:00

I sold my bike $300 and bought the wet suit, second hand, for $100.

Workout Recap

2010-02-07T17:18:00.001-04:00

45 minutes spinning + stretching on Monday
45 minutes spinning Tuesday
90 minutes power vinyasa Wednesday
90 minute bike ride in Central Park + 60 minutes swimming Thursday
45 minutes spinning + 20 minutes stretching + 30 minutes swimming Saturday
45 minutes cardio sculpt + 15 minutes abs + 10 minutes stretching Sunday

Downs and Ups

2010-02-07T15:22:00.004-04:00

This week started off terribly. I felt guilty for not swimming, pained by my TFL injury, and annoyed by the New Year resolution crowd taking up too much space at the gym. After sweating through another spinning class on a bike with a broken computer for the third time in a row, I showed up at the treadmill running class for which I had registered, only to not get one because I was passive aggressive and didn't "fight" for one. Without saying good bye to my coach I fled to the locker rooms, patiently waited for a shower to free up and weeped like a 6 year old feeling like a miserable failure of an athlete. At that point in the week, I seriously questioned my mental ability to train another 3 months.

The next morning, as my physical therapist massaged my TFL muscle and forbid me from running for 2 months, I knew I had hit "a" rock bottom and the only way back was up. So I mentally engaged myself to more swimming. The running part, I can wing. The swimming part, definitively not since I will be in open water. No more excuses for sticking out the pool, I am back and to show my comittment I bought a wet suit.

All this to say, the triathlon will probably be a lot of fun on race day, but training is definitively not easy and some days/ weeks, I can't help but feeling discouraged by a bad workout or negative comment. It's like studying for the SATs or the GMAT. Months long preparations for an uncertain outcome, and lots of little dramas when failing/ not doing well on the tests along the way.

11 more weeks to race day. Hold tight...

My new wetsuit, there will be PAM action going on in there.

Did the coach try to make me feel better by posting this photo in the weekly newsletter to promote the next social event? There is so much wrong with this.... like how much of a midget I am compared to the athletes I hope to compete with, eventually. The fact that my first appearance on the triathlon club's scene is with a drink in hand, at a karaoke bar. Sigh.

Ain't no cool hips

2010-01-31T18:09:00.005-04:00

"You have no movement in your hips" declared my physical therapist this week. She might as well have called me an ugly, non sexy duckling. I'm a woman, aren't my hips supposed to girate in a move meant to hypnotize men and enemies?

So I won't apply to bellydancer/ pole dancing jobs anytime soon since my hips don't move. Worse, they're likely the cause of all my groin/ ITB injuries.

I'll add that to the list of physical handicaps I have not improved on over the 13 months of weekly yoga practice. First item on the list is balance (this i attribut to the abundance of wine flowing through my body at any given time, being french you know). Poor balance already caused me to crash into my biking partner and a wall later on, destroying all my hopes of appearing enchanting and graceful in front of the poised gentleman.

But, I hear the sport of triathlon is all about mustering through these little handicaps and injuries, so I will keep my eyes on the prize (the finish line) and workout through the next 3 months separating me from the truth on race day (am I a winner or a loser), not worrying about appearing graceful or womanly since these hopes are already shot.

A recap of a "slow" workout week due to my cold:

45 minutes spinning + 20 minutes swim (monday)
45 minutes spinning + 30 minutes strength training (tuesday)
90 minutes power vinyasa (wednesday)
45 minutes spinning + 20 minutes stretching (saturday)
90 minutes power vinyasa + 30 minutes run + 15 minutes stretching (sunday)

Lots of stretching for my ITB/ hip as you can see...

Also, anyone has a more detailed training plan than this?

Congested ears, rough throat...

2010-01-27T08:45:00.000-04:00

Is this "Winter Cold" keeping me under the bed covers, away from the frozen running/ biking trails?

What's all that spam about?!

2010-01-26T09:43:00.001-04:00

How do I get rid of all the SPAM comments?

Building Blocks

2010-01-26T09:23:00.003-04:00

One more week of "winging" it before I'm due to adopt a more "professional" training for my very first triathlon, an Olympic distance in St Petersburg, Florida, on April 25.

Swim 1.5K: I already have two group swim practices under my wing and 10-15 minutes on my own 2 to 3 times a week. I think I got the arm movements right and don't seem to exhaust myself as much. Next, I must slow down the kicking, learn the tips to swimming in open water, and quadruple my swimming distance. Now that I'm comfortable in the pool water, swimming is becoming more fun every day. Plus the prospect of sharing a jacuzzi with the hot triathletes after practice is not so bad either.

Bike 40K: WonderLamb already rode a total of 60 miles, split up in two sessions. Very luckily a friend introduced me to a triathlete who has agreed to ride with me (he calls it his "forced slow rides" but apparently they're good for his half IM training, cough cough). My form is not so bad but after 30 miles I do tire, which is more than my race day distance anyway. I have to improve my RPM (rotation per minute). Right now I'm really struggling at higher gears so the indoor triathlon specific spinning class will help me with that A LOT. I'm still cycling with the cages, in a few days I'll get fitted for the race pedals but I'm shying away from them. My terrible balance and dexterity already caused me a crash into a wall, my riding partner, and very clumsy riding when not on a straight road.

Run 10K: no updates. I'm nursing my sprained toe and tendinitis for another week. After that I'll start mini bricks (spin/short runs) and resume weekly long runs in Central Park. Really need to do more strength training too. Waiting for my triathlon magazine to arrive to inspire me.

Overall, I feel better, exploded my workout quota for the month vs. LY, and am optimistic about April. I haven't paid attention to my weight this month, but will refocus on cutting out bad foods next month again.

Some of you asked how I find time. I'll tell you this: I'm lucky to have a very decent work schedule at the moment, and outside of work, all I do besides training is watch DVDs, browse the web, and enjoy a weekly dinner with a friend and yoga session.

Announcing the Arrival of WonderLamb at 20lb 12oz

2010-01-19T07:21:00.002-04:00

Due to Technical Difficulties...

2010-01-18T10:26:00.002-04:00

Happy Belated New Year Readers, and happy belated birthday to me.

Invigorated by my vacation and exciting athletic prospects (mountaineering, triathlon, both firsts), I hit the gym every day and joined a Triathlon Club on top of my gym membership.

My #1 priority is to learn how to comfortably swim freestyle for 1 hour. With the triathlon club, I get a weekly swim class, conveniently located at my gym. I also bought a new swimsuit, initially made for children but I refuse to wear the hideous adult black suits. If I'm going to be splashing in the water 7 days a week, I want to do it in style.

My #2 priority is to learn how to bike on a REAL bike. I learned that my hybrid will not take me far at my triathlon so I painfully have to upgrade to a road bike which I seem unable to ride at the moment, judging by my test ride at the bike shop (very sinuous ride...). So no practicing until
I find my two wheel mate (the tradition is to name your bike apparently).

My #3 priority is to not injure myself during training! I am not off to a good start on this one. Late last year I started feeling pain on my right hip during long runs, so I'm going to physical therapy for tendinitis. And at swim class I broke my toe after jumping excitedly in the shallow pool. I am taking 6 doses of Bone Up (calcium supplements, NOT viagra) a day to speed up recovery. And there's pressure coming from my boss who is disgusted by the sight of my sneakers at the office.

To make a long story short, due to a series of temporary handicaps, I'm not training at my max and will probably have to cancel or reschedule mountaineering. But I will not be defeated, mark my words. I will take this time to acclimate to the pool and build strength.

Voila.

