And Life Goes On After My Birthday

It's been 6 days since my 38th birthday, and life is getting back to normal.  I didn't have a party or do anything grandious, but Izzy and I did have a pretty epic special occasion dinner at 1 or 8, which is a very cool modern Japanese French restaurant in Williamsburg, Brooklyn.  The food was impeccably presented, delicious, and actually very healthy.

FYI, the chopsticks or spoon in every photo is Izzy immediately diving in to every dish, even a second of hesitation on my part and I would have missed my photo op.  When the food looks and tastes this good I like to have a visual for later reference.

So now that party time is over, I am happy to report that not only has Izzy gone to the YMCA in Greenpoint with me 4 times (twice this week and twice last week), he is once again a member as of tonight.  And it was his idea!  We've been doing the elliptical and running on the treadmill.  At this point the important thing is just to get moving and to establish a habit.  So far so good.  And the YMCA recently acquired all new cardio equipment.  I've especially been enjoying the virtual courses on the LifeFitness cardio machines.  For instance, I ran through the mountains of Germany the other night, tonight I chose urban New Zealand.

Tomorrow night is not a gym night for me because I have Spanish class, but Izzy told me that he plans to go by himself.  I love his determination when he sets his mind on something.  I always say that if the metaphor is running, he is the sprinter, and I am the marathon runner...  We are both "doers", just different types of energy.  Just have to figure out how we can work together towards the same goal, because when we do it's magic...

Oh and how could I forget? Sunday night was couples haircut night with Chester at Lance Lappin salon in TriBeCa!  Izzy said he didn't realize how much he needed the haircut until after he got it--he said he felt brand new!  I got some old grown out highlights + summer sun brassiness removed, in favor of a more fall-appropriate hair color.  Damned, new hair feels good.

By the way, I have noticed many of you liking my blog posts on Facebook or have made comments to me in person.  I would love it if you would comment here.

How do I get my mojo back?

Two weeks ago I had an appointment with my doctor, who had called me in to talk about my annual bloodwork results.  Every year my lab results show a vitamin D deficiency, and she gives me a prescription that I take once a week for 6 weeks. This time she caught me off guard and told me that in addition to my usual vitamin D deficiency, that I am also hypothyroid.  I have had the classic symptoms for as long as I can remember (always cold, dry skin and hair, enlarged glands in throat) but just never tested positive so most likely subclinical all this time.

I don't completely reject traditional medicine, but I'm not so much a fan of lots of doctors appointments and prescribed medications.  And I accept the fact that my metabolism isn't the same as everyone else's and I will have to work harder.  I wouldn't say that I'm perfect by any means when it comes to nutrition and diet, but I know what I'm supposed to do and I'm definitely better than most.  I would say that I try to live by the 80/20 rule: be as good as you can 80% of the time and live a little the other 20% of the time.  Living by extremes doesnt work for me.

I've done some reading since my appointment, and in hindsight, I have noticed the following symptoms increasing unexplainable in the last few months:

-sore muscles and longer recovery times (even Plantar Fasciitus can be connected with hypothyroid, which started bothering me about 2 years ago)

-foggy brain

-trouble concentrating

-gradual weight gain (over the course of 1-2 years) despite a regular exercise routine and generally healthy lifestyle with no major changes

My doctor prescribed me a low dosage of generic Synthroid, which is synthetic hormone replacement.  In 2 months I will take another blood test so that she can see how my levels are at that point and adjust my medication if necessary.  I didn't think to ask for a copy of my latest blood test, but I plan on getting one. The generic Synthroid made me feel space and medicated, and I read that some people do not react well with the generic versions and that the dosages are not controlled well.  She switched me to brand name Synthroid and I could feel the difference immediately... meaning, I don't feel anything which is a good thing.

So between the fatique and the generic medication that I thought I would get used to but wiped me out, I am way off my exercise routine.  I ran 3 miles on Saturday and I could really feel it.  Gonna focus on getting in some exercise most days at this point and just get a habit going again.  Just gotta get out of this funk.  Oh yeah, and my birthday is in 3 days, can I just skip it this year?

