How Social Media Affects My Running Game

Like most people my age, I am constantly on my phone. I am either checking emails, texting (or even calling) friends, peeping Facebook, Instagram, Snapchat, etc... There are few times when I am actually "unplugged" and "off the grid" and running is one of those times.  Although my phone is almost always with me in case I get lost, have an emergency, or need to snap a great picture (duh), it is always kept put away in a pocket and kept on silent. However, often times on a run, I will catch some beautiful scenery and have to snap a picture. I love getting a beautiful sunrises or sunset, a general landscape of wherever I running through, street art that I stumble upon (or even seek out), and post-race or post-run accomplishment pictures. Some people may find it annoying that I post running pictures all the time, and frankly I don't care, because taking these picture pre-run, during the run, or post-run helps keep me accountable. And let's not forget, they're fun and pretty to look at as well. There has been a lot of debate lately if smartphones have ruined racing or running as a sport and I'd have to say I do not think they have one bit. Smartphones can do a lot for a runner like track distance, pace, and calories. They hold your most amazing playlist or podcast or e-book that keeps you going at it. And they can connect you to like-minded people via social media; that's the part I want to focus on today.

It's Definitely Sunny in Philadelphia

Today I went on a very short trip to Philadelphia for the day; #RayRaysOneDayPhillyGetaway. About two weeks ago, I decided that I wanted to go back there since I haven't been in ages. This was my fifth time going to Philly, but really only my second time seeing all the sites. (The first time was with a camp I worked at, the second was a field trip to the science museum, the third was for the Philly Half Marathon, and the fourth was a day trip with my awesome mama.) I knew I didn't need an overnight stay to see everything since the city is small, but also because I still can't run so didn't need to pay for a hotel to get in my usual totally-awesome-full-of-happiness early morning exploratory run. I was bummed I couldn't run there but it saved me some money on a hotel so all I needed was a bus ticket, which luckily only cost me $28.

Why Traveling Alone Rules!

Summertime is just around the corner, which for some people, is the perfect time to travel. Sure, it's the busy season, but for some of us (ahem, teachers), it's the only time we get an opportunity to really go away for an extended period of time. I usually plan a big trip for myself every summer and I go alone. A lot of people gasp at the idea of me traveling by myself and have two feelings toward it: 1) They think I'm so lucky to be single and have the flexibility and time to travel without worrying about planning around another person and 2) They feel sorry for me because I am going alone and wonder how I could possibly enjoy doing that. I actually go back and forth about feeling both of these ways but neither of them stop me from booking trips and traveling alone again. Sure, I would love a companion and someone to share all the amazing times abroad I have, but at the same time, there is something about traveling solo that is so thrilling and fulfilling.

I don't get it.

As the weather gets warmer, many New Yorkers that have been hiding out all winter (ummm, ME), decide it's finally time to get a little social. As things begin wind down at work and my schedule is a little more open, I have become a little more flexible with my time and go out a little bit more and even date a little. Gasp. Yes, DATE. That four letter word that makes even the most happy-go-lucky women feel jaded and stupid. Or is that just me? It can't be just me. When my friends and I and share our dating stories, we all seem to have such similar frustrating ones. And because we don't understand them, we can't offer each other advice or anything. We can just sit there cursing the dudes and laughing over the ridiculousness of it all, because if we can't laugh at it, we'd probably be crying. (Wait, we do that too.)

Shuffle: The Awesomeness of Randomness

**This is a little revamp of a post I wrote about three years ago. It has been edited, added to, and reposted for your reading pleasure. Enjoy.

Fall marathon training is about to begin for myself and many of friends this week and in the upcoming weeks we will be running many miles. Some of us have running groups or running buddies that join us on these runs and some of us run solo. Personally, every single run from the 3-milers to the 20-milers are me, myself, and I. Well, okay, I do have one companion that joins me along the way; one that I never run without: my trusty iPod. I need music during my runs. It's a must for me. I don't like to hear the sound of my feet hitting the pavement or my occasional wheezing. Sometimes, I even need a break from the thoughts going through my own head. The music on my iPod takes me away from all that. I clip that bad boy to my bra, pop my headphones in, and I am out the door, ready to rumble.

DC Day 2: Some much needed Soul

I wish day two in DC wasn't my last day here, but that's the deal with these quick weekend trips. You look forward to them, have such a fantastic time, and before you blink, it's time to get back to reality. But regardless, I was happy to have the time away from "real life" and get to go somewhere that I love. Yup, Washington DC is one of those cities that I could easily live in. Easily.

DC: Click, click

A little after I booked my London trip, I knew I wanted to go back to Washington DC. I went last June and had a totally amazing time running around the city (literally), site-seeing, eating, and catching up with old friends. There is something so awesome about that city that made me want to go back and have #RayRaysDCWeekendGetaway again. So right after London was taken care of, I booked a bus ticket ($1 each way FTW) on Megabus and my hotel (the same one I stayed in last year), and was already excited for what was ahead. Since I saw so much of the city last year, in terms of all the touristy stuff (which frankly, I sometimes can't get enough of), I knew I wanted to see some new stuff this time around on top of the usual go-to's.

Middle Of The Pack...And Okay with That

Since I haven't been able to run lately, its obviously been consuming my mind more than usual because it is such a big part of my life and I miss it so. So because I can't physically do it, why not talk about even more, right? Duh. In my tenure as a runner I have completed ten marathons, and though some of these were way more difficult than others, I am very proud of them all. Soon after I complete one of them, I get my fair share of congratulations as well as some questions about the race. Two of those most common questions are: 1) “How long was your marathon?” usually followed by 2) “Did you win?” I’m not sure which question irritates me more, but I have learned how to answer both of them without getting too agitated. First and foremost, a marathon is a measure of distance so a marathon is a marathon…is a marathon. It’s 26.2 miles. Secondly, No I didn’t win. Are you serious? I absolutely have never even come close to winning one (or thinking I could win one) and I am not ashamed at all. You see, I finish about right in the middle. In a marathon of about 40,000 finishers, I finish about 20,000^th place. And you know what? I’m totally okay with that.

Hooray for Global Running Day

Today is Global Running, the day formerly known as National Running Day. This is a real holiday for all of us runners. Unfortunately, because of my damn hamstring injury (that was only exacerbated by me stupidly trying to run the Brooklyn Half marathon a couple weeks ago), I can't celebrate this holiday by actually going for a run and it's absolutely destroying me (okay, that was super dramatic, but you get it; I'm pretty miserable not being able to run). I was barely able to run before that race and now that my hamstring was made worse (my PT said it was probably a tiny tear or really bad strain), I really can't run at all. In fact, up until about three days ago, it was still painful to even walk. But even though I've been in pain, I've still been dying to get out for a run. The second it started to feel like it had healed a bit (thanks to ultrasound therapy and electric stimulation therapy), I was so ready to go out and give it a test run, so to speak, but controlled myself because I don't want to cause another setback. I have been going for some walks in lieu of running, but they are certainly nothing like the real deal. Ugh, I miss running!