Young at Heart

2009-12-30T08:37:00.003-04:00

Returned from a 10 days family vacation in France. Despite the massive amounts of cheese and bread consumed, I did not gain weight. Hypothesis:

4 hours of skiing a day made up for the extra calorie consumption (I estimate 2500 cal per day during my vaca), especially since we mostly skied in powder snow, making it a super workout
all the hours of exercising since August paid off: my metabolism shot up super high
it's all a premature victory, the weight will come on with a few days/ weeks delay...

Food in France is simply irresistible. Presentation, ingredients and taste are outstanding. The digestion is definitively not great however (hello bloated stomach after the cheese course). Even though I could easily predict the stomach pain from overeating, I could not resist all the wonderful dishes sitting within 1 fork from me and unavailable or less tasty at home in New York. Every day, the buffet included:

Viennoiseries: croissants, pains au chocolat, pains au raisins
Multiple types of freshly baked breads: pain aux noix, baguette, pain au levain, pain complet, etc...
Cheese spreads: reblochon, chèvre, conté, emmenthal, beaufort, brie, camembert, chaource, etc...
Dessert spreads: crèpes, tartes, mousse au chocolat, moelleux au chocolat, buche de Noel, etc...
Local delicacies such as: foie gras poele, riz de veau, pates aux cepes, tartiflette, raclette, hachis parmentier de canard, crozets savoyards, boudin aux pommes, choucroute, pied de porc, pot au feu, paté, etc...

This makes it even more difficult to return to my daily "Lean Cuisine" diet.

There were also inevitable moments of regression during the family trip:

My brother took me running in the forest and we flipped out when we encountered an entire family of wild boars with their little ones. The mother grunted at us, fortunately she did not run after us.
During the second run in the forest, my brother ran ahead and I got lost. I tried to follow a car that drove off on a road, but after 30 minutes, no signs of highway/ civilization and 20 minutes of daylight left, I ran all the way back to the last road I remembered crossing a highway. It was very Blair Witch Project with the forest entirely covered by snow. After a while I did find the highway and one friendly couple picked me up and drove me home. By then it was completely dark. Phew!
A few days later, my brother and I lost our parents on the ski slopes. We had no phone, no blackberry. At the tender age of 30, I had to beg strangers to let me borrow their mobile to call our parents.
The last night of my trip, my parents, my brother and I all lied in my parents' bed to watch a French movie (the disappointing third sequel to Les Bronzés, a cult film).
I nearly cried at the airport watching my mother walk away after I passed security. Being home with my family was comforting and the separation causes me great anxiety. The older I get the less my feelings change. I will always love and miss my family and being with them reminds me of that : )

My Wish List

2009-12-16T08:51:00.003-04:00

Annual Membership with Terrier Tri in NYC
The North Face Ski Jacket
Cross Training Sneakers
One Piece Swimsuit
Long Running Pants
Ipod Shuffle Loaded with my favorite songs
Handbeater to make egg whites

UPDATE: Got the membership, jacket and one piece swimsuit. The rest is on hold until 2011.

Day 25 - 45 minutes cardio sculpt

2009-12-16T08:50:00.004-04:00

Day 24 - 45 minutes spinning

2009-12-16T08:50:00.003-04:00

Day 23 - 45 minutes spinning

2009-12-16T08:50:00.001-04:00

Many Days

2009-12-13T10:29:00.002-04:00

Day 17: 45 minutes spinning + 3 mile run
Day18: 40 minutes cardio sculpt
Day 19: 90 minutes power vinyasa
Day 20: rest
Day 21: 45 minutes cardio sculpt
Day 22: 6.22 mile run in CP

Day !6 - Rest

2009-12-13T10:27:00.001-04:00

Day 15: 45 minutes spinning + 4 mile run + no wine

2009-12-06T11:46:00.003-04:00

Day 14: Rest + Wine

2009-12-06T11:46:00.001-04:00

Day 13: 45 minutes spinning + 2 mile run + wine

2009-12-06T11:45:00.004-04:00

Day 12: 90 minutes power vinyasa, + no wine

2009-12-06T11:45:00.003-04:00

Day 11: 45 minutes cardio sculpt + wine

2009-12-06T11:45:00.001-04:00

This is a test

2009-12-01T13:52:00.002-04:00

I'm sure you've had these days when you wish you hadn't woken up because one unfortunate situation after another keeps happening. Here's how it went.

After poking fun at the other Sara for sneezing on public transportation, I waited 30 minutes for the cross-town bus with wet hair. Once it arrived, the driver kicked me out because I only had 50 cents left on my card and they only accept payment in coins. Who carries $2.25 in coins in their wallets? With whatever was left of my pride, my LV heels but no tears, I walked off and into the office. Not before stopping by the 68th street train station to buy a new card. That was another painful exercise as I tried 2 vending machines (broken) and 1 live attendant (don't take credit cards) before finding a working machine.

One hour after leaving my house I finally arrive at the office. The SVP emails me to request a change to a document. I search through all drives, it's gone, MIA, not even in my recycling bin.

Usually, I would have exploded, maybe even cried a little. But since I'm more conscious about managing my stress, I just took a few deep breaths and went to work to re-establish some feeling of productivity.

I have a feeling it's not over though....

Day 11: I'm hungry

2009-12-01T08:59:00.001-04:00

My brother said carbs will make me want to eat more. My bad.

Day 10: 45 minutes spinning + 3 mile run + no wine

2009-12-01T08:44:00.002-04:00

Day 9: 25ish mile bike ride + no wine

2009-12-01T08:44:00.001-04:00

Day 8: 4 mile run + wine

2009-12-01T08:43:00.000-04:00

Day 7: 7.34 mile run in the park + wine

2009-11-28T10:08:00.001-04:00

Day 6: urban rebounding + wine

2009-11-27T14:47:00.003-04:00

Day 5: rest and wine (and cheese)

2009-11-27T14:47:00.001-04:00

Day 4: 45 minutes cardio sculpt - no alcohol

2009-11-25T09:24:00.000-04:00

I am hungry almost all the time, but when I eat I get full fast. Weird eh?

Day 3: 45 minutes spinning, 20 minutes run, no alcohol

2009-11-24T09:48:00.000-04:00

30-Days Til Freedom

2009-11-22T16:47:00.005-04:00

Since I stopped keeping a written track of my workouts/ diet, I fell off the wagon. So to get back to controlling my health, better, I'm logging my daily activities again. The goal: be in tip top shape for Meribel and its snowy hills and beat my brother to the ski race at Christmas (and avoid my mother's disapproving gaze at my carb loaded backside).

The 30-day countdown to freedom started on Saturday, here is my workout log so far:

Day 1: 25 mile bike ride in Queens - no wine
Day 2: 4ish mile run in Central Park - no wine

Update: The gym must have tampered with the scale. It tipped at 125 pounds today. I guess I didn't gain all the lost weight back. I think it's directly related to how much/hard I exercise. No excuse to eat poorly though so the 30-day countdown is ON!

November 1 Epiphany

2009-11-01T18:56:00.002-04:00

Don't ever invite me to play a game involving a ball. I have poor hand to eye coordination and practically no experience playing a sport involving a ball, except a little tennis back in high school.

Today I ridiculed myself on the "touch football" field, watching the ball hit me in the face, running away from the ball, and congratulating opponents instead of stopping them in their track. In other words, I was not only a useless player (didn't catch a single pass thrown at me), but also a liability to my team. At least I feel sore so I did get a workout.

November 1 - New Monthly Resolution

2009-11-01T13:18:00.003-04:00

After binging for two weeks, it's time to get back on track.

