Got my Mojo & Some Family Fun

Friday night I had a hot date... with my friend Tara.  Yup, guest poster extraordinaire Tara!  We signed up for a special "yoga mojo" class at 5 Boro Yoga on Staten Island.  I have never met a yoga class that I did not like at 5 Boro and if they were bringing someone in, I knew she had to be good.

It was a packed class, but everyone found a spot.  Right from the first pose, I could tell it was going to be a little different.  Annie teaches at the Yoga Shop in Connecticut.  She used different routines and some poses I had never tried before.  She also incorporated music which kept the vibe in the room light and fun.  She referred to one guy as "the cool guy" and must have said "wicked" about 500 times.  It was definitely a break from the norm.  (No one in Staten Island ever says wicked.)  After two hours, I was relaxed but laughing and I even learned a new approach to attempt a headstand.  I'll get it someday!

Saturday, we were up and out early.  We headed to the Poconos for an overnight mini-vaca.  We started with an hour or so of snow-tubing at Camelback Mountain.  It was a lot of fun and pretty organized and efficient.  The weather was warm and the sun was hot.  It was a welcomed change from the recent frigid cold weather.  I was only sad that I wasn't running.

Tubing with Mini Me

After that, we headed to the Great Wolf Lodge.  Great Wolf is an indoor water park hotel/resort.  They were nice enough to give us a greatly discounted room after the whole Sandy thing.  I wanted to pay that forward and so we brought my friend Jessica and her son since they had also been displaced after riding out Sandy in their attic.  My kids had been to the Virginia location before so they knew what it was about and they were very excited to go.  Even though it was not yet time to check into our room, we were able to go right to the water park and get wet.

We finally checked into the room after 6 p.m. (when the kids agreed to dry off), and then headed to Alaska Pete's for dinner.  It is one of our favorite restaurants in that area and it never disappoints.  After yummy ribs and some ice cream for the kids, we literally carried three sleeping kids into the hotel room (grateful for floor level rooms).  Jessica and I went out in search of a nightcap and managed to find the bar on the verge of closing.  Two drinks later, it was best to hit the hay anyway.

Sleeping Babies

I was up at 6:30 a.m. which was actually 5:30 a.m., but the clocks went forward so iPhone said "it's 6:30, get your ass up and run!"  Being sick cost me a full week of half marathon training and an important 10 mile long run.  This was make up, since the half is this coming weekend.  I headed to the fitness center which was decent enough.  They had two treadmills and about 3-4 other machines and some weights.  In hindsight it isn't big enough for the size of the resort, but I was the first one there and the early bird gets the treadmill.  I started the first mile and doubted that I would finish it.  I was tired and so not into it.  To add to the issue I had left my headphones home and had no music.  I keep moving and 7.5 miles and 4 more people in the fitness center later I decided to take the run outside.  I went to the room to find sleeping adults and the kids up and quietly playing video games.

How to keep three kids quiet and calm - Sadly, TV and video games

I grabbed my Garmin and headed back out.  I miscalculated the weather thinking it was already warm and headed out in my t-shirt and capris.  I was 1 mile in (at 8.5 now) and down the huge hill before I realized how cold it was out.  With 1.5 to go I kicked it up a little until I hit the uphill back to the resort.  That was the killer.  I figured if I can do this at the end of 10, I can do a flat 13 next weekend. Plus I was freezing at that point so continuing to run was the only option.

With 10 miles done, I went back to the room and took a nap dressed the kids and spent the afternoon back in the water park before heading home.

All in all, fun weekend.  Today's recovery run was tough but the legs definitely loosened up.  I have 3 days left of work, a strength workout, speed work and some yoga and then Shamrock Marathon weekend!