Registration just opened for the NYC Half Marathon on March 16, 2014.  I have guaranteed entry because I was a volunteer last year, but I'm going to hold off registering for a bit because the discounted price for New York Road Runners is $117!  (I hope everyone appreciates the financial commitment that it takes to compete in these events, in addition to the physical commitment!). I was perusing Hal Higdon training programs and am planning on a 12 week training program, which means I need to start training mid-December.  Hopefully this will keep me on track and give me some structure.

Update: 7 weeks since I started the blog

On September 8th, I rode my bicycle in the New York Century Bicycle Tour as planned.  None of the people who I've rode with in the past were riding this year, and I decided to go for 75 miles instead of the 55 miles that I had been planning to ride.  I love riding with friends, but I also was kind of relieved to be able to ride at my own comfortable pace.  I decided on the option to start at Prospect Park this year, rather than the usual Central Park start/finish.  Since there are different routes that you may pick from on the day of the event, I wanted to keep my options open in regards to total mileage.  Izzy actually woke at 5 am that morning to ride my bicycle to the starting line just so that I could ride the Vespa and start totally fresh.  Who's better than this guy?

Izzy is the best and most fun fiancé in the world.  Thank you sweetheart!

Obligatory bicycle tour photo in front of Verrazano Bridge.  One hell of a bridge to bike over, but I didn't do it that day.

I saw chickens, ducks and rabbits on this farm we passed in Brooklyn.  I LOVE chickens!

In front of The Cyclone in Coney Island.

Near the end of my bicycle tour on the Brooklyn Bridge.

The weather was absolutely perfect, and I ended up riding 75 miles.  Not the most I've ever rode, but not too shabby either.  Especially considering that I've done very little bicycling this summer, at least for me.  The last mile home I could not sit on my seat at all, and I had to ride the entire mile standing up.  I didn't even have a victory beer or tacos, and I went to bed early.  The next day I went to work, but felt like I was coming down with a sinus infection, possibly because of all the shit that I breathed in for 11 hours.  I made an acupuncture appointment, which instantly cleared my sinuses.  Problem averted, but I took it easy that week as my body was still adjusting back to normal.

The following weekend I went on a shortish run, and I felt good.  But that week I definitely came down with something, my co-workers even sent me home from work one day.  As soon as I recovered from this sickness, my shoulder injury flared and seemed to make other parts of my body ache and I felt tired overall.  I errered on the side of taking it easy once again...

Since the bicycle tour, I have had 2 weekends completely filled by family visits.  Though I enjoyed this time (and all the yummy food that I got to eat!), I started to feel like I am not living my life with as much intention as I would like because I've made compromises with my time.  I know that I am being critical of myself, because I actually do accomplish a lot, so I thought this would be a good time to check in and update some of the things on my "40 list" that I've been working on.  It's been about a month since my last blog, so I guess I'll just jump right back in.

• I started taking a 10-week Spanish class.  In addition to that, I play a game on my iPad called Mind Snacks (I've mastered over 350 words so far), and I have another app called Rapid Spanish Earworms, which is music with repetitive words that you can listen to anywhere.  I also got to practice this past weekend with Izzy's family, who were visiting from Mexico.
• Starting Monday, I am commiting to waking up to run 3 days a week before work, even if I only do 2-3 miles.  I have not been participating in any running events since earning my guaranteed entry to the 2014 New York City Marathon.  On October 13th, I will either run the Staten Island Half Marathon or the Get To The Point 5k in Greenpoint.
• My push-ups goal is seriously on hold for now, due to shoulder injury.  Physical Therapist doesn't even want me doing push-ups against the wall, but I've been sneaking them in here and there.  I have not been going to yoga either.  I now have referred pain and other muscles have been overcompensating for the weak injured muscles.  If I get the OK from the rehab doctor this Saturday, I would like to start swimming at the YMCA.