Rules:

No more than 2 servings of dessert per week
No more than 1 red meat meal per week
No more than 1 junk meal per week
No more than 3 nights involving alcoholic beverages per week
No bread basket at restaurant
No cream
No unhealthy snacks at work (mhmmm those baked pita parmesan chips were so delicious but not more)
Minimum 1 serving of veggies a day
Minimum 1 serving of fruit a day

Days 55-60: End of Chapter 1

2009-10-23T08:12:00.002-04:00

Done!!

I'm at 127, so 2 pounds heavier than I wanted but again, I've taken good care of the bread basket at the dining table so I know what to cut to lose more poundage. The question is do I want to?

I had my first red meat meal on Tuesday: 40 days aged ribeye at Primehouse. Yum!! Wish I had been HUNGRIER.

Workout log:

Day 55: 5 hour hike and rock scramble in Mohonk Castle
Day 56: 90 minute vinyasa yoga + 20 minute swim
Day 57: rest
Day 58: 7.4 mile run in Central Park with Hugo
Day 59: rest
Day 60: 45 minutes spinning
Day 61: 45 minutes cardio sculpt

Coney Island

2009-10-16T08:16:00.004-04:00

The Wonder Wheel looks nice from this angle, but from the top you see the Verrazano bridge (ok), the ocean (ok), the orange elevated subway (ok), and the discarded garbage (not ok).

I cannot believe I'm in this sad little entertainment park, but the unexpected tilting of the cage made it fun.

Christina rides with her helmet on, for safety. If the cage drops, she'll fall head first like a rocket woman.

Days 47-54: Ooops, I miscounted

2009-10-16T07:56:00.002-04:00

Oh no, my mother arrives on Day 56 and Hugo on Day 57. How could I miscount?! I wanted STEAK on Day 59! I am granting myself an exception. This is only the first challenge, I'll do another one right after. A worse one.

So there has been some emotional eating going on lately. Like yesterday I ate too much of my colleague's birthday chocolate chip cookie. Then I felt so bad about eating it that I ordered a giant dinner from the Persian restaurant across the street. What not to do!

Work is hectic (as usual), and the weather is absolutely dreadful: freezing rain. I'm concerned that I won't go hiking tomorrow if the weather persists. Don't want to catch a cold right when the family is here.

I almost forgot the highlights of last weekend: First, a 40 mile bike ride to Coney Island with Christina through all the neighborhoods of Brooklyn. It was an incredible workout and journey from the touristy Brooklyn Bridge, elegant cobblestones of Brooklyn Heights, hipster Smith Street, familial Park Slope, Hassidic Ocean Park, and sad Coney Island. Half of the rides were out of order, and the view from the Wonder Wheel was abandoned garbage. Christina convinced me to do a few rides, including the "spinning tea cups" which were in the "kiddie" section of the park. And guess who almost threw up her coffee? Yes, I felt ill. We were the only persons above 7 year olds by the way on the rides, and Christina did all of them wearing her rocketwoman helmet.

On Sunday night I hosted my first dinner for two meat eaters, including one person who doesn't eat garlic, onions, fat (and I found out that night peppers too), and one strict vegetarian, including no fish. There were no leftovers, so I take everyone was very pleased. The chocolate fondue was a big hit too, thanks to my ex boyfriend who had gifted me the set for one of my birthdays.

Workout log:

Day 47: 45 minutes cardio sculpt
Day 48: 40 mile bike ride
Day 49: 7ish miles run (big loop CP)
Day 50: rest
Day 51: rest
Day 52: 45 minutes spinning
Day 53: rest
Day 54: 45 minutes cardio sculpt

Days 43-46: Back to the pool

2009-10-09T06:32:00.002-04:00

Nothing terribly exciting this week, yet. I went back to swim class after a year hiatus. Tested the NY based triathlon club Terrier Tri's swim class, conveniently located at my gym. It was relatively painless. Only 45 minutes and a lot of drills. I found out I can swim under water for 20 yards without going up for air.

One of the students said that the swimming during triathlons is actually really easy because the wet suit makes swimmers more boyant. Therefore, sprint triathlon (maybe olympic if i do more runs), here I come this spring!

Workout log:

Day 43: 45 minutes spinning
Day 44: 45 minutes cardio sculpt
Day 45: 90 minutes power yoga
Day 46: 45 minutes swimming

The Face of Determination...

2009-10-06T21:08:00.013-04:00

Look at the midget sneaking her way into the the first 2 mile run... Eriq is on my left, we keep the same tempo for a while.

18 minutes in, time to mount that bike wearing a silly hat for two loops of Central Park, or 12 miles bike ride.

Almost there.... already?

And I am leaping in joy through the finish line, so fresh, did I really make that much of an effort?

Finishing feels sooo good!

I won!

2009-10-05T22:21:00.002-04:00

Won fastest female in fat tire division yesterday with 1:20:42.

Easy wins to improve my time for the next race:

Eat less pasta the night prior - it weighed me down a bit
Run faster/ train more the running part
Transition faster vs. chit chatting
pedal pedal pedal hard

Days 37-42: First finish line

2009-10-04T17:36:00.004-04:00

Despite an absolutely dreadful week spent working until midnight and skipping on my workouts (call it tapering), I got up this morning and smiled the entire way through a 2 mile-run, followed by a 12 miles bike run, capped off by another 2 mile run. I think I finished my very first biathlon in around 1 hour 20 minutes (official results shortly). I AM SO HAPPY.

A step by step story:

With a belly full of grilled tuna and veggie pasta, I wake up at 5:30am, stoked at the idea of racing. It helped to speak to Hugo who is an ironman.
At dawn, I meet 600 fellow triathletes in Central Park. The sound of the hundreds bike chains is sweet music to my ears. It's all one big orchestra with the occasional "bell" sound (usually me because I'm a dork).
The hottie from the triathlon shop whom I had chatted up at the store when picking up my bib ended up being my neighbor in the bike parking area. He seemed a bit nervous, and despite obvious physical beauty not the brightest bulb.
My other parking companion is a Brazilian pediatrician who proudly gives me his business card showing him on a race bike in full race attire. He came all the way from Brazil to do the race. Not a god-like body however.
I do feel a little lonely, a lot of people are there with their team or their friends. 5 minutes before the race starts, Eric shows up despite a series of mishaps, like his bike almost falling off the car on the way from Brooklyn, and his chain falling off. His wife Lisa generously gives me a bottle of Gatorade, exactly what I will need for an extra boost during transitions.
The race starts, and unlike most races in Central Park, because we're "only" 600 (JP Morgan was 10,000 runners0, I run right away. It's a loop so I check out who is leading the pack: 30 year old men, if I had to guess, hot bods, decent faces but way too tight by the effort. I smile through the people watching. Eric and I finish at the same time and run over the to bike parking space to pick up our bikes for the second part of the race.
Getting onto the bike feels like heaven. Swoooooosh up and down the paths in Central Park, in a perfect gliding movement. I pretty much bike with the same cyclists around me whom I regularly pass on the uphills because I'm simply fitter/stronger (thanks spinning class), but get left behind on the flats because they're on race bikes. At the end I do a good job keeping a fast pace, but we'll see when the results come up.
I drive into the parking area and who is there looking super pissed off? My hottie from the store. Something must have happened to him because there is no way I am as fast as him. He swears at the pile of junk someone left on the ground (bike shoes, backpack), but maybe it was his.
I trott out after a few gulps of gatorade, ready to spring the final 2 miles. Except my lower body is numb. The legs don't respond to my brain's pleas. It's just like in the dream I had last night where I try to get off a plane mid-air to impress Antoine Arnault who is on the flight, but my body won't physically get out of the plane (don't ask what this means). I swear at my powerlessness and so does the girl next to me, facing the same challenge. It's the only time I don't smile. After 1/4 mile, in the downhill, I start feeling better, my legs move a little faster, and I look around me, astounded by the "someone just died" faces of the other participants. I don't understand, it's such a small distance, theoretically, it's a piece of pumpkin pie. Armed with this newfound belief, I focus on the trees, the sun's rays warming up my cheekbones, the hundreds of men and women in the park at that second to do something that will make them feel good, and the pleasure I will get out of eating breakfast when I'm done. I literally leap through the finish line and jump up and down in joy. I MADE IT!!!
Eric crosses the finish line shortly after, a little more worn out but still very strong given he had the worse bike of the ride (rental, broken gears).
Stoked by this new achievement, I rally Eric to bike down to the south street seaport for brunch.
We arrive at 10am to an empty seaport. Of course, everyone is still SLEEPING. So we have breakfast at a diner, outside, enjoying the weather. I don't even order the cheese omelette or the French toasts because while I did achieve one of my goals, I still have a few more days to go on the healthy lifestyle challenge.
In a oh so graceful move I choke myself on coffee and nearly puke the whole cup on the table. This was the cue to leave and so bike home through the hudson, riverside and central park.
Last stop is the bike shop to let Michael, the hot person who sold me my bike, know about my endeavor. He isn't here but the other salesperson recognizes me and asks how it went. We chat a little bit.

