Hi friends! I’m so glad many of you are pumped about the “fANNEtastic running buddies” Facebook group! We already have nearly 350 people in the group and it makes me so happy to see a bunch of you finding running buddies already. Come see if you can find a running buddy near you, too! 🙂
As you know, I was in NYC this week to speak on a panel yesterday at the Fitness Magazine Meet & Tweet. I arrived via train from DC on Wednesday evening in time to meet some old friends for dinner – my friends Jackie and Dawn, who taught English in Prague with me back in 2008-09.
It had been WAY too long since we saw each other and I loved catching up! I feel like you form such a strong bond with friends you study or live abroad with – even though it had been ages, once we saw each other it felt like no time had really passed at all. 🙂 Fun to reminisce about our adventures!
We met up at a cool spot called Gotham Food Market, which is a big market with all sorts of different food vendors and communal seating areas and bars. We all hit up a place called Choza Tacqueria – I got two ahi tuna tacos (amazing) and a big salad, which I shared with the girls. We also shared some sweet potato fries. Plus wine, of course!
On Thursday morning, I dragged myself out of bed at 5:30 for an early morning run in Central Park with a friend!
It was really dark out but the park paths were nicely lit and it felt super safe – lots of runners out and about. The reservoir was especially beautiful!
I completely forgot to wear my GPS watch – bummer – so I don’t know our pace or distance, but we were going at a really speedy clip. I’d wager we did about 4.5 miles at around a 8 minute/mile average pace or a little faster! Whew!
After showering up and getting pretty for the panel, I met up with my long lost blogger BFF Gena for breakfast at our fave, Le Pain Quotidien. Latte me!
I had the seasonal special quiche – butternut squash and spinach I believe? It was good! Although not as amazing as the omelettes I usually get at LPQ – not sure why this location didn’t have omelettes! Boo!
Gena moved back to NYC (from DC) this summer and I miss her dearly! SO good to catch up. <3
After breakfast, it was Meet & Tweet time!
I was happy to see my Oster Versa Challenge (<—have you entered yet?!) buddies had a booth there – Courtney, we missed you! 🙂
I really enjoyed the sessions at the Meet & Tweet this year – here are some of the highlights:
The New Formula for Fitness Success with @HollyRilinger
- “The magic happens when we sleep” – it’s just as important as exercise and nutrition when it comes to our health!
- When you schedule out your week, schedule your workouts, too, and treat them like any other appointment you absolutely wouldn’t miss. Invest in yourself, just like you would your business! I always schedule workouts in my calendar – it’s the only way I make sure they actually happen!
How to Stay Healthy in a Hardcore World with Dr. Marci Goolsby of @HSpecialSurgery
- Know the difference between good and bad pain when running. If it alters your gait, you shouldn’t run through it.
- Typical running mistakes that lead to injury: 1) too much to quick and/or 2) not strength training.
- It is not normal for female athletes to lose their periods.
- To avoid DOMS (delayed onset muscle soreness), stay mobile after your workout – don’t sit the rest of the day! Stretch, walk, move.
Eat Healthier, Live Happier: Game-Changing Cooking Secrets with @CarlaHall
- “My biggest fear was hating my job.” – this woman had so much passion for what she does – I loved it!
- Make your own flavored oil by blending olive oil with a whole lemon and some herbs. Great in fish dishes!
- Don’t remove all the fat from your recipes in an attempt to lighten them up. Fat = flavor and satiety! Removing it will make the meal less satisfying, so you’ll be likely to eat more and enjoy it less, too.
- Don’t deny yourself what you really want to eat. (Yay, intuitive eating!)
After the morning sessions we had some time to network and enjoy lunch, which was really good – props to Fitness for the tasty AND healthy meal.
After making sure I didn’t have food in my teeth, it was time for my session! I had the pleasure of speaking on a panel with Bianca Jade and Laura Sykora, led by Amanda Wolfe from Fitness. We’re pictured below with Betty from Fitness as well.
Our panel discussion was entitled “My Digital Brand is My Business.” Some of the highlights:
- Don’t be scared to just start (whether it’s a blog, or going back to school, or anything) – so often we get caught up in the how and overwhelmed by the thought of something. At a certain point we just have to go for it! I wasted a lot of time wanting to start a blog but being nervous about doing it before I finally started this one.
- Let your blog evolve as you evolve. It’s okay to change things as you grow! My blog, for example, has morphed into much more of a fitness/running blog than it was originally. My blog got more running focused as I did!
- Above all, HAVE FUN. Follow your passion and it will shine through in your work. Don’t start a blog because you want it to be your business/make you money – start it (and continue it) because you love it. Let success be a side effect of that passion.
- Support each other. There’s plenty of room for everyone at the top, and helping/partnering with others will always benefit you in the long run.
- Stay true to your brand. Don’t accept partnerships that don’t fit with your values or that won’t be beneficial to your readers.
- When writing a post, think about what’s in it for your readers. What is your aim with the post? Is it simply to entertain? To inspire? To inform? What is the point of what you are sharing?
- Invest in your business – consider taking a class in something that scares you, like photography or graphic design – or at least use Google to your advantage for tips!
- Learn from your mistakes. You will make them, and that’s okay! It’s part of the learning/growing process.
Thank you again to Fitness for having me on the panel, and for covering my expenses to get up to NYC for the event. It was an honor to be there!
Photo source
I flew out directly from NYC to Atlanta after the Meet & Tweet ended; the annual dietitian national conference, FNCE (the Food & Nutrition Conference & Expo), is this weekend in Atlanta. I’m headed back to the city tomorrow to kick off the conference and will be there until Monday. As for today, I’m enjoying a visit with my high school BFF Jenny, who lives about an hour south of Atlanta in Macon. 🙂
Have a great weekend, friends!