All things considered, this has been an eventful year.  I went to a gorgeous wedding in Palm Springs, CA.  I went to a Yankees game AND a Mets game.  I saw the Phantom of the Opera, and I'm going to see Buena Vista Social Club next weekend at Lincoln Center.  I went to a Hot Sauce Expo.  I got into the {invite only} Christian Louboutin sample sale.  I saw a Mexican surf rock band open for a Mexican ska band.  I drank fine champagne and expensive scotch, and plenty of it.  

Izzy (on the left) at the Lost Acapulco / Panteon Rococo Show.

Izzy and Neftali, after the concert at the rooftop bar at The Press Lounge.

The hard lesson that I've learned over and over is that it's important and rewarding to push yourself to he limit, but rest and recovery are just as important, for your body and your mind.  I have this voice inside my head that still tells me that I could push harder or accomplish more, that I can get more hours in the day by seriously sacrificing sleep or that I need to exercise almost every day or bicycle or run the most miles.  But I've never felt so balanced in all aspects in my life as I do now, and it's because I've chosen quality over quantity and I've let go of the idea of perfectionism.  I am being a little bit more selfish with my time and spending it wisely. 

With that said, looking forward to getting back into running this Saturday morning.  If we are Facebook friends, cheer for me on Runtastic if you have the opportunity.

Wine at The Mets game, cheers!

The Homemade Tortilla Diaries, Part 1

My friend Rose brought back homemade tortillas from a recent Arizona trip, and invited me and Izzy over for tacos.  I did a little research and found out that it's pretty easy to make your own tortillas.  I bought a cast iron tortilla press at Sur La Table for $20 and a bag of Bob's Red Mills Masa Harina at The Garden in Greenpoint for less than $4.  Izzy has made these when he lived in Mexico, but I did it mostly by myself.  He provided some guidance as he watched over my shoulder and helped at the final stage by toasting the tortillas on the stove.

I'm not very good at following other people's recipes verbatim.  My technique is to research many recipes, eliminate anything that is too complicated, or any extra ingredients that don't seem necessary that I don't feel like buying.  I usually splice and re-combine 2 or more recipes.  This cut and paste technique is actually very close to how I design textiles, LOL.

I found a very simple recipe that did not require my cut and paste technique: 

2 cups Masa Harina 

1/2 tsp salt

1 1/3 warm water

Mix it in a bowl (use your hands), then roll it into a log, cut into 12 pieces.  Roll each piece into a ball, flatten and arranged on cutting board.  Cover the cutting board with plastic for 15 min.

To prevent the tortilla from sticking to the cast iron, there needs to be plastic between the dough and the press.  I found suggestions like covering each plate with a plastic bag, or using wax paper.  Izzy saw me struggling to cover each plate with plastic wrap, my plan was to tape the plastic wrap with blue tape (LOVE that stuff!). He stopped me and showed me his way, which is to lay down a big piece of plastic wrap, then the dough, the fold the plastic wrap over.  Then press!  After a couple of tortillas, I figured out how much space I had to leave to the fold of the plastic wrap so that my tortilla was not misshaped.

Izzy and I had an assembly line going...  I pressed the tortillas, and he toasted them on pans on the stove.  He had 3 pans going at once on medium heat, and used a spatula to flip the tortillas periodically.  As each tortilla was finished, he put them in a folded towel to keep warm, then he would start another tortilla.  Also inspired by Rose, I ordered a Day of the Dead tortilla cozy from Amazon, which I have not yet received.  When I post one of the other tortilla recipes that I am going to try, I will include a photo of the cozy.

Our first batch of corn tortillas was a huge success!  We dipped these in Izzy's homemade tomatillo green sauce, so we weren't so particular about the size and shape of the tortillas.  These tortillas were thicker than what I am accustomed to, and had much more of an earthy corn flavor.  Masa harina comes in golden, blue, and white varieties, we used the golden this time.  All of Bon's Red Mills products are made with non-GMO products only, but i am disappointed that their masa harina is not organic.

Bob's Red Mills offers a gluten-free version of masa harina.  The difference, at least as far as I can tell, is that the GF version is made in a factory that is not contaminated by products made with wheat. I would have bought the GF masa harina if it was available at the store that I went to, just because why not?  FYI, in NYC the Westerly Market in Hell's Kitchen has a much more extensive selection of Bob's products.  Amazon has a great selection of Bob's Red Mill products organic and gluten-free masa harina.