Now unsurprisingly given the carb overload and little workout this week, I gained 2 pounds back so I'm at 127. This means no alcohol until the end of the challenge. Period. Starting dinner with Ben, Sara & Mel tonight.

Workout log:

2 mile run, 12 mile bike, 2 mile run

The Highline, New York City

2009-10-02T23:49:00.007-04:00

You know why I've stayed in New York so long? Because it's an ever developing world. In France, everything is beautiful, there is very little I want to change in the landscape, everything's old and perfect. In New York, it's a mess. Old, crumbling, new, beautiful, tacky, under construction. So many possibilities to imagine and construct beauty.

The highline is the new "boardwalk" build along the river that allows you to appreciate the dissonance of the greatest city in the modern world.

Day 36 - Downhill

2009-09-29T00:19:00.001-04:00

Not a good start of the week....

I reluctantly admit, I signed up for online dating and it is beyond depressing. It's been, I don't know, 3 months? Not a single hot/ cute guy winked/ emailed me. So what is wrong with me? Too cute? Too nice/approachable? Too intellectual? Too "dumb blong"? Too French? Seriously, what does it take? A photo of me in a bikini? A headline that says "work hard, play hard" ? (not: I am training for a biathlon, have a great job, and speak more languages than you...)
A cockroach greeted me this morning and ran away before its encounter with my new balance shoe. Damn it, damn it.
My email box is full of unread message. On the other hand, my overseas colleagues inbox is full of my American messages "more, we want more more more for the US." Let the hatred begin....
I "found" the jar of hummus after dinner to help me through my monthly accruals all the way through midnight.
My trip to Costa Rica is cancelled. I don't know if I'm going to Paris instead.
I can't sleep, too upset, distressed, lonely, hungry, helpless, oh yeah, I'm acting like a 5 year old. I'm upset at myself for getting upset.

All things considered, eventually, one of this week's tomorrows will be a better day.

Workout log:

45 minutes spinning class

Days 31-35: Another victory

2009-09-27T16:24:00.003-04:00

The scale pointed to 125 pounds today, woot!!

First goal made. I still have 25 days of disciplined lifestyle to lead. Again, I've cut down on a lot of indulgences, but it's far from perfect. I still consume too much alcohol when I go out, and treat bread as if I had never eaten any when it sits in front of me at the restaurant, next to the lovely puddle of fat, aka olive oil.

Interestingly, my desire towards red meat and junk food goes in and out. While I am completely craving bread, sweets, and carbs, I don't always crave red meat. What is happening to me? Am I on my way to becoming one of my worse enemies: a non red-meat eater? Or worse, a pescatorian?!

I've also noticed that my energy level is beyond controllable. I have so much energy, I want to breakdance all day long. Any tips on curbing this, besides lower caffeine intakes?

Workout log:

Day 31: rest
Day 32: rest
Day 33: 1 hour cardio sculpt
Day 34: 10 mile bike ride
Day 35: 2 miles run, 6 miles bike, 2 miles run (indoor)

Days 29 & 30: Craving Diversity

2009-09-22T08:04:00.003-04:00

No more chicken! I can't stand it: chicken for lunch, chicken for dinner. Same food day after day after day. Except when dining out where I rediscover the amazing taste of fish dishes (traditionally, I order red meat when eating out). Like Apiary over the weekend. Yum Yum Yum.

Oh, this is a pretty good picture of me all dolled up for my coworker Jamie's wedding. Pixilation definitively works in my favor.

Anyway, I have wayyy too much energy lately: I run up and down the stairs, the streets, permanently insatiated. I have way too much work to do with a backlog of requests, and need my sleep. The good news, Hugo read this, is that I resisted the *free* breakfast of bagels and spreads at the gym this morning. How cruel is that to invite your students to bagel and cream cheese after you spend 1 hour sweating your little butt off at the gym?

Workout log:

Day 29: 4.2 mile run on the treadmill because my spinning instructor got stuck in traffic. Boo.
Day 30: 1 hour cardio sculpt

Days 25-28: Something's Gotta Give

2009-09-21T08:14:00.002-04:00

Still at 128 pounds.... So where can I cut those extra calories??

Hummus
Wine
Table bread with the olive oil...

Other than the fact I haven't shed more fat, I do feel significantly stronger than in the past months. I think the combination of spinning & cardio sculpt class really makes a difference. Running is good, but it doesn't build muscles. The muscles give tone and help burn more calories.

On Saturday I attended my colleague Jamie's wedding in downtown Manhattan. The bride looked stunning and the groom received wonderful toasts: part roasting, part emotional. I wore my "breakup" dress my ex-boyfriend gifted me 2 1/2 years ago and it fit perfect.

Workout log:

Day 25: 45 minutes spinnning
Day 26: 45 minutes cardio sculpt
Day 27: 4.66 mile run in the park
Day 28: 18 mile bike run in Manhattan

Days 22-24: Back on Track

2009-09-16T22:21:00.003-04:00

So Sunday was a bit depressing: no weight loss vs. previous week and realization that I cannot/will not fulfill the no drinking commandment. The excuses are from "work stresses me out" to "socializing in NY happens around a drink."

Since we're 1/3 of the way to the end of the challenge, I want to focus on what I can realistically control, which is still a huge improvement over where I was before the challenge began anyways:

No junk food: I have totally given up on office doritos, goldfish, fried foods
No red meat: I've been eating chicken and ordering fish in restaurants, it makes me sad but it's only 60 days, I can do it
Almost no olive oil: I don't miss my $10 salads from Cosi drenched in oil, weirdly
No more than 2 servings of desserts a week: Now that I don't even eat office candy or chocolate tablets, the 2 servings a week of dessert feel truly divine
No cheese: my omelettes are definitively a bit duller without Le Fromage, but if I don't buy it I won't eat it, unless my friends throw dinner parties with cheese only.
Fruits & Veggies every day: thank god for frozen veggies and brocoli which keeps in the fridge forever
No more than 3 nights of socializing with alcohol involved a week: the important is to control the drinking occasions so it doesn't "take over" the week. For my next challenge, I'll focus on a more radical goal related to alcohol.
No cocktails: I do enjoy cocktails once in a while, make it never now.
5-6 weekly workouts: spinning/running/weights/yoga are a good combination I feel.

