Last Day in Maui

Today is our last full day in Maui, tomorrow we are flying off to San Francisco to take a tour of Napa Valley!  I have never been to Napa or Sonoma so I’m excited.  Too bad we have to say goodbye to the sun and warm weather though.

As for the race, I didn’t end up running.  Both the hubby and I ended up getting sick on Friday and we spent the whole night awake coughing and feeling ill.  I was super upset about not being able to go, but I wasn’t going to run sick and not getting any sleep the night before. 😦  I have also not worked out at all because of my flu-like cold.  Kind of miserable, but can’t be too miserable because I am in Hawaii 🙂  I feel bad I let you all down by not having some pics from the run and a cool race recap…sorry!

On to the fun stuff….On Sunday we went on a snorkeling tour and got to see sea turtles, tons of beautiful reef fish and even a dozen or so humpback whales.

Dolphins also rode the wake of our boat going back to harbor.

Monday was spent on a crazy drive around West Maui.  We started out with breakfast at the Ritz Carlton in Kapalua then headed around the west side of the island.  We saw beautiful cliffs

The Olivine Pools

and the Nakele Blowhole (it wasn’t really blowing at all that day)

Then we headed further along the highway to a super narrow section that had the hubby and I sweating.  Signs like this were along the whole way.

We stopped for some delicious banana bread

and ended up in the Iao Valley to see the Iao Needle.  This is the valley where King Kamehameha conquered the island of Maui.

Dinner was enjoyed in Lahaina at sunset. 

How pretty is that?

Today is hanging by the pool and soaking up the last of those Hawaiian rays. 

See you all from Cali!

Maui Bound

Yesterday the husband and I went to Pearl Harbor.  I have been there once back in the 80s but he had never been.   The winds have been a bit crazy here in Hawaii and they shut down the boats to the Arizona Memorial.  Pearl Harbor fail.  😦

We did get to see the submarine that was parked in Pearl and took the tour aboard.

I have never been in a sub before and man it was cramped.  The husband and I were commenting on how much it must have smelled when all the guys were aboard during wartime. 

This morning (Friday) we took a quick flight over to Maui.  I love Maui.  We drove from the airport to our hotel and stopped along the way at a local juice truck.  Yummy coconut pineapple smoothie.

This evening was packet pickup for Saturday’s half marathon!  We even saw some humpback whales breaching while driving to Kahului.

Can’t wait for this run.

Pineapple Express

Today’s Workout: 30 minute elliptical and tons of walking!

The hubby and I took a tour of the island of Oahu today.  We had decided not to rent a car the couple of days that we are in Honolulu but we did want to see the rest of the island.  Enter the tour. 

The bus picked us up in Waikiki and headed out to Diamondhead.  The houses up there are super pretty and huge.  Didn’t they film the Real World Hawaii up there?  I was thinking about Ruthie et al while we were headed up the mountain.  After Diamondhead we headed to a national park where visitors can hit the beach and snorkel.  So beautiful.  The park was called Hanauma Bay.

Next up was Pali Lookout which had tons of wild chickens

and beautiful views

The tour then took us to Kualoa Ranch where they filmed Lost and Jurassic Park

after lunch it was on to Sunset Beach where the famed Pipline Surf competition is held.  The waves weren’t that big today, only 3-5 feet but the tour guide said they had 25 foot waves just a week ago.  Wowzers

The tour ended at the Dole Plantation, but I was too busy to take photos because I was chowing down on some Pineapple ice cream…yummy.

Pearl Harbor is tomorrow…anyone been to Maui?  Have any fun suggestions for activities?

Hawaiian Dreamin

Today’s Workout – 20 min elliptical and 3 mile run on treadmill in 30 min

After one heck of a long flight, we landed in Honolulu last night around 7pm local time.  Yay Hawaii!  The hubby and I were super tired and got some sushi before going to bed.  We did have a little extra visitor in our hotel room last night…yuck, a roach!

Photo Source

Nasty right?  Luckily I had the hubby to kill it them we talked to the front desk.  They were very nice about it but I thought I left that behind when I moved out of my nasty upper east side apartment years ago.  I almost barfed when I saw it race across the room.

This morning we woke up (super early of course with the time difference) and got a really nice breakfast at another hotel along Waikiki Beach.  A little shopping, a little walking, a little napping happened the rest of the morning then we hit the beach in the afternoon.