If anyone has ideas or experience pre-making and storing homemade tortillas, please leave a comment.

Transportation Alternatives New York Century Bicycle Tour

On Sunday September 8th, 2013, I will be riding in the New York Century Bicycle Tour for the 5th consecutive year. There are different routes available: 15, 35, 55, 75, or 100 miles. I completed the 55 mile route twice, and attempted the 75 mile and 100 mile routes. My longest ride to date is 86 miles.
For my first ride in 2009, I chose the 55 mile route to ride with my friend Ira Cogan. I remember riding over bridges and doing laps in Central Park all summer long. I rode my bike practically everywhere. I built a summer wardrobe that was not only day-to-night, but also appropriate for the streets of Williamsburg and the wine bars of Chelsea. My training paid off. The ride was difficult, but we finished, and was probably the biggest bonding moment Ira and I have had in the 10 years that I've known him.

In May of 2010 I rode in the Five Burroughs Bicycle Tour, which is 42 miles plus additional miles biked to and from the event. In 2010 and 2011, I attempted the 75 mile and 100 mile routes of the New York Century. Both valiant attempts were cut short by weather and technical difficulties. I made new friends along the way, and I still enjoyed a victory beer or two. My body did not ache as much as you would think, but the run down feeling and recovery can last for DAYS.
Last year (2012), I decided that I had lost sight of why I was really doing this. To be honest, I was not putting in as much mileage regularly because bicycling did not fit into my life with the same ease that it once had. Izzy and I bought our first scooter, so I was having fun learning to ride and it was something that we enjoyed together. So I opted for the 55 mile bicycle route, so I could ride with friends, stop at Nathan's in Coney Island, have a beer if i feel like it, and relax a bit.
In less than 2 weeks I will be riding the 55 mile route once again. I did very little bicycle riding this year, BUT I am happy to report that I ran my first half marathon this year. This past year was my break out year for running, I really fell in love and I broke past my 5 mile wall. And now when I ride a bike, I can tell how my muscles have changed and become even stronger from running.
And one day I will ride 100 miles. I think I probably only need to do it once in my life, but who knows. For me, it's not just about that 1 day when I get to ride all day long. It's about the training that goes into it, and the learning process. Setting a goal and accomplishing said goal takes a lot of effort, but the pay-off of finishing feels good. Setting a goal, investing large amounts of time and money, then having to admit defeat is a learning process and a valuable lesson. Finishing despite all costs is not always the best choice, this I definitely did not know in my 20s, but learned later in my 30s.
One of the best parts of living in NYC is having alternate methods of transportation available. I would not feel the same level of affection for this city had I not rode my bike over all of the bridges countless times. And now our Vespa provides a faster (and less sweaty) method of getting around on 2 wheels. I also have the option to take the bus, the subway, the ferry or even a Citibike. And of course, my own two feet!

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THE LIST

As of today, I have 795 days until my 40th birthday.  Here are my goals thus far, surely to be added to:

1. Get married to Izzy probably in September of 2015.
2. Run my first marathon: the New York City Marathon 2014.  I have earned guaranteed entry for next year by joining New York Road Runners, running in 9 qualifying events this year, and volunteering at 1 event.  For 2013 the cost of the marathon is $216 for NYRR members, plus an $11 processing fee.  Annual NYRR membership costs $40 and most running events cost $18 and up.  This is a huge time AND financial commitment, and this doesn't include the cost of running gear or a buttload of energy gels.
3. Do real push-ups and real chaturangas.  I have much more natural leg strength than upper body strength.
4. Learn to speak Spanish conversationally.  I plan to have a bilingual wedding and to say my vows in Spanish and English.
5. Increase my salary. I have set a specific monetary goal that I will not post publicly.  This will certainly help with the wedding budget.
6. Ride my bicycle in the 100 mile version of the New York Century Bicycle Tour.  Longest ride to date is 86 miles.
   