I must admit, my diet is ultra boring during the week so I get very excited when meeting friends for dinner. Lean Cuisine, Amy's & Kashi are pretty yummy, but I've run out of SKUs and eat the same 4 dishes every week, over and over (Chicken Florentine, Pasta Pomodoro, Lemon Spa Chicken, Vegetable Lasagna). I'm also alternating oatmeal with Special K with Kefir in the mornings at work. Weekends are usually an omelette, which I try to spice up with Chives. Any other suggestions?

Workout Log:

Day 22: 45 minutes spinning + 2.10 mile run
Day 23: rest
Day 24: 90 minutes of power vinyasa

Days 18-21: wine and cheese galore

2009-09-13T18:01:00.002-04:00

So I'm still at 128 pounds and I blame the cheese! Yesterday I attended two separate events hosted by French males living in New York. Both served strictly wine and cheese, so what was I supposed to do? Have grapes for dinner? Never. I thoroughly enjoyed every single cheese on the magnificent cheese platter, including epoisse, conté, and so much more. The Pauillac 1990 was the perfect accompaniement. Thank you, Geoffroy!

After this calcium overload, I biked around Manhattan with Lisa, with a stopover in alphabet city for brunch. Instead of focusing on speed, I focused on sightseeing and driving safely which made it the best ride I've had so far. Highlights:

Gorgeous gay joggers, topless, on the Hudson river park
Cyclist carrying his poodle strapped to his chest while biking
Japanese tourists running into a cop car out of excitement. Two cops get out of the car and sprint inside the restaurant with their guns out. Third cop stopped short of sprinting. He was chubby.
Gourmet food stands in battery city (?)
The United Nations, so proud with no competing skyscrapers around because it's so far east

Workout log:

Day 18: 45 minutes spinning
Day 19: rest
Day 20: 45 minutes spinning, 2.10 mile run
Day 21: 20 miles bike ride

Days 16 & 17: I wish every day was a non working day

2009-09-09T21:35:00.003-04:00

It's much easier being healthy on a weekend. Lower stress levels because the only person demanding anything from me on weekends, is me. I suppose it's a mind game and I should convince myself I work for me, when at the office inundated by emails and phone calls.

So far I've stayed away from goldfish, doritos, and other free office snacks. What does a work day look like:

work out in the morning before my motivation drops to zero (stress at work -> want to binge eat after 5pm, not work out or eat healthy). Home brewed coffee before the workout facilitates getting out of bed (mhmm, the scent of freshly brewed coffee) and working out (caffeine brings out excitement). I usually attend a class so I'm "stuck" to workout for at least 45 minutes.
plain oatmeal (courtesy of the office) with a serving of berries (blueberries or blackberries) for breakfast with coffee I brought from home in an insulated mug
frozen meal for lunch, Kashi or Lean Cuisine, sometimes followed with an apple or low fat yogurt
fruits or yogurt or nutri grain bar mid-afternoon to curb appetite
some veggies with a grain like couscous or whole wheat pasta for dinner. Hummus was not on the forbidden foods list so I've been enjoying it a little....

Almost all food is ordered through Fresh Direct so I always have something "healthy" to munch on. Hugo was right, if there is no cheese speaking to me in my fridge, or chocolate in the pantry, I won't eat it. Instead I'll eat half a head of brocoli or celery, because there is nothing else.

Workout log:

Day 16: 1 hour of cardio sculpt (weights + abs)
Day 17: 90 minute power vinyasa with my favorite yoga instructor Idoya at Equinox

Achievements:

Right hip finally touches the floor in pigeon position
Right side split is getting near the ground
I can hold my headstand for a few seconds at a time (with the wall to catch me if I fall), only took like 9 months of weekly yoga sessions.
I go up and down the stairs nearly bouncing, I definitively feel stronger

Clothes Hanger

2009-09-07T17:31:00.000-04:00

On another note, two "friends" called my new bike a clothes hanger (I suppose it's not good enough of a bike to them), and my mother asked me to choose her or the bike because she doesn't think my apartment can fit the two of them. Which would you choose?

Day 14 & 15 - smaller waistline can be nefarious to your dating life

2009-09-07T16:36:00.005-04:00

I'm now at 128 pounds from 133 when I started the "program." My mother advised that my newly svelte figure would boost my self-confidence which in turn would attract men. The small prints, which she didn't bother to declare, read that you may feel like laughing at, bitch slapping, or running away from the men who "flock" to you. Read on.

Tuesday, J Date bounces off his dinner seat because he couldn't "hold it" and tells me so. And no, I don't date toddlers, J date was way over 25 years old (probably 29).
Friday, retiree A approaches me at the MET museum gift shop with the question: are you Anya Mueller, the philosophy professor at University of Munich? I looked at him back, internally flattered that someone thought I looked smart vs. another American blond b****. He then spent a good 10 minutes - even though I told him I'm just another American blond in marketing, highlighting the thesis of his doctorate on Shopenhauer and Nietzsche.
Saturday, S Date invites me to Tortilla Flats, joint known for its rambuctuous fratty crowds. Problem is, S gets extremely unnerved in noisy settings and it's visible and freakish. Then tries to compliment me by saying that all the other girls he meets are too "big boned" for him but I am just fine. What a sensitive, delicate gentleman. Jerk.
Monday, retiree B approaches me during my bike ride with the pick up line: "come on, you're not going to let an old man like me beat you." And then I get stalked for 10 miles nearly all the way home even though he lives in the opposite direction. I got off my bike a little early, parted with him, and walked the rest of the way home.

Yes mom, I'm a judgmental woman with high standards but I promise I will never surrender to someone who lacks beauty inside and social manners. The bad guys come with prestigious degrees, big bank accounts and pretty clothes. You don't see them, but I do and I run away (after a good laugh with the girls).

For now I'm glad to be single. I have a bike to sleep next to, and probably a rat or giant mouse I caught sprinting through my apartment over the weekend. Maybe a guy would be useful to hang up the bike and kill the rodents after all. Or I can invest in a cat.

And the athletic news of the last two days for those who care:

Day 14: 8 mile ride in the park where I switched gears like a debutante and derailed the bike chain. Thankfully I ride in Central Park which is filled with rickshaw drivers and "angry" cyclists. I chose to approach the prior to fix my bike and it worked. I was back on the road within 5 minutes but pedaled "easy." I also slowed down whenever there was major road blockage ahead to avoid emergency braking (and fall).

Day 15: 4.66 mile run followed by a 14 mile bike ride, Central Park. Very easy and I'm already feeling like a chipmunk running in circles in a cage, and much slower than the bikers on their $1000 bikes damnit. I need to get out of Manhattan and hire a coach.

Day 13: New Furniture

2009-09-06T09:04:00.003-04:00

This is another seemingly blond moment. I sign up for a duathlon in October, on a whim. Realize I need a bike to compete, naively walk into bike shop to rent one and start training.

Sales person: "you want to compete with a rental?"
Me: "yes, I haven't biked before, what if I don't enjoy it? I wouldn't want to invest in a bike before knowing I like the sports."
New Sales Person (very cute guy): "That's fine but with a rental, be sure you'll finish last on race day."
Me, suddenly more agreable to changing my mind to make a good impression: "Ok, so what do you suggest I do?"
Him: "This is the typicaly race bike which allows your body to race in optimal position. It's on sale today for only $1000. "
Me: "What else have you got..."

So I ended up buying the entry level Cannonball bike. Michael, the sales person, fitted my helmet, the bike, took what seemed like forever to show me how to properly lock the bike, and advised me to return to the shop once a week to get air in the wheels. Or he's just happy to see me : )

After a long ride in Central Park, a tumble (for practice), I brought my new furniture home up the 4 flights of stairs, failed at fitting it in a closet so parked it by my bed. Beautiful, isn't it?

