SPRING

 

 

Spring has Sprung!

Have a sweet Friday

xx

FRIDAY THOUGHTS...

 

 

* Have a fabulous weekend *

SPARKLE

 

 

 

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TRUE FRIENDS

 

(source: Garance Dore)

A wonderful friend of mine sent this to me from Garance Dore's blog and I really wanted to share it...


Yesterday, we were talking about friendship at the Studio and we came to the following conclusions…
1 - You don’t need to have a plan when you get together with a friend.
You don’t need to have a party, an activity, or brunch you’re supposed to go to together. You can see a friend with nothing on the agenda, just wanting to get together and decide what you’ll do after.
2 – A true friend:
… Doesn’t judge you, but also has the right to not approve of your full body tattoo.
… Is ready to drop everything she’s doing and come to your rescue if you have an emergency, but also knows when to tell you when you’re overreacting.
… Has the right to be pissed at you when you overreact, but not for too long.

3 - A true friend:
… Doesn’t make a move on your ex.
… Doesn’t make a move on your boyfriend!!! (This stays true for crypto-moves too “Haaaa, you’re so smaaart!”)
… Doesn’t steal your friends!!! (Unless you encourage her to do so).
… Doesn’t lie to you.
4 - Best Things to Do With Friends You Don’t Have to Prove Anything to (which is the essence of true friendship, by the way)
Top 3 from the Studio:
Pizza and nail painting (From Alex, beauty queen extraordinaire).
Wiling away your entire day doing nothing, maybe end up drunk at a bar at 2 am, no one’s to blame (Me).
Sexy and the City part with ice cream on the couch (Emily, no weight issues).
Best thing to do with friends, the international renown crème de la crème friend activity:
Party the night before and spend the morning after having tea and recapping all the night’s events.
5 – A true friend would say…
“Yeah, okay, maybe you’re right. You’ve gained a few. We’ll stop our Ben & Jerry’s x couch parties for three months.”
“You look amazing in that photo!”
“That outfit just doesn’t work on you.”
“I saw your man with another woman.”
or
“Your boyfriend is amazing. Stop creating stuff in your head.”
6 - Sign that it’s a true friendship:
(or sign that your friend is very well educated, which is pretty rare)
Your friend is with some people who are magnificently cooler or amazingly more important than you (yeah, it happens)(all the time in New York) and introduces you as if you’re the greatest thing since Mac and Cheese.
7 - Some friendships die, but it doesn’t mean they weren’t beautiful and true.
8 - Stupid Problems that can Kill a Friendship if not Kept in Check:

• Jealousy: Jealousy stems from desire. Before you hate someone because she has everything you want, you usually start by loving her from everything she has. Keep yourself in check.
• Money: In friendships, as in love, everyone gives what they can, whether that be affection, money, intelligence, experience, contacts, what ever it is… You have to be generous, and let others be generous too, even if it’s just paying for coffee.
• Distance: You have to pick up the phone and call. Skype, text, whatever it is. I’m the worst at this and I can’t even get it together to respond to e-mails. Friendships have suffered… That said, I’d never hold it against a friend if they are too busy and don’t have time to call – I know they are busy, I don’t think they are forgetting me… Which maybe explains my behavior. But I know, it’s not enough.

9 - Sign of a true friendship: After three minutes of no one saying anything in a conversation, no one feels embarrassed.
10 - Unidirectional Friendships, A Problem More Frequent Than You Think.
Asking, “how are things for you?” (+ 15 minutes listening without checking your Twitter feed) is not a superfluous act.
11 - Some profound friendships can be formed in three minutes, other superficial ones can take years.
12 - With a true friend, you can be completely yourself.
You don’t need to be the girl who’s “cool with tons of friends, a great job and an awesome boyfriend, wahoooo!” You’re just you.
13 – Sign of a true friendship: Even after not seeing each other for three years, you feel like you’re picking up a conversation you didn’t quite finish the day before.
14 - Sign of a true friendship: after 35 years of friendship, you still laugh together like teenagers (my mom and her best friend, so awesome).
That’s all for now! There are many other things – Plus, I have an amazing theory about jealousy that I can tell you about next time – but for the moment, that’s what appeared to us as the base of the base of the base. Big kisses my friends !

xx

LOVE FOR BOSTON

My thoughts are with all of those in Boston...