7. Complete a tri sprint (.475 mi swim, 12.5 mi bicycle, 3.1 mi run) and an Olympic tri (.93 mi swim, 25 mi bicycle, 6.2 mi run).  I could easily do either distance right now, except for the swimming.  I just sort of freestyle swim, so I probably need lessons.  And I have no gauge whatsoever as to how far I can swim currently.
8. Start a business with Izzy.  He has 2 dream businesses: a hot sauce company, and a bar.  Maybe we'll do both, you never know!
9. Find a more permanent place to live.  Home ownership is the goal eventually, but don't see how this is possible until after the wedding.  The reality is that we might get priced out of our neighborhood in the next couple of years, so in the meantime I've been applying for affordable housing for middle income, which is selected through a lottery system.
10. Here's one for Izzy: he really needs his motorcycle, I think that one is coming next summer.

I would like to point out that my countdown to 40 is not coming from negativity.  I think 40 is fab!  When I set quantifiable goals for myself, I usually find that I at least come pretty damned close.  And I remember that I made a lot of important life decisions around the time that I turned 30, so I'm really looking forward to another round of that.  And finally, since I work in fashion design, I am always researching, planning, and designing 1 year ahead.  So I'm just a smidge early on this, but not really if you consider that there is a wedding to be planned as well.

Countdown to 40: Saturday, October 24, 2015

In 802 days I will turn 40.  This realization hit me this weekend as my mind was wondering during a long run.  I recently got engaged (to my best friend, YAY!) and the tentative time frame for the wedding as of now is September 2015.  NYC summer is too hot, September is beautiful.  October is always jammed packed socially because everyone I know seems to have an October birthday, including me, my fiancé (Izzy), and my mom.  Then there's Halloween, then Thanksgiving, then Christmas, then New Years.  It goes by very quickly.

This got me thinking about resolutions and goals.  I keep saying to Izzy how happy I am that we were able to accomplish so many goals in the first half of this year:

• I started a new job this year.  It started out very rocky, but then I was thrown into a sink or swim situation and I rocked it.
• I saw my original textile designs on my new favorite show Orange is the New Black.  On episode 6 Spanish mom's boyfriend visits her in jail wearing a flocked shirt that I designed for Jhane Barnes.  Earlier this year I also saw a print that I designed in the movie "Lay the Favorite".
  
• I got my motorcycle license.
• We got a Vespa!  Meet the family: That's Rocco (Vespa GT 300 Super) on the right with Luna (Kymco People 50cc) on the left.
  
• Izzy started bartending again on Thursday nights (He does it mostly for fun, and it makes him really happy when he does it just once a week).  To say that he is an extrovert and high-energy is actually an understatement.  He waited on Jimmy Fallon for the 2nd time, and Jimmy gave him a hug and a kiss on the cheek.
• We got engaged and picked out a custom ring that we love and reflects both of our style.
  
• Finally getting renter's insurance.
• We hired a house cleaner.  Izzy fired the last house cleaner a year ago, promising that he could and would do a better job.  He didn't.  But it's ok, he's a hard worker, he shouldn't have to.  I didn't need to be convinced, he did.
• We now have a real guest room.
• I ran in the Brooklyn Half Marathon, which was my first 1/2.  I got my first running medal and came really damned close to my goal of 2 hours and 30 minutes.
  
  
• I joined New York Road Runners and have guaranteed entry to the 2014 New York City Marathon.  I earned my spot by running in 9 qualifying NYRR events and volunteering at the New York City Half Marathon (which earned me a guaranteed space in next year's half as well).
• I raised $1315 for the National Kidney Foundation and ran the Healthy Kidney 10k in Central Park on May 11th, 2013.  My run was dedicated to my brother who was a double transplant recipient (kidney AND a pancreas!) last winter after having kidney failure.
  
  
  

By 40 I will have run a marathon and be married!  I've been making a list in my head of some other things that I would like to accomplish - personally, professionally, and fitness-oriented.  I am going to list my goals on this blog and document my trials and tribulations.