Days 10-12: on the road to recovery...

2009-09-05T13:10:00.010-04:00

Day 10 was the worse. My cold got worse and I used an entire box of tissue. Thursday was better with 45 minutes of spinning.

Day 12 ended with a very long, very fun night of cocktails on the rooftop of the MET museum, dinner at Cafe Grazie with a party much larger than any of us anticipated (we began at 2, we finished 15 diners). Then Vinay - my "babysitter" for the night - accompanied me to the Water Beach Taxi were I ran in the sand and twirled around the dance floor with a nice Dutch looking dude. Water Beach Taxi felt like entering a prison ward: you access the beach by boat (bye bye, Empire State Building), then walk along a metal fence, get frisked, and then sand and fantastic sounds by Turntables on the Hudson await.

Days 8 & 9: Biz as Usual, Kind Of

2009-09-02T08:15:00.003-04:00

Day 8: Spin class + 1 mile run
Day 9: Cardio sculpt + Shabu Shabu for dinner and yet another date in my volumes of "Sarah pays her portion of the bill because who knows what the other man at the table was thinking, jerk."

Got a cold so no working out today but lots of Kefir which I looove in my Special Ks with fresh blueberries.

You Can Dance

2009-09-01T07:58:00.007-04:00

Madonna's first release, Celebration, from her new album is out and it's Like a Virgin style c***** moves all over again, except with the shoulder pads, breakdance and real-life boytoy Jesus. The sound is classic electro pop, pretty close to her last album Hard Candy, but what do I know about music (I've played the same music for the last 8 years). Interesting party she's having for sure...

Can you believe she just turned 50?

Anyhow, this gives me a sexier alternative to the Octomom/ Kate Gosselin Halloween costume idea. Just need to find the boytoy. Wait....

Day 7 - Back on Track

2009-08-31T08:21:00.002-04:00

129 pounds, it really works!!

Quiet Sunday with a few hours spent on my men's research findings, way too much Facebook, 4.66 miles run in the park, and the inaugurative chicken and mushroom dinner on my brand new French Skillet (thank you, Membership Rewards) - only 1 1/2 tablespoon of olive oil for 2 servings. Lo and behold, I forgot the French Skillet's metal handle needed cooling off time after the stint in my oven and burnt myself. The good news is that after spending one hour on ice, 1 Tylenol and 1 1/2 hour anti-burnt balm, it's as if it never happened.

Started watching Heroes Season 3, and inevitably the writing is becoming a lot less original. It happens to all my favorite shows: the first two seasons, I am usually pleasantly surprised by the original context, then mesmerized by the character developement as the writers come up with original "good guys" and "villains." After a while however, the writers become stilted and their characters' integrity is compromised as the good guys start acting bad, the villains redeem themselves, and formerly "dead" characters come back to life. It's very predictable and basically ruins quality TV shows because there is no hope left - characters still develop, but in opposite ways you want them to and this is very frustrating and just makes me angry. The redeeming quality of Heroes Season 3 is that most male characters spend a lot of screen time topless and my oh my, the production must have paid their trainer fees because they are ripped. Even nerdy Dr. Suresh turned into a sexy little number (and a monster).

Why am I watching Season 3 so late after it played on TV? Because I don't have cable so I just rent DVDs and watch episodes back to back. Why no cable?

Required a seemingly complicated installation
>$100 a month (= 1 pair of shoes or a massage)
Like a drug: would waste hours of my time in front of bad TV & Advertising, and not get much out of it (now there's Facebook anyway)

Happy Monday to you all!

Days 5 & 6: Hugo starts a little fortune

2009-08-30T11:45:00.004-04:00

Ok so I've had cheese in the last two days, lots of cheese. My excuse? Didn't have much food left on Friday after work so defrosted a pizza, then I had the Julia Child potluck dinner hosted by the amazingly talented cook, Pooja, which included savory devil's eggs, cheese, beef bourguignon, roast chicken and dessert. 6 women, pearl necklace clad, sat around the dinner table exchanging tips such as were to go and not to go for bikini wax, massages, sample sales. At the end of dinner I showed off my swing dancing moves but was too full to go anywhere but my apartment thereafter. A perfect girlie evening I'd say. This is the closest to a sleepover I've had since camp.

Photos to be uploaded eventually. My contribution was an apple tart. First time I make the flaky crust myself, which was much easier than anticipated. The finish of the tart was terrible however, so next time I'll know to build little edges. I'll also add more apples, sugar & cinnamon. The mix of Fuji & Golden apples was pretty good for this so I'll stick to that.

Workout schedule: 0 on Friday, spin class Saturday

Day 4 - Give a little

2009-08-28T00:18:00.006-04:00

Day 4 was "lax" day, meaning no workout and higher cal meal. The mix of high-stress at the office working on 911 budget prep drills and my body's requests for substantial food drove me straight into the bread basket at the dinner table with Karen at Paris Commune. Unfortunately, the overcooked, unseasoned sea scallops RUINED the goodwill from the bread-eating. This is a pet peeve of mine: I usually will order red meat when I eat out because it's heavier in the stomach so more fulfilling, a better fit with my favorite wine (red), and I don't cook it at home. A complete guilty pleasure, but I rarely order dessert so there. When I voluntary forfeit my favorite for a seemingly healthier alternative, like say fish, and it comes back dry, overcooked, hard, tasteless, it makes me furious because I cook fish and you have to work hard to screw it up. So this is why I never order fish at a restaurant, unless it's the specialty. Lesson relearned.

To make up for last night's bingeing on the bread, I will eat/ drink that Kefir potion Hugo recommended I buy for breakfast vs. oatmeal.

By the way, if you are new to this blog, I hope you're into foods because this is my MAIN topic of public discussion. I love many things in life, but my parents read this so no chatter about dating (albeit I thought about starting an anonymous blog on this juicy topic because the stories I have...) and work (against my ethics and probably HR rules). If you are looking for travel stories, I suggest you click on the right on the NY Frog's Own MBA link to go through my trips during business school. Unfortunately pictures of early trips (Peru, Patagonia, Indonesia) are on a now defunct blog and photo albums.

Day 3 - Sports Day

2009-08-27T08:53:00.002-04:00

Yesterday was the best day so far. Did 45 minutes spinning, 0.5 miles run, 90 minutes of yoga (another headstand victory!), and 20 minute-massage followed by a *free* stretching entailing the massage therapist walking on my back. Painful in a good way.

Of course I was hungry for most of the day as my body is not used to so little food/ fat a day, but I have this vision of turning my body into the girls you see on the cover of Fitness, or better, Triathlon magazine. Yes, maybe I can.

Water Weight

2009-08-26T08:25:00.003-04:00

This was easy. Same scale, three days later, I've "lost" 3 pounds already. This is the secret: skip dinner and weigh yourself in the morning before you've eaten anything. Not after breakfast, lunch, and two pots of coffee like I did previously.

Is this cheating?

Day 2 log:

1 hour of body sculpt
Plain oatmeal for breakfast
Lots of fruit (blueberries, watermelon), some veggies (celery)
Kashi frozen chicken pomodoro entree for lunch
Plain crackers for dinner
Woke up at 3am hungry and wide awake - packed my bags for the morning, put away my dry cleaning & dirty dishes, scheduled the coffee machine for 5:35am, went back to sleep around 4am

Are you fascinated by my life yet? j/k

Day 1 - Log

2009-08-24T19:34:00.002-04:00

Veggies with tomatoe sauce don't taste as bad as I feared. I started the day with 45 minutes of spinning followed by a 1 mile run. My legs hurt from yesterday's run, but I can walk.