Tomorrow we are taking a tour of the island so I will have tons of photos!  Anyone have any gross hotel stories to share?  Any roaches also?

New York Marathon Race Review

The New York Marathon is always held on the first Sunday in November and this past year it was on November 7th.  It took me nearly two years, from start to finish, to gain my automatic entry then tow the line at the marathon.  I finished in 4:28:25 and had the best time I’ve ever had running a marathon.  It truly was the most awesome experience.

I gained my automatic entry through the NYRR 9+1 program where you run 9 qualifying races and volunteer at one event.  The 9+1 has to be completed in the previous calendar year so I did all my requirements in 2009. 

The morning of the race, my then fiance now hubby drove me to the starting area in Staten Island.  I was in Wave 2 Green so I didn’t start the race until 10:10am but made it to the staging area around 6am.  Waiting was a bit cold but Dunkin Donuts coffee was provided and I had brought a book and extra clothes with me. 

The green wave is on the lower level of the Verrazano Bridge so I didn’t get all those great views that most people talk about.  The green wave does get the peeing over the side of the bridge wind that everyone talks about but thank goodness that didn’t happen to me!  Ick.  The first two miles are over the bridge then you end up in Bayridge, Brooklyn.  My parents were at the 5k mark and being in the less crowded green wave it was super easy to spot them.

The course takes you thru Brooklyn and into Queens.  The most amazing thing is that the streets are lined with crowds screaming their heads off for you the entire 26.2 miles.  I’ve never experienced anything like it.  The energy is super intense and exciting.  The whole city comes out for the marathon and having lived in NYC for years, I know that the city loves the marathon.  We talk about it, cheer on friends in it and love seeing all the runners from around the world there. 

I saw my parents and hubby again in upper Manhattan probably around the mile 20 marker.

I had this goofy smile on the entire time.  It was just that awesome, overwhelming and exciting.  At around the mile 24 marker you head into Central Park.  Having run there all the time, I was very familiar with all the ups and downs of the hills.  I had heard a rumor that the cut-off for having your name printed in the NY Times the next day was 4:30 so I really pressed in the last couple of miles.

I was so excited to cross the finishline that my picture is super cheesy.  HA!

After crossing the finishline you have to walk almost a mile before you can get out of the park.  They give you a heat sheet, medal and a bag full of food and drinks.  I can’t wait to do this again in November. 

 It is truly a once in a lifetime run that everyone should do.  A definite item on the bucket list.

New York Marathon Pros:

EVERYTHING

New York Marathon Cons:

I think the hardest/worst thing about this marathon is getting in.  I have a bit easier because I live in the area and am a NYRR member.  Still takes 2 years of work and planning for us locals though

Aloha Honeymoon

…and we are off to Hawaii for almost two weeks! I’m so excited.  It’s been a nasty winter in the northeast and nothing sounds better to me right now that the feeling of sun on my skin.  Well, maybe a nice tropical drink with that.  🙂

I think we have snorkeling planned, some luau planned, fishing planned and maybe a couple of bike adventures.

We had beautiful 50-75 degree weather for our wedding weekend.  That is awesome in March in NJ because you never know what could happen.  Well, this morning I woke up to

SNOW!  Yup, snow!  Can you believe it?  Friday we were wearing short sleeve shirts. 

We are leaving for the airport soon. Thank you for all the warm wedding wishes.  Hopefully no more snow pictures are in my near future 🙂

Just Married!

Thank you all for the warm wishes for my wedding day!  It was just perfect, more than I could have imagined.  I will post about it soon but in the meantime here are some pics from yesterday.  I am busy packing for my Hawaiian honeymoon

My makeup, I have never worn that much makeup total in my entire life 🙂

The Dress!

Making faces at my sister while I posed for the photographer

 more self-portraits

My sister was taking pictures while the photographer was.  Hope the photographer makes me look thinner!  ha! 

 

Wedding Friday Confessions

Yesterday’s workout: 3 miles on the treadmill at 9:15 pace

Today’s workout: 30 minutes on the elliptical

TGIF!!!!  Doesn’t really feel as much TGIF for me today since I’ve had no work since Tuesday.  But, Friday is confession day at runbakerace so here we go…

– I am getting married tomorrow, yup tomorrow.  I have to admit that I’m not nervous or scared at all.  Everyone keeps asking whether or not we are both nervous but neither of us are.  Strange?  Were you nervous on your wedding day?