LUPA

shout out to Lupa Osteria Romana for the most incredible pasta pre-marathon!

EVERY ACCOMPLISHMENT STARTS WITH THE DECISION TO TRY

*The banner my family brought to cheer me on!*

Well I can happily say that I completed my half marathon on Sunday April 14th!! I did it exactly the way I had hoped. I ran the entire way and I did not stop or walk once! The love and support that I received from family and friends was unreal, and I could not be more thankful.

Running in something such as this really puts everything in prespective. Right before i began to run, I closed my eyes and told my self that I could do anything I put my mind to. When I opened my eyes, I saw a woman wearing a shirt that said "cancer free for 3 years". I realized at that moment that nothing else matters but the important things. Not everything can be treated at the same intensity all the time. Living every day in life to its fullest has never meant more to me than it does now. I am very thankful and proud.


Always believe in yourself!


Now on to the next big thing! ;)

BE CONFIDENT

(courtesy of : Nothing is Impossible and Craized via thetumblrgym)

Keep it in mind ;)
       Happy Friday!!

POSITIVITY, SELF ESTEEM, COMMUNTY & LOVE

Last night I attended a lecture that is currently part of the 92Y Tribeca Break and Make Series. The series consists of conversations amongst leaders and innovators in life's most compelling arenas. Panels under consideration for the series include money, love, family, and food. Last night's conversation focused on Health and asking the question: "Are communities the answer to health and wellness?" With this question, the panelists consisted of Elizabeth cutler and Julie Rice-creators of soul cycle (my life changing everything!) and David Kirchhoff-CEO of Weight watchers. The Panel was curated by Fred Dust-Partner at IDEO.

Now in all honesty, I had originally signed up for the lecture mainly to hear the story of the soul cycle mavens. However, there was some cosmic reason as to why I went to this particular talk including the weight watchers CEO. Weight watchers has been one of those programs that has literally been in and out of my life for literally as long as I can remember. While I don't consider myself on the program 24/7 it has changed my life just as much as soul cycle. I mean it taught me how to eat. They discussed how teaching yourself to live a healthy lifestyle through eating right and exercising is like learning a new language. Yes the point values can be a bit overwhelming at first, but Julie described it perfectly. It's as if your in a foreign country and the first week or so you are trying to get your bearings and get around while figuring out the essentials. After a month, you are communicating and understanding the lay of the land. That is weight watchers. The plan has changed multiple times over the years, but remains grounded in the same principles. AND...I think that to everyones' surprise Julie Rice has been a member of weight watchers forever! I was shocked. She is such a huge advocate for the system. Both Julie and Elizabeth made a point of saying that they want soul to stay about soul. They don't want to add a nutritional component and dictate how people should eat. However, Julie said that when people ask her what she thinks, she immediately says weight watchers! Its the healthiest way to eat, includes all of the food groups, and teaches portion control and size. So interesting and so true!

I think what made the lecture so powerful, was the fact that both parties experience their product on a day to day basis. David, who I must say was so wonderful and relateable, had been successful in losing a ton of weight when he was fist appointed CEO of weight watchers years ago. He also had done soul cycle before and loved it. He was singing high praise for soul. He made so many excellent points such as: if you tell your self"believing that if I do it, it will work" you will succeed. However, if you tell yourself "I will try it, and see what happens" you are going to fail. Its all wrapped up in believing in yourself and implementing behavioral change. He also said that through his 10 year journey, "his life is massively enriched by being a habitual exerciser". I feel the same way!!
It takes time to get to that point, but once you do its the most zen place. You are doing good for yourself and it doesn't feel like work it feels like freedom. Thank you endorphins! That's also where soul cycle came in. They were discussing how its not an exercise, it s a practice.

Soul Cycle=ASPIRATIONAL. Fred and David brought up how people aspire to do soul cycle. They aren't sure that  they are able to do it and therefore don't even try it because of fear. they also touched on the fact that it may seem exclusive to some. Julie and Elizabeth strongly disagreed with that. They created soul cycle for everyone. Its designed to push you beyond what ever your personal comfort zone is. Someone participating in their first class is going to get just as much as someone who is super advance and doing it for years. And most importantly you can buy it on a class by class basis. There is no membership required. Financially it can be a strain, so in that sense I would say it could be exclusive in that sense.