My boss is eating healthy, my colleague is skinnying it down for her wedding, so there's support out there.

Might switch to a biathlon in October instead of the tri. Must say, the swimming is a bit endearing so perhaps learning how to cycle on the road vs. stationary spin bike might be a good enough challenge already. To be continued....

60 Day Healthy Lifestyle Challenge

2009-08-23T16:51:00.004-04:00

Today, I weigh 133 pounds, exactly 10 pounds over my weight in 2005. I eat mostly carbs, cheese, and grape-based alcoholic beverages (my fruit). I do hit the gym, but with no race or anything special to train for, I slack off. My other excuse? I live for my career and indulge/ live through that brie melting over a fresh slice of baguette, and tingy sip of Bordeaux. But can't I reward myself differently?

Health coach Hugo set up a program to help me stop feeling bad about myself (and whine "i'm so faaaaat, pass me the wine"). I have 60 days to adopt a healthy lifestyle and prove to myself that yes, I can be healthy for longer than a day. The gist of the program is to switch the bad foods for healthy foods. I have weekly sweet/ wine allowances. Going over will cost me between $25 for that serving of cheese to a whopping $90 for that second night of drinking.

Besides the diet change, I am also most likely signing up for an Olympic triathlon with Lisa and Eric. 0.5 miles of swimming, 15 miles biking, and 5 miles running. This is about halfway on September 26. So lots of training to ensure I don't drown during the swimming part until then.

Wish me luck, be supportive. The 60 day healthy lifestyle challenge starts tomorrow!

Another Trial... Day 1

2009-08-18T08:07:00.007-04:00

OBVIOUSLY THIS DIDN'T HAPPEN AS PLANNED.... NEEDED PROFESSIONAL ADVICE FROM HUGO. DAY 1 IS NOW AUGUST 24.

I say this every day/ week, well now I am putting it in writing on a public site: I'm 30 and it's time to focus on treating my body and mind right. Weekly yoga was a first step (8 months to do a headstand), but not enough.

Time to call in the professionals. Hugo, I nominate you as my "health coach" because we all know I will not listen to mom or dad's pleas to up my daily intake of fruits and vegetables.

So welcome to Day 1 of my quest to accomplish the following by October 22 when Hugo is in NY:

Get back to 125 pounds
Run an 8K race
Eat minimum 1 fruit + 1 serving of veggies 6 days a week
Snacking allowed, but not on Doritos, Gold Fish or Milano's (my office's favorites)
Limit consumption of alcoholic beverages to 3x per week
Read 1 novel

Any additions?

For compliance, Hugo, friends, I count on you to encourage me on this path to being well. Hedonism was so in my twenties : ) For those who think this is too easy, it's a matter of perception. This is my version of the master cleanse and involves endurance, something Hugo knows a lot about, not me.

Flight Attempts

2009-08-15T15:42:00.004-04:00

After last year's trapeze, I figured I'd stick with the tradition to invite Grace to a gym related activity for her birthday.

Inspired by the Cirque du Soleil show we had seen in Las Vegas earlier this year, we took an Aerial Dance class. Aerial refers to dancing mid-air using props such as hoops and flights of fabric all hanging from the ceiling. While we practiced handstands, four professional students were twirling mid-air making it look so easy.

Well, let's just stay, I made it on the hoop upside down, but the flights of fabric, dear god, I never twirled in a circle, rather front back and kept stepping on the fabric. Grace was more "graceful" despite her flex feet : )

Check out the inspiration.

Blond Moments Weekly

2009-08-12T07:00:00.003-04:00

I'm sure the chemicals in my highlighted hair dripped down into my skull at a faster rate than usual this week. How else would you explain that both happened on the same day?

Woke up extra early Monday to get to the gym at 6am for a quick run and body sculpt class, and was ready to arrive at work by 7:45am, if I hadn't left my laptop and work files at home. The unexpected roundtrip home cost me 45 minutes.
After dozing off into my caipirinha, I finally dragged myself home, to find out that my home keys were still at the office in my gym bag.

Is it time for a six sigma initiative to prevent these types of silly slip ups? Or should I live up to the blond reputation?

Elitism

2009-08-04T22:26:00.002-04:00

If we needed another proof of who the New York Times writes for, a line from the new review of the "Julie and Julia" movie:

"Despite Ms. Ephron’s best effort to make the husbands fully formed, a lot of men will stick fondue forks in their eyes before they buy a ticket."

Does Joe Schmoe even know what a fondue fork is?

Blond Moments

2009-07-31T19:26:00.003-04:00

Sent the rent check in... to receive it 4 days later at home as I had sent it to myself.

Asked a guy if he was from Switzerland because of the Swiss flag on his nametag. It was a red cross flag.

Geared up to step into the vast ocean for a good, long dive... with my oxygen tank still attached to the bench and closed off.

Back to Biz

2009-07-30T23:51:00.003-04:00

Time to polish off these writing skills. So what the heck happened since Sara's wedding?! Well, Eric's wedding for one in Mexico pre-swine flu. Left New York tucked in a warm winter coat to bodysurf in the Mexican waters in an LV bikini a few hour in, followed by a moving ceremony (yes, the mothers cried) and vows at the altar, a gazebo on the beach. For your wedding pictures, I highly recommend my friend Michael Creagh who is a teacher at FIT and wicked photographer.

Then I turned 18 again and partied with my peers in Meribel, France, while my parents were sound asleep.

Only to distract me from turning 30 when a Mac cosmetics consultant turned me into a drag queen.

Anywhoooo, I checked all the boxes:
- working for my dream company
- nice gig, cool colleagues
- my own overpriced pad and gym in NYC
- awesome friends
- loving family
- made it to 30 years old!

Now what's next? It's an open question.

Once Upon A Time

2008-10-14T22:10:00.008-04:00

My former Ogilvy colleague Sara and former flatmate Mel (Melchior for the French) married in a fairy tale wedding in Saint Jean de Luz, the French Pays Basque. The bride arrived at the Church in a white Rolls-Royce and was quickly surrounded by the town's inhabitants who couldn't stop admiring a porcelain-skined princess floating to the altar.
Meanwhile, Sara's Texan twin sister and I gathered monetary offerings in the church, as we were both witnesses to the bride. None of us are catholic but in true MBA fashion, I surrended my atheist identity and sought out offerings until the very last bench in the church. Liz's mother happened to be in town on vacation and documented the whole affaire (photos right now are courtesy of Grace) Mazeltov!

Much Pommery champagne was to be drunk that night, celebrating this heavenly union. A man walzed into the bedroom he shared with Ann and I, stashing a full bottle of champagne into the hotel mini-fridge. Thank you FrenchBenj!

Back to reality in my New York office after the wedding, ushering via email and a series of phone calls our very selective list of VIPs to the Paris fashion show. Among a three-page list of projects, with no working phone or internet connection. My boss had her beautiful baby girl while I was away, so make it my list of projects times two. Jet-lag gets by that much easier when you work 12 hours a day.

Cooking is therapy. Nothing like roasting, blending, frying, boiling to make me feel at home. First spice I ran out of? Cumin, this pungant, hot-bitter spice. Love love love it.
Equinox finally opened across the street, but what, I sprained my ankle while wearing the shoes I've been fantasizing over for the last year?!

Facebook is the new blog.

2008-10-04T13:46:00.003-04:00

The market for "articles de fonds" is retiring, with the bifocals. Today we "read" headlines only, look at pictures, and watch snapshots of TV shows on the internet. Admit it, you never read through the email-novels some romantics still like to send, narrating their latest epiphanies about life, love, work, blah blah blah. Not on your blackberry at least, and by the time you reach your desktop the message is already lost below the fold.