– I have worked in the corporate world for nearly 12 years now and I love working.  But, I haven’t missed it one bit since I’ve been off this week.  Who knew you can get so much done during the work day and things aren’t crowded! ha  Usually I’m fighting the post-work crowd at the grocery store, at the gym, everywhere.

– I just got my hair and nails done and I hate doing that kind of stuff. Feel like I just wasted two hours of my life.

– Sorry, for the picture less post but we are in final wedding-mode so there is much to do!  I will be back on Sunday with a wedding recap.

ENJOY THE WEEKEND!  Anyone have any good confessions out there to share?

Erin Go Bragh!

Happy St. Patrick’s Day!!!!!

I love St. Patrick’s Day!  I am half Irish and have a very Irish last name.  Well, that will be leaving me in just two short days but in the meantime I am going to celebrate my Irishness. 

Photo Source

Growing up my mom used to dye everything green on St. Patrick’s Day.  We had green orange juice, green corn muffins, green eggs, you get the idea.  Some of it looked gross and OJ tends to be a little more on the blueish side but it was always fun.  We also always made Irish Soda Bread. 

 

My Irish eyes are smiling today 🙂 Ignore my gross hair, I didn’t shower after the gym today..making it a stinky day!

My fiance loves irish soda bread so I make it all the time but with all the wedding planning going on, there hasn’t been much baking in the runbakerace household.  That all changed last night when I made an Irish Soda Bread.  

Here’s the recipe:  I use Ina Garten’s recipe but change it just a little bit

• 4 cups all purpose flour
• 4 tablespoons sugar
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1 1/2 teaspoons kosher salt
• 4 tablespoons (1/2 stick) cold unsalted butter, cut into 1/2-inch dice
• 1 3/4 cups cold buttermilk, shaken
• 1 extra-large egg, lightly beaten
• 1 cup raisins

Directions

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F. Line a sheet pan with parchment paper.

 Combine the flour, sugar, baking soda, and salt in the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment. Add the butter and mix on low speed until the butter is mixed into the flour.

With a fork, lightly beat the buttermilk and egg together in a bowl. With the mixer on low speed, slowly add the buttermilk mixture to the flour mixture. Mix the raisins into the dough. It will be very wet.

Dump the dough onto a well-floured board and knead it a few times into a round loaf. Place the loaf on the prepared sheet pan and lightly cut an X into the top of the bread with a serrated knife.

Bake for 45 to 55 minutes, or until a cake tester comes out clean. When you tap the loaf, it will have a hollow sound.

Cool on a baking rack. Serve warm or at room temperature

Photo Source

Espresso Confusion

It’s the first day of my two and a half week vacation and I celebrated by sleeping in….a whole extra hour and a half.  Twas awesome

After doing some last minute wedding errands, I headed to the gym.  I pounded out 7 miles on the treadmill in around 65 minutes.

The evidence 🙂

After eating lunch I wrapped all the gifts for the kids

In each of those blue bag is tons of candy.  I was at the candy store last night and was debating on which candies to put in their bags.  I love candy, all candy and I also love candy from my childhood.  Nerds, fun dip, bottle caps, ring pops and warheads.  I decided that these kids need to eat some old school candy

What’s your favorite candy from growing up?  I used to love now &  laters and good n plenties. 

Back in January a friend of my fiance’s got me a ticket to see the Martha Stewart Show.  It was her winter bridal show and all the members of the audience had to be a bride.  So fun, right?  I went, sat really close to the front and enjoyed her talk with Oscar De La Renta and a fashion show.

There she is and Oscar is on her left side.  You couldn’t take many pictures, had to be when they weren’t filming so I don’t have that many.  Here are two of the Martha set.

So, being the bridal show she gave tons of stuff away to all of us audience members.  We got design books, mini carmel apples, hanky panky bridal thongs, pashminas and a gift certificate for a free espresso machine.  I got home that night and told the fiance all about it and he was psyched to get the free espresso machine.  Well, it came the other day!

and now we don’t know what to do with it! Ha! Neither of us drink espresso and we have so many appliances already.  Anyone have a machine like this? Do you love it? hate it?