I think that one of the most important points that came out of the lecture was the power of community, and community as a belief. In this crazy modern world of technology take over, its nice to have some human interaction. Community, believe it or not, through all of the commonalities between the two was the strongest thread that leads to success. While weight watchers online is great and convenient, the amount one learns and gets out of a meeting with fellow members is crucial and impossible to understand through your iPhone or computer. Same goes for soul cycle. you feed off the energy of those around you and your instructor. So, you may say you don't like working out with others around you, but its worth it when you see what you get of it. You feel it in your bones and your heart.

I felt it was so important to share this, because while I have been training for my half marathon, which never would have been possible i think without these two components in my life, I feel as if things have been a bit stagnant. I ALWAYS remind myself that with everything I'm doing my body is changing. However, its hard not to see change on the scale. I feel even more inspired and recharged than ever. I'm convinced that I was meant to be there last night.

You get out what you put in...
                    Listen to the beat and move!

DO WHAT'S RIGHT FOR YOU

Turns out I have been wearing the wrong running sneakers....for me. I was wearing the Nike free +3 and I wasn't getting enough support. So I made the switch to what was right for me.

 I heard lots of talk about the "top 3" Asics, Brooks, and Newtons. However, I was lucky enough to have the assistance of Noam at the Running company on 3rd avenue (http://www.therunningcompany.net)
He has run over 32 full marathons and had so much knowledge about every single shoe!

They gave me an analysis of the way I run to determine which kind of shoe I needed. Turns out I needed a neutral running show and while the Nike free's look amazing they are too minimal for me now. He brought out the New Balance 1080's, and everything clicked! So thank you to Noam and no matter what anyone says stick to your gut. It has to feel right and give you support. Than you can worry about the pretty colors :)

MILESTONE MONDAY

 

Saturday March 30th was a MAJOR day for me. My half marathon is in less than 2 weeks from today and I knew that I really needed to run this weekend. Especially because there had been so much talk about the beautiful weather that was to come on Saturday. I  contemplated with myself as to how far I would run or at all for the matter since I had signed up for my routine and favorite soul cycle class. I didn't want to over do it but I knew that i had to push myself. I also had no idea where i stood in terms of training. I made the commitment to myself that I would go no matter what. It turned out to be the most blissful day in what I like to refer to as paradise in central park-the Jackie Onassis Reservoir. It feels like you're on another planet when you are there.

 

You felt something in the air that day. Everyone was there to better themselves and reflect. You could just feel it.

 

So...I went with the intention to go around the reservoir 4 times. Not only was that more than I have ever done there but it felt like a good amount. Last September, when i was training for my first 10K, my goal was to go around with out stopping. I had no concept of time what so ever. Turned out i went around in 22 minutes!! At the time I was so proud of my self because i had already come a long way and I had never been a runner. This past weekend when I started on my second lap, I got unexpectedly emotional! I had just run my fastest time ever 9 min. 27 seconds and felt more energized than ever. The thought of ever being able to go around more than once had never crossed my mind...EVER! SO here i was running around the reservoir for the 4th time. My Nike running app informs me along the way when i have hit certain mile marks and I had just passed 6 miles. There was a part of me that felt i should stop because I didn't want to over do it, but i was on a high like never before. I told myself wouldn't it be something if I hit 7 miles. SO i continued for a FIFTH time around!!!! I hit 7 soon after and finished the 5th lap at 8.25 MILES!!!! I was so proud of myself. Not only had i pushed my self past a point that I never thought was possible but i crossed over into a new realm of thinking. Anything is possible. I felt as if i could continue but i decided the responsible thing to do was stop since i had soul at 11:45.

 

Btw...I also got through the entire soul class!

 

If there is anything I can take away from this experience besides feeling proud, is that I have learned how to talk to my self in a positive constructive way. I can push myself further than I had ever believed and that principle is so important on this journey.

 

Of course, the first people I called were my parents because if anyone could understand it was them. My mom was crying too when I told her ;)

 

Always believe in your strength!