Facebook is the new portal for all news fit to publish. You can read about everything and anything, from opinions about the US elections to what Ann is eating for dinner tonight. And it comes with pictures, movies, applications to play poker with your friends, turn them into vampires or buy a round of shots (all this is virtual). I ask you, where do you go first thing in the morning when logging on? Google, email, or facebook?

For those of you who just read through my latest written tirade, congratulations, you are still one of the old-school readers. Thank you. Everybody else, I will poke your cheeks on facebook.

Three paragraphs to finally admit: I haven't and will less and less, write on nyfrog.com.

Here Comes The Bride

2008-09-03T21:38:00.005-04:00

Congratulations to the lovely bride, Liz, who married Tony in a wedding that matched this amazing woman's ambitions.

Liz picked Blue Hill in upstate New York to hold her romantic and gastronomic ceremony. To respect this private experience, I've only picked a few shots to share with you. Photo credits from Jamie Watts (please discard my slutty tan marks....). Enjoy!

The bride and her bridesmaids

Holding the precious train.

I wanted to cry watching Chet walking Liz to the altar

A funny moment with the bride's father

Laughter during my toast to the newlyweds

Before the wedding, on the Upper East Side

My First Trojan

2008-08-24T18:16:00.002-04:00

Like so many folks (my parents, mario), I've been infected with a Trojan malware virus. The symptoms were:

"Congratulations, you have won a free $1000 wal-mart gift certificate" audio voice coming out of nowhere at random times
IE pop up ads even though I only use Firefox
Slow computer overall

CounterSpy is scanning my entire drive and so far, three trojan files were found and placed in quarantine. Apparently this may not be sufficient so I probably will have to clean up my entire computer and re-install everything. Fall cleaning anyone?

Why did I sleaze surf you ask? I did download a software to watch TV shows and movies and the malware pretty much started then.

Hopefully I can get cleaned up fast.

Avatar - Test

2008-08-10T12:37:00.000-04:00

Hugo, this Hero

2008-07-29T23:40:00.002-04:00

Life as a Blond

2008-07-27T10:38:00.002-04:00

Sarah calls 1.800 contacts to change the shipping address from Chicago to New York. Phone rings, male voice asks in a robotic fashion "Hello, thank you for calling 1.800 contacts, my name is Rob, how may I help you today?" I respond, annoyed at the prospect of wasting five minutes going from one automated menu to the next "change shipping address." Silence. Finally, the voice responds "um, sure, I can do that for you, but can I have your name first?" Mortified by my rudeness, I apologize to Rob for mistaking him for an automated voice. But seriously, who ever calls a business these days and gets a real person on the telephone right away?!

Earlier that day, I was smiling and waving at my advertising director, not looking at where I was going. So I walked into the closet door which someone had left open.

To top the week off, I walked past my apartment building, and past my entire block before realizing that yeah, I didn't recognize my own HOME. Must be the heat, must be the heat.

Is eager to be made jealous...

2008-07-23T21:46:00.002-04:00

... by her mother's pictures of her swimming with the turtles last week while I WORK.

Summer in New York City

2008-07-21T23:00:00.002-04:00

The Twins

2008-07-21T22:57:00.003-04:00

Ally's birthday, twin shot.

Ally, why do you have whipped cream on your nose?

With Ally's mom. Ally and I are called the twins because folks think we're sisters.

Flying Trapeze (not Solal style)

2008-07-21T22:43:00.002-04:00

Ready? Oh yes, eyes right at the camera!

Yoo-hoo!

I'm loving it

he he he

Catch! Thank you hot trapeze instructor for rescuing me.

My boss can relax now, I'm not broken.

Mhmmm

2008-07-20T22:50:00.004-04:00

I just found out one of my best friend is marrying a man whose second name is Solal, my literary fantasy. Yes, Solal from Belle du Seigneur, my ultimate high school fantasy. An 800 pages book describing a torrid love affair between a bored housewife and a cocky, tortured but drop dead gorgeous jew. I cite "Bach, Mozart, God, is their (women as described by Solal) favorite subjects. It gives the perception of an honest, moral discussion. Three weeks later, it's flying trapeze in bed." Forget this post if you're not French.

The take away? I must meet his mom to discuss our common passion for Albert Cohen's marvelous novel.

Can Life Get Any Better?

2008-07-07T21:08:00.005-04:00

Tuesday: Grace Birthday Bash, Part I

Wine, Champagne, and a radiant birthday girl, Grace!

Thursday: Grace Birthday Bash, Part II

Trapeze (see video here), dinner at Le Pere Pinard surrounded by mice in the garden (so New York), Anett (a German friend from NY I hadn't seen in 2 years), and random encounter with my INSEAD statistics professor at a club.

Friday: Meanderings in the meatpacking district with Anett
Saturday: the MET's superheroes exhibit, tour through the American modern artists (Hopper, I could spend hours gazing into your canvas, imagining what life could be like).
Sunday: shopping and excellent Tex-Mex and margarita at Canyon Road

Phew, I'm exhausted!

10 Degrees Latitude

2008-07-05T14:54:00.005-04:00

When I first met Neal, we were both studying in the Wharton Business School computer lab. I was prepping for a job interview with Google, and he provided useful insights from his experience working out West. We continued our informal chats throughout the next few weeks, always in the computer lab.

Then I found out Neal is one of those extraordinary men. He climbed 7 summits, and started 10 Degrees Latitude, an adventure race that takes place over seven continents and seven years. Neal is currently biking in Europe. On Monday he'll begin the 25 mile swim across the English Channel. Read about his fabulous and inspiring adventure here.

A Study After My Heart

2008-06-22T12:30:00.002-04:00

New research shows that IHOP breakfast (or any other high-carb breakfasts for that matter, so for me = croissants) is good for you!

The study's conclusions are not this simple. This diet may make you less hungry throughout the day, but it's certainly *not* healthy. Which is why I'm surprised this story, which is more of a fait-divers, made the headlines in the healthcare section of google news today.

That said, let me finish eating my eggs benedict now. Slurp.

N.E.R.D.

2008-06-21T17:22:00.002-04:00

Today I caught myself writing an email on my work blackberry while speaking on my personal cell phone and reading the news on my laptop, all at once.

Sweet Memorie - Coming Out

2008-06-10T22:13:00.003-04:00

It's been almost a year since graduation from business school... ah those 10.5 months of traveling to exotic locals, cramming for exams, and searching for those high-profile jobs. My fantastic classmates created a film to capture the anxiety of the last two periods, where finding a job starts as an exciting endeavor, but can leave some biting the dust. For the non-inseaders, a few vocables:

UDJ = uncertainty data and judgment, aka probabilities and stats
Period = insead's version of the American quarter system. Insead is made of 5 periods, referred to as P1, P2.... P5
DCF = discounted cash flow
EBITDA = Earnings Before Interest, Taxes, Depreciation and Amortization.

Enjoy!

New York Moments

2008-06-08T10:53:00.003-04:00

Why people eat at home

Egg whites + large black coffee = $4.50

Average cost of a salad or sandwich in midtown: $8.00

Pick up lines

As I make my way out of the gym, a gorgeous personal trainer asks me: "Are you an athlete?" I wish, I wish...
As I exit a Yellow Cab on 74th street in my summer dress, a pedestrian exclaims: "you are the real Sex and the City!" How does he know?!

Euphoria

Doing cartwheels on the beach with Ally (videos coming soon)
Catching up with MBA peers at Souhil's housewarming party and finally seeing Cristina between her around the world journey from the removed provinces of China to London.